The turn in the conversation reminded Elizabeth of her father’s words from the previous night in the parlor. “Papa does, too,” she said. “He told me recently that trust is important in both business and marriages because they are similar to each other in many ways.”
“I was only teasing anyway,” Lydia pouted.
Elizabeth could see she was trying to hold in a smile. “I am excited about the ball tonight. Are you not?” Elizabeth turned the conversation to a new topic. Her younger sisters did not do well with serious discussions, especially not first thing in the morning.
“I am excited about the ball,” Lydia perked up. “But I am more excited for breakfast. I am famished!”
Elizabeth stood up as her sisters jumped off the bed and grabbed for their robes. “I was thinking the same thing. You know cook will have it ready before we even think of appearing. I do hope there are biscuits. I will meet you at the top of the stairs after you have dressed.”
Elizabeth returned to her room and chose a gown for the day. It was a simple gown, one she could don herself and not have need of the ladies maid she shared with her mother. With five young women and their mother all sharing a maid, one tended to choose attire easy to navigate. Once her buttons were hooked, Elizabeth brushed out her hair and arranged it into a simple chignon. Deeming herself ready, she returned to the hall to meet up with her sisters.
As Kitty and Lydia came out of their room, the door to Mary and Jane’s room opened as well and the two emerged.
“Good morning, all,” Jane said, sweeping past the girls to get to the stairs first. She grinned at them as she went down the stairs. “I am hungry this morning.”
Lydia, Kitty, and Elizabeth shared amused looks. “We are all hungry this morning. I do hope Cook is prepared, because we are going in like a herd of elephants.”
“Speak only for yourself,” Mary said, glancing at her sister as she stroked her hands over her hair, making sure not a one was out of place. “I do not do anything like an elephant, much less a herd of elephants.”
Elizabeth allowed her sisters to all go before her. She followed them down, listening to their chatter and the soft sarcasm they used with each other. She could not help smiling. It would change someday. She knew it would. They would not always be together here in Longbourn, waking up early, going to balls, having picnic lunches on the lawn…
She did not want it to change. She did not want to lose the close-knit feeling she had with her sisters and her parents. However, change was inevitable and she knew it would come eventually. Perhaps she would meet a man tonight at the ball who would change her life. Then again, she might not. It was hard to predict. The dream meant nothing, Elizabeth was aware of that. But still, she was left with the feeling that maybe the ball tonight would merely be the beginning to a new story in her life.
It was something to look forward to with both trepidation and anticipation.
She had decided, however, that she would avoid dancing with anyone dressed as a highwayman.
Chapter 5
Elizabeth was less comfortable in the mask than she thought she would be. It blocked all of her peripheral vision. She wanted to take it off from the moment she put it on. But since it was necessary and everyone else was wearing them, she would not have felt comfortable exposing herself.
She watched as many of the people in the ballroom mingled, talking among themselves. It was amusing to see how many people were sticking with those they came with. Jane leaned over to murmur to her, “I do not know who anyone is. Can you take a guess?”
Elizabeth shook her head. “The only person I know other than us is Charlotte. She showed me her outfit. It’s beautiful. Wait until you see it.”
Jane nodded. “Yes, I do not know anyone else, either. I do hope…”
At that moment, a gentleman in a black domino, wearing a garish, black and white mask approached and bowed at them.
“Good evening, ladies.”
“Good evening.” Elizabeth and Jane bowed.
Elizabeth tried to recognize the voice but found it impossible.
“Would you care to dance, Miss?” The gentleman held out his hand to Elizabeth.
She smiled and nodded.
“I would, kind sir. Thank you.”
He led her out into the crowd and placed his hand on her hip, holding the other one in the air. “I hope I do not prove too clumsy to dance with you, Miss.”
“I suppose we shall see which one of us is the clumsy one.”
He chuckled, sending a pleasant wave through Elizabeth. As they danced, she thought about Lydia’s dream. Was it a prediction?
She shook her head, trying to concentrate on the dance and the comfort of the tall man’s arms. It was silly to think about Lydia’s dream with the first man who had invited her to dance. They danced around the other people until the song ended and the man bowed.
“I would like to do that again before the night is over, if you are willing, my lady.”
“I would like that, thank you.”
Elizabeth watched as he disappeared into the crowd. The only thing she would remember about him was the odd mask he was wearing. It succeeded in covering his identity, but she was fairly certain she did not know him and had not danced with him before.
“Lizzie.” Jane was at her side before she knew it. “What was he like? Do you know who he was? Did he tell you his name?”
Elizabeth giggled. “No, of course he did not. That is not allowed. You know that, Jane.”
Jane laughed. “I know. But you looked so comfortable together.”
“How can you tell? He could have been very uncomfortable under that mask of his.”
“Were you?”
Elizabeth covered her mouth to hold in her laughter. “No, I was very comfortable.”
“He was, too. I could tell.”
“Again, I ask you how you know that?”
Jane shrugged. “It was in his body. He is a very smooth dancer. He did not look at all uncomfortable.”
“I am glad. I hope to dance with him again before the night is over.”
“You will.” A new voice was added into the mix when Charlotte stepped up to stand next to Elizabeth on the other side.
“Do you know who that was, Charlotte?” Elizabeth asked.
Charlotte shook her head. “I am afraid I do not. But I have my suspicions. It was either Mr. Charles Bingley or his companion, Mr. Darcy. I truly believe I would recognize any of the other men.”
“Do you recognize anyone?” Elizabeth scanned the crowd of people. The only ones she truly recognized were the older people, who favored the plain dominos over the elaborate costumes the younger ones chose.
“No,” Charlotte admitted. “I suppose he could have been anyone.”
“I did not recognize his voice either. He was very pleasant. We had a good conversation.”
“What did you talk about?”
Elizabeth shrugged. “The dance. The music. The weather.”
“So nothing important.”
Elizabeth looked at her friend. “Charlotte, what in Heaven’s name would be important that I would talk to a stranger about? Especially a strange man.”
Charlotte laughed. “Did you feel a connection?”
“It matters not. I will dance with him again. If he chooses to reveal his identity to me, he will. Otherwise, I am going to enjoy myself.”
The three ladies moved to a table holding pastries and other refreshments. They stood there until a gentleman came and asked Jane to dance. Shortly after, another came to ask Charlotte. This left Elizabeth standing at the refreshment table, trying not to eat all the pastries on the plate. She watched Jane and Charlotte dance, pleased that they were having a good time.
“Are they your sisters?” The man she had danced with had suddenly appeared at her elbow.
She jumped a little, her eyes darting to his face.
He leaned away from her. “I did not mean to startle you.”
“It is quite all right,�
�� Elizabeth replied. “I cannot see anything to the side of me with this mask on. I have been surprised by people several times tonight.”
The man laughed.
“I must know, what am I to call you, when we are not allowed to give our names?”
“You may call me Mr. Black.”
“Mr. Black. That sounds very depressing. White would be better. You do not seem like a dark person to me.”
“I do not?”
Elizabeth looked up at him. She could see his eyes were a deep brown. Tufts of his brown hair could be seen under his hat. She tried to think of any of the young men she knew in Hertfordshire and the surrounding areas that might tell her who this man was. She could not think of anyone of his height and build. And she would swear that if she saw a man with eyes that deep, she would not easily forget it.
“No,” she replied. “You seem like an uplifting man, intelligent and compassionate.”
The man laughed, which Elizabeth thought was a strange reaction to what she had said.
“I have not heard anyone describe me as such lately. It may be too soon for you to tell.”
“Are you an intelligent man?”
“Oh yes. I can say that about myself.”
“And you are a compassionate man?”
He did not reply immediately, instead stared out at the dancing people around him. “I am not sure those in my circle would say compassionate is a good word to use for me.”
“Do you claim that you are a cold-hearted man?”
“I would not say that. Please do not misunderstand. I do my best to be a gentleman under all circumstances. But it can be difficult at times, when you are dealing with someone who wishes to do you harm, either physically or financially.”
“I am sure that is true,” Elizabeth conceded. “I am glad you are not considered cold-hearted. I would not have believed that such a man could dance with such grace.”
“I enjoyed dancing with you, as well. Shall we again? The next song?”
She nodded at him. “Yes, that would be lovely.”
“I had a chance to dance with your sister earlier. She seems like a fine woman.”
Elizabeth’s eyes narrowed, though he could not see them. “My sister?”
“The one in the gold dress with the white trim. There she is. With that fellow in the green mask.”
Elizabeth looked at Charlotte. “Oh. Yes. That is not my sister. She is a close friend. I did not see you dance with her. She was very curious about you after our first dance. I hope she did not say anything untoward.”
The man laughed. “Not at all, my dear miss. Not at all. She seemed most interested in sending me in your direction. She talked about you consistently.”
“She told you my name?”
“No,” his laughter continued as he spoke, “she referred to you as her friend in the blue gown. She made sure I knew whom she was speaking about right away. Pointed to you, even though that is terribly impolite.” He did not stop grinning. “I think she is playing matchmaker.”
“Oh dear.” Elizabeth’s cheeks were burning. “I do not know if I want her to play matchmaker with my life. I…why, I do not even know who you really are.”
“Let us leave that to mystery for now.”
Elizabeth enjoyed the sound of his deep voice. She wanted to keep talking to him but her mind went blank and she could not think of anything to say. She opened her mouth but no words formulated, so she closed it again.
“The next song will start soon.” He held out his hand to her. “Shall we?”
Elizabeth was glad she was not required to talk. The reasonable amount of space between them as they danced was enough to make her heart pound and her breath come and go rapidly. Her head was spinning at a faster rate than they were dancing around the floor.
When it was over, she was ready to sit down. Her feet were beginning to ache. He took her hand and kissed the top of it, afterwards placing his hand over hers.
“I am so glad to have met you tonight, miss. I hope that our paths cross again when we are more likely to recognize each other.”
“Do you know who I am?” Elizabeth asked softly.
He shook his head. “No, miss. But I have a feeling should I meet you on the path, I will recognize you anyway.”
“I have a feeling you are right, sir,” she responded.
As he turned away with a smile, Elizabeth spotted something that made chills run through her body. He was wearing a small gold pin on the collar of his domino.
It was in the shape of a dancing monkey with a top hat.
Chapter 6
Elizabeth said nothing to her sisters about the pin she had seen the man in the mask wearing. She pondered it the rest of the night. She knew her sisters wondered why she suddenly became quiet after the last dance. Jane would say something to her about it before the night was out, of that she was certain.
She ran through the night in her memory so that by the time the carriage reached Longbourn, she had not remembered the ride. She had been off in her own world, dreaming of things that might be to come.
What had it meant – her seeing that small pin that way? How could it not be the universe telling her she needed to keep her eye out for a man wearing that pin. What if she did not find him? She would have to look, to pursue men consciously for her to find that particular man. She was not used to that. She was not shy but she was not overly-aggressive either.
Once they reached Longbourn, she was determined to find the man with the monkey pin.
Jane noticed her distraction as they went into the house. She leaned quietly to speak to her. “Lizzie, you are in a fog. What are you thinking?”
Elizabeth looked up at her sister. “I was thinking about…well, let us speak as we change. You come in my room. I want to talk to you about something very serious.”
“Oh?” Jane raised her eyebrows and looked excitedly curious. “I am dying to know, Lizzie. Do let us hurry!”
* * *
Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy returned to Netherfield House, where he was visiting with his friends, the Bingleys. They returned from the ball and took off their masks and dominos in the hallway, giving them to the footmen, whose arms were quickly overloaded.
“Greetings, Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bingley.” The butler bowed to them. “I do hope you had an enjoyable evening. Is there anything you require, sir?”
“Is there a fire set in the parlor?”
“Yes, sir. Shall I see to your brandy, sir?”
“Thank you, Carlton, but you may retire to bed. We will be fine on our own.”
“If you are certain, sir.”
Mr. Bingley nodded. “I am, thank you, Carlton.”
The butler bowed to him and turned to move away.
Bingley gestured with his head and Darcy followed him into the parlor, removing his jacket and shaking his arms to loosen the long sleeves of his shirt. He hiked up his pants slightly as he sat down.
“That was a lovely ball, Bingley. Glad I came for it.”
“Me too. I had a good time. I would have liked to have known who I was dancing with, but I’ll just have to remember the voice of the lady I liked most.”
“You better be careful about that, Charles,” Miss Bingley, his younger sister, came in and sat directly next to Darcy on the couch. Darcy scooted away slightly to give her more room. She gave him a side-long sneer. “Too close for comfort, Darcy? I do not suppose that is because you caught the fancy of some young lady at the ball, just like my brother, is that true?”
Darcy shrugged. “I danced with several young ladies.”
“Ah but which one are you interested in? I know there must be at least one.”
“Do you know who was wearing what mask?” he inquired.
“I do not.”
“Then why must you go on about whether Bingley or I found someone we are interested in? Even if we are, we do not, at this time, know their names.”
“That is why I must warn you. If you are interested in a woman based on the masqu
erade ball, you do not know what you will end up dealing with. Why it could be one of the poorest ladies in Hertfordshire. You do not want to have to shun a woman you thought you would like because of her status.”
“I did not think there would be anyone there who was not worthy of being there,” Bingley said. “You are cynical, sister. You must be jealous.”
“Jealous? Me? Of whom am I jealous?”
“Anyone who takes my attention or Mr. Darcy here. You want all of our attention for yourself.”
“I hardly think so, brother dear. I am merely trying to look out for our friend. You should be, too. It is difficult to tell who a man might be wooing if he does not know what she looks like.”
Darcy found the exchange funny. He watched the siblings bicker for only a few minutes before he stood up and went to the liquor cabinet. He poured himself a brandy, ignoring their continued bickering. He looked up at the ceiling as if asking for mercy, downed the drink and turned back to them.
“I am retiring to bed. It has been a long day and I need sleep. I have business to take care of tomorrow.”
Miss Bingley looked at him with a skeptical look. “It is Sunday. What business must you take care of on a Sunday?”
Darcy set the glass down and walked to the door of the parlor. “I do not believe that would be your business. I will see you both in the morning.”
“Sleep well, my friend.” Bingley came toward him with his hand extended. “I am glad you had a good time tonight.”
Darcy nodded, going through the door and closing it behind him. He could hear Miss Bingley berating her brother for something even after the door closed. How could anyone want to love such an unpleasant woman? He shook his head as he made his way up the stairs to the room he always occupied when he visited Netherfield.
Opening the door, he noticed it had not been changed since the last time he was there. It had been cleaned, but otherwise, it was untouched. He sat on the bed for a moment, thinking about the dance. He had not had such a good time in many months. He was comfortable in an atmosphere where no one knew who he was. It was easier to get along with people. Neither party had a past to get in the way of happiness.
Elizabeth and Darcy: A Romeo and Juliet Twist: A Pride & Prejudice Regency Variation Page 3