AS ROCK �n roll music blasted through the school�s tinny P.A. system, couples on the polished dance floor feverishly twisted and gyrated to the rhythms of the drums and riffs of the electric guitars. Some of the more outlandish dancers fancied themselves worthy of American Bandstand. Others believed their superiority was based on their current level of education and social background rather than dancing acumen. Then there were those that didn�t care about either of these things. They were there just to have fun on a Friday night out through friendly dancing and the hope of making new acquaintances.

Elizabeth Bennet was enjoying her first social mixer. Her older sister, Jane, was a sophomore at Longbourn College, a small private girls� liberal arts school. Jane had attended a few of these socials before. She invited her sister, Elizabeth, who was almost eighteen and a senior in high school, to come with her this time as a treat. Their family lived nearby in the town of Meryton and Elizabeth was going to spend the night with Jane on campus in her dormitory. Mixers allowed students of the numerous small colleges in the area to meet other college students, particularly of the opposite sex. One of the more notable schools drafted for this particular mixer was the nearby Ivy League school, Princeton University. Princeton was known as one of the most prestigious universities in the country, but it was also known to attract the kind of men who were smart, handsome and � most importantly � wealthy. Men the girls of Longbourn strived to meet.

Standing beside each other against a wall, the two sisters sipped their Cokes and soaked up the lively atmosphere of the mixer. Jane, a consummate beauty, was the essence of simplicity and elegance with her long, naturally blonde hair worn in a flip style. She wore just a hint of pink lipstick and black mascara, accentuating the color of her sky blue eyes. Wearing a gift brought back from Bermuda by her family�s dear friends, the Gardiners, she was dressed in a plaid skirt and matching pink cashmere sweater set. Completing the outfit was the pearl necklace she received as a high school graduation present the previous year. Her sister, Elizabeth, was almost the complete opposite. Her wavy, long chestnut colored hair was worn sweetly tied back with a trailing white ribbon. Large, blue eyes framed by thick dark lashes made her eyes all the more distinctive. Petite compared to Jane, Elizabeth wore her favorite red cotton dress; its long sleeves and Peter Pan collar were simple, but outlined her girlish figure nicely.

Lizzy, as she was affectionately known by her friends and family, tended to find the humor in and about everything around her. Her eyes traveled over the cavernous room, taking in the exuberant dancing of the young couples on the floor, and she laughed to herself as she thought how ridiculous some of them looked, especially the young men. I wouldn�t be caught dead dancing with one of them! She smiled inwardly at the thought. Unless, perhaps, he was handsome enough to tempt me. She laughed again to herself, reminded of a particular passage in a book she had read recently in her English Literature class.

On the opposite side of the room, a tall, handsome, yet sullen looking young man was standing up against the wall, wishing he were anywhere but here. Mixers like this were not to his liking. He felt uncomfortable dancing with people he didn�t know, and even more awkward striking up mindless conversations with giddy schoolgirls who were looking for their MRS degrees. MRS was a pseudonym given to the women who wanted nothing more than to meet a man in college and marry him quickly and have babies. Now he, Will Darcy, was stuck because his friend, Charles Bingley, talked him into driving over here tonight. Charles� sister, Caroline, a junior at Longbourn College, talked her brother into coming to the mixer with his friend. Will tried his best to avoid the unmistakable looks from the young women who were making it obvious they wished he would ask them to dance. At a mixer like this? Never! Who ever heard of this place, anyway? Longbourn? I�d rather be home in my room at Princeton! He turned his back to the dance floor, feigning interest in the old, moldy portraits on the wall behind him. The revered likenesses of many a spinster headmistress no doubt. He rolled his eyes sarcastically before turning around at the sound of his name.

�Darcy, you must come and dance,� said his friend Charles, approaching him out of breath from dancing. �Isn�t this music sensational?� Charles enthused, �I love this new sound that�s come over from Britain. What�s their name, the Be � the Beats � oh, something like that.�

�Bingley, you know I don�t feel comfortable dancing to this kind of music ��

�But you never try!� Charles cut him off. �How will you ever get comfortable if you don�t give it a chance? Come on, Will, grab a girl and get out on the floor!�

�No, Bingley,� Darcy began to say, �I really don�t want � � but he stopped mid-sentence when his eyes were arrested by the sight of a lovely girl standing directly across the room from him in a simple dark red dress with a white bow in her long dark hair. Even with the width of the room between them he could tell she had rather large eyes and a wide expressive mouth. Something about her sparkled, drawing him in, as if hypnotized. Taking a deep breath, his heart pounding, he found himself crossing the room, making his way over to her. As he drew closer, he noticed the thoughtful look on her face as her foot tapped to the beat of the new song blaring from the P.A. system. He had a sudden incredible urge to dance.

Lizzy had just finished her soda and set the empty Coke bottle down on a table behind her. She carefully made her way over to the edge of the dance floor, trying not to bump into anyone in the crush. Jane had been asked to dance earlier by a nice looking young man and Lizzy tried to find her on the crowded dance floor. It wasn�t easy in the dim light, but she thought she caught a glimpse of Jane just as the opening notes were starting on a fresh song, Click here to hear the song

One, two, three, four!

The beat was almost irresistible. Hmm, this sounds like a good song. Lizzy started tapping her foot. She thought wistfully how nice it would be to have a dance partner. As if on cue, she looked up and nearly gaped at the sight of Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome � and he was coming straight toward her! Taking in his towering form � with a head of dark unruly curls to go with it, she could see he had an aristocratic look about him. His back straight and head held high, she noticed under a straight nose was a chiseled chin and sensual mouth with lips that were, in Lizzy�s opinion, very kissable. Conservatively dressed in a striped silk tie, white button down shirt, and herringbone sports coat, it seemed as if his dark brown eyes were boring right into hers, never leaving her face as he drew nearer. Fighting the impulse to turn around and see if he was looking at someone behind her, she stood her ground and waited. He stopped before her and reached out his hand.

�Will you dance with me?� he asked softly.

He was older and more distinguished than anyone she had ever danced with before. Yet, at the same time, he had an endearing, boyish look on his face as he asked her. Unable to speak, she nodded and took his hand. A sudden jolt at his touch and flutter in her stomach sealed her fate. His wide, broad smile lit up his face as he led her to the dance floor, showing off dimples that suddenly made her feel weak in the knees.

Darcy was not exactly sure what he was doing. All he knew was that he was dancing with the sweet, beautiful creature in front of him. Never in his life had he felt so free and adventurous. Euphoria washed over him, and he found the song exhilarating as they danced to its lively beat. Without speaking, their eyes met and never wavered as the words of the song cried out:

Well, she was just 17,
You know what I mean,
And the way she looked
Was way beyond compare.

Lizzy couldn�t help grinning at him as they danced, Who is this gorgeous guy? He�s so big and tall � and those shoulders! She couldn�t take her eyes off of him as they twisted and turned, relishing their dance.

So how could I dance with another
Oh when I saw her standing there.

Darcy just kept moving to the beat of the music, oblivious to his own limbs. He had never danced so wildly in his life. His legs had a mind of their own; he didn�t even have to think. What kind of power did this girl have over him?

Well, my heart went "boom,"
When I crossed that room,
And I held her hand in mine...

They danced together through the song, unaware that they had spoken not a single word to each other once Will had asked her to dance. They seemed to be under a spell. The song made them tingle; it was magical for both of them.

Oh we danced through the night,
And we held each other tight,
And before too long
I fell in love with her
Now I'll never dance with another
Oh, when I saw her standing there.

They kept up the fast pace of the dance, each matching the other�s moves, enjoying the thrill of the moment. His eyes fixed on the white ribbon that flew around her wildly as she swung her head back and forth. It was coming loose, so he reached out and grabbed it just before it fell to the floor. She looked at him questioningly, but he simply smiled and pocketed the ribbon for safe keeping until the end of their song. I hope this never ends.

Lizzy was also hoping it would never end. She looked down at their feet, wondering. What will happen when it�s over? I don�t even know who he is. Suddenly she was feeling anxious. Will he try to kiss me? That butterfly feeling in her stomach returned at the thought. She chewed her bottom lip absentmindedly as she dared to look up in his eyes again, hoping to see what he was thinking. The thought of kissing him was exhilarating and scary at the same time.

At that moment the final notes of the song rang out, bringing their dance to an end. Lizzy came out of her reverie and their dancing slowed as the music stopped. Darcy took her hands in his and smiled down at her, breathing heavily from the exertion of the past three minutes.

�Would you like a drink? I�m parched,� he asked.

�Yes, I�d love one.� Grateful he had broken the silence.

He guided her over to the refreshments and grabbed a cold bottle of Coke from a cooler of ice, �Is this okay?� She nodded and he popped the cap off and handed it to her. �I hope you don�t mind a bottle?�

�This is fine, I don�t mind,� she said, suddenly feeling shy. Darcy grabbed and opened his own bottle and they drank the cold fiery liquid in silence.

Abruptly he asked, �What�s your name?� He�d been dying to ask this the whole time they�d been dancing.

�Elizabeth. How about you?�

�Will.� He looked at her intently as he answered. He observed little things about her he hadn�t noticed before: how shiny her hair was and the freckles on her nose. She wasn�t very tall, barely coming up to his shoulders; and the hands wrapped around her Coke bottle were so small. All at once she seemed quite young.

Lizzy began to feel uncomfortable, aware of his scrutiny and realized she was freely perspiring from the vigorous dance. She wanted to go to the ladies room and splash some water on the back of her neck and face.

�Would you excuse me? I just have to go powder my nose. I�ll be right back, I promise.� She said with a big smile.

�Of course,� her smile was reflected by his own. �I�ll be waiting for you right here.�

Lizzy went off to the ladies� lounge, leaving Darcy at the refreshment table watching her progress. She made her way inside and splashed some water on her cheeks and neck, grabbed a paper towel and gently blotted her face dry in front of the mirror. She brushed her hair to make sure it was neat, and remembered that her ribbon had fallen out and Will had kept it for her. She was smiling at her reflection, thinking dreamily of Will, when all of a sudden a loud, grating voice interrupted her thoughts.

�I don�t know who you think you are, missy, but I hope you don�t think anything is going to come of your dancing with Will Darcy.�

Elizabeth immediately focused behind her reflection in the mirror and saw a tall, sharp-looking young woman looking intently at her. Everything about her was angular. She had very black hair in a stylish bouffant hairdo, and her eyes were huge with heavy black eyeliner and false eyelashes. Her bright orange sleeveless dress matched the orange bow in her hair. Her sticklike arms brought a cigarette up to orange lips that took a deep drag. She narrowed her eyes at Elizabeth as she inhaled and then exhaled the smoke in Elizabeth�s face.

Lizzy had never been near anyone dressed so outlandishly, nor anyone who was so rude! Was this person talking to her? Surely there was some mistake.

�I beg your pardon, were you talking to me?� Lizzie said, trying to sound confident.

�Yes, I�m talking to you.� The woman said, poking her in the chest. Lizzy took a step away from her.

�What do you want?�

�If you know what�s good for you, stay away from Will Darcy. He�s mine.� Looking Lizzy up and down she added sneeringly, �You�re not his type, anyway.�

Confused, Lizzy asked, �Who is Will Darcy? I don�t even know what you�re talking about.�

�Just who do you think you�ve been dancing with?� the woman asked.

Then Lizzy realized. Will. He said his name was Will. He must be whom this weird person in orange is talking about. Lizzy couldn�t believe that this horrid woman was the type of person Will would go out with.

�What of it? If he�s yours, then you don�t have anything to worry about.�

The young woman seemed a little put off by this comment, but carried on, �Well, that�s true, but sometimes, men have needs...� She said vaguely, �There�s only one thing he would want from a girl like you.�

Elizabeth was starting to get a little angry at this vulture accosting her. What does she mean by a girl like me?

�And just what type of girl am I?� Elizabeth's courage rising, head held high.

Orange woman gave her a condescending look, raised an eyebrow and smirked. �What does every man want? He knows I�m saving myself for our wedding night,� she smugly admired her long, polished fingernails. �Naturally he�ll look elsewhere to get his kicks before then.� Elizabeth saw the look of triumph on the woman�s face as her petty dig hit home.

Elizabeth was humiliated and embarrassed. Was that all it was? She kept her anger inside, not wanting this awful woman to see that her remarks had any effect. She had to find Jane and get out of there. All she wanted to do was to get away from this witch and forget all about Will�s soulful brown eyes. He�s engaged to her? Thank God, I didn�t kiss him or anything. What a jerk! Lizzy shook her head as she bolted from the Ladies� Lounge. And he seemed so nice.

Her only goal was to find Jane and get out of there. She made her way to the dance floor, looking for her sister. There was a loud, booming song on the P.A. and everyone was dancing. The floor was so crowded that it was nearly impossible to find Jane. She was scanning the crowd when she felt a warm hand on her shoulder and a voice in her ear.

�Hey, there you are, I was looking for you.� She turned and there was Will, smiling down at her, his eyes warm and friendly.

Elizabeth looked up at him with a disgusted air.

�What�s wrong?� he said immediately, a look of concern on his face. �What happened?�

�Just stay away from me!� Visibly upset, she turned and ran off into the crowd, leaving him standing alone on the edge of the dance floor. Dazed, his eyes followed her, and he saw her grab the shoulders of a blonde girl as they exchanged words. Both girls quickly left.

�What happened?� Will said aloud. He was amazed and confused. He couldn�t believe that everything had gone so well and then all of a sudden, she told him to stay away from her! I thought something special had happened between us. He�d been looking forward to getting to know her better and dancing together for the rest of the night. He could only wonder what he�d done to scare her off. He walked back dejectedly to the same wall where he�d stood earlier, and tried to remember every detail of their engaging, yet brief dance together. �Elizabeth.� He immediately remembered something and reaching into his right pocket where he felt the softness of her white ribbon between his fingers. He pulled it out and held it before his eyes, studying it.

Now I'll never dance with another
Oh, when I saw her standing there
Oh, since I saw her standing there
Yeah, well since I saw her standing there*

*The Beatles, �I Saw Her Standing There� - performed by The Beatles, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. � 1963 Northern Songs. All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured.