Chapter 7
Fitzwilliam Darcy crossed out the date circled with three red circles on his calendar.
He was tempted to circle the date in June that would allow him to declare himself, but he decided against it.
Now that Elizabeth was out, he could behave in ways that would not have been acceptable before she had done so without crossing the line that Andrew had set.
He had no idea what her gown would look like, but Will was sure that she would look gorgeous in it, regardless of the style of dress.
There would be a family reception with the two royals, then the receiving line, and then the ball would commence.
He was alive with anticipation of the pleasure of his three dances with her as it was the start of his quest in earnest.
When the Darcys crossed the square to Matlock's house, they met the Bennets, Gardiners, and Phillipses walking toward the same house.
Georgiana, Kitty, and Lilly Gardiner were accompanying their parents.
They would be allowed to see Elizabeth in her dress, and they would then be escorted to Bennet House, where all the younger children of the family would spend the night.
Thénardier was just putting the finishing touches on her mistress’s coiffure when Andrew knocked on the door and entered holding a velvet-covered box in his hands. “What is that Andrew?” Elizabeth was very curious as she had not expected more on top of all else that had been purchased.
“Part of the Matlock jewels, Sprite. I am not sure if I may still call you that now that you are out, Lizzy,” Andrew said, as he beheld the girl that was now a woman before him.
He opened the box, and Elizabeth saw the most magnificent necklace of alternating diamonds and rubies, which got larger until they reached a huge ruby in the centre.
There was a tiara in the same stones and diamond and ruby earbobs.
Elizabeth watched in fascination as her maid placed the jewels on her person.
When her lady’s maid had finished the task, she could not believe that the lady in the mirror was herself.
Andrew extended his arm, and she placed her gloved hand delicately on his forearm, then they walked toward the grand staircase.
“C'est très bien,” Thénardier said quietly as she watched her mistress descend the stairs.
The Darcy and Bennet parties were just divesting themselves of their outerwear when Elizabeth descended the stairs on her brother’s arm.
Will’s mouth hung open as the vision descended the stairs, and he tracked her every movement.
It was only when he felt Georgiana’s elbow connect with his ribs gently and heard her soft giggle that he closed his gaping mouth as his sister’s action pulled him out of his trance.
He had always known that Elizabeth was beautiful, but this was beyond anything that he had envisioned.
She was stunning. He was happy she would be dancing with so many men from the family as it ensured she would not have many dances open for potential rivals.
It was then that he reminded himself that she was not fickle and that even dancing with every eligible bachelor in London would not change her feelings for him.
As Elizabeth and Andrew reached the bottom step, Jane, Perry, and Aunt Rose entered the foyer.
“We have all seen Lizzy before; should we not adjourn to the drawing room?” Richard smirked.
He would have to use all his military training backing up the men in the family to make sure that no one stepped out of line with his baby sister that night.
As Andrew watched the look on Will’s face as he escorted his sister down the stairs, he smiled, knowing that her heart very much belonged to Will.
His late father had always spoken about the age of eighteen, and in a way, Andrew’s stipulation to wait until June was a nod to the late earl; however, as all present now knew, Lizzy would be eighteen in March.
He had fought against acceptance of the fact his little sister, the one he called Sprite, was no longer a little girl.
She was, in fact, a young woman in love.
Letting go of the privilege of her day-to-day protection would not be easy, but he would do it.
After all, he wanted his sister to be happy, and she had clearly decided that Will made her happy.
Anne and Ian, accompanied by the Earl and Countess of Ashbury, arrived just before the toasts.
After the toasts, Anne cornered her brother Richard and asked him why he had decided to resign from the Army at this time; he told her about his conversation with Lizzy.
Anne felt a great debt of gratitude to her sister, as she understood her younger sister was one of the only people who could reach Richard and cause him to consider the path he had taken.
Lady Elaine announced that it was time to form the receiving line as the first guests would be arriving soon.
The line would consist of Andrew, Marie, Elaine, Elizabeth, Bennet, and finally, Tammy.
Richard did not repine the fact that he was not part of the receiving line, for then he was on hand to greet the de Melville's right after they cleared the line of arriving guests.
“Good evening, Lady Loretta,” he bowed over the lady’s hand after he had greeted her family.
“Mr Fitzwilliam,” she returned, amused at his pointed address.
“If you have a set open for an ex-soldier, I would like to write my name down, should you grant me that honour,” he requested gallantly. The more he talked to her, the more he liked Loretta de Melville, for her hint of amusement proved she saw through him and his hope to claim her hand.
“As you can see, I am dancing the first with my brother and the one before the supper set with my father, but the rest are open,” she informed him boldly.
Richard wrote his name into the space opposite the supper set, then held the pencil above the final set and looked at the lady questioningly.
She gave him an almost imperceptible nod, and he smiled privately at her in appreciation as he claimed the final set.
He was sure that she would have granted him a third set, but not having cleared such a request with her father before the ball, he decided not to ask.
Once all the guests were present, Prince Edward and Princess Elizabeth entered to bows and curtsies from all.
At a nod from the Earl of Matlock, the musicians played a few bars of music to signal the commencement of the dancing and the first set.
As had been planned, the Prince led Lady Elizabeth to the head of the line.
With another signal from Lord Matlock, the music started.
The Prince danced a few bars with his partner, and then Andrew replaced him.
“You have grown into a wonderful young lady, Lizzy,” Andrew told her as the steps of the dance brought them together.
“Thank you, Andrew; you are one of the best brothers that a girl could ask for. I am just sorry that Papa is not here dancing with me tonight,” she replied wistfully.
“You and me both, Lizzy, you and me both.” At the end of the first dance of the set, Bennet took over the duties from Andrew.
“This is still like a dream for me, Lizzy,” Bennet said.
“How so, Father Bennet?” she asked.
“It is so much more than I ever dared to hope. All I prayed for was that you were well cared for and loved. Not only was that true, beyond anything I prayed for, but I, we the Bennets, are a part of your life. Look how much family we have gained.” The dance parted them as they went down the line.
“As hard as it must have been for you when I was stolen, I would not trade the life I have had so far for anything as I have been loved and cared for by parents and a family who always protected me. If I had never been taken and discarded, I would have been happy to grow up with my birth family, but it seems that God had other plans for us all. Most people dream of one loving family; I have many.” The line separated them one more time, and when they were back together, Elizabeth completed her thought.
“Now I am embarking on a new part of my life, and, when my wish is granted, I will become a part of a family who I already love, but I will always have all of my family with me in my heart even when I do not see you.” When the dance was over, Bennet was too choked up with emotion to talk, so her kissed his second daughter on the forehead and led her to her next partner, who was eagerly awaiting her.
As Will led Elizabeth to the head of the line for the second set, they were lost in each other’s eyes and had no idea who lined up next to them.
It was Andrew and Marie who were amused at the two of them being so transfixed on one another, as no one present could miss the loving looks passing between the two.
When the music commenced, there was companionable silence between the two at the head of the line for the first ten minutes.
“Come now, Lady Elizabeth,” Will teased the lady he loved, “we must have some conversation; think of the gossip it will excite if we are silent the whole half hour.”
“Do you normally talk when you dance?” she challenged, her playful smile making him grin.
“I could comment on the number of people present, and you could mention how well the ballroom is decorated,” he re-joined, his dimples in evidence.
“We can discuss anything that your heart desires, Mr Darcy. Would you like to discuss a book, perchance?” She volleyed, anxiously awaiting his reply.
“No, my Lady, discussing books while dancing is not the done thing,” he scoffed, his eyes lighting up at the wordplay she so naturally fell into with him.