October 17 - 19, 1811

Lizzy watched Simon pace the drawing room twice before he sat back down and stared at the pianoforte with a sleepy smile. Leaning toward Jane, Elizabeth nudged her older sister. " I dare say our brother is infatuated. Do you not agree, Jane?" Jane stopped the paint brush from touching the canvas and studied Simon in her usual serene manner. She was seated on a lone chair in front of an easel painting the view from the drawing room window.

Usually Simon caught onto them instantly, but at this moment he stared onward too distracted to give an heed.

" Miss Rowley must be the lady that captured his interest," Jane concluded. " It can not be any other lady of Hertfordshire," The long list of ladies that should have interested Simon long since ceased to even hold his attention. The older he became, the more he sought a lady who didn't always require his attention and aid. The families of the neighborhood expected his eventual inheritance to provide amply for their daughters. He rebuffed the attempts, clumsy at first until his finer education in London society properly schooled him. When he returned to Hertfordshire, no matchmaking Mama withstood his determination to marry according to his will.

" Maria is far too flighty and young," Lizzy started out mischievously, never once taking her eyes off her half-brother. " Charlotte much too quiet. Sarah Long once intrigued him,"

" Sarah never intrigued him. She was just convenient to keep Mama off his back," Jane discredited Lizzy's wandering thoughts. " Penelope and Harriet are far too close for him to even venture into that family. No one likes interfering family members,"

Simon's gaze landed on them, jovial and alert. " I intend to call upon her,"

" Miss Rowley?" Lizzy suggested innocently as she could while sporting a wolfish grin. Jane sighed and rolled her eyes at Elizabeth's digging. " I would not dare to ignore her. 50,000 pounds is very impressive, and Charlotte highly recommended her. Her manners left Lady Lucas clamoring for a more familiar acquaintance. I have no objections to the lady,"

" Nor I," Jane said as she resumed painting. " I prefer her honesty."

Honesty. Simon noticed that at Lucas Lodge. Miss Rowley spoke of London often, Derbyshire even more, and praised her brother and his wife. She only spoke of what she knew and trusted her observations, to a fault. It reminded him of Elizabeth at times, whenever her opinion was set regardless of changed circumstances. " Mrs. Bennet doesn't,"

" Mama dislikes that Lydia is now under your care, Simon. Lydia is her favorite, and Lydia is no longer out. Lydia will always require an escort to Meryton, and the private parties at the Philipses need to be females only, with the only males present as family members. You have robbed her of her favorite reminder of her youth," Jane explained the obvious that should have already crossed Simon's attention. " But Mama is not your Mama, and you will inherit Longbourn. You need to find a wife that can live within the means it offers,"

" And not require such a large milliner's addiction," Lizzy said in complete seriousness, no longer amused. " I hope that I may find a man that intrigues me as much as Miss Rowley intrigues you,"

The eldest siblings fell into silence once more and Simon retreated to the study that he shared with his father to go over the ledger. He would need to speak to Mr. Thorne, one of the primary tenant farmers and trusted bailiff. While his father was a local magistrate due to his status of being the patriarch of the Bennets, no one actually trusted Mr. Bennet to administer justice among the poor and tenants. They deferred to Simon, and Simon often referenced other landowner's actions before making a decision all his own. As he calculated the current amount his step-mother overspent, he was interrupted by Mrs. Hill.

" Sir, Mr. Bingley is here to speak with you," She curtsied.

Mrs. Hill had been with the family for nearly a decade, and during that decade, Mrs. Bennet has exhausted her every nerve. Simon liked to over compensate all the servants for the trouble that Emma Bennet nee Gardiner put them through. He took special pleasure in shrinking her milliner budget to properly compensate the servants, and because his father completely trusted him with the books, no one learned of his method of retribution. Most of the servants his father hired lasted at best three years, but somehow Mrs. Hill determined she would outlast every group – if only for children's sanity.

He smiled and thanked her. Charles Bingley was a gay, young man whose pleasant manners attracted high praise from everyone. His handsomeness resided primarily in his healthy complexion, light brown hair, and easy smile. Mr. Bingley's tall, thin figure spoke of a man accustomed to activity, and his fine clothing signified he appropriately wore his wealth. That same young man stood before Simon appearing unnerved. Mrs. Hill closed the door and shied away the curious younger sisters Catherine and Lydia.

" Excuse me for not visiting with more advanced notice. At Lucas Lodge, I noticed you took a liking to my cousin," As soon Mr. Bingley spoke that nervousness dissipated, replaced with a quiet determination.

" Miss Rowley was unable to dance. Why should she be left out of the festivities?" Simon replied without thought. He only cared that the lady smiled and relaxed instead of waiting for the harpies to attack. " She is the reason you are here?"

Mr. Bingley paced with his hands behind his back. " No. She is grateful you spoke to her much of the evening. It pleased her to know that some of Hertfordshire presented themselves with superior manners. I am here on the behalf of myself and Mr. Hurst. We were walking the property and noticed the fence that marked the boundary between Bennet property and Netherfield property," Finally he stopped pacing, if only to acknowledge that Simon listened.

" All the boundaries are marked clearly, and you will notice, if you tour the property here that the tenant farmers have their plots marked in the same manner. It reduces confusion and conflicts," Simon explained, grateful for the discussion to be on anything but the private supper party. " There is a plot of valley type land on Netherfield property that you should be particularly concerned about. The tenants that usually farm it are often ill or unable to properly harvest it. I have long told the land agent of this problem, but Mr. Morris does not listen to me," Truth be told, Mr. Morris thought all the Bennets were useless and silly, and Simon aimed to prove him wrong.

Mr. Bingley seated himself. " I do not intend to purchase Netherfield. It is handsome property, but as your stepmother put it, I earn 5,000 per annum," Simon winced, wishing that his stepmother was a mute at times. At least then the woman would not be able to attend parties and assemblies and embarrass everyone in the family. " Nor do I intend to marry any of your sisters, lovely as they are,"

" That is interesting to learn, Mr. Bingley. How do you wish me to assist you?" He liked the young man already. Aside from not knowing anything about owning land, the young man was competent and willing to make the effort of dissuading public hopes. Mr. Bingley's carefree manner at the supper countered this more serious character, making Simon hope that he did settle in Hertfordshire.

Mr. Bingley glanced toward the door. " Your support, Mr. Bennet, in restraining your stepmother's tongue. I know you can not fully control her, but I have no desire to marry Miss Bennet anymore than I do Miss Lucas or Miss Long and so on," He took a deep breath and rose. " I am hunting tomorrow. You are welcome to join me,"

" I will join you," Simon accepted. " Mr. Bingley, I know apologizing for my stepmother is pointless, but for the sake of this family, she is a curse that needs to be controlled. If you wish to limit your exposure to her, I will inform my father," The young men exchanged the repeated promise to hunt tomorrow, and then Mr. Bingley departed, Mrs. Bennet none the wiser.

Try as they might, no one could persuade or force Simon divulge the contents of his conversation with Mr. Bingley. Elizabeth teased Jane about Mr. Bingley's lively manners, and in turn Jane promised her that one day she would fancy a young man too. The open threat was then seized upon by Lydia and Catherine who both supposed that they might be a Mrs. Charles Bingley one day. " La! You are too plain, Kitty, even if you are two years older. A young wife is a desirable wife,"

" Lydia, you have a full future to think of. To marry this young is foolish. It is better Mr. Bingley marry Jane. She is two and twenty," Loftus Bennet teased, smiling at Jane. Jane neglected to return the smile. So was the seating that Jane and Elizabeth were closest to their mother at the upper end of the table that Simon was seated next to Lydia and his father at the lower end of the table. The unfortunate seating arrangement he'd grown accustomed to over the years prevented him from directly helping his eldest half-sister, because immediately Mrs. Bennet declared what a marvelous union it would be and then proceeded to ask Jane how she would spend the generous pin money provided.

Mary pouted. " What is it, brother?" She asked him, bored of their mother's attention to Jane and the ever so common topic of marriage.

Simon cut his cold meat. " All this talk of marriage must make you envious. There must be a parson or vicar for you, Mary,"

" If only that were true," Mary muttered under breath, Simon unable to hear it due to the loud Mrs. Bennet, Lydia almost yelling into his ear, and Kitty protesting that Jane was not the only pretty lady in the household. In fact, only Elizabeth remained silent. This did not escape their father, who openly favored Elizabeth for her quickness and wit. She resembled him the most and acted more like him than she ought to at times.

Nothing pleased Mrs. Bennet more than to talk of marrying her daughters off, especially Jane. When they visited Lucas Lodge two days later so that Elizabeth and Charlotte could confide in each other, Mr. Bingley raised hopes in more than one mother's bosom. Sir William Lucas greeted the Bennets, remarking upon Simon's interest in Miss Rowley and hinting at a courtship. Mrs. Bennet blushed, holding Lady Lucas's observant eye the whole time. " I assure you, Sir, that my son has not confided such an intent to me. But if he were to pursue such an intent, I would support him with all my heart," Lydia snorted, quickly apologizing under Lady Lucas's wilting stare.

The older gentleman took this as confirmation of Simon's admiration of Marina Rowley's beauty. " How could he not admire such a handsome young lady. It is time that he settled and took a wife, and what a fine choice she'd be! Mr. Bennet must agree with you, Mrs. Bennet, that it would be a blessing to the family to see a son married," His foot tapped the floor in barely contained excitement. It was his mission to see all the ladies of Hertfordshire appropriately married, and in the case of the gentleman, that they marry someone equally respectable. Half of Hertfordshire hoped that the lady accepted the attentions of their sons.

Emma tried not to scowl, remembering all too well Simon's warning to not speak ill of strangers outside the walls of Longbourn. " It would. Lady Lucas, what fine China you have. I do not recall it from last visit," She seized on the first object that her eyes landed on.

" It is a new addition," Lady Lucas said, pleased to be off the topic of marriage. " Darling, you do have to speak with Mr. Morris, remember?"

" Capital, capital," Sir William replied, departing the drawing room of Lucas Lodge, taking with him all the good will. Now alone, the ladies turned to their usual routine. Tea, then cards, and then goodbyes. Charlotte and Elizabeth strolled through the garden while Maria, Catherine, and Lydia started a game of Loo among themselves. Jane and Mary stayed behind at Longbourn for some peace, though truth be told, that peace came with the price of entertaining their Aunt who visited on a moment's notice to share the new gossip of Meryton.

Charlotte and Elizabeth settled onto a bench by the garden entrance, happy to be away from the meddling Mamas who wanted to marry off their daughters as soon as possible. " It is not all that bad, Lizzy. If Mr. Collins visits in November, your brother will prevent your mother from forcing you to marry the parson. You know as well as I that with Mr. Bennet inheriting Longbourn, that Mr. Collin's appeal is significantly less. You are safe,"

Except the nagging sensation within warned Elizabeth that her mother would not be so easily dissuaded. Why her mother hated her, she did not know. She did nothing wrong to the woman. How could a mother hate their own child so much?

" Lizzy, do not frown. It is November, remember? You have a fortnight at least before Mr. Collins is due to visit. By then you can convince your brother to make it impossible for Mr. Collins to spend more than several hours within your company. And do think, what if Mr. Collins is handsome and sensible? His regard for the daughter of an Earl is appropriate, given her rank and that she granted the living to him,"

" I do not know that he is sensible, Charlotte, any more than I know if he is handsome or even respectable. To marry for anything but love is wrong. I would rather be a governess than marry for comfort," She grabbed Charlotte's hand. " I know you do not agree with me, but I am not like you. You do not have to live with my mother. I do,"

Charlotte promised her that the impending visit from Mr. Collins could not be so disastrous and that she should stop worrying. A servant fetched them for the game of whist inside the drawing room. Under the watchful eyes of their mother's, neither confidante spoke further of the matter.

October 18, 1811

In a move to make peace at Netherfield, Marina suggested to Caroline that they go to Meryton to shop. Caroline leapt at the chance to spend coin. They borrowed the carriage, Mrs. Hurst declining to join them claiming that she needed to sew together dollies for Mr. Hurst's nieces. They stopped at the milliners first, Mr. and Mrs. Willits waiting for the ladies to pick through the muslin fabrics and its various patterns. Both preferred the heavier fabrics, forgoing the muslin in favor of silk or printed cottons. Printed cottons were on the rise and fall, and so both decided to purchase velvet for a lovely formal gown.

" Turkish Red," Mrs. Willits said as she folded the material for them. " It is a pretty color,"

Marina turned to Caroline. " My cousin does adore her shades of purple and orange," She teased in good spirit.

In turn, Caroline pointed to the blues. " Blue is an unpopular color, Marina. You should keep up with the fashions," Mrs. Willits started to list the various blues they had in the various materials only to be stopped by Caroline. " My cousin will be in communication, likely to purchase more material,"

This excited the shopkeepers, pleased that more wealth would be flowing through their registers. Making their exit, Marina and Caroline moved onto the bookstore where they separately perused the shelves. Running her fingers over the spines of book after book, Marina inhaled the smell of books. She loved the combined smell of paper, ink, and knowledge – if Knowledge had a smell. It touched her heart, earned her trust, and no matter how often a novel might break her heart, she loved to read. Poetry no longer enthralled her as much as it once had. The poetry may make a strong love, but it withered her appetite in the process.

For all her pomp and class, Caroline loved romance novels from circulating libraries. She'd never admit it to anyone, but Louisa and Marina caught her many times reading a well-read novel. Shakespeare rarely captured Caroline's attention, even though Marina adored the man's work. She would need to purchase another copy of Hamlet before she returned to Derbyshire. This shop did not hold a copy of it, regrettably.

A whole section on etiquette books enthralled Caroline, causing Marina to laugh at her. She shook a finger at Marina in a 'tsk tsk' scolding without saying a word. The ladies each stiffened at the sound of the shopkeeper greeting Mrs. Phillips. " Mrs. Phillips, what brings you into our shop today?" Mrs. Templeton called out.

" Did you see the handsome new soldier, Mrs. Templeton? He is handsome as could be! So dashing in his red coat. A Mr. George Wickham! Even his name is-"

Both Marina and Caroline turned toward the conspiring locals, horrified.

"-pleasing to the ear," Mrs. Phillips finished. " That is him right there with Captain Carter and Mr. Denny," The two ladies moved to the storefront window to catch sight of the man that captured the hearts of servants, merchant's daughters, and ladies alike.

Neither lady noticed Miss Rowley and Miss Bingley make their exit, even though the bell tingled on their exit. If Mr. Wickham was in Meryton, they needed to be safely out of his reach. More importantly, Marina needed to write Silas to warn him about Wickham's newest location. Darcy needed to know so that he could clean up the damage before it started. They passed Captain Carter and Mr. Denny, neglecting to greet the gentlemen. Mr. Wickham's eye was caught by Mr. Willits's daughter, his gaze lingering too long on the maiden engaged in conversation with Mr. Jones, the village's apothecary.

Once safely in the carriage, Caroline found herself admiring Captain Carter. " Do you suppose that he is changed, Marina?" She remembered the story Charles told her of the young man, then added Marina's more intimate knowledge, creating a portrait of gluttonous, lecherous behavior.

" Hardly," Marina followed Caroline's example and studied the cluster of red coats. " I'd wager the young man is in debt again and he needs the militia to survive. I will write to Mrs. Forster this evening to warn her of his ways and hope that she takes my word for it instead of being tricked by his charm," Sitting back in the seat, Marina considered outing the man in person, deciding against it after some weighty thought. She couldn't sully her reputation so early, especially given the penchant for people to believe George Wickham.

*This is the Final Edit*