Hello and sorry for not posting any sooner. I had a somewhat weird week and hardly got to anything I had planned on doing, but I guess that's life. Anyway, to at least give you something for the weekend, here are the next three chapters. Thank you all so much for your kindness and patience and especially Shey72 for betaing this story. I am so thankful for all your support. :)

Love

Nic

Chapter 38

It's not the situation, but whether we react negative or respond positive to that situation that is important.

Zig Ziglar

"Oh, what a nice gentleman Mr Bingley is," Mrs Bennet repeated herself for the umpteenth time. "And I am so glad that I thought of inviting him and his sister to dinner tonight. Not that I dared hope he would accept, but I am very glad he did."

Mr Bennet only huffed before continuing to eat; Kitty and Lydia giggled violently; Mary, back to her usual stern hairstyle and drab gowns, rolled her eyes; Jane blushed most becomingly; and Elizabeth herself merely nodded absent-mindedly. Her thoughts were far away and by no means occupied with tonight's dinner. Ever since the conversation with her father a few days ago, her mind had been reeling. Not that she had gotten anywhere close to a solution as yet. In fact, the whole situation was still as vexing as it had ever been.

"I wonder whether Miss Bingley is as nice as her brother," Jane currently addressed her.

"Well, we will see, I suppose," Elizabeth replied thoughtfully, finally waking from her most unsettling reverie.

"Oh, she surely will. And there can be little doubt that she will be a very elegant lady, you will all have to wear your best, girls," their mother chimed in. "Jane, you should wear your new white gown and the blue sash with it. I know you wore it to the ball but Mr Bingley, being a man will hardly recall. Men never do."

"But Mama, the invitation was merely for a family dinner. Do you not think that our usual dresses will suffice?" Jane tried to reason.

"Nonsense! You will want to look your best, Jane. After all, Mr Bingley paid you quite a bit of attention at the ball."

That much was true and yet not surprising seeing that Jane was by far the prettiest woman in their admittedly rather limited circle. Not only that, but she was also the kindest of them all.

"I for my part believe that too much attention is paid to how a person looks on the outside instead of on the inside," Mary interjected. "Vanity can never be a virtue, and I for my part shall not take part in such folly."

"Oh shush, girl, who asked you?" her mother promptly reprimanded her while Elizabeth could just about catch the words Lydia whispered into Kitty's ear: "Well, that explains why Mary is always wearing the plainest gowns of all of us..."

Kitty in turn merely giggled.

"No, nothing will do but your new white gown, Jane, and the blue sash will complement your eyes quite charmingly."

Knowing full well that there was no point in brooking any opposition, Jane resigned herself to her fate.

Their father, as was his habit, had barely said anything, but his rising from the table was a clear indication that the meal was over as far as he was concerned and eager to get away, Elizabeth followed his lead and likewise stood up.

"Oh, Lizzy, I do recommend you keep your tongue in check for once," her mother held her back. "It will not do if what you like to call wit scares Mr Bingley away or that you should make a bad impression on his sister. She is bound to be used to the very highest of society and with that exceedingly good manners. Do think of your sister."

"Yes, Mama," she calmly managed to reply, and even without rolling her eyes once again, before following her father out of the dining parlour.

"And Jane, you have to do something with your hair. Have you seen what Mary King did with hers the other evening? Now I think it looked very becoming, do you not agree?"

Though Elizabeth, already on her way up the stairs, could not hear her sister's reply, Mary King's hair had looked anything but becoming. But at any rate, it was not as if every invitation they ever received was not followed with the same endless tirades of their mother as to what would do best. In the end, neither of her daughters would pay her much heed and would instead take her own counsel or, on occasion, that of one of their sisters and Mrs Bennet would congratulate herself that her daughters' charm and elegance had been all her own doing.

While Elizabeth had escaped one evil, if one could even call it that, the another had re-surfaced. What to do about William? Or rather Mr Darcy. Again it left her quite in a quandary. However, she had barely sat in the window seat of her room for more than five minutes, when there was a knock and, with some hesitation, Jane stepped in.
"Lizzy, are you quite all right? You have been awfully quiet these past few days, and while I did not want to pry, I do start to worry, Lizzy."

"It is nothing, I assure you."

"If it were nothing you would not always be so very far away with your thoughts these days. Is it still about William? Have you found out something?"

Though Elizabeth would have loved nothing more than to confide in her sister at this point, she had given Mr Darcy her word not to say anything to anybody and she was a woman of her word. On the other hand, seeing that her father now knew likewise who his under-gardener really was, perhaps that promise had become void. But no, a promise was a promise and she would not say anything.

"Yes, Jane, I have found out something, but as it is, I gave my word not to speak about it," Elizabeth, eventually replied, choosing to be honest while at the same time not betraying William's trust.

A worried look crossed her sister's face though she did not say anything. Not at first at least. Instead, Jane wrapped her arms around her younger sister and pulled her close.

"You know," Jane eventually whispered, "in matters of the heart, sometimes the brain can be a bad advisor."

"Perhaps, but to follow one's heart blindly, can lead down the road of destruction, Jane."

"Lizzy, you are far too wise to give your word to a dishonourable man and seeing that you did give William your word not to say anything, the only conclusion I can come to is that he is indeed Mr Darcy just as you assumed from reading Aunt Madeleine's letter. Is that so? A nod or a shake of your head will suffice to set me at ease."

Hesitantly Elisabeth did nod, and Jane's face broke into a smile.

"See, then all will be well as long as you do not let your head rule over your heart too much."

From downstairs their mother's voice drifted down the hallways of Longbourn House and broke the last bit of tension that had hung between Jane and Elizabeth, ending in an exasperated sigh from one and a roll of her eyes from the other sister.

Perhaps Jane was right, perhaps it was time to follow her heart and with that, do what both her father and her sister had suggested. She would no longer avoid William, since to her, that would always be his true self. The very man she had fallen in love with. He was honourable, he would not be her downfall, and the worst she had to fear was a broken heart. If she was lucky, on the other hand, perhaps she would become the happiest of women.