Chapter Thirteen

Although Elizabeth did not feel she had made much of an effort, nor met many people properly, the ball was pronounced a success. Jane had danced twice with Mr Bingley, and obtained his promise that he would come and visit very soon, so she was completely satisfied. The Earl and Countess had succeeded in pulling it off without a glitch (unless you count Miss Grant falling into a dead faint halfway through proceedings, but they were inclined to regard that mainly as an unfortunate incident which did not mar the ball as a whole in any way). Richard had flirted incorrigibly, Thomas had met an old school friend whom he had been wishing to see for a while and had even flirted a little too, Rosalind had danced with an unbearably good-looking man, as she told Elizabeth later. As for Elizabeth, the waltz with Darcy was the stamp of perfection on the whole ball and nothing could have ruined that.

She hardly knew how to act around him now that she knew herself to be in love with him. It was most embarrassing. She kept doing silly things that she would never have done usually, and she did not know why.

Claudia came around to visit in the late morning of the day after the ball. Elizabeth met her with outstretched arms and a big smile. "Good morning! How are you?"

Claudia couldn't help but smile. "I'm only just awake, but it's good to see you!"

"Will you come into the sitting room? My parents have gone out and everyone else is still in bed. Heaven knows why. It's such a lovely day."

Claudia smiled. "I collect that you are a morning person."

"I suppose," said Elizabeth thoughtfully, "but I wouldn't say I'm not a night person either. You, I presume, are a night person?"

"Through and through. Listen, Elizabeth, I hear you come from Hertfordshire?"

"Yes."

"So do I! Not twenty miles away from what I am told is your village – Meryton, is it?"

"Oh, lovely!" said Elizabeth. "I do like people from Hertfordshire. What was your parish?"

"Stonewood. I own that I do still think it the best place in the world. I have travelled on the Continent, you know, and around England extensively as well, but there's nowhere like my childhood home." She sighed. "Unfortunately, I have no brother, and when my parents died, Trent Manor was entailed onto a distant cousin who dislikes me, for some absurd reason, so I have not been able to visit for some time."

"Oh no!" cried Elizabeth, her heart kindling in support. "My home, Longbourn, was also entailed outside my immediate family – that is, my adoptive family, the Bennets. I think I will be able to visit sometimes, but I am sure it would be painful for me."

"I am glad you understand," smiled Claudia. "So many people have no idea how special a tiny little manor of no remarkable importance is to someone who has grown up in it."

"I agree," said Elizabeth firmly. She paused. "I am sorry to hear your parents are dead. Do you have much family?"

"I live with my aunt, as I am sure you gathered last night. She is a widow without children, and I have only one first cousin alive whom I have never met. I do not have sisters either." She saw that Elizabeth was looking sad. "Oh, do not feel bad for me! I do not feel the absence of family at all. My aunt has a lot of friends who serve as uncles and aunts to me, and I have several very good friends who are closer to me than siblings ever could be."

"I am pleased to hear that," said Elizabeth, smiling. "I do not know, personally, how I would manage without Jane, so of course anyone without a sister has my full sympathy at first!"

"You are lucky to have discovered another family," said Claudia. "It must be very pleasing for you to have had two pairs of good parents, many good siblings, and extended family like Mr Darcy on top of that!"

"I had not thought of it like that before," admitted Elizabeth. "Sometimes I make myself feel so guilty because, you know, it can feel a little like I am betraying my adoptive parents who brought me up. But really I am very lucky." She smiled, and gave a little shrug. "How often is it that one is given two loving families?"

Claudia smiled. "I almost feel jealous, except that I am sure I would make so much trouble if ever I were plonked into some poor family, thinking they were getting some good, docile, long-lost daughter and finding they were given me."

Elizabeth couldn't help laughing. "I feel it couldn't be quite so extreme! I own, I didn't think I would be quite well-behaved enough for an earl's family, but the funny thing is, we all have our similarities. Richard and Rosalind are so much sillier than me. At least, that is what I tell them!"

"I am very glad that you seem to have settled in with the Fitzwilliams so well," said Claudia, smiling warmly. "I know that seems an odd thing to say, but when I discovered that it was that girl at that Assembly that was one of the long-lost Fitzwilliam daughters, I hoped even more that you would be very happy."

"Thank you very much," said Elizabeth warmly. "Indeed, everything is much easier than I had thought it would be. My family is very kind to Jane and I. It was not that I did not think they would be but I was nervous, all the same."

Claudia Trent left after another half hour of talking. Elizabeth was very happy to have made such a good friend already. It was much more than she had expected. She sat down on the window seat with a contented sigh, enjoying the sun streaming in. "I wonder if he is coming today?" she whispered to herself. After a few moments' frantic thought, she decided he must be, if Georgiana was herself again, and then they would be able to meet his sister. She settled back on her seat, feeling warm and happy and excited. Anticipation of pleasantness had to be one of the best feelings in the world, she thought cheerfully.

To her surprise, the door opened and Simson announced in his butler-voice, as Rosalind called it, "Mrs. Bowhill."

Elizabeth jumped up in surprise. "Why, good morning, Mrs Bowhill!"

"Good morning, Lady Elizabeth," said Mrs Bowhill, with a thin smile. "I hope you are well after the rigours of last night?"

"Yes, quite well, thank you." She wondered why the woman was here.

"It must be very good to see so much of Mr Darcy."

Elizabeth was confused. "Er, yes."

Mrs Bowhill smiled. "You two were a sight last night, dancing the waltz."

"Yes, you said so last night." This was a little uncomfortable.

"He all dignity, you all heaving bosom… I know many people commented on the handsome pair you made."

Elizabeth suddenly felt extremely cold towards Gloria Bowhill. She was being exceedingly impertinent. "Heaving bosom?"

"Why, yes. I must congratulate you; one of the best ways to be alluring."

"I assure you that I had no intention of trying to be alluring," said Elizabeth. "I beg you, this topic of conversation is by no means attractive to me."

Mrs Bowhill laughed, seemingly totally unaware of Elizabeth's discomfort. "You can't fool me, Lady Elizabeth. We from the country stick with our ways, do we not? – for I am a country girl too, originally. It is a good thing Mr Darcy could not lay a finger on you as a daughter of his cousin, or I predict we would see you running off to join Miss Featherstone very soon."

"Miss Featherstone? I am afraid I do not know what you are talking about. In any event, this conversation has run its course and I beg that you will stop talking along this line."

"Oh, Lady Elizabeth, I can tell you that in town, things are a lot different than in the country. People here will discuss any 'liaisons' one may enter into quite happily, and it will not cause a scandal unless one is too overt in one's affaires. Don't worry – it is not be expected that a man like Mr Darcy would be completely free of promiscuity! Doubtless he has some by-blows scattered somewhere about the country, but that has not ruined his reputation at all, has it? Half the women about town have been known to have affaires left right and centre but they are still welcomed even into the homes of most of the high sticklers."

Elizabeth stood up. "Well! Look at the time! I am sorry, Mrs Bowhill, but I promised my sister that I would make sure she was awake, and walk with her by now. You will have to excuse me. Thank you so much for coming."

"It is my pleasure. You will come and visit me in Grosvenor Square?"

"I do not see much likelihood of my being able to in the near future, Mrs Bowhill," said Elizabeth through clenched teeth. "I am much engaged over the next few days, and I think my parents plan to remove to the country soon. Goodbye."

Elizabeth could have screamed as she shut the door firmly behind Mrs Bowhill. What a vulgar, pretentious woman! That was one acquaintance she would not be pursuing. And to imply that Mr Darcy was not perfectly pure in his personal affairs! To imply he had illegitimate children! That was the crowning offence. How dare anyone consider him to be otherwise than blameless?

"Thomas, who is Miss Featherstone?" she asked her brother when he came down, bleary-eyed, later.

"What!" he gasped, putting down his cup of coffee. "Miss Featherstone! Where did you hear her name?"

"Never mind – who is she?"

"She is the daughter of Admiral Featherstone; she has had to leave town, it is rumoured, because she is with child! Who spoke to you of her?"

Elizabeth's face was livid. "How dare she!"

"Who?" asked Thomas blankly.

"Mrs Bowhill," said Elizabeth darkly. "She paid me a visit this morning and proceeded to talk about the most repulsive things. I fully intend to avoid her for the rest of my life. Beyond death, even."

"She paid you a visit?" asked Thomas, astounded. "Did no one tell you of Mrs Bowhill?"

"No, why?"

"Everybody you know would agree that you should avoid Mrs Bowhill. She has a terrible reputation. She can appear pleasant at times, I've heard, but always manages to give a conversation a most repulsive turn, as you said. I wonder that my mother did not warn you of her. It must have slipped her mind. It is rumoured that Mrs Bowhill writes a gossip column for a newspaper; the particular column is always especially lewd and suggestive, apparently. Don't go near her again, Elizabeth!"

"Don't worry – I will not!" said Elizabeth grimly. She looked out the window, and her countenance changed almost instantaneously. "Oh look! The Darcy carriage is here!"

Thomas sipped his coffee, with a little grin on his face. "Oh, is it?"

"Yes, it is here! They are here!" said Elizabeth, oblivious.

Thomas gave a little chuckle, and continued to drink his coffee.