A/N: The first version of Chapter 22 had a conversation between Jane and Mrs Bennet that didn't really make sense after Lizzy's conversation with her in Chapter 17, so I removed Chapter 22 and merged the remainder into this one. Thanks to bvc17 for catching the error.

Wade

"Welcome to Longbourn," Mr Bennet said with a grin. He had been dragged kicking and screaming from his bookroom by Elizabeth to at least pretend to be polite to the new visitors. While he kicked up quite a fuss, he was hopeful there would be some silliness to amuse him. With Mr Collins, Lydia, and the Netherfield residents in one room something was bound to go amiss.

"Thank you, sir. May I introduce my companions."

"Naturally"

Mr Bennet had missed the introductions the previous day, as had Mrs Bennet and the youngest sisters, so Darcy methodically introduced Georgiana and Fitzwilliam to the rest of the family.

Everyone sat down in the parlour, and while Bennet assumed his wife would fire the first volley for his own amusement, she simply sat and made inconsequential small talk.

Miss Darcy was still a bit shy, but she had brought along several bonnets with her brother's permission. She went to sit with Lydia and Kitty, and the three of them set about speaking together in surprisingly quiet (almost decorous) whispers. Bennet was not entirely certain he approved. On the one hand, having his daughters be less hoydenish might make it easier to marry them off, but if they became too well-mannered the place would be as dull as a tomb.

Darcy and Elizabeth sat next to each other, and Bennet saw that his daughter seemed to be far more comfortable with her awkward suitor. The father reluctantly admitted he had probably milked that courtship for all the amusement he was likely to get, and it now remained for his daughter to get over her skittishness enough to gain him access to the Pemberley library.

Bingley looked like a mouse in a room full of cats, but he managed to pull off the idle chatter social rules required for a few moments.

He then seemed to work up his courage to speak. "I do not know if Darcy mentioned it, but I will be hosting a ball on the 26th, which is Tuesday next. I brought your invitation. You are of course invited as well, Mr Collins."

Bennet barely managed to restrain himself from laughing openly as Mr Collins made a long and obsequious diatribe about a ball of this kind, given by a young man of character, to respectable people, can have any evil tendency which the father took in his stride. When the man finished up by hoping to secure sets from 'each of his fair cousins', the look of horror was sufficient to make the entire morning's excursion worthwhile.

The man even had the temerity to ask for Elizabeth's first set, but when he saw the thunderous look from Darcy, he immediately 'corrected' himself to indicate he had misspoken and would like to dance with Mary. That lady sighed in resignation and accepted, although she thought about it long enough to make the outcome uncertain. According to the rules of propriety, if she declined the set, she could not dance all evening; but Mary would typically consider that more of a blessing than a curse. However, she apparently did not want to hurt Mr Collins' feelings, so she eventually accepted.

Elizabeth suggested he should focus on the daughters who were not in a courtship, followed by other ladies in the neighbourhood, and the cleric looked like he had just seen a bear trap snap shut an inch below his foot.

The younger ladies were very enthusiastic about the ball, and Kitty innocently asked, "What will you be wearing, Miss Darcy?"

Georgiana stuttered and stammered, and finally looked down and said, "I am not out."

Kitty and Lydia looked horrified and were clearly working their way up to a remonstrance when Darcy intervened.

"You are not out in London Society. In smaller places like this though, being out just means going to public events. Is that correct, Mrs Bennet?"

Mr Bennet almost laughed at the transparency of the ploy but waited for his wife to say something silly… and waited… and waited… and waited.

She finally said, "Yes, that is the way of it. Nobody has come-out balls like you do in London. Most in this town come out between fifteen and seventeen, and they are basically going to dances with the people they have known all their lives. It is very different from London, I think?"

Darcy spoke surprisingly gently. "You have the right of it. I believe Georgiana can be out in Meryton society. Since she is new, I would hope you can put it about that Fitzwilliam or I have to approve all dancers, and I will ask Elizabeth to ensure they are acceptable."

"That seems fair, and I can certainly help with that," Mrs Bennet said with something more akin to her usual enthusiasm, though hardly enough to excite her husband's sense of amusement.

The discussion of the ball proceeded for another half-hour, while Mr Bennet noticed Jane and Bingley getting more and more nervous as time went on. He wondered what had occurred at Netherfield, but not enough to stick his nose in the middle of his daughters' business. They would ask him if they wanted his help.

The three younger girls eventually excused themselves to go to another room for an epic round of bonnet trimming, and Bennet used the distraction to make his own escape.

Mary contrived at the same time to drag Colonel Fitzwilliam, Mr Collins, and Mrs Bennet from the room, leaving Darcy, Elizabeth, Jane, and Bingley—closing the door on the way out.

Elizabeth thought Mr Bingley looked like a first day politician who had been working on his speech for a week but then forgot it all when he was at the lectern. She decided to take pity on him, as Jane did not look the least bit likely to do so.

"Mr Bingley… May I presume you know about William's apology."

"I do," he said suspiciously, as if afraid she would demand the same from him.

"You have no need for anything like that. Your offense, if any, is of an entirely different nature."

"But I do owe the both of you an apology."

"You do… but the offense is different, as should the remedy be."

"What do you suggest?"

Elizabeth smiled, trying to reduce his nervousness, which was endearing but unhelpful. "Repeat after me."

"All right."

"Miss Elizabeth, I apologise on behalf of my sisters who are unrepentant termagants, and regret that my defence of the Bennets seemed inadequate at the time. I regret allowing my home to be a centre for malicious gossip," Elizabeth said with a flourish.

Bingley looked like she had hit him on the head, but gamely repeated the words exactly as prescribed.

Elizabeth arose from the sofa and walked over to approach the gentleman, who stood up to meet her.

She smiled and curtsied. "I accept your apology, good sir. For myself, you are forgiven, and your business with me is complete."

She then turned back to Darcy. "I suggest we retire over there, William."

While Bingley looked on in confusion, then wonder, Elizabeth took Darcy's arm and walked over to a sofa in the far corner of the room. He very politely helped her sit, then sat beside her at the more or less appropriate distance. They both diligently looked away from the other couple who were circling each other like tomcats on the other side of the room and started conversing quietly.

Charles Bingley sat thunderstruck with his carefully crafted speech entirely forgotten; while Jane Bennet looked as if she was not likely to give him any quarter at all.

He eventually came to his senses enough to know he had to say something. "I say, Miss Elizabeth dispatched me with alacrity."

Jane gave the slightest nod of her head, which was enough for Bingley to observe that she was as tense as a bowstring.

She seemed to be chewing on some unpleasant sort of gristle, but finally replied, "That is her way. Lizzy has always been quick to anger and quick to forgive. She went from despising your friend to courting him in half a day!"

"May I assume you are not… quick to forgive that is?" he said, then barely refrained from smacking his forehead at his own stupidity.

For a moment, he thought she might smack it on his behalf, but she relented slightly.

"I am quite the opposite—more akin to never to anger and never to forgive. Lizzy and I have carried the weight of whatever discipline this family has for as long as I can remember. Her anger has been a useful tool to get people's attention when all else fails, while my calmness is useful for smoothing the waters."

"It sounds like you have been attempting your parents' job?"

She looked at him carefully, and for the first time since they sat down, she seemed to relent just a touch. "I suppose you understand?"

"I understand all too readily. My father made an enormous fortune, but at the expense of ignoring his family entirely… much as yours does," then he watched carefully to see if the statement made her angry.

She sighed and nodded but added nothing, showing neither agreement nor otherwise.

He seemed at an impasse, so decided to plough forward with what he came to say.

"With the understanding that any forgiveness will likely be long in coming and must be earned, please allow me to apologise profusely."

"For what?"

He was uncomfortably reminded of the first moments when the ladies left Netherfield; with the only difference being that Miss Elizabeth was angrily asking the question of Darcy. On the one hand, it did not seem auspicious—but on the other, Darcy survived so perhaps there was hope yet.

"I cannot apologise on my sisters' behalf because it would be disingenuous since neither of them has any real remorse, and they are both full grown women who should take responsibility for their own actions. I can, however, apologise for at least two distinct errors of my own if you will allow it."

"Proceed," she said softly.

"Firstly, I apologise for allowing a guest to be insulted in my home with impunity. I know you and Miss Elizabeth try your best to curb the worst excesses of your family, but they are not your responsibility. As head of this family, and master of the estate, the behaviour of my sisters was my responsibility. I not only failed …" he said resignedly, then looked at her with a frown and added, "… I did not even try."

"Why is that?" she asked in apparent curiosity, which Bingley took to be a not too terrible sign.

"Because long ago I just got tired of beating my head against the wall, if I am honest."

Jane sighed to match his. "I suppose I can understand. I only recently started challenging my mother directly, and it is hard to break childhood habits. Your sister reminds me of Mama in some ways. They are both trying—and failing—to rise above their upbringing without bothering to learn the skills that are required."

Bingley thought he might be getting somewhere, but wanted to get the bulk of what he needed to say finished so chose not to continue on the same disagreeable subject, which was only likely to frustrate them both.

"More importantly than failing to check my sisters, I must apologise for not taking you seriously… not giving you the respect you deserve."

She looked slightly intrigued and puzzled at the same time.

He continued, "You were correct to chastise me at Netherfield for being attracted to your beauty. While nobody likes to consider themselves inconstant, I will admit that I have often been attracted to beautiful women. It has most often turned out badly, but I continued the habit."

"How has it turned out badly?" Jane asked, curious for the first time.

"Any number of ways. Many of the ladies were vain and selfish once I got to know them, much like my own sister. Many lost interest quickly once they learned I was naught but the son of a tradesman. Some used me as bait to attract bigger fish. I could continue, but mostly it was my own naivete and vanity."

Jane laughed slightly. "Vanity—I suppose you share that defect with Mr Darcy."

Bingley laughed. "Darcy will swear up and down that he does not suffer from vanity, and he has his pride under good regulation."

"I could swear up and down my younger sisters have perfect manners… it would not make it true."

Bingley laughed, and Jane joined in. Nothing had been resolved, but she was at least slightly less hostile.

"While on the subject of defects, may we move on from my vanity and allow me to apologise for one more thing?"

"Feel free."

"I had a lot of time to think in the last week. I even kept notes. I believe I must apologise for my selfishness."

Jane looked confused. "You may need to elaborate."

"Since you obviously are privy to my conversation with Darcy at the assembly, you are aware that I was attracted to your beauty. Hooray for me, I am not blind, though I am stupid."

"Go on," she said grudgingly.

"I was, in fact, first attracted by your beauty and it would be silly to claim otherwise. I would suspect your first glance of me compared to your first glance at your cousin shows that women are not entirely immune to appearance either."

Jane blushed and sighed. "After that night, I told Lizzy you were just what a young man ought to be: sensible, good-humoured, lively; with happy manners and perfect good breeding!"

Bingley was blushing but had nothing to reply.

Jane stared at the floor. "Lizzy observed that you were also handsome, which a young man ought likewise to be, if he possibly can. Your character is thereby complete."

She stared directly at him for the first time that morning. "I suppose it would be hypocritical to chastise you for doing the exact same thing we were."

Bingley nodded, wondering if that revelation made things better or worse. "I suppose that mitigates perhaps the worst of my behaviour for the first night of our acquaintance, but thereafter…"

She nodded for him to continue, but he stopped and thought for some time.

"Thereafter, much to my shame, I did not really think about you. I thought about how I felt when I was with you. I thought perhaps I had fond the woman who could match me. I thought about… well, it was all about me. I did not consider how the neighbourhood would comprehend your reputation when I so blatantly favoured you. I gave no thought to how your mother's enthusiasm would make your home life. As you so aptly pointed out, I learned quite well how you made me feel without a second thought to how I made you feel. I did not think about what would happen to you if our nascent acquaintance went off. I took no real steps to curb my sisters' tongues, though it was obvious they would be wagging. I could continue in that vein for some time, but I think you understand."

"I do," she said, staring at the ground again. "I suppose I should apologise for the way my family treated you. My mother put a target on your back, and to be honest, she spent the entire time trying to bring you to the point—and whether it was with your complaisance or without was of no interest. She sent me to Netherfield on horseback specifically so I might get trapped by the rain. She knows nothing about you save your income, and yet that was enough to make you a good matrimonial target, and I do not know to what lengths she might have gone if thwarted."

Bingley observed her staring at him as if in challenge.

"I should prefer, Miss Bennet, that we both spend our efforts rectifying our own thoughts and behaviours… not our respective family's."

"To be honest," said she, "Lizzy had the right of it. I suppose you could make some grand gesture like Mr Darcy did, but I think that would be a square peg in a round hole. Your… offenses… such as they were, are different from his."

"Agreed, which is why I did not follow his example. In some ways, I think Darcy and I have opposite problems."

"Do tell," she said, showing a spark of curiosity.

"Darcy knew he was the heir to a vast estate as soon as he learned to talk. I was raised to be a tradesman, and my father threw me into a gentleman's education and set high expectations quite late in the game and unexpectedly. That is how we became friends. Darcy came to my rescue, and we got along well together."

Jane nodded for him to continue.

"We are the opposite because I need to grow up, and Darcy needs to reclaim his childhood. He was very much like a middle-aged man before his twentieth birthday, while I have yet to fully mature."

Jane sighed. "That may be the saddest thing I ever heard."

"Not really," Bingley said with a smile, and nodded his head toward the other couple. "Did you pay attention to how they sat down?"

"Not especially," Jane said curiously.

"Darcy knows he is on thin ice, so he sat at the proper distance. Now look at them!"

Jane looked carefully at her sister, and then a smile graced her face. Lizzy was not sitting on Darcy's lap, but she was at least a handspan closer than she had been when they sat down. Darcy and Lizzy were there to observe the most important conversation of their sister and best friend, but looked to all the world like they could care less what was happening so long as no open flames were involved.

Bingley said, "Darcy has hope… dare I emulate him?"

Jane sighed resignedly. "Is your house in order?"

Feeling great relief, Bingley outlined what had changed in the past week. "I decided I need to grow up, as do my sisters. I have cut Caroline and the Hursts from my life entirely. I will not give them a public cut if they behave, but I will no longer support any of them. Caroline will live with Louisa through this next season, and if she is not married by then, I will release her dowry and cut her loose."

"You may as well declare her a spinster," she said in some alarm.

Bingley shrugged. "She is a beautiful woman with a good dowry, a lady's education, and a lot of expensive clothes. The only thing holding her back is her sharp tongue and her propensity to reach too high. Like me, Caroline suffers mostly from self-inflicted wounds, and like me, she will have to work out how to move forward. She has a few months to recognize the limits of her reach, but she is her own problem. It is time for all the Bingleys to grow up."

Jane sat in thought for a few moments, while Bingley waited patiently (more or less).

She finally said, "I learned something interesting in this experience. I believe Elizabeth and I both were overly enamoured with first impressions, and we have learned to be more… measured. As part of that, I am trying to avoid overcompensating."

Bingley was thoroughly confused, which she apparently noticed. "All my life, I equated good manners and amiability with good character. Elizabeth did the same, which is part of why Mr Darcy was so thoroughly in her brown books, even though what he said was barely different from what we get from our father regularly."

Bingley grunted. "If nothing else, I can assure you that my children will not have such an assertion to make."

She smiled, but simply carried on. "After leaving Netherfield we went to the other extreme. Since then, we have met several amiable, well-spoken, well-mannered gentlemen among the officers, including Colonel Fitzwilliam; and we have been suspicious of every one of them."

"Assuming they are likely to be as inconstant as me?" he asked dejectedly.

"Not necessarily. To make such a judgment would be as bad as what we did with you and Mr Darcy. We just approached them more… cautiously, I suppose. It feels quite cynical."

"Perhaps you can attribute it to wisdom instead of cynicism," he hopefully suggested.

"Perhaps"

They sat a few more minutes, and then Jane asked, "What is it you want, Mr Bingley? I can offer forgiveness, since you did not actually do anything wrong when you get right down to it; and as we have established, criticising you for your family would be hypocritical."

Bingley found his own turn to stare at the floor for a moment but raised his courage.

"I want two things. The first is that I want to grow into a man worthy of respect. I am no green boy, but I am not mature yet either."

Jane gave a slight smile. "I cannot claim any more maturity than you."

He nodded. "I have relied on Darcy's guidance for some time, and in the matters of estate management and the like, I will continue… but I need to become my own man and make my own decisions."

"That seems reasonable enough."

Bingley chuckled lightly and leaned forward in his chair to close the gap between them by half a foot.

"That said, as my own fully grown man, I would hope to emulate his success."

"He has not succeeded."

Bingley just raised a sceptical eyebrow, and she smiled in return.

She blushed and then stuttered and stammered the next. "I hope you appreciate the sort of pinch I am in. I liked you at one point… quite a lot… and might again. That said, I have my approaching spinsterhood squeezing me from one side, and the risks of too fast of an attachment pushing me into a bad match on the other. Both frighten me."

Bingley nodded several times in thought. "Suppose we take things slow. I strongly suspect your worries about spinsterhood will disappear once your sister is well settled. No sister of Fitzwilliam Darcy will ever lack suitors, but I would hope to be first in line. If you allow it, I will simply call but not with any alarming frequency. I will dance and converse with you, but will not neglect your neighbours. When you wish for more or less, simply give me a hint… but not an overly subtle one. Let us begin anew and see where it leads us."

"I should like that," Jane said, and returned the first smile approaching her previous countenance.

Both feeling exhausted, they stood up and Bingley took a chance to grasp her hands and kiss the knuckles.

They wondered if they would have to throw something at Darcy, but the couple on the other side of the room stood immediately, indicating they were not quite as indifferent in their chaperone duty as had been assumed.

They all came together and spent a quarter-hour discussing what had occurred.

Feeling slightly overwhelmed, they returned to the rest of the family just in time for Darcy to take another beating from Mary while Jane and Elizabeth played whist with Mr Bingley and Mrs Bennet.

After dinner, the party returned to Netherfield. They all felt much lighter than upon their entry. Bingley felt like a condemned man who had gotten a temporary reprieve. Darcy felt lighter just as he always did after an hour or more with Elizabeth. The Colonel felt lighter by six shillings after gambling with Mr Bennet.

Georgiana was lighter by three bonnets.