After Easter, time passed, as it does.

-}{-

At Matlock House Miss Anne de Bourgh flourished under the strict regime concerning diet and exercise prescribed by Dr. Stewart, a heretical physician from Scotland. Oatmeal for breakfast flavoured with only a few pieces of dried fruit - when Lord Matlock cited Johnson's definition of oats being 'A grain which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people', Dr. Stewart quoted back Bosworth's rejoinder to the effect that 'Aye, and that's why England has such fine horses, and Scotland such fine people.' Col. Fitzwilliam rather thought that the doctor won that exchange on points but he did not himself give up eggs, bacon, and sausage for breakfast. Broiled meats, free of any sauces, and rather more green vegetables than had ever before previously graced a Matlock table – the Matlock cook refused to cook such plain fare and an under cook was retained on the doctor's recommendation to take care of that. The only pudding was a type of milk curd said to have originated in India, again flavoured with only a few pieces of dried fruit (once it was in season, fresh fruit could be substituted) - Col. Fitzwilliam tasted it and thought it rather sour. Most controversial were the only beverages allowed to Miss de Bourgh: three pints of water (boiled and then allowed to cool) flavoured with lemon juice, and one pint of stout, per day. When Colonel Fitzwilliam teased his cousin that drinking stout would make her stout, he got his first inkling that the apple does not fall too far from the tree.

Miss de Bourgh shook her finger at him "Cousin, if you think Rosings is a prize worth winning, you had best moderate your frivolity. I am not to be trifled with." In cadence and intonation, she exactly matched her mother; she lacked only volume, but that would likely come with practice.

Col. Fitzwilliam apologized profusely, adopting, as best he could remember, the stylings of Mr. Collins, which seemed to have worked on the mother, and appeared to meet the approval of the daughter. He was forgiven, but he got the distinct impression that such forgiveness was extended on a probationary basis.

For exercise, Miss de Bourgh was prescribed a walk (a walk, not a ride) to Hyde Park, around the Serpentine, and back to Matlock House in Mayfair, regardless of the weather. Col. Fitzwilliam was pressed into service as an escort; a service he begrudged, thinking, as he did, that he had left behind the military life with its forced marches in all sorts of foul weather. But walk he did, 'the prize being worth winning', although doubts were creeping in, as he listened to Miss de Bourgh expound on all manner of subjects, none of which she had any factual knowledge, his only conversational obligation being to murmur assent (never dissent, perish the thought) on occasion.

Dancing was not prescribed by Dr. Stewart, but, as he was not a member of the stricter sects of Scottish Presbyterianism which frowned on such a frivolous activity, he allowed that it was an acceptable form of exercise. Miss de Bourgh loved to dance and under the tutelage of a dancing master four times a week rapidly acquired mastery of all the current steps. Col. Fitzwilliam had thought he knew how to dance but service as a dancing dummy (as his brother Mintlaw named him) four times a week left him (one, two, three, again, one, two, three, left, right, twirl, 'if you please, Colonel, your other left') with a desire to learn how to stalk around the fringes of a ballroom in the manner of his cousin Darcy.

Lady Matlock arranged for Miss de Bourgh and Col. Fitzwilliam to obtain vouchers for Almack's. According to her the Lady Patronesses were happy to issue one to Miss de Bourgh, but baulked at issuing one to Col. Fitzwilliam, who had never deigned to apply for one before, and thus had been thought guilty of a snub – it had taken some fast talking on her part to get one for him. But succeed she did and thus Col. Fitzwilliam found himself squiring his mother and cousin to Almack's every Wednesday evening starting in mid April. He was allowed one dance with Miss de Bourgh and then he was set free to amuse himself as she did not want to see him again until it was time to leave.

Miss de Bourgh, as a single woman in possession of a good fortune, attracted no end of attention. At first Col. Fitzwilliam had been tempted to employ the intimidatory glare he had honed on countless parade grounds and battle fields to scare prospective suitors away but the constant sniping his cousin subjected him to foreshadowed for him what marriage to a young and vigorous copy of Lady Catherine would be like, making the prize that her hand would be worth less and less attractive, and so he let the various Corinthians, dandies, rakes and young blades make their plays without hinderance on his part. He spent the time after his 'duty' dance at Almack's seeking a single woman in possession of a good fortune who was of a kind and loving nature, and who might consider marriage to a broken-down soldier. He did not find one.

Col. Fitzwilliam's last attendance at Almack's was on Wednesday, May 6th. On Monday, May 11th, the Prime Minister was assassinated in the lobby of the House of Commons. In the resulting political panic that revolution was at hand all military leaves were cancelled and Col. Fitzwilliam found himself helping to defend the capital against an anticipated uprising of British sans-culottes.

By June, when it became apparent that no insurrection was forthcoming, Col. Fitzwilliam was resigning himself to once again competing in the race for Rosings and her mistress when word came from the Americas that the Yankees were on the warpath. He was offered command of a regiment being sent to Upper Canada to assist in fending off the anticipated invasion and he accepted. Lord Matlock was too invested in the machinations involved in the forming of a new government to object. Lady Matlock, no fan of de Bourgh mère, and growing rather less fond of de Bourgh fille as each day passed, told him she understood his decision and wished him well. Miss de Bourgh complained about the loss of her escort to Hyde Park and Almack's.

Col. Fitzwilliam sailed for the Canadas in early July.

-}{-

Mr. Darcy did not attend at Almack's himself – he considered it nothing more than a Tattersall's for debutantes – but he did delight in mocking his cousin, Col. Fitzwilliam, for being required to attend with their cousin, Miss de Bourgh, black satin knee breeches and all.

After returning from Rosings Mr. Darcy tried to socialize as he had in the past. He attended small private balls and soirées given by friends. At those events there generally would be single young ladies in attendance, suitable candidates for marriage should a single man, in possession of a good fortune, be in want of a wife. Before Rosings (he worried that he would forever after divide time into before and after Rosings) he would boorishly distain such young ladies as he was not in want of a wife. After Rosings he was in want of a wife. If Miss Elizabeth Bennet would not be that wife, then he wanted a wife like Miss Elizabeth Bennet. At the balls and soirées he attended after Rosings he acted in a more gentleman-like manner towards those young ladies he met, which was harder than he anticipated because of his past habitual boorish manner which he had to consciously supress. He danced with them, he talked with them, but none of them were at all like Miss Elizabeth Bennet.

He finally conceded to himself that he had best retreat to Pemberley and lick his wounds until they scarred over. At some point the ache in his heart that was Miss Elizabeth Bennet would fade away and he would find a young lady, who on her own merits, and not those of Miss Elizabeth Bennet, would be worthy of becoming Mrs. Darcy. It might take years, but he was convinced Pemberley would cure him.

So, in July, after he had seen Col. Fitzwilliam off, he gathered up Georgiana and they set off for Pemberley.

-}{-

At Longbourn spring changed to summer accompanied by the usual kerfuffle.

Mrs. Bennet wailed about the marital prospects of her daughters, the injustice of the entail, and her imminent relocation to the hedgerows – here she habitually glared at her husband and, if looks could kill, she would indeed be relocating to the hedgerows sooner rather than later.

Mr. Bennet mocked his wife, mocked his daughters, even his favourite, Elizabeth, and hid away from the exigencies of life in his book room, comforted by his books, port and pipe.

Jane maintained her facade of beautiful serenity but there were fine, hairline cracks in it, widening each time her mother bemoaned the desertion of Mr. Bingley, as Jane carried with her the knowledge that Mr. Bingley had returned but she had so rudely turned him away without even giving him a chance to speak.

Elizabeth walked. She walked to get away from listening to her mother. She walked to avoid her father, whose mockery had worn away the pleasure his favouritism towards her had given her. She walked to escape thinking of Mr. Darcy. She failed. Mr. Darcy walked with her. He had dealt with every objection she had to him, except for the case of Mr. Bingley, which given what Jane had confessed to her, befuddled her. She thought so often of Mr. Darcy that she was afraid that she might blurt something about him out loud and that would set the fox amongst the chickens should her mother hear.

Mary continued striving to gain positive attention from her parents and sisters, and she continued to fail in that endeavour. She was saving her pin money towards the date she came of age – she had a vague idea of running away to town and finding work as a clerk in a bookshop.

Kitty followed along in the wake of Lydia without an original idea of her own.

Lydia frittered and flirted until she scored the coup of her short life. Her particular friend, Mrs. Forster, the wife of the colonel of the regiment, [invited her] to accompany her to Brighton.

The effusions of Mrs. Bennet and the whining of Lydia trumped the dire protestations of Jane and Elizabeth in Mr. Bennet's indolent judgment and so Lydia went to Brighton.

In due course, the Gardiners came to collect Elizabeth for their trip to the north, and sensing Jane's impending despair, offered to take her along as well. She refused, most graciously, as she wanted to be at Longbourn when Mr. Bingley returned to Netherfield.

-}{-

Of the whereabouts of Mr. Bingley, or his activities there, wherever that might be, nothing was known.

He was thought to be in the south west of England looking at estates to purchase but he did not write his sisters; nor his brother, Mr. Hurst; nor his other relatives; nor his friend, Mr. Darcy (if indeed he still was a friend); nor his other friends. He may have corresponded with his solicitor, or his man of business in Yorkshire, but if he did, those men, by virtue of client or commercial confidentiality, said nothing.

-}{-

Time, like a great stately river, oft flows slowly and steadily, but occasionally it does rush over a cataract.