A/N - This chapter is unedited. Please let me know if you see any issues or where you think the story might drag.

Let me know if you continue to see any issues with consistency, language/usage, or just too much information. This story will be published on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited at some point once it is finished (new target: September 10?).

Chapter 30

With spring came yet another trip to London, this time for Georgiana's presentation. The Darcys would celebrate Alex's first birthday and their second anniversary while in town. While they would have preferred to celebrate these events at Pemberley, Georgiana's presentation meant they needed to be in town by mid-March. Work on her presentation gown began in the autumn, and orders for gowns for Georgiana and Elizabeth were placed then, but fittings would still need to occur to ensure all was in readiness for the Season.

Lady Matlock was prepared to sponsor Georgiana for her entrée into the ton. Elizabeth was able to do so, having been presented herself just after her marriage to Darcy, but she suspected she was once again with child. The trip was difficult for her, and the Darcys and Matlocks decided that Georgiana would be better served by her aunt's sponsorship rather than her sister's.

With Mary and Jane married, Kitty at the Gardiners, and Lydia still at school, Mrs Bennet no longer received news about her second daughter from those sources. However, Mrs Phillips and others in the neighbourhood did speak of the Darcys' success in the ton. Georgiana was much admired and received quite a bit of attention, but it was Mrs Darcy who once again captivated society. As she had the year they married, she continued to impress those in society with her style and wit and Mrs Bennet was surprised the daughter that had always given her so much trouble was so celebrated. The gossip sheets were full of news of both Darcy women and their successes. Miss Darcy was praised for her beauty and her sweetness, but Mrs Darcy impressed everyone with her wit and generosity, and both received much praise for the stunning elegance of their dress.

Among the other things Mrs Darcy was praised for was her charitable activities. In these, she was assisted by her aunts, the Countess of Matlock and Mrs Gardiner, who, since becoming linked through the Darcys, had become a rather formidable duo in advocating for London's less fortunate. Since Elizabeth had not participated in the season the previous year, her contributions had not been as well known. Still, this year, with her and Georgiana in town for an extended season, Mrs Darcy joined her aunts and spent hours in these endeavours while in London.

"Sister, what do you hear from Mrs Darcy?" Mrs Phillips asked one morning while the two women were sitting in the parlour of Longbourn.

"Umm," was all she could say. She had received a letter from Kitty a few days prior, and while she did occasionally attend outings with the Darcys, she rarely shared much news from Mayfair. "I owe her a letter, so I have not heard anything new of late," she finally chanced to say.

"Oh, well, the gossip sheets are full of her and her sister. They apparently have made quite the impact upon the ton, and rarely have I heard anyone praised so highly," Mrs Phillips laughed a little. "Of course, she has those who dislike her as well — but they are clearly jealous harpies."

"How do you know this?" Mrs Bennet asked in surprise.

"Oh, you can tell from how certain gossip columnists speak of her. This one" — she held out a paper toward her sister — "reminds me very much of a certain former resident of our small community."

"What do you mean, Sister?" Mrs Bennet asked again.

"Caroline Bingley," Mrs Phillips remarked. "She virtually vanished from society following her foray into Hertfordshire, although she did create quite a stir" — at this point, she chuckled — "right after your daughter's marriage to Mr Darcy. Both Mr Darcy and his aunt, the Countess of Matlock, publicly severed ties with her, and then she proceeded to embarrass herself in Lady Matlock's drawing room, where the lady promptly showed her the door. Yet, I wonder if she might have slipped back into London's circles, perhaps scribbling for a scandal sheet in a futile attempt to tarnish Mrs Darcy's reputation within society. Her endeavour seems misguided, for her voice of dissent is a mere ripple in the sea of acclaim."

"Why do you suspect Miss Bingley of being this dissenter?" Mrs Bennet wondered.

"Oh, some of the ways she turns a phrase. I can imagine Lizzy laughing at her foolishness. The columnist speaks of Mrs Darcy's 'hoydenish ways' and accuses her of being barely able to keep her petticoats out of the mud — even in London," Mrs Phillips laughed. "Do you have an address for Darcy House, sister? I would like to write to Lizzy myself and tell her my thoughts about this detractor. I would be interested to hear her thoughts."

"Yes … I, the address is 45 Park Lane, Mayfair," Mrs Bennet offered mechanically.

"Do you want me to include any messages from you, sister?" Mrs Phillips asked.

"No, I … um, as I said, I am a letter in her debt," Mrs Bennet said, firming her voice. "I will write it straight away." Mrs Phillips spoke another few minutes but quickly took her leave, leaving the mistress of Longbourn contemplating her second daughter.

In a townhouse in Mayfair, a conversation about this particular gossip columnist was also taking place over breakfast. Laughing, Elizabeth declared to her husband, "I am positive it is Miss Bingley writing this, or at least feeding the columnist information. Who else would criticise me in such a way? She writes that this is not the first time I have been seen with my 'petticoats six inches deep in mud' and bemoans my 'abominable sort of conceited independence, a most country-town indifference to decorum' that I demonstrate regularly."

"She is a fool, wife," Darcy said. "And I am nearly of a mind to …"

"Do nothing, Will," Elizabeth interjected. "There is nothing you can do to her, and any action you take would only draw more attention to it. Few read this tripe, and your staff brought it to my attention because they felt I would find it amusing, which I do. If Caroline Bingley thinks this will earn her back her place in society, she only proves her utter foolishness."

Darcy scowled. "I do not like the idea of her being back in town while we are here. I have heard nothing of or from Bingley since that encounter outside Whites two years ago. The last I knew, they were taking Miss Bingley away from town after her complete humiliation in my aunt's drawing room when she dared to visit, uninvited and unknown to the family."

"Perhaps Aunt Helen would know something about her," Elizabeth offered. "Surely someone knows what has happened to her. Perhaps she married?"

Darcy barked out a laugh at that thought. "I have a hard time believing anyone would take her. Last I knew, her dowry was all but gone, and Bingley was struggling to escape the marriage contract he had made. I have never read of his marriage, but then again, I read the newspaper for the news therein, not the gossip. While I might occasionally scan the society pages, I do not read them as religiously as others."

"And I only bother with the society pages and gossip when we are in town. Aunt Helen insists that I be acquainted with all of the society news before we appear in public," Elizabeth countered. "It is tedious to have to pretend to care about all these matters. I do not want people to discuss us so minutely, but I am afraid they do."

Reaching out to caress her hand with his, Darcy replied. "We will make an early departure from town if it becomes too wearing. Georgiana has been seen by society and is sought after, but I do not believe anyone has touched her heart on this trip. I am glad she has been exposed to society, but her heart has not been touched, as she is still too young to marry, regardless of what society might say."

"But not yet, dear; we have scarcely been in town a month," Elizabeth replied teasingly. "Besides, even if Georgiana has not found a serious suitor, she has made a few friends, and I doubt she would be willing to leave them quite so soon. You know that you have enjoyed time with your male relations, including my uncle and friends from school whom we have seen frequently. Several of them have been invited to dinner tonight. The Thorntons and Ashfords will all be in attendance tonight."

The two spoke about their friends until they were joined for the day by Georgiana. The conversation became more general as they discussed the day, including the dinner party that night. It would be a more relaxed evening, with only friends and family invited.

Soon, the three went their separate ways. The Gardiners were included in their guests for dinner, and Kitty had been invited to stay at Darcy House for a few nights and accompany Miss Darcy to several events over the next few days. There was a night at the theatre and a musical evening to attend, and a lecture from an artist at the British Museum the two girls wanted to attend together. A drawing master would also come to the house while Kitty was visiting, a young man recently arrived from Italy who had made a name for himself as a portrait artist. He was to use Mrs Darcy as a subject for his lessons, ensuring that not only would the girls get a lesson, but Darcy would receive a portrait and a miniature of his beloved wife. They would also attempt to capture a portrait of Alex, but that was less certain as no one thought they could entice Alex to sit still long enough for anyone to take his likeness. Kitty was determined, though, to attempt it and hoped to learn some techniques from the master that would aid in her endeavour.

Elizabeth and Darcy each spent the day in their own pursuits. With company expected, they chose to skip taking tea as a family as Elizabeth found it necessary to rest before dressing for dinner — when learning of her intention, Darcy elected to join her for her rest. The two arrived downstairs just before their expected guests, both still glowing from the time spent together.

Dinner went smoothly. The discussion at the table was interesting and lively. Kitty, who had never attended a dinner party at the Darcys before, was in awe. She listened to the open exchange of ideas around the table and listened to men and women who intelligently discussed many pressing issues of the day. Having spent quite a bit of time at the Gardiners over the last year, she was more equipped to participate in such discussions, but she had never expected to see such at a dinner made up of members of the ton.

When all the guests departed, Georgiana and Kitty retired together to chat about the coming days.

"I was surprised by the dinner tonight," Kitty said to her friend. "I did not expect so many members of the first circle to engage in such conversation. Dinners at Longbourn always focused on local gossip, neighbourhood concerns, and fashion but rarely on politics, the rights of women, and the like. I have heard my uncle converse about these things with his guests, but I expected the conversation to be different."

"Oh, I cannot ever imagine a meal at my sister's table focused on gossip or fashion," Georgiana said. "Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam are so well-read and involved with many concerns, and their friends are like them. The conversations have been as you described when we have attended events at some homes but never at Darcy House. I think Elizabeth refuses to invite people like that to their home, that is unless Aunt Helen forces them to."

Kitty laughed at that, and soon, the girls were too tired to remain awake any longer, and they both sought their bedrooms.

The following day, Kitty took the opportunity to write to her mother, sharing her impressions of the dinner party from the previous night and speaking of their plans for the next few days. She praised her sister and talked more about Lizzy than she usually did. While she knew of the rift between her mother and second sister, she had never tried to do anything about it. Unlike Mary and Jane, she recognised that the fault for the rift was solely her mother's and thought that it would be up to her mother to fix it if it were something that could be improved. Therefore, she deliberately wrote praise for her sister, wondering if this would do anything to help resolve whatever issue lay between them.

Mrs Bennet struggled to write a letter to her second daughter when she received Kitty's letter. She was impressed by the description of the dinner party – although she was somewhat surprised at the topics discussed around the table. Since her interests always centred around gossip and fashion, she struggled to understand how a group would not want to discuss such things. However, as Kitty said that she and all of those at the dinner enjoyed the lively conversation, there was little to complain about. A good hostess encouraged discussion amongst those at her table, and obviously, Elizabeth had done just that.

For the first time, perhaps, Mrs Bennet felt proud of Elizabeth. She had been married for two years – Kitty had noted that the couple would celebrate their anniversary in just a few days — and was a successful hostess. She remembered the conversation with Mrs Phillips where she had learned that Mrs Darcy was quite a success amongst the ton, which had led to her attempt to finally write the long overdue apology. Yet, she still did not know what to say and continued to struggle to find the words.

Copyright 2023 Melissa Anne