Deze inzending voor onze Pride and Prejudice schrijfwedstrijd is geschreven door Odette Snel.

Elizabeth had been very busy the whole day discussing the last details for the Pemberley Ball with the housekeeper Mrs Reynolds. She really wanted to have the whole evening well organised. Actually, she had looked forward to celebrating her one-year wedding anniversary this Saturday evening only with her beloved husband, Mr. Darcy. But after receiving dozens of letters from Lydia writing to say that she was so desperate for a ball, she finally gave in.

Poor Lydia, she thought. Life in the North of England was not what she had expected it would be and the daily sight of officers in red coats had made her quite bored and miserable. There was no point in educating Lydia, Elizabeth thought with a sigh. But she looked forward to seeing her youngest sister again and even Mr Wickham. Would there be enough food and wine for all their guests? Mr Darcy had urged her not to worry and told her Mrs Reynolds was quite experienced enough to know how a ball must be organised. But Elizabeth wanted to prove that she deserved to be called the mistress of Pemberley. She had not forgotten all the nasty words of Mrs Catherine the Bourgh. Would she come this evening and bring her miserable looking daughter with her? The thought brought a little smile on her face. What a evening it would be.

What a luck that she had not added The Shrewbury Lasses on the dance list.

Luckily her favourite sister, Jane, had already arrived yesterday, she was such a comfort to her. She had never seen Jane so happy indeed, together with Mr Bingley and their darling daughter, Elizabeth. Just when she had finished dressing, Elizabeth heard some footsteps and Georgiana entered her dressing room telling her that her family had arrived. Elizabeth ran to the front door and screamed excitingly when she found out that even her aunt and uncle Gardiner had joined her parents and her two younger sisters. Not long hereafter Mr Collins and her friend Charlotte arrived. What a luck, Elizabeth thought, that she had not added The Shrewbury Lasses on the dance list. Indeed, what a disaster the Netherfield ball had been to her. She remembered the look of Mr Darcy when Mr Collins turned out to be a horrible dancer when he danced with her. How things can change indeed. During that evening she could never have guessed that Mr Darcy had made her the happiest woman in the world.
It was not long before the ball would start and she saw Mr Darcy approaching her very cheerfully, telling her she was the most beautiful lady he had ever seen. He felt he was the luckiest man in the world and wondered why he had ever behaved so arrogantly, but, well, this was the past. Suddenly there was a loud gong in the ballroom. Mr Darcy took Elizabeth’s hand and they walked proudly together in the ball room, smiling to all their guests. After they had finished the first two dances, a servant came hastily into the ballroom and gave Mr Darcy a letter from Mrs Catherine the Bourgh, with the message that she was planning not to set ever a foot again in Pemberley and that they both would never be welcome again at Rosings Park. She would never forgive her nephew for making her and her daughter’s lives so miserable.
What a pity, said Elizabeth, to consider that we will never have the fortune of seeing the chimney-piece again. Both started laughing. Mr Darcy gave her a little kiss and both rejoiced in each other’s happiness and looked forward to their future together.