The weekends were not much different than the weekdays at the Bennet house, save for the fact that Mr. Bennet was home a bit more. Most weekends he spent out in manly pursuits or holed up in his library for much-needed silence and solitude. Jane worked some days at the library, helping the old librarian out where she could. Saturdays in the summer were her favorite; most weekends she tried to plan activities for the children in town, whether it be a reading or a special visitor.

It was dark and cool in the small library. A two-room block building, the blinds were usually closed enough to keep the heat of the sun out, but open enough to provide light for reading, if you were close enough. In the back shelves of the building, one had to squint to read some of the titles on the faded spines of the old books. It reminded Lizzie of a strangely comfortable cave. It was pleasantly cooled but with little air circulation, stuffy in the way of a grandparent's attic. The smell of dusty books was almost oppressive, yet it welcomed and calmed her as soon as she stepped through the door. It was practically a second home to her and Jane, close enough to walk to, they'd been coming on their own since they were very young, walking the short distance under the watchful eye of everyone in town.

In the summer the library provided lunches for the kids who would normally get their food from school. Lizzie liked helping out with the children, giving them meals that they couldn't get at home. The two sisters were just cleaning up when Lydia and Catie poked their heads in the library door. "Wait until you hear our news!" Lydia cried before running off again, leaving the door banging behind her. Lizzie and Jane smiled and looked at each other, shrugging, knowing they would hear whatever news it was as soon as they made their way home.

"Mr. Bingley has moved into Netherfield!" Lydia announced later, once her full audience was gathered in the living room.

Catie couldn't keep quiet. "And Mr. Lucas has gone to see him!" She exclaimed, ignoring the irritated look her younger sister shot at her.

There was a dramatic sigh from the corner of the room, where Mrs. Bennet was curled up with a gossip magazine. "I don't even want to hear it! Why do we care what Mr. Bingley says or does since we're set to be strangers forever?" Lizzie covered a smile at her mother's antics.

A loud sneeze interrupted the conversation and all eyes turned towards Catie. "Heavens to Betsy, Catie, do you have to sneeze so violently?" Mrs. Bennet chided.

"I don't do it for fun!" Catie cried indignantly between sneezes.

Lydia ignored both of them, continuing on with her news. "And he has a personal chef and a chauffeur!" Jane raised her eyebrows delicately at that.

"He told Mr. Lucas that he loves dancing!" There was no end to the proclamations of the two silliest Bennet girls, each one trying to one-up the other.

Now they were talking over one another- "And he promised to come to the next First Friday!"

"Next week!" The shrieking was growing to an earsplitting decibel.

Mrs. Bennet had had enough. "Girls! Please! Y'all stop talking about Mr. Bingley since we will never know him anyway!"

Pouty faces were instantly directed her way. "But mom!" Lydia cried as if it were the end of the world.

"I am sick and tired of hearing about Mr. Bingley!" Mrs. Bennet proclaimed, slamming down her magazine.

A sly smile slid over Mr. Bennet's face as he lowered the newspaper he had been pretending to read. "That's too bad," he said quietly. Every pair of eyes in the room turned towards him. "If I'd have known sooner, it would've saved me the trouble of visiting him."

There was a pause while his words sunk in. "You've been to Netherfield?" Mrs. Bennet asked in disbelief.

"I'm afraid we can't avoid the association now," Mr. Bennet said, raising his newspaper back to hide his smile.

The room erupted in excitement. "Oh, Robert, you are a doll!" Mrs. Bennet jumped up and kissed her husband's cheek before prancing around the room. "Come on, girls, we need to pick out your outfits for Friday!" Only Lydia and Catie follow their mother down the hall, the rest of the family watching after them in varying degrees of affection.


The oppressive heat made Darcy loath to leave the delicious airconditioned house. But he had promised his best friend that he would venture out to the "First Friday" that the whole town was buzzing about. Charlie thought it was a charming small-town tradition, while Darcy thought it was a poor excuse for people to gawk at each other.

"Do you think it's safe to be walking after dark?" Charlie's sister, Caroline, said, sidling up to Darcy with a scowl on her delicate face. It wasn't an attractive look.

Charlie's other sister, Louisa, and her husband stepped out of the house behind Caroline, visibly wilting in the humidity. "Sounds like a damn stupid way to spend the evening," Hurst complained in his normal grumpy tone of voice. Charlie locked up the house behind the group, smiling good-naturedly and shooing them along down the driveway.

There was already a bead of sweat snaking its way down Darcy's back. He just prayed to God that Charlie would get bored sooner rather than later, banking on his friend's short attention span to make an appearance. He was sure there couldn't be anything at the small-town function to interest him for long.

They could hear the music down the street, lively and loud. It seemed the entire town had turned out for the event. There were booths up and down the main street, local artists and craftsmen selling their wares. On the main crossroads of town, a stage was set up, where an obviously local band was rocking out with classic songs perfect for dancing.

Despite the large crowd, the group of newcomers' arrival hardly went unnoticed. As soon as they were within sight distance, heads were turning to catch a glimpse. Mr. Lucas appeared at their side more quickly than Darcy thought was possible.

"Mr. Bingley! How good for you to come!" The older gentleman shook Charlie's hand affectionately as if they were old friends and not new acquaintances. "Please, let me introduce you to everyone." With that, he swept the group along, willingly or unwillingly. Charlie looked absolutely thrilled at the prospects of meeting new people, while Darcy cringed at the idea of being paraded around like a show pony.

Across the street, Lizzie stared at the group with undisguised interest. "The two girls with him, do you know them?" She asked Charlotte Lucas, her best friend. If anyone knew the breakdown of the who's who in the new group, it would be Charlotte.

"His sisters, from what dad told me," Charlotte said, pointing discretely. "One of them is married to that man there, Mr. Hurst."

Jane had wandered over to get the scoop, as well. "The tall one?" She asked, noticing the tall, handsome man with a small scowl on his face.

Shaking her head, Charlotte motioned to the left. "No, the other one." The man in question was shorter, a little full around the middle, and looked incredibly bored.

"Even better," Jane joked, making the other two girls smile. "He seems very elegant." Lizzie wasn't sure that was a compliment, though she knew her sister would never say a harsh word about a stranger.

Lizzie watched them closely for a few moments, noting that aside from Mr. Bingley, none of the group looked happy to be there. "Doesn't seem like they like what they see," she commented as another grimace crossed the prettiest girl's face.

The oldest Bennet sisters were distracted by someone hissing their names nearby. Looking around, they saw their mother frantically motioning them over. "See that man over there?" She said once they came closer. "Mrs. Lucas says he is Mr. Bingley's oldest and richest friend. Darcy, I think his name is. He's even richer than Bingley and has a huge Plantation in Mississippi! Don't you think he is the most handsome man y'all have ever seen?" Their mother rambled away, not waiting for a response from her daughters.

"I wonder if he would be half as handsome if he wasn't so rich?" Lizzie murmured to her sister. Jane snickered behind her hand before noticing that Mr. Lucas and Mr. Bingley were making their way over towards them.

The movement didn't escape Mrs. Bennet's notice, either. "Jane! Lizzie! They're coming over here!" She fanned herself dramatically. "Smile, look alive!"

Mr. Lucas stopped the group in front of the Bennet women, smiling broadly. "Mrs. Bennet! Charlie here has said he wanted to meet your daughters, I hope that is okay?" Lizzie smiled inwardly at the fact that Mr. Lucas was already on a first-name basis with his new friend.

"Absolutely! This is Jane, my oldest," she said, pushing the daughter in question forward. Jane smiled shyly at Mr. Bingley before taking the hand he offered. "Then here is Lizzie, and Mary is sitting on the bench over there. Oh, where are Catie and Lydia? Yes, there, over there dancing!" She pointed to the two youngest girls dancing wildly and laughing. "They love dancing, my girls. Do you like to dance Mr. Bingley?"

Charlie had been staring at Jane during the whole tirade but managed to pull his attention back to Mrs. Bennet when she asked him her question. "Hm? Oh, yeah, I love to dance, too. Jane, if you're not otherwise engaged, would you mind taking a turn with me? I'm afraid I'm not the best at country dances, but I'm sure you could show me the ropes." He smiled warmly at the pretty stranger that he hoped to get to know better.

Blushing, Jane nodded, "Of course, I'd love to." She blushed again at her phrasing, making Charlie's smile wider.

While Jane was busy making eyes at Mr. Bingley, Lizzie was watching the irritated expression that was written on Mr. Darcy's face. She cleared her throat, nudging her mother in motioning towards the taller man. "Oh!" Mrs. Bennet instantly caught her drift. "Mr. Darcy, do you also like to dance?" She asked as politely as she was capable.

A look of confusion crossed Darcy's face as he wondered how this stranger knew his name. He shouldn't have been surprised, though, that news traveled fast in a small town. He was even more disturbed at being asked personal questions by people he didn't know.

Charlie, for his part, hadn't seemed to realize that Mr. Darcy had followed them over. "Oh, I'm sorry! I haven't introduced you. This is Darcy, my best friend." He smiled and gestured to his friend, who just nodded and crossed his arms.

"Welcome to town!" Mrs. Bennet said enthusiastically, putting on her brightest smile. "I do hope you've brought your dancing shoes like your friend here." She beamed at Charlie, who was back to staring at Jane.

For a moment Lizzie thought the tall man wasn't going to respond. "Thank you, but I'm not overly fond of dancing," he said finally, his deep voice pouring out and filling the air between them. His accent was different than the rural Alabama drawl that was common among her family and acquaintances. It was fainter but more polished, representative of the upper-class southern people that held their selves separate from the masses.

Mrs. Bennet was not deterred by his apparent lack of interest. "Well, let this be an exception then. I'm sure you'll never see such a lively bunch of lovely dance partners. We know how to have a good time!" She gestured towards Lizzie, hinting that she was free for a turn on the dance floor.

There was an awkward silence, forcing Lizzie's eyes down in embarrassment. Darcy looked at her, his mind turning while struggling to come up with the right words to brush her off. He couldn't think of anything, instead, he gave a small nod and turned on his heel. Charlie saw the change in the women's faces before noticing that his friend had walked away. He hadn't been paying close enough attention to know what Darcy had done but knew instantly that he'd offended the Bennet girls.

"Um, I'm sorry," he said, looking torn between playing damage control and following after his friend. He finally made up his mind, mumbling "excuse me," and walking away.

The Bennet women stood in stunned silence for a breath. "Good Lord, someone is too big for his britches!" Mrs. Bennet burst out.

Her voice carried farther than Lizzie was comfortable with. "Mother," she hissed, "They'll hear you." As if she hadn't been subject to enough embarrassment for one day.

"Do I care?" She continued in the same tone and volume. "When his friend is so kind and charming, he should be ashamed. Who does he think he is?" Mrs. Bennet was getting more fired up by the moment.

Lizzie shook her head, giving up. "I reckon the rich and fabulous don't have to worry about what us common folk think about them," she said, "We don't have to care what he thinks, either." She tried to hide her own hurt ego at his rejection.

Crossing her arms, Mrs. Bennet huffed. "I suppose you're right," she said.

"I guess he's not so handsome, after all," Lizzie said, smiling.

They all looked over to where the men were standing, talking among their own group. "I should say not. He's nothing compared to Mr. Bingley, that's for sure." She huffed again and stomped away.

It wasn't long before Charlie circled back around to collect his promised dance. Lizzie watched them from the sidelines, glad to see how happy her sister looked. They looked good together, Jane and Mr. Bingley. Lizzie hoped he would stick around long enough to liven things up around town.

Darcy was also watching the two as they danced. The stars in Charlie's eyes were visible from a mile away. His friend gave him a loaded look, raising his eyebrows as if to say "see, you could be having fun, too." Darcy just smirked back, looking around at the crowd. He spotted that Mrs. Bennet glaring at him, talking with some other middle-aged ladies he had yet to meet. It didn't take much to imagine what she was saying to them.

During a break in the music, Charlie took Jane over to meet his sisters. She felt shy around such posh ladies but was secretly pleased that he went out of his way to make sure she met his family. Darcy watched this development with growing displeasure. That feeling increased when Charlie led her back onto the dance floor for another round.

Sitting on a bench with Mary, Lizzie smiled as she saw Jane and Charlie dancing again. "I don't understand Kitty and Lydia," Mary said suddenly. "They love dancing so much, I don't get it."

Lizzie glanced over at her sister, sitting with her hands folded primly and a frown on her face. If there was anyone she didn't understand, it was Mary. "I would enjoy dancing more if I had a dance partner as sweet as Jane's," she said.

"I think silence and meditation are far more rewarding," Mary said stiffly.

There wasn't much to say to that, so Lizzie just shook her head. "I'm sure they are," she said. She could hear Jane laughing as she wandered off the dance floor to find something to drink. Mr. Bingley watched her for a moment before smiling and going to rejoin Darcy.

He found his friend holding up a wall on the edge of the crowd. "Come on, Darcy, live a little. You're embarrassing me, standing around like someone killed your cat or something. Come dance." He elbowed him in the ribs good-naturedly.

Darcy just shook his head and scowled. "Absolutely not," he said more forcefully than he meant to. "I'm not going to dance a jig at a country hoedown. It's unseemly." Bingley ignored the pointed jab with his normal grace and charm.

Another person was listening that wasn't quite so generous. Lizzie could easily pick up the men's conversation from her vantage point on the bench. "Against all odds, your sisters were convinced to dance. And you know it would be torture for me to dance with anyone here but them," she heard Darcy continue. Her eyebrows shot up to new heights as he insulted the entire town.

"Jesus, Darcy! Your standards are practically unreachable, then. I've never met so many charming women in my life. And some of them are quite pretty, too, aren't they?" Bingley shook his head at how ridiculous his friend was being.

Looking around, Darcy shook his head. "You've been dancing with the only pretty girl here, Charlie," he said.

That was all the encouragement Charlie needed to gush about his new crush. "Isn't she just gorgeous, Darcy? I've never met anyone like her." This earned him a solid eye-roll from his best friend. "Look, there's one of her sisters," Charlie gestured toward the bench where Lizzie was sitting. "She's cute. She seemed sweet, too."

Darcy looked over and scowled. "She's not hideous, I guess, but not nearly pretty enough to tempt me." Lizzie's eyes widened at the insult and she had to struggle to keep from shaking with laughter. "Listen, Bingley, I'm not in the mood to dance with rejected women who can't find other partners. Get back to your new lady friend. Enjoy yourself. You're not going to change my mind."

Shrugging, Charlie pushed off the wall with a crooked smile, always amazed at how moody his best friend could be. Lizzie stood up quickly, grinning, before running off to tell Charlotte what she'd just overheard. Not nearly pretty enough to tempt him! What a joke!