The Heiress

by Ldibo

Mr. Bennet had been married twice in his lifetime. His first marriage was not of his choosing, and it was an unhappy one. His second marriage brought him happiness, and he was deeply devoted to his wife. When Mr. Bennet passed away, to Jane's surprise, he chose Elizabeth as the heiress of Longbourn. This is a story about deception,betrayal and love. Unedited. Available until 1 Sept

17. Chapter 17

Notes: I will be abroad for work until Thursday and won't be able to translate another chapter until Friday.

PPP

5th November 1811

A month after the Meryton assembly, Charlotte and Mr. Carey's engagement party was held at Lucas Lodge.

Jane, who had met Mr. Bingley ten times before, was especially excited about the party. She dressed up carefully, paying attention to every detail, hoping to make a lasting impression on the gentleman. Jane was convinced that he was the best gentleman she had ever met, and with each meeting, her admiration for him grew stronger. She felt that he was the one.

The Bennets were among the first to arrive at Lucas Lodge, and were greeted warmly by the Lucases. The Bingleys and Darcy, arrived much later. The Hursts chose to stay at Netherfield as Louisa was feeling unwell that night. There was a suspicion she might be increasing.

Upon seeing Jane, Bingley smiled warmly and took a seat next to her, eager to engage her in conversation. Meanwhile, Darcy made his way over to Mr. Bennet and Mr. Carey to join in their conversation. Caroline, on the other hand, found herself in the company of Mrs. Bennet, Lady Lucas, Mary and Kitty.

As Darcy got to know Miss Elizabeth Bennet better, he became increasingly drawn to her. Despite having met many beautiful women in London, there was something distinctly special about Miss Elizabeth. Perhaps it was the way her eyes sparkled when she spoke animatedly, or the infectious warmth of her smile. As the night wore on, Darcy found himself unconsciously inching closer to Elizabeth, eager to listen more closely to her conversation with Miss Lucas.

"… if you wish, I can play the piano." Elizabeth said with a mischievous smile, "I can even play a waltz, and you can dance it with my uncle!"

Smiling, Charlotte shook her head and replied, "Lizzy, that dance is scandalous. Besides, I don't have any sheet music and I highly doubt you have one."

Elizabeth's smile grew widely, "You are correct. I have only heard your brother talk about the famous waltz, but I have never seen anyone dance it. However, if you wish, I can play a reel. There are at least 5 couples! The party is in your honour, so, it is your decision."

"I would rather you play a piece for us to simply listen to. I am torn between Beethoven's Sonata 14, Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, or Mozart's 40." Seeing Mr. Darcy was listening to their conversation, Elizabeth asked him, "Mr. Darcy, I would like to request your assistance in selecting a piece of music to play."

Darcy was surprised by the request but responded, "I would be happy to help."

"Do you prefer Beethoven or Mozart?" Lizzy asked.

"Hmm, that is a difficult question. I like both composers."

"You have to choose one, Mr. Darcy." She smiled, "I am going to rule out Sonata 14, so you have to choose between just two. Do you prefer Beethoven's Fifth Symphony or Mozart's 40th?"

After hesitating for a few seconds, he responded, "I am leaning toward the Fifth Symphony."

"Excellent choice." Elizabeth smiled widely, "It's my favourite piece."

"Well, Lizzy. We have already chosen the piece, now we just have to open the piano…"

Darcy stood a short distance from the piano, delightedly listening to Elizabeth's performance. He had rarely heard a young lady play the piano with such passion. Although his sister was technically superior, Elizabeth Bennet's performance had a certain emotional depth that stirred something within him.

Moreover, the light of the candles reflected in her eyes, which shone like diamonds. This only added to her beauty, and at that moment, he thought he had rarely seen such a beautiful woman. He was captivated by her.

After Elizabeth finished playing the piano, several guests asked her to play another piece. However, Elizabeth politely declined and gave up her place for someone else to play. Jane was chatting animatedly with Bingley and did not like to play in public. Therefore, Mary took her place. Mr. Carey requested Mary to play a reel to dance to.

Charlotte danced with her fiancé, Jane with Bingley, Elizabeth with Charlotte's older brother, and Sir William with Lady Lucas.

Much to Caroline's frustration, Darcy did not ask her to dance. Furthermore, she had caught him looking intently at Elizabeth Bennet, which made her even more annoyed.