Author's Note: More frank conversations and perhaps an epiphany.

Chapter 32

With this in mind, Elizabeth, Jane, and Anne sat with Mrs. Bennet, engaging in a frank conversation about life in society. Anne, taking the lead, spoke calmly but firmly, emphasising the importance of proper decorum.

"Mrs. Bennet," Anne began gently, "if you wish to make a favourable impression among those whom Elizabeth now calls family, it is essential to mind certain customs and expectations. The ton is not particularly forgiving."

Mrs. Bennet looked between them, slightly flustered. "But I am the best hostess in Meryton! Everyone always says I set an excellent table and my parties are far better attended than those hosted by the Lucases or the Gouldings. "

"Yes, Mama," Elizabeth said patiently, "but Fitzwilliam's family and acquaintances will expect a different sort of refinement. A little restraint will serve you well."

Mrs. Bennet pursed her lips, nodding slowly as she absorbed their advice, both excited and somewhat intimidated by the thought of Elizabeth's elevated social circle. Memories surfaced of her own mother's attempts to instruct her in the weeks before her wedding. At the time, those lessons had seemed unnecessary, quickly overshadowed by the whirlwind of becoming a new wife and, soon after, a mother. But now, she recalled warnings about appearing too eager or mercenary, especially by mentioning wealth too frequently, and the advice to adopt a more reserved manner in company.

"I suppose," she murmured thoughtfully, "there may be some truth in what my mother tried to teach me."

Suddenly, she turned to Elizabeth, cutting off whatever was being said. "Your husband hates me, does he not? It is fortunate that he married you without having ever truly met me, or he would have never dared to connect himself to your family."

"That is not true, Mama," Elizabeth replied gently, pausing a moment before she continued. "Honestly, I cannot say what Fitzwilliam would have thought had he met my family in the more traditional manner, but it is possible your … exuberance would have given him pause. No amount of pushing him toward me or one of my sisters would have convinced him to marry one of us; it was only because we were able to spend a large amount of time in company with one another that summer in Derbyshire that led to use falling in love with each other."

"But had I been there, he would have been less inclined to spend that time with you," Mrs. Bennet insisted.

"There is truly no way to know what might have been, Mama," Elizabeth said gently, taking her mother's hand and patting it reassuringly. It had been a long time since Elizabeth had felt this kind of sympathy toward her mother, and it felt … nice. "But now that you understand, perhaps you could adjust your behaviour just a little—at least when we are in company. Maybe refrain from speaking too openly about your hopes for Jane and my other sisters, and let things unfold naturally."

Mrs. Bennet nodded, her expression softening, and for a moment, Elizabeth saw a flicker of genuine understanding in her mother's eyes. "Yes, I believe I can do that," she replied thoughtfully. Turning to Jane, she added, "Can you forgive me for pushing you toward Mr. Bingley? In truth, I am relieved his sisters were not here to hear me—especially his younger one. She was so disdainful of everyone in Meryton. Though they stayed only briefly, it was clear she had no desire to mingle with those she considered beneath her."

Mrs. Bennet sighed, shaking her head. "At first, I thought her someone to emulate—her dresses were so fashionable, after all. But after you left with Mr. Darcy, Lizzy, her behaviour worsened. She ignored everyone but her sister and treated even Jane with such a cold manner."

Elizabeth and Jane shared a glance, both surprised at their mother's rare moment of reflection. "I thought you liked Miss Bingley, Mama," Jane said, speaking for the first time in this conversation.

Mrs. Bennet shook her head, a mixture of frustration and resignation in her expression. "At first, I was quite taken with Miss Bingley's style and elegance at the assembly, but once you eloped with Mr. Darcy, Lizzy, her true nature became clear. She spoke so poorly of you and our family—names I would rather not repeat. While I cannot wholly approve of your decision to elope, I now understand why you felt it was necessary, especially with how your father behaved. I tried to take him to task once, but he largely dismissed my concerns. I do think it is time he answers to you for it on Monday. That man kept you apart from your suitor for years, with no care for your future, nor Jane's, nor that of your younger sisters. Worse still, he has not even managed our household accounts sensibly with the funds he received for attempting to throw away your happiness."

She sighed and shook her head, a slight smirk on her lips. "I only regret Mr. Collins's departure because I could no longer send him to your father's bookroom whenever he started ranting about your marriage. It was a welcome relief to have him go bother your father instead of me. And a just punishment."

All four laughed at this, even Jane. Just then, the gentlemen came into the room and joined the women. Darcy and Hargrove went straight to their wives, and Bingley stood between them.

"Mrs. Bennet, Miss Bennet, Miss Mary, Miss Catherine, Miss Lydia, welcome to Netherfield," Mr. Bingley said exuberantly. "I am delighted you could visit while I have a hostess in residence. It is my hope that my sister Louisa will join me soon with her husband, but I am uncertain when they will arrive. When they come, I will host a dinner party for all my friends."

"You are always welcome to pay a call at Longbourn," Mrs. Bennet replied, unable to completely restrain herself after so many years of matchmaking. From her seat next to her, Jane squeezed her mother's hand to remind her of their earlier conversation, causing the lady to cease any further comment.

Mr. Bingley appeared unaware of the subtle interaction, but Darcy noticed and looked at Elizabeth with a question on his face. She merely smiled at him and shook her head, indicating she would tell him more later.

Darcy introduced Mr. Hargrove to the Bennet ladies, and the group conversed pleasantly for another quarter of an hour. Soon, however, Jane gently reminded her mother and sisters that it was time to return home so that everyone could prepare for the dinner to be held that evening at Lucas Lodge.

A few hours later, the party from Netherfield met the party from Longbourn at Lucas Lodge. Much to Jane's surprise, the Netherfield party included Colonel Fitzwilliam, who had arrived on horseback with barely enough time to bathe and dress to accompany them.

Elizabeth watched her sister and cousin carefully, looking for any hint that her sister's attachment was returned. Though she did not know him well, she thought she saw a few indications that Fitzwilliam was at least intrigued by Jane, but wondered if it was merely for her beauty, or if the interest went deeper.

The previous day, when they were alone, Jane had shared that Mr. Bingley's interest in her had seemed to be based entirely on her appearance, and that such a shallow affections was scarcely worth pursuing. Should he demonstrate an interest in her for more, she might consider him, but she did not think it likely. Though she believed Colonel Fitzwilliam unlikely to ever pursue her, she found his conversation far more interesting.

Both the colonel and Bingley gravitated toward Jane nearly as soon as she arrived. Although Elizabeth was constantly being pulled in different directions by friends who wanted to congratulate her on her recent nuptials, she tried to watch her sister when she could. While both gentlemen stayed near, only Colonel Fitzwilliam seemed to regularly engage her in conversation. Bingley spoke but rarely, and seemed frustrated by the colonel's presence.

Eventually, Bingley drifted off in search of other company and found himself standing next to Miss Lydia Bennet, who, as usual, was surrounded by several young ladies. Kitty, the Long sisters, and Maria Lucas were all there, deep in a lively discussion about the officers stationed in Meryton. The topic had recently shifted to Miss Mary King, a newcomer to their social circle, who had caught the attention of a few officers due to the ten thousand pounds she had inherited from her grandfather. Their chatter about her lack of beauty abruptly ceased when Bingley approached and greeted them.

The young ladies quickly redirected their attention, abandoning any unkind remarks about Miss King. Almost instantly, they adopted flirtatious smiles, their demeanors brightening. Miss Maria and Miss Kitty lingered back slightly, while the others, led by Lydia, fluttered their lashes and cast coy glances at Bingley, hoping to catch his interest.

Although he was used to this from the ladies in town, after only a few days in the company of Elizabeth and Georgiana Darcy and Anne Hargrove, this behaviour was less intriguing to him now. He noticed that even Jane Bennet, who he had initially admired for her beauty alone, wanted more from a suitor than someone telling her how lovely she was. He wondered if any of these young women were similar and attempted to begin a conversation about something he thought would interest them.

"A few weeks ago in Town, I had the opportunity to visit the Royal Academy of Arts and see some of the collected works by Turner and Constable? Have any of you ever had the opportunity to view the paintings?" Bingley asked.

The girls attempting to flirt with him all ceased their efforts at the overture and rudely walked away. However, Kitty and Maria remained nearby and expressed an interest. "No, but I saw the newspaper when some of the exhibits there were mentioned a few months ago. I believe the Constable to be a fairly new acquisition," Kitty remarked.

Maria was silent, having little to add to the conversation, since she did not know who either Turner or Constable were, but did not want to forsake her friend.

The entire party was soon assembled, and dinner was announced. Since the occasion was a celebration of the Darcys' marriage, each of them had to take a place of honour next to the hosts. This arrangement, however, separated Elizabeth and Darcy across the entire table, much to their mutual disappointment. Elizabeth found herself seated beside the host, with Anne directly across from her. Mr. Hargrove, meanwhile, was positioned at the opposite end of the table from Darcy.

Beyond these seats of honour, the rest of the guests were free to sit where they pleased, and the remaining seats quickly filled up. Colonel Fitzwilliam had successfully claimed Jane's arm to lead her into dinner—a pairing that Mrs. Bennet observed with a hint of displeasure. Although she acknowledged that Colonel Fitzwilliam was the son of an earl, she was concerned that, as a second son without an inheritance, he was not an ideal match for Jane. Mrs. Bennet remained convinced that Mr. Bingley was the better prospect and fully intended to make her opinion known to Jane at the earliest opportunity.

To her surprise, however, Mrs. Bennet saw that another of her daughters had entered the dining room on Mr. Bingley's arm. Though his other arm was occupied by Maria Lucas, when the group settled at the table, he took a seat between the two young women, with his attention directed more toward Kitty than Maria. Observing this unexpected development, Mrs. Bennet raised an eyebrow thoughtfully as she took a seat near Lydia. "Well, that is an interesting turn," she mused to herself, pondering what this shift in attention could mean for Kitty's prospects.

Lydia, with her usual lack of restraint, saw her sisters receiving the attention of various gentlemen and others at the party, so she quickly set her sights on Captain Carters, one of the militia officers stationed in Meryton. Her voice, frequently high-pitched and flirtatious, rang out across the table as she laughed a little too loudly at his jokes, her eyes never leaving him.

"Oh, Captain, you must tell us more about your time in the army! I do love a good story," she said, fluttering her eyelashes at him, her hand resting on her wine glass as if to catch his attention. She leaned in just a touch too far, her gaze fixed on him with an expression of eager admiration, hoping to catch the eye of the handsome officer.

Captain Carter, a tall and well-built young man with a swagger to his step, seemed both amused and flattered by Lydia's forwardness. He smiled and leaned in to reply, no doubt aware of her intentions but enjoying the attention nonetheless. Lydia, oblivious to the effect of her actions on others at the table, continued her display of youthful exuberance, her laugh ringing out a little too loudly, a little too freely.

Mrs. Bennet, seated across from Lydia, watched with a mixture of pride and discomfort. She was used to Lydia's flirtations, but now, after the conversation earlier with Elizabeth and Anne, she began to worry about how Lydia's behaviour might be viewed by others, especially if she went to London. It was one thing to behave this way in Meryton, where others were well accustomed to such antics, but she noticed how Captain Carter was looking at her daughter and the gleam in his eye that hinted at interest that might be improper.

Likewise, she noticed the subtle glances exchanged between the other ladies and the disapproving looks that passed between the gentlemen at the table. She could see their distaste, though they were too polite to comment on Lydia's actions.

Mrs. Bennet's eyes shifted uneasily to Mr. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam, two of the highest placed gentlemen here, who had been observing the scene with quiet disapproval. She could see that Darcy's attention, which had once been focused on his conversation with Anne, had now shifted, and though he said nothing, the coolness in his gaze was unmistakable. She had no doubt that Darcy would find Lydia's behaviour inappropriate, and the last thing she wanted was for her youngest daughter to embarrass herself in front of such distinguished company. Additionally, if he disapproved of Lydia's behaviour, he would be less willing to take her to London to introduce her to other wealthy men.

She glanced to Mrs. Hargrove, who sat opposite of Elizabeth, and noticed the woman's tight-lipped expression as she glanced briefly at Lydia before turning her attention back to her host. Mrs. Hargrove's disapproval was clear, though it was carefully masked behind a polite smile. Mrs. Bennet's brow furrowed as she thought, I must be more careful with Lydia. I cannot have her ruin the impression my family is making, especially not in front of people like Mr. Darcy and the Hargroves.

With a sigh, Mrs. Bennet shifted in her seat, trying not to attract attention as she cast another glance at Lydia. She had long resigned herself to her daughter's behaviour, but in this moment, she could not help but wish for a little more decorum from her youngest. Why must she always act as if she is the centre of attention and to flirt with gentlemen, demanding their attention? Mrs. Bennet wondered, as Lydia's loud laugh cut through the conversation once again.

And yet, despite her discomfort, Mrs. Bennet could not quite suppress a tiny flicker of hope that perhaps Lydia's attention-seeking antics might win her the favour of some young man in time. If she can catch someone's eye, maybe... just maybe... Mrs. Bennet allowed herself a faint, hopeful smile before returning her attention to her meal, all the while wishing she could rein in her daughter's exuberance without stifling her altogether.

Author's Note: What do you think about Collins? Can he change to be what he ought to be or has Lady Catherine ruined him completely? What about Mrs. Bennet? Her eyes have been opened to her youngest daughter's behaviour, but do you think she truly can become different? She has been left to her own devices for the entirety of her married life, uncertain about her future and desperate to find a way to ensure they (and she) are protected.

Is she avaricious? Yes, but the tendency of the day was to marry for wealth. The only way her or her girls would be protected was to marry well. Had Mr. Bennet been more attentive and spoken to her about the future, do you think she would have been calmer? I'd like to think that the realisation that she no longer has to worry about her future would calm her, and some frank conversation about what could happen should Lydia ruin the rest of the family might change her. Will she relapse? Probably, because it's hard to change your entire outlook in a moment, but with some help, might she learn to be better?