Later that evening, when Charlotte reached home, she saw her mother along with her four younger sisters engaged in conversation about Louise's wedding preparations. Charlotte entered the house with a refreshing smile on her face. She was happy over her own accomplishment in getting through someone as headstrong as Lydia. However, she learned something new that day. She had never had any lengthy conversations with any of younger Bennet sisters because she always considered them as brainless children. But today, while talking with Lydia after their discussion about the consequences of elopement, she found out that Lydia Bennet wasn't entirely as foolish as everyone perceived her to be. She observed several things. She even noticed Elizabeth's faults and the way she spoke about Jane Bennet was odd. Her tone was skeptical regarding her eldest sister, leaving Charlotte confused. She always admired Jane for her beauty, sweet manners, and ladylike demeanor, but they were never close friends like she and Elizabeth. Elizabeth always had numerous compliments for Jane and perhaps that's what made everyone admire Jane Bennet so much. After talking with Lydia, Charlotte wasn't so sure about her own perception. Perhaps it was a matter of different perspectives after all. If people heard good things about someone consistently, then everyone starts to idealize that person.
Her thoughts got interrupted by her mother's voice, "Charlotte, where have you been? We were all looking for you to go shopping for your sister's wedding preparations. I thought you were sensible enough to know the importance of this event; after all, it has been so long since anyone was able to find a suitable suitor for you. Your own case is hopeless, but at least you can be useful here, missy."
Hearing that, Louise laughed and stared at Charlotte with a vicious smirk. "Let it be, Mother," she said. "She may be lamenting her own spinsterhood in some dark corner."
Charlotte once again started feeling uncomfortable in her own house. "God, this will never stop, will it... Even Lydia's idea of running away and getting eloped starts making sense now. Instead of having to stay in this atmosphere for a long time." thought Charlotte as she excused herself.
She made her way to her own room, hoping to find some solace in her books. However, as soon as she reached her room, she heard someone knocking on the door. "Who could it be now?" she muttered to herself, but still went ahead to open the door. Charlotte was shocked to find her second younger sister, Maria, standing in front of her. She appeared uneasy and Charlotte regarded her with curiosity. "What are you doing here, Maria?" she asked.
Maria smiled sheepishly and hid something behind her back. "I created something for you, Charlotte," she said apologetically. "Mama and Louise have been so preoccupied with Louise's engagement that they forgot it is your birthday. This is for you." With that, she presented a beautifully embroidered reticule to Charlotte. "Happy Birthday, my dear sister!"
At this gesture of kindness, Charlotte felt tears springing to her eyes. She embraced Maria tightly. "Thank you for remembering me; I had thought everyone had forgotten about my birthday—just another reminder of my spinsterhood," she murmured into her ear.
The hug startled Maria but she gladly returned it. "No one can ever forget the birthday of person who has taken care of us since we were kids," she replied warmly. "You will always be my dearest sister, Charlotte."
At Longbourn, the house was abnormally tranquil on this day due to Lydia's unusually calm demeanor. When Kitty asked her for her pin money, instead of having their usual quarrel, Lydia simply passed her the funds and headed for her room. Both Elizabeth and Mr. Bennet were taken aback by the change in Lydia's behavior.
When Lizzy went to discuss it with Jane, as she usually did, Jane smiled and nodded but kept quiet about the matter. Though Elizabeth loved Jane dearly, sometimes she felt that it would have been nice if Jane shared her opinions about other people's lives with her; whenever conversations related to those topics came up, Jane seemed disinterested and simply said something positive about it. But whenever Elizabeth felt that way, she scolded herself internally for thinking too much into the situation: "This is Jane; of course she cares just as deeply for others in her family."
Mrs. Bennet was taken aback by Lydia's sudden change in attitude, and wasn't pleased with it either. She feared that her daughter would lose her usual spirit and become like Mary: dull and pedantic, something which she thought could make her undesirable to suitors. Mrs. Bennet scolded her for being so unresponsive, but Lydia remained quiet. Eventually, Mrs. Bennet gave up and asked Mrs. Hill to get her some smelling salts because of her overstrained nerves. Jane saw this as a chance to win Mrs. Bennet's approval; she approached the woman with soothing words and settled her down.
The only one making noise that day was Mrs. Bennet herself; meanwhile, Mary watched the scene with an impassive expression before returning to practicing on the pianoforte.
As the days passed, Lydia's calm demeanor persisted. She no longer giggled heartily or talked incessantly about the latest fashions or gossip. Elizabeth noticed that Lydia spent most of her time in her room, reading books or writing in her journal. She couldn't help but wonder what was going on in her sister's mind.
One day, Elizabeth decided to confront Lydia. She knocked on her door and was surprised when Lydia opened it without any hesitation. Elizabeth stepped inside and closed the door behind her. Lydia was sitting on her bed, her journal open in her lap.
"Lydia, I've been worried about you. Is there anything bothering you?" Elizabeth asked.
Lydia looked up and smiled faintly. "No, Lizzy. I've just been doing some thinking lately."
"About what?" Elizabeth pressed.
Lydia hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I've been thinking about my future, and what I want out of it.
Elizabeth sat down on the bed beside her sister. "And have you come to any conclusions?"
Lydia nodded. "I have. Society's expectations are not enough for me. Being a wife is not fulfilling enough for me anymore; I want to do something that will bring me happiness."
Elizabeth was surprised but also proud of her sister. "That's a very admirable goal, Lydia. What do you have in mind?"
Lydia inhaled deeply. "I'd like to become a writer. I'm passionate about romantic novels, but someone told me that reality is different than the one we read in books. Even so, I still find them fascinating and thought that if I have to use my intellect to maneuver through life's real circumstances, at least I could live out my fantasies in fiction."
Elizabeth's eyes widened in surprise. "A writer? You've never expressed an interest in writing before."
Lydia shrugged her shoulders. "I know, but it's been on my mind for some time now. I want to write about things I'm truly passionate about."
Elizabeth smiled. "That sounds wonderful, Lydia."