Georgiana was delighted that she had already made some friends. She was on a first-name basis with all the young ladies who had come to tea at Darcy House, even Lady Agatha, the sister of the Earl of Westmoreland. Agatha had whispered that her brother, Lord Fane, planned to ask Georgiana for a dance, but Georgiana had said nothing of this to Elizabeth. After all, it was best not to raise anyone’s hopes, as it might come to nothing.
***
The ball was to start at nine in the evening. Anticipating a long line of carriages at Stewart House, the Darcys planned to leave at a quarter past eight.
Mr. Darcy stood at the bottom of the staircase at Darcy House, watching his wife and sister make their slow descent. His heart swelled with love and pride, and he thought – as he did several times every day – that he was the luckiest man in the kingdom.
When Elizabeth reached the next to the last step, he extended his hand to her. She took it, smiling her glorious smile at him, eyes bright.
“You look utterly enchanting,” he told her, his love and pride evident in his voice.
Indeed, her ruby gown set off the russet highlights in Elizabeth’s hair, the cream lace at the hem called attention to her cream slippers set with rubies. Her hair was up, and tied with a bandeau at the back; the bandeau glittered with rubies. She carried a fan decorated with red flowers. She looked every inch what she was – a woman of exquisite taste married to a man who could afford to indulge that taste.
She now unfurled the fan and held to her face. Her eyes peeked flirtatiously at her husband over the fan.
“On second thought, you look far too lovely to be allowed out of the house,” Mr. Darcy said, only half-joking.
Georgiana said, worriedly, “Oh, no, Brother, we have spent hours dressing! We must go!”
“Your brother is only teasing, Georgiana, I promise you.”
Georgiana made an exasperated sound, as well she might. She had been standing behind Elizabeth impatiently, waiting for the little flirtation to end.
“I am sorry, Georgiana,” Elizabeth said, finishing her descent and turning to look at her sister. “Oh, Georgiana, you will turn every head!”
It was unlikely, as there were several true beauties out this Season, but Georgiana did look very well. The cream dress marked her as a young lady newly out, and it showed off her slim body and pert breasts very nicely. The emerald hairpins, loaned by Elizabeth, perfectly matched the green satin ribbons in her hair, which in turn perfectly matched the ivy embroidery around the neckline, hem and sleeves.
Looking at his sister, Mr. Darcy thought she looked young, but also – well, he supposedripewas the word. He winced at the thought.
Elizabeth saw the wince and knew the reason for it. He was struggling with the idea of his baby sister being out now, and participating in the Season. Georgiana would soon be married, and she would leave Pemberley; the great house would seem empty and quiet without her.
***
As expected, there was indeed a long line of carriages at Stewart House. Georgiana fidgeted impatiently as the carriage slowly meandered up the street, waiting behind other carriages as they disgorged their passengers.
“Heavens, so many people!” Georgiana exclaimed. “How will I find my friends?”
“It can be difficult sometimes,” Mr. Darcy allowed. “Just be patient and try to enjoy yourself.”
The Darcy carriage finally pulled up to the front door. The footman leaped down and opened the carriage door; Mr. Darcy thanked him and climbed out. He reached in to help his wife and then his sister. There was, of course, now the receiving line to wait in. As they inched up toward their host and hostess, the babble of voices grew louder.
Mr. Darcy turned to his wife. “I do this only for my sister’s sake, you know.” His voice was grim but resigned.
“I do know,” she assured him. “You find the noise distressing, I am sure.”
One of the many things she had learnt about her husband was that he very much disliked a good deal of noise. He would never have survived Longbourn, she often reflected. Mr. Bennet was much the same; the loud clamour of his wife and daughters drove him to hide in his library more days than not.
Elizabeth, being a far more social creature than her husband, found the hubbub vastly entertaining. She looked forward to seeing and being seen, to dancing with her husband and whoever else might ask her, to dine on whatever delicacies would be served at supper. There was much to occupy her at Pemberley, and she loved being out in the gardens and the nearby forests, of course, but she did sometimes long for a bit more society than was available to her in Derbyshire. She would make the most of her time in London!
Finally, the Darcys reached their host and hostess. Lady Stewart greeted Elizabeth and Georgiana kindly, asked for an introduction to Mr. Darcy, and then presented her son. Georgiana blushed gorgeously upon being presented to a viscount, and curtsied perfectly. The young man smiled as he bowed to her.
The Darcys then made their way into the ballroom. It was lit with a thousand candles, or so it seemed. The floor had been chalked, but there were so many people mulling about that it was impossible to make out the pattern.
“Would you like a drink?” Mr. Darcy asked. His expression showed nothing of the distaste Elizabeth knew he must feel at the idea of making his way through the crowd to obtain that drink; she hastily refused, as did Georgiana.
The musicians struck a few chords, signaling the beginning of the dance. The first dance was the Fairy Dance; Elizabeth longed to dance it with her husband, but she would not leave Georgiana alone.
Indeed, Georgiana was looking rather lost. She had not yet spotted anyone she knew, and of course she could not dance with anyone to whom she had not been introduced.
