Conversation 1 - LIzzy and Mrs. Bennet
"Well, Miss Lizzy, what do you have to say? You seem to be deep in thought." Mrs. Bennet could not hide the derision in her voice. Just once, thought Elizabeth, I would like to say exactly what I was thinking about. As that thought took hold, she opened her mouth and said exactly what was on her mind. She felt like she was not herself, but was watching from a different place in the room while her other self talked to her mother.
"What I was thinking about was the fact that I do not recall any time in my life when you displayed any genuine positive statement to me. I am not saying that you have not said something genuinely nice to me, I am just saying that I do not recall ever hearing such from you." While Mrs. Bennet looked affronted, Elizabeth continued. "I have been hearing your denigration of me almost as long as I have been hearing about the hedgerows. It has occurred to me that if you spent as much time planning and preparing, you could go a long way toward keeping yourself from these hedgerows. You spend money as fast as it is given to you. You do realize that you could set a table that is just as fine as what you do now for half the money that you now spend. I am sure that the butcher and the grocer raise their prices on their worst items as they know that you are only interested in purchasing the most expensive items, and not the tastiest cuts of meat or the freshest produce. I sometimes wonder if this competition between you and Lady Lucas is a contrivance from her and she does not somehow profit from the money you spend in town."
Elizabeth went on as her mother sat there speechless. "I also wonder at the amount of money you spend on clothing. I am sure that you feel that if a little lace is good, more lace must be better. At least I presume that is what you think as our gowns seem to be dripping with so much lace that it makes us feel ridiculous. I am sure you do not see it, but I do, of the people in the town laughing at us as we wear these costumes that you insist we dress in. Yes, I call them costumes as no one is able to see past the lace to focus on us as people. We are just walking advertisements for the lace sellers."
Since Mrs. Bennet was still too shocked to say anything, Elizabeth felt she had nothing left to lose, so she continued. "You praise Jane to anyone that will listen, dominate any conversations that she might have with eligible suitors, not realizing that they would want to talk to her rather than you. You do take a few moments of your time to spoil Lydia, fuss at Kitty, and denigrate me. At least May is somewhat lucky as she is simply ignored by you. You never take the trouble to check Lydia and she is on the path to ruin." As Mrs. Bennet seemed ready to refute that statement, Elizabeth raised her voice slightly, "You do not see the men in town leering at her, her excessive flirting, or the way she displays herself in front of anybody who would glance at her. Let me just say, that her sisters see it, and we are well aware that her ruination would mean the ruination of all of us. Think on this for a moment. Do you truly believe any man would offer for Jane if she had a ruined sister?" As Mrs. Bennet tried to formulate an answer, Elizabeth said, "I would not be surprised if she ruined herself within a year, if she has not done so already."
Elizabeth finished her thoughts by saying, "If you had, in the last 20 years, saved any money and sent it to Uncle Gardiner to invest for you, I am sure you would never have to be concerned about living in the hedgerows. As that has not happened, any worries you have are all of your own making. And, if things continue as they have, your daughters will all be there to keep you company."
Elizabeth then stood up and made her way out of the room, with both her heart and her footsteps feeling lighter. At the very least, she thought, her mother would never again ask her to say what was on her mind.