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The Bennets spent the month with a combination of elation and trepidation preparing for their second daughter to enter a higher tier of society.

Mrs Bennet vacillated between having all the fears that had plagued her for the past fifteen years just disappear overnight, and new fears that something would go amiss with the wedding or the marriage.

Her three elder daughters did their best to soothe her, but it seemed it would take the wedding to lay her nervousness to rest—optimistically presuming it was not an engrained habit.

The elder daughters journeyed to London for the trousseau as expected.

To everyone’s surprise, Mrs Bennet accompanied them, and even more alarmingly, she was welcome.

A few words to the wise from Lady Catherine, of all people, had put Mrs Bennet into a mood to mostly stay out of her daughters’ way.

Of course, that did not come about as one might think.

Lady Catherine did not in any way feel Mrs Bennet was worthy of her condescension and advice, but after seeing how the so-called great lady treated her daughter, her nephew, her neighbours, and nearly everyone else; Mrs Bennet determined to do the exact opposite of Lady Catherine in every particular.

Lady Catherine wanted more lace; Mrs Bennet wanted less.

Lady Catherine wanted the richest food imaginable, while Mrs Bennet said her soon-to-be son preferred plain dishes.

Lady Catherine wanted the finest silk, while Mrs Bennet asserted that muslin had been more than good enough to capture the man’s affections.

There may even have been some words about a Bennet succeeding where a de Bourgh failed, but certainly not anyplace where the daughters could hear.

The month was surprisingly pleasant. The engaged couple spent much of every day together, and both found an astonishing capacity to ignore silliness.

The bride, naturally, asserted it would be a useful skill in a few years when the Darcy children were likely to engage in epic bouts of ridiculousness. The groom found it politic to agree.

Mr Bingley hosted an engagement dinner, as did Sir William and a few other families—mostly on the basis that a poor excuse for a gathering was better than none.

~~~~~

At long last, morning came, breakfast came and went, a bath came and went, and Elizabeth sat down to have Jane fix her hair.

It was Jane’s task and had always been. The sisters’ relationship had naturally evolved over the two months of their association with the Netherfield gentlemen and was unlikely to ever be the same again.

Halfway through setting her hair, Jane took a deep breath and asked, “Lizzy, may I ask you something… actually, two things… one explicit, and one abstract?”

Elizabeth had to laugh, but when she saw Jane was far more nervous than the silliness of the question implied, settled down. “Be my guest.”

Jane took some time procrastinating while working on her hair, and finally asked, “I will start with the explicit. May I live with you after your wedding trip?”

“Of course,” Elizabeth said emphatically, then asked, “is this in any way related to the more abstract question?”

“Yes… I wanted to ask how you know you love Darcy. When did it start, and when were you certain?”

Elizabeth frowned grimly. “I became certain when Mr Wickham had a knife at my throat. All I could think of was that I had to escape so I could show my love for the man properly. He had been showing his for some time, and I had been resisting. But…”

Jane continued working her hair for quite some time while Elizabeth tried to work out how to put it.

“…but the moment came when I had gone beyond liking to something more, and he went beyond someone important to someone critical, and I went from believing he was a good man to knowing … it was all of those things, but at some point, I just knew. ”

“What is it like?” Jane asked breathlessly.

“It feels as if nothing else could ever be good enough without William. It feels like I am missing a piece of my very soul when he is not with me. Perhaps the feeling will dissipate over time as it seems to with most couples, but since everything fell into place… it all just fits. We belong together. It is as if the world would not quite be able to continue without us being joined.”

Jane sighed wistfully but did not reply.

Elizabeth asked in a whisper, “May I assume from your questions that you have given up on Mr Bingley?”

“I have,” Jane replied, but would not meet Elizabeth’s eyes.

“I do not wish to pry as it is none of my business, but would you like to tell me why?”

“You will allow me to unburden myself?”

“Perhaps… or more likely, as a soon to be married woman, I need to work on my gossiping skills, which seem barely adequate.”

Jane chuckled. “That makes sense, I suppose.” Then she sighed before continuing. “I suspect that if you had not overheard the pernicious sisters at Netherfield, I may well have married the man and done so happily. Now… well… I was starting to feel better about him until Lady Catherine’s objection.”

Elizabeth shook her head in confusion, unable to think of anything involving Mr Bingley that day.

“I left to take care of Miss de Bourgh, and he stayed to watch the spectacle. Naturally, it was not his place to escort me, and I would not have allowed it if he offered… but it did not even occur to him.”

“Yes, I suppose that was not ideal… but to play Devil’s Advocate, might I suggest you were not exactly offering him much encouragement.”

“Like you encouraged your Mr Darcy?” Jane asked cheekily.

Elizabeth sighed. “Yes, I imagine any man will have trouble measuring up if that is your standard.”

“I cannot say that your intended’s behaviour is my minimal standard, but I would prefer someone closer to Mr Darcy than Mr Bingley.

You know me, Lizzy. I am a naturally unassuming and amiable person.

I like that about myself and have no wish to change.

Mr Bingley is the same. I fear that if we wed, we would each be so complying, that nothing will ever be resolved on; so easy, that every servant will cheat us; and so generous, that we will always exceed our income. ”

Elizabeth guffawed. “That sounds like something Papa would say.”

“He did say it… or something similar. Perhaps it was foolhardy, but I asked his advice.”

“You asked marital advice from our father?” Elizabeth gasped in surprise.

“Stranger things have happened. For example, you seem to have asked some from our mother,” Jane replied with a small laugh, and Elizabeth joined.

“That made me think, and I concluded I did not like the way he handled his sisters. Fair or not, he inherited one hundred thousand pounds and the position of head of the family, while Miss Bingley inherited twenty thousand and a bad seminary education. Her brother, despite completely controlling her finances for several years, chose to allow her to routinely insult anyone and everyone, until they went too far and seemed like they might cost him something he wanted. He then went from complete indolence to cutting his sisters off overnight. I cannot condone either response. He should have been working on them for years, and when he had enough, he should have been gentler.”

Elizabeth shrugged. “I cannot say I agree or disagree. I doubt anything short of a French prison would change the sisters’ behaviour, but he could have at least made the attempt.”

“Regardless… I cannot accept a weak man. I believe he would exacerbate my own deficiencies, while a strong man will encourage me to grow into my own strength.”

“I cannot argue. I most certainly have grown a great deal in the last two months, and I believe William has as well.”

Jane laughed. “That he has. Can you even remember him calling you not handsome enough to even tempt him to dance?”

“In such cases as these, a good memory is unpardonable. This is the last time I shall ever remember it.”

They burst into a fit of giggles.

Elizabeth finally asked, “Does Mr Bingley know?”

“Not yet. I did not want to tarnish your courtship or wedding, but I will most assuredly tell him tomorrow at the latest… perhaps, even tonight.”

“Probably for the best. You have carried an unnatural burden all your life that should have been borne by our parents. Perhaps, it is time for you to just enjoy a season without the expectation that your beauty will save us all from starving in the hedgerows.”

“Are you certain you do not mind?”

Elizabeth stopped Jane’s movements, then turned so she could look at her directly instead of through the mirror.

“Of course we do not mind. Would you like to be astonished?”

“By what?”

“Something William said.”

“Do not bother. Nothing my soon-to-be brother could say would be overly astonishing. He has a great tendency to say unexpected things at regular intervals.”

Elizabeth smiled and blinked slowly in memory of some of the shocking things her intended had said, though most of what came immediately to mind were in no way suitable for Jane’s ears.

“Be that as it may, we discussed this exact thing on Christmas Day. Prepare to be astonished.”

“I await in breathless anticipation.”

Elizabeth’s smile dimmed. “He said he expects all my sisters to live with us eventually. He also expects at least Mama sometimes.”

“That is very generous,” Jane said in surprise, “though hardly astonishing. This is Fitzwilliam Darcy after all.”