Author's Note: This is the last of the chapters I have written. Sorry - life has been a bit crazy of late and I've not written a whole lot, but I hope that I'll be able to keep posting over the next few days/weeks. My goal is to finish this story soon; maybe a few more chapters to wrap things up.

Chapter 35

Over the course of the summer and autumn, a number of letters were exchanged between Pemberley and points south. Elizabeth wrote to all four of her sisters regularly, though she only received responses from three of them regularly. Though she had been mistress of an estate for less than a year, Jane was full of questions about what was necessary beyond the walls of the estate, for Mrs. Hill had successfully managed the house, despite Mrs. Bennet's interference for nearly two decades.

Mrs. Hill was helping Jane with the running of the house, allowing Jane to take the lead wherever possible. Both allowed Mrs. Bennet to think she was the one in charge, but truly, most of the work was done by Jane. With the house in mourning, she was able to make significant savings in the funds required to keep the house running, easing the burden on Mr. Collins. That, combined with Catherine and Lydia away at school, allowed Mr. Collins to invest more into the estate.

Mrs. Bennet complained frequently about not being permitted to spend money as she wished on entertaining or on new clothing, and the family's period of mourning was often given as the reason. However, Jane and Collins spent considerable time discussing how to rein in Mrs. Bennet's spending once her mourning period ended, especially since she would no longer be the mistress of Longbourn once she was moved into the dower house.

Though she had been widowed for several months, she had not ceased her complaints about the loss of status she would suffer once she moved to the dower house. She was constantly attempting to cajole the new master into giving her additional funds for anything that struck her fancy, despite the fact that she was in mourning. So far, that excuse had been grudgingly accepted, but Collins expected Mrs. Bennet to be far less easy about the matter when that was no longer the reason. Collins was willing to assist the family to a point, but he had no intention of doing as his predecessor and giving into the lady's every whim. She would have the income from her dowry, but for the first time in her adult life, Mrs. Bennet would learn to live within her means.

This fact did not surprise the Darcys when they read of it in the letters from both Collins and Jane, though Elizabeth was surprised to read of the growing familiarity between Jane and their cousin. The infrequent letters Jane sent her sister before illness had been highly critical of the man, but as the two spent more time together it became apparent to Elizabeth that Jane had become fond of him. From Mr. Collins's letters to her husband, Elizabeth believed the sentiment was returned and discussed the matter with Darcy one afternoon as they sat in his study drinking their tea.

"William," Elizabeth began, her tone reflective, "I have been reading through Jane's recent letters and noticed a change in her sentiments toward Mr. Collins. I believe she has developed a genuine affection for him. I wonder what Mrs. Bennet thinks about this development, since she once thought Jane too beautiful to 'waste' on Longbourn's heir."

Darcy looked up from his book, his expression thoughtful. "Indeed? That is unexpected. Jane was so critical of him before her illness." Darcy thought for a moment. "However, in his last letter, Collins mentioned the two have been spending a great deal of time together. I thought perhaps it was one-sided, but I think they could be an excellent match."

Elizabeth nodded. "Her earlier letters painted Mr. Collins in a rather unflattering light, but now she speaks of him with a warmth that suggests a deeper connection. She mentions several conversations they two have had about the estate, and it appears they go for daily walks that have little to do with the business of the estate. "

Darcy leaned back in his chair, considering this new information. "It seems that their time together has fostered a bond that neither I nor you anticipated. Jane's change of heart is quite remarkable."

Elizabeth continued, "I cannot help but wonder if this affection is mutual. Mr. Collins's letters to you are filled with admiration and respect for Jane. He speaks of her in a manner that suggests he holds her in the highest regard. It seems he has come to value her companionship more deeply than I would have imagined."

Darcy's brow furrowed slightly. "If this is indeed the case, it could be a positive development. Jane has been learning to become a proper mistress of an estate, while Collins is trying to do all he can to prove a good master. He has done well so far, though I realise he has not had enough time to truly make that much of a difference."

Elizabeth smiled. "I do hope they are able to make the estate successful. From what I have been told, neither Mr. nor Mrs. Bennet were willing to put for the effort required to see the estate be successful, nad I am pleased that Jane is now trying to change that, along with Mr. Collins. I would wish my sisters to all be happy and to make good matches. If Mr. Collins indeed cares for her, and she for him, then perhaps their union could be beneficial for both parties."

Darcy reached for Elizabeth's hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "We should support them if we can. It is clear that their relationship has evolved in ways we did not foresee."

Elizabeth nodded, feeling encouraged by Darcy's understanding. "I agree. However, I will not say anything, for I think they need to discover these feelings for themselves. I wonder if they have realised their growing fondness for each other yet."

Later that evening, Elizabeth penned a letter to Jane, expressing her pleasure at the positive developments on the estate and answering all the questions Jane posed about what Elizabeth did as mistress. She would encourage her sister in any way required and was pleased to see how Jane had changed in the last months.

Jane was not the only sister who had improved in the months since their father's passing. Catherine was benefiting greatly from being separated from her mother and younger sister. The girls at school referred to her not by the diminutive of her name, but began to call her Catherine, which she greatly preferred.

At first, she was surprised to receive a letter from her elder sister, one who, in truth, she scarcely remembered beyond the one instance when Elizabeth answered the summons from her parents when they sought to force her to marry Mr. Collins. Catherine had not fully understood all of what had taken place in the drawing room at Longbourn that day. Though pieces of the events had been explained to Catherine by her sisters, the girl remained uncertain, though she happily responded to the overtures from this unknown sister.

Unlike Lydia, whose infrequent letters complained of how dull school was, Catherine fully embraced the opportunities afforded to her there. Not only was she away from the influence of her mother and Lydia, she delighted in the opportunity to learn accomplishments such as drawing and painting. Catherine had always been artistic, but such pursuits had not been encouraged at Longbourn.

Through the exchange of letters, Catherine came to know more about her second eldest sister. After the confrontation, she and Lydia had written to Elizabeth at their mother's direction to beg for presents of clothing, ribbons, or funds, while also demanding for an invitation to town. Elizabeth had responded, ignoring the requests while asking her sisters questions about themselves. Lydia had not bothered to respond after that, but Catherine had. However, she stopped when Lydia found out about the exchange and teased her about it.

Once at school, she was pleased when Elizabeth wrote to her again. Their letters grew in frequency and length through the term as the two established a closeness they might not have managed if they had all remained at home. There was no Lydia, no Mrs. Bennet, to interfere or to insert themselves into the conversation. Catherine had also begun to see, based on her observations of the other girls at school, that her mother's and sister's behaviour were not appropriate for polite society. Catherine was a follower, and naturally a quiet girl, but over the last few years had followed Lydia's lead in whining to get her way. At school, she quickly learned this behaviour would not endear her to anyone and Elizabeth's letters reinforced these lessons.

In particular, Catherine was delighted to learn she would soon be an aunt and nearly begged to be allowed to see her niece or nephew as soon as it could be arranged. However, Elizabeth encouraged her sister to embrace her opportunity for an education, inviting her to visit them at Pemberley in the summer. Mary had already been invited, and Elizabeth thought bringing both sisters to Derbyshire would benefit them.

In contrast, Lydia was unhappy at her school. Used to being indulged, she quickly found that she could not manipulate the headmistress or the other students to do as she wished or to give in to her complaining. If she "borrowed" something from her roommate or another girl without asking, there were consequences. Within the first month, Lydia had been prohibited from venturing into town for the entire Michaelmas term along with most other privileges. Her handwriting had improved significantly from the frequent writing of lines or notes of apology for taking what was not hers and other offences. Since each of these had to be perfect, the first few had been written several times before they met the strict expectations of the headmistress. Lydia soon learned she would be better served by writing these as neatly as possible.

She did write frequently to her other sisters and her mother, complaining of her unfair treatment. Other than Mrs. Bennet, no one in her family believed she was being treated poorly and Mrs. Bennet took to bed yet again to decry the fate of her "poor baby" each time she received one of these letters.

"My dear, dear Lydia should not be forced to suffer so," she was frequently heard saying. "It is too cruel of my brothers to force her to attend school and at such a distance from her mother. No one understands Lydia's liveliness and they will force her to become just as dull as Mary or as boring as Jane has become. Now that Jane's looks are gone, she cannot possibly make a good marriage; I must rely on my darling Lydia to do what Jane ought to have done, had that terrible disease not ruined her appearance. Oh, it is too much to bear."

Such comments were ignored at Longbourn, with Jane and Mrs. Phillips, who were the most frequent recipients of these complaints, doing their best to placate the matron by reminding her of the accomplishments Lydia was no doubt learning and how much better the girl would marry once she was properly educated. This reminder did little to alleviate Mrs. Bennet's frustration, though she would usually allow herself to be redirected into thinking about the peer Lydia would no doubt marry once she was introduced into society by the Darcys. Both ladies had long since given up on telling Mrs. Bennet how unlikely that was to occur, so they rolled their eyes behind her back when possible while doing what they could to pacify the mulish woman.

Mrs. Bennet also found much to complain about in the growing familiarity between Jane and Mr. Collins. After several months of unofficially courting, Mr. Collins approached first Jane, then her uncle Phillips about a formal courtship between the two. Jane's period of mourning would end early in the new year, and Collins spoke to her uncle about the possibility of his proposing once it was complete, though waiting to marry until Mrs. Bennet's mourning period was complete.

He believed this would placate his future mother, though truly little pleased Mrs. Bennet about the possibility of the daughter she had placed such hopes on settling for the new master of Longbourn. Though Mrs. Bennet had often decried Jane's loss of beauty from the scars, she still held out an expectation that she ought to marry well, or at least as well as Elizabeth had. The bitterness she felt toward her second daughter had never dissipated, and she quite resented her for marrying such a wealthy man and for her continued refusal to recognise her as her mother and follow her commands. That the Darcys were paying for her youngest daughters to attend school escaped the lady, or that they were helping Mr. Collins with the estate, either financially or through offering advice.