Page 6 of Fortuitous Encounters

“Miss Darcy, I am ever so happy to meet you. Your brother has spoken fondly of you, and I have been looking forward to it exceedingly.”

Darcy gave her a look of gratitude, or perhaps appraisal, before continuing the introductions. “Miss Elizabeth Bennet, my cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam of Matlock.”

They exchanged the usual courtesies, and the colonel exerted himself slightly. “Miss Elizabeth, I am most happy to make your acquaintance.”

An undercurrent of tension remained between the cousins which did not bode well for whatever discussion they might unwisely pursue in the middle of the assembly. Elizabeth was in no mood to have her plans for escaping her mother thwarted by the sudden appearance of a mere colonel and a sister, so she decided to once again jump into the breach. “Are you fond of dancing, Colonel?”

The man was not prepared for a frontal assault from a stranger less than a minute after introductions, but he was an amiable and easy-going man. “I most certainly am.”

Elizabeth studied the mysterious sister, who had yet to say much of anything. She suspected the girl was shy or overwhelmed by the unfamiliar surroundings. Based on the colonel’s words, Miss Darcy may have been the driving force for getting them to the assembly, but she clearly had no idea what to do next. Elizabeth remembered being fifteen, and had a fine example elsewhere in the room, so she knew exactly what the young lady needed. Clearly and obviously, she needed Jane Bennet! First, however, she must dispense with preliminaries.

She glanced at the young lady. “Miss Darcy, are you also fond of dancing?”

The lady exerted herself to reply. “I am not yet out.”

This was no surprise; surely a girl of her station would not be out at fifteen, or even seventeen. Clearly unaccustomed to such circles, the young lady likely did not understand how assemblies worked in the country. A bit of education should be sufficient to relieve her suffering and perhaps keep Mr Darcy or the colonel from causing trouble.

“Have no fear. This is a country assembly, not a London ballroom. All are welcome, and so long as you refrain from dancing with anyone other than family or people you know well, propriety will be maintained perfectly. Fortunately, you have two convenient relations right here, or you need not dance at all. I have four sisters and numerous friends, so we could amuse you for days, let alone the few hours left in the evening.”

Darcy and Fitzwilliam stared at her in wonderment, seeming to debate whether this assertive young lady was to be encouraged or feared.

Mrs Bennet, Mrs Lucas, and Miss Bingley had started moving in their direction, so Elizabeth judged it best to make their escape expeditiously.

Catching Mr Darcy’s eye, she rolled hers toward the approaching onslaught, extended her arm to the young lady, and issued her orders.

“Come along, Miss Darcy, you must meet my sisters. Colonel, if you are in search of dance partners, I will be happy to introduce you to some amiable ladies. Mr Darcy was just on his way over to dance the next set, but I am certain there will be partners left for you.”

Motion was preferable to hiding, so she bodily dragged Miss Darcy across the floor using nearly the same technique her brother had employed moments earlier, since brute force often had much to recommend it. Her goal was clear: a small cluster including Jane, Charlotte, and unaccountably, Mary.

As she started walking, she signalled Mr Darcy to follow, and lacking better options, he followed the implied demand.

As they started following Elizabeth and Georgiana, the colonel murmured, “Is this force of nature in charge of all dancing at this assembly?”

“Not for everyone… just us!” he replied with a chuckle.

A few moments brought the party to the cluster of ladies Elizabeth sought, and she proceeded with introductions. She assumed the order of precedence; since she alone knew every person in the group, the task fell to her.

Once they had exchanged greetings, Elizabeth noticed the musicians preparing for the next set. She stopped with Miss Darcy still clinging to her arm for dear life, while Mr Darcy stood to her left, directly before Charlotte Lucas. She could not say anything in the present company, but surreptitiously tapped his foot.

He glanced her way and she looked significantly at Charlotte.

Mr Darcy asked, “Miss Lucas, may I have the pleasure of the next set?”

Charlotte, not one to be surprised or intimidated by just about anything likely to happen at an assembly, was nevertheless astounded by this particular address. She was surprised when asked to dance by anybody, but a man of Mr Darcy’s consequence was nearly shocking. She glanced at Lizzy, suspecting her hand in the matter, but was entirely satisfied. She took Mr Darcy’s arm and moved to the floor.

The colonel recognised orders and bowed. “Miss Mary, might I have the pleasure?”

Mary had not the slightest idea how to respond to a colonel asking her to dance, so she simply stood staring until Elizabeth leaned over and whispered, “Have no fear, Mary. I will be right here watching, and he does not even have his sword.”

With a sheepish little grin, Mary took the colonel’s arm and joined the line next to Darcy and Charlotte.

Elizabeth turned to Miss Darcy with a wink. “Free at last! Now we are safe! My sister Jane and I shall take care of you. All will be well.”

Fourth Dance

After another twenty minutes, Elizabeth eyed her handiwork with smug satisfaction. Everything was as it should be. Young Miss Darcy had entered looking like a cross between a scared rabbit and an angry bear. Colonel Fitzwilliam clearly saw only the latter and Elizabeth the former, but the young lady likely had something else to her story. Mr Darcy’s question implied a specific difficulty she faced, and Elizabeth was determined to get to the bottom of it—eventually.

The Colonel was, as expected on their brief introduction, a jovial man, light on his feet, ready with a laugh, and apparently unfailing in his good humour. He even managed to drag a muffled giggle out of her sister! Mary—dancing and happy with a stranger at a ball! The world had run amok!