Clara's POV

We finally arrived at Fanny's house and her parents must have been well of because there were a ton of people there. Just that fact made me a bit nervous after all I don't know what to do in this situation. The carriage door opened and Mr. Plumtree exited first followed by Miss Austen then myself. I expected it to be one of the servants helping me out but it was Plumtree. Why did it feel like he was keeping an eye on me just so he could keep me to himself?

I kept silent much against my better judgment as we began to walk inside. Entering the house was like something out of Miss Austen's novels. Women were dancing with men in I guess you would call it the ballroom and everyone was here. Soldiers to people perhaps from Parliament...they had that back then right?

"Mr. Plumtree! I am so glad you could make it!" I hear Fanny's voice call out to him as I try to make my exit but he grabs my arm and holds me close to his side.

Hey what happened to the no touching rule in this time? Really I thought there was a rule that covered stuff life this? It was deemed un proper or something like that. Fanny finally reaches us and the look on her face makes me think that she want to become the first Lizzie Borden. So of course any convincing I had done well with her before had just been thrown out the window.

"Ah Fanny, you look beautiful tonight." Plumtree compliments her but she won't remove her gaze from me.

"Thank you, I see you decided to bring my aunt's friend along with you. Can Americans even dance?" she asks with a giggle trying to insult me.

"Fanny, that is disrespectful. Besides I am sure there are many people here tonight that you wish to dance with?" Plumtree says looking around the room.

Fanny nods and takes a big risk as she takes Mr. Plumtrees hand and begins to pull him away from me. I am more than willing to let him go but he looks back at me and I can't quite tell what he is thinking as he releases my arm and reluctantly follows Fanny to the dance floor.

"That woman will kill me the first chance she gets." I say as I blow my bangs out of my face.

"Perhaps you need a protector then?" I hear a male voice ask from behind me.

I turn around rather quickly to see a British soldier standing in front of me. He is quite tall with his light brown hair tied back in a pony tail. His face had soft features and his eyes were a surprising green color. Wow I am pretty sure I just described him in more detail than anyone else I ever have.

"Forgive me, I am George Land at your service miss?" he asks with a slight bow to me.

"Oh I am Clara, just Clara." I reply with a small curtsie.

"Clara, that is a beautiful name if you don't mind my saying so." he says as we return to our normal standing positions.

"Thank you, I believe it was my grandmother's name. You actually happen to have my favorite name." I tell him and he smiles at me.

The only reason George is my favorite name is because I was a big fan of The Beatles and George Harrison was my favorite. Still he didn't have to know that and if he did he would have no idea who The Beatles even were.

"Would you like to get some air? Usually with all the people dancing it does get a bit stuffy in here." he tells me as he looks to the door of the ballroom.

I nod and follow him out of the room. Anything to get away from Fanny and Plumtree. Walking outside I see that Fanny's house has a beautiful garden as well. It seems so peaceful out here not a care in the world.

"You do not like to dance?" George asks me with a curious look on his face.

"I do like to dance however I am afraid I don't know any of the dances that I would need to perform in there." I tell him honestly.

"There is an easy way to solve that problem. May I show you just a few steps? I promise just enough to make it through one dance?" he tells me as he walks up to me.

Well he seems like he is being genuine and I really don't know how to dance and this would help me out in the long run. He hasn't given me any reason not to trust him in the short time I have known him so what harm could it do? I smile at him as he offers me his hand and I take it.

"The steps are quite easy, once you get the hang of it." he tells me as he begins to show me the first few steps of the dance, now which dance I can't remember so I'll just follow him.

Jane's POV

Looking out the window I can see Clara and her new soldier friend dancing outside and when I say dancing I mean the poor man is trying to teach her but she is very good at stepping on his feet. This doesn't seem to bother him at all though. All he does is smile at her and they start again. Westley would be good for Clara but I fear to tell her the whole truth about him and a few of the other women whose hearts he has broken.

"Something interesting going on outside aunt Jane?" Fanny asks as she comes to my side and then looks out to see Clara and the soldier.

"It looks like that poor soldier is trying to teach poor Clara how to dance. No wonder she didn't want to come tonight she knows none of the dances." I tell her as Fanny gets a grin on her face.

"So you don't think she likes Plumtree at all?" Fanny asks with a bit of glee in her voice.

"I think she has shown him no interest at all but that Mr. Plumtree has taken her kindness as something else." I say as she turns and starts off back into the ballroom with a skip in her step.

Oh the things that could happen to Clara after all she is not from this time and there would be so many adjustments she would have to make. Would they be worth it? Would she even be willing to get them a try before just wanting to go home? Before I have time to turn away another two figures come up beside me.

"See I told you, she and Lord Land are dancing are they not?" Fanny asks and I resist the urge to look over and her and scold her there on the spot.

"They are dancing Fanny what of it? She may dance with who she wants." Plumtree easily dismisses the thought of Clara having any affection for Lord Land who I am surprised I did not recognized though I had never seen him in uniform before.

"Well come let us dance some more." Fanny encourages Plumtree who decides it is better to do what she insists and follows her back to the ballroom.

Clara's POV

"I am so sorry, your poor feet will be all battered and bruised tomorrow. I did tell you I did not know how to dance." I tell him as we walk over to a nearby bench and sit down upon it.

"This is not your fault, I said I could teach you and I think I managed to teach you at least a few steps." he tells me with a chuckle as we both look back at the house. "I don't want to go back in there, do you?"

"Not if I have any choice in it. Everyone in there only seems to be after one thing and I am sure you could guess what it is." I tell him with a sigh.

"Marriage to a wealthy man?" he says as his position relaxes a little. "That seems to be the focus on many a ladies mind is it not?"

Looking back over at him it looks almost as if he were sad or hurt. For some reason I felt this overwhelming need to comfort him. Going off my natural instincts I turn to him and smile trying to show him he could talk to me if he needed to.

"Not all of us, I know that Fanny however my friends niece she already has her mind dead set on Mr. Plumtree." I tell him as he looks at me with an eye brow raised.

"I have heard of her, I think she was the one to pull the man away from you was she not?" he asks as he looks my way.

"Correct, I will say they are both very strong willed. They would make a good couple but I do not think that I would want something like that. I would prefer to be in love with someone I would spend the rest of my life with. If not I am sure I would have doubts." I say as I feel him scoot a little closer to me on the bench.

"You are very different Clara, you speak your mind and it seems you really do not care about what people think of you if they have titles or not." he says as I look over at him and smile.

"Titles are just words. They make no difference to me." I say as I watch his expression go from wonder to joy within a matter of seconds.

Just as he was about to begin talking again we hear the doors to the house open and someone start walking our way. We both stand up automatically as none other than Mr. Plumtree walks forward and both the men both bow to one another.

"Lord Land I did not know that you would be here tonight." Plumtree states.

This makes George stance freeze for a moment as he looks over at me probably expecting a reaction for finding out he is a Lord but all I do is offer him a friendly smile then he looks back over at Plumtree.

"It was a last minute decision. I see you have come upon Fanny's request?" George questions probably knowing that will get under Plumtree's skin.

"Yes, I see you have also met Miss Austen's American friend." Plumtree says as he begins to walk my way but I move closer to George.

"Yes, I was teaching Clara a few of the dances that we do here. May I ask why you have come out here? Were you looking to speak with me or her?" George asks as he moves to stand in front of me.

I didn't know what these two were actually doing but I felt safer behind George so I decided to stay there. He was tall so that was a good point and he was a soldier so he was also strong...right? Either way I stayed behind George and their conversation continued.

"I came to ask Miss Clara for a dance. Surely you wouldn't deny me that opportunity?" Plumtree asks George.

"Perhaps another time, after our practice both of our feet are tired and need some rest." George seems to answer for me trying to get Plumtree to take the hint that he is not wanted here.

Plumtree doesn't say a word as he walks back into the house and the door shuts behind him. Then I finally let out a breath I didn't know that I was holding. George turns around and looks down at me probably checking to see if that I was alright.

"He seems to have taken a fancy to you." George tells me.

"I wish he would just leave me alone. After all we all know that Fanny is in love with him why not just be with her?" I ask as I cross my arms and look right into George's eyes. "So you are Lord Land?"

"Yes, I usually don't go by my title especially when I am uniform. Though it seemed that Mr. Plumtree thought of me as a threat. Not a part that I mind playing though." he tells me with a wink.

Finally the ball ended and we went home, I really just wanted to go for a ride and clear my head. I ran out to the barn with my ballgown still on. Pushing the doors open I saw a sight that I had no idea was coming. There in the barn was Westley with another one of the servant girls.