Hi everyone, well, that was a lot of comments for one little chapter, thank you so much - I may pick one or two of the ideas suggested for later in the book. For today though, I think it is time to bring the rest of the cast onboard and rejoin the timeline from P&P. I expect to be adding chapters every 2 to 3 days (sorry, work means I cannot post daily). We are still quite close to canon in this chapter but differences are starting to appear.

Chapter Two

Present day, Longbourn, Hertfordshire.

Mr Bennet had left the parlour nearly as soon as his sister-in-law, Mrs Phillips, had arrived. He knew the two would gossip about the new tenants of Netherfield Park and he had no intention of listening to their ridiculous guesses and hopes. He had visited Mr Bingley but would not share his impressions with his family, as it would be far more interesting to watch his wife and younger daughters disgrace themselves. And if the man was not scared away, perhaps he would do for Jane, who was vapid enough to accept a tradesman with little life experience simply for his happy manners. It would be entertaining to watch the man make a fool of himself as he had little understanding of estate matters, and by marrying his silly daughter, he would gain no help whatsoever.

In the past three or four years, Thomas Bennet had extended the reach of his sarcasm, for it was no longer enough to just laugh at Mrs Bennet, not when there was so much amusement to be had with Jane, Catherine or Lydia. Even baiting Mary with comments about her awful music and dull sermons while her mother berated her looks was satisfying. Elizabeth escaped most of his abuse as she had more spirit than her sisters and would fight back, and was rather useful with the estate accounts or with working with the tenants; the child had asked to learn when she was sixteen, probably because she realised her dark, unfashionable looks and her insolent attitude would prevent her from ever getting a marriage offer, he thought; Thomas had willingly handed a large part of his work to her, and in exchange he continued to treat her marginally better than her useless sisters.

On the very few occasions when Mr Bennet wondered what would happen to his family after his death, he was amused at the thought that despite all her experience in managing Longbourn, being a woman meant that Elizabeth would still end up having to live in a minute cottage in genteel poverty with her mother, Mary and any of the other girls who did not marry, while his cousin or the man's son would inherit and run the estate to the ground while she watched on, powerless. But before that, Thomas was hopeful that he would live long enough to see Lydia or Kitty, or maybe even both, if he was very lucky, ruin themselves, and by association ensure the rest of the daft brood would never marry. Mrs Bennet deserved little more for stopping him from using the five thousand pounds he had wanted to expand his library while birthing only ridiculous girls.

"Papa has just closed the door to his book room and Kitty and Lydia are at Lucas Lodge," Mary announced, firmly closing the parlour door after herself.

"Thank you, my dear." Her mother replied without any hint of shrillness in her voice. "Now, Martha, what can you tell us about our new neighbours?"

Her three eldest daughters all turned their attention to Mrs Phillips.

"Well, as you know Frank has met Mr Bingley several times to complete the lease documents." Mr Frank Phillips was Meryton's solicitor and had been contracted to represent Netherfield Park's owner in all the dealings with the new tenants.

"Mr Bingley is from the north of England, a place called Scarborough, and his family was and still mostly is in trade. A good respectable business, Frank said, making carriages. The Mr Bingley who has just moved to our little corner of the world is very young, no more than two or three and twenty in Frank's estimation. His late father wanted him to buy an estate, but a friend of his, a Mr Darcy who is a landowner somewhere in the north and who visited the property with him that first time; well he advised his friend to rent a place to see if the lifestyle suits Mr Bingley." She smiled at her sister and nieces, looking very pleased with her news.

"Thank you, aunt, that is already far more than we would have gathered from either Mr Bennet or Sir William." Elizabeth was pensive, analysing the information provided by her aunt.

"Oh, but there is more, my dear girl. The young man is an orphan, he is single and has two sisters who will arrive in the next few days. The oldest is married to a gentleman who will also join them, and the youngest is unmarried and will keep house for her brother. From what I gather she is only a year older than her brother, so could be a good friend for you girls. Mr Bingley's income is the best part, as it is only just shy of five thousand a year, which makes him the richest gentleman in Meryton. I understand his brother-in-law's future estate, for the gentleman has not yet inherited, is a similar size to Longbourn."

Her sister nodded. "Very well, I believe we will need to plan our actions carefully, as I do not want any of my daughters forced to marry the man. If he is indeed a nice gentleman and one of you girls falls in love with him, we will all support you, but until we can be sure of his character, I believe we should remain just as we normally are."

Elizabeth smiled; her Mama may not be the cleverest of women as she often said, but she was determined, and quite single-minded in her pursuit of happiness for her daughters.

"I will tell Frank to keep his ears open for any complaint or gossip from the servants, Fanny. I must run home though, I have invited the vicar and his wife for a late afternoon tea, and I would like to change my dress before they arrive. Enjoy your planning my dears." With that Mrs Phillips rushed out of the door, leaving them no more than a brief chance of wishing her a good day.

A lot had changed in the nearly five years since Elizabeth had overheard her father's real opinion of his children.

Mama had agreed directly to include Jane in their little secret, and once Mary reached sixteen, she was also brought into their conspiracy. They had initially not wanted to inform Catherine and Lydia until they were older, but having found that Mr Bennet was encouraging Lydia, his youngest daughter who at the time was but thirteen, to flirt and behave inappropriately by showing the girl books that would have made many ladies blush and telling her that was how she was meant to behave with gentlemen, Elizabeth and Mrs Bennet had quickly agreed to take the younger girls into their confidence. Mr Bennet may find entertainment in the possible ruin of his youngest child, but her mother and sisters would not allow this to pass. In the two years since they were told about their family's dynamics, both girls had matured into cheerful girls who understood perfectly well the boundaries between fun and unacceptable behaviour, despite acting close to the edge of propriety when their father was in company. They also knew when to obey their older sister unquestioningly, and never went anywhere alone in case their public liveliness encouraged the wrong type of attention from men in the neighbourhood. Luckily the local community, gentry, tenants, merchants and servants combined, saw them only as silly young girls and respected their older sisters enough to excuse the girls' more lively behaviour, so the younger Bennet sisters were rarely in any kind of trouble.

At first, Jane and Elizabeth had mostly listened to their mother's history and only asked questions to understand their family's situation better. Fanny had not dared talk to anyone about the reality of her marriage; opening up to her beloved girls was difficult, but over time, she found immense relief in having them as partial confidantes; some details she would never reveal, but the girls had understood enough of their father's malicious nature.

About a month after their first open-heart discussion, the girls started to add their ideas and suggestions, and just as Elizabeth had hoped, their strengths allowed them to devise much better solutions to everyday issues than Fanny had managed on her own. Slowly they learned to deflect Mr Bennet's vitriol so that their mother would not suffer as much. It meant that they would also become the victims of his sarcasm and wit, yet by deciding themselves to attract his attention, the impact of his barbs was significantly lessened. Elizabeth hardly even noticed, as she had long stopped thinking of the man as a father figure; Jane and Mary, being more sensitive than her, took longer to ignore his attacks, only managing after seeing their mother change and blossom with their support.

"Mama, do you think Uncle Edward could help us invest some of our funds, and keep the money safe for us even if Mr Bennet discovers our little schemes?" Elizabeth had asked shortly before her sixteenth birthday; She knew Fanny had saved a lot of her allowance over the years, and that they would be wise to do the same, especially as Mr Bennet had been unusually generous this year with the good harvest the whole region had enjoyed.

"I never thought of asking him, I just put the money in an account in the four percent my Papa had opened for me many years ago when he taught me how to manage my allowance; your uncle doesn't know about our life here." Her Mama had stared at the handkerchief she was twisting mercilessly in her hands as she spoke.

"I am due to go to Gracechurch Street next month, to help Aunt Margaret during her confinement," Elizabeth had answered, "I have also saved most of my allowance over the past few months, so I can take that money, and what I will get for my birthday, with me and discuss investing with your brother."

"I have some money too, Lizzy, you should take that as well," Jane added. "But will you tell him the truth?"

Elizabeth thought for a moment. "Perhaps not the full truth, or rather, not at first. But if he agrees to invest our small funds, I think we should take him in our confidence and get him to invest Mama's money too. He is your brother, and I think he will want to help, but the decision is yours, Mama."

Fanny had simply nodded, and within a few months, all her savings had been moved to five new dowry accounts for her girls; it came to just over nine hundred pounds each, which was quite respectable; Fanny had tried to save as much of the interest on her five thousand pounds as she could, and she was quite proud of what she had achieved in a little under eighteen years; it was not a fortune once shared between five girls, but it would all help. Jane and Elizabeth's accounts also included their savings, and as they would have less time to save than the younger girls, both had agreed to always add half of their allowance as well as the returns from investing with their uncle. Mr Gardiner would also manage Fanny's dowry, so she now officially owed a small share of his very successful warehouse in London, although the profit and interest would always be added to the girls' accounts rather than her own.

Edward Gardiner's initial reaction had been surprise and disbelief, for surely he would have known his gentle sister was unhappy with Thomas. But when Elizabeth had described the scene that had opened her own eyes, the disbelief had turned to anger at his brother-in-law's cruelty, tainted with shame that neither he nor their sister Martha had seen the signs; they had noticed Fanny had changed, spoke about it even, as she appeared to get more shrill and silly with age, but they had not looked any further at the cause of this transformation.

Martha Phillips and her husband had also been told, and between them all, they had often helped Fanny and her daughters escape Mr Bennet's unreasonable ire.

Once Elizabeth started running Longbourn in all but name, she easily got her father to allocate half of the extra funds the estate now brought into savings for his daughters, although he believed it to be only an additional small allowance to be wasted on lace and ribbons. She had cleverly asked on a day when he had overindulged a little to celebrate the receipt of a valuable book he had been able to acquire because of Elizabeth's success with the estate, and he signed the documents necessary for her to access the estate's accounts without even reading them. As he never checked the accounts, he did not remember that specific request from his second daughter or realise that he had allowed her to add a little more than one hundred pounds to each dowry account per year on top of their personal savings and their mother's participation, allowing their savings to grow in a very satisfactory manner.

Mr Bennet was too happy with his share of the additional profits, enabling the purchase of more books and better cigars, to question Elizabeth too closely; he would not risk discouraging her from running his estate for him, freeing the time he needed to read and enjoy his exciting purchases.

The balance sheets Mr Gardiner shared with them every year quickly increased and would provide a generous addition to Fanny's dowry if they needed to leave Longbourn one day, and enough funds for her daughters to live on comfortably despite their reduced circumstances should they not marry.

"Now girls," Fanny was in Jane and Elizabeth's room with all five girls as they were checking their readiness for the assembly, "we will be meeting our new neighbours tonight, so we must be careful in our behaviours. Lydia, Kitty, you are allowed to attend and dance, but you will not partake in any of the drinks apart from the lemonade. I want you to check in after each dance with either me or your aunt, is that clear?"

"Yes, Mama." Lydia rolled her eyes, slightly annoyed that Mrs Bennet had reminded her she was not allowed any of the punch served tonight; she would not disobey of course, but would have liked to indulge in a cup or two, had her Mama not remembered.

"Your father is not coming tonight, but we still must behave close to how we usually do, so that none of our neighbours get suspicious. I expect all of you to be ready to share your impressions of the whole Netherfield party tomorrow morning. Are we ready to go now?"

The six Bennet ladies were soon after on their way to Meryton's assembly rooms, ready to enjoy a night of dancing and gossip.

"Lizzy, my love, are you well?" Fanny Bennet had quietly slipped into her daughters' shared room late that same night and found Jane comforting her younger sister.

"I will be, Mama, it was just difficult to hear that man confirm what Mr Bennet says." Elizabeth had tears pooling in her dark eyes.

"Oh, my dear girl, I was quite close to him and his friend as well when they talked, and I do not think he even looked at you, not properly anyway, for it was just a glance of less than a second. Please do not take his words to heart." Her mother soothingly said.

"Mama is right, Lizzy, and we must allow for differences in manners; while his friend appears to enjoy dancing very much, Mr Darcy very obviously does not. Mr Bingley should not have attempted to force him, and I expect he would have uttered these words no matter which young lady was sitting there, just to escape his friend." Jane added. "We must not judge him on just that one instance."

"You are too good, Jane, far too good. Very well, although my vanity was hurt, I will not judge your Mr Bingley's friend too quickly. Maybe he will improve on further acquaintance."

"He is not my Mr Bingley, Lizzy."

"Maybe not, but he asked you for two dances, and you accepted." Elizabeth smiled at Jane.

"Well, you both need to rest now, I expect Lady Lucas, Charlotte and Maria to come early tomorrow for a little more gossip, as usual, so we must be well rested and have our wits about. Sleep well my darlings." With that Fanny kissed each girl and left the room, hoping Elizabeth would indeed sleep well.

If only that Mr Darcy had picked another girl to insult, rather than the one daughter who already believed herself so much less pretty than her sister.

The scene from the Assembly ball replayed itself several times in Elizabeth's mind as she attempted to fall asleep.

Elizabeth Bennet had been obliged, by the scarcity of gentlemen, to sit down for two dances; and during part of that time, Mr Darcy had been standing near enough for her to hear a conversation between him and Mr Bingley, who came from the dance for a few minutes, to press his friend to join it.

"Come, Darcy," said he, "I must have you dance. I hate to see you standing about by yourself in this stupid manner. You had much better dance."

"I certainly shall not. You know I detest it, unless I am particularly acquainted with my partner. At such an assembly as this it would be insupportable. Your sisters are engaged, and there is not another woman in the room whom it would not be a punishment to me to stand up with."

"I would not be so fastidious as you are," cried Mr Bingley, "for a kingdom! Upon my honour, I never met with so many pleasant girls in my life as I have this evening; and there are several of them you see uncommonly pretty."

"You are dancing with the only handsome girl in the room," said Mr Darcy, looking at the eldest Miss Bennet.

"Oh! She is the most beautiful creature I ever beheld! But there is one of her sisters sitting down just behind you, who is very pretty, and I dare say very agreeable. Do let me ask my partner to introduce you."

"Which do you mean?" and turning round he looked for a moment at Elizabeth, till catching her eye, he withdrew his own and coldly said: "She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me: I am in no humour at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men. You had better return to your partner and enjoy her smiles, for you are wasting your time with me."

(Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 3)

The saddest part of the sorry scene had been that the second Bennet daughter had instantly liked Mr Darcy's appearance when he had walked into the ballroom, so tall, handsome and proud. She would try and keep an open mind, but it was difficult when she feared his opinion of her beauty was so very low, as low as her father's. She was torn between a desire to know him better, for he was still the most striking man she had ever set eyes on and she would have liked to show him that she was a young lady deserving consequence, and an instinct to protect herself and her heart by attempting to dislike the gentleman as much as she could. The Lizzy of five years ago, all self-assured as she was then, would have hated the man as soon as she had heard him; the newer Lizzy was more reflected and far less confident in her ability to judge others, knowing full well she had been wrong about the man she had loved more than anyone at one point in her life. The man who had smirked about his daughter being slighted when Lydia had carelessly mentioned it before going to bed.