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M r. Bennet read the message he had just received. He took off his spectacles, wiped them carefully, and put them back on. He read the message again.

Dear Brother Bennet,

Lydia has decided that she now feels able to return to Longbourn; the very deep sorrow she experienced after her mother’s death, which made it untenable for her to return to you directly from Brighton, has lessened such that she has now asked to be taken home.

I will bring her to you, of course; you may expect us on Wednesday.

Sincerely yours,

Henry

Mr. Bennet rose, went to his study door and locked it. Returning to his chair, he removed his spectacles, put his head in his hands, and wept.

Some minutes later, when he felt that he had sufficiently mastered his emotions, he wiped his eyes and went to find his daughters.

He found the four of them seated in the parlour; doubtless their suitors were expected at any moment.

He closed the parlour door. The message was innocence itself, as clever Henry had written it so that no one reading it would suspect anything had ever been amiss.

“I have just received a message from your Uncle Gardiner that I think must be of interest to you,” he said, waving the small paper about. The girls looked up, alert to the change in his voice.

He read it aloud to them and the room exploded. “She is alive!” “I pray she is unharmed!” “I knew she was alive!” “Oh, we must bring her dresses down from the attic, she will kill us if they are soiled!” “I care not for the condition of her dresses, I might kill her myself!” “I am so thankful!”

It was impossible to tell who was speaking to whom; Mr. Bennet waited until the room finally quieted. “We must bring her clothing down, yes; make everything look as normal as possible.”

Mary looked over at Kitty. “I suppose I should move back into my own room now.”

Kitty shook her head firmly. “No; she shall have your old room. Unless…Mary, unless you prefer to have your own room?”

“Not at all! I am very happy to share a room with you, Kitty.”

Only Jane saw Elizabeth’s face first alight with joy – now she and Mr. Darcy could marry! – and then saw the light dim. “What is it, dearest?” she asked. “She will be returned to us; is that not what we all wanted?”

“What if she is with child?” Elizabeth whispered back.

“No.” Jane shook her head firmly. “Uncle would have come himself to speak with Papa about what should be done; he would not simply be returning her to us.”

“I pray that you are right, Jane.”

Mr. Bennet asked for their attention, and then said, “Let us all agree not to say anything to Mr. Bingley or to the Darcys until she has returned and told us her story. Then we shall know how to proceed.”

***

The Bennet girls spent the following day preparing for Lydia’s arrival.

The gowns that had come from Brighton were brought down from the attic and arranged carefully in Mary’s old room.

The jewelry that Kitty had saved for her sister was stored in Lydia’s jewelry box.

The bed sheets were washed and dried. Kitty went so far as to collect some flowers from the garden and put them in a vase.

“She does not deserve all this kindness and consideration,” Mary observed tautly, as the sisters stepped back to admire their handiwork.

“Forgiveness, Mary,” Jane admonished her. “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”

Mary only shook her head. “Very nicely quoted, Jane, but it was all very well for you.”

“What do you mean?”

“You are engaged; it is easy for you to be sanguine about Lydia’s actions, as your future is well set.”

Jane sighed. “You are right, Mary. You are entitled to your anger. But shall we not hear Lydia’s tale before condemning her?”

“I cannot imagine that anything could excuse her behaviour, but of course I shall listen.”