Chapter One
March 1812
E lizabeth Bennet only half-listened to Sir Lucas as he held forth on Charlotte’s happy marriage to Mr. Collins. She knew no reply was required from her; the occasional nod was more than sufficient to keep her friend’s father content as both he and the carriage rumbled on. The other occupant of the carriage, Maria Lucas, had certainly heard it all before, and so she spent her time gazing out the window, oblivious to her parent’s monologue.
Elizabeth had a good deal to consider as the carriage bore the three travelers the fifty miles to the Collins’ home in Hunsford. The past few months had been eventful, and her life had been significantly altered.
Netherfield Park, the largest estate in Meryton, had been leased by a Mr. Charles Bingley. He had arrived in Meryton with his elder sister and her husband, Mr. and Mrs. Hurst, and had soon proven himself to be gregarious, generous, and – most importantly – immediately enamoured of Elizabeth’s older sister, Jane. There had been rumours of another gentleman coming to visit him, a Mr. Darcy, but he had never materialised and the rumours had soon been forgotten.
Mr. Bingley had courted Jane assiduously, with the warm approval of his older sister, and had married Jane in a beautiful ceremony just a few months ago. Elizabeth had been delighted to stand up with Jane as she became Mrs. Charles Bingley. The Bingleys had returned from their wedding trip and settled, blissful as only newlyweds can be, at Netherfield Park. Elizabeth had since spent a good deal of time at Netherfield, helping Jane settle into married life.
But each night, Elizabeth returned to Longbourn, her father’s estate, and slept alone in the bedroom that she had once shared with Jane. It had been impressed upon her as never before that she had lost her confidante, her solace, her intimate companion. Elizabeth had once been all of that for Jane as well, but that role now, quite properly, belonged to Charles Bingley. The sisters still loved one another deeply, of course, but the special place in Jane’s life that had once been Elizabeth’s was now occupied by another.
Her dearest friend, Charlotte, had also married. Elizabeth’s cousin, Mr. Collins, had come to visit the Bennets and had proposed to Elizabeth. His character was such that Elizabeth could not bring herself to accept him, despite Mrs. Bennet’s insistence that she do so. He had then promptly proposed to Charlotte Lucas, who had just as promptly accepted him. Mr. Collins was a rector in the small town of Hunsford, in the county of Kent, and so Charlotte had left Meryton in the company of her husband.
Thus it was that Elizabeth, while overjoyed that her beloved sister had found such a worthy mate and that her dear friend had found security, had been left feeling isolated and abandoned. With both Jane and Charlotte married, she had no one in whom to confide her thoughts and feelings. With two parents and three sisters in residence, it was hard to believe that she felt lonely, but there it was.
Seeing how happy Jane was with Mr. Bingley, she longed more than ever for her own happy-ever-after, but she was realistic enough to know that the likelihood of her meeting a gentleman who could make her happy was slim indeed. When Jane had become betrothed, she had said, “If only there could be such a man for you, Lizzy!” If only, indeed, but they both knew it was unlikely, and Jane had not said anything like it since.
Given Elizabeth’s gloomy mood of late, Charlotte’s invitation to spend a month at Hunsford had seemed like a gift from heaven, and she had hurried to accept. The pleasure of Charlotte’s company would not be unalloyed of course, as the unwelcome presence of Mr. Collins was unavoidable. Nonetheless, a change of scenery and the opportunity to spend time with Charlotte would more than compensate for Mr. Collins’ endless chatter.
“…and doubtless we will be introduced to Lady Catherine!” Sir Lucas’ words penetrated Elizabeth’s self-absorption. Yes, doubtless they would be introduced to Mr. Collins’ patroness, and there would be entertainment a-plenty there, if Mr. Collins’ description of Lady Catherine was to be believed. She smiled at the thought of it, eliciting a response from Sir Lucas. “And well may you smile, Miss Bennet, thinking of your dear friend Charlotte, in close company with such exalted personages on a regular basis!”
“Indeed, sir, she is much to be envied,” Elizabeth supplied, unable to resist such an obvious request for commendation. It had taken her a moment to respond, as she was still unaccustomed to being known as Miss Bennet, rather than Miss Elizabeth.
“She is, yes, very much so! We are very proud, Lady Lucas and myself.”
Elizabeth privately wondered at his words. Not a year prior, the Lucas family had looked down on Charlotte as an old maid. Now that Charlotte was the future mistress of Longbourn and often in close company with a titled lady, the Lucas family could not praise her enough. What a difference a marriage could make!