"I cannot believe it, Mrs. Collins; I cannot believe it! That woman is shameless. It has only been six months since my father passed, and she has already been married. I thank God I cut ties with that horrible woman and her daughters."
Charlotte nodded. Since Fanny Stevens, nee Collins, returned with her youngest daughters to Hertfordshire several weeks ago, her husband has repeated the same thing at least three times a day. Charlotte married Mr. Collins a month ago, which was purely a marriage out of convenience.
Charlotte knew very well that Mr. Collins had been interested in Jane Smith years ago, and therefore he became obsessed with Mary Bennet. In her opinion, he was still obsessed with Mary. Not that Charlotte cared what her husband thought or felt; she had the philosophy that the less he bothered her, the better. She preferred Mr. Collins not to have a mistress, but only because it was an expense and Longbourn's coffers were practically empty.
Mr. Collins was not intelligent, and like his father, he was not a reasonable landowner. Since the time the Collinses had inherited Longbourn, some tenants had left, and the annual income had fallen to £1500 a year.
On this particular day, Mr. Collins had decided to end his mourning, and they were to attend Meryton's monthly ball. As usual, Sir William was the host, and the new tenants of Netherfield Park would also be in attendance.
PPP
The carriage stopped at the entrance of a lovely house with a small garden, where a young couple awaited her.
"Lizzy, I am so glad to see you again. I missed you so much." Mary happily hugged her sister.
"I am so pleased to see you," Elizabeth responded.
Mr. Barton, with a smile, welcomed her into his home and then left to take food to one of the poorest families in the area.
The happy sisters sat down to drink tea and talk. Although they wrote to each other frequently, both longed to talk as they used to years ago.
"How are you? Please tell me the truth." Elizabeth squeezed Mary's hand gently.
"I am physically better, and mentally, I am recovering. You cannot imagine how happy I am that you are here with me. The doctor told me that it is common to miscarry during the beginning of a pregnancy, and surely in a few months, I will be able to get pregnant again." She sighed, "It has been twenty days since the miscarriage."
"I am so sorry, Mary. I am sure the doctor is right. My aunt had two miscarriages, and my cousin was born subsequently." Lizzy smiled slightly.
Mary nodded and said, "Let us discuss something else. Do you have any other suitors?"
Elizabeth shook her head and said, "No one I am interested in. After nearly being tricked by Mr. Wickham, I am wary of gentlemen who show too much interest in me."
Mary nodded.
"Have you seen your mother? Kitty and Lydia?"
Mary shook her head and sighed, saying, "Mrs. Stevens did not want to see me. To her, I do not exist. I met Kitty and Lydia a couple of times in Meryton, and if you like, you can see them blatantly flirting with the officers. It was embarrassing! I tried to talk to them and explain the damage to their reputation if they continued to behave that way, but they laughed in my face."
Lizzy sighed and sadly added, "I am not surprised by what you are saying. Lydia was rude since she was a child and always needed to be the center of attention, especially male attention, and unfortunately, Kitty follows everything Lydia does."
Mary nodded, "Oh, before I forget," smiled slightly, and added, "Tomorrow is the Meryton assembly, and my husband confirmed that we are going to attend with Mrs. Holmes's eldest daughter and with you, though I hope you do not mind."
Lizzy smiled broadly. "You know I like music and dancing. In addition, it is an excellent opportunity to meet old acquaintances and friends I have not seen for so long."
PPP
Jane Smith sighed. It had been only a few hours since she arrived at Purvis Lodge, and she was unsure if she had made a mistake. Her mother was beaming, and it was evident Mr. Stevens was very much in love with her. Her sisters talked endlessly about the officers, particularly Mr. Denny, who was Lydia's favourite.
She had not lived with her mother and younger sisters for a few years and realized she no longer had anything in common with them. They were to attend the assembly that night, and she would surely see Mr. Bingley again.