Chances Come by Ney Mitch (most important books to read TXT) 📕

“if I may be so bold as to request the hand of each of you Bennet sisters and my fair cousin as well throughout the course of the evening?”

“You may,” I responded, “yet, I am quite unavailable for the first two dances.”

“I had a feeling you would be,” he responded, stealing a glance at Mr. Darcy, “yet, would it be the same for Miss Bennet or Miss Kitty? Or Georgiana?”

“I am not engaged at all, sir,” Jane assured him.

“I am engaged myself for the first two dances,” Kitty lied, “and so is Miss Darcy.”

Jane, Mr. Darcy, and I gave her a quick glance, but we said nothing. After all, Georgiana was not engaged, and Sir Aleck had only requested Kitty’s hand for the first dance.

“Then,” the Colonel continued, “it would be a shame for Miss Bennet not to dance for the first two sets. Miss Bennet, would you do me the honor of requesting your hand for the first two dances?”

“I would be delighted,” Jane responded.

“Very good. And then Miss Elizabeth, Miss Kitty, and cousin, can I request your hand for the third, fourth and fifth sets?”

“You may,” we all agreed.

Everyone began talking amongst themselves. While doing so, I moved from Darcy’s side and went close to Kitty.

“You lied,” I whispered. “You and Sir Aleck are only dancing the first set. You know that the Colonel is in love with her, don’t you?”

“Yes, now hush,” she whispered. “For, of course, we are at a ball and there are many ears.”

I rolled my eyes.

And while we were standing there, the names were announced as the guests entered. Through all the talking, we heard the announcer speak the next set of guests’ names loud and clear.

“Mr. Charles Bingley, Mr. William Hurst!”

We all turned at the names and we saw Mr. Bingley enter, along with Miss Caroline Bingley, Mrs. Hurst, and her husband, Mr. Hurst.

How many months it had been since I had seen any of them!

For Miss Bingley, Miss Hurst, and Mr. Hurst, I could say that all those months felt too short a time. I would have been content with never seeing them. With Mr. Bingley, the surprise would be entirely surprising to me. At one point in my life, I would have been overjoyed to have seen him. Yet, now, with the situation about to unfold in a most painful manner, I wished him also to be on the other side of the world; anything for all parties to avoid the awkwardness that was about to ensue.

When they entered, Mr. Bingley did not notice us, for he was eager just to meet Sir Aleck. I noticed our host was kind to Bingley, but his speaking with that company was quick, and Bingley’s group were soon walking around.

With too much lack of reserve, I immediately turned to Jane. This was her first time at seeing Mr. Bingley in so long. Her eyes fell on him, they widened slightly, and I could only guess as to what she was feeling. For Jane, with great strength of reserve, always managed to conceal her feelings and it was not always easy to know what lay underneath. Yet, she did look on him. She did mark him. And she remembered him for, despite her protestations of being indifferent, she did love him.

Next, I looked on the Colonel.

There was a flash of anger and resentment in his eyes!

It was the pang of jealousy. He had to of course know that this day would come, yet nothing can ever prepare a person for an actual event occurring, I suppose. Yet, the Colonel soon remembered himself and he masked his inner disquiet with a look of strength and calmness. And thank god for that!

Mr. Bingley’s eyes scanned the throng and, sooner than later, his eyes fell on us. Whatever surprise and emotional alarm was felt on Jane’s side, Bingley’s was larger. His eyes widened, his jaw dropped open and shock caused him to freeze in place. For Jane was right before him and in the same room. If there had been any moment where he thought and dreamed of her, it was most apparent that the dream had caught up with him. Throwing all apprehensions of future complications aside for the moment, I wondered what the sensation was like for them both. To have dreamt of each other, and for that moment, to see the dream suddenly become a reality. Sudden and pure. Jane perhaps desired that moment to occur one day and knew that she had wished in vain. Bingley clearly once desired it as well, and now it was thrust upon him. Both had once believed in this dream and nourished it. Now, the dream was so close that they both could touch it.

Oh, to know what they were feeling!

“I see acquaintances of ours,” Mr. Darcy observed. “Excuse me, for I should bring them over.”

His words broke the spell that had fallen over the rest of us.

As he walked over to Bingley’s company to speak to them, I looked at my companions. Georgiana, who had been wholly ignorant of Jane’s tear between two men, looked pleasant in her enviable ignorance. Kitty bit her lip and tried to look anywhere else but at the two people who had nothing to gain from this next scene. I saw Jane and Colonel Fitzwilliam look at each other, then look away, and then look at each other again significantly.

Mr. Darcy met Bingley’s company, I heard Caroline Bingley’s effusions of flattery when she met Mr. Darcy, and I was vexed, but not intimidated. As Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley spoke, Mr. Bingley’s eyes never left Jane, and then Miss Bingley looked on me. Ah! There was the familiar disdain in her eye, the chief animosity that consumed her when in regards to viewing me. She still hated me. How very amusing!

Chapter 14 The Ball of Errors

Mr. Darcy escorted the Bingleys and Hursts over to our group within a few seconds of them speaking and Jane’s alarm must