As the Bennets descended from their carriage at Longbourn, Mrs Bennet grabbed Elizabeth's arm and forcefully dragged her into the house.
Kitty followed quickly but silently, wishing to make sure Lizzie stayed safe without being noticed herself. In comparison to this Jane and Lydia followed more sedately, each with a small smirk upon their face at their sister's treatment.
"Mr Bennet! Come and discipline your daughter, she disrespected me and my poor Lydia in front of Mr Darcy; he has ten thousand a year."
Before Mrs Bennet could continue with her rant, Mr Bennet stuck his head out of his bookroom, "Mrs Bennet, you will cease this caterwauling at once. I find it highly unlikely that Lizzie did anything worthy of being regarded as disrespectful, so you will stop with your nonsense and leave me in peace."
With that Mr Bennet once again retreated to the solitude of his bookroom.
"This is not to be borne" Mrs Bennet turned around and slapped Elizabeth across her cheek. Making sure to maintain eye contact with Elizabeth, she continued "Any more disrespect from you Miss Lizzie and you shall have to make your own way in this world for I shall not know you, and neither shall my Jane or Lydia."
Following this statement, she exited the room with her two favourite daughters. Kitty approached Lizzie quickly, seeing the tears upon her sister's face and the angry red mark already beginning to form.
Rather than risking raising the wrath of their witch of a mother once again, the two went upstairs to Elizabeth's slightly larger room to ready for bed and discuss things in private. To further avoid censure they only used the hand gestures that their uncle Gardiner's friend had taught them.
"At least she didn't see you Kitty, it could have been a lot worse. A slap and a bruised arm are much better than a day in the cupboard."
The cupboard to which she referred was the broom closet that their mother locked them in when she was most displeased with them. It was dark and small, and basically torture for Elizabeth as it provided literally no stimuli.
"I'm just glad that Papa shouted at her so she wasn't as bad. What did you think of Mr Darcy?"
"I think he is quite possibly the handsomest man of our acquaintance, and certainly very pleasant company."
"I think he likes you Lizzie, he defended you without even knowing you for very long. And he couldn't keep his eyes from you for very long."
"I certainly hope so, because I quite like him."
