The Husbands of Elizabeth Bennet, Volume One by Combe Christine

Author:Combe, Christine
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bonnet Books
Published: 2023-09-03T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nineteen

Elizabeth smiled.

“I shall be glad to accept your offer, sir,” said she, “though I am sorry to hear you shall only dance once—and not just because I shall only be dancing one set the whole evening. I would wish you to enjoy the outing as well.”

“Oh, I shall enjoy it immensely, for I will be showing off my beautiful bride-to-be and making her the envy of every one of those ladies whose wish to ensnare me has been thwarted. However, you shall not dance only once the entire evening—I appreciate your sense of loyalty, my dear, but you will need to dance with a few other of the attendees or you risk offending the patronesses and everyone else whose good opinion we hope to gain.”

“Then I shan’t mind the duty, as I do enjoy dancing, though I must own that I dread the inevitable questions they will ask,” Elizabeth replied.

“Best to have done with it, my dear,” Henry said. “In fact, it will be to our advantage that you dance every set, if you are able. The more men you dance with, if they are willing to ask about you instead of talking only about themselves, the more they will be talking about you to their friends and relations throughout the ball and in the days following.”

“And I do not doubt they will have only good things to say, Miss Bennet, for you are all that is charming,” said Lady Adelaide.

Elizabeth laughed. “You only think so because you do not yet know me well, my lady. I have yet to display for you my acerbic wit and unladylike impertinence.”

“Well, those cannot be all that bad, as Papa has fallen in love with you,” Adelaide returned.

“True enough,” replied Elizabeth with a grin, “though another of my failings which even he has yet to observe is an unfortunate tendency to take offense when I or my family is slighted. I feel no shame in our situation, as I told your aunt this morning, but the reason I dread all the questions I shall be asked is because I fear any vexation they generate will lead to my tongue becoming sharper than is necessary. It is not so much what will be said, as I have some idea of that, but the manner in which they might say it that gives me concern.”

“My dear Lizzy,” said Mrs. Gardiner, as she had just then entered the drawing room with Mr. Gardiner. “I know it may be difficult for you, but you really must make every effort to disregard any unkind remarks or slights against your lack of connexions and fortune.”

“I fully intend to do my very best, Aunt,” said Elizabeth.

“We know that you will, Lizzy,” said Mr. Gardiner.

“Just you remember, my dear, that above every other woman I could have chosen, I chose you,” said Henry. “That means there is something very remarkable about you. Focus on that—on how happy we shall be together when we are married—and let any snobbery that you encounter fall away as smoothly as water off a duck’s back.

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