Hertfordshire, July 1811
Lizzy covered her ears at the sounds emanating from the sitting room. Lydia was currently being fitted for the clothes she needed for her come out. She had recently turned fifteen and was to attend her first assembly. Her happiness was demonstrated by squeals of joy that were echoed by her mother.
Jane smiled kindly at Lizzy. "She is young, still, and she has been waiting for this day for quite a long time."
"She's no younger than any of us were when we came out," grumbled Lizzy.
"Yes, well, you were upset to not get more walking dresses!" laughed Mary.
The four elder Bennet girls were working together on the linens Mary would take with her upon her marriage to Mr. Collins later that year. Since there were many months yet, the girls were able to take their time and make each item as close to perfect as possible.
Kitty looked up from a bedsheet and said, "It will be different to have Lydia attend an assembly with us. I hope she acts with more decorum than she does at home."
Lizzy let out a laugh and replied, "I doubt it."
"Lizzy, that is unkind!" cried Jane.
"But true," Lizzy retorted.
Jane let out a sigh, but she could not argue the merits of the case with her sister. In truth, all four of Lydia's elder sisters were concerned about Lydia coming out into society. While she was of age, her behavior in company did not exhibit the maturity one would hope for a girl of her years.
Changing the subject, Kitty said, "I wonder if Colonel Forster and Captain Denny will be there."
"I'm sure they will be," Lizzy said. "They promised when we saw them in Meryton that they would have returned from London by then."
Colonel Forster and Captain Denny had come to Meryton a fortnight prior in search of locations for their regiment to quarter for the winter. Although it was some months off, they had several different towns to scout. They had taken a room at the inn for a month complete in order to branch out to neighboring communities.
Colonel Forster was a smart young colonel, as Mrs. Bennet described him, and had been showing some small amount of attention towards Miss Harriet Long, a cousin to the Longs of Meryton who was visiting her family for a few months.
Finally, the sounds from the sitting room had quieted, and the Bennet girls thought it safe to rejoin their mother and youngest sister. As they filed into the room, their eyes widened in astonishment at the amount of ribbons, lace, and fabrics scattered throughout.
"Mama," gasped Jane in dismay, "how much have you purchased?"
"It is not really that much," Mrs. Bennet said airily. "My dear Lydia needs the very best for her first assembly!"
"But the expense!" said Mary with a frown.
"Oh, hang the expense!" cried Mrs. Bennet without concern. "This is my last child to come out, so a bit of extravagance is warranted!"
The girls gave each other concerned looks while an oblivious Mrs. Bennet chattered on about the flounces and accessories for each of the fabrics that were in the room. It was in this state that Mr. Bennet entered the room.
"Mrs. Bennet!" he exclaimed in alarm when he viewed the rather large pile of frippery. "I trust you have sufficient funds to cover these purchases?"
His wife's eyes widened in slight alarm. "Well, sir," she said hesitantly, "since this is the last child to need a wardrobe for their coming out, I may have spent a bit more than usual."
Mr. Bennet gave her a long look, then said, "I told you last time you overspent your allowance, it would come from the next quarter's pin money. Looking at all of these piles, I imagine you have made enough purchases to use the following quarter's pin money as well. The orders will either need to be cancelled, or you will have to make do with no allowance until January."
Mrs. Bennet gasped in shock and indignation, while her elder daughters raised their eyebrows in surprised. "Mr. Bennet," she said in dismay, "think of the gossip!"
"You should have thought of the gossip before exceeding your income," he told her sternly.
Mrs. Bennet turned towards her youngest. "Lydia, dear – " she began, but before she could continue, Lydia let out a loud wail.
"No! No, no, no!" she screamed, stomping her foot. "Mama, you promised I could have these gowns and be the most beautiful girl at the assembly! How else shall I be the first of my sisters married?"
Lizzy let out a laugh as her other sisters watched with wide eyes. "Lydia, you are barely out, and Mary is already engaged! How can you expect to be married before her?"
"You'll see! I will be married first! Mama, you promised!" Lydia finished her tantrum with another stomp of her foot.
Mr. Bennet chuckled at his wife's dilemma, finding amusement in her choice between herself and her favorite daughter.
Mrs. Bennet looked between her husband, her daughter, and back at her husband. Finally, she said, "I supposed I can make do without pin money until January."
Lydia let out a squeal of delight, while Mrs. Bennet's other daughters lowered their heads in disappointment.
Lydia's exultations continued for the remainder of the week until it was time for the assembly. They crowded into the carriage, which was now a very tight fit with five girls and two parents. Lydia insisted on having the most room to prevent her new gown from creasing.
After a difficult ride, the sisters poured from the carriage in relief. They entered the building and were immediately greeted by Sir William Lucas.
"Ah, the Bennets!" the man cried. "How delighted I am to see you! I see Miss Lydia is with us tonight. I must tell you, Miss Lydia, that tonight's decorations remind me greatly of Saint James's court."
Lydia interrupted and asked, "Where is Maria?" before dashing off. Her friend, the younger Miss Lucas, had come out only two months before.
Lizzy began to apologize for her sister's poor manners, but the affable Sir William merely waved his hand and chuckled. "Not to worry, Miss Elizabeth," he said with a wink. "I know my Maria was just as eager for her first assembly as well. And who could blame them when such delights are before them?"
Smiling in gratitude, Lizzy and her remaining sisters continued their entry into the room. Upon entering, they were approached by two young men in red uniforms.
"Good evening, ladies," said Colonel Forster as he bowed. Captain Denny echoed with his own greetings. "I trust you have all come to dance?" he asked.
At their nods, Colonel Forster asked each young lady for a dance. Captain Denny solicited Kitty's hand for the first set, which set her to blush. As the music began, he escorted her to the floor, while the Colonel sought out Miss Harriet for the first dance.
Lizzy looked around in disappointment. While she enjoyed dancing, there were so few men available with whom to partner, even at the public assemblies. Her father was escorting Lydia to the floor, who beamed with excitement. She turned to her sisters, "Would any of you care to stand up with me?" she asked with a grin.
"I will, Lizzy!" said Kitty in excitement. The two headed to the dance floor, while Jane and Mary stood at the side and watched them with pleasure.
Although standing up with a sister did not bring the same enjoyment as standing up with a young man, Lizzy still enjoyed dancing. It was as close to running as she could get while still in the presence of her friends and family. The exertions added a sparkle to her eye and a flush to her cheek that was most becoming.
Several sets later, Lizzy left the dance floor, having stood up with all of her sisters but one. "Where is Lydia?" she asked her elder sister, looking around the room.
Jane frowned in concern. "She was just over there," she said, beckoning to the punch table near the door to the hallway. "She had finished dancing with Colonel Forster, and he was escorting her to get some punch."
Lizzy shrugged. "I'm certain she'll appear on the floor for the next set. Since this is her first assembly, I do not believe she would want to miss a single dance!"
The next dance began, and Mary joined them. "Have you seen Lydia?" she asked in a low voice. When the girls shook their heads, Mary frowned in concern. "I just saw Miss Harriet in tears in the retiring room. He had been paying her some particular attentions, but he has ignored her since their first dance together in favor of speaking with Lydia in between sets."
Lizzy raised her eyebrows in astonishment. "Well, that is not the mark of a good suitor – to pay attention to another young lady instead of the one he appears to prefer."
Jane nodded. "Some young men attempt to increase a woman's love by suspense. It is disappointing if Colonel Forster is using the same tactics. Poor Lydia would not understand that he is not truly interested in her."
The conversation was interrupted as Kitty rushed towards them. "Lizzy, where is Papa?" she asked in an urgent whisper.
"He is standing with Sir William, Mama, and Lady Lucas," answered Jane. "Why, is something the matter?"
Kitty opened her mouth to respond, but she was interrupted by a shriek from across the room.
"Too late," Kitty groaned, covering her eyes.
Mrs. Long had opened the door to the hallway, where Lydia and Colonel Forster were found in the midst of a kiss. The shock of her discovery caused her to emit a shriek and fall to the floor in a swoon. Her niece, Miss Harriet, burst into tears at the sight of her beau with another young lady.
"Mama, you must congratulate me!" cried a thoughtless Lydia, her arms around a struggling Colonel Forster. "I am to be married!"
Colonel Forster finally broke free of Lydia's embrace. Looking horrified, he glanced from Lydia to Miss Harriet. He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Finally, his shoulders slumped, and he turned to an uncharacteristally grim Mr. Bennet. "May I speak with you in private," the colonel asked the father.
"Yes, I think we should," Mr. Bennet replied. "I will expect you to call early tomorrow morning."
Colonel Forster nodded dejectedly. He looked once more at Miss Harriet, who turned her back on him. With a defeated look, he left the assembly, followed closely by Captain Denny.
For a few moments, there was silence. Then the gossip began to fly as the guests spoke amongst themselves. An ebullient Mrs. Bennet was loudly congratulating her "cleverest daughter," while Mr. Jones helped revive Mrs. Long.
Lizzy and her sisters quietly gathered their wraps and waited for the carriage. An unusually solemn Mr. Bennet ushered his wife and youngest out the door, and they all waited outside. It was all Lizzy could do to keep her temper in face of her mother's raptures over another daughter married.
"Silence," barked Mr. Bennet at his wife. She froze, her eyes wide in astonishment.
"La, Papa," said a gay Lydia, "I would have thought you would be happy for me!"
"Happy for you?" he roared. "You have ensnared a man who was making love to another, and you have brought shame to your family."
Lydia tossed her head. "He doesn't care three straws for Harriet Long! Else why would he have spent the evening with me?"
Mr. Bennet shook his head in disgust. "Believe what you will, if it gives you comfort. But know this: if I hear one more word from you tonight, I will deny your young man when he comes tomorrow."
Lydia gasped in horror. "You wouldn't!"
"I would," he said firmly. "And furthermore, I will deny you any wedding clothes. Not one more word."
Lydia clamped her mouth closed and glared mutinously at him until the carriage finally arrived and bore them home.
Once back at Longbourn, Lydia was banished to the nursery, much to her displeasure. Her father's threats, however, ensured she kept her temper. The four remaining Bennet girls gathered in Jane's room to discuss the events of the night.
"I keep hoping it was a bad dream," Lizzy said.
"Unfortunately not," responded Mary.
"I don't know how I'm going to even face Mrs. Long again," Jane said.
"We will be much talked of," replied Mary.
The three looked to Kitty, who was sitting quietly against the wall. "I fear this is all my fault," she whispered. "I am to blame."
"You are not to blame!" cried Lizzy. "Why would you even think that?"
"Because I saw Lydia leave with Colonel Forster," said Kitty. "I considered stopping her, but I was afraid it would call attention. That is when I hurried to find Papa, but I could not discover where he was in time to prevent Mrs. Long from opening the door. I should have just gone out with her. I am to blame."
Jane put her arm comfortingly around Kitty. "This is not your fault, dear Kitty."
"No indeed," agreed Mary. "The blame lies with Lydia."
"And with Colonel Forster," added Lizzy. "I do not believe he intended for things to go as far as they did, but he should not have been paying his attentions to Lydia when it was clear that he was interested in Harriet Long."
Mary nodded. "It is a form of deceit."
"And now they will be married," Jane said sadly. "Poor Harriet."
"Perhaps we should call on her tomorrow," Lizzy suggested.
Her sisters agreed, and they all retired to their rooms to fall into an uneasy sleep.
Colonel Forster appeared at the house before the family had finished their breakfast. Mr. Bennet immediately invited him into the bookroom for a conversation. While in there, Lydia began discussing the new clothes she would need to order as a married woman.
Lizzy could no longer remain silent. "You foolish girl!" she cried.
"Elizabeth Bennet!" shrieked her mother. "You should not speak to your sister in such a way!"
"La, she is just jealous that she must give way to me. I have caught a husband, and I am the youngest of them all," Lydia airily responded with a toss of her head.
"I don't particularly like your way of getting husbands," Mary said.
Lizzy opened her mouth to again speak to Lydia, but she was stopped by Jane's hand on her arm. "It will do no good, Lizzy," Jane quietly told her. "Lydia will simply need to learn from experience."
Resigned, Lizzy sat down again. After a moment, she excused herself from the table to prepare herself for their call on the Longs. Lydia and Mrs. Bennet remained at home to receive callers, but the remaining Bennet girls joined Lizzy and the four began walk towards the Longs' residence.
Once arriving at their home, Lizzy knocked and the housekeeper opened the door. "The family is not at home to callers today, Miss Bennet," the maid said apologetically.
Lizzy bowed her head in sorrow; she had been afraid this would be the reaction. Jane stepped forward. "I have written a note," she said to the surprise of her sisters. "Would you be so good as to give it to Miss Harriet for me?"
The maid took the paper, bobbed a curtsy, and closed the door.
"What did you write?" asked Kitty curiously as they began to walk down the lane towards Longbourn.
"I told Harriet that I was very sorry for how her evening had ended. I assured her that we knew nothing about the circumstances, and we were all quite shocked by our sister's behavior."
As Jane finished explaining, the girls heard a shout behind them. "Wait!"
They turned as one to see Harriet Long rushing down the lane behind them. Her red-rimmed eyes and pale face displayed the difficulties she had experienced the previous night. Upon reaching them, she threw her arms around Jane. "Thank you for your note, Jane," she whispered.
Jane returned the embrace. Lizzy said, "Truly, Harriet, we are so sorry for Lydia's actions."
Harriet released Jane and hugged Lizzy. "I admit, it has been an extremely disappointing state of affairs."
"There is one benefit, however," Mary said.
Harriet turned to her. "What?"
"You were able to see Colonel Forster's true nature before being wed to him. If his attentions were so easily turned in one night, then marriage to him would not have been agreeable," Mary answered.
Harriet nodded thoughtfully. "That is true. I did not like how he was spending time with Lydia, but then looking at me on occasion throughout the assembly."
"He was attempting to increase your fondness through jealousy," said Lizzy. "A quality that would make for a very poor husband indeed."
"That still cannot ease all of the pain," interjected Jane.
"But it does help," Harriet said. "I had not thought of it in that light. I am so grateful you came to see me this morning."
The girls all embraced again and then headed their separate ways towards their homes.
Upon arriving home, they were greeted by an ecstatic Lydia and a somber Colonel Forster. After listening to Lydia's chatter for several minutes, Colonel Forster excused himself, stating that he was required in London immediately to inform his superiors of his upcoming wedding. He would be gone for the entire three weeks that were required for calling the banns.
No one was sorry to see him go, not even his intended bride. She was more eager to begin making calls with her mother to inform all their neighbors of her new status as an engaged woman. Lizzy rolled her eyes when she heard this and whispered to Jane that there was not a servant who did not belong to it that had not heard the news by the end of the day before.
The next three weeks were difficult ones at Longbourn. Mr. Bennet held fast that he would not purchase any wedding clothes, as Lydia had received a sufficient number of new gowns for her come-out that had not even been sewn yet, let alone worn. He did, however, allow for a new gown to be made for the day of the wedding.
On the day before the wedding, Colonel Forster returned to Hertfordshire and immediately called on Longbourn. While absent, he had written to Lydia but once. Fortunately, he corresponded frequently with Captain Denny, who in turn paid a few calls to Longbourn and was able to share any news with the Bennet family.
As Colonel Forster entered the sitting room, he was greeted by an enthusiastic Lydia. Her chatter for some minutes about everything that had passed over the last few weeks was eventually interrupted when her betrothed cleared his throat somewhat loudly. She froze, silent, as he said, "Allow me to introduce my friend, Colonel Fitzwilliam."
All eyes turned to the doorway where an unnoticed officer in a red coat stood. His features were not handsome, in person and address he was must truly the gentleman. He executed a sharp bow and seemed truly delighted to make everyone's acquaintance. Sitting himself between Kitty and Jane, he struck up a conversation about his travel from London.
"When Forster arrive in London to inform our superiors of his engagement, I requested some time off in order to stand up with him at the wedding," he explained. "Forster and I have been friends since we were together at the Battle of Raismes last year. Since then, we have been assigned to the same units until our recent promotions as colonels, being reassigned from the Regulars to train soldiers in the militia."
Accepting the tea offered to him by Mrs. Bennet, he continued, "Forster has saved my life more times than I can count."
At this, he was interrupted, "Ah, but not nearly as many times as Fitzwilliam has saved mine!" Lydia sighed at such obvious bravery, and Colonel Forster gave her a smile. He looked the most at ease as he had ever appeared in the Bennet household. He seemed to have accepted that he was to marry a silly wife not of his choosing.
Lizzy leaned over to whisper at Mary, "It appears the colonel's attachments to poor Harriet were not as fixed as they appeared."
Mary frowned in agreement, "Yes, but I hope they remain on Lydia, or she will not have a happy marriage."
At that, the girls returned their attention to their guests. After a long visit and a walk outdoors, the two gentlemen made their farewells. Mrs. Bennet's invitation to dinner was regretfully declined, but they had much to do in order to prepare for the wedding the next day.
This reminder sent Mrs. Bennet into a flurry of activity that did not cease until the early morning hours, when the bride-to-be fell asleep at the table. At that, Mr. Bennet declared they must all have some sleep before the wedding, or they would be liable to sleep through it.
A short few hours later (too short, in Lizzy's estimation), Mr. Bennet escorted his youngest and least-deserving daughter down the aisle of Longbourn chapel. Much to her elder sisters' relief, the wedding was attended by all four-and-twenty families with whom they regularly dined, including Harriet Long and her family.
The vows were said, the register was signed, and the happy couple returned to Longbourn for the wedding breakfast. When it finally came time for Colonel and Mrs. Forster to leave for their wedding trip, Mrs. Bennet was the only one whose farewells were genuine in their sorrow and tears. "Write to me, my dear," she begged her daughter.
"Oh, I shall," said Lydia carelessly, "when I find the time. We married women don't have much time for such things. My sisters may write me, however, as I'm sure they'll have nothing better to do."
Her four elder sisters rolled their eyes, which did not go unnoticed by Colonel Forster. "Well, my dear, shall we depart?" he asked as he ushered her into the carriage.
He turned and gave a smart bow of farewell to his new family. "We shall see you again when I return with the regiment in November to quarter here at Meryton. Until then, a fond farewell to my new parents and sisters." Another bow, and Colonel and Mrs. Forster were gone.