The following weeks, which ought to have been filled with joyful reminiscing about the delightful time they'd all had at the ball, passed very slowly for Kitty. To be sure, the others did their share of recollecting every moment of every dance, and Kitty tried to summon enough enthusiasm for their experiences to avoid suspicion, but when she discovered that, not only did Miss Pratt not dance with Colonel Fitzwilliam, but she danced the supper set with Mr. Johns, it was all she could do to feign complacent interest in the matter. She was heartily grateful when the talk of the ball began to wear thin and they moved on to other matters of conversation.
At least the next ball would not see her in the same state as this last one had. Kitty was more determined than ever to walk under her own power again, and she was steadily improving as she worked at it. Sometimes she had Mr. Knott's help, or that of a servant, but more and more she was comfortable striking out on her own. Eventually she was confident enough to cross her room without the aid of her cane, and when she could do that four times together without any pain and very little stiffness, she decided that it was time to give up the cane altogether, and very glad she was to be rid of it.
To make the most impact, she determined that the first time she was seen without the cane should be when she came in for dinner, as everyone would already be gathered together, and she took special care in dressing that night to give the best impression. She was sure that she would be the last one there, which would allow her the most dramatic entrance. A smile spread across her face at the thought of it. How pleased everyone would be for her! Perhaps she could persuade Lizzy to give a ball in her honor, now that she would be able to dance at it. If Mr. Darcy should be in the proper mood, it might be done.
Accordingly she dressed slowly and carefully that evening, and crept to the parlor as quietly as she could to make her entrance as triumphant and dramatic as possible. Miss Darcy was the first to notice.
"Why, Miss Bennet, you do not have your cane!" she said, smiling.
Kitty shook her head. "No indeed."
"Are you quite well, then? You can walk under your own power?"
"Yes, look!" She strode across the room in a manner more triumphant than ladylike. "I think I shall not need the cane again."
"Congratulations, Miss Bennet!" said Mr. Knott. "I know that you have put a great deal of effort toward making this possible again."
She curtsied her thanks and turned to the rest of the room; however, the congratulations she received from them was tepid at best and largely distracted. Lizzy was deep in conversation with her husband and her father; Mr. Johns was equally entrenched with Colonel Fitzwilliam and Miss Pratt; and overall her triumphant entry felt a little flat.
"For the next ball," she announced, "I mean to dance every dance, if I can, to make up for the last one."
Miss Pratt did look her way at that, with an approving smile, and Mr. Johns expressed his anticipation of the pleasure which they had been denied last time, with a knowing smile that told Kitty that he had not forgotten his promise to her. But Elizabeth said that she did not know when the next ball would be; indeed, it was very likely that there would not be one for some time, since it was getting well into the summer and too hot for much dancing.
"In that case, my dear sister, you shall have to hold one yourself," Kitty said eagerly. "How delightful that would be!"
Elizabeth exchanged glances with Mr. Darcy. "Perhaps," she said cooly. "We may discuss it later; for now, we should go in to dinner." Mr. Darcy took his cue perfectly and led them in to the dining room. Kitty's proposal would have to wait.
She sat beside Miss Darcy at dinner, with her father on the other side, which was not a very agreeable arrangement even if Mr. Johns was across from her. There would be no opportunity to converse with Mr. Johns in anything approaching a free way, with Mr. Bennet right there. Her only refuge for conversation would have to be Miss Darcy. But at least she was likely to have encouragement for Kitty, if only about her walking.
Indeed, Miss Darcy was full of delight that Kitty was so well recovered. "And are you quite free of pain?"
"For the most part," Kitty answered. "I have not tested it for long walks, of course."
"Do you think you would be equal to one? Say, perhaps, the distance of that little garden seat we stopped at some weeks ago?"
Kitty toyed with her soup briefly as she considered this. "I think so, for I would be able to sit once I was there, and recover for the way back. I do not think I would do so well if I had to walk there and back without any rest."
"In that case, how would you like to go on a visit with me?"
"A visit? To whom?"
"One of my brother's tenants—well, I told you about her. She was the one I was making that blanket for. It's finished now, and I need to take it to her. I thought you might like to come with me. The weather has been very fine, and it is a lovely walk. It is very flat and easy, and will be a good test of your ankle; and you will have a chance to get out in the fresh air and enjoy the company of a delightful woman. You will really love Mrs. Brown. She is a great storyteller, and she is very fond of company."
Kitty blinked and tried to consider this. A walk would probably be just the thing, but with such an end! Some decrepit old woman whose only solace was in entertaining visitors and telling them stories was hardly a person worth visiting. Why, Miss Darcy had even said that she was unable to do simple work any longer. It sounded like the worst kind of bore.
"I do not know," she said slowly.
"Nonsense," said her father. "Forgive me for interrupting, Miss Darcy, but I fear my daughter is being too modest in her estimation of her abilities. Kitty, I think you really must go. It sounds as if Mrs. Brown will be just the thing for you."
"Papa?"
"Now, Kitty, I believe your ankle will hold up to that modest journey."
"I am sure it will," said Miss Darcy eagerly. "And Mrs. Brown will be so pleased to meet you. She has so little in the way of varying company, you see, and she does so love to meet new people."
Kitty searched her mind frantically for an excuse of some kind, but nothing came to mind, and Miss Darcy had already moved on to settling a time. "We cannot go tomorrow, of course, but Wednesday should do very well. If you like, we can go directly after breakfast, though of course, I should settle it that we can arrange for a cart in case the walk proves too much for you."
There was nothing to do but accept. Kitty spent the rest of the meal in a state of embarrassed bewilderment. How had a night which she had meant to be such a triumph gone off so badly?
After dinner was no better; when the ladies withdrew, Miss Pratt soon joined their conversation, and Miss Darcy extended the invitation to her as well.
"Good heavens! no, I should think not!" was her empathetic reply. Then, as Miss Darcy looked a little bit hurt, she added, "I am entirely useless with invalids and am certain to get in your way. I am quite a disaster in comforting anybody, you know, and I am sure that your venerable old lady will be much happier with only two young women to entertain. I should only get in the way. Besides I really ought to spend that morning practicing my part in that duet, you know. My performance is shamefully backward by comparison to yours."
Kitty watched this prevarication with growing jealousy. How easily Miss Pratt was able to turn aside the invitation which Kitty had been entirely unable to avoid! She was rather offended on Miss Darcy's behalf, though, for Miss Pratt's brusque dismissal had clearly insulted her and she did not know exactly how to respond. Kitty was sure she would not have made such a mangle of it, had she been able to find a way to decline. Now she felt obligated to defend a position she herself did not hold, and it was very uncomfortable.
"Of course we would be glad to have you," she said quickly, "for your liveliness always makes any outing more enjoyable. And I am sure that you can work on your duet tomorrow morning as well as Wednesday."
"If I were wise, I should devote both mornings entirely to my part in the duet and not rise from the pianoforte until my fingers were worn to the bone and I could play it in my sleep," said Miss Pratt, laughing. "But, alas, I do not believe I have quite enough wisdom to induce me to that. I shall have to spend some of tomorrow attending to my correspondence, you know, for I have neglected it shamefully of late. I know you will be quite happy without me; besides, I am sure I am a miserable companion most mornings."
Kitty and Miss Darcy protested that she was not, of course, but before Kitty had done, Miss Darcy had quietly excused herself and gone to speak with her sister. Miss Pratt scooted in closer. "I am very sorry for you, my dear Miss Bennet. I saw how they coerced you into agreeing to this outing against your will! I wish I could find a way to rescue you from the chore, also, but I simply cannot think of anything."
"Well, I will enjoy the opportunity for a walk, at least," Kitty said, trying to appear resigned.
"But the errand! What does Miss Darcy mean by inviting you to come with her?"
"Perhaps she finds it as odious as you and I expect to, and wishes for some pleasant company to dull the pain."
Miss Pratt laughed. "I daresay you are right! It is a despicable thing to do, is it not? But I own, I would probably do the same, if I had such a chore before me."
Kitty shifted in her chair uncomfortably. She did not expect that she would find her outing very enjoyable, but it was difficult to sit there and dwell on it with someone who had managed to escape it. She looked over to where Miss Darcy and Lizzy were talking, but she could not bring herself to wholly abandon Miss Pratt. Instead she tried to change the subject.
"How long have you been playing the pianoforte?"
"Not as long as Miss Darcy, certainly," Miss Pratt said with a sigh. "In fact, it was her proficiency, when we were children, that inspired me to take it up. She played ridiculously well for such a young girl, and I was determined to catch up to her. There was never any real chance of that, however. Miss Darcy takes to music like a fish takes to water, and nothing I could have done would have enabled me to catch up to her level of skill. You must be born with it. That will not, however, prevent me from practicing as much as I can! I am determined to make as good a showing of it as I may—especially if it means I can avoid Mrs. Brown!"
"Can you really play for the whole of two mornings?" Kitty pressed. She would not be drawn back in to talking of Mrs. Brown. "I think I should drive myself distracted with the tedium."
"I should imagine that I can manage enough to convince Miss Darcy—and I needn't be practicing while you two are away, if I do not wish to."
No good. Perhaps a different course. "How are things coming along with you and Colonel Fitzwilliam?"
"Oh, I am sure he is enchanted with me," she said with a wave of her hand. "But I do not suppose that I can quite have won him over yet. Still, did you not see him watching me at dinner?"
Kitty owned that she had not, but likely that was because she was not looking at him at all during dinner.
"Oh, well—that is only natural, I suppose, when you had your whole meal spoilt for you with Miss Darcy's stupid plan being forced upon you from all sides. I imagine that you did not even notice Mr. Johns looking at you, did you?"
"No," Kitty said, leaning forward in great interest. "Was he really?"
"Yes! It really is too bad that you won't be able to spend any of Wednesday with him; he said he might not need to go to Edgepark that day and was wondering what he might do with himself."
"Oh no! Was he? And I missed the opportunity to invite him to do something with us!"
"Yes, but never mind; I am sure Mrs. Brown will be an equally amusing conversational partner, in her way."
No matter what Kitty tried to say to distract her, Miss Pratt always seemed determined to bring every subject back to the odious Mrs. Brown, until Kitty quite hated the old woman. But it was worse when the gentlemen joined them and Mr. Johns actually came over to talk with them.
"Oh! Mr. Johns, you must join me in expressing your pity for this poor girl," Miss Pratt said.
"Why, Miss Bennet, you have not injured your ankle again so soon?" he said, taking the seat beside her. Kitty's heart fluttered from his nearness and her anger at Miss Pratt together.
"No," she said quickly. "My ankle is quite well, thank you."
"It is worse than that," Miss Pratt said. "For, you see, Miss Darcy and Mr. Bennet have conspired together to keep her from us all of Wednesday morning, so that she might visit some old tenant of Mr. Darcy's."
"That does sound like a pitiable fate," he agreed. "I find nothing so distasteful as spending my mornings affecting concern for those people too poor to be anything other than miserable. I always feel stupid and uncomfortable in their tiny houses, and as soon as I was able to give over the practice, I did so."
Kitty bit back a heavy sigh. "I cannot say that I am looking forward to the visit at all," she admitted. "But I do hope the walk there will be pleasant. It has been such a long time since I was able to enjoy a walk."
"A walk to such an end sounds like poor compensation indeed," Mr. Johns said. "But as you are committed, I will not venture to think ill of you for trying to make the best of it. I am glad that Miss Darcy did not press us all into going, however."
"Can you imagine the whole party trying to squish ourselves into a tiny little house like that?" Miss Pratt asked, giggling.
Kitty looked back and forth between them and sank back into her chair. What misery Wednesday would bring her!