"Don't you hope to join Louisa in town for the season?" Caroline asked Anne as the ladies were all sitting around for tea one afternoon. It had been many months since the Bingley sisters had become residents of Rosings, and the four girls had become as close as sisters. Caroline was just as lively as Elizabeth, so the two were almost always out doors in each other's company, while Louisa and Anne were more sedate, happy to watch over and gently guide the two younger girls.

Things hadn't always been easy for the out by any means. Caroline and Louisa had picked up some bad habits from the girls at the school they had attended, and had to be retrained on the proper way to treat servants, and...well, anyone they felt was beneath them. There were also fights between the girls, as Caroline was annoyed at how far behind herself Elizabeth was when it came to what she felt to be important accomplishments, and Elizabeth would get annoyed with Caroline when she felt she was being far too stuffy and boring. Poor Anne was almost railroaded by the Bingley sisters for having no accomplishments whatsoever, but it was Elizabeth the two girls almost came to blows with, as the girl had had enough of them berating the sister she saw as perfect.

It was then that Lady Catherine stepped in, and forced the girls to all learn to work together on broadening their accomplishments as well as their characters. She had enacted a rule that everyday one of the girls would have three hours in which they would control what the four of them focused on. In doing so, Elizabeth learned that she had a talent for playing the piano equal to Caroline's, as well as was gifted with a lovely singing voice. Anne found she had an affinity for flower arranging and cultivation. Caroline found she loved walking with Beth, especially when the two would bring a book and take turns reading to each other. And finally, Louisa found she adored teaching the other girls, and took a more active role in preparing the girls to come out. Lady Catherine was the only one who saw this quality for what it was, the girl's desire to be a mother.

Louisa had already been out in society a year when Ser Lewis had brought the sisters to Rosings, and as such had been planning on returning to town at the start of the season. This time she would be returning when the support of the de Bourgh family, and would sponsored by Lady Matlock herself. Not that Louisa thought it mattered. She had already caught the eye of a Mr. Franklin Hurst, and she just knew her father would agree to his suit as it would relieve him of the responsibility of one of his children.

It wasn't that she didn't like Mr. Hurst, he was a nice enough man, and she knew he wouldn't mistreat her. He was half in love with her, and his parents in love with her dowry, which could save their failing estate. She just didn't like that he was a drunkard, ate too much, and took no interest in the running of his own estate, leaving it to his parents. Sure she liked the fact that he was fashionable, but having lived with the de Bourghs, and seeing the care they took in their estate and the people it supported, made her want more than just being fashionable. She wanted to be a mistress her tenants as well as her husband looked to.

"No, the London air does not agree with me." Anne responded to the question. "Besides, now that Beth is my sister I have decided I have no need to marry."

The other girls looked at her with such shock, that she actually took pride in being able to surprise them so. She was not going to tell them that this conversation had already happened with her parents, nor that the adults had been relieved to hear her resolve, rather than eager to talk her out of her decision.

"Before Beth came into our lives it was imperative that I marry so that I could produce an heir. However, once she was legally made part of our family, Papa had her named my heir, and made it so that she could be responsible for producing the next heir." Her parents' relief had come from the fact that she would never have to give them grandchildren, as the doctors had all said she was to weak to survive childbirth.

"But don't you want to be a wife and mother?" Louisa asked, the longing she felt for such things clear on her face.

"It has never really been something I desired. What kind of wife would I be when I have to take to my bed as often as I do?" Unlike her parents the girls did not look relieved, but rather saddened for her, and all she would miss out on because of her health. "Besides, if I were to marry, my husband would take control of Rosings, and would likely never allow it to pass to Beth." With her sister just being adopted, and a woman, she feared the girl would be denied the inheritance.

"I don't care about inheriting, I just want you to be happy." Beth said, reaching for her hands, "If being a wife and mother would make you happy, then that is what I want for you."

"You are too sweet Little Beth, but I would never survive childbirth, so will never be a mother." The deviation on her sister's face made her pull the girl into her arms. "However, if I never marry, I have a better chance of living long enough to see your children grow. I shall be their favorite aunt, the one they come to to complain about their parents when they are cross with them. The one they love coming to visit because she spoils them so. The one who helps them appreciate the wonderful mother they have."

"In that case, we will all work to make sure no man catches your eye. I will marry some second or third son, so that we may live with you here forever. I will also have as many children as you wish me to." She smiled, though she knew her mother secretly hoped Beth would marry the heir to a certain estate. She knew her mother had always hoped she would have united the two great estates, and that hope had now passed to her sister. Thankfully, it was just a hope, and her mother would be happy to see Beth married and settled with someone she truly loved.

"We shall all have lots of children, and you shall be the favorite aunt of all of them." Caroline chimed in, just as eager as Beth to make her happy.


"Georgiana, it is so good to see you again." Elizabeth smiled at the little girl as she jumped down from the carriage and ran to embrace her.

"Beth, I missed you so much! Papa said we get to stay for a month!" Georgiana chatted excitedly, and Elizabeth smiled widely at the excitement. "Oh, you have to meet Fitzwilliam and George!" Georgiana grabbed her by the hand, and pulled her over to the two younger gentlemen standing next to her uncle Darcy.

"Good afternoon Uncle Darcy, we are so pleased you could come stay with us." She curtsied to her uncle before Georgiana's excitement took over once more.

"Fitzwilliam, George, this is Beth, she is my new cousin, and she is going to marry Fitzwilliam, and be my sister too." She saw the horrified look in the taller man's face, and wondered if she should be offended that he was so horrified at the idea of marrying her.

"Georgiana, we've been over this, your brother will marry a woman who suits him, and who will make him happy, just as I will marry a man who does the same for me." She spoke gently to the child.

"Besides, he is rather old, I do not know if I would like being married to an old man." She gave a playful smile to lessen the sting of her words.

"And she is much too young to be thinking about marriage." Came the annoyed voice of her Mama behind them. "Why, it will be another four years at least before we let her and Carrie come out." The slight smile on her face, and the wink she shot Georgiana was just the think you keep the little girl from worrying she had upset her aunt.

"And which of these young ladies would be Carrie?" Uncle Darcy asked of the three young ladies who followed her Mama out to greet their guests.

"Brother, may I present, Miss Louisa and Miss Caroline Bingley. They are friends of Anne and Elizabeth's who we have been fortunate enough to have stay with us." Mama spoke as the two girls curtsied.

"I have heard you like to play the piano, you will have to play duets with Beth and I. Maybe we can play one and have Beth sing for us, then we can all work on it together." Caroline, or Carrie as the family called her, spoke as she joined Elizabeth and Georgiana, walking with the two into the manor.


"You know how we feel about that boy being in our home." Catherine and Lewis stared down their good brother, from inside Lewis's study. They hadn't always disliked the Steward's son, in fact as a child they had been quite fond of him. However, that all changed when their maids started coming to them, speaking of seductions and abandonments, more than one of them left with a belly full.

They had tried to talk to George, make him see the damage the boy wrought, but the man could not see past his love for him. When they would demand he marry one of the girls, Darcy would fire back that the marriage was beneath him. They would remind him that the boy was just the son of a steward, no matter how much Darcy spent on his education. Darcy would then remind them that he fully intended to provide the boy with a good living, hopefully making it possible for him to make a good match.

"Yes Catherine, you have made it plain how you feel, but I've talked with George, and he assured me that he had nothing to do with your maids getting into the messes they did." It looked like he had wanted to say more, but he held back. "I can assure you, nothing like that will happen again."