“You know what I mean,” Eliza replied.
“You arewrong. He will love me. Iwillmarry him. You will see.”
Elizabeth’s shoulders drew up, and she clenched her jaw in the way she would when annoyed. But then Elizabeth sighed, and the tension in her shoulders eased. She rubbed at her forehead. “I am only scared. Scared that you will…ifyou are wrong, it will be difficult for you.”
“I refuse to consider such possibilities. Simply thinking that way will make it more likely to be true.”
“Thatisn’thow such matters work!Yourcertainty cannot changeDarcy’sfeelings.”
“It will be.” Caroline ground her teeth together. “You will see.”
“Heavens.” Elizabeth clenched her jaw again. “Sometimes Caro, you annoy me.”
“Though I love you,sometimesyouannoy me.”
The two girls stared at each other.
And Mr. Darcy approached them.
For a moment Caroline’s heart leapt to see him coming near her. He was so tall. So elegant. So… perfect. Their eyes met for a second, and her heart leapt.
He turned to Elizabeth. “Miss Elizabeth, might I beg you to dance the next with me?”
“What?” She blinked at him. “I have another partner. The one after?”
Darcy frowned, but he stiffly inclined his head, “Yes, of course. That will do.”
He bowed slightly to both of them. “Ladies.”
The gentleman walked away.
Thatdamnedman.
Howdarehe speak to only Elizabeth and not her? HowdareElizabeth dance with him?
Elizabeth nudged Caroline. “I had not thought. If you would prefer that I do not dance with—”
“Of course not! He will marry me. Of course I want him to like my dearest friend. Because hewillmarry me.” Caroline felt something surging through her that she was not familiar with.
It was anger, unhappiness, and a sense that she might do anything.
Her hands shook.
Elizabeth opened her mouth to say something. But before she could decide what, the local gentleman who she was supposed to dance with next came up to her and pulled her away.
There was no one who Caroline had agreed to dance with for this set, so she simply stood about. Mr. Darcy also stood about without dancing with anyone, but on the opposite side of the room.
Caroline thought about approaching him. That would be ridiculous. He would approach her, when he realized how much he wanted to be in her presence. Like how he approached Elizabeth.
She sat down, and gloomily stared at the dance floor.
It was shiny from the layer of wax that had been laid down.
So many pairs of soft dance slippers, the excellence of the band. She’d brought a quartet straight from London. The smell of thehors d’oeuvreswas delectable. The dinner would be a triumph.
It was a very good band — hiring them had not simply displayed her access to money, but also her ability to discover the reputation of various groups and to negotiate with them, and to arrange all the matters to the satisfaction of the musicians, and then to also ensure that the old ballroom was effectively and quickly refurbished.
One of the violinist’s had a harelip, and he also was known as amongst the best players in London.
