Battle of the Dragons Chapter 10, a pride and prejudice fanfic

~O~

Society Dragons

The next few days were moderately quiet for Isabella and the Bennet sisters.

They paid another visit to Madame Dupont for the final fittings of their new gowns and Isabella interviewed several music masters to find one with whom Mary felt compatible.

Jane and Elizabeth were amazed by how quickly their new wardrobe was ready. Isabella smiled and commented, 'It is amazing how much can be achieved when you have enough money to throw at a project.'

The invitation from Lady Matlock arrived and on Tuesday the ladies went to Matlock House in their new finery.

~O~

Elizabeth was relieved to be dressed as finely as they were when they stepped into the Earl's residence. While Isabella preferred simple elegance, Matlock House was a showpiece of opulence.

Lady Matlock greeted them in the main drawing room but quickly suggested that they should adjourn to her private sitting room.

The girls resisted a sigh of relief when they entered a spacious room which was decorated in a similar style as Deveril House. As they all took seats, Lady Matlock smiled as she said, 'I am afraid that the public rooms were decorated to impress people who are impressed by such things. Personally, I prefer more relaxing surroundings.'

Tea was served and while they enjoyed their refreshments, Lady Matlock began a gentle but thorough enquiry into the background of her new acquaintances.

Isabella listened for a while until there was a break in the conversation. At that point she asked, 'Is this inquisition in aid of yet another of your match-making projects?'

Lady Matlock laughed. 'You have found me out. But can you blame me? I have two sons and a nephew and so far, all of them have resisted every effort to find them wives.'

'You have been unsuccessful with the ladies in town and are now casting your net wider?'

Jane's serene smile remained in place despite the shock she experienced when the Countess suggested that she considered Jane or one of her sisters could be potential matches for members of her family. While Elizabeth was just as surprised, she was also amused at the idea. Especially after encountering Miss Bingley the other day. She could just imagine that lady's reaction. Mary, on the other hand, was simply panic-stricken.

Lady Matlock returned the teasing smile. 'You found me out. I do not know what those boys are looking for, but I am always interested in meeting respectable young ladies in the hope that they will at last find one of them acceptable and settle down. I especially want Richard out of the army. He has had too many close calls.'

'And you think that one of my nieces would tempt one of those elusive gentlemen?'

Lady Matlock smiled. 'I am not certain about my sons, but I think that Miss Elizabeth would be a good match for my nephew. He needs someone lively and intelligent who can keep him on his toes.'

'Your nephew? Would that be Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy perchance?'

'Indeed. What–'

'Good heavens, NO,' gasped Elizabeth before she could censor her words.

After the initial surprise at being interrupted, the Countess gave Elizabeth a frustrated look. 'Oh dear, has Darcy been himself again?'

'If you mean, rude, arrogant and disdainful, then yes, he has,' Elizabeth answered, ignoring propriety. She could not let the Countess be in any doubt about her feelings.

'Let me guess. You met him at some function where there were many people whom he did not know. A dance perhaps?' When Elizabeth hesitated, as her manners belatedly came back to her, Lady Matlock requested, 'Please be honest. I need to know how much damage I have to fix this time.'

Elizabeth sighed as she said, 'On your head be it. Just remember you asked me to be honest…'

'That bad? I shall keep it in mind.'

Elizabeth laid out the whole of her acquaintance with Darcy, trying to stay as factual as possible. She was doing well enough that Jane did not try to play down any of Elizabeth's observations.

When Eliabeth stopped speaking, Lady Matlock said, 'That is simply unbelievable.' Seeing Elizabeth open her mouth to refute that exclamation, she quickly added, 'I did not mean to say that I disbelieve you. I am certain that you speak the truth. It is simply unbelievable how badly that young man behaved towards you. Especially, considering your relatives.' She glanced at Isabella.

'I only arrived in Meryton after he and his friends decamped without a farewell. He does not know about me.'

'That still does not actually make it any better. His behaviour was unacceptable by any standards. How could he look down on members of the gentry?'

'Perhaps he has spent too much time amongst the ton,' suggested Isabella and pursed her lips.

'Or with Miss Bingley,' quipped Elizabeth.

'Oh, that barnacle. I can never understand how Darcy can tolerate that woman.' Lady Matlock shook her head sadly. 'Instead of her learning better manners from Darcy, it seems he has adopted that… ah… woman's manners.' She almost visibly shook herself to dispel the depressed mood. 'Very well, Miss Elizabeth, I shall not attempt to match you with my nephew,' she said with a mischievous smile. 'My sons on the other hand…'

Now that the mood had been lightened, they changed the subject and enjoyed a conversation on a variety of topics until Isabella decided it was time for them to leave. As they made their farewells, they promised to meet again soon.

~O~

At breakfast, a couple of days later Isabella announced, 'Now that you have your new wardrobes we can start going out.'

While Jane and Elizabeth smiled in anticipation, Mary squirmed in her seat as she said, 'I have been meaning to … ah… ask for a favour.'

'Go on. What can I do for you?'

'Aunt, please do not misunderstand, I appreciate what you are doing for us, but I am not comfortable in the kind of society which you inhabit,' Mary said hesitantly, her eyes firmly on her plate.

'You do not have to accompany us when we go out or receive callers. But I do not wish for you to feel we are ignoring you.'

'I know you are not ignoring me. I do not wish to seem ungrateful, and you have been kindness personified to me, but…' the youngest Bennet trailed off.

'Mary, I want you to be happy. Tell me, what would you like to do? Do you wish to return to Longbourn?'

'Good heavens, no,' Mary burst out, but blushed at her exclamation. Having escaped her mother, she did not wish to return to a household where she was being ignored. 'Do you think it would be possible for me to stay with the Gardiners? Their house is not so overwhelming as this.' She quickly glanced around the elegant room before lowering her eyes again.

Isabella reached across the table and gently grasped one of Mary's hands. 'Not everyone is suited to this kind of life. I can quite understand that you prefer a quieter existence. There is no shame in that. I am pleased that you felt comfortable enough with me to tell me how you feel.' She gave Mary's hand a little squeeze, causing the girl to raise her eyes. 'Just remember, I will always be here to help, if you need me.'

Mary gave a relieved smile. 'Thank you, aunt.'

After breakfast Isabella sent a note to Mrs Gardiner. Instead of a written reply, the lady arrived only an hour later.

As soon as they finished exchanging greetings, Mrs Gardiner addressed Mary, 'My dear girl, your uncle and I would be utterly delighted to host you for as long as you would like to stay in town. And you will be pleased to know that we just had the pianoforte tuned. You can continue your lessons if you wish.'

Mary beamed. 'Thank you, Aunt Madeline. That would be wonderful.'

By the afternoon, Mary was happily installed at Gracechurch Street, to the delight of her cousins.

~O~

The note to the Gardiners was not the only message Isabella sent out that day.

As a result of the invitations, three gentlemen presented themselves for dinner that evening.

'Where are your wives?' Isabella asked her two older sons after they finished warm greetings.

'They are still in the country as little Annabelle is sick, and Anne does not want to leave her,' explained Phillip.

Henry nodded in understanding. 'Dorothy thought that travelling in the middle of winter would be bad for James as he is still so young. Like Phillip's family, they preferred to remain at the estate.'

'Excellent. While I would have enjoyed seeing my grandchildren, it is most convenient that you are not restricted to the company of your wives.'

Discerning Isabella's motives for the invitation, Patrick asked cautiously, 'You wish for us to escort you to functions?' When Isabella nodded, he continued, 'Mother, you know that I love you dearly, but…'

He did not have a chance to continue as the door opened and Jane and Elizabeth entered. The sisters saw that their aunt was unexpectedly in company of three attractive gentlemen. 'I beg your pardon, we did not know you had company,' Jane said a little flustered.

Isabella smiled. 'Girls, come in. Jane, Elizabeth, I would like you to meet your cousins, Phillip Blake, Henry Carstairs and Patrick Deveril.' As she named them, the Viscount, the Earl and the Duke bowed.

Once they had exchanged the usual greetings, Patrick smiled as he eyed Jane and Elizabeth with appreciation. 'As I was saying, mother, I would be utterly delighted to escort you and our charming cousins wherever you wish to go.'

Isabella raised a brow as she laughed. 'I thought that I could count on you.'

~O~

As soon as Isabella informed a few friends that she was in town with her nieces, invitations to numerous events arrived. They had the choice of balls, musical evenings and dinners, not to mention all the request that the ladies should call and take tea.

The following two weeks the ladies, faithfully escorted by Isabella's sons, attended a multitude of functions. Isabella was happy to introduce her nieces to all of her friends and many of her acquaintances.

When Jane asked why Isabell did not introduce them to some of the gentlemen, she was shocked and relieved when she was informed, 'Those men are rakes and fortune-hunters. Believe me, you do not want to know them.'

The sisters were very popular from the first ball they attended at the residence of Lord and Lady Worthington. Having been introduced by a Duchess and dancing the first two set with a Duke and an Earl, even if they were Isabella's sons, provided enough consequence to Jane and Elizabeth that they never lacked dance partners.

One evening Elizabeth asked Patrick, 'Is it not an imposition that Aunt Isabella insists that you not only escort us to these events, but that you also dance with us. Based on the looks of envy directed at me, I am certain that many ladies would only be too happy to partner you.'

Patrick chuckled as he said, 'I am only too pleased to dance with you. I enjoy dancing and unlike those other ladies you and your sister are safe dancing partners. Neither of you is attempting to ensnare me.'

'Are those ladies really such a problem?'

'You have no idea. The fawning and simpering are quite repulsive.'

'Oh, my poor cousin. To be so popular is such a horrible fate.' Elizabeth laughed.

Patrick mock growled, 'You just wait until you have spent another month or two in town. You will not be laughing anymore.'

~O~

After her almost encounter with the Bennet sisters Caroline Bingley was pleased not to have seen them again. At the time she had briefly wondered if the women who had accompanied them was the aunt who was married to the solicitor, as she looked enough like Mrs Bennet to be her sister. Not that she particularly cared, never having met the woman.

For a while, Miss Bingley had worried that since she was in town, Jane might have the temerity to get in contact with her. Even though she had no concerns for herself, she did not wish that little country nobody to get her claws into Charles again. Caroline had worked too hard to wean her brother off Jane to have him backsliding.

It had been most fortuitous that Mr Darcy had confirmed that he had not seen any signs of particular feeling in Miss Bennet. Caroline had heaved a huge sigh of relief that both men had forgotten that unless Charles officially declared himself, it would have been most improper of Miss Bennet to show how she felt. Caroline was ecstatic that propriety had worked in her favour.

She chuckled to herself. She had not the slightest concern about letting Mr Darcy know that she welcomed his attentions and propriety be damned. Yer no matter how obvious she was in her attentions to the gentleman, he seemed oblivious that she would be perfect as the mistress of Pemberley.

Unfortunately, he and his sister had retreated to Pemberley, leaving her languishing in town. Since her primary target was out of reach at present, she was hoping to find an even better match for herself and a suitable wife for her brother.

To that end, Miss Bingley used all her connections to gain invitations to any functions to which she could gain access. To her chagrin these were only attended by social climbers, lesser gentry, distant relatives of noble families and the occasional aristocrat with pockets to let.

She would have been livid if she had known that she had not seen the Bennet sisters because during that time, Jane and Elizabeth attended events hosted by members of the first circle. Those were functions to which Miss Bingley would never be invited.

At least when she inveigled one of her friends to invite her to the theatre, for the price of a ticket she was able to rub shoulders with the people whose attention she was hoping to attract.

Caroline was miffed when she strolled through the foyer of the theatre with her friend Miss Gantry, she spotted Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth together with the woman who must be their aunt. The family resemblance to Jane Bennet was unmistakeable.

While simply seeing them dressed in their usual unfashionable dresses and occupying the stalls of the theatre would not have been too bad, as Caroline could easily have sneered and ignored them. Unfortunately, they were all dressed in the latest exquisite fashions, and they were in the company of the gentlemen who simply reeked of being from the first circles.

To Caroline Bingley there could only be one explanations. Leading her friend past the party containing the Bennets, she turned to Miss Gantry and said in a voice meant to carry, 'I see she lost no time finding another man to get her claws into after she failed to ensnare my brother with her mercenary schemes.'

Isabella and her party all gave the appearance of being shocked by Caroline's words, making the young woman preen as she felt certain that she had scored a direct hit.

A moment later Caroline blushed as Isabella raked her with her eyes from the feathers on her head to the toes of her slippers with utmost contempt before she and her companions burst out laughing. None of them bothered to respond to Caroline's allegations, they merely turned and strolled away, continuing their conversation as if they had not been interrupted.

~O~

A/N:

To the guest who keeps objecting to my description of Mary because I do not parrot Mrs Bennet's prejudiced views. (I always tell my girls they are nothing to Jane.) Please, I beg you, do yourself a favour and stop reading my story. Otherwise, you will just upset yourself because I will not change my ideas to suit you. As I said on previous occasions – this is my story and I'm sticking to it.

Btw For those of you who are interested how I see this. Compared to Jane, most girls are 'plain'. Take her out of the equation and everyone else suddenly is quite attractive.

~O~