Chapter 27. The Ball at Musgrove’s
The ballroom was bright with lights and filled with about half of the invited guests in the minutes before the musicians would begin to play the first dance.
The hostess was pleased with the number of guests who chose to arrive on-time and knew she had scored a triumph when Fitzwilliam Darcy arrived with a party that included the well-liked Edward and Madeline Gardner, a stylish couple who were welcome at most functions.
Two notable young ladies in the company–nieces of Mr and Mrs Gardner had been presented to Her Majesty earlier in the week by the wife of the Prime Minister–were lovely and turning many heads tonight.
As the musicians signalled their readiness, the couples took their places for the first dance. Lady Musgrove noted that Mr Gardner was partnered with the taller, blond girl while Mr Darcy was standing with the shorter, brunette sister.
“Are you ready Miss Elizabeth?” Darcy asked. When there was no response, Darcy glanced at Elizabeth and saw she was attempting to reply but apparently unable to make a sound.
“Are you well, Elizabeth?” he asked with real concern.
“Mr Darcy,” she finally managed to say. “This is the most perfect night of my life. I will have my first dance as lady with the man...”
Darcy’s face relaxed and he smiled when she could not continue.
“While I do not claim that the night is ‘perfect’, there may be a way that you can make it such.”
“How?” she asked. “I shall do whatever you require to make it perfect for you sir.”
“Agree to dance the supper set with me as well as this first set,” he said.
Without hesitation, Elizabeth smiled. “I would love to dance the third set and sup with you. We can speak of parliament, horses, dances...”
“We shall sit with Miss Bennet and Mr Bingley then,” Darcy added.
“Yes, please,” his partner responded as the first dance finally began. The steps kept them close, and they smiled; Elizabeth’s eyes dancing with joy in the moment, Darcy’s face content and pleased to be in company with his Elizabeth on the dance floor.
‘My Elizabeth?’ he wondered for only a moment and then his smile grew broader. ‘My Elizabeth!’
They passed on the dance floor, their hands slipping away for a long moment and then he took her hand again. Her smile for only Fitzwilliam Darcy, Elizabeth forgot that there was anyone else in the room.
**++**
For the second set, Darcy and Mr Gardner exchanged partners with Elizabeth’s laughter following Darcy around the dance floor as he enjoyed the dances with Miss Bennet.
At past Christmas dinners and at the local assemblies he had danced with Jane; tonight, she was more radiant than ever before, and many men were watching her.
At the end of the second set, there was a short interval where the two couples were joined by Mrs Gardner and different friends.
“Mr Darcy, have you seen Mr Bingley yet this evening?” Elizabeth asked. “Jane is to dance the third set with him.”
“Darcy!” called a tall, handsome man. “I am glad to see you out and about at last.”
“Lord Hargrove, it is pleasant to see you again,” Darcy replied. “May I introduce you to my friends?”
“Certainly,” Hargrove replied.
After the introductions were made, Lord Hargrove asked, “Have you seen Bingley tonight? I am to dance the third set with his sister, but I have not seen them yet this evening.”
“I have not seen Charles and his family though I know they are coming.”
“I hope there is nothing amiss,” Jane offered.
Darcy grimaced. “It is more likely his sister wanted to be ‘fashionably late’ in her arrival.”
“Well, I suppose there is a fashion in being late but eventually you will just be ‘late’,” Elizabeth said, affronted that a gentleman would miss an opportunity to dance with her sister.
“Are you stood up, Miss Elizabeth?” asked Lord Hargrove.
“No sir, but my sister was to dance with Mr Bingley,” she replied.
Lord Hargrove turned toward Jane and bowed again as he asked, “Miss Bennet, may I have the honour of claiming your hand for this third set and for supper? Mr Bingley will curse me for stealing the dance I am certain.”
Blushing and glancing at her aunt and uncle for permission, Jane accepted the invitation and this time, three couples moved to the dance floor. Jane stood with Lord Hargrove, Elizabeth with Mr Darcy, and Mrs Gardner on her husband’s arm for her first dance of the evening as the music began.
**++**
On Friday night, the Bingley carriage arrived at the home Lord and Lady Musgrove over an hour late. Louisa and Geoffrey Hurst had watched Charles silently build a temper that he unleashed on Caroline when she finally appeared below stairs an hour later than he had requested.
“We shall be late!” he admonished his sister. “If I had known you wanted to appear late, I would have gone ahead and sent the carriage back for you!”
“We must arrive as a family,” she remarked as the footman held open the door.
“Very well!” Charles said. “But you’ll walk in alone. I’ll not have you on my arm!”
“Charles!” Caroline fussed as they followed Louisa and Geoffrey to the carriage.
**++**
The Bingley siblings entered the ballroom during the third set; Charles still in a temper, Caroline displeased to be ignored by her brother–she would not enter on Mr Hurst’s arm, and Louisa pleased to be with Geoffrey after his absence of a fortnight.
When he paused at the edge of the dance floor, Charles first found the Gardners in the crowd moving through the steps.
He quickly found Darcy with the younger Miss Elizabeth and then he found Miss Bennet dancing with Lord Hargrove.
“Charles, where is Lord Hargrove? You said he would dance this set with me,” Caroline complained.
“And if you had been on time, we would have been here for him to claim you for the dance!” Charles hissed. “As it stands, he is dancing with Miss Bennet and will sit with her at supper.”
“Miss Bennet?” asked Caroline scanning the dancers.
“Come, dance with me,” Charles said taking his sister’s hand.
“I don’t wish...”
“If you dance with me now, we can enter the dining hall with the other dancers and we can sit with Lord Hargrove. During supper you can charm him and perhaps he will ask you to dance the next set.”
“And get Mr Darcy to ask me for a set,” Caroline told her brother.
**++**
Elizabeth Bennet was a sweet-tempered young woman who enjoyed her first dance in London society surrounded by family.
The supper offered good food and drink, as well as pleasant conversation to a point.
But the third time that Miss Caroline interrupted Mr Darcy, Elizabeth turned her attention to the younger sister of Mr Darcy’s friend Bingley with a slight scowl on her face.
“Do you not you agree, Mr Darcy?” Caroline asked and actually batted her eyes at the gentlemen. Lord Hargrove divided his time equally between Jane and Caroline though the lady spoke across the table to Mr Darcy with such frequency that everyone at the table noticed.
“I am sorry Miss Caroline, I was speaking with Mrs Gardner,” Darcy replied to the lady’s question.
The table had been mismatched with Charles and Caroline separated; Charles deposited his sister beside Lord Hargrove and moved to the seat on the other side of Jane Bennet, ignoring his sister completely.
**++**