I don't own Pride and Prejudice.
"It seems so strange having quiet in this house." Jane spoke as she looked up from her embroidery. Their mother and Lydia had been removed from the house days ago, but it would appear the damage had already been done in their small society. Already, they had been snubbed by all of their neighbors, even their Aunt Phillips was hesitant to socialize with them.
Though, however bad it was for them, it was even worse for their mother and Lydia. Both had been moved to a tiny one room cottage on the edge of their father's property. The land the cottage sat on was only large enough for the cottage and a small garden. They had neither servants or a cook, and had to do everything for themselves.
She wanted to feel sorry for them, but she couldn't help but think they brought it on themselves. Her uncle Gardiner had offered to bring them to London on the condition they followed the rules of his home, and Lydia was sent to finishing school, one that specialized in wolf young women. Her mother refused to see her precious Lydia sent away. William had offered to set her up in a small establishment of her own anywhere she wanted outside of Hertfordshire if Lydia was sent to the school, but she refused to leave those she saw as her friends, and to have Lydia sent away. This is why her father sought to make their lives as hard as possible, hoping it would force her hand.
Though perhaps the most surprising was her father's change in attitude towards the baby. They had all been horrified to find out that her mother had been parading the baby girl around as though she were a boy. That Lydia had gone along with it, arguing about the boys name should have surprised her more than it did.
It had been disheartening to see how quickly her mother and Lydia abandoned the baby when they found out how much work it was having a child with no servants around to help you. At first Lydia had been adamant she was keeping the baby, that her George would come back for the both of them. Then she showed up on the doorstep of Longbourn, and thrust the child into the arms of the first person she could find. The baby had not stopped crying in days, and her mother refused to let Lydia breastfeed her, as she said it would ruin her figure. Luckily, Hill knew of one of the tenants who had just had a baby, and was willing to help them while they found a wet nurse.
"There you both are, I was just thinking about going and doing some shopping in town today." Lady Catherine spoke as she bustled into the room, the baby held in her arms. She had taken one look at the little girl and fell instantly in love with her. So much so, they were pretty sure their father decided to keep the child as a way to spend more time with her. Elizabeth and William even had a bet going on wether or not they would be engaged by Jane's wedding.
She saw the dubious look the sisters shared, "I will tell you this now, spend enough money, and peoples opinions will start to change." She didn't take no for an answer, and bustled the two of them out the door to the waiting carriage full of young ladies.
"Mrs Darcy, I know you had told me your small town had excellent goods to sell, but I never expected to see so many such fine things." Lady Catherine spoke as they walked around the Haberdasher, the older woman pushing the baby, Victoria, in the pram.
"I told you, but you have to see it to truly believe it." Elizabeth played along.
"And it is so refreshing to see people acknowledge the distinction of class in such a small hamlet." She could see the people start to listen in on their conversation, "Why, with your marriage and Miss Mary's courtship with the son of an Earl, these people are really beneath your notice."
"Yes, but they have been our friends since childhood, and have watched us all grow up. They have always been good to us, and it would be wrong of us to forget how much they mean to is." She saw more than one person look ashamed, and Lady Catherine look at her with pride.
"Kitty, I just wanted to apologize for ignoring you a few days back, we have been friends for so long, and it was wrong of me to do." Clara Long was the first one to approach any of them, and the smile it brought to her sister's face would forever hold Clara in high esteem for Elizabeth. She watched as Kitty introduced her to Georgiana, and the three girls set off to shop together.
"Oh, I can't wait for you to come to Pemberley, it is so pretty there!" Kitty exclaimed to her friend after the conversation had turned to plans for the rest of the summer. She must not have been paying close enough attention as she had not heard the invitation extended.
"But don't you have to ask Mr Darcy first? Won't he be cross if you don't ask for permission?" It was clear the young girl was eager to accept the invitation, but was obviously intimidated by her husband.
"Fitzwilliam doesn't mind if we invite people to visit. He just asks that we let him know who will be coming, and if he needs to send a carriage for them." Georgiana giggled, "Don't tell him I told you this, but he really is an old softie."
"If he says no to us, we just have Lizzy ask, he can't say no to her." Kitty added conspiratorially.
"It is futile to tell her no, as she will just argue with me until I see just how wrong I was." William caught them all by surprise as he and her father exiting the bookstore next to them.
He then turned to her father, and with all the seriousness he could muster said, "Personally, I blame you for that."
Her father just laughed, "I will gladly accept that blame."
"Now, what is it you intend to use my wife against me on?" His slight grin gave away the humor he found in the situation, but poor Clara still looked about to faint. "Are you wishing to buy the Crown Jewels?"
"No!" "Of course not!" The two girls giggled.
"Ah, then it must be permission to move to the Americas and live off the land!"
"Absolutely not!" Kitty spoke through her laugher, Georgiana unable to speak at all.
"Well then, you must want to join a circus and travel..."
"No, but I wouldn't mind seeing a circus." Kitty interrupted, excited by the prospect.
"No, we just wanted to invite Miss Long to Pemberley." Georgiana looked pleadingly at her brother, and Elizabeth knew he was a goner.
"I don't see why she couldn't," He then turned to the girl's aunt who was a member of their party, "What say you Mrs Long, would you allow your niece and her sister, for if I remember correctly she does indeed have a sister, to spend a month entire with my wife, sisters, and myself at Pemberley. We would be happy to have them accompany us home when we leave after the wedding, and I shall return them to you at the end of the stay. Of course you and your husband are most welcome to join them if that would make you more comfortable."
"While my husband and I appreciate the invitation, I am afraid neither of us can accept, but shall be happy to accept for my nieces." The woman looked stunned even as she accepted the invitation.
"Oh, you will just love it, I only saw it in the winter, but Georgiana says the gardens are absolutely beautiful while in bloom!" And just like that, it was as though the older members of the party no longer existed.
"Fitzwilliam, you really must tell me if your behavior here last year, for that poor girl to look so close to fainting just because you told a joke." Lady Catherine spoke as if she were scolding a child.
"I assure you Aunt Catherine, I was not preforming at my finest." He tried to brush the demand off, but her own father would not allow it.
"Let me tell you all about it..." The two ventured off on their own, her father's voice trailing off the further away they got.
"I believe sir, that I am closer to winning our little bet." She grinned at her husband, once she ensured the two of them were truly alone.
"I have it on good authority that he has not even broached the topic with her. Nor is he like to, being so freshly divorced." Her husband gave her a smile, and she just shook her head.
"We saw how well they got on in London, they were half in love before we got here. Now that they have Victoria, I believe things will hurry along quite nicely." While her father had not come right out and said he planned to keep the little girl, he had also not spoken another word of finding her a new home. In fact, more than once Lady Catherine had spoken of a future that contained the little girl.