Notes: Unedited chapter.
PPP
Early May 1788
Thomas Bennet had been looking forward to the night of the assembly for weeks with great anticipation, as he had carefully planned to ask Elizabeth Carey to dance the first and the last set of the night. In addition, he was going to ask her permission to court her.
Thomas was not alone in his excitement; his parents were thrilled about his plans. They appreciated the Careys and were delighted to see their son taking the first step towards a promising future. Furthermore, Thomas' father estimated that within a year or two at the latest, Thomas would be fully capable of assuming the responsibilities of Longbourn's administration.
As he arrived in the ballroom a few minutes before the orchestra was set to start playing, Thomas' heart was racing with anticipation. His eyes scanned the crowd, searching for Elizabeth. Finally, he spotted her chatting with her brother and her cousins, Miss Gardiner and Miss Fanny, and Mr. Philllips. The sight of Elizabeth took his breath away, and smiling, approached her.
As soon as Elizabeth spotted Thomas, her face lit up with joy, and she greeted him with a beautiful smile that made his heart skip a beat. Without wasting any time, Thomas invited Elizabeth to dance the first two sets of the night, and she accepted with a look of excitement in her eyes. The two sets they danced were nothing short of sublime, and Thomas wished they could go on forever.
Fanny Gardiner had mentioned twice earlier in the evening that she still had two sets available on her dance card, and out of courtesy, Thomas invited her to dance with him. Little did he know that this night, which he had been looking forward to with such great anticipation, would soon become a nightmare that he would never forget.
After the second set, Thomas asked Elizabeth to reserve the last set of the night for him because he had something important to tell her. Elizabeth agreed with a warm smile, and Thomas felt relieved and eager at the same time.
Afterwards, Fanny took him by the arm and led him to the dance floor, near one of the balconies near Mr. Phillips and her sister. In the middle of the set, Fanny pretended to feel unwell and took Thomas' arm tightly. Then, she said, "Forgive me for taking your arm, Mr. Bennet, but I am dizzy and out of breath."
If only Thomas had more experience dealing with unscrupulous women or if he had been more distrustful, he would not have offered to accompany Fanny to the balcony. Even though the balcony had the curtains drawn, it was in full view of those dancing, "Would you like to step out for some fresh air? If so, I would accompany you to the balcony."
Fanny nodded and tightly held Thomas's arm as they stepped out to the balcony. Suddenly, she hugged him and started kissing, leaving him petrified for several seconds. Fanny's sister started shouting, "Mr. Bennet, how dare you take advantage of my sister in such a way!"
Thomas shoved Fanny with great force, causing her to lose balance and fall to the floor. Indignantly, he replied, "I did not do anything! She was the one who kissed me!"
As soon as this happened, the orchestra stopped playing and all eyes turned to the commotion. Amidst the silence, Mr. Phillips spoke up, "Don't lie, Mr. Bennet. I saw you clearly when you dragged her to the balcony and started kissing her." His voice was stern and left no room for doubt.
Thomas was furious at the accusation levelled against him and shouted, "I did not do such a thing."
However, his denial was met with a vehement response from Fanny, "It's not true! You told me that you wanted to tell me something very important... and you started kissing me..."
As this exchange was taking place, Thomas' parents and the Careys watched what was happening with varying degrees of horror and concern.
"Because of you" Mr. Phillips said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "my sister-in-law's reputation is ruined." He paused and looked at Thomas with disdain, "I hope you are a gentleman and do the right thing," he said firmly, "otherwise there will be serious consequences."
As is often the case with rumours, the stories quickly become distorted and exaggerated. Some claimed that Thomas Bennet had proposed marriage to Fanny Gardiner, and for that reason, they were kissing. They did not know for sure where these rumours came from. Still, it was suggested that they may have originated from Fanny's sister, her brother-in-law, or one of the other couples present at the assembly.
Thomas looked at his parents and at Elizabeth, who was shocked and pale. He took a step toward her, but her brother stepped in front of him, blocking his path. Frederick Carey said, "I don't know what exactly happened, but I do know that right now my cousin's honour has been compromised."
Thomas felt a knot in his stomach. He tried to defend himself, "I swear to you, by the most sacred thing, that I did nothing wrong."
Frederick sighed, and with sadness, he replied, "It doesn't matter any more, Thomas. You have very few options now..., and none of them include my sister."
Elizabeth's eyes were filled with tears, and Thomas felt helpless. He wanted to comfort her, but her brother's presence was a barrier between them. His parents remained silent, and Thomas understood he had lost Elizabeth forever.