Author's note: I'm so glad you all enjoyed the prologue! Now let's go meet the Bennets.

Chapter 1

"I still don't see why you need to travel all the way to Derbyshire," Mrs. Bennet complained to her husband, her hands flapping nervously in the air.

The Bennet family was sitting down for dinner, and unfortunately for Lydia, who was at her mother's side, the matron holding her fork in one hand has she spoke, causing the boiled potato on the end to pass dangerously close to Lydia's face.

Elizabeth did her best to hold back her laugh as she watched Lydia duck away in an attempt to avoid getting stabbed in the eye, but tragically, the seasoned spud wrapped itself in one of the youngest Bennet daughter's dark curls instead.

Lydia shrieked and jerked away, causing the fork to fly from her mother's hand and soar across the table, where it landed with a splash in Mary's wine glass.

Had it been Kitty, there would have been hysterical shrieking, but as the girl had safely avoided the mess, she collapsed into snorting laughter.

For her part, Mary calmly removed her spectacles and wiped them clean with a corner of the tablecloth while saying, "To be able to converse with fluency, propriety, and grace, is a great accomplishment; it can only be acquired by constant and early attention."

Mr. Bennet smirked at his wife. "There, my dear, even Fordyce agrees that we should not speak whilst eating."

Having gained her father's approval, Mary eagerly added, "Let me therefore exhort you to eat and drink in moderation; to use the good things of life with sobriety and thankfulness; and to remember that he who eats and drinks, merely to gratify his appetite, or to pamper his palate, is unworthy of the rational nature with which he is endowed."

"Oh, no one wants your sermons now, Mary!" exclaimed Mrs. Bennet, "Your father is to travel to across the country, where he might die along the way, and we will be thrown into the hedgerows!"

Elizabeth looked to her father to restore order, but he simply looked around at the pandemonium with an expression of amusement on his face. Jane - who would normally be Elizabeth's first choice to bring peace to the chaos - was preoccupied with removing pieces of potato from Lydia's curls.

Suddenly, inspiration struck. "I think, Papa, that your going to Derbyshire with the Gardiners is an excellent plan," she announced.

The table fell silent as everyone - even the housekeeper, Hill - stared at her. "How can you say such a thing?" shrieked Mrs. Bennet. "Do you want your father to die in a carriage accident?"

"Of course not, Mama," Elizabeth said soothingly. "But the Gardiners have traveled that road many times over the years to visit my aunt's father, and they have never had so much as a single axle break on the carriage."

"But -"

"Besides, do you not wish for furnishings and lace fit for an earl?

Mrs. Bennet's brow knit in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Elizabeth glanced to Jane, whose eyes lit up in understanding. "What a wonderful idea, Lizzy! This will be such a fine thing for us!"

"What is?" It was now Kitty's turn to express her bewilderment.

"Why, Papa is going to Lambton because one of the earls has died, and his heir is selling most of the items in the estate in an auction," Jane explained.

"And Mrs. Gardiner's father, as proprietor of the local bookstore, gets first pick of the rare books," Mr. Bennet interjected. "That is my sole purpose in making the journey. I'm hoping to find a quarto of Titus Andronicus or Pericles to complete my Shakespeare collection."

"Yes, Papa," Elizabeth replied patiently, "but surely there will be other treasures up for auction, will there not? Furnishings for a house, curtains, paintings, vases, silverware, clocks, music - perhaps even personal effects?"

He hesitated. "Yes, I believe I saw such items in the catalog."

"A catalog?" The potato in her hair forgotten, Lydia leaped to her feet. "Where is it? I simply must see it!"

"As must I," chimed in Kitty.

"Yes, my dear, you must fetch it at once! It would be quite selfish of you to leave for Derbyshire tomorrow in search of treasures only for yourself! We will look through it and make a list of the items we wish you to purchase for us."

Mr. Bennet sighed in resignation, then waved his hand at Hill, indicating she should go to his study to collect the catalog. He then stood from the table, picked up his plate, and said, "Now that you will all be turning the topic of conversation to furnishings and lace, I believe I shall finish my meal with the only remaining sensible person in the house: myself."

The following day, Mrs. Bennet had the pleasure of receiving her brother and his wife. The Gardiners had journey from London, bringing along their four children, who were to remain at Longbourn during their parents' travel under the particular care of their cousin Jane, who was the general favorite due to her steady sense and sweetness of temper. Those qualities made her the perfect person to attend to the young cousins in every way: teaching them, playing with them, and loving them.

For their father's part, Mr. Gardiner was a sensible, gentlemanlike man, greatly superior to his sister, as well by nature as education, and Mr. Bennet was greatly looking forward to traveling with his brother-by-marriage.

Mrs. Gardiner, who was several years younger than Mrs. Bennet and Mrs. Philips, was an amiable, intelligent, elegant woman, and a great favorite with her Longbourn nieces. Between herself and Elizabeth especially, there existed a particular regard.

The first part of Mrs. Gardiner's business, on her arrival, was to distribute her presents and describe the newest fashions. When this was done, she had a less active part to play. It became her turn to listen as Mrs. Bennet, Kitty, and Lydia waxed long about the variety of wonders they had seen in the catalog.

"I saw a sketch of the most incredible settee I have ever seen. The pattern and design would make it an admirable addition to my sitting room, do you not think? Here, tell me what your opinion is, Margaret."

Meeting Elizabeth's gaze with an amused twitch of the lips, Mrs. Gardiner answered her sister-in-law. "It is quite elegant, Fanny, but do you not think that it would be difficult to bring it all this way? Consider the expense!"

The room was fortunately spared what surely have been an lengthy protest by Mrs. Bennet when the gentlemen came to join the ladies in the drawing room. Almost immediately, Mr. Bennet was surrounded by his wife and two youngest daughters, each speaking over the other, vying for his attention as they listed out all of the items from the catalog they wished him to procure.

Mr. Bennet cleared his throat several times, but when it did no good, he clapped his hands loudly and shouted, "Silence!"

He ignored the disapproving look from his brother-in-law and said, "I understand that you are all quite eager to tell me what rubbish you'd like me to bring back from Lambton. Now, I'm sorry to be the cause of disappointment,"—at this, Elizabeth smirked— "but I will only bring back one item per person, and it must be able to fit in my trunk."

Cries of dismay echoed throughout the room, but the patriarch held firm. Unable to bear the cacophony any longer, he fled to his chambers under the guise of needing to pack.

While Mrs. Bennet, Kitty, and Lydia poured over the catalog once again in search of their favorite item, Mrs. Gardiner moved to sit next to Elizabeth. "You do not wish to join in the deliberations, Lizzy?" she teased.

"Papa is bringing back rare books, Aunt. What more could I wish for?" Elizabeth replied smiling.

Mrs. Gardiner laughed. "You certainly are your father's child, although with a bit more appreciation for the outdoors."

"While Papa would prefer to read in his library, I would rather take my book to the top of Oakham Mount, or even the rose garden."

"Ah, yes, I do love what you've done with your bushes," Mrs. Gardiner said, looking out the window at the small wilderness to the side of the house. "Outside of Pemberley, I don't think I've ever seen one as well-tended as yours. I could smell the blooms before we even got out of the carriage."

"Pemberley?"

"It's the principal estate near Lambton; quite large, really. The park itself is at least ten miles around! The last Mrs. Darcy had a section of the formal gardens dedicated entirely to roses, and there is nothing like it. So many colors and fragrances, but all roses - even the vines growing around the gates."

Elizabeth's eyes widened, shining with excitement. "That sounds wonderful. I wish Mama would let expand more, but she says the scents aggravate her nerves, so I am only allowed the back part of the lawn."

"The most unique part of this garden is at the entrance, though."

"Oh?"

Mrs. Gardiner nodded enthusiastically. "There are two shrubs, one on each side of the gate, that are from the East Orient! I believe it's called hamanasu… or was it hamanashi?"

Elizabeth gasped. "How incredible! How did they even come to get such a thing? I'm amazed they are even able to grow here!"

"Wealth can purchase anything, my dear. But they must be quite hardy, as I saw them several times in my childhood when my father took me to make deliveries."

"What do they look like? What do they smell like?"

Elizabeth held her breath as her aunt spoke, trying to picture them in her mind. "They're quite striking, really. They had large, wrinkled leaves— quite different from your usual rose— and the flowers are quite a vivid pink on one bush, while the other was white. The scent was just as striking as the color: deeply aromatic, almost like a mixture of clove and sweet roses, quite intense and inviting."

"I imagine they must be quite elegant," Elizabeth sighed dreamily.

Mrs. Gardiner paused, then said, "I actually thought they had a bit of wild charm about them."

"Do you… do you think that the master of Pemberley would be willing to part with a few clippings? I would love to see if I could have it grow here."

"I don't see why not. I haven't heard much about Pemberley lately; you know my father is not one for gossip. But I remember the late Mr. Darcy was always very kind to me, and I cannot imagine why his son would be any different."

Elizabeth felt a thrill of excitement go through her. None of the items in the catalog had caught her eye —and she knew them to be quite expensive —but perhaps she might make a request of her father after all.

"Now, let me see if I have this right," Mr. Bennet said. "I would hate to get anything wrong."

The Bennets and tbe Gardiners had gathered outside on the Longbourn drive to bid farewell to Mr. Bennet, Mr. Gardiner, and Mrs. Gardiner before their departure. The Gardiners were giving their last instructions and hugs to their children, while Mr. Bennet took the opportunity to do his second-favorite thing: tease his wife.

"Mrs. Bennet, you wish for me to purchase the dinner service with the floral design and the gold edging, and Jane wishes for the bone china tea service with painted landscapes."

His wife let out a squawk of indignation. "Oh Mr. Bennet! How can you be so tiresome? I specifically said that I wished for the bone china, and Jane wants the floral!"

Elizabeth stifled a laugh as Jane said, "Dear Mama, as long as both sets are brought back, it doesn't matter if Papa forgets which one of us wishes for it. We can always switch."

As Mrs. Bennet attempted to figure out what her eldest daughter was saying, Mr. Bennet took advantage of the silence to continue his list. "Mary, you requested the Venetian psalter, or at least sheet music."

She nodded, her nose in the air. "It will be infinitely preferable to read the Psalms from a book owned by someone of higher rank."

"Yes, because the words of the scriptures are more edifying when a Peer has held the book they're written in," Mr. Bennet said dryly.

"Precisely," Mary replied, oblivious to the sarcasm.

"Vanity of vanities," whispered Elizabeth with a giggle, causing Mary to sniff and raise her nose even higher.

"Lydia, you asked for the small sculpture of Laocoön and His Sons."

The Gardiners, who had left their children in Jane's care and were approaching the carriage, gasped. "Thomas, you can't seriously be considering it!" exclaimed Mr. Gardiner. "Lydia shouldn't even know what it is, let alone actually possess a copy of it, no matter how small."

Mr. Bennet dismissed their concerns. "There will be no peace if I tell her that, once again, she will have to choose something else from the catalog. Besides, we would be here another day as she deliberated, and that would mean someone else could get that Shakespeare before me!"

Mrs. Gardiner made to protest, but Mr. Bennet ignored her attempts and boarded the carriage. "Well, then, shall we set off?"

"You forgot me!" Kitty cried, tears beginning to run down her cheeks. "What about my present?"

"Ah, yes, how could I forget that I have five daughters?" Mr. Bennet said with a chuckle. "Jewelry for Kitty, correct?"

She nodded vehemently. "Yes, the gold and sapphire set."

Once again, the Gardiners' surprise was evident on their faces. Mrs. Gardiner leaned over to Elizabeth and whispered, "How can your father possibly afford these extravagances?"

Elizabeth's face mirrored her aunt's concern. "I haven't the faintest idea."

"And rose clippings for my most sensible daughter." Mr. Bennet's words interrupted the whispered tete-a-tete.

Kitty and Lydia burst in laughter, and Mrs. Bennet groaned. "I don't know if you'll ever be able to find a husband, Lizzy."

Cheerfully ignoring the mockery, Elizabeth pressed a kiss to her father's cheek. "Be safe, Papa."

"I will," he replied. He put a foot on the step to climb into the carriage, then paused and turned back to her. "By the by, Lizzy, I will need you to take over the accounts and other duties while I'm gone."

Elizabeth gaped at him. "Papa, I haven't the faintest idea of what to do!"

"You're a clever girl; I'm certain you'll figure it out."

Without waiting for a response, he disappeared into the chaise, followed by the Gardiners. Final waves of goodbye were given through the window, then the Gardiner children and the Bennet ladies watched the carriage pull away from Longbourn.

"How long will they be gone?" Lydia asked.

"At least three or four weeks," Elizabeth said.

Her answer caused the youngest Gardiner boy— a lad of about three —to start crying. "Mama," he sobbed pitifully.

"Oh, there now, my dear," Jane said soothingly as she picked him up. "Mama and Papa will be back for you know it. Now, why don't we go inside and make a list of all the jolly things we will do while they are away?"

The children eagerly followed their beloved cousin into the house, with the remaining Bennets trailing in behind them. Almost immediately upon entering the house, Mrs. Bennet began shrieking for Hill and saying, "Oh, girls, how shall we stand it? To have your father away for such a long time; what if he perishes on the journey?"

Elizabeth went to her father's study and closed the door to shut out the noise, appreciating the silence that filled the room. Instead of taking her customary seat in the corner, she walked around the desk and sat in her father's large chair.

The wide cushion and tall back dwarfed her, and she felt almost like a child playing with a pretend tea set, imitating their elders. She looked down at the desk, which was covered with papers and books that were scattered about haphazardly. Digging through the piles, she eventually found the ledger her father used to maintain the accounts and opened it.

To her dismay, the last entry was dated two months prior.

A loud rushing sound filled her ears, and the numbers swam on the page in front of her. The enormity of her father's request clenched around her chest, and she struggled to breathe.

"Enough!"

She shouted into the empty room, and suddenly her equilibrium was restored. Her courage had always risen in the past, so why should this be any different?

Determination replacing fear, Elizabeth mended her pen and got to work.

It was sometime past midnight when she wearily climbed the stairs and entered the room she shared with Jane. Quickly changing into a nightrail, she collapsed into the bed next to her sister.

"What have you been doing all evening?" Jane asked quietly. "You did not even come for dinner. Hill said you had requested a tray in Papa's study. Surely you have not been reading his books this entire time?"

"Oh, Jane." Elizabeth's voice shook with exhaustion. "Papa asked me to manage the accounts during his absence, and I hadn't the slightest notion of where to begin."

Jane, ever the comforting presence, turned to face Elizabeth, her expression sympathetic. "Lizzy, I am sure you will manage splendidly. You have always had a quick mind for learning. Perhaps it is merely a matter of familiarizing yourself with his ledgers."

Shaking her head fiercely, Elizabeth said, "It is more than that! Did you know that Papa hasn't entered a single expense or profit in over two months? How am I supposed to take care of things if they weren't being taken care of before?"

The more she spoke, the more upset she felt. "By not knowing the current state of anything, I fear I may do more harm than good, plunging us all into financial disarray. But if I do nothing, then we may end having unpaid accounts in Meryton, or miss collecting rents."

"Surely it cannot be so dire," Jane reassured her, her hand finding Elizabeth's in the dim light. "Maybe I can help you, Lizzy. We can look over the books together tomorrow morning. Two heads are better than one, after all."

Elizabeth squeezed her sister's hand gratefully. "Thank you, Jane. I would welcome your help. I cannot understand why Papa would have waited until the last possible moment to make this request. There was no preparation, no planning. He could have at least brought the ledgers up to date!"

"I'm sure he had his reasons," Jane said. "Otherwise he would not have done it."

Anger and resentment burned inside of Elizabeth, almost causing her to choke. "Or he simply doesn't care," she muttered, rolling onto her side and facing away from her sister.

When Jane made no reply, the hole in Elizabeth's stomach grew larger. As much as she adored her older sister, Jane's good nature made it impossible for the elder girl to really empathize with the frustrations others might feel towards their fellow man.

Eventually, Jane's soft breathing slowed, and Elizabeth knew her sister was asleep. Her face hot with tears, all Elizabeth could do was pray that she would have more success on the morrow.