Chapter Twelve

Jane and Elizabeth stood with their parents at the top of the stairs, welcoming people. It was rather – to use Mr Darcy's words – overwhelming. Elizabeth was still flushed from her conversation with Darcy and was not feeling quite lucid enough to begin meeting people and trying to remember names. But the demands of her rôle soon woke her up, as face after face shook hands first with her parents, then with Jane, then with her.

Jane was playing her part very well indeed. She was naturally excited about the ball – not so much because it was a ball or because she would meet people or because she liked dressing up – but because she knew that tonight she would see Mr Bingley. So it was that she looked extremely beautiful. Nothing became Jane like that quiet excitement of hers. She was animated and charming as she was introduced to people, even if she did gaze expectantly over their heads at the door now and then. She was pronounced by all who passed her to be a lovely girl, perfect in every way.

Elizabeth could never make quite so flawless an impression as Jane could. It was not merely her appearance; her sense of humour was too fine to be so perfectly agreeable to everyone who walked in the door as Jane was. And yet she was in very good looks that evening in her burgundy-coloured dress, her eyes shining as always, her cheeks slightly flushed, and her hair most elegantly arranged. Although some found her not quite so respectful as her sister, most were very favourably impressed by her. In fact, she was preferred by several men to her sister, for the sparkling personality that was obvious to all on first sight, and for her darker beauty.

One of the people to pass the sisters whose name they actually did remember was a girl with chestnut hair and twinkling eyes. Elizabeth remembered her in an instant. "I know who you are!" she exclaimed, on introduction to Miss Claudia Trent. "You're the girl we saw at the Assembly Rooms!" And Jane agreed at once.

Miss Trent through back head and laughed. "I did hope you would recognise me!" she smiled. "I had wanted to meet you that evening but for some reason, our liaison never eventuated. It is very good to meet you properly now."

Elizabeth was very pleased to see Miss Trent again. She had not thought about the girl who had defended them such a long time ago – or, at least, it seemed like a long time! But she remembered at the time feeling a peculiar affinity with the girl and wanting to know her better.

Just after Miss Trent left them, Mr Bingley walked in the door. Jane's eyes turned to him at once. He had come feeling depressed and bitter; certain of the pain of seeing Jane captivated by every other man in the building. But even he could not misinterpret the happy gleam in Jane's eyes when she saw him and the wide smile and "Hello! I am so happy to see you!" with which she greeted his "Good evening, Lady Fitzwilliam." He felt his depression shrug itself off him like a slippery cloak, and responded in kind.

The Gardiners, Mary, Kitty and Lydia came to the ball. It was very good to see them again. Elizabeth found she had even missed Lydia's frivolous chatter and Mary's moralising, although both girls seemed to have improved somewhat since their last meeting, for some reason.

Elizabeth and Jane found themselves almost immediately engaged for every dance, which was really quite thrilling. Elizabeth felt like a little girl at her first coming-out dance again; everyone so eager to be kind to her and make sure she was having a good time. She had been engaged to dance with Mr Darcy again for the final dance, when he saw how fast her hand was being claimed, and he asked Jane to dance also. It was odd, seeing the tables so completely turned from what they had been at her first meeting with Mr Darcy.

She felt oddly excited as she danced the first dance with Darcy. Every time he touched her, she felt like shivering, although she tried her hardest to keep her body under check – yet this was a pleasure. He looked as proud as ever. Many people could be overheard saying what a handsome couple they made and wondering certain things; being gossiped about was never a recipe for his good humour, and Elizabeth understood this. Yet he had a small smile in his eyes whenever he looked her way. She found herself rather guiltily looking forward to her next dance with him, which was a waltz. She had never danced one of these at a ball before, even though she was perfectly familiar with the steps, like any self-respecting girl of the times, and she had certainly never danced a waltz in the arms of a man she felt so excited by as Darcy.

Their dance seemed to be over far too quickly. She was approached by many people as Darcy led her off the floor, and she found herself being pushed from his side all too quickly. She stole a quick look at her dance card and wondered who on earth was Mr Chalder. She hoped she would not make a fool of herself. But the said gentleman approached her soon after the first dance. "Good evening. I'm Chalder. I booked the next dance with you?"

"Of course!" she said with a glittering smile.

He grinned, raising dark brows. "It's perfectly fine, I don't expect you to remember my name. These things are always just a little overwhelming, are they not?"

She smiled, feeling more at ease at once. "Yes, well, to tell the truth, I had no idea who you were, but I will certainly remember your name now."

He laughed. "Good. I see you were dancing with Darcy. He is a good friend of mine."

She brightened. "Is he? How is it that you know him?"

"How does anyone know anyone in London?" shrugged Mr Chalder. "I apologise, but I could not truthfully tell you how I met him. All I know is that we have been friends for too long a time."

Elizabeth laughed again, and studied him. This was a friend of Darcy's! He was certainly very agreeable. It was so amusing to find out more about Darcy every day. She would never have expected him to be friends with a man like this a few months before.

The hours seemed to run quite slowly until the time of her waltz with Darcy. They had dinner at some point; she was partnered for dinner with Richard, because Georgiana had not come, and Jane was partnered with Darcy. Both sisters were still very much awake, and hardly feeling the exhaustion of constant dancing or socialising at all. However, Jane almost felt the obligation to feel some tiredness, the number of times Mr Bingley solicitously asked after her wellbeing.

The one incident that served to pull Elizabeth out of her absorbed mien was as follows. A woman approached Elizabeth soon after dinner whose name she could remember perfectly, for some reason – Mrs Gloria Bowhill. She was a tall woman, obviously past her prime, but not exactly out of sight of it either. On first sight of her, Elizabeth was not disposed to think very well of her, and it is probable this feeling did not change. She had a sharp little face with very clever but not very pleasant eyes, and an angular body that looked strange in a pretty ballgown. "Good evening, Lady Elizabeth! Do you know my name?"

"Yes, I do, it is Mrs Bowhill, is it not?" said Elizabeth, a little taken aback by the manner in which the lady asked her question.

"I am overcome," said Mrs Bowhill, studying Elizabeth's gown, looking rather bored. "I see you were dancing with Darcy earlier?"

"Er, yes," said Elizabeth, trying to stop the blush rising to her cheeks. Mrs Bowhill said it as if it were something to be ashamed of.

Mrs Bowhill smiled slightly. "You two were quite a sight. Good evening, Lady Elizabeth!"

"Good evening," Elizabeth muttered, feeling a little annoyed.

Eventually the time came for Elizabeth's long-awaited waltz – the final dance of the night. She was conscious of feeling a strong anticipation when Darcy's gloved hand seized hers and led her out onto the dance floor. In fact, she was breathing so deeply that Darcy asked her if she was feeling quite the thing. It was in a slight panic that she managed to convince him that she was perfectly fine and wanted to dance with him, and through a strong effort, she managed to control herself. He smiled at her in a reassuring way which almost set her off again, and he reached for her as the music began. She did not think she breathed much during the dance. The light touch of his hand on her waist made her light-headed, but it was the way his eyes rested warmly on her constantly that really destroyed any semblance of reason that she had been holding on to. The only thought that was going through her head was, "What on earth was wrong with me! I am in love with him. In love in love in love."

She tried to appear normal as he escorted her back to the side of the room at the end of the dance, but she had to keep stealing glances at him. He looked slightly concerned. He sat down with her on a sopha and looked at her seriously. Her mind was in a torment.

"Tell me, Cousin, have I offended you?"

"W-what?" she said dreamily, then clicked. "What! No! No! In what possible way could you offend me?"

"You seemed… different as we danced. Are you sure I have not offended you in any way?"

Elizabeth pulled herself together. "No, Cousin! Of course you have not. I enjoyed dancing with you… very much."

He smiled, took her hand and kissed it. "I am glad, for I would hate myself if had I done anything to hurt you."

"Cousin-"

"William," he said. "Remember? We agreed!"

"I wouldn't say that!" she laughed. "I never agreed to such a proposition in my life."

"Will you agree now?"

"Not now," she said, smiling mischievously. "You will have to grovel for a long time before I allow you any such favour."

"You silly girl," he smiled.

"That is not a good way to start," she reminded him. She stood up. "I am going to go and talk to someone else now."

He sat back in the chair. "Am I supposed to be chastened? Far from it! Have fun!"

Elizabeth laughed, and went to find Miss Trent. For some reason she had not managed to talk to the girl she so wanted to become friends with all night. But she found her relatively easily, and sat down beside her at once. "Hello again, Miss Trent!"

She was met with a smile. "Why, good evening, Lady Elizabeth!"

For a moment, Elizabeth was confused. "Goodness, is that me? Please, please don't call me that! You must call me Elizabeth. I cannot be a 'Lady' to people like you, no matter what."

"Well, then you must call me Claudia. I have been anxious to talk to you all night, Elizabeth."

"As have I!" said Elizabeth fervently. "I never thought I would say so, but there are only so many inanities one can utter to people one has never met before. I knew it would be different with you."

"Thank you," said Claudia, looking much amused. "I have my bad points, but I believe I am pretty safe from being inane." She leaned forward. "I saw you dancing with Mr Darcy before. Do you know him well?" Elizabeth blushed. "I see you do, then!"

Elizabeth was hasty to correct her. "Well, in technicalities I have known him for a while, but I did not really truthfully know him very well until a month or so ago."

Claudia raised her eyebrows. "You both seem very comfortable with each other."

"We have been thrown in each other's ways a lot recently," said Elizabeth awkwardly.

"Oh," said Claudia, looking interested. But she changed the subject. "Do you play music, or have any outstanding accomplishments, Elizabeth?"

"Oh, I am vastly accomplished," said Elizabeth, mock-serious. "No, you are aware I am jesting. I play the piano but I never practise enough so really I can play piano in the pouvoir sense more than the savoir sense! And those are about the two French words I know. But I did learn some Italian."

"I am glad to hear it," said Claudia. "One can never be sure when one will need those Italian words." Both girls laughed.

"Will you come around to visit us tomorrow?" asked Elizabeth. "We would be very happy to see you."

"I would enjoy that very much, thank you," said Claudia, smiling warmly. "That was very timely, because my aunt is beckoning me now that she desires us to leave. It was very pleasant to meet you again, Elizabeth. I will see you tomorrow – not too early, however!"

Elizabeth smiled. "No, I don't think you will see much of us up early! Goodbye!"