Thanks for reading and reviewing.

Thanks Miriam1, for all your help. Thank you very much.

000
Mary couldn't believe her luck when her father said that she could go with Jane to London. Obviously she wasn't the first choice, but with Elizabeth going off to Hunsford with Sir William Lucas and Maria to visit Charlotte and Mr. Collins, she had become the replacement but she didn't care. It was chance to finally travel and see the world. Elizabeth and Maria would join them for their last week in London and then the four of them would return to Longbourn together. Mary couldn't wait.

Kitty and Lydia would have wanted to be the ones to go with Jane to London and they had even complained half-hearted about it, but with the officers still stationed in Meryton, nothing short of a calamity would make them leave.

000

"What shall you do today?" Aunt Gardiner asked her nieces at breakfast. "There are a lot of pleasant walks in London and some really beautiful houses. You must visit the Palace and see the changing of the guard, of course, and your Uncle must procure some tickets for you to go to the theatre."

Jane assured her Aunt that they would be content to stay in the house that day and tomorrow they would tell her of their plans.

After breakfast, Jane sat down and composed a letter to her friend Miss Bingley and had it sent; she was sure that she would hear from her by the end of the day and that Caroline would call on her soon.

000

Jane and Mary turned into St. James Park and sat down; it was a beautiful day and the sisters had packed a picnic lunch to eat in the gardens. They had both been pleasantly surprised to discover that they could get along very well and indeed had a lot in common.

Jane had discovered that Mary could actually have an intelligent conversation without quoting all the sermons that she liked to read, and Mary discovered that Jane wasn't as nice and perfect as she'd always assumed. They were learning to like each other very well, and they were sure that by the end of their visit, they could actually be friends.

"Maybe Miss Bingley is really not the friend you think she is," Mary told her sister one evening as they prepared for bed. They had been in London two weeks and Jane had yet to see Caroline although Miss Bingley had written that she would visit her soon.

"She's probably very busy," Jane said.

"I'm sure she is," Mary replied. "But honestly, how hard is it to write and tell you that?"

Jane was silent.

"She's just putting off her visit as long as she can so that we leave town, and then she won't have to see you," Mary continued. "I don't think she likes you very much."

"Mary, how can you say that?"

"Think about it, Jane," Mary told her sister. "Her brother liked you and they probably decided that it was better to be friends with you than with the rest of us. You are by far the most beautiful young lady in Longbourn."

Jane stared at her sister in shock.

"They had to make some friends," Mary shrugged. "I say that they had no choice in the matter."

"Thank you very much."

"What?"

"If you put it like that," Jane laughed, "then I really wonder if I have any friends at all."

"Elizabeth's your friend," Mary told her. "And I will be your friend too. Isn't it lucky that you have us?"

"Four exasperating sisters you mean?" Jane teased her.

Mary laughed and then said, "I'm serious; imagine if you only had the likes of Caroline Bingley as your friends, how sad that would be. And you need Kitty and Lydia too, if only to hear their accounts about how perfect the officers are."

Kitty and Lydia wrote daily to update them about the officers in Meryton. They read about Captains Denny and Carter's exploits and how wild they were about both of them. Wickham was also mentioned in the letters, and from all accounts, life at Longbourn was much better than life at Gracechurch Street.

000

"I don't see why I have to go as well," Patrick complained. "Stephen's the one getting married into the family. He should be the one going to London."

"And he is," Aunt Irene reminded him. "He just wants his brother there with him for support."

"Katherine and Isabella are going to be there," Patrick said. "Why does he need me?"

"If you can't figure it out for yourself," Aunt Irene told him, "then my dear Patrick, you are a bigger fool than I thought."

Patrick smiled at his Aunt thankful that, for once, her conversation with him had not been about the 'when are you getting married' question. At that thought, he became thoughtful; maybe there was a lady in town that she wanted him to meet. He wouldn't put it past Aunt Irene to do that.

000

Patrick followed the butler into the sitting room where Katherine was sitting talking with Isabella, who had come to visit her as well. Isabella got up and hugged her brother, as they hadn't seen each other in almost a year, while Katherine just remained seated smiling at them; she was heavily pregnant with their second child.

"Patrick," Katherine told him when he sat down. "I'm surprised that Aunt Irene was able to convince you to come."

"You know how she is," Patrick replied. "Persistent."

"Well, I for one am happy you're here, whatever the reason," Isabella said.

"So am I," Patrick replied. "I can't believe I'm actually going to say this, but I missed you troublemakers."

"So how was the country?" Isabella teased him. "Any…uhm…interesting things happen while you were there?"

"I should have known that Stephen wouldn't be able to keep his mouth shut," Patrick said laughing.

"Why didn't you tell us that you had met somebody?" Katherine asked.

"Yes," Isabella agreed. "Tell us about Mary Bennet."

"She's one of the most interesting people I have ever met, "Patrick replied. "Witty and charming, I wish you could have met her." He saw the look that passed between his sisters and added. "On the hand maybe it's better that you'll never meet her."

"Why not? Do you think we would be a bad influence on her?"

Isabella's question was unanswered as the door opened to admit Stephen and Aunt Irene.

000

"I can't wait to watch this play," Mary told Jane as they entered the Palladium with Uncle and Aunt Gardiner.

"The reviews in the newspapers have been very good," Jane agreed. "I'm just glad Uncle Gardiner was able to get us some tickets."

The sisters looked in awe at the theatre impressed by the sheer grandeur of it all. They made their way to the circle where their seats were and sat down.

000

"So how do you feel about being dragged to the theatre?" Isabella asked Patrick.

"The play was good," Patrick replied grudgingly.

"See," Isabella punched him lightly on the shoulder. "You should learn to trust my judgement."

They made their way down the stairs to the entrance of the Palladium. They were waiting for Stephen who had gone to get the carriage to take them back home.

"Okay," Patrick said. "Although I wouldn't call it your judgement, the newspapers were full of rave reviews all you did was…Mary."

"Mary?" Isabella asked. "The Mary Brant character was great but you have to agree Mr. Ingram was truly the star of the play."

"No," Patrick told her. "It's Mary Bennet." He pointed at Mary who was walking with her sister and Aunt and Uncle towards a waiting carriage. "She's here. She's in London."

000