Disclaimer: I don't own Pride and Prejudice, all rights go to Jane Austen

Summary: See previous chapters

Chapter Fifteen

The inhabitants of Netherfield visited briefly on Christmas Day, but did not stay to dine, as Mrs Claire claimed that it was only right for Jane to have a final Christmas with her family.

They dined at Netherfield on the eve of the New Year, and were joined at Longbourn for Twelfth Night. Lydia, at some point during her enforced separation from the Militia, had discovered The Bard, and somehow convinced the Gardiner boys to join her in a performance of the duel from "Twelfth Night", with Lydia herself playing Viola and Sebastian.

Lydia had a surprising talent that Jane wished she had discovered sooner, but could she not have chosen a less controversial role? Lizzy must have read Jane's thoughts on her face, for she patted her knee discreetly. "At least it isn't Much Ado About Nothing, or one of Hamlet or Othello's soliloquies."

Uncle Gardiner had taken Jane and Elizabeth to a performance of Much Ado About Nothing the last time they visited London. Jane was sure that she had blushed for the entire performance and well into the next day. On Jane's other side, Charles stifled a laugh, and made himself Lydia's new favourite by sincerely congratulating her performance.

The new year brought a flurry of activity, as Mama threw herself headlong into planning the Wedding Breakfast.

Mrs Claire planned to host a Ball at Netherfield in late January, a week before the wedding, this time explicitly in Jane and Charles's honour. Preparations for that event necessitated a trip to London, and Mama was delighted when it was suggested that they make a trip to a London Modiste at the same time.

The expense of one dress each would not be so very great, and soon Mama would only be contributing to four dowries, rather than five. Still, the deception niggled at Jane as the Bennet and Bingley carriages rattled toward London. "How shall we explain the cost to Papa? He will not believe that Uncle Gardiner paid for it."

The carriage was much quieter with Lydia and Kitty sharing the Bingley carriage with Mrs Claire and Miss Carrington. Mama considered the matter. "Perhaps you are right, and I should tell your Papa about the scheme to increase your doweries."

Elizabeth had always been the most vocal advocate of"If you do, you now have proof of success, so he can hardly argue about it. Now that he has met Mr Collins…"

Mr Collins had proven himself a self-important buffoon in the week he had stayed at Longbourn. He had also made himself obvious as being easily influenced. A more covetous wife than Charlotte, or a patron more like Old Mr Collins in temper, and Mr Collins might have tried to withhold their dowries, if Papa died before they were married.

Mary changed the subject, "Have you thought where you will go on your wedding tour, Jane?"

Jane shook her head. "We decided to delay until after the spring planting. Perhaps sometime in April."

With Napoleon still causing problems in Europe, a more ambitious tour was out, but Jane had always desired to see the north of England that had inspired so many poets, and perhaps Scotland.

Elizabeth seemed to be fighting some kind of internal battle, before she sighed. "If you take someone with you, it should be one of our younger sisters."

Jane blinked, wondering if she'd done something to offend her sister. "What makes you say so?"

Lizzy waved a hand, "It is not that I would not love to travel with you, dearest Jane, but Charlotte has invited me to visit her when Maria and Sir William Lucas go at Easter, and Aunt and Uncle Gardiner said that I may come on their tour of the Lakes later in the year. It would be selfish not to allow our other sisters their share of adventure."

Mary laughed, "You call dwelling under the same room as Mr Collins an adventure? I would compare it to the first half of a Gothic Novel."

It was not the kindest of statements, but Mr Collins was not the easiest person to deal with, either. Surprisingly, Mama giggled approvingly. "Where the heroine must undergo great trials and tribulations to earn her triumphant ending? That is a good comparison, Mary!"

Mary blushed, "Mr McKnight and I spoke of opening a schoolhouse. I am trying to expand my reading, so that I can recommend books to others."

Elizabeth looked at her with new eyes. "The histories can be rather dry, but there are some who bothered to learn an engaging writing style, as well. When we return, I would be happy to make you a list."

Well, perhaps Jane's family would not suffer as much for her absence as she had feared.

The trip to London also provided an opportunity to take Wickham off Colonel Forster's hands. He had not tried to escape, after it had been pointed out to him that Desertion during War was punishable by death.

While her dear Charles had never studied the law himself, several of his university acquaintances had, and a few favours saw Wickham swiftly called up and sentenced to Transportation for Life.

Jane might have felt uneasy about that, twisting the law for their own purposes, but Mr Wickham had many debts besides the ones in Meryton, which he had never tried to repay, and in amounts far greater than he could ever repay through honest labor. Between Marshalsea and the Colonies, Transportation was likely the more merciful option.

Jane was not privy to the conversation between her parents when they returned from London. Neither were any of her sisters, despite Lizzy and Lydia's combined efforts to listen at the door.

Whatever passed between them, Mama looked calm and happy when she knocked on Jane and Elizabeth's bedroom door that evening. Elizabeth cheerfully took the excuse to go and interrogate Papa, leaving mother and eldest daughter alone.

Mama sat down on the bed next to Jane. "Every young lady dreams of her wedding, my dear Jane, but the more important dream is the marriage that comes after. People change over time, and you must take care not to become strangers to each other."

Was that what had happened to her parents' marriage? "I always thought that you and Papa must have been happy, once."

Mama nodded, "We were. We balanced each other; my liveliness to his introversion. But I went through periods of melancholy with each pregnancy, and let myself obsess over what could not be changed."

This was a new side to her parents that Jane had never heard before. Rather than speak and risk a change of subject, she merely listened and considered herself honoured by her Mama's confidences. "Your Papa could not tease me out of my fears, or laugh them away - Lizzy is very much like him, in that respect - so he withdrew, and after a time we did not know how to bridge the gulf between us."

It was a glimpse of what could have been, if dear Charles had not asked permission to begin a correspondence. If Jane had spent weeks or months without a word, and only Miss Bingley's letter to inform her… She still would have married him if he asked, if Miss Bingley had not persuaded him to stay away, but the fear of abandonment would have always been there between them.

Jane reached over to embrace her mother. "Soon you will have two daughters married, and less to concern yourself with. Perhaps you and Papa can try again?"

Mama tilted her head in consideration, wrapping her arms around Jane as she had in Jane's earliest memories, when Mama would tell her stories before bed. "Three, if I am not mistaken. Sir Jasper reminds me of your father as a youth. But we are very different people from the newlyweds we were before. Perhaps we can start anew."

Jane would be in her own home, soon, unable to play peacemaker for her parents and sisters. Closing her eyes, Jane smiled, enjoying the quiet comfort between them.

The smile dropped from her face, to be replaced by a quiet mortification, at her Mama's next words. "Tomorrow, you will be a married woman, so I must tell you of the wedding night…"

Lizzy's eyes were dancing merrily when she was finally allowed back in, for their final night sharing a room. Jane had already changed into her nightgown, and began helping her sister unlace her dress as Elizabeth began unpinning her hair. "Poor Jane, was it too dreadful?"

On the contrary, Mama had been quite technical in her descriptions, and practical in her advice… but Jane had no intention of denying Lizzy the experience for herself, when the time came. "Mama did not feel that the act of creating children was a chore, at least until it came to birthing us. That is all I will say on the matter."

It was an effort not to smile when her sister's mouth dropped open. Poor Elizabeth was always quite wrong-footed when someone teased her back. "What happened to the pursuit of knowledge being a virtue?"

Jane assumed the lecturing pose of a statue she had seen in the sculpture galleries. "Only under the proper circumstances, as I am sure Mary will have a quote to enlighten you. If you wish to know more than that, you will have to find a husband of your own."

Elizabeth laughed, as Jane had hoped, and draped herself over the bed in a dramatic swoon. "You are cruel, Jane Bennet! I never thought you could tease me so!"

Jane smiled as she tossed Lizzy's night-dress toward her. "Does that mean I may tell Lydia that you will be joining her impromptu performances?"

Elizabeth instantly gave up the pretence, sitting bolt upright. "Dear God, no! I fear I am quite dreadful at being anyone but myself."

Finally, Jane laughed. "I would have you be no one else, my dearest Lizzy."

.

.

.

.

A/N: Shakespeare has an unending knack for dirty jokes disguised as prose, and nowhere is this more evident than Much Ado About Nothing.

The next chapter will be the last one posted here, covering the wedding and wrapping things up.

An epilogue (This is NOT becoming a series, no matter what my Beloved says!) and roughly 8000 extra words of additional content will be available on Amazon, but since ff . n doesn't like linking to those pages, you can find it by googling the title and pen-name Natasja Rose.

Thanks

Nat