Reposting as there was some sort of site snafu with the last post. The chapter has not changed.

A/N: You get a both a longer note and a longer chapter than usual this time. Let me answer some questions/concerns from the reviews.

Timeline jumping around: I confess this is occasionally deliberate, but mostly accidental because the story changed so much after I started. I painted myself into corners more than once by all my jumping around, and then I changed and expanded the story as it came to life. Part of that is inevitable, and part is bad planning. I will go back and make it more sensible when it's all done. I guess that's part of the price for reading live fan fiction as it's being made. We're close to resolution, and the rest of the story should go forward with no more jumping around. (Maybe one teensy tiny little jog or two). Also, even though the timeline is complicated, it does all work.

How can everyone not know stuff: For example, neither Jane nor Elizabeth know about Kitty's miscarriage yet. Part of that is the self-imposed isolation both girls engaged in, which is admittedly irrational, but just the way I played out the story. We also forget in this day and age that at the time, a letter was expensive and took some time. I conveniently sent Jane 300 miles away (thought about Cornwall because of Pouldark), to introduce confusion. A letter cost Lizzy and Jane about ½ a day's wages, so they would not write that often. At this point: 1) Neither woman knows about Kitty, 2) Lizzy did arrange to monitor the girls, but late in the day and the plan ran into unexpected difficulties, 3) Darcy is doing his very best. Still a little behind time, but with his heart in the right place, 4) Jane has no idea Lizzy has moved away from Kent yet (that will be exposed in about 2 chapters).

HEAs?: I hate to do spoilers in A/N's because not everyone wants one. If you want to see the answer, click Forums and then Books above, then search for Cliffs Hertfordshire.

Could this plan work: Yes, it is a workable plan. Remember women have been raising babies by themselves for thousands of years. It's not even close to ideal, but even then, it was doable. Of course, I had to do tons of research to convince myself of that. If anyone is interested, I can post links. BTW, all the book stuff is real and was frequently done by women until about the 1820s. Mary's income is about right. There was a fine line between medical men, charlatans and witchdoctors in those days. Travel times are mostly accurate, although there was quite a bit of variance (you'll see lots of travel times in next chapters). Mail was fast and fairly reliable even in 1812, but not bulletproof. A letter from Cornwall to Kent would take 7-14 days to arrive usually, but it wasn't unusual for it to take longer. Most letters went through London most of the time, regardless of source and destination (but not always). Lizzy's abrupt departure from Kent (running from FD as you may recall) really bolloxed up the communication between Lizzy and pretty much everyone else. Jane doesn't even know she left yet (mail delays). It is possible to travel much faster than anyone does in Canon, and I'll have examples coming up. Miscarriages in the first trimester are quite common even today, and even more so back then – more than 20%. England was at war for almost all of JA's life, and her brother was in the navy, so it's no surprise it shows up JA and in JAFF.

Do you always write strong women: Yes, I do

[Insert random Bennet sister] is acting out of character, being selfish, irrational, impractical, annoying, etc.: Yes they are.

How much more angst? I'm about tapped out (and thoroughly tapped out on cliffs analogies): No more of either.

Can you really untangle this mess of a timeline: Yes, I can… I think ;)

I must give a big thank you to all the thoughtful reviews I've received. They all help immensely. I prefer signed reviews to guest reviews so I can reply to you, but I read and respect every one.

"Hello, Lydia"

Of all the people in the world Elizabeth Bennet expected or desired to show up on her doorstep, this was the very last. Yes, she was her sister, and yes, Elizabeth was planning to take over the task of raising that sister's child, but that did not in her mind mean she would actually have to tolerate said sister… in person… for 3 months!

Lydia, for her part, set about proving beyond any doubt that she was in fact Lydia Bennet.

"What a tiny little place. How are we expected to stay here? You will not believe the horrid time we've had Lizzy. Did you know Father shot Mr. Wickham in his study, and later Mr. Wickham was to be hanged? He didn't get the noose though, as there appeared to be some sort of mishap on the gallows. Mr. Denny says he lost 3 shillings wager on the matter. Where am I to sleep? I'm SO HUNGRY!"

Elizabeth, finally recovering the power of speech said, "What are you doing here Lydia? How did you get here?"

That was apparently enough encouragement to start another round with Lydia.

"Father threw me out with nothing but a few pounds and some curses to my name, and asked Mrs. Quincy to bring me to you. What a horrid woman she is! I cannot believe I've had to travel with her these three weeks. Then we went to Kent and had to stay with that horrible Mr. Smyth, and I was sick as a dog every morning. Then we've been in carriages for days and days and days getting to this awful godforsaken placed!"

Elizabeth looked over at Mrs. Quincy in horror. Elizabeth could not believe how very disagreeable, selfish and stupid her sister could be, nor that Mrs. Quincy had managed to refrain from strangling the ungrateful girl.

Mrs. Quincy said, "Never you mind child. I brought both of you into the world, and I'm not to be troubled by a spoiled child… although, I have to say I have had my fill, mind you."

Elizabeth said quickly, "Mrs. Quincy, I am thoroughly mortified. I must pay you for your services and send you back home immediately with my deepest apologies, although I doubt I will ever be able to repay you for such an awful experience."

Mrs. Quincy looked at her forgivingly. Mrs. Quincy was well known as a wise elder in the village, and no woman within 20 miles wanted to have a child without her in attendance. Mrs. Quincy said, "I rather like this village Elizabeth. I might stay a bit, if it's all the same to you. I'll deliver this little hellion's child, then decide what to do."

Elizabeth sighed in relief. She liked the midwife that had delivered Samuel very much, but she did not know her. Mrs. Quincy was someone she knew and trusted from birth. Elizabeth had to admit that her mother was a foolish and selfish woman, but she did know about safely delivering babies into the world.

"Lizzy, I need something to eat", Lydia rudely interrupted. Mrs. Frog, who had seen the entire incident including the younger girl's comments on her most generous son, took pity on Elizabeth and said, "Come Miss Lydia. I will get you something to eat, and dragged the girl away by her arm before she could protest."

Laura came into the room, being a witness the entire sad affair. In fact, everyone in the village must have been a witness by now. Elizabeth performed the introductions, at least to those newly arrived who deserved it. Laura said, "Mrs. Quincy, I would offer you our hospitality, but I think that would deserve censure more than praise under the present circumstances, do you not agree?"

Mrs. Quincy agreed readily enough, so Laura offered, "My midwife is a lovely woman, a widow living in a neat and tidy cottage just down the lane. I believe she would be happy for some company if you are amenable to the idea."

Mrs. Quincy laughed and said, "Like with Like you are thinking Mrs. Wolcott?"

Laura, not to be outdone said, "Yes, Intelligent and amiable woman with intelligent and amiable woman."

Mrs. Quincy laughed a bit at the one-upmanship, and acknowledged the victory with her eyes. Then her countenance became sadder, and she looked at Elizabeth and said, "Has anyone told you that your sister Kitty lost the child, Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth gasped in shock, and asked, "No!...When!"

"Late April. I did not know where to write you, and I'll be hanged if I was going to ask your father."

Elizabeth replied, "It is good you spared yourself the trouble. I'm afraid he doesn't know. In fact, I'm not even sure Jane knows. I haven't heard back from her since I arrived here and sent my direction. I am beginning to worry very much about Jane. I should have heard from her by now."

Mrs. Quincy said, "I took the liberty of writing to your Uncle Gardiner to ask him to pass the information on to both you and your sister, but I do not know that he has done so."

"Unless you sent it express, I'm afraid he would not have received it. He is on holiday in the Peak District, and anything not obviously urgent would await his return. I'm afraid Jane will know nothing of this. I must write her immediately. There was a bit of confusion when we left Kent unexpectedly, and I have not heard from her in over a month. She must have written to me in Kent, but I have not received it."

Mrs. Quincy said, "We went through Mr. Smyth's estate in Kent on the way here. That was the last direction I had, and your father did not give us any time to confirm. Mr. Smyth was a gracious host, but a week with Lydia would try anyone's patience, and we left as soon as she could travel."

Elizabeth asked, "Was she unwell?"

"No more than usual, but she was sick in the mornings for nearly a se'nnight. It is normal and expected, but I did not want to trespass on his hospitality for long. He is the most perfect gentleman, but even he has his limits."

Mrs. Quincy could think of nothing more to add to the matter, so not one to dwell on things she could not change, she decided to get herself settled. She looked Laura up and down, and said, "Yesterday, unless I miss my guess?"

Laura smiled and nodded, so Mrs. Quincy said, "And why exactly are you wandering about the house now and not in your bed."

Laura nodded her head and said, "I will do as you say, Mrs. Quincy. I just could not stand to not be aware of what is happening in my own home."

Mrs. Quincy relented a bit and said, "As well you should. You gave birth. Women do it every day and you are not crippled, but you do need rest, so do not overdo it."

Mrs. Quincy, shooing Laura off towards where she presumed her bed lay, said, "I will be happy to visit your friend Mrs. Wolcott, but I will not leave this house without a look at your child."

Elizabeth said, "Little Samuel will be most happy to make your acquaintance Mrs. Quincy, and I cannot thank you enough."

Mrs. Quincy said, "Think nothing of it Elizabeth. I've never been away from Meryton, and I think of this as quite a holiday. I may just like it here."

Elizabeth said, "You are always welcome with me wherever I go Mrs. Quincy, you know that, and you are welcome here as long as you wish to stay."

"Yes Elizabeth, I know that". Then turning her head, she added, "Let us go see this boy of yours, Mrs. Wolcott."

Lizzy wanted desperately to go with the women to visit little Samuel, but she had a sister to deal with, and she had no intention of subjecting Mrs. Frog to one more moment than necessary.

The next two days with Lydia were nearly unbearable. Elizabeth began to have just a touch of sympathy for her father, until she remembered the problem was of his own creation. Her breaking point came sooner than she would have expected, in the workroom she had taken to using for her bookbinding work. Her breaking point was a perfect capstone to a half-year of chaos and madness.

She had a near constant source of delight, in her new family, the soon-to-be Wolcotts, and in her new book trade which she was taking to like a duck to water. She also had little Samuel on the positive side of the ledger. Samuel was a delight in every way possible, even when he was vexing her, and to tell the truth she was quite looking forward to the child she was to raise… or maybe she was just looking forward to the lack of her sister.

She was sitting with her sister Lydia, putting the finishing touches on the leather binding for a book for one of the local estates. Lydia was complaining almost constantly. She of course had had always had a lot to complain about, even when her mother was giving her every attention and every compliment.

Not only that, no amount of effort on Elizabeth's part could get the girl to do the slightest lick of work. She would not take out her own chamber pot, or clean up after herself, or help with the cooking, or help with the books, or do anything save sit around and complain. Elizabeth was at her wits end. What was she to do? She couldn't think of any way to punish Lydia without punishing the baby instead. What were her choices? Starve the girl? Lock her in her room? Prevent her from getting any exercise, or any society whatsoever? How would that help?

Today was a typical day, with Lydia complaining loudly as usual.

"I'm so tired, and my back is so sore. I can't sit down. I can't lay down. I have to use the chamber pot every quarter-hour. This is in every way awful."

Elizabeth, decided to try distracting her while getting an answer to a question that was vexing her.

"Lydia, are you absolutely certain you wish nothing to do with this child. Have you no feelings at all for it?"

"No! I want nothing to do with this thing! I will not even look at it! You are welcome to it! Horrid awful things… babies. I don't know why I had the misfortune to be with child."

Elizabeth's nerves were beginning to fray, and she said, "Lydia, you brought this on yourself by laying with a man before matrimony. You are the source of all your own troubles. Have you learned nothing?"

Lydia screamed, "It is not my fault! Nobody told me! How was I to know! It doesn't matter anyway. I will be rid of it soon enough, and then I shall marry an officer as I should."

Such lack of feelings made Elizabeth steam, and it was all she could do to not scream at her sister in frustration. She did however manage to keep her tongue in check, and asked a question that had been on her mind ever since Mrs. Quincy had intimated the rumors abounding in Meryton.

"Lydia, who is the father of this child? It doesn't matter to me, but I would like to know. Was it Mr. Wickham?"

Lydia laughed at her openly. In fact, she laughed, and laughed, and snorted and giggled in the most infuriating manner possible, and said, "Of course not! How could you even think that? He's only a lieutenant. I would never lie with a mere lieutenant. I'm made for a greater man than that. It was a full colonel."

Elizabeth asked in shock, "Not Colonel Forster?"

Lydia for once a little calmer than usual answered, "No, it was Colonel Miller. He was here with the regiment for the first fortnight."

Elizabeth saw for once just a glimmer of hope that Lydia would be serious for once, asked, "And what happened."

Lydia lost every bit of her pensive mood, and screamed back at Elizabeth, "You know what happened Lizzy. We were in love and I lay with him to prove my love, but he was called away by the king himself with important business on the continent fighting Napoleon himself, and he had to attend his duties, but he will be back for me. He swore it."

Elizabeth, nearly losing her temper, thought this may be her only chance to instruct this ignorant girl, and said, "Lydia, he will never be back. He just took advantage of a naïve girl to have his way. Men do that all the time. That's why we are taught to respect the vows of marriage. This is why you are supposed to save that for your husband!"

Lydia, no stranger to temper herself, leaned across the table as her distended belly would allow and screamed with the full fury of her righteous indignation.

"You are just jealous of my beauty and my ability to attract a man Lizzy Bennet. You are a spinster in the making. You are here with these horrid people that are in every way beneath us, living this squalid life, and you are just jealous that I will be an officer's wife, and attend parties and balls, and enjoy my life while you rot away in this miserable house in this miserable county with these miserable people. Everyone I have met since I left Longbourn has been horrible to me. That man in Kent was as rude as he could be. I hated it there, and he only gave us ten pounds to come all the way here."

It was at that point that Elizabeth Bennet reached her breaking point. Nothing had prepared her for the sheer, white hot fury that engulfed her. Gone was every idea that she was somehow at fault. Gone was any culpability in her family's downfall. Gone was ever good and proper and amiable feeling, and nearly every pretense of civility. Some say civilization is only a thin veneer, and she for the first time in her life got a glimpse of just how thin, and how ugly what was below might turn out to be.

With her face in a grimace of rage, she looked around at her sister and the innocent she carried, looked around at her work table, and with every ounce of self‑control she possessed, she did the mildest and least offensive thing she could think of.

She was currently engaged in binding a book in very fine leather for a wealthy gentleman from an estate ten miles away. She took up a piece of calfskin leather the width of her hand and several feet long, jumped up from the table and walked behind her sister. Without a second thought, she pulled the leather in front of the screaming girl's mouth, pulled it behind her head and tied it in a tight knot, probably ruining a piece of leather that would cost her a week's wages.

Once the leather was firmly in place, and Lydia was for once silent, her rage tamped down to a barely controllable level, and she calmly went back to the other side of the table and looked at her sister staring at her in fright. She picked up the sharp knife she used to cut the leather, and started absently cleaning her fingernails with the point as she casually started talking in a voice so soft, Lydia had to lean across the table and listen intently to hear it..

"You listen to me, Miss Lydia Bennet! I have reached my breaking point! I am through! Our father has only been right about one thing in his life. You are indeed the silliest and most ignorant girl in England. You have been taken advantage of, and you do not even know it. You have cost all of your sisters their prospects for advantageous marriage, and while I do not repine the loss in the slightest, that was not your choice to make for me. You have been selfish all your life, and now you are being rode, ignorant and vile on top of it."

Elizabeth felt like she was about to explode, but saw her hands were steady as a rock, while they idly continued cleaning her fingernails. Her voice was like iron grating against stone, one implacable force against another.

She looked casually at her sister and said, "I will only ask one thing Lydia Bennet, and you will obey! From this moment, until this child is born, you will not say a single unkind word in this house. These people that you look down are ten times the person you are, and they have taken you into their homes out of pure kindness, and out of love for me. You will take on your share of the work without complaint, and when this child is born, you will either decide to accept your role as mother or you will not. If you accept it, I will do everything in my power to help you. If you reject it, you will leave this house within a week and never darken my doorstep again."

She looked at Lydia, who was looking at her with the most shocked look of fear she had ever seen, and said, "Are we in agreement, Lydia Bennet?"

Lydia just nodded her head. Whether in fear or agreement was yet to be seen, but at the very least, one person had finally managed to get through to the core of Lydia Bennet, and someone had finally made her listen. Perhaps it would be enough, and perhaps it would not, but Elizabeth had done her very best, and hoped it would suffice.

She got up, calmly walked behind Lydia, removed the leather, and said as calmly as you please, "Go clean up your room and get ready for supper Lydia. I would appreciate it if you help with the meal."

Lydia got up from the table without another word, and went to do as she was bid.

A very chastened Lydia Bennet was on her very best behavior for the rest of the evening, and in the morning, she very timidly and cautiously approached Elizabeth.

Elizabeth looked up from trying to rescue the fine leather she had used on her sister the previous day, and waited to see what would happen.

Lydia said, "Lizzy, I want to apologize for my treatment of you, Mrs. Quincy and everyone here. It was… it was… it was wrong."

Elizabeth stared at Lydia in shock. To her knowledge, Lydia Bennet had never apologized to anyone for anything in her life. She took some pity on her sister, and said, "It's alright Liddy. Can we just get through this, please?"

Lydia nodded her head in agreement, and for once Elizabeth thought this might just work out.

Lydia handed her a small wrapped parcel and said, "Lizzy, please don't be mad, but these letters were waiting for you in Kent. I forgot them until just this morning."

Elizabeth vacillated between joy at finally possibly hearing from Jane, and the need to scream in frustration at her sister; and finally decided she would take the good of the day and forget the bad.

"It's alright, Liddy. I hope they're from Jane. I am tremendously worried about her."

With breathless anticipation, Elizabeth tore open the first letter, dated May 1, thinking it was nice that Jane decided to write to her on May Day. Then as she read, her face fell at what she saw was happening in the house. Lydia watched in some dismay as Elizabeth's face fell, and she said, "Oh no! Jane has landed in a bad household. This was over six weeks ago! I must know what has happened."

With eager fright, she tore open the next letter, dated May 15, and its contents were even more frightening. She was glad to see that Jane as taking steps to protect herself, and her friend Lucy seemed a kind and sensible woman. The women of the household seemed to be taking care to stick together to prevent anything untoward from happening. She hoped Jane would do the sensible thing and just leave, but she doubted her sense of duty would allow it. It was a frightening environment, but not necessarily untenable, except for one thing. This one thing frightened her to death.

Today was the 12th of June. Jane's last letter was nearly a month ago. Lizzy wrote to her as soon as she arrived at the Wolcotts on the 11th with the new direction, and that letter should have arrived in time for Jane to write back by now. Where was Jane's letter?

She needed advice most urgently, so grabbing Lydia's hand, she ran from the room looking for the Frogs.

Mr. Wolcott and Mrs. Smyth, enjoying the last few weeks of her current surname examined both letters critically. Then they got out a calendar and marked all the important dates. There was the time for the letters from Jane, the dates Lydia was in Kent, the days Lizzy had been in Kent and the days they arrived. Mr. Wolcott, who seemed to have a book for everything pulled a book of mail schedules and routes from a high shelf in back of the shop and pored over it.

After a careful perusal, as Mr. Wolcott did not do anything haphazardly, he finally concluded, "We just don't know Elizabeth. It seems plausible that Jane never got your letter from here, or if she was in such a disreputable house, they could well have lost or even destroyed your letters. She would have posted her letters though, but if she sent one after the 15th of May, it should by all rights have been in Kent for your sister to take, and Mr. Smyth's household is not one to lose letters. It's not certain something bad has happened to your sister, but I am concerned. I am very concerned, and it's been nearly a month since you knew anything of her."

If Elizabeth had been hoping against hope that the older and wiser gentleman would pull some magic out of the air to make her sanguine about Jane's prospects, this was not it.

Elizabeth said, "I know not what to do. If Lydia weren't here and you weren't counting on me for the business, I would be on the first coach, but even that will take weeks to get there."

Mrs. Smyth asked, "Are you that concerned about her? She is a clever girl is she not?"

Elizabeth admitted that she was, but that she also had a strong sense of duty, and she could not see Jane abandoning her post and her charges absent a very compelling reason, such as the encouragement of her sister.

Mr. Wolcott looked at her carefully, leaned back in his chair, and pulled out his pipe. In only a short time Elizabeth had learned this was his thinking posture, and she patiently waited for him to work it out in his head. At length, he asked, "How bad do you want to see your sisters? Would you endure some real discomfort and expense?"

Elizabeth said, "I would endure anything. She is there at my behest. She would still be at Longbourn absent my plan."

Mrs. Smyth demurred, "Who can say Elizabeth. There seems little point in recriminations about the past."

Elizabeth admitted she was right.

Mr. Wolcott said, "How much do you know about mail coaches, Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth owned that she knew practically nothing.

"They run at night, and usually take four passengers. They travel nearly 100 miles in a night, with changes of horses every 20 miles. There is no attention whatsoever paid to passenger comfort. You may get a stop of five minutes, every two hours for the full twelve hours of the night. You can sleep during the day, or take a private coach that is slower but will advance you. Carefully done, you could be to Jane by next Tuesday or Wednesday, or if you wait until Monday to leave, you could still be there by Friday."

Elizabeth looked at him in astonishment. It had taken them four days to come here from Kent, and Mr. Wolcott was proposing she go all the way to Cornwall in the same four or five days. She was just about to assert that it was impossible, but wisely decided to look at Mr. Wolcott's mail schedules instead, and was astonished to learn that it was possible.

Mr. Wolcott came back with a roll of maps, and started showing her the routes she would need to take, and the alternates she would need in case of difficulty.

Of course, her next concern was the cost, but Mr. Wolcott showed her the rate tables next. At 1 pence per mile, if she managed to sleep some on the mail coaches during the night, and keep moving she might not need a lot of lodging. She could get to Cornwall and back for £5-7.

In her job as Mrs. Smyth's companion, or as an idle daughter of her father that would have been a month's wages. Elizabeth would happily give up much more than that to assure herself of Jane's safety.

She was just about resolved to go, when she spied the last remaining obstacle across the table. Her mouth hung open in shock when Lydia said, "You go Lizzy. I will behave."

A careful look at Mr. Wolcott and Mrs. Smyth showed they were in agreement with the scheme, neither of them in the least intimidated by Lydia Bennet.

Laura said, "It will be a difficult and unpleasant experience Lizzy, but I don't see how you can avoid it. You must go."

Lizzy was in agreement, and just for the record, Samuel abstained.