Henry Crawford arrived unaccompanied to the Bertram Ball. He could not convince Lucas to join him, and he knew his friend needed time to recover from his wounds.
In truth, he nearly did not come to the ball either. The Crofts were invited and most likely in attendance, therefore he did not know if he could keep from spontaneous regurgitation if Mr. Croft was in the same room.
The sole driver of his attendance was the opportunity to finally see and speak with Miss Price after what seemed like years. He would be lying if he denied searching for her face on every lady that came into his view. He greeted his sister and her Bertram relations, but there was no sign of Miss Price.
"And I do believe congratulations are in order," Mary was saying to Lady Bertram. "The ball looks marvelous, Julia is beautiful, and the refreshments are delicious."
In truth, the refreshments were bland, as they were in any self-respecting London ball.
"But I must ask, will there be an announcement tonight?" Mary gave her most indulgent smile. "Of the marriage kind."
"Oh my," Lady Bertram laughed, patting Mary's hand. "Not as of yet, dear, but I believe by the end of the season it will be official."
"That is wonderful," Mary joined her laughter.
"At first I admit I had my reservations, he is my first son, you know, but I am happy to keep him close to me." Lady Bertram nodded, a hand on Mary's arm. "I already have such a beautiful and accomplished daughter-in-law I can afford any other as my daughter."
Henry was trying his best not to step into the conversation with ignorance, and he cast his sister a look.
"Ah, Henry, did you not know?" Mary took his arm and led him away. "Tom Bertram and Miss Price are practically engaged."
If Mary had punched him in the stomach it would not have been more surprising. Or painful, even with her surprising strength.
"Miss Price?" His voice dropped lower.
"Tell me you knew before," Concern for her brother made her stop walking.
Henry did not answer and she searched his face.
"Oh my dear brother," She gave a sigh. "It is not just a momentary infatuation is it?"
He could not hear her, for his attention was directed elsewhere.
She walked into the room, in the quietest way possible. No fanfare or bustling about, few people even glanced her way. She aided their general disregard by maintaining her eyes to the ground, shy in the presence of so many strangers.
But he had been watching for her.
Worry had filled him with whatever rumors she may have heard, anything she had misunderstood. And the rumor that Tom was to marry her. That he could not believe.
Did not want to believe.
When he caught sight of her, all of those perturbing thoughts melted away. And he felt an entirely different sort of weight on his heart.
Her gown was beautiful.
Unlike the misfitting gowns she wore at Mansfield Park, this one hugged her gracefully. Even from a distance, he could see she gained a bit of weight and color, and it made her look more alive than he had ever seen her. Her hair was arranged just so, a few curls purposefully framing her face.
She was so alive that it hurt physically not to be at her side.
Miss Price finally lifted her eyes, to look at the musicians. More engrossed in the sound than they were.
She always undermined herself in her interests in literature, music, history and travel. Her dismissals could not hide the lady of class that she truly was, how her eyes danced in wonder and thirst for knowledge.
She would make a wonderful Lady of Everingham.
His heart pounded as the thought slipped in unbidden.
He could perfectly imagine her scouring the Everingham libraries. How wonderfully they could pass the days together reading or caring for the gardens. She could restore the estate to its former glory. They could travel to collect books and souvenirs to show off to their friends.
The visions were attractive, but nothing compared with the desire to hold her at that very moment.
He turned back to the present when he saw her cousin capture her attention.
Edmund.
Instant jealousy fired through his veins when she gave the man a warm smile. He asked her to dance, and she consented.
"You may wish to avert your eyes long enough to blink," Mary startled him from his red thoughts.
"I cannot say I know what you mean," Henry said through grit teeth, still watching them on the dance floor.
"Well, if you wish everyone to know your jealousy, that is fine with me." Mary shrugged. "But keep my husband out of it."
"Miss Croft spoke with you?" Henry finally turned away from the dancers to his sister.
"Of course," Mary sighed. "If I were younger, I may have a whole scheme planned for your little flower, but I have grown too old for that."
Henry raised an eyebrow at her.
"It is true," Mary dismissed his incredulous look. "I do not even blame her. He is a great and wonderful man."
"Married life turned out to be better than you thought?" Henry asked bemused at her maturity.
"Mother had taught me to look for a man that loved me, even if I did not love him back," Mary admitted, she looked out at the dancers to her husband. "When I met Edmund, I knew he could love me. I tried to play with his feelings at first, enjoying myself, but I felt his sincerity. I knew he was kind and gentle and that I would never wonder."
She turned back to him, in a rare moment of genuinity. Henry remained silent, letting her confess.
"Living with Edmund these short few months has been the strangest, but greatest time of my life." She smiled softly. "I have fallen completely in love and I know that no man could ever bring me the same joy as he. I believe that Fanny and Edmund are kindred spirits, so I understand why she may have loved him once. But I also believe that my husband loves me so completely that no woman is any threat to me, and I want the same for you Henry."
"You approve of Miss Price," Henry summarized.
"I do, now that I see how true Anne spoke," She looked back to the crowd as the dancing concluded. "If you manage to earn her heart, it will be yours forever. Just as yours already belongs to her."
That he disliked his sister's astute intuition was an understatement. But a part of him felt relief knowing that he had her support.
"Quickly now," Mary motioned with her head. "Mr. Bertram has mobilized."
Henry followed her indications to see Tom Bertram, indeed wrapping up conversation to move toward Miss Price.
Henry took Mary's hand in his arm and practically dragged her through the crowd. Acknowledging his friends with a smile but picking up speed until he was standing before the object of their musings.
"Mary," Edmund brightened at the sight of his wife and he was at her side immediately. Henry took the opportunity to step forward and stand beside Miss Price.
Watching Bertram it was clear his infatuation was very real, and he felt comfort knowing that a sincere man was taking care of his sister. The man cared not for her money or position, even if his family did, he only cared for her.
"Miss Price," Henry turned to the damsel to his right, and quite aggressively forgot the rest of his speech at the sight of her.
She was even more pretty up close. He could see the fine details of her face, the corners of her eyes accenting her soft smile, and the light blush on her cheek. She blinked at him and he felt as if she had not done so in years.
"Why Edmund, why do we not switch partners and dance together in this next set?"
"A fine idea, Mary,"
The conversation was lost on Henry but he had enough sense about him to extend his hand for Miss Price's and lead her to the dance floor.
Across the room, Anne Croft was speaking with a group of ladies. More accurately, she was being spoken at by ladies frantic for her attention and gossip while she spied the fantastic race of Henry Crawford toward Miss Price.
She was never one to give into romantic notions, but it softened her reservations to see her friends so happily and completely in love. Mary took her handsome husband's arm, and he looked down at her with adoration. Mr. Crawford and Miss Price stared at each other in tender but awkward admiration.
She fanned herself to keep the ladies from noticing her gaze, but one must have.
"Quite a shock, Mr. Bertram and that Miss Price," She said conspiringly. "I've heard her family is in complete poverty!"
The ladies responded with nonsensical twittering and sputtering.
Anne snapped her fan shut. All the ladies turned their eyes to her.
One last look at the couples, Anne made a decision.
"I stayed at Mansfield Park for Mary Bertram's wedding," Anne said. "Miss Price was absolutely charming. She is so quiet, but intelligent and kind."
"Truly, Anne?" The ladies were atwitter again.
"Why, yes," Anne raised a brow, daring them to contradict her. "She is a most intimate friend of Mary and I, we adore her."
"Well, she is very pretty," Another lady chimed in, and they all gave murmurings of agreement. "So gentle and kind."
Anne let them go off on a different subject, and gave another look to her friends. There was a face missing from their group and she allowed herself one last sigh, before shutting away all other emotions.
A/N: Here I am again... she said sheepishly.
I cannot promise an upload schedule, I have work and now school again, but I give you the barest of hopes: I have finished the story, I am just arranging the ending and editing as I post.
Thank you guys dearly for caring about this story.