Author's note: I'm rewriting the Epilogue in Spanish and I have two possible husbands for Mary: Mr. Fitzwilliam or Mr. Stern. Which do you prefer?

PPP

After talking with her uncle, Elizabeth invited Mary to walk in the garden since she hadn't spoken with her for three days as they were both very busy with different tasks. Mary along with Mrs. Gardiner were going through Longbourn's inventory and separating the things that didn't belong to Longbourn and could be sold, she was also taking care of Johnny since her mother was most of the time lying in her room with her famous bouts of nerves. On the other hand, Lizzy with Mr. Darcy were going through Longbourn's ledgers, making plans for the future, and reading Johnny a bedtime story at night.

They sat together on the garden bench that was furthest from the house and talked for over an hour...

"How do you feel? You have spoken very little to me these days and at times I feel like you are avoiding me."

"No, Lizzie. You are the only person in this house I don't want to avoid. I feel very ashamed of my parents, especially my father. For several years I suspected that my father was using Sandstone's money to pay for my mother's extravagances and increase our dowries. I know you don't want that money back, but I don't feel comfortable because I feel like I'm stealing from Johnny." she sighed, "Aunt Gardiner helped me sort through several valuables that don't belong to Longbourn, and Uncle Gardiner is going to sell them to at least repay some of the money that should be Johnny's."

Lizzy squeezed her hand, "Mary, you're not to blame for anything that happened and I don't want you to worry about it. But please tell me the truth, is that all you're worried about?"

Mary shook her head and sighed, "I have very negative thoughts and feelings, and I am upset with my family. I don't want to hear my mother's wailing over the injustice that my father died, or Jane's lament that Mr. Bingley came and went again because of Lydia's scandal, much less I want to hear Lydia's shrill. I can't complain about Kitty's behavior as she has hardly said a word since we arrived."

Elizabeth just nodded and smiled weakly, prompting her to keep talking.

"When I had that terrible argument with my mother because my father didn't force me to marry Mr. Collins, you were the only one who comforted and supported me. I never told you, but my mother demanded that my father kick me out of Longbourn and told me things I wouldn't say to my worst enemy…" she began to cry, "I wonder if she would have forced her beautiful Jane or her dear Lydia to marry Mr. Collins against their will…"

Elizabeth hugged her while Mary cried on her shoulder.

I'm so afraid of moving with you to Sandstone and then to Pemberley, and someone finding out my sister is a fallen woman… and your reputation and Georgiana's would be tarnished because of me. If that happened, I would never forgive myself..."

"Mary, I am not going to deny that the situation is very delicate, but you have to keep in mind that in the first circles of London nobody knows the Bennets. Mr. Bingley doesn't belong to the same circles as the Darcys, but he promised not to say anything. On the other hand, Mr. Darcy is going to talk to the Lucases tomorrow so they stop spreading rumors about Lydia."

"How is he going to do that? You know Lady Lucas is as gossipy as Aunt Phillips, but with the difference her comments are ill-intentioned."

"I know, but remember that Colonel Fitzwilliam, or should I say, Mr. Fitzwilliam, is Mr. Collins' patron, and Mr. Collins is married to Charlotte…"

Mary listened carefully to Lizzy and Mr. Darcy's plan to mitigate the repercussions of Lydia's misbehavior and concluded that it could work and that Mr. Darcy was indeed a great strategist…

That night after several days, Mary slept peacefully. In two days she would return with Lizzy and Johnny to London and start a new life with the people she loved most in the world...