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T he Bennet girls were quite delighted with their success at overthrowing Miss Bingley’s plans. “Will you ever forget the look on her face?” Elizabeth laughed. “You saved the day, Kitty.”

“We need more letters,” Mary said. “Kitty should write a few more, and we can show them around to the neighbours. If we are to continue to maintain the fiction of Lydia being with the Gardiners, we will need more proof of it.”

Kitty bent her artistic energies toward perfecting Lydia’s handwriting, as well as her manner of writing. Her efforts would have to fool Maria Lucas, and Maria knew Lydia’s style fairly well.

Dear Kitty,

London is dreary when we are allowed no entertainments!

I play with the children and tell them stories, which is well enough, but we are not to go to the theater.

I am told that such things are wrong when one is in mourning.

No one can doubt that I mourn Mama very dearly, but would she not want me to enjoy myself, just a bit?

I do not suppose that Papa would write to them and tell them that it would be a kindness to let me have a bit of fun!

Your loving sister,

Lydia

Dear Kitty,

Since writing the last, Aunt Gardiner took me to the museum. It was good to get out of the house and see something different, but I admit that the museum was not much fun at all, just a lot of old statues and vases!

We went out to tea afterwards, and that was a good deal better. She asked if I was ready to go back to Longbourn yet, and I told her that I could not abide the idea of being there without Mama!

This is true, of course, but also – as boring as London is at present, I imagine that Longbourn is a good deal worse. Are you even allowed out of the house?

Your loving but bored sister,

Lydia

Kitty wrote several other letters in the same vein, deliberately not putting dates on any of them so that they might be pulled out as needed.

She passed the letters around to her father and sisters when they sat together in the parlour, and she was praised for her efforts. Mary frowned, however, and Kitty finally asked her to share her thoughts.

“The Psalms tell us not to deal falsely and not to lie to one another,” she said. “And I myself have decided to have no more of deceit. I know this is all very necessary, but I cannot pretend to like it.”

“If I am not much mistaken, Mary, Psalm 12 tells us that there are three brands of deception – vanity, flattery, and blasphemy,” Jane replied. “Do you think our little deceit to protect the family falls under any of those categories? For I think not.”

Mary thought hard. Finally, she said, “Perhaps it is vanity, as we are trying to keep the good opinions of our neighbours.”

“But it is all in service of a greater good,” Elizabeth said. “Does that count for nothing?”

Mary shrugged. “It does not matter, Lizzy; I will continue to participate in the Deception. I simply do not like it.”

“And you think that we do?” Elizabeth went on.

“Do you think the rest of us enjoy having to deceive our friends, people we have known all our lives, in order to avoid shame and discredit, and to give all us girls the chance for happy marriages, all because Lydia was a fool?” Her voice rose higher and higher, showing her distress.

“No, Lizzy, I do not think that. I am sorry.” Mary’s voice was low and sincere.

“Let us all agree that we are doing what we must, no more and no less,” Mr. Bennet said.

***

Lady Lucas and Mrs. Long came the next day to sit with the Bennets.

It was kind of the neighbours to continue to show their care for the Bennet family, but the talk inevitably turned to Lydia’s absence.

Kitty’s letters were put to good use at such times, but it was becoming clear that the Deception could not last forever.

To underscore that thought, a letter arrived from the Gardiners with another letter tucked inside it. It was addressed to Jane, and she read the first letter aloud to her family as soon as it arrived.

Dear Jane,

We received the enclosed, which was addressed to Lydia. If you wish to write a response to the sender, you may certainly send it to me, and I will send it on so that it appears to have come from Gracechurch Street.

Your letter last week about Miss Bingley’s attempt to discredit your family infuriated me, but it was delightful to know that Kitty’s efforts in creating letters that are ostensibly from Lydia were so perfectly timed!

Heavens, what a complicated mess we are involved in!

The children continue to do well; little Edward had a bit of a cold last week, but it seems to have healed itself up in just a few days and no one else appears to have caught it. We are grateful for that, as there is little worse than having the entire family ill at once.

I must go now, as I wish to get the enclosed to you as soon as may be, but I shall write again soon.

Your loving aunt,

Madeleine

“Open the second letter, Jane,” Elizabeth urged her sister.

“I am, I am! Be patient!” Jane opened the letter that her aunt had enclosed and read it aloud.

Dear Lydia,

Lucky you, to be in London while I am stuck here in Meryton! But I suppose you are not so lucky, as your dear Mama died. I am so very sorry, Lydia. If you were here, I would hug you like anything.

Lizzy says that the elopement came to nothing, but I can hardly believe it!

You were so much in love! I insist that you write and tell me everything.

You know you can trust me with your secrets!

I would not trust Kitty, though, as she seems to have become very close with Mary, if you can believe such a thing.

Your very good friend,

Maria

“I suppose I am to write a response to that,” Kitty said, feeling rather insulted at the reference to herself.

“Yes, Kitty; I will send it to Aunt Gardiner and she will mail it to Maria.”

“It all seems rather muddled, does it not? No matter; I shall write it.”

***

The next day, Kitty read her letter out to Jane.

Dear Maria,

I assure you that I would much rather be in Meryton with Mama than be here in London, knowing that she is dead! I try to imagine Longbourn without her, and it seems that it must be the dullest place in the world, especially with everyone in mourning!

Aunt Gardiner insists that I must wear black as well, though it is not a good colour for me. Still, she purchased a new gown for me, so I suppose I must not complain.

As to the elopement, I found Mr. Wickham kissing a barmaid!

He said that it meant nothing whatever, that I was his true love, but how could that be?

I ask you, Maria, does it seem right that a man should propose to wed one young lady and then go kissing another girl?

So I told Mr. Wickham that he could go to Gretna Green with the barmaid!

As to Kitty, you know how she is! She must find someone to tell her what to do. Once I return, I promise you that she will forget Mary in an instant.

I must go; Aunt Gardiner is calling me to watch the children while she goes out. They are darling, of course, but also rather demanding.

Your dear friend,

Lydia

Jane’s brows rose as she read it. “That must have been difficult to write, Kitty.”

“Oh, the part about me? Not particularly; she always made her opinion of me clear.”

“But if – when – she returns, you will not go back to being Lydia’s follower, will you?”

“Absolutely not! And, you know, Mary has become a good deal more interesting of late. We have many good discussions about when to tell the truth and when to lie. I suppose, given the family’s situation, that this subject is on everyone’s mind.

In any case, is this letter good enough to send to Aunt Gardiner? ”

“Very much so; I shall send it to her at once.”

***

Not four days later, Maria Lucas visited with her mother and pulled Kitty aside to tell her what Lydia had written. “You were right,” Maria hissed in Kitty’s ear. “The elopement was off!”

“I knew that!” Kitty said.

“But did you know why?” Maria asked, triumphantly, hoping to have news that no one else had.

“Mr. Wickham was seen kissing someone else, was he not?”

“A barmaid!”

“Oh! Well, that is quite terrible! Lydia was right to end the relationship, do you not agree?”

Maria agreed at once. No one should treat their betrothed in such a fashion!

Kitty sighed as she returned to her chair. The Deception continued, thanks to her forged letters.