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000

Tom watched his brother leave and thought of getting the car out and going for a drive – he loved driving at night, that's how he'd spotted Mary shopping the night before; he debated for a few more seconds and then changed his mind. He decided to go bed instead, he had a family do the next day.

000

"You said 7 o'clock," Mary protested. "It's barely 3 p.m." Bertha and Linda were standing outside her flat. She'd seen Elizabeth off earlier in the day and Kitty had also left, she had friends to hang out with. Mary, Bertha and Linda had made the plans to go cheese- and-wine tasting almost a month earlier.

"You know how long it takes Linda to get ready," Bertha said, "if we don't start now we may not make it."

"What do you mean get ready?" Mary asked, "What's wrong with what you're wearing now?" Both Bertha and Linda were wearing jeans and T-shirts.

"Do want us to be laughed out of the place?" Bertha asked. "This is a serious fashion event and there're going to photographers and stuff, you wouldn't us ending up in the mags looking less than our best would you?"

"I was planning on going like this," Mary told them. She was wearing her favourite skinny jeans- black with a tiny white shirt and converse shoes.

"You don't look half bad," Bertha said, "but we're not wearing jeans today."

"I like jeans," Mary protested, "they're comfortable."

"So are dresses," Linda told her, "And I know what you should wear."

They dragged Mary to her room and opened the wardrobe; they obviously knew the dress they were talking about because Linda opened the bottom drawer and pulled out a dress.

"No," Mary said immediately. "I'm not wearing that." It was a short black dress, shorter than the clothes Mary normally wore; Linda was the one who'd convinced her to buy it a few weeks ago. She'd never worn it, although it had looked good on her when she'd tried it on in the shop.

"It will look good with your ankle boots," Linda insisted, "and you're definitely wearing it."

Two hours later, the three of them left Mary's flat all of them wearing dresses and she had to admit they looked good; although she couldn't help but wonder if all the make-up they were wearing was necessary.

000

"This is nice," Mary looked around the room. The cheese-and-wine tasting event was being held at an upscale restaurant. She was glad her friends had convinced her to dress because she had yet to see anyone wearing jeans and there were no T-shirts in sights, and the press was all over the place. "How did you get tickets again?"

"From my brother's friend," Linda told her, "I told you."

"What does he do?"

"What does it matter," Bertha interrupted, "we're here and we're going to have fun. That's all that matters."

The cheese and wine were placed on separate tables that were elegantly dressed. The wine tables which consisted of white wines and champagne had small glasses and champagne flutes; while the cheese tables had crackers on the side as well as cheese knives and silverware.

It was all so beautiful Mary was afraid to touch anything.

000

"I hate such things," Tom said, "do I really have to go?"

"We're all going," Thomas Bertram told his son, "your sister's husband arranged it and we all to have to show our support."

"You don't even like Rushworth," Tom told his father.

"It doesn't matter what my feelings for Rushworth are," Thomas said.

"We're doing this for Maria," Bree, their mother said, "and that's the end of it."

Edmund laughed at his brother; he'd told him that there was no way he was getting out of it but Tom had said he'd try anyway. "Why do they have to showcase their wines at such an event?"

The Rushworths owned vineyards and every year they hosted an event to introduce the new wines onto the scene. This year Peter, Maria's husband had decided that it would be done with the official opening of their restaurant and it promised to be a very prestigious and interesting event.

Julia finally came downstairs; they'd been waiting for her. "This is going to be amazing," she exclaimed, "let's go."

000

Tom separated from his family almost as soon as they entered the restaurant; Mr. and Mrs. Bertram joined the senior Rushworths who were talking to the important guests, Julia joined her sister and Edmund was whispering and laughing with Fanny Price, the girl-from-next-door who was practically part of their family. Edmund and Fanny tried to convince him to stay with them but he refused, he didn't want to be a third wheel.

As he moved around the room, keeping away from any wine and cheese, he saw spotted Megan Crawford, every time they met at social gatherings such as these she attached herself to him like a limpet, he'd even overheard her once telling her friends that she would marry him if it was the last thing that she did.

He ducked behind a pillar and bumped into someone.

"I'm sorry, I didn't see you -," he stopped and stared at her in shock.

"Mr. Bertram," Mary smiled stiffly at him, "it was my fault I'm sure."

"Call me Tom, please," he told her, "and I'm the one who should apologise."

"Fine."

"You look really nice, by the way," he said.

"Thank you," Mary replied. "Maria Rushworth's your sister isn't she?"

"Yes."

"I remember reading about her wedding and seeing her pictures in the mags," Mary said, "wow."

"I guess now you know what I'm doing here," he said.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Mary replied, "I think this is amazing."

"It would be even more amazing if I wasn't forced to come here," Tom complained.

"You'd rather be at home on a night like this?"

"Wouldn't you?" he countered.

"Normally yes," Mary agreed, "but tonight I'm happy to be out with the beautiful people and who knows I might actually learn something."

"I guess I should adopt your attitude then," he said, and then quickly pulled her close to him, before Mary could ask what was going on a very striking young woman dressed in a fabulous off shoulder red dress stood infront of them.

"Tom," she said smiling, "I thought that was you."

"Megan Crawford," Tom replied, "you're looking good."

"I know," she preened, "what are you doing way back here?"

"This is my date," Tom introduced Mary, "Mary Bennet."

"Really?" Megan's tone suggested that she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You came with her?"

"Yes," Tom smiled at her, "if you'll excuse us, I'm sure I'll run into you again before we leave." Tom all but dragged Mary to another corner of the room leaving Megan standing there staring at them.

"That was quite rude," Mary told him.

"She'll get over it."

"If you don't want to go out with her why not just tell her?" she asked.

"I've tried," Tom replied, "many times, maybe now she'll get the message."

"I doubt it," Mary told him.

"Let's forget about Megan and enjoy our evening."

Mary stood with Tom for a few minutes and then she remembered; Bertha and Linda had left her to find the loo, they would be wondering where she'd gone. "I have to find my friends," Mary said, "I guess I'll see you around."

000

"Wasn't that Mary Bennet?" Edmund and Fanny had walked over to join Tom after Mary walked away.

"Yes."

000

"Have you seen your Mr. Bertram?" Bertha asked.

"He's here?" Linda asked. "Where is he?"

"I haven't actually seen him yet," Bertha replied, "but he's bound to be here somewhere, Maria Rushworth is his sister you know."

"She dresses so well," Linda said. "Did you see Megan Crawford's dress?"

Bertha and Linda both sighed; they didn't even see Mary roll her eyes.

Luckily for Mary, and she wasn't quite sure why she thought it was lucky, she was torn between wanting to see Tom again and hoping against hope that they didn't run into him, they left without seeing Tom.

As she prepared to bed later that night she assured herself thrice that she didn't mind that she hadn't seen him again. It wasn't like she'd gone there to see him, was it?

000