Chapter 1

"Oh Mary, sister, guess who has finally written to us and invited us for Christmas?"

"Kitty, can not you see I am busy?", Mary groaned.

"Doing what? Playing your pianoforte from sun up to sun down?! You must do something about your disposition or I fear you would end up as an old maid."

Anger flared up in Mary but she showed no emotion on her face but quietly replied, "You seem to know so much about it? To answer your other question I suppose it is Lizzy's?" That would be enough to change the direction of her sister's thoughts. She succeeded.

"Yes!", Kitty screamed in her delight. "Yes! Yes! We are to leave with uncle and aunt Gardiner the day after tomorrow. Mamma and papa can not go with us yet but they would follow us to Derbyshire near our visit's end."

Mary groaned again, which clearly showed her dismay. Not that her then-ecstatic sister noticed. After the marriage of their sisters there had been a sudden change in Kitty and she and Mary had come closer considerably but there were times when a mention of a ball or a visit to her sisters made her become the old Kitty again. Exactly like now.

So Mary kept ignoring Kitty and Kitty kept talking to the four walls about 'the anticipation and the long wait until their sister finally thought of her "poor" sisters alone at home with their parents', 'of how she was sure that would be ball at Pemberly for Christmas and what gown to wear'. After this Mary lost all interest; the thought of a ball scared her. She thought it would be more rational way if, instead of dancing, conversation would be the order of the day. "Yes, but so less like a ball...!", Miss bingley's words rang in her head. Oh how women like her irritated Mary; she was worse than Lydia!

In anger Mary hit a high note on the pianoforte. and so the Bennet sisters carried on until they were called for dinner.

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"But mamma!! Must I go as well? No offence against the Darcys but I would rather remain home than meet some high society people of their acquaintance, who would only laugh at me behind their preety fans...!"

"Mary! Must you tease my poor nerves so! Ungrateful child. I may listen to you moralise over every morning visit but to Pemberly you shall and you will go. I will have no more of this nonsense about not going....."

"But mamma..."

"Now listen to me, Mary. Your father and I will not always be here and I will not see any of my daughters as spinsters! This is an opportunity in disguise, my dear, and I would not like to see you waste it. Think of all the young and eligible gentlemen you will meet. This is an opportunity to be envied! Oh, the face of Mrs Lucas...." with a sigh Mrs Bennet muttered, "If only I was nineteen or even three and twenty!"

"Mary, dear, I was glad when dearest Elizabeth and Jane finally understood what I always told them and fell in love with such fine men. Look they turned out so well so why should not you and Kitty do well either? Now look you have unsettled my nerves! Go and pack; I will not listen to your fears anymore."

Mary turned towards the door, when she reached it with her hand on the doorknob she turned to look at her mother and asked, "What if I do not fall in love?" but the silent question fell on deaf ears. Then pretend she must. To go to Pemberly: she must.

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Thud! With that Mary's trunk closed when she remembered she had forgotten something. Opening her drawer she pulled out THE MYSTERIES OF UDOLPHO. Smiling she thought, even maturity and facts need a little fantasy. And this was her little fantasy about which no one knew about. Hiding it under folds of cloth in her trunk she finally closed the lid shut.

When the day arrived for them to leave, the trunks were put in their uncle's carriage and the two sisters set off to on a travel which was going to change their lives.

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"Fitzwilliam!"

"My Lizzy. What are you upto today, Mrs Darcy?", Mr Darcy asked.

"Do not worry, husband-of-mine, your wife has no mischief in mind today. I am waiting for my sisters and my uncle and aunt. They do not arrive until supper but I am full of apprehension... Being with Georgiana has taught me how I ignored my younger sisters. Lydia is another matter but Mary and Kitty.... I want to make things better between us." Elizabeth bit herlower lip. "What if they do not want to stay here?"

"Now my dear, you must not worry yourself. Matters will not be this bad. I am sure they will enjoy their stay here as much as your aunt and uncle. Now let us walk... That reminds me we may expect Michael Arden this evening as well......."

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