Insignificant Little Gestures: Pride and Prejudice Fanfic

Chapter Four

                   The day of the ball arrived at last. There were still a number of tasks left to be done. Stitches on dresses had to be perfected, ribbons had to be bought and clean gloves were to be found. Unable to bear the excitement of the ladies, Mr. Bennet kept to his study. At long last everyone was ready to leave.
   
                       Jane, on her mother's insistence, was wearing an olive coloured gown with a modest neckline and her braided hair was pulled back in a loose bun. She had bought the dress last year when it was in fashion and for the ball she made some minor adjustments to it to make it more fashionable. Mrs. Bennet had continuously asked her to dress her best so that Mr. Bingley may notice her. 
                      "My Jane can't be so beautiful for nothing", Mrs Bennet had said, "dress your best so that Mr. Bingley finds you the prettiest girl in the room."
                        Lizzie looked charming in her mustard coloured evening gown and Jane thought it brought out her temperament very well. The same she could not say about her other younger sisters. Kitty and Lydia, as their nature dictated, chose not to show a modicum of modesty in their choice wear. Mary, who was the earliest to get ready, would have been more pleasant to the eye if she did not look so uninterested.
                         Sometimes Jane wondered whether there was anything that interested Mary other than those big books she hid herself behind. People generally assumed the quick-witted Elizabeth was most like their father but Jane had her suspicions that Mary might share more of their father’s faculties than was visible. Both of them shared an enjoyment of the stupidity of human nature. Mary was discreet about it while Mr. Bennet was more open. Her Father was prone to making fun of people for their silliness but Mary liked to point out their mistakes and preach to them. Both considered themselves above all others of their kind.