May 1813

In the first week of May, for the first time since the mourning ended, Elizabeth and Jane attended an assembly with the Maxwells. Some single gentlemen were interested in getting to know the pretty sisters better, and others had never seen them but heard that they were beautiful.

To the surprise of many, Mr. Harrington attended the assembly and asked Jane Bennet to dance the first and second sets, and later Elizabeth. To Elizabeth's frustration, Mr. Stuart asked her to dance the first two sets of the night. With patience since he was a good man who had always been attentive and kind to her, Elizabeth made him understand that she was not interested in marrying him...

"Miss Bennet, you are more beautiful than ever today. Well, you are always beautiful, but the color yellow suits you very well."

"Thank you, Mr. Stuart, you are very kind" Lizzy answered with a slight smile.

"Just yesterday, I told Mrs. Maxwell that yellow is my favorite color and she told me it is also one of your favorite colors. What a coincidence! We have so many things in common, don't you think?

Lizzy shook her head, "No, Mr. Stuart, I think we have very little in common."

He looked at her in surprise, "Why do you say that?"

"For example, you are a devoted priest, a man of God. For my part, I no longer believe in God."

Mr. Stuart's eyes widened, and after a few seconds, he smiled broadly, "I know you went through a terrible experience, but I am sure I can help you regain your faith in God. If you want, I can recommend you some books or biblical passages that can help you get over the deaths of your loved ones."

Lizzy met his eyes, "Mr. Stuart, you are a good man, an excellent priest, and you deserve to marry a devoted woman who will help you in the charities of the church. Someone like Miss James…" She pointed to a young woman similar to Charlotte who was in her late twenties and was considered a spinster. Lizzy also suspected Miss James was interested in Mr. Stuart.

They conversed for the remainder of the set about Miss James and other trivia and parted on good terms. Mr. Stuart was not a brilliant man, but he was not a fool either, and he realized that Miss Bennet was not interested in him. Until that moment, he thought much of Lizzy's reluctance was because she was still in mourning, but he could not keep thinking that. He couldn't hold a grudge against her for not reciprocating his feelings.

On the other hand, Mr. Harrington and Jane chatted pleasantly during the two sets they danced. Mr. Harrington was more and more interested in Jane and wanted to get to know her better. In several ways, she reminded him of his dearly departed wife, although physically she was nothing like her. For her part, Jane greatly enjoyed Mr. Harrington's company. He was a serious, intelligent, and kind man who listened carefully when she spoke, and she liked talking with him very much.

After those two sets, Jane chose to sit down as she was a little short of breath. Lizzy and Mr. Harrington decided not to dance the next as they just happened to be dancing it together and escorted Jane out onto the balcony to get some air. After several minutes she recovered, and the three of them sat down for another set to talk.

The rest of the night passed without major incidents. Jane danced again with Mr. Harrington and another gentleman she met that night. While Lizzy danced with three other gentlemen.

Mrs. Maxwell was suspicious of Mr. Harrington's interest in Jane and began making plans for them to have more opportunities to see each other. There was nothing that amused Victoria Maxwell more than matching… although she was disappointed that she hadn't been able to persuade Elizabeth to give poor Mr. Stuart a chance. But she was not going to give up on Elizabeth, there were other gentlemen who might be interested in her...

June 1813

Although Elizabeth and Jane had been living in Ramsgate for over a year, they had rarely been to the beach since they were 5 miles away. Therefore, on a sunny day in June, Mrs. Maxwell and her husband invited them along with Mr. Harrington to have a picnic on the beach. The two happily accepted and at 2:00 in the afternoon the Maxwells picked them up in their carriage, and Mr. Harrington went with them, but on horseback.

Elizabeth and Jane brought Molly's special butter and cheeses, Mr. Harrington brought apples and ham, and finally, the Maxwells brought bread, cold meat, and apple shortcake.

They spent a beautiful afternoon at the beach, the Maxwells enjoying being outdoors very much, although neither of them liked walking. Elizabeth went for a walk barefoot along the seashore, and a few minutes later when she was coming back, Jane and Mr. Harrington joined her. They gathered some shells and small stones with beautiful shapes and colors.

Around 7:00 they happily returned to their respective homes. Mr. Harrington was increasingly convinced that he could be happy with Jane and he was completely leaving his first wife - whom he had loved with devotion - in the past...