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“IF I COULD SEE ONE of my sons happily settled at Netherfield,” said Mr. Bennet to his wife, “and the others equally well married, I shall have nothing left to live for.”
“And I, Mr. Bennet,” his wife fired back at him, “would no longer have to listen to you fret over the state of matrimony. I imagine you would have much less to say. I do not know how my ears would adjust to the sudden silence.”
Kier's face was expressionless as their carriage rode into Meryton, where the Bennets were expecting to get their first glimpse of the infamous Bin Li. Kier was the unlucky son who had to share a carriage with his mother and father, while all his siblings shared another.
“Oh, but I have terrible news!” Mr. Bennet spoke again.
“I doubt I shall find it so terrible,” Mrs. Bennet interjected with a yawn, “but... do go on.”
“The will be two and thirty gentlemen and seventeen ladies at the assembly,” Mr. Bennet reported. “Does that not sound like a distressing number of males? How are our sons supposed to stand out in such a crowd?”
“Have you no faith in their good looks, Mr. Bennet?” asked his wife, who bent down to readjust the cuff of her breeches. To Kier, she added, “And I'm not talking about you, of course. Your brothers are the handsome ones.”
Kier turned toward the window with a snort. Neither his mother or father seemed to have a decent opinion of him.
“Of course I have faith, Mrs. Bennet! There are no handsomer sons in all the world,” Mr. Bennet boldly declared. “One of them will catch the eye of Miss Li. I'm quite certain of it!”
* * *
BIN LI WAS A STRIKING young woman with a pleasant countenance and easy, unaffected manners. Her ebony hair was short and slicked back, and her slender shoulders were wrapped in the brightest blue greatcoat. Her dark eyes were always friendly, but she was a bit too quick to trust—or so she had been told. While many said she was handsome, beautiful was rarely used to describe her.
It was Darcy Fitzwilliam, Bin Li's favored companion, who held the room's attention. She was a tall, stern woman with voluminous golden hair and the features of a Greek Goddess. Within minutes of her arrival, stories of her wealth had circulated around the room. Tittering young misters whispered that she was not only an airship captain of some renown—she was also worth ten thousand pounds a year. However, her persistent sneer made her considerably less approachable than her friend.
Bin Li quickly made herself acquainted with all the principle people in the room, whereas Darcy stood in the corner with her arms constantly crossed. Mr. Bennet, who had no knowledge of the young lady's fortune, whispered to his wife that Captain Fitzwilliam looked like the most disagreeable woman in the world.
Due to the scarcity of ladies in attendance, Elisander wasn't lucky enough to find a partner for the dance. He sat with Kier and sighed heavily at their lack of popularity. Captain Fitzwilliam was standing nearby, and when Bin Li approached, Elisander was close enough to hear their conversation.
“Come, Darcy, you must dance!” Miss Li cried. “There are too many gentlemen without a partner. Does that not tug at your heart?”
Darcy snorted at the thought. “No. Hardly.”
“But you've been sulking since the moment we arrived! With your arms crossed like that, you look like an oaf. Do you want everyone to think you're unpleasant?” Bin pouted at her friend. “Please dance!”
“I certainly shall not!” Captain Fitzwilliam insisted. “You know how I detest it. If I was forced to dance, you would be subjecting me to my personal Hell, Li! Does that not tug at your heart?”
“Many gentlemen here are uncommonly handsome, Darcy. Such as... that divine creature over there.” When Bin Li bowed her head in the direction of Joseph, Elisander's eyebrows leapt to his forehead. “He is one of the Bennets, but I have yet to make his acquaintance.” Lowering her voice, she added, “I believe that's one of his brothers over there.”
Miss Li was referring to Elisander. Kier's status as a Bennet brother was less known. As predicted by his parents, he wasn't as popular as his handsomer siblings.
“Who?” Captain Fitzwilliam turned around just long enough to catch a glimpse of Elisander's face. With a bored shrug, she turned her attention back to Li. “He's tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me. He looks small and short and his eyes look cold.”
“Hush!” Miss Li hissed at her friend. “The gentleman isn't so far away! Do you want him to hear you?”
Of course, Elisander had heard every word. Turning to Kier, he sighed, “Well, that was... harsh.”
“At least you were described as tolerable,” Kier noted with a shrug. “It's higher praise than I shall ever get.”
“Go,” Darcy spoke again, “Go meet your handsome Bennet. Stop wasting your time with me and get back to socializing. It's what you do best.”
Li followed her friend's advice and crossed the room to meet the golden-haired god who occasionally sent glances her way. He wasn't particularly well-dressed in his plain brown breeches and worn green greatcoat, but Bin Li didn't notice. She was too blinded by his beauty to notice his lackluster attire.
“Hello,” Li greeted him with a stiff bow. “I know we have yet to be properly introduced, but... I hope it's not impolite of me to ask your name?”
“Not at all,” the eldest Bennet brother replied. “My name is Joseph Bennet. You've probably heard my family's name. They are, after all, causing quite a stir.” He was referring to his youngest siblings, who were racing around the room without any regard for propriety. Lachlan had stolen Matthew's hat, and the latter had been chasing the former in an effort to recover it. It made them look rather silly, and it reflected poorly on the entire family.
“Are those your brothers who are acting a bit...”
When Li failed to finish her thought, Joseph tried to finish for her. “Featherbrained? Dunderheaded? As foolish as young lads could possibly be?”
“I... wasn't going to say that, but they are quite rambunctious.” Li's eyes were on the boys when they finally stopped running. Matthew reclaimed his hat and boxed his brother's ear. Li winced at their churlish behavior. “I find it a bit embarrassing to watch.”
“If it embarrasses you, imagine how it must embarrass us,” Joseph sighed. “I believe my brothers might be the silliest lads in the world.”
Bin Li suddenly stuck out her hand. When a lady wanted her hand kissed, she usually presented it to her prospective beau. As Joseph raised it to his lips, she said, “My name is Bin Li, by the way.”
“I know.” Joseph smiled as his mouth hovered over her hand. “Everyone knows who you are. You caused quite a stir when you moved into Netherfield.”
“The place isn't as grand as it seems,” Li claimed. “I've never seen curtains covered in quite so many cobwebs. It requires a thorough cleaning, heavy renovations... and a miracle, quite frankly.”
“But it looks lovely on the outside,” Joseph said.
“Indeed. And appearances can be deceiving.” A grin crept across Li's thin lips as she studied Mr. Bennet's face. She hoped his appearance wasn't deceiving, because he looked like a boy angel. His smile was warm, his hair was as bright as solar rays, and his face was consumed by freckles, which was distractingly adorable. “Mr. Bennet... would it be too forward for me to say you're the most beautiful young man in this room?”
Joseph's eyes swelled at her compliment. “Uh... no. Not at all.”
“You sound nervous. I've crossed a line, haven't I? I should have kept such unladylike thoughts to myself.” Bin's head shook as she chastised herself. “Nevertheless, I speak the truth. As soon as I saw your face, I felt a flutter in my heart that I couldn't ignore. There was something very special about you, Joseph Bennet. Your smile is so adorable, I believe it could save a life.”
Joseph chuckled at the lady's superfluous praise. “That's very kind of you, but I highly doubt there is any truth in that.”
“But it's true. I already feel invigorated after having basked in the warmth of your smile.” Li hoped she wasn't being too flirtatious. She didn't want to do or say anything to put him off. “So... would you care to dance?”
“Of course.” Joseph offered his arm to the lady, who accepted it with a smile that was even wider than his. “It would be a pleasure and an honor.”
As Li led him to the dance floor, she was so elated to be in his company, she almost felt like she was floating.
“I believe, Mr. Bennet...” she began, “this is the beginning of something quite special.”