While the Gardiners were at Longbourn the officers, particularly Mr. Wickham, were invited more often because Mrs. Bennet was the consummate hostess, who always saw to her guests' amusement.

In just two days they were to return to their London home accompanied by Jane, so of course the lady of the house organized a dinner party and they were to have some dancing too.

It was unfortunate that a commotion ensued at the stables: one of the officers' horses had bitten another or maybe one of the gents' horses had bitten the militia ones. The groom and the two stablehands were clearly not enough to deal with so many nervous beasts and some of the officers were making their way to the stables.

The butler, being informed, went out to assess the situation and decided his master should be told. Mr. Bennet would have preferred to not bother himself, but in the end he did order the two footmen out to help and felt he should at least make an appearance, lest one of his neighbours' horses be damaged. It would not do to be on the outs with them.

Mr. Gardiner offered to accompany his brother and be of use to him, although Mr. Bennet suspected he was merely worried for his own equipage.

With all the agitation and with the promise of dancing now gone, Lydia managed to persuade Kitty to sneak out outside and spy on the officers. Alas, it was not to be, as Mary caught up with them and demanded to know where they were going. Enough was said that Elizabeth too made her way to them and together, seeing they could not deter their younger sisters, decided to accompany them to keep them out of any real mischief.

When Mrs. Bennet found out from Jane that her daughters were outside with only their shawls to protect them from the bitter December cold, she too had to head that way at once and sort them all out. Jane felt she should accompany her mother, so to the stables they went (with only their shawls over their evening dresses).

And so it was that the entire Bennet family, plus Mr. Gardiner and the butler, met on the outside of the stables, all coming from different directions. Mr. Bennet rolled his eyes and was about to assert control over the situation and everything would have ended with a few remarks on the silliness of his daughters, but for a poorly timed laughter they all recognized as being Mr. Wickham's.

"You cannot be serious, Denny," Wickham exclaimed and laughed again as if hearing a very good joke. "No man in his right mind would ever consider Miss Lydia!"

The were more snickers and outright laughter and some muffled words from Mr. Denny, but all they could make out was "pretty."

"No, no, she is not pretty," Wickham replied, a lot louder than needed.

"He must have drunk too much", Mr. Bennet thought, while Lydia was looking as distraught as any of them ever saw her.

"Miss Jane and Miss Kitty are beautiful, I'll grant you this, although in an entirely colorless way. Miss Elizabeth is pretty and if you want buxom, then Miss Mary should be your choice." Here it seemed like Denny disagreed with Wickham's pronouncements, but the latter continued undeterred: "At least you'll never wonder if the child you're raising is your own."

There was a chorus of laughter and exclamations of approval from Wickham's fellows and a rather peeved Denny feebly trying to defend his choice. Unfortunately for the shocked Bennets he didn't have much to say, other than he really did prefer Miss Lydia to any of her sisters.

"Why, to think I have opened my house to them! Those ungrateful..." Mrs. Bennet's words were cut off before she could launch in one of her tirades.

"For shame, Denny, your horse understands more of what you are saying than she ever would. That silly child is too busy flirting with all of us to see you are interested in her!"

"'tis true," one of the others said in a serious tone. "I urge you to think twice, Denny," the same officer continued and they knew it to be Capt. Carter.

"She really is her parents' child through and through - flighty and lacking substance like her mother and selfishly thinking only of her pleasure like her father. We're doing you a favour, my friend."

- *** - the end - *** -

I wonder what happened next ;)

Author note: This is an idea I've long been thinking about, so I had to gather my courage (which, alas, doesn't always rise) and stop lurking and start writing. Read and review, please.

Author note2: This chapter will be re-written at some point, please bear with me.