Chapter Eleven
The Fitzwilliams chose to keep their delicious secret for as long as possible. The whole town would doubtless swamp their two daughters as soon as it was known, and they didn't want to put the girls through that until they were a little more settled. But it was obvious that the town had somehow recognised something unusual about the situation. Lady Matlock had seen Lady Lockwood, a notorious gossip, about town when she took the girls out shopping. And now half of London was knocking at their door trying to find out who the girls were. Someone had even had the audacity to ask the butler who the visitors were, but Simson simply smiled and told them that that was privileged information. A remark guaranteed to make the plums of Society writhe in anger, coming from a butler. He probably should not have, Lord Matlock said, but he was extremely grateful to him for it, anyway.
But after a week and a half, when the family tired of hiding in their house, apart from the brief shopping trip, it was decided that London should hear the news. It was difficult deciding how exactly. The newspaper was a possibility, but it was decided that was a little vulgar – as if they were contributing to the gossip panel or something of the sort. Richard suggested they tell Lady Lockwood and the whole town would know within two minutes, give or take a few seconds. He was not too offended when his suggestion was pooh-poohed.
Lady Matlock finally had a semi-feasible idea. "We will throw a party," she suggested. "Invite people to meet the long-lost Fitzwilliam daughters. It will be your London coming-out ball, girls. The invitations will be the announcements; of course we'll be overrun with visitors over the next week or so, but there's really nothing we can do about that. It is a much more refined way of introducing you than advertising it in a newspaper. I must say I would feel rather queasy going about it in such a way."
"That's not a ridiculous idea, Cecilia," said Lord Matlock. "In fact, it would be just the thing. What do you think, Jane? Elizabeth?"
Elizabeth's eyes were shining, but Jane looked nervous. "To be honest, the thought terrifies me – but I know it has to be done. Go ahead, if you wish, it is the best suggestion so far."
And so royally handsome invitations were sent around London. Anyone who was anyone received one, and the secret was out. You are cordially invited to the coming-out ball of Lady Lara (Jane) Fitzwilliam and Lady Vivian (Elizabeth) Fitzwilliam – formerly Miss Jane Bennet and Miss Elizabeth Bennet of Longbourn, restored recently to their birth parents.
It was the news of the year for Lady Lockwood. Her mouth was so tired by the time she got home that her rather mild-mannered husband couldn't help but ask her if she was feeling quite well when she flopped on the sofa and said no more than, "The most amazing news, my dear! The Fitzwilliams have two long-lost daughters!"
As for the rest of London, there was hardly anyone who could help but be interested. The fortune hunters rejoiced in new heiresses; the ladies of fashion were buzzing, especially those who had scorned Jane and Elizabeth at that assembly and were informed now of who they were; Miss Bingley was furious. Even the highest brother of Brummell who usually did not incline himself to gossip was prepared to lose a little dignity and find out all about them, and was quite prepared to come to the ball. The dandies were fizzing with excitement; two new heiresses who were patently good-looking, or so they had been told, could not but bring high hopes, at the very least.
Mr Bingley was one who had a mixed reaction. As one who had been a friend before the revelations, he couldn't help but be pleased that the Bennet girls had achieved a place in society that they deserved and needed. But this characteristic of his led many to him to inquire about the two new Fitzwilliam girls. Mr Bingley became sought after for his knowledge of them, a circumstance that brought him no joy as it became slowly clear to him the influence Jane and Elizabeth would now have, the height to which they had risen, and in particular the number of men who now viewed Jane – and Elizabeth, of course – as prospective wives. He was worried for her – them. Jane could not really be rationally thought of as anything but constant, but this was a period in which his imagination did Jane much injustice. As a handsome and middlingly rich man, he did admit to himself that he did have a fair chance with her, and an advantage no one else could have, but as a man who had yielded to persuasion from external forces before, he now found it easier to yield to internal forces that insisted her new superiority and the inconstancy that would subsequently come from this. He told himself that women, though often very faithful, found it easy to submit to flattery and the like; that a woman like Jane who was as beautiful as an angel could not possibly be unswayed by the devotion of men ten times as handsome and consequential than he; that already Jane could have forgotten him. He felt morose and tired and dejected.
Of course, Jane hardly stopped thinking of him. She wondered why he did not come to visit. Surely he must know he was welcome even if most of the town was not? She did not speak of this but Elizabeth guessed her feelings.
They saw Mr Darcy a lot. It pleased Elizabeth to see him. However, she did not feel she could ever be quite comfortable in his presence, after her embarrassing behaviour the night she ran away; besides, her feelings were becoming stronger for him and she constantly felt his eyes upon her and did not know how to stand or sit or talk to best advantage. She certainly chided herself for it, oh yes – "Elizabeth Fitzwilliam, to think that you are becoming this foolish! He is only a man!" – but there was a nervousness about her that she had never experienced before.
Elizabeth and Jane had the most beautiful dresses for the ball. Their mother did not want them to wear anything too sumptuous, and, as usual, her taste paid off. The dresses were among the most elegant anybody could see, yet understated; expensive yet not flashy. Jane's was pure white entirely. Subsequently she looked even more like an angel, the only colour in her whole body being slightly pink cheeks and lips, and those rusty gold curls. Elizabeth's however was a dark, burgundy red. This suited her brown locks perfectly and she looked both charming and mischievous. Rosalind too had a new dress which she apparently hated because it was so special she couldn't racket about in it in her usual way without tearing a hem or ripping a waistline. She complained about it constantly, but Jane caught her trying on the pink dress in front of the mirror one evening, admiring herself, and from then on always laughed whenever Rosalind tried to make people believe she despised dressing up.
On the evening of the ball, the family had tea together. Darcy came along early also, as one of the family. He brought his apologies for poor Georgiana, who had arrived in town just that morning but was feeling not at all well, and was staying at home in bed. Jane and Elizabeth were unhappy not to meet her yet. However, they were palpably nervous and could not think about much in one continuous string. Darcy sat silently next to Elizabeth on the sopha while Rosalind and the Countess chattered nervously and while Jane sat talking to Thomas. Elizabeth could think of nothing to talk of other than the weather. Suddenly Darcy turned to her. "Cousin Elizabeth? Would you do me the honour of reserving for me the first two dances?"
Elizabeth was surprised; she had forgotten entirely about dancing. "Of course," she said, smiling suddenly. "I would be very happy to, Cousin."
A sudden smile lit up his formerly rather anxious-looking face. "Thank you."
She felt a little shy suddenly. "I – I am sorry not to meet your sister yet, Cousin."
"So is she, I assure you," he said, with a slight smile. "She is exceedingly upset that she cannot come tonight, but it is a mark of how unwell she feels that she admits it is impossible. Poor thing! She would have loved to be here. I have told her so much about you that she was so looking forward to the meeting."
"She sounds very sweet," said Elizabeth. She looked at her hands clenched in her lap for a moment. "Oh, Mr Darcy, are you not very nervous?"
He grinned. "Probably not as much as you; I am not to be the object of so much attention as you and your sister will inevitably receive. But I must confess that I am anxious for you. I hope you will not find yourself too overwhelmed."
"Stop, pray, Cousin!" laughed Elizabeth, feeling unaccountably more light-hearted as a result of his speech. "This is hardly conversation to encourage me!"
He smiled too. "I apologise, Cousin. I am sure things will not be so hard for you tonight." He looked earnest, and took her hand. "But please – if things do become too much – you will always find me ready to help you. Not just tonight; in any situation. If you ever need just to get out of the house, or visit the Gardiners, or anything little like that, you can always depend on me to take you in my carriage, or something like that. And any big problems you may stumble into – well, I am always ready to listen to you and try to help you, no matter what, Elizabeth." He spoke her name as if it were a caress.
She couldn't smile. She was too touched. "Thank you, Cousin."
"It makes me very happy to see you and my cousin Jane fitting so well into this family," he said, uncharacteristically talkative. "I am sure you can tell that I have always felt very close to the Fitzwilliams and it gives me great pleasure to see them made so happy by your return. Do you feel quite comfortable with them?"
"Yes, I do," she said, blushing. "I cannot believe I was so silly as to-"
He held up his hand. "Don't think about it, Elizabeth. That's all in the past."
"You have been very kind to me, Cousin," Elizabeth whispered.
He paused. "Will you not call me William?"
She blushed, and was about to answer, when Lord Matlock came into the room, announcing that it was time to start welcoming guests. Everyone got up hurriedly; in the sudden chaos of voices, Mr Darcy took the chance to whisper to Elizabeth with a grin, "Don't forget – mine are the first two dances!"
She grinned back excitedly.
