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It is a truth universally acknowledged that a young woman of great fortune need not be single very long. Indeed, it is surely folly to allow such a young woman to navigate the indelicacies and stresses of managing her own wealth, when a husband might take charge of such matters for her.

Miss Elizabeth Bennet had long expected to bear up under stresses of a rather different kind, for she was one of five daughters born to a father with an estate only barely adequate to his wife’s ideas of a suitable style of living, and worse still, an entail upon his estate.

Such a daughter, if she has any sense at all, must know only a rather exceptional man would overlook the smallness of her dowry; that, in fact, she is likely to remain single very long indeed.

All these difficulties, Elizabeth had expected.

She had never imagined that she might experience the difficulties of a young woman of fortune.

And so it was that when an express came to Longbourn, the Bennet household was thrown into an uproar.

“Give it to me!” Kitty’s high-pitched squeal alerted Elizabeth that something was afoot, for her two youngest sisters were always getting into mischief.

“No, I received it from the postman. You can wait —” Lydia was saying as Elizabeth came around the corner. Her youngest sister was holding a letter behind her back to keep it away from Kitty.

“What is this?” Elizabeth asked, interrupting the fight over who should be the first to open the letter.

Elizabeth held out her hand and Lydia reluctantly put it into her palm.

The very fact of its being an express gave Elizabeth a moment of dread.

There were only two things an express could mean: it was either news too good or too horrible to leave to the regular post, slow as it often was.

“This is addressed to Papa.” She gave them both a stern look, raising an eyebrow slightly to show them just how naughty they had been, even to think of opening a letter that was for their father.

“Go along now. I shall deliver it to him.”

Lydia let out a frustrated groan and pouted. “You never let us have any fun!” She stomped down the corridor and disappeared into the parlour, where their mother or eldest sister, Jane, would put them to work practicing their stitching.

Elizabeth smiled and shook her head at her sister’s antics. The older they grew, the more unruly they became. At that thought, her smile faded a little. Her sisters’ mischief was amusing now, but for how much longer? And it would only grow worse if their father did not check them, and soon.

She knocked on the door of her father’s study and went in when he called. He looked up from his book and smiled at her over his spectacles. “Ah, Lizzy. Just the person I was hoping to see.”

Elizabeth beamed at her father, holding up the letter. “An express was just delivered for you.”

Mr Bennet had not more than opened his mouth to reply before he was interrupted.

“What is this I hear? Lydia and Kitty have told me that an express came! Why did you not bring it into the parlour immediately?” Mrs Bennet exclaimed as she pushed in, followed by the rest of the family.

Mr Bennet rose and extended a hand toward Elizabeth. “It was addressed to me, I presume? There is no reason for any of the rest of you to receive such an urgent communique.” Elizabeth handed the letter over to her father’s waiting hand and he opened it slowly, much to the dismay of her mother.

“Well?” Mrs Bennet asked impatiently when he had taken only a few seconds to scan the contents.

She went to stand beside Mr Bennet, trying to look over his shoulder.

However, rather than fighting her, as he might have done to prolong the suspense, he handed the letter over and sank into his chair.

“Your Great Uncle Alfred has died, Elizabeth.”

Elizabeth startled. Why would her father say her great-uncle had died? He had been all of their uncle, and she had only met him once before. “Uncle Alfie is dead?” she asked.

With difficulty, she could only just remember his face.

It had been ten long years since they met — when she was a child of ten and Jane was twelve.

Their mother and father had taken their two elder girls to stay with Great Uncle Alfred for a fortnight, leaving Mary, Kitty, and Lydia with their Aunt and Uncle Gardiner in London.

Of course, even back then, Jane had been the perfect little lady, while Elizabeth had been full of energy and eager to run about the lavish country home and gardens that her uncle kept.

Even now, she could remember the rambling paths that traversed the gardens.

They stretched for miles, or so it seemed to her young and inexperienced eyes.

They had possessed an almost enchanted quality, calling Elizabeth’s imagination to life.

And while her mother had tried to rein her in, Great Uncle Alfred had insisted that she ought to explore as much as she liked.

Such adventure, such freedom — looking back, Elizabeth rather thought that her love of long walks had been kindled on those very paths.

“How sad. I hope Cousin Fredrick is not alone in his time of grieving,” Elizabeth said. Her cousin had been a young man during their visit, already off on a tour of France and Italy.

“I am sure his wife and child will give him sufficient comfort,” her father said. “But there is more, dear child.”

Elizabeth frowned. “What is it?”

“It seems your antics made quite the impression on Uncle Alfred.”

“Antics? She was positively an urchin during that trip,” Mrs Bennet snapped. However, there was a smile on her face. She waved the letter about as she spoke. “He has left you an inheritance, Lizzy!”

Elizabeth stared in astonishment. “An inheritance? Surely not!”

“Indeed, he has. It says here that Cousin Fredrick will receive the bulk of the estate, as is only right, but he has left you a legacy in gratitude for your service to his cat —” Her mother scrunched up her nose. “What nonsense is this?”

Elizabeth smiled, remembering the incident. “I haven’t thought about that in years.” She glanced at Jane. “Well, while Jane was being the perfect lady at the tea table one afternoon, I was out exploring the garden. Great Uncle Alfred’s beloved cat had got itself stuck high up in a tree.”

“And before anyone could stop you, you scurried up that tree and nearly gave me a heart attack. My poor nerves!” Mrs Bennet exclaimed, holding a hand over her heart.Mr Bennet smirked at his wife but said nothing.

Lydia and Kitty moved closer. “Were you able to rescue the cat, then?”

Elizabeth shrugged. “Well, I succeeded in coaxing the cat to come to me so I could comfort it, the poor dear thing. It was scared half out of its mind. But I could not very well hold the cat in one arm and climb down with the other, so I’m afraid we were both stranded after that.”

“They had to fetch a ladder, and the footmen went up after them to get them down,” Mr Bennet replied. “Rather generous of Uncle Alfie to give you the credit, Lizzy. I suppose he ought to have left the legacy to the footman.”

“Nonsense, nonsense!” Mrs Bennet exclaimed.

“Who should he remember, if not his own charming niece? And now Lizzy has an inheritance to rival the best families in the country!” Mrs Bennet continued, clapping her hands together as she hopped about.

“You shall be the most sought-after young lady in Hertfordshire.”

“I would not say that, Mama. After all, Uncle Alfie was never truly rich,” Elizabeth argued.

She remembered his house had been large, but not overly ostentatious.

She supposed he had spent more of his energy and time making the gardens as beautiful as possible.

It was where she had spent most of their time during their visit, and it seemed Uncle Alfie had had the same sentiment.

She had often seen him reading out of doors, or walking along the winding pathways.

Her mother huffed. “That may have been true when we met him, but it seems he has done very well in the Exchange since then.” Her mother referred to the letter.

“It says here that Frederick will receive the bulk of the estate and the wealth, but a special legacy has been set aside for his favourite niece.” Her mother beamed up at her and flung the letter back at her father’s chest. Mr Bennet took it, smoothing it out to read it again.

Elizabeth frowned. She could not be entirely at ease that her uncle had put in his last will and testament that she was the favourite.

Of course, he had never met the three youngest of her sisters, but what of the slight to Jane?

She was superior in beauty, manners, and temperament — in every way that mattered.

Elizabeth looked at her father. It seemed for a moment that the entire room was holding its breath.

Her father read for a moment, then met her gaze.

“It does not say an exact amount, only that the inheritance will be held in trust for Elizabeth until she marries, or turns twenty-five. But though the amount is not named, it does say there is a small estate on the seaside and funds in the Exchange sufficient to provide a handsome dowry or allow Elizabeth to live comfortably all her days.”

The room was silent for several seconds before the outburst of celebration was begun by her mother. “Oh, happy day! I thought it would never happen! Now I need not fear failing to find you all suitable husbands, for Lizzy will have more than enough to help the rest of you find suitors.”

“Mama, my situation has not changed that much, surely —”