This is one of my favorite scenes in the book, so I had a lot of fun trying to adapt it for the LBD. :)

Mrs. Bennet had long given up hope that Lizzie's looks or charm would get her a husband. She was pretty, to be sure, but too often she was overshadowed by Jane's ethereal beauty. As for her charm, well! Lizzie wouldn't know how to be demure if her life depended on it.

So there would have to be some alternate route to finding Lizzie a secure future. Getting a job would be a decent start. A career woman had to be at least more appealing to men than a graduate student living with her parents, wouldn't she? So when young Mr. Collins confided in her that he intended to offer Lizzie a lucrative position at his company, Mrs. Bennet was delighted. She smoothed the way for him every way she could, with dinner invitations, frequent compliments about his business acumen, and plenty of praise for Lizzie's intelligence and work ethic. The day Mr. Collins went purposefully into Lizzie's room, clutching a satchel full of incentives, Mrs. Bennet could barely contain her excitement. She waited in the doorway of her own room, watching the hallway until he reemerged.

"Well!" she said cheerily, seizing Mr. Collins's hand and shaking it. "This has all worked out nicely, hasn't it?"

"Ah, Mrs. Bennet," he replied, returning the handshake. "Yes, your daughter will be a welcome addition to Collins and Collins. We just have a few...wrinkles to work out, so to speak."

The beginnings of dread began to creep upon her. "Wrinkles? She did accept your offer, didn't she?"

"Technically, we have not yet reached an agreement, but thanks to her savvy negotiating skills, it appears she is holding out in the hopes of eliciting a more beneficial offer."

This was a very bad sign. "Lizzie's not that clever at negotiating. More likely, she's just being stubborn. But don't you worry; I'll talk some sense into her."

Mr. Collins frowned, another very bad sign. "Not that clever? Stubborn? Mrs. Bennet, I fear those are not traits which recommend her for the position I am looking to fill."

"Oh, no, no," she said, growing more desperate, "she just has this teensy little rebellious streak, that's all. It won't affect her ability to work at your company in the slightest."

He remained doubtful. "Mrs. Bennet, I thank you for your considerable hospitality, but perhaps it would be best if I departed at this time."

"Yes, yes, I understand," she said, near tears. "But please won't you join us again for dinner tomorrow? We must hear more about how your dear mother is doing before you've finished packing her house."

"Of course. I am delighted, as always, by your magnanimous invitations, Mrs. Bennet."

As soon as she had seen him out the door, she stormed into Lizzie's room in a fury.

Her daughter, instead of being abashed or sheepish, looked peeved. As if she was the one who'd been wronged! "Please tell me you didn't invite him to come back tomorrow," she groaned from her spot on her bed.

Mrs. Bennet folded her arms across her chest. "Oh, yes I did. And I'll have him over every day until you come to your senses."

"Are you saying you actually want me to work for that pompous idiot?"

"This is always been your problem – whether it's men or jobs or whatever, you're far too picky. Mark my words, Lizzie, you'll learn to regret it someday."

Lizzie just let out a noise of exasperation and buried her head in her pillows.

Well, if she couldn't talk any sense into Lizzie, maybe her father could. Mrs. Bennet left the room in a huff and hurried down to talk to her husband. He was holed away in his study as always, chuckling over a book. She snatched it from his hand and said, "You must do something about that daughter of yours! She's rejected Mr. Collins and now he's starting to think of rejecting her."

He peered up at her, pulling his pipe from his mouth. "I haven't the pleasure of understanding you," he said. "What's all this about?"

"Oh, young Mr. Collins offered Lizzie a lucrative position at his company, and she turned him down, and he's begun to think he doesn't want her after all!"

"What would you have me do about it? It seems a hopeless mess."

"Don't be silly, dear! You speak to Lizzie. Tell her what a foolish girl she's being."

He stood. "Let's go speak with her. I'll offer my opinion."

Much heartened by his support, she took his arm and they went upstairs to Lizzie's room together. He knocked on the closed door, and Lizzie's petulant voice called out, "What now?"

"It's me, Lizzie," he answered. Seconds passed, and then the door opened, revealing Lizzie's angry face. "And your mother," her father added belatedly as Lizzie scowled at Mrs. Bennet. "Have a seat."

Lizzie flopped back onto her bed. Her father stood beside her, hands behind his back. "I understand that Ricky Collins has made you a job offer?"

"Yes."

"And you turned him down?"

"Yes."

"And now we come to the important point. Your mother believes you have made a serious mistake. She'll be very unhappy with you if don't change your mind and accept the offer, isn't that so, dear?"

"Yes," Mrs. Bennet cried, "If she can't come to her senses I'll never be able to speak to her again!"

"Indeed. Well, Lizzie, you have a very unhappy choice before you. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. If you do not accept Ricky Collins's offer your mother will never speak to you again. And I will never speak to you again if you do."

Mrs. Bennet gasped in horror. She had been so sure her husband was on her side! Yes, she had exaggerated a bit in claiming she wouldn't speak to Lizzie again, but – "My dear! How could you possibly approve of our daughter's choice?" To make matters worse, Lizzie had that scrunched-up look on her face, the one that meant she was holding back laughter. The sheer nerve, the audacity! "Am I the only one in this family who cares about what will happen to our children when we're dead and buried?" She ran from the room, dismayed and wounded.

Jane poked her head from her bedroom. "Mom? Are you all right?"

"Oh, Jane! At least I know you'll be taken care of. Dear, dear, Bing!" And she burst into tears while Jane patted her shoulder bewilderingly.