A week later, Darcy finished reviewing Longbourn's ledgers and met twice with the Netherfield Park's steward as Mr. Bennet had hired him until the end of the year. From what he could gather from the ledgers the estate was bringing in between £1,500 and £1,600 a year and there were various repairs to be made and not enough money in Longbourn's account.

On the other hand, there were several first editions and expensive books in the library that even some of them Darcy didn't have. After some serious thought, he made a proposal to Mr. Gardiner and Elizabeth…

"… There is not enough money to make all the necessary repairs and it is not convenient to continue neglecting the estate. I went through Longbourn's inventory and Mr. Bennet's personal belongings and was surprised at how many expensive books Mr. Bennet had that didn't belong to the estate. There are first editions of Shakespeare and other books from the Middle Ages that must have cost several tens of pounds." He looked at Mr. Gardiner and Elizabeth, and they both understood very well, "I propose to sell them, I am even going to buy some of them, and that money will go to Longbourn. I think it will be enough."

"I agree Mr. Darcy."

"I have also been thinking that Longbourn should be leased as it will be unoccupied for many years."

"I also thought the same as you and spoke to Mr. Phillips about it."

Lastly," he smiled at Elizabeth, "Two days ago I sent a letter to my aunt Lady Matlock with the news of the engagement and a note to publish in the newspaper. We are getting married in three months."

Mr. Gardiner smiled slightly, "I already imagined that you wanted to get married soon. Congratulations."

"As I have to go back to Pemberley in a few weeks, I would like Elizabeth, Mary and Johnny to move to Sandstone next month. I sent an express to Miss Taylor and received the reply today; Miss Taylor is willing to live in Sandstone and take care of her nieces and nephew. I'm also sending two footmen to join Sandstone's staff…"

Although Mr. Gardiner did not like the idea of his nieces and Johnny moving to Sandstone without his supervision, in the end, he reluctantly agreed. He recognized that Miss Taylor was a trustworthy lady and she was not going to allow anything bad to happen to her nieces and Johnny...

PPP

Looking at herself in the mirror, Jane Bennet reflected on everything that had happened in less than a year: she met Mr. Bingley and had high hopes until Lydia ruined her dreams, she went to Sandstone with her father and met Mr. Elliot, but unfortunately, she had to return to Longbourn although she planned to return to Miss Johnson's wedding, her father died, Mr. Bingley came back, but he left forever because of Lydia...

She was going to be in mourning for at least six months and unfortunately the illusions she had of returning to Sandstone vanished. If she moved into a cottage, and even if she went to live with the Gardiners, she knew she would no longer be considered a gentlewoman, and her prospects of marrying an important man would be even less. She was twenty-three years old and only a few years away from being considered an old maid...

On the other hand, she was angry at her uncle and especially at Elizabeth for not allowing her mother, Kitty, and her to live in Sandstone since Elizabeth had lived in Longbourn for so many years. She knew her mother hadn't been kind to Elizabeth, - but in her opinion, she had not been so bad either - but if her cousin married Mr. Darcy, she was going to live in Pemberley and not Sandstone.

There was no real reason why they shouldn't live in Sandstone, besides, Elizabeth shouldn't separate Johnny from her mother. She had to talk to her uncle and Elizabeth...