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“You missed a great deal while you were away,” Mr. Bennet said as his wife was taking off her travelling cloak.

“Did I?” she replied nonchalantly. Taking a page from his book, she asked, “More laundry blown away? Missing cows? Or have you discovered what mischief Bobby Turner is up to?”

“Nothing like that. This is nuntiam magni momenti.”

“That sounds familiar, but I can’t remember what it means.”

“News of great import.”

“Oh, how exciting. Is it another engagement? One of the Miss Cranes?”

“That is an accurate guess, but you should be thinking closer to home. Within your own home, in fact.”

“Goodness gracious,” she said, hopefully managing to convey well-feigned surprise. “One of our daughters is engaged? I am astounded.”

“I believe you are about to be even more astounded than you could have expected; however, I think they should tell you for themselves. Why don’t you begin, Jane.”

“Mr. Bingley has returned to Netherfield,” Jane said. “He never had any intention of staying in London. Closing the house was entirely his sisters’ idea. And all because they wanted to keep him from me, I am sorry to say.”

“They are the deceitful ones. You have nothing to be sorry for. But you did not say whether or not he has actually proposed to you.”

“Yes, he told me that he loved me almost from the moment of our meeting, and that he was an idiot for not having proposed to me a long time ago.”

“I wouldn’t say idiot, but it would have saved a great deal of trouble if he had. However, it was sensible of him not to be in a hurry.”

“That is what I said, and he was happy to know that I wouldn’t have wished for a proposal sooner.”

“Well, I’m glad to know that you weren’t suffering with every extra minute. And I know he will be a wonderful husband. But did Mr. Darcy come with him?” She looked expectantly at Elizabeth.

“He did, and he also said that he had been an idiot.”

“What an odd way of proposing these fashionable men have. I wouldn’t say that about him either, but perhaps he should have known better than to take Mr. Collins’s word for it that you were engaged to Mr. Madison.”

“How did you know about that?”

“Oh. Mr. Collins told me in the coach on the way to London. I felt quite dreadful about it. Thank goodness Mr. Darcy realized that one shouldn’t take his word for anything. I suppose that is what happened.”

“He said that Mr. Bingley told him he was being absurd.”

“It is a good thing that he has such a perceptive friend. Well, this is a splendid news. He is such a worthy man, and the perfect one for you.”

“He is,” Elizabeth agreed. “We have decided that we are going to be extremely happy together.”

“I’m sure it couldn’t be otherwise. Well, this is delightful. Two daughters engaged. And on the same day. We should have a celebration.”

“That is an excellent idea,” Mr. Bennet said. “And as it happens, I took the liberty of inviting guests to dinner this evening and instructed Hill to arrange for a celebratory dinner. I knew that was what you would want.”

“You were right. But I would like to look over the arrangements.”

“I thought that as well, and Hill has the menu ready to show you. But first, Mary has something to tell you.”

Mrs. Bennet looked at Mary, wondering if perhaps she had mastered a particularly difficult piece of music. Mr. Fordyce was too upright to declare himself without first having settled the matter of a home and an income.

But Mary said, “Mr. Fordyce also came to call yesterday, and we went for a walk as well.”

“You are also engaged!” Mrs. Bennet cried in very real astonishment.

“Yes. He said that he loved me all along, but he thought it proper to first take orders and find employment before proposing.”

Mrs. Bennet thought he still should have said something instead of causing so much heartbreak, but she wasn’t going to criticize him to Mary.

However, her daughter seemed to have anticipated this perspective. “He didn’t mean to disappoint me,” she said. “Before going away, he hinted at his intention of making me an offer as soon as it was possible, but I didn’t understand.”

“He can’t be very good at hinting,” Mrs. Bennet said.

“I think it was more the case that I wasn’t very good at understanding.”

“I know that feeling.”

“Anyway, I know that he was brought up to a particular standard, which made it difficult for him to speak. And he did come to renew his hints yesterday.”

Mrs. Bennet frowned. “But I thought you said he had proposed.”

“He did. That became possible because of a sudden change in his circumstances. After I had understood his hints, and we had discussed becoming engaged at a suitable time, he encountered Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley. They started talking, which led to Mr. Darcy offering him a living which recently became available.”

“That was very generous of Mr. Darcy. He is such a good man.”

“He is indeed,” Mr. Bennet said. “I am looking forward to availing myself of his library. And when we go to Pemberley, he has promised to show you all the best places for watching birds.”

“Lovely. Are we going to Pemberley?”

“Yes, he has invited all of us to spend the summer there. But before we delve into that, Kitty has some news for you as well. It was a very fine day for walking yesterday.”

Mrs. Bennet looked at Kitty with puzzlement. Surely she could not be engaged. It would be a long time before Edward Partridge was in a position to make any offer.

“Actually I have two things to tell you,” Kitty said. “First, you will be interested to know that Bobby Turner hasn’t been up to any mischief. He has been doing some odd jobs about the neighbourhood, and now Mr. Finch is going to give him regular employment because he has worked so hard.”

“I am astounded. Who would have thought that little rogue could turn out to be reliable. His mother will be very pleased.”

“The other thing is that I am engaged to John Lucas.”

For the second time Mrs. Bennet was able to express genuine astonishment. But then she blurted out, “Mr. Darcy was wrong.”

“Mr. Darcy?” Kitty queried. “What does he have to do with my engagement?”

“Nothing at all. I was suddenly reminded of something else. And Mr. Collins was right. It really is astounding. But never mind that. This is delightful news. Lady Lucas and I will be grandmothers together. I assume that you do love him?”

“Yes. I know I said I wasn’t wanting to get married anytime soon, but it just happened. We have been talking a great deal lately, and we had so much to say to each other.”

“That is excellent. A marriage should be based on love.”

Comprehending in the next moment that this must sound insulting to Lydia, Mrs. Bennet added, “Although it isn’t for me to say that other ideas are wrong.” She looked apologetically at her youngest daughter. However foolish it might be, her choice must be respected.

But Lydia said, “I think that you have the right of it, Mama. Love is the only good reason for marriage.”

“But what about—”

“I am no longer engaged to Mr. Collins. At least, I won’t be once he receives the letter which I sent.”

“I think that was very wise of you. But you let him down gently, I hope.”

“Yes, it was a very kind and polite letter. My sisters helped me to write it.”

“Then I am sure it was just right. But hopefully not too kind, or he will think you don’t really mean it.”

“Papa wrote him a letter as well to assure him that I most certainly do.”

“That was wise too. Well, I am sorry that things haven’t turned out as you hoped, but I expect you will eventually meet a man who is just right for you.”

“Perhaps in Brighton or wherever it is that the regiment goes next,” Lydia said, sounding more like her old self. “Emily has said that I can go to stay with her. There will be lots of officers for me to choose a husband from.”

Very much like her old self. Mrs. Bennet looked at her youngest daughter with worry.

But then Lydia said, “I don’t know if I will want to, though. Maybe I am too young to be thinking of marriage at the moment. Perhaps it is best not to be in any hurry.”

Feeling very much relieved, Mrs. Bennet said, “That is a very wise thought indeed. And there is no reason for you to be concerned about finding a husband when you will have so many new brothers to look out for you if necessary.”

A short time later all four of those future brothers turned up, wanting to spend some more hours roaming the lanes.

Mrs. Bennet voiced her congratulations and made a little speech of welcoming them into the family in the most dignified manner that she could manage.

Hopefully it bore some resemblance to what they expected from a future mother-in-law.

Wanting to call upon Emily, Lydia departed with the others. As Mrs. Bennet saw them out, she felt very proud of all her daughters. They had made wise choices.

Turning to her husband, she declared with great satisfaction, “Four daughters engaged, Mr. Bennet! And one unengaged from a most unsuitable man! Can there ever have been any parents so fortunate?”

“It is a miracle indeed,” he agreed. “But I have not asked you how your visit to the dentist went.”

“Oh, very well. It turns out that there was nothing wrong with the tooth after all.”

“I rather thought there wouldn’t be.” He gave his wife a knowing look.

“I thought everything was my fault, so I felt that I should fix it,” she explained.

“You have been very good to your daughters.”

“I don’t know about that, but I did what I thought right, although actually it turned out not to be necessary after all.

Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley don’t mind having me as a mother-in-law, which is very generous of them.

And they were already intending to propose to Jane and Lizzy, so everything would have been resolved without me, but I did see a very amusing play.

Come up to my dressing room, and I shall tell you all about it while I change. You will be vastly diverted.”