Author's Note: Look! I slipped in Jane Austen's famous line! Cheers to me! In fact, I stole several of her lines. So really, cheers to her. And to you if you've picked them out!

Thank you to all my kind reviewers – I hope not to lag behind in updates, but school beckons…

Christine shifted her gaze to the masked man in the corner. He stood erect, his mouth set in a grim line. Monster? Christine mused, studying the poise in his stance and the sharp accents of his mask. That mask surely indicated disfigurement of some sort, but "monster" seemed too harsh a word for a man with so appealing a form. However, nothing in his self-important air wholly disputed the charge…

"Don't be absurd, Meg," Christine scolded. "You know how people exaggerate."

Meg raised her eyebrows skeptically. "Exaggeration finds its basis in some truth. But no matter, look! Mr. Bingley is speaking with Jane!"

Jane Bennet, the beauty of both the family and the region, blushed demurely as Mrs. Bennet presented her to the new arrivals. Mr. Bingley grinned, but his sisters scowled at the sight. Blond hair and blue eyes could not compensate for inferior circumstances. On the other side of the room, Mr. Bennet rolled his eyes. His wife would be planning the wedding before the night's end.

"Chrissy! Come and meet our newest neighbors!" Mrs. Bennet cried, gesturing enthusiastically for her daughter's presence. Christine left Meg with a wry smirk and took her place at Jane's side.

"Mr. Bingley, this is Christine, my second eldest. My middle girl, Mary, is with her father other there, and my two youngest, Kitty and Lydia, are off dancing just there."

Bingley smiled and bowed politely. "It's a pleasure to become acquainted with your lovely family," he raised his voice slightly, "Isn't it, Darcy?"

Mr. Darcy jerked his head towards Bingley in alarm, but quickly regained enough composure to stride to his friend's side and bow, murmuring, "A pleasure."

The musicians ended their song, and Mr. Bingley offered Jane his arm, "May I have the honor of the next dance?"

Jane's lovely pink lips parted into a soft smile, "Yes, I would be delighted."

Christine watched the two approach the dance floor, envious of their obvious attraction and compatibility. Mrs. Bennet, beyond delight, decided to test just how many daughters she could pair off in one evening. After all, it is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.

"Do you dance, Mr. Darcy?" she chirped.

"Not if I can help it," he replied gruffly. His harsh tone could not conceal a very strange beauty in his deep voice. Christine stared curiously, taken aback by the sound, and noticed that his eyes could scarcely be seen in the dark recesses beneath his mask.

Mrs. Bennet did not falter, "Well surely you don't wish to stand alone all night with such lovely young ladies in your midst. My Jane may be the prettiest, but Chrissy certainly…"

"I thank you, Madame, but I do not care to dance," Mr. Darcy turned abruptly on his heel and walked away, retreating through a maze of merry revelers.

"Well!' Mrs. Bennet cried indignantly, "Have you ever seen such a proud, disagreeable man! I wouldn't have you dance with him had he begged!"

"Oh yes, Mama, I'm sure his fortune is of no consequence at all," Christine said, sarcasm lacing her words.

"Certainly not! Fancies himself too good for my daughter… I never!"

Christine stifled a laugh and patted her mother's hand, reminding her to be satisfied with Jane's worthy partner. She returned to Meg, and the two remained together for much of the evening, talking and observing. Christine did not particularly mind that the scarcity of young men denied her a dancing partner, but Meg, a plain girl approaching the later half of her 20s, soon grew irritated and impatient. She constantly requested a new bench or a new corner in the hopes of attracting fresh male attention. In the midst of such a pursuit, Christine and Meg found themselves overhearing an unhappy conversation between Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy.

"Come now, Darcy!" Mr. Bingley scolded. "I won't have you standing here in this stupid fashion the entire night! I must insist that you dance!"

"It is enough that I came at all, which in itself is an unforgivable error on my part. I will not dance. I prefer to remove myself from the eyes of gawking fools, thank you. Even had I wished such a diversion, this tone-deaf violinist makes all enjoyment impossible," Disgust laced Mr. Darcy's exquisite voice.

Ah! Of course! The violin! Christine quickly remembered her own irritation.

"You should not judge so harshly. I have never found such pretty or agreeable girls in all my life!"

"You are dancing with the only handsome girl in the room."

Mr. Bingley beamed, "Oh, Jane is the most beautiful creature I ever beheld! But come now, look there, just behind you. Her sister, Christine, is quite pretty."

"She's fairly tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me," Mr. Darcy observed coolly. "And you cannot seriously expect me to measure another's worth by their appearance, Bingley. You had better return to your partner and enjoy her smiles, for you are wasting your time with me. I refuse to make myself ridiculous."

It is deformity, then, Christine thought, slowly absorbing both this conclusion and Mr. Darcy's fresh insult.

Meg gasped, "Oh, pay that pompous man no mind, Chrissy!"

Christine eyed Mr. Darcy with renewed dislike, "Don't worry, Meg. I hardly need his approval, and I daresay I never will."