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“No thanks necessary.” Elizabeth met his intense gaze straight on, and they looked at each other for a second too long. Suddenly, as if realizing he was staring, he glanced down at Maggie.

“Could you take my bowl back over to the big table? If you’re all finished too, that is?”

“Yes, sir.” She reached out and stacked her bowl inside his.

“Thank you, Maggie Moo.” He smiled. It was a genuine smile that reached his eyes and made him look surprisingly handsome. Elizabeth’s cheeks warmed.

The little girl rolled her eyes. “Uncaaa!” she drawled. Then she giggled, skipping away toward the table.

“She is precious.”

“I hope she wasn’t disturbing you.”

“Of course not—I love talking with her.”

He looked down at his shoes. “She thinks she’s a little adult.”He paused. “My fault, I suppose. There aren’t many children around for her to play with, so I try to keep her company. She’s more used to adults than little ones, except for Ruth, of course, who doesn’t talk much yet.”

“Maggie seems to be a very bright child.”

“Mmm.I think so, but then, I’m hardly objective.”

There was a pause, and Elizabeth tried to think how she might excuse herself when he spoke again.

“Where did your father teach?”

“Hmm?”

“Your father—at what university did he teach?”

Elizabeth looked at him, puzzled.

“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I heard you tell Maggie he was a professor.”

“Oh. It was Northwestern University. English literature department.”

“I see. Did you attend university there—at Northwestern?”

“Yes.”

“What did you study?”

“Some English, some history. I thought I might like to be a teacher. I couldn’t go back this year, well, for obvious reasons.”

“So, you weren’t able to finish your degree.”It was a quiet statement he made, almost to himself.

Elizabeth squirmed at being scrutinized and found wanting.

She was pretty sure Mr. Darcy had been to college—and finished his degree, too.

She crossed her arms and lifted her chin, feigning a confidence she did not possess.

“My life is with my family, so I am here as well.If you’ll excuse me, Mr. Darcy? ”

He nodded and gestured with his arm for her to leave if she wished. “Of course.”

Elizabeth strode over and returned her bowl, not noticing when Charlotte sidled up to her.

“Mm-hmm.” Charlotte pursed her lips, barely quelling a smile. “Told you. He’s been looking at you.”

Elizabeth sighed, exasperated.“Don’t be goofy, Charlotte. We were talking about Maggie.”

“And he promptly sent her off so he could get you on your own.”

“You’re imagining things.”

“Good strategy, by the way, making nice with Maggie.He’s crazy about those girls.”

Elizabeth turned to Charlotte, hands on her hips. “Look, I’m not trying any…strategy. I’m not interested in Mr. Darcy, and he’s certainly not going to stoop to show any interest in me.” Elizabeth walked away, annoyed by Charlotte’s knowing smirk.

Dr. Bennet wiped his mouth on his napkin and placed his spoon carefully beside his bowl of soup beans. He looked around the table and cleared his throat.

“Girls, I have an announcement.”

All eyes turned toward the head of the table.

“Now that I have your undivided attention”—he paused, taking a sip from glass—“as you know, we arrived too late in the growing season to plant a garden, or corn, or tobacco. Thanks to your uncle, we have a cow, a few pigs and chickens and”—his mouth widened in a wry smile—“a mama goat, much to your mother’s delight. ”

Mrs. Bennet harrumphed. “That creature”—she began, but he held up a hand to stop her.

“At any rate, I’m sure the more astute among you realize we will be hard pressed to make it through this first winter.

Because we will have very little stored, and very little money to spend, I have taken the liberty of finding suitable work for you all.

Hopefully, this will help defray the costs of food and other necessities until we can begin farming in earnest next spring and be more self-sufficient. ”

Lydia snickered, but a fierce glare from her father quickly subdued her.

“You, young lady, and Kitty will be selling eggs.There is a market of local farmers in Meryton on Saturdays. I think you will be able to find buyers there and working on Saturdays won’t interfere with high school classes.

Don’t be afraid to barter for things we don’t have.

Mary, I haven’t found anything for you yet, so for now, you will be assisting your mother with the house and the animals each day.

Elizabeth, your uncle has agreed to your helping out in the vet office—cleaning, assisting, record keeping, and such in exchange for cash, when he can pay you, and bartered items when he can’t. ”

“Yes, Papa.”Spending her days with her aunt and uncle seemed the most pleasant of the jobs so far.

“And that leaves you, Jane.”

“Yes, Papa?”

“I have secured a clerk’s job for you at the dry goods store.”

“Netherfield’s?”

“The very one. I told Mr. Bingley that you had some college education and an excellent grasp of figures and ciphering. I also told him you were a fair seamstress, and he said there were some people in need of mending and tailoring, including his own two maiden aunts. You’ll start there next week.”

Mrs. Bennet looked forlorn. “To think, Thomas, our girls, having to eke out a living like servants. It’s almost criminal what that university has done to this family.”

“Yes, well, I’m sure there are girls everywhere who are eking out a living now who didn’t have to before.

We will have to make the best of things.

” He spoke with a lightness in his voice that contrasted with his expression, picked up a piece of cornbread and sopped up the remains of his soup with it.

“They don’t know what we suffer.” The vehemence in Mrs. Bennet’s voice was palpable.

“I’m sure they don’t.” He stood. “Well, I’m off to the parlor to read, and I don’t want to be disturbed.”

“Papa,” Kitty asked, “may we listen to Amos and Andy on the radio tonight? Please?”

“I suppose I will allow that, if you can manage to clear the supper dishes without arguing with your sister.”

Kitty shot Lydia a threatening look, and Lydia stuck out her tongue.

“Mrs. Bennet, I’ve suspected this for some time, but each day that passes convinces me we have two of the silliest girls in all of these United States.” He laid his napkin beside his bowl and disappeared into the other room.