Since returning to Lambton, Mary had officially moved in with Mrs. Potter, while twice or three times a week visiting her mother and sisters. She also participated with Mrs. Potter in various charities. Twice a week she met with the other ladies to sew clothes for the poor children and spent hours reading stories to the little children in the orphanage. In addition, she taught reading and writing in a small school near the church. For the first time in her life, she felt useful and completely happy, and she had a purpose in her life. Mrs. Potter encouraged her to continue these noble tasks and accompanied her most of the time.

Her previously serious and sad appearance had completely changed. Mary was now a happy and attractive young woman who had inadvertently gained popularity with several of the local gentlemen and the young clergyman from Kympton, who was the most enthralled of all of them.

PPP

After over a year of not attending parties, Mrs. Bennet and her daughters were happy as they prepared for their first assembly in Lambton. The mood at the house was festive, Mrs. Bennet was the most excited since her daughters would meet eligible gentlemen.
Since they had only one maid to help them dress and do their hair, they had to start getting ready a few hours in advance.

At the appointment time, Mrs. Potter and Mary came to fetch them in Mrs. Potter's carriage and take them to Lambton.

For that occasion, Mary was very pretty. She was wearing a beautiful pale yellow gown - a gift from Mrs. Potter - that highlighted her natural beauty and a fashionable hairstyle.

When Mrs. Bennet saw her, she was shocked and exclaimed, "Oh Mary, you look very pretty, almost as pretty as Lydia!"

Lydia looked enviously at Mary's beautiful gown and vehemently protested, "Mama, Mary has a new gown, and Kitty and I had to mend our old ones. It's not fair! Why didn't you buy us new ones?"

"Your mother didn't buy Mary's gown. It was my gift, Lydia." Mrs. Potter replied calmly.

Seeing that her favourite daughter was unhappy, Mrs. Bennet added, "Lyddie, with the £20 we saved this year, I promise to buy you a new gown for the next assembly..."

After her mother's promise, Lydia was happy again.

PPP
Robert Martin was a 27-year-old gentleman, who had a good heart and was very kind and sensible. He was also the youngest son of a wealthy Derbyshire family. His family had known the Darcys for several generations, and three years ago, after he finished his studies at Cambridge, he started working as a curate in the Kympton church. When the long-serving vicar retired, Darcy gave Robert the living.

The young man had never been in love before and, loquacious as he was, he was speechless in Miss Mary Bennet's presence. In an act of courage - and with the help of Mrs. Potter - he had asked beforehand for the first two dances that night. He arrived 10 minutes early, afraid that another gentleman would monopolize Mary's attention. Luckily, his plans paid off, and as soon as Mary arrived, Robert was at her side.

Mary was delighted, Mr. Martin was, in her opinion, the most charming gentleman she had ever met, and she secretly hoped that her infatuation was reciprocated. For fear that Mr. Martin wouldn't feel the same, she had not even told Mrs. Potter that she admired him. However, Mrs. Potter had already realized it because Mary's eyes would light up when she conversed with the young parson.

Mrs. Bennet and Mrs. Potter watched the young couple dance with smiles on their faces.

Mrs. Bennet, with her matchmaking tendency, saw the way the young vicar was looking at her daughter and began making wedding plans in her head. Ironically, Mrs. Bennet was overjoyed because Mr. Martin had an income of over £300 a year, yet, previously, she had been upset when Jane married a man whose income was over £800. On the other hand, Mrs. Potter was delighted because she knew the couple was in love.

After dancing with Mary, Robert asked Mrs. Potter and Mrs. Bennet to dance and danced the last set again with Mary.

Before leaving, he asked Mary if he could visit her the next day; with a smile that spoke more than a thousand words, she gave her consent. In less than a week, he officially began courting her.

During their courtship, the young couple made good use of the time to get to know each other better. With each passing day, they both became increasingly convinced that what they felt for each other was something very special. Just about a month later, Robert told her that he loved her and asked her to be his wife, and Mary gladly accepted.

Mrs. Bennett and Mrs. Potter began the wedding preparations immediately so that the young couple could be married the first week of September.

PPP

Mr. Gardiner, who was the legal guardian of his nieces, fully trusted the good judgment of Mary and Mrs. Potter, so he consented to the request made by Mr. Martin in a letter.

Since his business was less demanding in the summer months, he proposed to his wife and Elizabeth that they travel to Derbyshire to attend Mary's wedding. His wife and niece gladly accepted, for Mrs. Gardiner loved her hometown and Elizabeth wanted to see her mother and sisters again, and in particular to meet her future brother. The children would stay in London under the care of their governess and housekeeper.

Since Jane was seven months pregnant, she couldn't travel to the wedding, but she sent Mary a long letter with her congratulations.

The trip to Derbyshire was quite an adventure, and along the way, they visited some beautiful places, many with a rich history going back centuries. Every day Elizabeth wrote very long notes that would serve as input for her third novel.

Elizabeth was charmed by her future brother-in-law. While she was fond of Mr. Carey, Mr. Martin was the ideal brother she had always envisioned. It was obvious that Mary and Robert's marriage was based on love and respect. She was happy for her sister, especially because she knew that her parents had not been kind to Mary.

Mrs. Bennet was glad to see Elizabeth but reminded her that her younger sister was getting married, and she did not have a serious suitor yet.

Elizabeth was surprised and perturbed by all the compliments her future brother and even Mary paid Mr. Darcy. The gentleman was considered a man of impeccable morals, who had the misfortune to marry a woman of loose morals. He cared for the welfare of the most unfortunate and donated money and materials to both the orphanage and the financially precarious Lambton school. He was considered a fair man as a magistrate, proud, but also respectful of his servants, tenants and the town's merchants. Wherever Elizabeth went, everyone to a greater or lesser extent praised Mr. Darcy.

Since Elizabeth remembered Kympton's parish was the one disputed in Mr. Darcy's father's will, one afternoon when she was discussing the parish charities with her future brother-in-law, she asked him, "Have you ever met Mr. George Wickham?"

"Yes, I have known him for several years. Your sisters told me he joined the militia and that you met him in Hertfordshire."

"Indeed. He is a pleasant gentleman." She paused and added, "If I remember correctly, he had a dispute with Mr. Darcy over the living you were appointed to."

Surprised, Mr. Martin asked, "Wickham told you that story?"

Elizabeth nodded, and sarcastically Mr. Martin said, "I guess Wickham didn't tell you that Mr. Darcy gave him £3,000 when he told him he didn't want to be ordained and would rather study the law."

Elizabeth's eyes widened in surprise, and he continued, "Fortunately, Wickham didn't take the vacancy since there is not a man in all the Kingdom less suited to be a parson."

"Why do you say that?" she asked, surprised.

"Because he is a liar, a womanizer, and has at least two illegitimate children that he doesn't take care of, he has ruined several young women."

Elizabeth was amazed by the story, for she had always believed she was very good at judging people's character, and in at least one of the points against Darcy, she had been wrong.