As often happens when such an important gentleman arrives in a small neighbourhood, everyone is curious to meet him. His virtues and defects were exaggerated, and rumours spread swiftly throughout the community. Most people did not care about the veracity of the rumours, but they gladly repeated them and often embellished them as well.
The gossip swept through the neighbourhood so quickly that most of the inhabitants of Meryton and the surrounding area soon knew that Lord Sebastian - besides being the son of the Marquess of Hertford - was young, handsome, intelligent, and single. They also discovered that he was Mr. Barton's cousin and Mr. Barton himself was wealthy. Mr. Barton was a vicar due to his strong calling for the church and not for money.
The person who was most confused and elated by Lord Sebastian's relationship with Mr. Barton was Mrs. Stevens. Although Fanny seldom went to Meryton, preferring to stay in her bedroom at Purvis Lodge, her daughters and her sister, Mrs. Phillips, told her all that happened in Meryton.
Given the importance of such news and to flaunt her good fortune and excellent connections with the nobility, Fanny decided to go to Meryton that afternoon to buy lace and fabric to fix some gowns. Little by little, her pregnancy was beginning to show, and if the good citizens of Meryton did the math correctly, it was clear the child was conceived before marriage.
Fortunately, she met Lady Lucas and Mrs. Goulding in the milliner's shop, whom Fanny considered her main rivals in Meryton, and took the opportunity to tell them in great detail that Lord Sebastian was her dear son-in-law's cousin.
"It is good to see you here! I imagine you already know that my dear son-in-law, Mr. Barton, is the nephew of the Marquess of Hertford. I had to keep that secret for so many months since Mr. Barton did not want to flaunt his connections." She shook her head and sighed dramatically: "Honestly, I felt so sorry for poor Mr. Collins, who has been in love with my dear Mary for so many years. But who could blame my Mary for preferring to marry Mr. Barton? Now, you understand the reason why I supported my daughter when she decided to marry Mr. Barton. Besides, Mr. Barton is such a nice, rich, handsome, and intelligent man."
"Hmmm, I find it strange, as I had thought otherwise, and several people heard you complain more than once about Mrs. Barton's choosing to marry a vicar and not the owner of Longbourn." Said Mrs. Goulding.
Fanny shook her head and exclaimed, "That is not true; I hate malicious gossip! I know many people in Meryton are envious and lie outright."
"I remember very well—you said Mrs. Barton was no longer your daughter," remarked Lady Lucas emphatically.
"That is not true; you must have misheard or misinterpreted what I said. My relationship with my daughter and Mr. Barton has always been excellent; my son-in-law is a charming man and adores me." She added, "You are mistaken. I know very well that Mr. Collins told several neighbours various lies because he was upset when Mary rejected him, and he had to settle for marrying Charlotte."
Lady Lucas and Mrs. Goulding did not answer her; there was no point in wasting time talking to a woman like Mrs. Stevens. Lady Lucas immediately took her leave and was about to enter her carriage when she saw Lydia and Kitty coming out of a dark alley accompanied by two officers. Both women had dishevelled hair, puffy lips, and wrinkled gowns.
She looked at the two young women and the officers with contempt, got into her carriage, and returned to Lucas Lodge. When she got home, and after a serious discussion with her husband about her conversation with Fanny Stevens and Kitty and Lydia's behaviour, they decided the best thing was for their daughter Maria to cut ties with the two Misses Bennets. They felt sorry for Mr. Stevens, but the gentleman was very much in love with his wife and was blind to her behaviour, especially the inappropriate behaviour of his wife's daughters.