Chapter Two-and-Twenty
Over the days that followed Elizabeth's return to London, it was agreed that the sisters should be introduced to as many of the first circles as possible. To facilitate this, Jane and Elizabeth moved from Gracechurch Street to the Alfreton's townhouse on Grosvenor Square; a move which they also believed would serve them well in the guardianship case. It had the added benefit of ensuring the sisters were not aware of the number of letters their father was sending to the Gardiners. At every opportunity, be it during calls, receiving visitors or attending appointments, Lady Sarah introduced the Bennet ladies as her nieces, specifically her husband's late sister's daughters.
The people they met were naturally filled with curiosity. They had heard the name Bennet only recently connected to some most unfavourable gossip, although they reassured her ladyship that of course they did not give it credence and having met the young ladies in question knew there could be no truth in it at all. Lady Sarah, Jane and Elizabeth just smiled whenever reference was made to the rumours but did not address any of the claims.
They made sure to call at the modiste where Elizabeth had placed an order a few weeks before to ask for the evening gown to be rushed, along with some minor alterations to make it more appropriate to being a guest of honour at a prestigious Society ball. Elizabeth soon found herself exhausted. Physically, she found no challenge with moving from place to place and shop to shop. She was used to walking a few miles each day when at Longbourn and in Town they had use of the carriage. Mentally though she found there was a reduction in stimulating debate and challenging conversation. The drawing rooms of the ton held little inspiration for exciting topics of discourse and Elizabeth longed for the visits of her Fitzwilliam cousins and Mr and Miss Darcy; they could be relied upon to indulge her where strangers could not be.
Luckily for Elizabeth, Darcy made sure to call as often as he could with his sister and cousins, unfortunately though, the ladies were being kept busy by their Aunt and the visits were often short, rarely affording the privacy he desired to resolve his past misstep or make any sort of application for her hand. On one such visit, the party was gathered at a round table in a blue drawing room, discussing the plans for the ball where Jane and Walker's engagement was to be introduced.
"I am sorry," said Mr Darcy to Elizabeth, "that the strong reaction of your father makes it impossible for your sisters to be invited to the ball. It is an occasion, I am sure, which Miss Bennet would have surely wished to share with those dearest to you both."
Elizabeth was immediately struck by Mr Darcy's clear change in sentiment compared with the conversation they had had in the grounds of Rosings Park. Whether he was saying it only to appease her, or because it reflected a true change in feeling she was, at that time, ill-equipped to say, but that he took the trouble to say it at all was greatly appreciated by Elizabeth.
"We have written to Mary to explain our side of the situation and to apologise for any unpleasantness caused at Longbourn by what was happening." Said Lizzie when she realised Mr Darcy was waiting for a response.
"Kitty and Lydia are too young to attend the ball, Mr Darcy," Jane added, "but I shall regret that I cannot have them in attendance when Walker and I marry."
Walker desperately wished he could say something to relieve his beloved Jane's suffering but he could find nothing to say which did not ring false in his ears. Instead of speaking any words, he lightly brushed the tips of his fingers across the back of Jane's hand, bringing a soft blush to her cheeks. The delicate action was observed by both Darcy and Elizabeth but neither could feel anything but jealousy that similar intimacies were not available to them.
For once, when it came to Elizabeth, fortune was on Darcy's side. That afternoon there were no milliners or modistes to visit, no ladies expected to call and most importantly no younger sisters to converse with. It was just the four of them together in the parlour as Lady Sarah and his Aunt Rebecca had left the group to discuss table settings with the housekeeper and with their departure all talk of ball preparations had ceased.
Darcy was not a sociable man, nobody who knew him would ever accuse him of being such, but on this occasion, he was in fact looking forward to the festivities. That did not mean, however, that he was in any way inclined to offer his opinion on possible floral decorations or the size of the band of players that should be hired. His only requirement for the evening was that there be music and as it was a ball, that was a given. Beyond that he had no interest.
That was not entirely true, if it was he would have sat in the corner with a book during the ladies' earlier discussions, but he did not know how to articulate his actual feelings on the matter. He wanted the night to be splendid for Elizabeth's sake and he wanted to part of the process of making her happy because he enjoyed watching the animation in her face whenever she made a suggestion or argued against one. He wanted music so that he might dance with her. He wanted as many candles as could be got, for he admired the way they reflected in her eyes. Above all things though, Darcy wanted the anonymity such a large crowd might provide so that he might sneak away with Elizabeth and not be missed for a while.
With the four of them left to themselves however, some measure of privacy was already available to him and it was not long before the two couples were seated in different parts of the room. Miss Bennet and Walker had moved to the window seat overlooking a well-maintained garden. Elizabeth and Darcy had remained at the table although the gentleman had quickly moved his chair closer to facilitate quiet conversation.
"You must allow me to apologise," Mr Darcy began as he fiddled with the cuff of his sleeve in an uncharacteristic display of nerves, "for my behaviour in Kent."
Elizabeth, who had already begun to forgive him his ignorance during their argument, was overcome with embarrassment believing him to be making reference to their kiss. In an almost inaudible whisper, Elizabeth replied, "Whilst your actions were surprising, sir, I require no apology –"
"My actions, Elizabeth, I do no ask for forgiveness for. To do so would be to make an expression of guilt which I do not feel. No, I cannot regret the action to which you refer. My apology is for the words I spoke, the hurt I inflicted. I never wanted to cause you pain and I regret it immensely."
"We find ourselves with the same problem before us, Mr Darcy. I forgive you for what you have apologised for, for the words you spoke, but that was not the only thing from our conversation that day which caused my distress." Silence fell between them as Elizabeth gathered her thoughts, "I did not spend my youth in this world of finery and privilege. If my Aunt and Uncle had not appealed to my father to allow us to visit, this is a world I still would not know.
"And yet, I believe that I would have been in that situation as I am now. Who I am, my interests and my character would be fundamentally the same. The words you spoke, the sentiment behind them, hurt me because they measured my value, and that of my loved ones, not by our personalities and actions but on connections and relationships which are beyond our control. Is a man only worthy of respect if his father or grandfather had a title?"
Darcy had thought that he had understood their argument but it became clear to him that he had once more missed the point. He knew himself to be respectful to all of those he came into contact with, be they servants, tradesmen or Lords, however Darcy had to accept that his pride in his status, rank and name meant that the consideration he gave to those same people was not always equal.
"I have been a selfish being all my life, and whilst I was shown what was right, I was left to follow my principles in pride and conceit. My youth and education taught me to care for none beyond my own circle, something I see could be to my disadvantage. I may not always get it right, but I hope to correct my prejudices in the future. I hope also, that you would be willing to correct me if you notice me falling into bad habits."
Elizabeth accepted the responsibility with relief; she had been nervous to explain her feelings on the subject for she had little experience of a gentlemen taking well any criticism she directed their way, no matter how gently she tried to deliver it. That he was willing to listen, see merit in her opinion and make changes accordingly was thrilling to her and confirmed that the love she felt for Mr Darcy was well placed.
Darcy too felt a release of tension from his shoulders when their earlier misunderstanding was resolved and used the positive momentum he was feeling to ask one of the many questions he was desperate to ask of Elizabeth.
"Could I hope," he began, "that I may be so fortunate as to secure your hand for the first and supper sets at the ball?" Elizabeth felt a rush of excitement at the request and consented happily.
About a week before the date of the ball, invitations were beginning to be sent out at Lady Sarah's instruction. As she reviewed the latest list, she read the name of one family out loud as she did not recognise the name and wished to query its inclusion with Lady Rebecca, who had earlier arrived to assist with preparations.
"Mr Bingley went to University with Darcy and is well acquainted with both of my boys, in addition to being known to Jane and Elizabeth. His sisters are ill-mannered women whom I would rather have left off of the invitation, and I would have, were it not for the fact that the youngest happens to be the source of the gossip which has been circulating about the girls." Rebecca explained.
"If she is trouble, why invite her?"
"I wish to see her squirm in discomfort when she is forced to show deference to people she has so publicly slandered. I wish for everyone else to see it also."
"I would not attend if I were her, if that is how you envision the evening going for her." Lady Sarah commented.
"From what I understand of Miss Bingley, she will not be able to stop herself. She is determined to catch a wealthy husband and will not miss an opportunity to do so – especially given the exclusivity of the event."
"Miss Bingley sounds like quite a creature; I look forward to meeting her." Said the hostess with a knowing smile.
The creature in question sat staring at the invitation when it arrived. Initially when she saw the embossed stationary waiting for her next to her breakfast plate she was filled with curiosity; the seal was not one Caroline recognised and she did her best to restrain herself from tearing it open. With controlled movements she broke the elaborately marbled wax seal and unfolded the heavy paper. Ignoring all other details, Caroline's eyes jumped straight to the name of the hosts of whatever event it was she was being invited to.
"The Earl and Countess of Alfreton!" She breathed in a surprised gasp.
Caroline's curiosity quickly turned into excitement as she contemplated the superiority of an event hosted by such noble people. Only the finest in Society would be there. Her inclusion on such a guest list meant the solidification of her place in the ton and would further promote her as an eligible choice of wife for the worthiest of gentlemen, or peers, or their wealthy first sons; it mattered not to her which they were.
As she was straightening her face back into what she believed to be a composed serenity (but better resembled someone who had just sucked a lemon before having their toes trodden on), Caroline began to read the invitation in its entirety.
The company of
Mr/iss Bingley and Mr/s Hurst
Is respectfully requested at Leicester House, Grov. Sqr to join
The Earl and Countess of Alfreton
Along with their nieces, Miss Jane and Elizabeth Bennet
For a private ball on
Tuesday 16th April at 7 o'clock
Her mood, which had not long before switched from curiosity to excitement, took a sudden turn towards anger. It boiled within her and robbed her of her ability to articulate to Louisa, who had become increasingly alarmed by the incoherent squeaking, what the matter was. By way of response, Caroline thrust the printed card towards her sister and walked briskly to the wine decanter on the sideboard. She did not care that it was only breakfast time, such news required a stronger choice of beverage than coffee. As she lifted it, she looked around but was unable to locate a wine glass. Caroline Bingley was not in a patient mood, truthfully, she never was but nobody would have been brave enough to highlight that point to her right then, so rather than wait for a servant to fetch her a glass she simply took a large gulp from the crystal decanter and then launched the vessel still half filled with red wine across the room. It shattered against a mirror which Louisa was sure had been their grandmothers, scaring a nearby footman and staining the wallpaper in the process.
It took two hours before Miss Bingley could speak once more in full, rational sentences and a further day before she could discuss the invitation. By which time, four vases, a bust of some Roman Goddess she did not recognise, a jewellery box and two dresses (maid's dresses so did they really count?) had been destroyed. Caroline came to the conclusion that the invitation must have been issued at the request of Jane herself. That being the case, the girl with the angelic face must have been unaware of her involvement in the rumours so freely circulating about her, something Caroline now saw as being to her advantage.
The ball provided her with an opportunity to further her own connections and improve her chances. It was clear to Caroline that no matter how inferior she viewed the sisters to be, if they were indeed related to an Earl then Society would happily accept them. If she was seen as a close friend of their, she would be accepted also. In addition, it seemed likely (unfortunate as it was), that Mr Darcy would forever more be out of her reach. His favourite had connections she could not compete with – but that did not mean she could not use those same connections to her own advantage and she was determined to do just that.