It was a busy evening in the Bennet household as the whole household, with the exception of Mr. Bennett were all in varying degrees of motion preparing for the events of the night. Mr. Bennet was in his study contemplating how much he did not want to attend the night's assembly, but recognizing that the mourning period had passed and it was time for the Bennet family to reenter their local society. It would be the family's first assembly since Mrs. Bennet had died the year prior and everyone in the household had different feelings about how the night would go. Elizabeth was sitting in the bedroom that she shared with Jane, getting ready for the Meryton Assembly. The maid had already done her hair and helped her into her gown for the night and was currently assisting her younger sister's Mary, Kitty, and Lydia. Jane was at their jewelry box staring at the various necklaces, rings, and bracelets that had previously belonged to their mother reflecting on the changes that had happened in the year since Mrs. Bennet had passed. As she was standing at the jewelry box, Jane felt a wave of sadness pass through her as this would be the first time since she came out at the age of sixteen, that her mother would not be there with her. Elizabeth, while not close to Mrs. Bennet, did miss her mother and the familiarity that her presence had provided but no longer would. Mary, who often felt overlooked by Mrs. Bennet at times, missed the instances of attention and comfort that she did provide and felt a strange sense of nostalgia for the presence of her mother on nights like tonight. Kitty and Lydia, both keenly felt the loss of their mother on the night, as this would be their first assembly as they had not yet been out at the time of Mrs. Bennet's death and had to wait until their mourning passed before they could make their entrance into society as adults. The night of the assembly was a night of reflection and mourning for the entire Bennet family as they prepared to enter a new stage of all their lives, one that did not include the presence of Mrs. Bennet.
As it approached the time of the Assembly, Mr. Bennet left his study and called for his daughters to finish their preparations so that they could leave for the night. Mary went to the open door of Jane and Elizabeth's room so that she could ask for their advice on how she looked and if there were anything that she would need to change before they left. Kitty and Lydia, more sedately than they would have in the year prior, rushed down the stairs to join their father. Elizabeth and Jane both assured Mary of how well she looked, and then all three went down the stairs to join their father and sisters. Mr. Bennet called for the family's carriage to be brought to the front of the manor house and once it was there, they all departed the house and one by one, Mr. Bennet handed all of his daughters into the carriage and then climbed in himself among the crush of fabrics and skirts that filled the rest of the interior of the carriage. Once Mr. Bennet was in the carriage, he motioned for the coachman to start the drive into town for the assembly. When the carriage began to roll over the dirt path that led from Longbourn manor to Meryton, Elizabeth asked Mr. Bennet, "Papa, how are you feeling?"
Mr. Bennet, who in the months since the death of Mrs. Bennet, had become much more introspective, respectful, and honest with his daughters than before, replied to her "Lizzy, my dear, tonight will be difficult and an adjustment for us all, but I am ready to do my duty as your father and I will insist on a dance with each one you tonight."
Lydia and Kitty were excitingly whispering to each other about all the dancing that they wanted to do that night. As their whispers got more excited, Mr. Bennet informed Kitty and Lydia that they would not dance unless he had approved the dance partner prior to the dance, as he was still concerned about their behavior as it still tended to be on the more excitable side than what was deemed proper. Lydia and Kitty both gave a half-hearted protest at the edict but knew from their experiences in the months since Mrs. Bennet had died, that their father would not be moved on the subject. In the time that had passed since the death of Mrs. Bennet, the entire Bennet family had acknowledged, that changes would need to happen when they re-entered society following their mourning period. Mr. Bennet realized, that he would need to be more present for all of his daughters after the loss of their mother, he realized that he needed to be a better father to his daughters. Elizabeth and Jane realized that they would need to take on a more maternal role with their younger sisters so that they were better equipped to enter society after the mourning period for Mrs. Bennet ended. Mary, Kitty, and Lydia, through the new attention that was given to them by both Mr. Bennet and their older sisters, realized that their behaviors once they re-entered society would need to change and mature if they were to be taken seriously as adults by their neighbors and friends. Mrs. Bennet's death had changed all of their perspectives and made the whole family re-evaluate the course of their life as it had been before.
As the carriage approached the Meryton assembly and stopped in front of the building among all the other carriages of the families in the neighborhood, the whole Bennet prepared themselves to face their neighbors and friends for the first time without the company of Mrs. Bennet. Mr. Bennet climbed down from the carriage and helped each of his daughters out of the carriage. Once they were all out of the carriage, they walked together into the building preparing to face the rest of their small society as a family.