On Christmas day, the Gardiner children woke early, of course, to see what gifts they might have waiting for them. They were delighted to find their stockings filled by St. Nicholas with oranges, peppermints, spinning tops, Jacob's ladder toys, and shillings. The adults and older children received much the same, except with perfumes and cuff links taking the place of the toys.

Each of the children received either a doll or toy soldiers from the Bennets and stuffed animal toys from the Gardiner parents. Mary and Lizzy had embroidered gifts for all including the children, who received bookmarks made from pretty scraps of silk embroidered with their names. James and Charlotte gave each of the children either a bed for their dolls or wooden cannons to accompany their soldiers. The gifts among the adults were passed later. Elizabeth and Mary gave everyone their handkerchiefs, bookmarks, or cravats. Charlotte was most delighted to have her items embroidered with CMB, her new initials after marriage. The Gardiners had brought all lengths of fabric that might be made either into gowns or jackets and trousers. Books and fashion magazines were given by James and Charlotte, ribbons and lace by Lydia, Kitty, and Miss Dor, and beautiful mittens and scarfs from Mr. and Mrs. Bennet. All were very pleased.

Later that morning, Elizabeth had a chance to speak to Lydia, for she sensed continued animosity towards Miss Dor that she could not understand. She asked Lydia to tell her what she held against Miss Dor, but Lydia could say nothing explicit except that she did not like Miss Dor coming in and pretending to be a part of their family. Later, when Elizabeth had a chance to speak to Charlotte on the topic, Mr. Hadley happened to overhear. Apologising for having eavesdropped, he mentioned,

"Have you considered, perhaps, that she has always been doted upon as the youngest and now your mother is doting upon Miss Dor? Your mother is right to show such kindness to the fatherless child, but I cannot help but think Miss Lydia is not understanding it as a Christian duty and instead believes herself replaced. I felt rather similar when my cousin came to live with my family after his parents passed."

Charlotte agreed with the clergyman and said she would speak with Lydia. Elizabeth was relieved, having not wished to anger her youngest sister during the short time that they were to be together. It was not much later in the day that Elizabeth saw Charlotte and Lydia go alone into the music room together and remain there for some time. Lydia then retired to her room after their talk. She did not come down for some time, not even when the Lucases arrived and other guests arrived. Only when Mrs. Bennet declared that Lydia shall not have any dinner if she did not show herself did she appear, although her appearance was less than pristine.

Dinner was very fine, as Mrs. Bennet prided herself on having set such a fine table on a regular basis and therefore put twice the effort into holiday dinners. The seating was arranged to Mrs. Bennet's liking, with each of her daughters seated between two eligible gentlemen. Mary, of course, was seated next to Mr. Hadley, for Mrs. Bennet was quite determined that the two would suit. Elizabeth, again seated between the two eldest Lucas boys, spoke mainly to Mr. Henry Lucas, which caused Mrs. Bennet some little frustration. While Mr. Henry Lucas was soon to take orders and had been offered a position as curate in the nearby town of Reading, he was not so well positioned as his elder brother.

The dinner passed without much incident, each of the ladies successfully dodged their mother's many attempts at matchmaking. Mary may have whispered to her brother at one point in the evening that it was his fault that Mrs. Bennet's attention was now turned towards Elizabeth and herself. If he had waited longer to marry Charlotte, she would have been far too wrapped up in wedding plans to concern herself with where Mary sat or who she spoke to. James, in all connubial bliss, could not sympathise much with his sister and said that perhaps she might welcome the married state, for it was very agreeable. With that, Mary left her brother alone and went to speak with Miss Dor.

On Boxing day, all of the tenants and servants attend a ball and the Bennets are left very much to their own devices. It has always been this way, but the leftovers from the Christmas dinner are always so great that no one ever seemed to mind too much. James ensured that the gifts for the tenants and servants were distributed by himself and his sisters at the beginning of the ball, but then the Bennets left the people to themselves. James always felt that the family might dampen the spirits of those present, as they seemed to feel they could not act so freely if they were about. Before Mary withdrew, she noted with great pleasure that Mr. Hadley had decided to attend the festivities and was speaking with Mrs. Castor and another lady. Mrs. Castor may have been holding little Mary, but it did not seem to dampen either parties' enjoyment.

The days after were very slow indeed, for the weather turned cold and there was not much that might be done out of doors. It was a disappointment, for James and Charlotte were not even able to call, for the three-mile carriage journey was even too distant in such temperatures.

Therefore, the primary amusement of those days was music. Kitty played her lyre and accompanied Mary and Elizabeth who took turns at the pianoforte. Miss Dor sat at the harp, for that was her instrument of choice. Lydia was offered at turn at the piano, or to play a duet, but she declined in favour of observing. Only on the second day was Kitty able to prevail upon her sister to at least sing with her, which they did very prettily.

Finally, when the weather warmed, James and Charlotte, all of the Bennet girls, and Miss Dor departed with the Gardiners for London. The journey took longer than it might have, for the party was split between three carriages and there was nearly always a reason to stop whenever they came upon an inn. They did reach Gracechurch Street before nightfall, but only just.

The Bennets' first few days in London were very quiet. They played in a nearby park with the young Gardiners, attended church, went for dinner with a business associate of Mr. Gardiner's, and visited the modiste. As the Gardiners were in the textile industry, the fabrics were gotten at little expense and the main cost was having them made into gowns. Mr. Bateman had also sent a note to Mr. Gardiner welcoming the addition of his cousins to the party, who he did remember meeting as a boy, for Lizzy had given him a black eye when he had tried to steal her cake at age ten. Lizzy laughed at the remembrance but recalled that he had also pushed her out of a tree the next day, causing her to sprain her wrist when she caught herself on a branch.

Within the note he also detailed several requests for fabrics, both to redecorate Rosings and fabrics for gowns for his bride. It seemed that the bride's mother had been often in control of what the daughter wore, preferring to put the lady in gowns that made her look as if she was a child playing dress-up. Now that the mother had been moved to the dower house with the help of an uncle, Miss de Bourgh had much more freedom and was able now to wear what she wished. Still, as Miss de Bourgh was in only moderate health and the local dressmaker had limited fabrics -certainly not enough for the wedding clothes for a lady of quality- the Gardiners had been enlisted to assist.

The Darcys were likewise occupied with preparations for the upcoming nuptials of their cousin and often being called upon to chaperone Lord Barlow and Miss Delvoy. One evening they were able to dine with the Bingleys and were quite surprised by the change in Miss Bingley. It seemed that her experience with illness had changed her a great deal, as she no longer put on such affected manners or praised Georgiana unduly. It seemed to Darcy that Mr. Hadden, who must have seen Miss Bingley at her most vulnerable and when she was unable to act the London lady, was very likely the only person in England who might have effected such a change.

Mr. Hadden looked at Miss Bingley with adoration, still doting on her as her strength had not yet entirely returned. Bingley had at first feared that perhaps it had been Caroline's fortune that attracted the gentleman. while the man admitted that the fortune was not of no consideration, he did have a good enough practice that he was not reliant on marrying for money, nor would he have considered offering for Caroline if he did not have affection for her. It was revealed to him that there had been an attraction between the pair even when Miss Mary had been ill at Netherfield, but at that time Miss Bingley was not willing to admit the attraction to herself. She had felt more, even then, for Mr. Hadden than she ever had for Mr. Darcy, Lord Barlow, Lord Pembroke, or any of the other gentlemen she had previously considered. Perhaps it was that she was not pursuing him that made the difference, but that the attraction had come upon her as a surprise. For Mr. Hadden, he had not wished to make his patient's hostess uncomfortable with his attentions and as he had no fortune, did not think he would be one she might consider. As the fifth son of a viscount, he was used to being overlooked in favour of his eldest brother and therefore was quite humble by nature. It was not until Miss Bingley had nearly recovered and had begun hinting to him that his attentions were not unwanted that he had begun to consider her seriously.

"You are the son of a viscount, sir," Miss Bingley had told him once, "You are above me in society. I do not know why you would think that I should not consider you eligible."

Mr. Hadden had responded that he had only ten thousand pounds to his name, all of which had been earned in trade. The fifth son of a viscount was very little, for it was not as if he was very likely to inherit. This was especially so since his second and third eldest brothers had already married and had sons. Caroline, having realized that live was fleeting and not so very much about money or where it had come from, did not give much of a response to Mr. Hadden's concerns, except to kiss him. He had been taken by surprise, but responded in kind and afterwards proposed marriage.

It was not until the thirtieth of December that the Bennets were able to attend the opera as James had promised. James had been given the use of a friend's box, for the party required two in order to seat everyone and therefore could not be contained in just the box rented by the Gardiners. James, Charlotte, Miss Dor and Kitty sat together in one while Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, Elizabeth, Mary, and Lydia occupied the other. While the Bennets had attended many evenings at the theatre, only James and the Gardiners had ever attended the opera. Elizabeth, who was the best at languages out of those in her box, translated for the others. James did the same for the others, as the Italian was far beyond what the ladies had ever learned.

The story of the opera was quite lovely, for it was the story of a young lady whose father planned to marry her off to a rich man from a foreign country. The lady is in love with another, a man whose father had gambled away the family fortune. As the lady is of age, they marry despite the father's objection. The father seeks to kidnap his daughter away from her husband and send her away regardless of the fact that she is already wed, so the couple goes on the run. Only when the rich man arrives and declares he will not have the lady, for he will not steal another man's bride does the father leave the couple to live in peace, although they are disowned and must work for their money. While many of the audience did not pay much attention to the story, the Bennets and their party were quite moved by the tale. None of the ladies made it through the opera without a tear or two, and Mr. Gardiner may have also been so affected, even if he would not have admitted it.

Between the acts of the opera, the party decided that they would get refreshments themselves instead of sending a servant so they might stretch their legs. The line was long, for all though who did not have boxes were required to wait. James and Mr. Gardiner, therefore, sent the ladies off to promenade while they waited. The party broke into groups of three or four, with Elizabeth walking with Kitty, Miss Dor and Mrs. Gardiner, while Lydia, Charlotte, and Mary went off on their own. Soon Elizabeth's party broke into two pairs, with Elizabeth continuing on with Miss Dor while Kitty and Mrs. Gardiner admired the paintings on the walls of the opera house.

Mr. Darcy had been asked to attend the opera by Lord Barlow, for his relations already in Kent and Miss Delvoy's relations were engaged to dine. Miss Delvoy had expressed her wish to see the opera that was showing, and therefore Darcy was engaged as chaperone. He did not mind overly much, for he enjoyed the opera much more than other activities common to the fashionable set.

It is important to note here that Georgiana had not remembered to tell her brother of the Bennets' arrival in London, for the family was so very occupied with the wedding that she supposed they would not have a chance to call until after their return. Therefore, when Mr. Darcy spied the familiar form of Miss Bennet amongst the crowd, he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. Indeed, when he looked again the lady was not there, only a matron and a different young lady who perhaps looked rather similar to Miss Bennet. Later in the evening, he thought he saw Mr. James Bennet, but due to the angle of his box, he could not tell if it was the gentleman or not.

After the performance, unsure as to his sanity and the accuracy of his eyesight, Darcy waited near where he thought he had seen Mr. James Bennet, but he did not catch another glimpse of either the brother or the sister. He saw the other young lady again, who was called Cat by the matron. He eventually gave up, for his cousin needed to return Miss Delvoy to her home and was becoming impatient with Darcy. Still, he could not imagine his mind had entirely made up the encounter. Elizabeth appeared in his dreams again that evening, but this time they were running away together as the couple in the opera had, to be married in secret and made to go into hiding. The rest of his dream was rather too much to describe but suffice to say that Darcy was very much embarrassed in the morning when his bed told much about his dreams.

Gardiner House, Gracechurch Street, London

Thirty-first December

Dear Mama and Papa,

We are all well here in London and I hope you are as well. Do tell us how all our friends and neighbours get on. I do miss you both very much and do wish you could have attended the opera with us. It was quite lovely. The story was so very sad, but I shall not give it away for someday you may wish to see it. I quite enjoyed both the opera and watching all of the fine ladies in their gowns. Some were very ornate, made all out of velvet and furs with jewels embroidered into the designs. Many wore feathers as well. I think perhaps there is not a peacock left in the world with all its feathers, if the audience at the opera house is the norm around all of England.

We have been busy although there is not a great deal else to tell. We went to the modiste. Mama will be interested to know that long sleeves are now in fashion, with some sleeves covering the hands completely. I do not think it very practical, for how would one eat in such a dress. I did not have sleeves made quite so long as that. We played with the children and went to church. We dined with acquaintances of Mr. Gardiner's, and I met a lovely friend named Sophia Kelly. Miss Dor fits in quite well with all of us and is fascinated by London, as she has never been before. Lydia and Kitty are behaving well, as are Mary and I but I hope I do not need to relate that. Lydia is, I think, jealous of Miss Dor, but Aunt Gardiner seems to realise this and had been spending much more time with Lydia as a result. I think Lydia has some fears that she is being replaced in the affections of her sisters and other relations. Most especially, I think she fears Kitty loves Miss Dor more than her, but I have tried to reassure her this is not the case. I think, perhaps, if you were to write to Lydia, she might appreciate it, even if she does not say so. I know Papa to be an indifferent correspondent, but I beg you to exert yourself here.

We shall remain at Gracechurch Street, I think, until after twelfth night. Aunt Gardiner has said we shall attend a twelfth night ball. We were also to go to a ball tonight, but I do not know if we shall. Mary and I feel bad for having to leave the others behind so very often. As we see our sisters so seldom now that they are away at school, I would much rather spend the evening with them than with strangers. Do not frown, Mama. I am sure we will have plenty of chances to meet gentlemen at the upcoming dinners, the twelfth night ball, and at Cousin Ben's wedding. Chances are good that Cousin Ben will have many of his Navy friends present, so perhaps some might have fortunes made from the prizes they have won. Lydia and Kitty have declared that a naval officer would do just as well as an army officer for them, so they are quite upset they cannot attend. After their actions at James and Charlotte's wedding, one can hardly wonder why James will not allow them to attend. He says it is because the term starts soon, but I daresay they might miss the first days without much affect, if they could be trusted to act as ladies.

Mary reminded me to ask you, Mama, if you wanted a particular type of curtain for your sitting room. Uncle Gardiner thinks the white impractical, but that a tan or brown would look well. He does not know the cut though that you might like or the measurements.

I love and miss you both,

Love,

Lizzy.