Hello everyone, thank you for all of you that commented on my first chapter. I am sorry it took so long to update. Things have been crazy and I am moving countries and it has just been very hard to be able to concentrate on the story. But here it is.

I had have comments about what will happen with the mourning period. I looked at the mourning period in the regency era and for a parent it's 6 months, 1 year is for a husband/wife. But for the sake of the story I am bending the mourning rules and making it 3 months. Just wanted it to be clear. Here is the episode!

Chapter 2 Jane & Lizzy

Jane

Jane did not wish to get out of bed that day, after all, there was nothing pleasant to look forward to. Her mother would be buried that day. They were to go to the church, and then they would be receiving calls from people wishing to give their condolences. They had not received people the last few days, they had been arranging for the funeral and dying their dresses to black while the new mourning dresses were made.

The house had been unnaturally silent, even Kitty had not been her usual loud self, her mother's death hitting her hard. Lydia seemed to be the one that was dealing best with the whole situation, Jane did not know how she did it. Lizzy had scoffed the other day saying that Lydia was too selfish and uncaring of others, and no matter how much she might have cared about their mother she would not let it interfere with her enjoyments in life. Jane would not believe that, Lizzy was too cynical sometimes, she would not believe such a thing from Lydia. But she did have to admit that she had bounced back very fast, Jane decided that it was because Lydia was strong willed and would not let anything put her down.

Their aunt and uncle had arrived yesterday night, coming as fast as they could as to not miss the funeral. Jane was grateful that their aunt would be there. Jane and Elizabeth had divided their mother's responsibilities but with their grief it had been hard. Their aunt had always been a great source of comfort and help, she would help them get through this.

I must get up, I am the eldest, and, technically, the hostess now that mother is gone. Lizzy is surely up, and I cannot let her deal with everything on her own.

Jane dressed and went down to breakfast. Lizzy, her aunt and uncle, her father, and Mary were already there. As she exchanged good mornings with everyone, Lizzy signaled her to sit next to her and gave her a small smile. There was barely any conversation at the table until suddenly loud voices could be heard coming from above. She looked at Lizzy, and they both stood and went toward the disturbance. There, in the hallway between their room, Kitty and Lydia were screaming at each other, Kitty had tears falling down her face.

"What is going on here?" She demanded trying to break up the screaming match. She then noticed that they had a bonnet between them, both clutching it in their hands and not letting go.

"All of this screaming for a bonnet? We are burying our mother today or have you forgotten?" Lizzy had apparently noticed as well and was clearly upset. Jane was as well, but she tried to contain herself.

"It is Lydia! She barged in my room and took it, I told her it was mine, that I wanted to wear it for church today. Mama liked that bonnet, I decorated it myself after I bought it, and she praised me for it. I wanted to wear something that she liked for church, something to remember her for." Kitty had tears going down her face. "But Lydia came and said that it didn't matter that she should wear it because mama liked her best."

"It's true, I was mama's favorite, she would let me wear it." Jane was very displeased by that remark, especially, because it brought unhappy thoughts to her mind. The truth was that mama would had probably let Lydia get away with it. Lydia and her had always been her favorites, not that mama had not loved them all equally, it was just that Lydia was the most similar to her, and Jane had been her first daughter. But whomever mama had preferred, mama was not here now, and it was up to Jane now.

"Lydia, give the bonnet back to Kitty, it does not belong to you."

"You cannot tell me what to do, you are not mama!" Lydia screamed back in anger.

Lizzy took a step forward to back her. "Enough, Lydia! Jane is the eldest, and with mama gone she is in charge, we will not tolerate your tantrums as mama did. Give the bonnet back!" Lydia looked back and forth between them and realized she would not win. If mama was alive, she would have gone to her to complain but with mama gone she had no one who would listen.

"You can have the silly bonnet, it's not that pretty anyway!" She turned, ran to her room, and slammed the door. Kitty dried her tears. "Thank you both for helping me, Lydia can be so mean when she desires."

"It's no problem, Kitty, you can always come to me or to Lizzy for help." Lizzy next to Jane nodded and repeated the sentiment. Kitty left to finish getting ready. Lizzy looked at her with worry. "We are going to have to watch Lydia carefully. Mama was the only one that could rein her in a bit, with mama gone she might think that she does not have to listen to anyone."

"Lizzy, I know Lydia has had few boundaries set for her, but she is not so bad as that. She is just upset now, the sadness is still very fresh. But there is still papa and our aunt and uncle."

"Our aunt and uncle won't be hear for long, and then they will be all the way in London, and you know papa. I love him dearly, you know I do, but he does not like conflict or his peace being disturbed. He will not intervene, unless he is forced to."

"Lizzy is right." Jane and Lizzy were both surprised by the voice, they turned and saw Mary. She stood next to the stairs; they had been so engrossed with the conversation they had clearly not heard her walk up. "Lydia will not be easy to rein in now, she has always believed herself above everything, she only listen to mama, and that was because they were very similar and mama indulged her. I know you like to think the best of people, Jane, but she will get worse, believe me." She turned and walked back down. Jane did not dismiss Mary's words but did not want to believe them true.

Lydia is just sad, with a bit of time, attention, and limits she will get better. She spent so much time with mama, maybe if we all spent more time together as sisters, Lizzy and I can help them become more proper. With that though in mind, she followed Mary back to the kitchen with Lizzy in trail.

Lizzy

Lizzy followed Jane to the kitchen, but her thoughts were elsewhere. She had always been embarrassed by her sister's actions, mortified even, but she had set those feelings aside because she loved her family and she knew there was nothing she could do to change that. The devastating loss of their mother had changed things. She knew that Jane and her could now exert some control over their sisters, and the altercation they had just witness showed how much that was necessary. It was their duty now as the oldest to lead their sisters. The question was, would Lydia listen. She didn't hold as much faith as Jane that she would be reasonable, her thoughts were more in line with Mary's.

They rejoined the table to finish breakfast when Mr. Collins arrived. Dear God, just what I need after Lydia's tantrum: Mr. Collins's absurdities. He took the seat just across from Lizzy.

"Good morning, everyone, today is a truly sad day, and, unfortunately, I have more sad news to impart." No one in the table even glanced at Mr. Collins, and Lizzy could quite imagine what was in everyone's mind. Unless Mr. Collins news was that he would be departing soon, they did not care, she prayed that he was indeed departing. And for one it seemed that God was listening to her prayers.

"I will be departing tomorrow morning." Everyone in the table took notice then, they all looked at Mr. Collins as if they were not certain they had heard correctly but wished they had.

"I know it will be a great loss to lose me so soon after your loss of Mrs. Bennet." Lizzy could not believe that he had uttered those words. That pompous, arrogant fool had absolutely no sensibility, compassion, or tact. He was an overblown buffoon. Lizzy had not liked him from the start and had thought him ridiculous but with that comment he had brought Lizzy's rage. How dare he compare his leaving to the loss of their mother!

"Why so sudden the departure, Mr. Collins?" Her father did not seem very perturbed by Mr. Collins's insensitive comment. He was probably just eager to be rid of him.

"Mrs. Bennet's tragic departure has made a certain task impossible for a few months." He turned to look at her and in his most pompous voice he said. "But do not worry, Miss Bennet, I will be right back in three months, after the mourning period is over." She looked at him incredulously, she could not believe what she was hearing. And to Lizzy's horror he kept going on.

"I wish to assure you that my thoughts will be with you, cousin, but morning periods must be observed, and I, as a man of God, must do so even more, I must set the example. Lady Catherine always praises me on my attention to these matters." Lizzy could not hear one more word.

"I am certain that you pay great attention to these matters, Mr. Collins, what I do not understand is why you must leave so sudden and then come back. You could depart in a few days, and there would be no need to come back; after all, have you not already achieved your task? I thought you had arrived to make amends for any past disagreements. Do you not feel that you have sufficiently achieved that? I imagine it would be a great inconvenience for you to have to come back."

Mr. Collins stood silent for a moment, he clearly had not expected that response. "Well, dear cousin, I had a secondary mission for this visit, which I had believed that I had made clear with my marked attentions. Lady Catherine has encouraged me to find a wife, she believes that a man in my position should set an example for his parish."

Elizabeth knew where he was going with his speech, but she was in no mood to hear it. It might be rude, but Elizabeth did not care anymore. Her mother's death had affected her greatly, this horrid little man was making light of it and trying to insinuate an understanding between them. She might have been kinder or more appropriate in other circumstances, she might have tried to rise above it, but she had no energy for that anymore. So she would make it very clear that he was not wanted. "I do not understand what that has to do with your traveling plans, Mr. Collins, I am certain you can easily find yourself a wife at Kent. There is no need to come back here."

Mr. Collins looked at her baffled and unsure of how to proceed. He looked at her father who was looking at the situation with sad amusement. Her father had been greatly affected by his wife's death. While he pretended that things were as they were one could see the sadness in his eyes. Even when he was amused, it never truly reached his eyes. Elizabeth looked at him with a pointed look, and he turned to Mr. Collins. "Elizabeth is quite right, Mr. Collins. I see no need for you to have to come back. I am sure you will have great success at Kent in your search for a wife."

"But, my dear Mr. Bennet, I am not sure if you knew, but I had spoken to Mrs. Bennet before–"

"Mrs. Bennet is gone." Her father looked at Mr. Collins with a thunderous look that Elizabeth had very rarely seen in his face. She had only seen it once before when she was little. "Whatever plans you had made are not available now, so, I suggest you make alternative plans, Mr. Collins."

Mr. Collins started to open his mouth to reply, but Mr. Bennet's look convinced him otherwise. He turned around and left the room. After a moment of silence, her uncle Gardiner spoke. "Are you sure that was a wise thing to do?"

"I quite honestly do not care, Lizzy would not have married him, Jane has Mr. Bingley, and he was not interested in the rest. It's better to just get it over with than wait three months for the inevitable. Maybe this way, we will be rid of him faster." Elizabeth gave her father a smile to express her gratefulness, and he nodded back. At least, there was one problem less to deal with.