Hello my dears! As promised, here is the next chapter of Three Brides! I hope you enjoy it as much as all the previous chapters. And as always, I thank everyone reading along and commenting for all the support.

Chapter Nineteen

On Monday morning at ten o'clock, a smartly liveried servant delivered the promised invitation.

Mrs. Gardiner wondered how much it must have cost the Earl of Disley to have the invitations to his daughters' ball printed and embossed, for the words were in black ink framed by a shiny gold border.

"Oh, my dears," said she as Jane and Elizabeth examined the card. "I find even I am growing excited for this ball! Can you not imagine what splendor we will see?"

Elizabeth looked up at her aunt and grinned. "Indeed, ma'am. The party is being paid for by an earl, and is being held in the home of a duke."

Jane glanced up at this. "I wonder why does not the earl host his daughters' ball in his own home?"

"I imagine it is simply not large enough to hold all whom he wishes to attend," said Elizabeth "Remember, Jane, that this is a most important event for your dear Philip's sisters, for they are not only officially out in society but also eligible for marriage."

"Indeed. Lord Rowarth's sisters will make many important connections at their ball," said Mrs. Gardiner. "The young ladies to whom they are introduced will become friends, and the young gentleman will vie for their hands. Talk of the girls' beauty and accomplishments will be shared in all the salons, tea shops, and gentleman's clubs, and the talk will lead to even more seeking the acquaintance of the young ladies and their family."

"Quite so, Aunt! All the parents will vie for a connection to the earl and his influence, I do not doubt," observed Elizabeth. "They will seek to introduce their sons and daughters simply so they may claim an acquaintance with nobility."

Mrs. Gardiner shook her head. "My dear Lizzy, I see disdain in your expression, but you must understand that it is the way of things. As much as we may dislike the degree of influence that wealth and connection have on society, who you know and how much money you or they have matters. Consider that you would neither of you be attending this ball were it not for Lord Rowarth choosing your uncle's warehouse to conduct his little experiment in all those years ago."

"And we would be no worse off for it if he had chosen another."

"Perhaps, my dear, but think what you have gained—for yourselves and your family—merely by the acquaintance," Mrs. Gardiner pointed out. "Your sister will be very rich indeed, and a great influence on those she meets in society. Your mother, once she is informed of Jane's understanding, will no longer fear being thrown into the hedgerows on your father's death."

Elizabeth blew out a breath. "I know, Aunt, we have discussed all that before. Perhaps I am too forward in my thinking, but as my sister and I agreed yesterday, I just wish that such things did not matter so much as they do. Then Lady Disley could have no cause to repine her son's choice, and Jane would not be distressed by their divide or have cause to fear embarrassment by our mother and sisters."

Mrs. Gardiner tilted her head as she regarded Elizabeth then, her eyes narrowing for a moment, before she said, "I begin to think it is not only Jane for whom you speak such concerns, Lizzy. Am I wrong in supposing you have formed an attachment with Mr. Darcy after all?"

All at once, Elizabeth found herself smiling, hoping she did not blush, and fighting the unexpected sting of tears. "Pray forgive me, Aunt, for I do not wish to give you any false hope on that score. I recall your speculation of such a connection after the play on Thursday last—"

Jane smiled and interrupted her with, "What Lizzy is endeavoring so very hard not to say is that she likes Mr. Darcy very much indeed, in spite of all her protestations. That is why she is sadly fixated on the impropriety so often displayed by our mother and younger sisters, Aunt—because now their conduct may affect her chances of a good match."

Mrs. Gardiner offered an understanding smile. "I understand your apprehension, my dear, but you really mustn't allow your anxieties over your family's conduct to prevent you from being open to receiving Mr. Darcy's attentions, or those of any respectable gentleman. The time will inevitably come, Lizzy, when the man who captures your heart—whomever he may be—must be introduced to your father, mother, and sisters. If he is so weak as to then spurn you for the indolence and indifference of the first or the vulgarity, insipidity, and impropriety of the latter four, then he is not worthy of you."

Elizabeth sighed as her aunt reached across the table and clasped one of her hands as well as one of Jane's. "I do not know a single person in all my acquaintance who does not have at least one relative who causes them some embarrassment," said Mrs. Gardiner softly. "But they do not allow their fear of exposure to rule their conduct. You are at an age, my dear girls, where you must begin to think of yourselves and leave your sisters to your parents. Conduct yourselves with the proper degree of modesty and liveliness, and all the rest will work itself out."

With another sigh and a glance at Jane, Elizabeth then nodded and said, "You are too right, my dearest aunt. As usual. I know I should relax and enjoy myself, and let things happen as they may. But a part of me cannot help wondering at how it is possible that Jane and I should be so fortunate—such men as Lord Rowarth and Mr. Darcy ought to be seeking their partners amongst their own circle. Why then are they attracted to us? Our beauty alone surely cannot be the driving force."

"No Lizzy, I should think not," Mrs. Gardiner agreed, "though I daresay your beauty is very much one of your attractions, along with your personalities, your intelligence, your smiles, your good tempers… and yes, also your excellent manners. But more than any of that, there is God. You know that He brings together those who are best suited to one another at just the right moment."

Elizabeth could not help thinking of her mother and father, who were so ill-suited, and wondering whether God had had a hand in their match or if He had left them to their own devices because they would not listen to whatever direction He had spoken to their hearts.

"Now, my dears," continued Mrs. Gardiner cheerfully. "After we break our fast, we must make our way to your uncle's warehouse, that you can select whatever you may need to make a proper gown for your own debut at the ball."

The excitement of their shopping venture led both sisters to make quick work of their breakfast. Mrs. Gardiner only chuckled and shook her head as she watched them, and when they were finished, Elizabeth and Jane hurried to don pelisses, hats, and gloves while their aunt checked in on her children. She was quick to return and join them in readying to go out.

Though the three ladies could have walked to Mr. Gardiner's warehouse, for it was within view of the Gardiner home, Mrs. Gardiner elected to take her nieces in the carriage, the easier it would be to carry all their purchases back again. When they arrived at the main warehouse only a few minutes after departing, they found Mr. Gardiner at the service counter talking with a familiar young man.

"Mr. Bingley!" Mrs. Gardiner greeted him. "What a pleasure it is to see you again, young sir."

Mr. Bingley smiled and bowed, and he greeted the Bennet sisters warmly. "I am most pleased to have a chance to tell you my good news myself, as I was just telling Mr. Gardiner here."

Elizabeth grinned. "Dare I hope your news has something to do with Netherfield, sir?" she asked.

"Indeed it does!" he cried cheerfully. "I wrote to the attorney handling the lease first thing on Friday, and received a reply this morning inviting me to come and have a look about the place at any time that is convenient for me. I am for Meryton this very day!"

"How exciting for you," said Jane. "As my sister and I said at the play, sir, I am sure you will be very satisfied with the house."

"You may find the society something savage, however," Elizabeth teased with a laugh.

"Country manners? Miss Elizabeth, I think they're charming!" Bingley declared.

Still grinning, Elizabeth said, "Then I am sure you will feel right at home, Mr. Bingley, and I hope it is not too soon to say that I already think you a most amiable neighbor."

Mr. Bingley grinned and bowed. "If the house is as delightful as you say, I look forward to being your neighbor."

He then pulled a watch from the pocket of his waistcoat and checked it. "I had best be on my way so I'm not too late arriving at the agent's office. I just stopped in to tell your good uncle the news, that he might pass it on to you. Mrs. Gardiner, Miss Bennet, Miss Elizabeth. Good day to you."

The sisters and their aunt bid him farewell and he departed. Mr. Gardiner then smiled and said, "Come, my dears. I have some new material that was unpacked just this morning. I think you will be very pleased with the selections."

Jane's expression, as she followed their aunt and uncle, was a tempered mix of excited and curious. Elizabeth felt much the same, her excitement over the upcoming ball really beginning to take hold as Mr. Gardiner led them to a room off the main floor, where there were several bolts of cloth and lace laid out on a table.

"I thought you girls would like these very much, so I'm giving you the first choice before I make them available to the public."

"Oh, Uncle, that is so very kind of you!" cried Jane, stopping to kiss his cheek as she moved toward one end.

Elizabeth moved to the other end, and though she knew she ought to be looking out for something for herself, her sister's need to impress the Countess of Disley—to prove she was worthy of being a viscountess—led her to thinking of Jane as she looked over the selections laid out before them. After but a moment, a bolt of lace caught her eye.

She picked it up and unwrapped a section. "Oh, Jane, come look at this!"

The lace had been woven with silver thread, and it shimmered with every movement. "Jane, this will go perfectly with that white chiffon gown of yours, the one with the ruched bodice and silver satin ribbon at the waist."

"I think Lizzy is right, Jane dear," said Mrs. Gardiner as she took the cloth in hand. "We could easily make an open robe of this, and perhaps cover the sleeves…"

"Cover the whole dress, I think," offered Elizabeth, "except over the bust. Let the white stand out a little."

"Do you think it will please the countess?" Jane asked as she, too, examined the lace.

Elizabeth grinned. "Without a doubt—but even if it does not, it is sure to please a certain viscount of your acquaintance. Your white chiffon is quite lovely as it is, and this will make it stunning. If we did have more time to prepare, I'd say we ought add some crystal beads as well, but even without them you will catch the eye of everyone at that ball."

"It really is lovely, isn't it?" said Jane, before she turned to Mr. Gardiner. "Are you certain, Uncle, that we do not put you to too much expense? The lace is very fine, and must cost several shillings a yard."

Mr. Gardiner stepped up to her and, lifting his hands to her shoulders, smiled and said, "You are worth every one, my dear niece. It is a small price to pay to help ease your way among the aristocracy."

Jane surprised them all by emitting a light scoff and saying, "I don't care what the rest of them think—I don't even know that I care overmuch as to whether Lady Disley actually likes me. I only wish to restore peace between Philip and his mother."

"Bravo, Jane," said Elizabeth with a smile.

After determining the correct length of the lace needed for Jane's gown as well as trim for a shawl to match it, the ladies then turned their attention to Elizabeth. She, too, had a white gown that she thought best suited for making over, and they at last found a deep green satin which Mrs. Gardiner said enhanced her complexion, and Jane remarked it would look even better with trimming. Elizabeth protested, on the grounds that "it would not do to be compared" to her sister.

"Although this ball is for Lady Cecilia and Lady Olivia, it is Jane who must truly shine," she pointed out.

"You are very generous to think more of my needs than your own, Lizzy," said Jane, "but even you have need to make a good impression on Lord and Lady Disley, especially in light of your regard for a certain cousin of a certain viscount."

Biting her lip and fighting the blush she could feel reddening her cheeks, Elizabeth turned away from the knowing smiles of her relations. "I haven't the faintest idea to whom you refer," she replied.

However, as she glanced over the fabrics laid out on the tables—and ignored the chuckling of the others—her gaze fell on a roll of ready-made pieces of gold embroidery, and she could not help thinking how well it would match with the green satin.

When their fabric selections were made, Mr. Gardiner set about wrapping and packaging them himself. He sent his wife and nieces off again with happy smiles and hearts eager to begin their projects. They arrived back at Gracechurch Street almost the same moment as Mr. Oliver, and Jane cried out softly her horror that she had been so caught up in the project of making over one of her gowns that she'd forgotten Lord Rowarth's valet was expected. She apologized profusely to the servant, who waved off her words and reminded her that it was his duty to serve, even if it had meant he had to wait for her. As he was pulling the viscount's latest letter from an inside pocket, Mr. Oliver passed on Miss Darcy's regrets that she would not be able to visit with them today as planned, as the family were expecting to receive Lady Catherine de Bourgh and her daughter that afternoon. The news was disappointing, but not altogether unexpected; the valet was then sent off to the kitchen for tea and biscuits as Jane sat to the table at the window to read and reply to her letter.

While she wrote, Mrs. Gardiner checked in on the little Gardiners and Elizabeth fetched the two gowns they were to enhance with the fabric they had purchased. Holding the green satin beside her own dress, she decided on creating an open robe, with the embroidered pieces strategically placed around the hem and waistline. She was no dressmaker, she mused as she next fetched her aunt's sewing basket, but surely she had enough skill to create a garment that accentuated her gown and flattered her figure—and that did not resemble scrap pieces thrown together in a hurry.

Elizabeth and Jane were each well into working on the additions to their gowns when Mr. Gardiner came in that evening before dinner. When the four adults sat to table, he informed them that he would be paying a visit to their father the next day with Lord Rowarth.

"I imagine that Mr. Oliver stopped here first," said he with a smile at Jane, "but it was the viscount's valet who delivered the request that I join him tomorrow, if my business could do without me. As it is but a day trip, I can see no harm in taking the time to go."

Elizabeth shared a glance with Jane. "Mamma and Papa will be surprised to see you—and pleased, to be sure—though I cannot imagine how you will keep the true identity of your companion a secret, Uncle."

Mr. Gardiner surprised her by chuckling. "Lord Rowarth and I have already worked that out," said he. "As I am well known to the staff at Longbourn, I'll not need to present my card. I'll simply ask whichever servant answers the door to inform Mr. Bennet that Mr. Gardiner and associate are there to see him."

Elizabeth felt her eyes widen as she began to suspect the plan. "And so long as you can avoid encountering Mamma, you'll be free to share the truth once you are safely ensconced in Father's room. He'll be only too delighted to keep the secret of Jane's betrothal from Mamma, and will eagerly anticipate the moment he is allowed to tell her he already knew."

At this her aunt and uncle shared a knowing look. "How unfortunate that assessment is, Lizzy, but more than likely accurate," remarked Mrs. Gardiner. "Though now I must wonder, my dear, as to what you will do if you should encounter your sister during your visit."

"Lord Rowarth and I have agreed that, should we encounter Jane whilst arriving or departing, I ought refer to him merely as an associate."

"Oh, dear, I do not like that you or Philip should resort to prevarication," said Jane. "Can you find no way of giving his true identity without actually revealing his connection to us?"

"Well, His Lordship and I can certainly discuss it during the journey," said Mr. Gardiner.

"I should not think it too difficult to simply not tell Mamma everything," Elizabeth spoke up. "Withholding a portion of the truth is not precisely lying, so there's no reason to feel guilty over it. I think you may easily tell Mamma that your companion is the Viscount Rowarth, and if she asks how you are acquainted, you can say you met at the warehouse. That much is the truth, is it not?"

Mr. Gardiner smiled. "Very clever, Lizzy. But what about the inevitable query as to why a viscount has accompanied me to Longbourn?"

Elizabeth's brow furrowed as she spread some butter on a still-warm bread roll. "You are friends," said she at last, "and when he heard of your intention to pay a visit to my father on a matter of business, suggested you journey together as he had his own business in Meryton. It is not entirely untrue, and should certainly satisfy Mamma's curiosity."

"What shall I say my own business is with your father?" asked Mr. Gardiner, his smile showing that he was very much enjoying the game. "You know your mother, Lizzy—she'll want to know why I came to Longbourn unannounced."

Again she paused to think, taking a bite of her food and washing it down with a sip of wine before at last replying, "I can think of no reason you might casually go and pay a call on my father unless you intend to ask that he repay you the money for the fabric Jane and I bought for our ball gowns."

"But what if Mamma meeting Philip as Lord Rowarth and hearing he has business in the area should lead her to gossiping, Lizzy?" pressed Jane.

Elizabeth suppressed a sigh of frustration. "We cannot entirely curb Mamma's penchant for gossip Jane—we've all of us here tried and failed. What we can do is control what she gossips about. All Uncle has to do is tell her the viscount's business is his own. She may certainly ask Philip the nature of his business, but he does not have to answer her. And if our uncle and the viscount should happen to visit a few of the shops in Meryton before returning to London, all she will be able to tell her friends is that he had business there, and they will all of them occupy themselves with endeavoring to find out what it was."

Mrs. Gardiner chuckled as she sipped her wine. "My goodness, Lizzy, you are very clever this evening. I daresay you've thought of an answer for everything!"

Elizabeth only smiled and blushed, but there was one small worry on her mind she had not addressed: What if her mother presumed that Lord Rowarth's business was to talk to Mr. Bennet about marrying one of her daughters? If that thought should occur to her mother—especially in light of the letter she herself had posted that morning—then there would be no stopping Mrs. Bennet spreading the story all over Meryton within hours.

Lord, I do not ask for much, she thought silently, but please, for the sake of Jane's happiness, do not let Mamma jump to conclusions!