Hertfordshire, November 1807
The upstairs rooms at Longbourn were filled with the sounds of giggling girls. Lizzy and Jane had pulled Mary, who had recently turned fifteen, into their room to try different hairstyles for the upcoming assembly.
Mary's fierce expression was marred somewhat by the hint of a smile on her lips. Scowling at her sisters, said in a stern voice. "I will not allow you to change my hair!"
Jane and Lizzy looked at one another, then Lizzy laughed and reached to tug at Mary's hairpins again. "Stop!" shouted Mary suddenly, bursting into tears.
Jane and Lizzy froze, each with a confused expression on her face. Jane looked helplessly at Lizzy, who shrugged in response. "Mary, dearest," said Jane in a calm voice, "why are you upset?"
Sniffing, Mary sat on her bed and buried her face in her hands. "I don't want to come out," she wailed between sobs.
Mrs. Bennet had once again insisted that another of her daughter's come out to their local society at the tender age of fifteen years. "After all," she had said, "I need at least one of you to marry well before we are cast out to the hedgerows."
Jane and Lizzy had tried to speak with their father, to persuade him to allow shy Mary to remain at home for another year. He responded by teasing them about being jealous of Mary taking away all their suitors.
"Oh, Mary," said Lizzy. "I know that you are frightened, but I promise that Jane and I will be beside you the entire time. Plus, you'll already know almost everyone there. The Lucases, the Longs, the Gouldings….all of them are our friends."
Mary looked up from her hands. "It's not that," she whispered.
Lizzy and Jane exchanged bewildered looks. "If you aren't afraid of so many people at the assembly, then why don't you want to go?"
Mary hesitated, then shook her head. "You'll laugh at me."
"I would never laugh at you," Jane assured her.
"She would," said Mary indignantly, pointing at Lizzy, who was already fighting back a smile at Mary's surly tone of voice.
Regaining her equilibrium, Lizzy assumed at straight face and placed her hand over her heart. "I vow to not laugh at you, Mary," she stated solemnly.
Glancing from one of her sisters to the other, Mary took a deep breath and said, "I am concerned for the welfare of my soul."
There was a long pause, then Jane said, "I'm sorry, Mary, I don't quite understand."
Lizzy blurted out, "Do you mean to say that if you go to the assembly, you're in danger of forsaking heaven?"
Mary rolled her eyes. "No. Well, not really. You see, I was studying Reverend Fordyce again this week, and refers to Proverbs where it says that charm is deceitful and beauty is vain. And in Malachi it says cursed be the deceiver. I do not want to be cursed because I am a deceiver by curling my hair and dressing in fine clothing."
Lizzy bit her cheeks and focused on the pain to keep from laughing. Even Jane's lips appeared thinner than usual as she pressed them together. Fortunately, Mary's head was once again in her hands, so their reaction went unnoticed.
After Jane regained her composure, she gently lifted Mary's head up. "My dear sister," she said. "Do you truly feel this way?"
Mary nodded. "Very well, then," said Jane. "We will respect your wishes."
"Well, I most certainly shall not respect them!" cried Lizzy in indignation. Ignoring Jane's reproachful look, Lizzy said, "Mary, I also refer you to Proverbs, where it says a virtuous woman has a price far above rubies. It says that her clothing is silk and purple. And think of the Song of Solomon! He describes his love as fair multiple times."
Mary and Jane looked at Lizzy in astonishment. "I had no idea you were such a student of the scriptures," Mary said, puzzled.
Lizzy blushed slightly. "I may have done some research once I saw you begin to read Fordyce," she explained.
Jane began to giggle, and a wide smile broke across Mary's face. Lizzy laughed in relief, and the other two joined in for a few minutes.
Once they had calmed themselves, Lizzy grew serious. Looking directly into Mary's eyes, she said, "Mary, every member of the clergy who has ever visited Longbourn has spoken in Sunday service about God's love. God is the Creator, is He not?"
Mary nodded. Lizzy continued, "Then it behooves us all to remember that He would want us to delight in His creations. That includes ourselves. False pride is unseemly, as is over embellishment or thinking ourselves above another. But I believe that there is no deceit or harm in showing God our appreciation by putting forth effort to look our best."
Mary's eyes widened in amazement. "That….makes sense," she said slowly. "You have given me much to think on. Thank you, Sister."
Lizzy hugged Mary, and she and Jane left their younger sister to ponder in her room. Once the door closed, Jane turned to Lizzy and whispered, "Brilliant!"
Lizzy smiled. "It is a conversation I have often wanted to have with Mary, but I have been afraid of her rejection. When she spoke of her fears today, I knew that a door had opened. Ever since Becky, I have wanted to help my sisters in every way possible."
Jane embraced her sister. "You have helped, Lizzy. You saved me from Mr. Cartwright, and now you've saved Mary from herself."
Returning the embrace, Jane and Lizzy linked arms and headed towards their shared bedroom to choose some dresses that might look best on Mary.
The following evening found Mr. Bennet waiting below-stairs for his wife and daughters. He grumbled to himself and checked his pocket-watch. The sooner they could go to the assembly, the sooner they could return home again.
Mrs. Bennet descended first, shrieking to her girls to hurry before they missed the first set. Jane and Lizzy came out of Mary's room, standing at the top of the stairs. After a pause, Mr. Bennet said, "Girls, come along now."
"Yes, do hurry!" cried Mrs. Bennet. "We must arrive in plenty of time for the young men to request the sets! It would not do to have my girls seen sitting out."
Jane and Lizzy shared a smile, then Lizzy stated, "May we present the lovely Miss Mary Bennet!" They stepped apart, displaying Mary between the two of them.
"Mary, child! You look very well indeed!" declared a surprised Mrs. Bennet. And Mary did look well. Her severe braids and been exchanged for soft curls that framed her face, and her usual brown gown was replaced with a soft rose gown of Jane's.
Mr. Bennet's face softened slightly, and his eyes misted. As Mary descended the stairs, he swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat. Putting one arm around his middle child, he kissed the top of her head and said, "You look lovely, my dear. I would be honored to have your first two sets, if you're not too embarrassed to stand up with an old man."
Mary beamed, while Lizzy and Jane looked down with pride. Mary's smile remained on her face through the two sets with her father and every other set at the assembly. Between the two of them, Jane and Lizzy ensured that Mary did not sit down once at her first assembly.
Mary's success at the assembly set the tone for all her future interactions in society. While she would never be the famous beauty Jane was, her confidence in herself prevented her from disappearing into Fordyce and religious tracts.
Once at home, the three girls climbed into the same bed so they could discuss the evening. Mary laid her head on Lizzy's shoulder. "Lizzy?" she asked.
"What is it, Mary?" responded Lizzy sleepily.
"I had a wonderful time tonight. I don't feel as though I was a deceiver. My outward appearance was different, but inside I was still me."
Lizzy sat up and nudged Jane awake. "Jane, did you hear that?"
Jane blinked here eyes several times, trying to focus. "I heard Mary speak, but I'm afraid I did not actually understand any of the words she used."
Lizzy rolled her eyes. "Mary said that even though her outward appearance changed, she was still her same self on the inside."
"Ah," Jane said bemusedly.
"Don't you see? The outward appearance has no reflection on the person inside. We may be drawn to a handsome face, but there is much more to a person than their looks." Lizzy took in her sisters' confused expressions. "As we seek to find proper husbands, we will need to look past their exteriors and give consequence to who they are on the inside."
Jane nodded in understanding. "Mary," she explained, "Lizzy and I have been trying to discover ways to know if a man will make for a good husband. We've learned that one way to tell is by seeing how he treats those beneath him."
"And now you've helped us understand another way," Lizzy continued. "We must ensure that we look past their features, whether handsome or ugly, and see who they are as a person."
"But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart," Mary said. When her sisters merely blinked at her, she said, "From the book of Samuel."
Lizzy began to laugh. "Mary, please don't ever change who you are." With that, the three girls fell into a peaceful sleep.
Derbyshire, May 1808
Fitzwilliam Darcy put his newspaper down and sighed. The paper was several days out of date, but it had only just arrived to Pemberley that morning. Looking at the headline again, he scowled in frustration.
"That's quite a fearsome face, old man," cried Bingley as he entered the breakfast room. "Did Georgiana use the front page for her watercolor practice again before you had a chance to read it?" Chuckling at his jest, Bingley placed eggs and bacon on his plate from the sideboard before joining Darcy at the table.
Darcy smiled in wry amusement. He clearly remembered how excited Georgiana had been to show him how the watercolor paints smeared and blended with the newspaper ink, creating an illegible (albeit beautiful mess). Her joyful expression had instantly melted any frustration he had felt at not being able to read that day's paper.
"She will be thirteen this year," he reminded Bingley. "A little old for such antics. In addition, she is occupied with unpacking her things after her journey from finishing school."
"Why the long face, then?" inquired Bingley.
"I'm afraid it has more to do with you than it does to with me," Darcy said. "I'm surprised you haven't received a missive yet." Handing the paper to a confused Bingley, Darcy continued, "It appears there is still unrest in the north with the factories and the workers refusing to use the weaving machines. There was some damage at the factories near Yorkshire."
Bingley's frown matched Darcy's as he scanned the newspaper. "I'm not entirely surprised. I have tried to keep abreast of the situation while doing my schooling."
Bingley sat in thought for a minute, then looked to Darcy with an uncharacteristically somber face. "Darcy, even though I have not been requested, I believe I should ride north and take my school holidays there until this matter settles."
Darcy nodded in agreement. He would miss Bingley, but he knew the importance of these factories to Bingley's income. "If there is anything I can do to help, please let me know," Darcy replied.
Bingley hesitated, then said, "I may be gone for a long time. Pemberley has become like a second home to me in the eighteen months I have been here. I would like to return here once this mess has been resolved, if it's all the same to you."
Darcy smiled, "I would greatly appreciate your company." The two men shook hands, and Bingley left to begin making arrangements for his travel.
As Bingley direct his valet and wrote letters, Darcy went up to check on Georgiana. She had arrived home earlier in the day from finishing school, and he was anxious to spend time with her.
As he approached her chambers in the family wing, he heard a distraught voice yelling. He walked faster and neared the door in time to here Georgiana shout, "– and you can press every single one of these gowns again before they are hung! Just look at the creases that are still in them!"
Aghast, Darcy knocked on the door. A maid with red-rimmed eyes opened it and dipped a quick curtsy. "Hello, Maggie," he said gently, smiling at the young woman. "I'd like to speak with my sister in private, please."
The girl dipped another curtsy and fled down the hall.
Darcy took a deep breath before stepping into his sister's room. He looked around at the numerous trunks in various stages of being emptied and sighed. She certainly didn't lack for clothes, even though she was just thirteen.
"Brother!" Georgiana exclaimed. She threw herself into his arms, and he swung her around in a circle. She laughed, then suddenly straightened. "I mean, how good it is to see you again, Brother," she said in a formal tone, executing a neat curtsy.
"What's this?" cried Darcy in a jovial tone. "Where is my little sister? There is a proper young lady in place of her! I must write to the headmistress at once!"
Georgiana let out another peal of laughter, but then quickly turned it into a giggle that she covered with her hand.
"Oh, Fitzwilliam," she said, "I am getting much to old for such things. I am thirteen years old now, after all."
"Yes, you are," Darcy said warmly. "I only wish our parents were able to see you so grown up."
The two siblings looked at one another for a moment in shared sorrow. Then Darcy clapped his hands once and said, "Well, now, how was your trip from school? I am sorry I couldn't come to fetch you myself, but I had several responsibilities here at Pemberley that I had to attend to."
Georgiana began chattering away about the drive, the stops, and the scenery. Darcy was concerned to hear her disparage her maid and the coachman several times.
"– I think he hit ever pothole in the road on purpose, just to aggravate me because I had slept in longer than I intended at the inn. But it's all Maggie's fault. She didn't try hard enough to get me out of bed when I asked her to let me sleep longer. That lazy girl -"
"Georgiana!" interrupted Darcy sharply. Upon seeing her eyes widen at his tone, he moderated his voice and continued. "It is not Maggie's responsibility to force you out of bed. It is also not in the coachman's nature to put the horses and carriage at risk just to spite a child."
He raised a hand as she opened her mouth to protest. "Because are still a child. You are growing up, yes, but you are still young. This is clearly evidenced by your treatment of Maggie just now before I entered, as well as your attitude towards them."
Georgiana's mouth dropped open. "But they're just servants!" she exclaimed.
"But they are people first," Darcy said sternly. "Their social status does not make them worthy of disrespect."
Georgiana looked confused. "But we have more money than they do. Our grandfather was an earl! Our uncle is an earl, and our cousin will be an earl. We own property and are of a much higher class."
"That is all exactly correct," responded her brother, "but simply being born to wealth and position does not mean that you have more value than they do."
"I don't understand," Georgiana said.
"And that is because I have not done a proper job in educating you about your responsibilities due to your station. That is a mistake which I will correct this summer while you are home."
Georgiana looked thoughtful, then said, "But I still don't see what I have done wrong. I spoke to Maggie and about the coachman the exact way all the other girls at school do. Lady Penelope told me that I was supposed to because of my rank, and she's the daughter of a duke!"
Darcy sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "Georgiana, it does not matter what your friends do or say. What matters is what you do or say. In fact, I would say in some ways a servant is of more value than his master."
"I still don't understand, Fitzwilliam."
Darcy sat on a chair near her mirror and motioned for her to sit on her bed. Once settled, he said, "Let's begin with a hypothetical scenario. There is a wealthy man who walks down the streets in London and passes a beggar. He gives him a shilling and goes on his way. Later, footman walks past that same beggar. The footman also gives him a shilling. Which of them gave more?"
Georgiana thought for a minute. "Well, they both only gave a shilling. But since the wealthy man has more money, it was easier for him to give the shilling. Therefore, I think the footman gave more."
Darcy smiled in approval, and she returned it. "Exactly, my dear. The footman has much less than the wealthy man, so his contribution was of more value. You and I have been born with very much. Our servants have been born with very little. If there is a tenant in need and we send a basket of food, and another tenant also sends a basket of food, what that tenant did was worth more than our contribution because of our excess."
Nodding her head slowly, Georgiana said, "I think I begin to understand, Brother. Maggie does much more work than I do, and she has much less with which to do it. She always has a kind word for another servant, or a smile for me when I have had a difficult day."
"Precisely, Georgiana. For a young lady such as yourself, it does not matter if a person is a servant, or a tradesman's daughter, or the daughter of a duke. We are all of equal worth. What matters is what we do with what we are given."
Georgiana looked at him, puzzlement on her face. "So why, then, do you only intend to marry the daughter of a peer?"
Darcy let out a bark of laughter. "When have I ever said anything like that?"
"Well, never, I guess… but all the girls at school have said so."
He rolled his eyes. "Yes, because gossip always contains the absolute truth," he said solemnly.
Georgiana looked at him for a second before saying, "Oh, you are speaking in jest!"
"Of course I am jesting, Georgiana! Most gossip is completely inaccurate. I have never once stated that I will only marry the daughter of a peer. I have often, however, spoken of my intent to marry well. My definition of marrying well involves more than just social status."
A look of understanding flashed across Georgiana's face. "You mean you prefer to look at their character as opposed to simply their status in society."
"That is correct. Unfortunately, most of the women in society with whom I am acquainted do not have the characteristics that I use to define a truly accomplished woman. I seek someone to be my partner. It would not matter if she is from trade, although I admit that I have yet to encounter a single woman from trade who is not looking at me for my income."
"Really?" asked Georgiana in disbelief.
"Honestly. You can ask your cousin Richard how many times he has had to protect me from a scheme to entrap me by compromise. The last time I attended a house party, there were three women in the same night who all tried to access my bedchambers."
"Were all three from trade?"
Darcy shook his head. "Two of them were, but one of them was the daughter of a baronet who had fallen into financial difficulties."
"My poor brother," Georgiana sighed. "It must be exhausting."
"I have learned to err on the side of caution," admitted Darcy. "I do not worry about tenants or servants as much – they quite often have more integrity because they have learned to work hard in life. However, those born to privilege and wealth often feel it is their right to have as much of it as possible. As such, I tend to assume they will try to take advantage of me."
"How did you and Mr. Bingley become friends, then? Is he not in trade?" asked Georgiana.
The siblings spent the next several hours in companionable conversation while Darcy entertained his sister with stories from his school days. As the dinner hour approached, Darcy stood and rang for Maggie. He was pleased to hear his sister apologizing to her maid for her "boorish behavior" as he left the room. He often worried he was raising his sister correctly, but today's conversation was one that gave him comfort.