Chapter Ninety-Eight
Mrs. Bennet was doing her best to host a wedding breakfast that was worthy of the excellent matches her two daughters had made.
She could not expect to compete with Lady Lucas’ wedding breakfast for Charlotte Lucas, now the Viscountess Worthing, but she certainly did not want the neighbourhood to realise the full extent of Longbourn’s financial difficulties.
Again and again, she made lists of needed ingredients and added up prices, and she was ready to throw up her hands in defeat.
She could not begin to understand how she would manage anything that would be good enough.
Her surprise and gratification can be imagined, then, when Mrs. Hurst came to her and begged – actually begged!
– to be permitted to host the wedding breakfast for her brother.
Mrs. Bennet made a pretense of reluctance, but very soon allowed herself to be persuaded.
It had been Mr. Bingley who had pressed his older sister to make the offer, but Mrs. Bennet never knew it, and thus had nothing but kind words for Mrs. Hurst thereafter.
Longbourn’s restricted finances had made it impossible for the brides to order new gowns, but Mrs. Alcott helped them remake the best of their existing gowns. Both Jane and Elizabeth were delighted with the results.
***
Jane and Elizabeth spent a good many nights whispering under the covers about what married life would be like.
They had already received “The Talk” from Mrs. Bennet; but there were few surprises.
As Mary had pointed out to her aunt, living on a farm had a way of educating young ladies on the relations of males and females.
They wondered what that would be like, of course, but they also wondered when – or even if!
– their hands would stop tingling, their hearts would stop racing, and they would stop the endless blushing.
For, as Elizabeth pointed out, it would be most inconvenient to have one’s heart racing all day long.
No, they surmised, it likely all settled down and blended into the sort of harmonious accord they had always seen in the Gardiners. And that, compared with the union of their parents, looked very rosy indeed.
“And we will never have to have tallow candles,” Jane whispered to Elizabeth.
“If I never smell tallow again, I shall be perfectly content!” Elizabeth agreed. “Though I would marry Mr. Darcy even if he was poor.”
Jane wrinkled her nose. “But somehow, if he were poor, he would not be Mr. Darcy.”
“No,” Elizabeth agreed. “He would not. Can you imagine it? A humble Mr. Darcy, wearing common clothing, no tall beaver hat, and no shining Hessians? No, indeed! He would be someone else entirely!”
They both smiled at the image. Elizabeth asked, “Will you buy Netherfield Park, do you think?”
“Charles and I agreed that it depends on Mama,” Jane replied.
“On Mama? But why?”
“If she insists on coming over every single day to advise me on my décor, my servants, my attire, and my husband, we shall have to move.”
“And no one could blame you,” loyal Elizabeth said. “But it would be good for our parents to have you nearby.”
“It would, but I must consider what is good for Charles, as well.”
“Of course. But tell me, Jane, what will you do about Miss Bingley?”
“I do not know,” Jane whispered. “I cannot like her, though she will soon be my sister.”
“Can Mr. Bingley not do something about her?” Elizabeth thought it dreadful indeed to have Miss Bingley as a sister! How lucky she was to have Georgiana!
“How am I to ask him to send his sister away?”
“Is there not an alternative to sending her away?”
“I suppose I could smother her in her sleep, Lizzy, but short of that, no, I do not see an alternative.”
“Jane, you know what you must do.”
Jane sat up in alarm. “Lizzy, I was only joking about smothering her…”
“Of course, Jane, but you must be very stern with her. You are the mistress of the house; you will rule it. You must direct her to interact with tenants, to sew for them, to give way to you in all things.”
Jane shook her head. “You could do that, Lizzy, but I cannot.”
“You can; just pretend you are me!”
Jane stared at her sister and then began to laugh. She hid under the covers until the laughter had passed, and then poked her head out and said, “That I can do!”
***
The day before the wedding, Mary and Mr. Collins arrived.
Mr. Bennet took his heir presumptive aside to lecture him on the importance of learning to manage an estate.
Mary was happy to be home, though it was very clear that being away from Longbourn had been good for her.
Mary’s very evident happiness was remarked upon by all her sisters, and Mrs. Bennet went so far as to remark that Mary’s appearance was greatly improved.
The Gardiners arrived that day as well; they had left the boys at home with their nanny, understanding that Longbourn would likely be quite full.
Mrs. Gardiner was delighted to present both Jane and Elizabeth with tea caddies similar to the one she had given Mary though, as she said to Elizabeth, there were doubtless far finer ones at Pemberley.
Elizabeth protested, “But this is mine and mine alone, and so will always be special!”
“I hope you will invite me to Pemberly,” Mrs. Gardiner said. “For I have always wanted to see inside the Pemberley mansion!”
“Oh, Aunt, of course I will! Nothing could make me happier!”