AN: New and all improved Family trees can be found on my Tumblr: Justafangirltoo . The Link is also in my profile. They are no longer on FF site. Also if you use AO3, they will be linked in the story. Also Double Chapter update! :)
January 8th, 1812
London
Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy were on the outskirts of London and about three hours away from being safely settled in town for the season. The men had not had much conversation over the past 3 days of traveling. Mr. Bingley was abnormally quiet. Darcy finally bored of his thoughts engaged his friend in conversation.
"Bingley, you seem quite distracted, is there anything I can help you with?" Darcy asked.
"Well, uhh-" Bingley cleared his throat and paused. "Caroline, has been determined to see me settled and began planning to introduce me to some women in her acquaintance and I have refused, but now I see the wisdom in settling down."
"That sounds very sensible, Bingley." Darcy replied surprised at his friend's maturity.
"I am also planning on telling her she needs to marry by the end of the season or I shall be cutting her off," Bingley added
Darcy nodded and responded "Well you shall not, be the only one who is settling down soon."
"Congratulations old man, who is she?" Bingley inquired
"No one yet, but my uncle is forcing my hand and I agree he is right."
Bingley and Darcy chatted a little while longer, when Darcy's eyes had gotten heavy and he sat back and relaxed; letting sleep over take him, as he dreamed of a fine pair of eyes.
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They Darcy carriage had finally arrived at Bingley's London townhouse. Darcy had accompanied Bingley to his house for dinner; Georgiana had left a note that she would be dining out, and Darcy was not in the mood to dine alone again. Bingley had graciously offered to host his friend. Darcy had accepted, but regretted his decision, as soon as he walked in; he was assaulted by Miss Bingley.
"My dear Mr. Darcy! Oh, how we have missed your company." Caroline batted her eyes at him for full effect.
Darcy loosened her grip on his arm and replied "I am sure town has been diverting enough without my presence."
"Yes, but good society is always missed, especially with all the savages, running about town now, I mean they have been letting anyone, attend the few dinner parties, Louisa and I have attended," Caroline whined
"Yes, well the season has finally, begin, so there shall be more fitting activities for everyone," Darcy droned
"Caro, are you going to ignore the fact that your dear brother has returned," Mr. Bingley deadpanned
"We have just saw each other," Caroline replied waving her brother off
"That was over a fortnight ago!" Bingley complained
"Do not quarrel in front of out guest," Louisa admonished
"It's just Darcy, he is practically family," Bingley replied nonchalantly shrugging his shoulders.
"I am sure you and Darcy are both famished, let us remove to the dining room."
Dinner passes in relative amiability. Darcy tried to ignore Miss Bingley in favor of conversing with Mrs. Hurst. Mr. Hurst tended to pay more attention to his plate than his company. Bingley's mind had wandered and he had not been participating in any conversations. Darcy noticed this and began to not participate in conversations and give one word answers, focusing on his friend.
Bingley was still distracted. His visit with his Aunt Susan had been less than pleasant. She accused him of shirking his duties because he was unmarried, had no estate and he had yet to marry off Caroline.
He rebuffed his Aunt's initial claims by informing his aunt he had let an estate. That appeased her somewhat, until she found out the estate was only a half a day's trip from London. Aunt Susan demanded that he find a true country estate so he could focus on the estate and not run off to town whenever he felt the need to get a break.
Her solicitor was to give him a list of properties she found more suitable, she sent a note ahead of his arrival to London.
His father had wanted him to secure their legacy in the landed gentry, before he had passed away he secured the union for his eldest daughter, Louisa to a gentleman and he had expected Charles to do the same with Caroline. His Aunt demanded that he fulfill his father's request by the end of this season, by first marrying off Caroline and then getting himself a wife.
Caroline needed to be settled before he married, his aunt was adamant in her directions, but Caroline was still holding out for Darcy.
Bingley just then, he looked up at Darcy's concerned face and he thought of a brilliant idea. He should be able to persuade Darcy into marrying his sister, seeing how his uncle was adamant about him getting married. Caroline had a nice dowry and had already been in Darcy's circle for years. It's no secret that Darcy is uncomfortable with strangers, him trying to find a new wife in their circle did not bode well for him. It also had the added bonus of them becoming brothers finally. It would be a fine match for everyone; if he could reason with his friend.
Caroline had been asking Darcy question after question, non stop for an hour.
Mr. Darcy, how were your travels?Mr. Darcy, did you have any new parties at Pemberley?Mr. Darcy, how is the mutton?Mr. Darcy, do you prefer pork or fish?
Mr. Darcy, what events are you participating in this season?Mr. Darcy, when are you going to the opera?Mr. Darcy, when are you returning to Pemberley?Mr. Darcy, how is dear Georgiana?Mr. Darcy, you and Georgia, must come over for dinner.He was tired of it. He had thought another night of solitude would be worse than this, but he was very wrong. He was ready to be done with Caroline's incessant questions, he had hoped for Bingley to save him from Caroline, but his mind was elsewhere. As soon as dinner was completed, Darcy abruptly left the Bingley residence, citing exhaustion from traveling.
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January 8th, 1812
London
Mrs. Worthington's ball was the official start of the season. Many wanted one of the coveted invitations to her ball, to make key acquaintances, for the remainder of the season. Mrs. Worthington ensured she only invited the most fashionable debutantes and gentlemen.
Of course, the elusive Bennet sisters were invited to this ball.
Mrs. Dover had insisted that girls attend, even though the girls had half a mind to decline the invitation; It was the first event of the season and they all felt out of place and unprepared for their first event.
Jane was distracted, she was still holding on to hope that there was a misunderstanding between Caroline and Mr. Bingley, and he was not going to be married to a woman from the north. She was patiently awaiting for Caroline to return her call, but with each passing day she felt that likelihood waning. She had a dream, last night they called on her as soon as he got to town and they resumed where they left off in November.
Jane sighed and refocused. She needed to focus on tonight, charm families that were there, if not for herself, then for his sisters. She pushed thoughts of Mr. Bingley out of her mind for the time being and smiled at her sisters.
Elizabeth and Mary gave each other a look. Jane had not been herself since she visited the Bingleys' residence and her sisters did not want to push her, but she needed to talk about it, so she could move on, but now was not the time.
Jane, Elizabeth and Mary understood, the expectations that were set on them tonight. There could be no errors, they would be scrutinized by all and a successful season was depending on their manners tonight.
They had arrived slightly late at the insistence of Mrs. Dover; the girls needed to make an grand entrance. Mrs. Dover knew that the hostess was eager to meet the girls and there was an air of mystery around them for being raised outside of the ton.
Mrs. Dover walked in, followed by her granddaughters. They were the last in the receiving line. As soon as the walked through the door, a murmur began through the room. Mrs. Worthington enthusiastically greeted the ladies and walked them into the ballroom, so they could meet proper suitors for the first set.
Jane was set to dance with a second son, Lizzy with an officer and Mary with a clumsy clergyman. Aside from Mary's dance partner's lack of grace on the ballroom floor; the girls were not found lacking. They were well dressed and graceful dancers.
Jane, Elizabeth and Mary were escorted by Mrs. Worthington around the room after their first dance, being introduced to many different people. The most important person they met was Countess Lieven, the new Russian ambassador to England.
The Countess was a formidable force and. Mrs. Worthington presented the Bennet girls to the Countess Lieven.
"It is a pleasure to meet you." Elizabeth greeted
"Charmed, I'm sure," replied the countess. "Miss Elizabeth I spoke with your cousin a few days ago, and she tells me you have a great knowledge of politics."
"I believe she flatters me too much, I know only an average amount about it, I much prefer languages and reading, to politics."
"Nonsense, What do you think of the truce between Britain and Russia?"
" I believe that it is in the best interest of Britain and Russia, to ally with each other, if we want to rid ourselves of the threat of the French Empire."
"And another truce between Russia and the French Empire?"
"Useless, Russia is better off without the Continetal system, a new alliance with Britain would be more beneficial. Elizabeth replied with confidence
"Well, said, Miss Bennet." Countess Levine replied looking mildly impressed with Elizabeth's knowledge of politics.
Jane, Elizabeth, and Mary politely chatted with the Countess, until they were collected by their partners for another set. And the girls found themselves never lacking a partner for the remainder of sets before dinner.
The night was shaping up to be a success in the Bennet sisters book, the only thing standing in the way of their successful evening, was jealous debutants, who wanted the attention. There were two in particular, who were not happy to see the Bennet sisters have such favor.
Harriet turned to her sister Phoebe, who was also missing a partner for the first set and spoke "I dare say the blonde Bennet girl looks very familiar."
"Oh dear Harriet, its that unfashionable girl from Madam Devy's." Phoebe replied snidely
Disgusted, Harriet turned to look at Jane and her dance partner, who were exiting the dance floor heading over towards them. "People are fawning over that plain girl; if they only saw her before her connections spent an ornate amount of money trying to make her presentable." Harriet spoke loudly being overheard by several attendees.
"Still those Bennet girls look like they came straight from a finishing school." laughed Phoebe
By now there was silence surrounding the pair of sisters they did not notice. Onlookers watched as the Bennet sisters were steps behind the Sanders sisters and heard everything said about them. The Sanders sisters crossed the room to go get punch.
Marianne walked over trying to figure out why a crowd had formed around her granddaughters again and asked Elizabeth and her sisters "Is everyone agreeable?"
Elizabeth looked amused at the not-so private conversation between the sisters, and spoke loudly, to make sure everyone heard her. "Oh, I do not want people to be very agreeable, as it saves me the trouble of liking them a great deal."
The crowd laughed heartily at Elizabeth's set down. Elizabeth's eye was caught by one gentleman in particular, who was staring at her intensely. Elizabeth looked away, when Mrs. Worthington began to apologize to the girls profusely. Mrs. Worthington was horrified at having invited the Sanders sisters, who insulted the lovely Bennet sisters, who after meeting, she would wager they were likely the prize of the season.
There were stares and silent whispers until, one matron, Mrs. Oakley make a snide remark. "One would think that living off of the charity of family members, would make the horrid Sanders girls learn to shut their mouths, but both girls are widgeon."
The Sanders sisters noticed the attention they were receiving, but were still unaware of being overheard. Soon the gossips had the news spread around the entire room.
"Why is everyone staring at us?!" questioned Phoebe
"Oh they must have noticed us, finally. Mrs. Oakley told me my dress was quite a sight." Harriet replied smiling fixing the orange lace on her dress.
They went to try to take advantage of their new found popularity, but were shunned by anyone they tried to start a conversation with and no one would tell them why. They stayed at the party until the end to save face, but they wondered for the remainder of the night how they had fallen so far out of favor.
The Bennet sisters were overwhelmed by being the center of attention, meeting new faces every minute and being asked dance several sets. Finally, midway through the ball, Mrs. Dover decided enough was enough and made excuses to leave early.
Mrs. Worthington pleaded with the girls to stay, but Mrs. Dover held firm, in her decision. The girls left the party with extreme relief.
However, the early departure was not appreciated by a certain gentleman, who was looking forward to meeting the Bennet sisters ever since he received a missive from his old friend Mr. Wickham.
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January 9th, 1812
Hyde Park, London
The next day Emily and Cecilia, took the girls for a stroll in Hyde Park at the fashionable hour. Mary was excitedly chatting with Cecilia, while they were traveling the park their carriage. Emily began to give the girls a once over to make sure they were perfect. Elizabeth was in a very flattering green promenade gown, while Jane wore blue and Mary wore yellow. Emily was satisfied at their appearance smiled and nodded at Jane, who caught her staring and smiled and nodded back.
In that moment Emily looked at Jane and realized her smile never reached her eyes, there was a slight puffiness to them, like she had been crying not too long ago. Since their arrival in town the girls had been more reserved; Emily had ignored their strange behavior, thinking it was nerves about the upcoming season, but today she looked and realized something was very wrong. Upon further observation Elizabeth noticed Jane's distress and immediately comforted her sister, by holding her hand. Elizabeth, did not notice Emily watching her and stared out the window letting her mind wander, she smiled faintly and then quickly scowled. Their outward appearances were flawless, but Jane was very distracted and melancholy, which lead to Elizabeth's mood souring.
Emily's curiosity was now peaked. Emily knew that without the presence of the matrons, either would be more likely to open up. Today was the perfect opportunity, she just had to navigate the girls through a quick promenade, then they could walk the paths and have a long uninterrupted conversation.
Mrs. Dover relayed the girls had a successful first ball and there were sure to be people desiring to make the girls acquaintance. The girls had caused quite a stir, after the gossip of last night's ball was spread during several morning calls. Soon they had arrived at their destination. Jane and Elizabeth quickly put on their painted smiles and exited the carriage, followed by Emily, Mary and Cecilia. With their arrival and many people greeted Emily and Cecilia hoping to gain an introduction, but Emily opted to politely respond to the greetings not allowing any introduction requests and walked down a path to gain a bit of privacy. Cecilia was confused by her sister-in-law's actions, but followed her lead.
"I thought we were going to introduce the girls to some acquaintances today?" Cecilia questioned
"We were until, I noticed there is something wrong with our dear Jane. Elizabeth, obviously knows, and I want to know what is going on." Emily whispered
"I'll try to coax it out of her." Cecilia volunteered
"No, Jane is the kind, sweet one, but is as stubborn as her mother, she will insist, nothing is wrong. You just distract Mary, so I can talk to her and Elizabeth," Emily said.
Cecilia walked forward grabbing Mary's arm pulling them forward to walk down her "favorite" path towards the gardens.
Jane and Elizabeth were about to make haste after them, when Emily grabbed one of their arms each.
"Walk with me." Emily directed leaving no room for argument.
Elizabeth mumbled her protest, but Emily ignored her.
"So, do you have anything you want to talk about?" Emily asked trying to get as much information from them as possible.
Jane shook her head, no quickly.
"No." Elizabeth replied and looked at Jane in confusion.
"So, you have no idea why Jane is distressed so much?" Emily asked trying to gain details.
Jane looked at the ground.
Elizabeth folded her arms and said nothing.
Emily glared at both her cousins and muttered. "You both are too similar to your mother."
"I cannot betray, Jane's confidence." Elizabeth said looking between both women.
Jane sighed and decided to speak. "Alright, I found myself quite attached to the gentleman who let Netherfield, this past autumn, only for him to leave without saying goodbye. And his sister who I thought to be my friend, told me he is soon to be engaged, to another woman, and was positively giddy about it."
Elizabeth reached out and hugged her sister. "I also suspect she suggested her brother leave Netherfield." Elizabeth sneered
"Jane, if he cares about you his sister, cannot keep him away from you." Emily assured her. "And what of you Elizabeth?" Emily asked
"What of me?" Elizabeth questioned in confusion
"So did you fall for him as well?" Emily asked wondering about Elizabeth's reaction
"Absolutely not!" Elizabeth scoffed while blushing furiously
"Who was he?" Emily pressed, knowing there was more to the story on Elizabeth's half.
"I beg your pardon?" Elizabeth asked incredulously
"The man, who broke your heart; Do not play coy with me, Elizabeth; Jane wears her emotions too outwardly, so it is plain, but you my dear are not great deceiver either."
"Maybe I just hate seeing Jane so melancholy," Elizabeth stated staring at her sister, whose face was stained with dried tears
"No, it is more than that," Emily declared.
Elizabeth sighs. "There was a man that I met, a friend of Jane's suitor, who was letting Netherfield. He was handsome, smart and shy, but he was also arrogant, head strong and domineering. I was interested in him for a brief period, nothing more."
"Ahh, well there is nothing quite like a season, to forget about the troubles of the heart," Emily chuckled "Along with distance."
Elizabeth smirked and nodded. If only you knew. She thought to herself, smirking at Jane, who's countenance had paled, slightly.
Elizabeth grabbed her hand in reassurance.
With their talk finished Jane, Elizabeth and Emily rejoined Cecilia and Mary wandering through the Kensington gardens, in the middle of winter. The woman relaxed and enjoyed their walk for a while, when they decided to go home. The group turned down a path that would take them towards the exit.
Jane walked ahead with Cecilia, while Emily, Mary and Elizabeth walked as a triplet.
Jane laughed at Cecilia's recollection of her first ball of the season, when Jane visibly froze and stared at a group heading towards them. Cecilia stopped with her and called her name several times, with no response.
The trio bumped into the duo ahead of them and stumbled without falling. "Jane, why did you stop?" Mary asked while smoothing her dress.
Mary received no answer from Jane, but Elizabeth nudged Mary to look ahead.
She looked to see why Jane was staring at the group several yards away.
Mary blinked several times to make sure she was not imagining this. "It is the Bingleys and they are not alone." She whispered to Elizabeth.
Elizabeth moved to the side to see ahead and surely enough she saw, Mr. Bingley was walking very closely with one of those awful sisters who teased them last night. Miss Bingley, Mrs. Hurst and the other sister were chatting and following at a small distance giving the couple privacy.
Jane's eyes began swelling with tears when Emily asked Elizabeth. "Is that the Netherfield suitor?"
"Yes." Elizabeth said through gritted teeth.
"So much for time and distance." Emily muttered
Elizabeth looked around the area quickly and whispered directions to Mary. Mary and Cecilia began to walk together in front of her, Emily and Jane. Then Elizabeth began pulling Jane along the path towards the Bingleys' party, with the help of Emily.
"Do you really think Jane is capable of speaking with them?" Emily questioned. They were about 15 feet away from encountering the group.
"Of course not," Elizabeth responded, continuing to walk Jane swiftly towards the group.
Emily hated etiquette at times like this, the girls could not just walk past the party without acknowledging them, a cut was not taken lightly and Jane had no justification to cut him or his family, they after all were just neighbors, but after listening to Elizabeth's recollection of recent events, she was sure the entire party would take to taunting Jane. Emily was prepared for an acknowledgement, but to rush the girls away.
Elizabeth's astuteness saved her the effort. Just before the groups were about to feet away from each other Mary and Elizabeth made a sharp turn onto a path leading them towards the Serpentine.
The Bingley party was none the wiser of who was in the large party.
Halfway down the path Jane sighed letting out a breath she did not know she was holding. "Thank you." Jane said to her sisters, snapping out of her shock.
"Of course." Elizabeth said
"What are sisters for?" Mary teased
"Does anyone want to explain what was about?" Cecilia demanded.
"Once we get out of here, I do not want to risk crossing paths," Emily explained.
