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Mrs Bennet speculated about the upcoming ball during every meal and with every visitor.

Lydia and Kitty pouted to only have remade gowns for the great evening, but no one paid attention to their complaints as the lace was stitched into place around the sleeves and bosom of each gown.

With an invitation to tea, Mrs Bennet bundled her daughters away from Longbourn to visit Haymarket, the Goulding manor house, several days before the anticipated evening at Netherfield.

Upon their arrival at the Goulding home, the Bennet ladies were pleased to discover Mr Bingley and Mr Darcy among the guests at Haymarket.

The afternoon was pleasant with conversations about the preparations of the ball, the autumn weather, and the wagons of bottles and boxes of food arriving from London.

There were many rumours and few facts about Bonaparte’s battles and invasions across Europe mingled with much speculation on guests who might appear at the ball.

The ladies exchanged whispers concerning the numbers of ostrich feathers Miss Bingley would wear that evening.

While Mr Bingley monopolised Jane’s attention, Mr Darcy approached Elizabeth and asked her for the first dance.

Surprised and pleased, the young woman paused for a moment. Then she said, “Yes, Mr Darcy, I shall be glad to stand up with you.”

But rather than beginning a conversation, he nodded his head once and then walked away to stand near the fireplace.

The usually silent gentleman appeared more taciturn than usual that afternoon, and Elizabeth made certain he had a teacup prepared with a sliver of the broken sugar cone.

There was much conversation in the room about the upcoming ball, and Elizabeth’s advice was sought by more than one lady on the best type of stitch to attach lace to the bodice of gowns.

Elizabeth did notice Mr Darcy speaking with Mr Goulding about the news from the continent and the effects of Bonaparte’s Berlin Decree, which forbade trade with Britain.

The gentlemen around Meryton did not expect the decree to impact their lives except that the prices for the corn would remain high.

Only Mr Bennet noticed that Mr Darcy watched his second daughter closely when the gentleman did not study Bingley and Jane. Mrs Bennet focused on Lydia’s behaviour, and Jane remained in Mr Bingley’s company for the entirety of the visit.

~~~

At lunch on the day of the ball, Elizabeth noticed the expression on her father’s face–the boisterousness of five ladies preparing for a ball was giving him a headache. She suggested they retire above stairs to rest and begin to dress their hair as soon as the last dish was removed.

As she passed her father in his chair at the table, she leaned over and whispered, “Imagine if Mr Collins were still a visitor under our roof. How would you survive if he haunted your library this afternoon?”

The whole afternoon, Elizabeth helped Jane and Mary with their hair and ribbons before Jane went to help their mother with her own hair and ribbons. When seated before the small mirror in their shared bedchamber, the young woman wondered if her face would attract the gentleman or drive him away.

And several times while she dressed and aided her sisters, Elizabeth’s head filled with images of Mr Darcy’s face when he had asked her for the first dance. Glancing at herself in the mirror, she thought, ‘I cannot–I shall not deny I should like him to smile at me.’

Mrs Bennet and the youngest sisters chatted the entire time the family was in the carriage going to Netherfield; fortune smiled upon Meryton that night with a full moon and clear skies to light the roads leading to festivities at Mr Bingley’s manor.

Every window at Netherfield was alight with candles to make the great house appear welcoming to visitors from around the neighbourhood.

~~~

Greeted by Mrs Hurst and Mr Bingley at the door, Elizabeth and Mary followed Jane on Mr Bingley’s arm through the ballroom, the parlours, and the dining rooms festooned with banners and streamers sent out from merchants in London.

Losing track of her parents and younger sisters in the growing press of ladies in colourful gowns moving around equally well-dressed gentlemen and officers, Elizabeth Bennet enjoyed the wonderment that threatened to overwhelm her senses.

Several young men and women from the tenant farms appeared at the back of the ballroom, dressed in their cleanest clothes.

Through secret doors leading to the kitchen, these temporary servants brought pitchers of punch and silver trays with finger sandwiches and other foods that the Netherfield footman and chambermaids in their formal uniforms distributed among the guests.

There was a constant flow of punch and trays of food for the guests.

Musicians from London were present and prepared to perform.

Everyone spoke congenially and enjoyed themselves.

Elizabeth Bennet remained in awe of the lovely lights, splendid gowns, and amiable people around her. There were several times she caught Mr Darcy’s gaze and each time, she gave him a small smile.

‘Netherfield is a great house, and I have never seen such a sight as the ballroom here,’ she admitted.

When the time for dancing arrived, Mr Bingley led Miss Jane Bennet onto the dance floor. Stepping around Miss Bingley, who wore a single blue ostrich feather, Mr Darcy approached Elizabeth and reminded her, “We are engaged for the first dance, Miss Elizabeth.”

The gentleman led the young lady to the floor.

The entire time they danced, his hand felt warm in hers.

The music was pleasant, the dancers appeared graceful, and Elizabeth Bennet knew she smiled the entire time she danced with Mr Darcy.

They talked little during the set, just commenting on the size of the room, the number of guests, and the lighting in Netherfield.

When the dance finished, Mr Darcy escorted Elizabeth back to her sisters, bowed and departed.

To every observer in the ballroom, the couple appeared as common acquaintances without shared affection during that first dance. And while Elizabeth was pleased to have been honoured by Mr Darcy’s attention, she did not find any hints of higher regard for her in the man’s face, voice, or actions.

After a moment’s contemplation, Elizabeth was content to speak with Mary and Kitty.

When another set of dances was completed, young John Lucas asked Mary to dance, and Edward Goulding asked Elizabeth for the honour of dancing with him.

Elizabeth’s evening progressed with occasional dances and continuing conversation with the gentlemen and ladies around her.

As Mr Bingley led everyone into the dining rooms for supper, Mr Darcy surprised Elizabeth when he appeared at her elbow and asked permission to escort her into the dining room.

Entering the room together meant he would sit beside her and monopolise her conversation.

Elizabeth was not aware of the glares Mr Darcy and Edward Goulding exchanged over the second Bennet sister’s company, nor was she aware of her father’s gaze.

The gentleman was mute as the meal began, so Elizabeth encouraged him to talk about his family for a few minutes.

Once their plates were filled, Elizabeth asked, “Mr Darcy, have you ever read The Natural History of Selborne by Mr Gilbert White? Mr Bingley loaned a copy to my father, and Father allowed me to read it first.”

“I have read the book, Miss Elizabeth. There are copies in my library in London and an older copy at my home in the north.”

“Possession of two copies?” she asked. Looking at him carefully, Elizabeth continued, “I suppose that makes perfect sense, sir.”

Darcy looked dubious as he asked, “Do you mean to tease me?”

“No,” she assured him with a gentle smile that denied any jest in her statement. “A year ago, I visited with my uncle and aunt in London for a month and wished I had one of Gibbon’s volumes to read. My uncle did not have the volumes in his library.”

“What did you read instead?”

Smirking, Elizabeth replied, “There were manifests for three ships just returned from the East Indies to revise for my aunt and uncle. There were chests of tea leaves and bolts of calico cloth, and then more chests with spices to count.”

“You helped reconcile ship manifests?” he asked with surprise evident in his voice.

Elizabeth smiled widely. “The numbers were not so great that my mind failed to grasp them.”

Darcy’s face grimaced slightly, “Miss Elizabeth, I have no doubt that your mind could manage many numbers and papers. My surprise was that you would be interested in such a thing.”

“They were a great puzzle to decipher, Mr Darcy. But I wish to return to our original conversation concerning the book of natural history; I understand why you have two copies. When you are in London, and the book is in the north, you cannot read it.”

“But in London, I visit the booksellers and purchase a second copy that remains in London,” Darcy explained.

“Now I shall tease you–not everyone can buy a book on impulse,” said Elizabeth.

“You are the daughter of a gentleman,” he reminded her. “Tell me, what have you ever been denied that money can buy?”

It was Elizabeth’s turn to explain, and she said, “I cannot purchase every book I wish to read. My father has five daughters to keep in ribbons, straw bonnets, boots, and stockings. If I purchased every book I wanted, Mary would not have her music sheets, Kitty would not have ribbons, and Lydia would not have new bonnets.”

“You do not mention Miss Bennet,” observed Darcy.

“Jane never asks for anything except how she can assist someone else. Without fail, she gives her ribbons to Mary after Lydia steals our sister’s ribbons.”

Their conversation returned to White’s The Natural History as the meal progressed. Mr Darcy asked, “Does the edition you have include three sections or just two?”