Prologue - Mrs Bennett is not yet done
It was a particular pleasant morning in the picturesque town of Meryton. It was the late summer, and the briskness of autumn was soon to fall upon the town. The sun's glorious rays gently beat down on the town's famously vast lakes, making the waters sparkle in such a way that they could be likened to a most precious jewel. The leaves atop the tall trees swayed softly in the delicate breeze, as did the grass and crops in many of Meryton's fields. Children and youths ran and played gaily, immersing themselves with their beautiful surroundings, and the ring of their sweet laughter could be heard from miles away. It was days like this that Meryton could well and truly be given the title of 'paradise'.
However, not all the citizens of Meryton found themselves available to enjoy the spectacular day that had fell upon them. One in particular, a Mrs Bennett of Longbourn, sat instead in her rocking chair by the window in the sitting room, carefully finishing her embroidering of a cushion. Whilst many an observer would think that Mrs Bennett could surely put aside her embroidery, in favour of delighting in the marvellous morning, Mrs Bennett would have a very different opinion indeed. For the cushion was not merely the product of a pastime, but was in fact a gift that she had the intention to bestow upon her first grandchild! Her eldest, and in all honesty, and most favourite daughter, Jane, had recently given birth to a son, named Charles after his father. The cushion was very nearly completed, with Mrs Bennett needed only to finish embroidering the initials of her grandson – 'C.B.'. The delightful weather seemed to play no part in Mrs Bennett's mind at all. Finishing the cushion was more than enough to keep her occupied, and the thought of the gratuitous smiles that she would receive for her efforts kept her concentration firmly on the task at hand.
In the absence of her two unmarried daughters, Mary and Kitty, who were spending the summer in as residents and guests at Pemberley, the grandest estate in all of Derbyshire that she could proudly refer to as the home of her daughter Elizabeth, Mrs Bennett found that Longbourn felt quite empty. She acknowledged and dearly appreciated the kindness shown by her daughter and son-in-law by taking in her single daughters temporarily, nevertheless Mrs Bennett deeply missed the presence of her daughters, and often thought fondly of when she had all her daughters at her side and in her home.
When the day ended, and the night was drawing ever closer, Mrs Bennett could still be found sitting in her rocking chair by the window. It had been a good few hours since she had finished her needlework, but now she sat in her chair doing something which seemed to be somewhat out of character, as any person who walked in to the room would observe a woman, who was ordinarily active and garrulous, quietly sitting in her chair, gazing out of the window. One of Longbourne's longest serving servants was quite distracted from their task of tidying the scullery, when they instead became pre-occupied watching the abnormally silent Mrs Bennett in both wonder and confusion.
Despite appearances, Mrs Bennett was in fact, quite occupied. Instead of her regular cavorting around the house or town, she was considering matters which had recently been made more apparent to her. Mrs Lexham, an acquaintance of Mrs Bennett's, had recently succeeded in marrying off the last of her three daughters, to the eldest son of a wealthy colonel, following an excursion to Bath. Although Mrs Bennett's pride at her two eldest daughters marrying two gentlemen of great fortune and high standing could never be fully dampened, Mrs Lexham's rejoicing at her daughter's matrimony reminded Mrs Bennett that two of her daughters were still single and in need of a fitting husband.
"Pardon me, Ma'am…" Mrs Bennett was distracted by the voice of Anna Mullins, the young scullery maid who had previously been observing her most intently.
"Yes, yes, pray tell me what is it?" Mrs Bennett hastily and slightly abruptly replied, wishing to return to the company of her own thoughts.
"I don't mean to trouble you, Ma'am, not at all, Ma'am…" Anna replied with a more nervous tone, following the reply of her mistress.
"I'm sorry, dear child, do forgive my brusqueness beforehand. It was quite uncalled for," Mrs Bennett said, softening her voice, "Do you bring me news?"
"No, I bring no news to you this evening, Ma'am. I only wished to know if everything is quite alright with you, Ma'am. I had noticed that you had been sitting alone for many an hour now…"
"You have no need to be concerned for me, my dear! I am merely considering things. Things which I wish to amend shortly!" She lifted herself from her chair in excitement and clapped her hands together.
"Do you wish to know my plan, Miss Mullins?" Mrs Bennett looked eagerly at Anna, her eyes twinkling at the very thought of her imminent plan.
Miss Mullins did not get the chance to reply to her mistress, for she had already began detailing her latest scheme.
"I am a mother to five daughters, Miss Mullins, three of whom are now happily married. Believe me when I say that there is nothing that delights a mother more than when her children achieve a state of paramount content! Yet I cannot feel truly satisfied in my abilities as a mother and guardian until all my daughters are wed. It is now less than a week until Mary and Kitty return to me here at Longbourne, and when they return, I shall take it upon myself to find two eligible bachelors who in turn, shall be fitting husbands for them! As long as the both of them remain single, I have a task with I must complete! I am not yet done, Miss Mullins, I am not yet done!"
With that she hastily left the room, clapping her hands together once more and uttering small and sporadic cries of laughter. Anna remained unmoving in the sitting room, once again stunned by her mistress's behaviour. She then followed in her mistress's suit, leaving the sitting room feeling both amused and bemused by what had just occurred.