(Untitled)

[amissbennet]

Who: Elizabeth Bennet, Jack Aubrey; IM if interested in joining
Where: Around the barge
When: Back-dated a few days
What: A nice introductory jaunt
Warnings: None

Comments

[jnoaubrey]

Jack Aubrey, on the other hand, was not a timid man by nature, especially not when meeting women, with whom it could be said he had a fairly successful record. As per long naval habit, he was exactly on time and very neatly dressed, with polished buttons and a braided pigtail, even though he was a little put out at no longer having a steward to look after these things.

Being equally unfamiliar with Miss Bennet's appearance, Jack simply placed himself in the middle of the room, where his tall, broad-shouldered frame might be conspicuous, and scanned the people coming and going. Most of them were extremely odd-looking and dressed in utterly unfamiliar fashions. There was, however, at least one very charming young woman in a dark blue dress, and Jack began to conceive the hope--indeed, the desire--that this was the young woman in question. On a whim, he approached her with the greeting, "Miss Bennet?"

[amissbennet]

"Mr Aubrey!" She greeted him warmly, confident that the unfamiliar man who approached her would be the gentleman she had design to become acquainted with. He was a handsome man and well kept, the sort her mother would certainly consider to be a smart match had she remained in Longbourn. Yet this was not Hertfordshire and it was not her occupation to be married here. It made the prospect of meeting him rather liberating in some way.

"It is a pleasure to meet you," Elizabeth added as she fell gracefully into a full curtsy. There was something remarkably familiar and comforting in making friendship with those of near her own time. Already she had offended more than one person by mistaking the rules of society in her own time with the normal course of interactions. That someone should understand her intentions was more appealing than she might admit. "I trust that you met with no difficulty in finding this place?"

[jnoaubrey]

"Captain Aubrey, and none at all," Jack replied pleasantly, making a polite bow in response to the young lady's curtsy, and with only a touch of awkwardness at having to correct her. Still, it was a matter of pride with him, and he felt the correction must be made. "And the pleasure is all mine, Miss Bennet. I take it very kindly in you to have agreed to this walk. A man feels himself constantly on a lee shore in this place. Though, I daresay that is as much due to my own lack than anything else," he added with an expression halfway between humour and helplessness. "You seem to have settled in very well. Though, if you don't mind my observing it, this seems a tolerably strange place for a woman."

[amissbennet]

"Oh! My apologies, Captain!" Though it was something entirely standard to her time to be corrected on such a mistake, Elizabeth realized with slight disdain that she had begun to find comfort on the lack of decorum on this ship. Strange though it was, the opportunity to calls near strangers by their first names was refreshing and empowering, somehow. To be put back into her place was a hint discouraging. But his manners were strong and he was quite the gentleman.

"Strange, perhaps, but nevertheless inviting. It is a dangerous place and I find myself quite in need of aid on occasion. Still, I have made friends here, some of whom I trust to maintain my security. My wealth and accident of birth are not to be undone, and yet I forget them when I am here. To know that I am doing good is the only thing which convinces me awaying to this place was not a sin." She smiled, hoping her understand the vague hyperbole she had used in describing the joys of the Barge