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“B ut Charles, why do I need to remain home while you attend a coming-out ball at the Duke of Hertfordshire’s home in Russell Square?

” Miss Bingley whinged not for the first time.

Her whining had commenced as soon as she had heard her brother had received an invitation, thanks to his connection to the Darcys—one which expressly excluded her.

Darcy had been granted permission to invite his friend to the ball with the express provision and promise that Miss Bingley would not accompany her brother to Hertfordshire House.

When he had handed Bingley the invitation, Darcy had been very explicit that even if she dared to arrive at the ball on her own, she would be ejected before she passed the threshold.

That would lead to her irrevocable ruin.

As soon as his sister began her begging to accompany him, Bingley had made sure she understood what the consequence of her arriving uninvited at Hertfordshire House would be.

“Caroline, I will not dignify that question with an answer. You know what will occur, if you ignore everything I have said will happen, and you have the temerity to attempt to lie your way into the ball for Miss Bennet, do you not?” Bingley barked.

With no good cheer, Miss Bingley admitted her knowledge of the consequences.

She watched with a scowl as her brother donned his outerwear and made his way out to the coach.

As tempted as she was to find a way to arrive at Hertfordshire House; after being denied the society she craved for three years and scared she would be banished forever, Caroline Bingley accepted she would not be leaving the house that night.

Even though none of her former friends had been at home to her calls, Miss Bingley was determined to rise in society just as she had always planned to do. She would play her part now, and when the opportunity presented itself, she would know how to act.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

Mary Bennet felt like a princess the night of her ball.

Just like the ladies had assured her it would be, her presentation before Queen Charlotte had been flawless.

Her Majesty had spoken to her and informed her and Lizzy—who had presented her—that the Queen would soon invite them to visit her again, at which time she would request that they exhibit for her.

The advantage of being presented by a duchess, especially one favoured by Her Majesty, was that there had been hardly a wait before being called into the presentation hall.

Now here she stood before her mirror in the most splendid ball gown she had ever worn, wearing the jewels Archy had gifted her for her coming out. Mary was having a hard time comprehending that the elegant lady staring back at her was indeed herself.

She was so looking forward to her ball. Her first two dances would be with her guardians.

Archy would dance the first with her, while her uncles, Edward and Frank, would dance one dance each of the second set.

Anthony, William, and Andrew would be her next partners, which would bring her to the supper set.

This was the one she was looking most forward to as it was with Richard.

After supper between the Lucas and Portnoy brothers, only one set was open for a man she had not met yet.

The final set, a waltz, belonged to Richard.

Mary did not repine that so many of her sets were spoken for before she descended the stairs on Archy’s arm and entered the ballroom.

She did not love the thought of sharing a set with a man she would meet for the first time that night, but a single pair of dances with an unknown man was not too hard to live with.

Cathy, Anna, Lydia, and Lilly entered the chamber when Mary called out for them to enter.

“Mary, that pale pink colour with burgundy accents is so becoming on you!” Lydia exclaimed happily when she saw her sister standing and waiting to welcome them into her chamber.

“And your hair, the ruby-tipped pins Archy gifted you match your gown so well. Not to mention the other pieces he presented to you.”

“Thank you, Lyddie.” Mary looked at Cathy, who was admiring the ensemble she was wearing. “It is a little more than two years until you could be the one waiting to descend the stairs to your own ball.”

“I can only pray I will be as ready as you were to take your curtsey. Lizzy told us how composed you were. You did very well, and you never tripped over the hooped monstrosity you had to wear.” Cathy looked towards Mary’s dressing room where the presentation gown was hanging.

“I am sure I will trip or make some other great faux pas in Her Majesty’s company. ”

“You will do as well, if not better than I did today,” Mary insisted. “Now,” she looked at all four younger girls, “I assume you will be hiding yourselves away on the balcony next to the one where the orchestra will be seated?”

All four nodded enthusiastically. “We are allowed to sit there and watch the ball until supper is served; then we have to retire to our chambers,” Anna reported.

Before they could say anything further, there was a knock on the door leading into the hallway. It was opened to reveal a very proud looking Hertfordshire who had come to collect his ward to lead her down to the ballroom.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

Lord Telford Granger, the younger, Viscount Tesco, the only son and heir of the Earl of Tamarin, was grateful he had been the first of the young men who had been introduced to the very pretty Miss Bennet.

As such, he had been the recipient of her only open set, two before the final dances of the ball.

Had he not secured a dance with her, his father’s wrath would have been great.

He had a long time to wait until his set, so after he watched Miss Bennet take to the floor with the Duke of Hertfordshire to open the ball, he headed off to the card room to see if his luck with cards had changed of late.

There would be no harm in some friendly low-stakes games, would there?

Mary thoroughly enjoyed the first two sets with her guardians.

As she did the next ones, but she was counting the minutes until the supper dances.

She was in great anticipation for her first dance with Richard.

As much as she was enjoying her ball so far, she was impatient for Lizzy to call the supper set.

Elizabeth danced the second set with her beloved Archy, and since then, as the host and hostess, they had been circulating among their guests to ensure everyone was having an enjoyable time.

As would be expected, they stopped to speak to many of the invited guests before moving on.

Elizabeth looked across the dancefloor, which had been chalked in the rough shape of Hertfordshire and smiled as she watched William dancing with Mary. Both looked happy.

Jane caught her eye. Her older sister was dancing with Mr Darcy’s friend Mr Bingley and seemed to be enjoying her set with him. Elizabeth could see they were deep in conversation. Jane was reserved and did not put herself forward, so it was good that she had been asked to dance.

Archy had stopped to speak to his friend, Lord Kenneth MacIntyre, and his son, Rory, but he rejoined his wife, offering her his arm once again.

“Have you noted that our cousin has been very attentive to Miss Walker this evening?” Hertfordshire asked as he inclined his head towards where Collins was seated next to Betsy, seemingly deep in conversation one with the other.

By the time Mr Jamison retired, he had been so impressed with his curate that he had had no compunction about recommending William Collins to be the new rector of the Falconwood Village Church.

Implicitly trusting the long-time clergyman’s judgment, Archy, after consultation with his Lizzy, had preferred their cousin to the living.

William Collins had been extremely grateful, but there had been no fawning.

In the almost two years since, neither Hertfordshire nor Lizzy repined their choice of rector.

When they were in residence at Falconwood, they would have Collins dine with them one evening in the middle of the week and after services each Sunday.

Mary’s ball was the first time he had joined them in London.

“I had never before noted Cousin William’s interest in Betsy. With her education over the last few years, if it gets to that, she will make a good parson’s wife. And you will dower her, will you not? My overly generous Archy.” Elizabeth smiled.

“If she accepts an offer from him, or anyone else, I intend to give her ten thousand pounds,” Hertfordshire informed his beloved.

“Jane has no idea she has five and twenty thousand pounds as a dowry, does she?” Elizabeth verified. “If you have not said anything, I understand why, she is not always comfortable accepting the largess we bestow. I think that after all of this time she still thinks herself unworthy.”

“Your supposition I said nothing to her is correct,” Hertfordshire confirmed.

“Like with Betsy, we will disclose her dowry if Jane accepts a proposal of marriage or reaches the age of five and twenty and is still unmarried.” He saw the Earl of Jersey speaking with his cousin John Russell.

“Will you excuse me for the nonce, my love? I would like to speak to Bedford and Jersey.”

“Go, Archy; I will keep seeing to our guests’ needs in the meanwhile,” Elizabeth stated warmly.