Assets and Liabilities: A Contemporary Pride and Prejudice

Chapter 1

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single woman of a certain age and situation in life must be in want of a husband. In our modern age, a woman is allowed to have a career; it is unthinkable that she may be happily single. Her friends and family are poor substitute to a husband and any caring friend would be on the lookout for an eligible bachelor to introduce to the single woman.

Charlotte breezed into her colorful and cozy apartment. She had big news to share. Throwing her handbag on the entryway table, she excitedly greeted her roommate and roommate's sister, "Hi Liz, Hi Jane! You'll never guess who is coming to the gala!"

Lizzie looked up from stirring her simmering spaghetti sauce to humor her friend. "Marie Curie?" she asked with a twinkle in her dark eyes.

"No, a living person! What's your guess Jane?"

Jane paused from setting the table to think. She furrowed her brow while and came up with, "What about the mayor?"

"That's a great idea," Charlotte took out her moleskin notebook to make a note to herself. "Thanks for the tip, Jane, but my news is much better than our old major!"

"Well, don't leave us hanging! Who is it?" Lizzie asked anticipating big news.

Charlotte gave up on her friends, "Charlie Bingley!

"He's the 'big fish' you've been after to become a donor, right?"

"Yes! He bought a whole table for the gala! I think he's seriously interested in learning more about Meryton!"

"That's awesome, Charlotte! How did you make that happen?"

"Well, I started by hyping all the amazing things Meryton does for the community and showing him our glossy marketing materials. Then, I mentioned that the gala is a great way to network and meet people. I may have mentioned that our beautiful program director and her sister would be attending."

"Charlotte!" Lizzie exclaimed indignantly.

"And then I may have shown him a picture of you two," Charlotte said sheepishly as her friends shot looks of daggers at her. "He's very excited to meet you both; you especially, Jane!"

"If you think you're going to get some of this dinner, you've got another thing coming!" Lizzie insisted playfully.

"Come on! You should be thanking me. Neither one of you has been on a date in ages. And Charlie is a real catch!"

"What is he like?" Jane asked cautiously curious.

"He's the nicest guy and super successful! Charlie was just named Chief Operating Officer at Netherfield at only 33 years old!"

"I guess it wouldn't do any harm to meet him, especially if it helps Charlotte".

"You are too nice Jane," Lizzie said. She continued, "Food's ready! Let's eat!"

The three women were gathered for their weekly Sunday ritual of a shared dinner, wine, and catching up. Jane and Lizzie were as close as any two sisters could be. Both women were intelligent and sensible. They relied on each other's advice and treasured each other's company. Jane was a ray of sunshine; her smile lit up a room and she always saw the best in others. Lizzie, though lively, had a more satirical side. She considered herself a study of character and enjoyed noting the peculiarities of her acquaintance. Lizzie and Jane bonded by being the only rational people in their family. Jane and Lizzie's two younger sisters, Mary and Lydia were completely focused earning a PhD in Women's Studies and collecting Instagram followers, respectively. Their mother, though well-meaning, had become increasingly fixated on marrying off her daughters, especially after Jane had turned thirty. Their father was a lovable misanthrope. The family dynamic was dysfunctional but affectionate.

Charlotte was like another sister to Lizzie. The two had met while working at Meryton, a nonprofit that supported girls and young women pursuing careers in the STEM industries. The women had met five years before and become fast friends based on their shared acerbic wit and passion for their work. Lizzie saw her older sister as practically perfect, except for her idealistic streak. Charlotte was invaluable as a complete realist and one person Lizzie could count on to give her honest opinion, even if it was critical.

Charlotte and Lizzie had become roommates a year after they had met. Around the same time, Lizzie's then-roommate had gotten an unexpected job offer across the country and Charlotte's boyfriend of four years had left her for a Brazilian au-pair-slash-aspiring-model. The timing was perfect for the two women to move into a lovely two-bedroom apartment walking distance from Meryton. Charlotte was a bit of a mopey mess for the first few months after her ex had left her. Lizzie tried to keep Charlotte's romantic history in mind when her best friend appeared desperate or business-like about her love life.

After some general chitchat and a glass of wine each, the conversation turned back to the upcoming Meryton gala. "Liz, did you finish writing your speech for the gala?" Jane asked.

"We put together a video highlighting the programs this year so luckily, I don't have to speak!" Lizzie joked. "Charlotte's doing the big speech this year."

"How is the speechwriting going, Charlotte?" Jane asked.

"It's fine of course. Work is the only thing I have going for me right now. If the rest of my life went as smoothly as my career, then I'd be married with two kids by now!"

"Don't say that—your life is going great!" Jane encouraged.

Lizzie echoed her sister's encouragement playfully, "You are amazing at your job, but you've got a lot more to hang your hat on than that! You just ran a marathon, you have amazing hair, and you have the best friends possible! Especially your roommate, I hear she's really something!"

Charlotte answered sullenly, "That's all well and good, but at this point I just want to get married."

"Are you hoping John will be the one? Are you bringing him to gala as your date?" Jane asked politely.

"No. I'll be too busy working and things have petered out with us." Charlotte quickly shifted the subject, "Will the whole Bennet clan be in attendance?"

Lizzie groaned dramatically, "Jane will be there, of course. Mom and Lydia have insisted on coming. I love them, but I really don't have time to babysit them. Hopefully they don't cause too much of a scene".

"You certainly don't have time to babysit!" Charlotte exclaimed. "I need you to talk to some of the potential donors!"

"If you mean Charlie Bingley, you've already wheedled Jane into covering that. Knowing her, the donation is in the bag! No man can resist her."

"Thanks Jane!" Charlotte smiled mischievously.

Lizzie turned to her sister, "I suppose it wouldn't be so bad if you hit things off with Charlie. Mom might relax a little if one of us got a boyfriend".

Jane retorted, "You never know what might happen. Maybe you'll be the one to get a boyfriend out of this gala, Lizzie!"

Charlotte interjected, "Charlie is bringing a whole table of friends! Maybe we'll all meet someone."


The Bennet family congregated the next weekend to celebrate the patriarch's birthday. The family of six was always loud and mostly cheerful. Due to the celebration, they were in particularly high spirits. Their mother, Francine, was in a hubbub about perfecting the meal. Lydia was talking excitedly about a new man she was dating. Mary was lecturing Lydia about remembering her value.

Lizzie sought out her father to give him his present in his refuge from the chatter. She found him in his study and smiled at him fondly. They chatted amicably about Lizzie's work at Meryton and her father's new lifestyle since he had recently retired. Lizzie was encouraged that he was genuinely happy with her present, an autobiography of Winston Churchill.

Jane slipped into the room to say hello to her father as well. While he grumbled an affable hello to his firstborn daughter, Lizzie took the opportunity to look around the room. It looked like her father basically lived out of the study. Was he trying to avoid Lizzie's mother? She asked delicately, "Dad, how are things with Mom since you've retired?"

He muttered a non-answer which both of his daughters took to mean that things were not going well. Jane added, "I think Mom would really like to go on a trip for your anniversary this year. It would mean a lot to her".

"I suppose I'll have to do something. Maybe get her something from Tiffany's; she always likes that. Jane, can you take my credit card and get her some earrings? You know her taste better than I do". He pulled a Visa out of his wallet and handed it to Jane. He continued "Run along and talk to your sisters. I need some quiet from the ruckus!"

The two sisters left the office disappointed. Lizzie sighed, "Do you think Mom is giving Dad a hard time now that they're both at home all day?"

Jane answered more thoughtfully, "They are very different people and they do not communicate well."

"That's because Mom is always overreacting and freaking out!"

Jane looked serious. "She has anxiety, Lizzie. I know you've always been dad's favorite, but Dad doesn't listen or try to reassure her. They could both try harder to improve their marriage."

"Well, you may be right," Lizzie deferred. Privately, Lizzie thought that, though Jane made a few good points, she knew from 18 years of personal childhood experience that their mother was nearly impossible to live with!

Lizzie went to find Lydia and Mary so she could to catch up with her younger sisters. Mary may be lost in books and extreme theories, but her heart was in the right place. Lizzie did her best to show an interest in her life and her work in graduate school. Lydia, though completely frivolous, was extremely charming. Lizzie couldn't handle Lydia's big personality on a daily basis, but it was nice to spend an afternoon laughing at her jokes and listening to her stories.

The five sisters could not escape their mother's advice. Lydia was the only Bennet daughter in their mother's good graces at the moment. She had recently started dating another Instagram influencer. Francine was in raptures over her youngest daughter's conquest. Privately, Lizzie thought Lydia's new boyfriend must be extremely vain and emptyheaded to post so many shirtless selfies to the internet. She knew better than to express this notion to her entire family.

Mary was deemed too far gone by their mother and Francine largely ignored her. Lizzie, though considered fairly bad, still inspired some hope for a marriage. Her mother encouraged her to buy a push-up bra and tried, once again, to set her up on a blind date with their neighbor's nephew. The man was described as "not horrible to look at considering he was forty-five years old with severe health problems". Lizzie worried how bad he truly was if those were his top selling points. She had been single for some time now, but she hoped she would never be that desperate.

Lizzie tried to not get upset by her mother's setup and instead shift the conversation to the upcoming gala. Her mother was not so easily moved off topic. She turned her attention to Jane's love life. Jane had long been one of their mother's favorites. Jane was beautiful, and though intelligent, was always respectful and obliging. Francine could not fathom why she had not married yet. She had recently turned thirty-two and had not brought a boyfriend to meet the family in years.

"Jane, will you be bringing a date to Lizzie's gala?"

Jane responded in the negative, but her mother continued to insist that she must.

Lydia tried to help her sister out, "I'll be your date, Jane! Chad will be in Europe anyway so I'll be solo. I bet we'll meet loads of hot guys there!"

Their mother was pleased by this, "Wonderful! Lydia, you can help Jane. Be on the lookout for a man with money who is eager to settle down".

Lizzie, Jane, and Mary were horrified, but happy their mother was finished berating them. Now that Francine had some hope, she was willing to listen to Lizzie's news on the gala plans and to serve the meal she had labored over all day. The Bennet patriarch complimented his wife on the meal and she beamed at the recognition. Maybe their marriage was not so bad after all. After a delicious dinner, the birthday cake was served and all left in tolerably good spirits.


The next morning, Lizzie and Jane met to play tennis on a sunny May morning. After a friendly match, the women chatted while catching their breath.

"Are you excited for the gala next week?" Jane asked while stretching her hamstrings.

"Sure. It's always a great time," Lizzie paused and frowned slightly as she stretched her shoulders out. "Charlotte has been a bit over the top about the whole Netherfield thing. She's almost as bad as mom!"

"Why do you say that?" Jane asked considerately.

"I understand that it's her job bring in donors, but she is fixated on this Bingley guy and his friends. She seems determined to find all three of us men to go out with."

"She must be more upset about her breakup with John than she let on."

"I guess so. Still, you can't force a connection. She barely knows this Charlie guy. His friends might be terrible!"

"There's nothing wrong with having hope, Lizzie," Jane said with a meaningful look.

"I suppose that was a hint to me to be less cynical."

"Yes, it was. Neither one of us has had the best luck, but there must be some great men out there. We have to keep hoping and trying."

Lizzie pondered her romantic history and compared it to her closest friends. Charlotte had been cheated on; Jane had gone through the demise of a great relationship between two good people who just weren't quite right for each other in the long term. Lizzie had been there to see her best friend and sister through the pain. She remembered how devastated they both were by their major breakups. She was surprised to see that Charlotte and Jane, who had every reason to be cautious in love, were respectively desperate and cautiously eager about finding a new relationship. Lizzie, though not actively hostile towards men, had avoided any serious relationships for the last few years. She had never had her heart seriously broken, only bruised, yet she was the most cautious of her tightknit posse. She always had excuses when pressed: she was focusing on work, she hadn't met the right person, she liked being independent.

Truthfully, she just didn't want to end up like her parents, a touch bitter and feeling stuck. Lizzie liked being single, and she wouldn't give up her freedom for anything less than real earth-shaking love. She was too much of a cynic to wholeheartedly believe in true love so she expected she might live out her days as a career woman, and doting aunt.

She tried to put her own doubts aside and be present for Jane. "You think Charlie Bingley is a great man?"

Jane laughed, "I haven't even met the man yet! Still, I will put on a nice dress and talk to him, try to see if there is a connection between us."

"That sounds sensible. According to Charlotte, he's already very interested in you."

"It's nice to hear that," Jane said modestly. "What about you, Lizzie? Have I convinced you to take a more optimistic approach?"

Lizzie thought maybe Jane was right. If Jane was willing to put herself out there, then Lizzie could try too. "If it means so much to you, I'll try to keep an open mind. I'm sure it won't do any good. Every sane man will fall for you."

"That's very kind of you to say, Lizzie. I think the right man will come for you and sweep you off your feet."

"From your lips to God's ears," Lizzie said sarcastically while rolling her eyes. The two sisters hugged goodbye and made plans to meet at the gala.