“Thank you, Lizzy. I am, I am overjoyed. I love him so very much. He is the perfect man for me. At dinner, he told me he assured Papa his sisters would be sent away if they did not treat me as they should.”
“Good! The last thing you need is Miss Bingley as part of your household trying to countermand every order you issue and doing everything she can to be thede factomistress of the house.”
Jane cogitated for some moments. “If she thinks me so weak as to allow that, Caroline Bingley will be in for a rather big surprise. She will behave once I am mistress of Charles’s—our—house or I will support him fully in evicting her.”
“Brava, Janey! I have never heard such an unforgiving speech from you. It is very good you have had a change of heart and saw the truth of certain peoples’ intentions and not what you hoped them to be.”
“You will not always be with me to defend me, Lizzy. I have to be willing to stand up for myself.”
“Yes, I will. I will be the spinster aunt to your ten children who will teach them to play the pianoforte very ill!”
Jane swatted playfully at her sister’s arm as both then dissolved into giggles. Soon enough they were ready for bed and Elizabeth blew out the candle.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
At the end of the morning meal, Bennet announced the engagement of Jane and Mr. Bingley. He explained that no public announcement would be made until Mr. Bingley returned from his business trip to London.
As could be expected, wishes for a felicitous future flowed freely. Fanny and the rest of the family all agreed to abide by the secrecy until Jane’s fiancé returned.
Fanny hugged her daughter. She was about to make a comment about Jane’s beauty being the reason for her being engaged, but she thought better of it. “You will be a very happy woman, Jane dear.”
“Of that I have no doubt Mama,” Jane agreed as she returned her mother’s hug.
Bennet made his way to his study, the oldest two sisters to the small parlour. Normally after a dance and once Charlotte arrived, the friends would walk in Longbourn’s park. Given the drop in temperature the last days since the rain had abated, the two eldest sisters elected to wait for their friend in the parlour with a fire roaring in the grate. The rest of the family withdrew to the drawing room.
Not many minutes later, the two Lucas sisters arrived at Longbourn. Charlotte and Maria Lucas had come to visit their respective friends. Maria was shown into the drawing room while Hill directed Charlotte to where her two friends were awaiting her.
“You have been very sly Charlotte Lucas!” Elizabeth exclaimed as soon as their friend was shown into the small parlour.
“I know not of what you talk,” Charlotte replied with put on hauteur performing her best Miss Bingley impersonation, right down to her nose pointed at the ceiling.
“Charlotte!” Jane admonished with a smile.
“I did indicate I would share today, did I not?” Both Bennet sisters present nodded vigorously. “Do you remember we met the advanced party of the Derbyshire Militia that night at Lucas Lodge?” Charlotte reminded her friends who nodded again. “It was there Colonel Forster and I began to speak. He is a very well-read and intelligent man. We managed to converse on many subjects at other events we both attended. Not long after he returned with his full regiment, he came to see me and requested a courtship. We have been courting ever since.”
“Do you love him?” Elizabeth probed.
“Jane and Eliza, you know I am not a romantic like the two of you. I am much more like Mary who looks at the practicalities,” Charlotte explained. “He is an honourable man who can well afford a wife. If he proposes, we will not always follow the drum, he has a small estate in Derbyshire and has leased out the property. He has notified his tenants he will not renew the lease again. I may not love him, but I like and respect him very much. We are compatible on many levels.
“At seven and twenty I never expected to marry, but that is not why I would accept him—at least not the only reason,” Charlotte admitted. “If he proposes and we unite in marriage, I will no longer be a burden to my parents or to Frank one day when he inherits.”
“Surely your family does not think you a burden,” Jane blurted out alarmedly.
“They would never articulate such,” Charlotte responded. “But you know Lucas Lodge earns less than half of Longbourn’s income. In addition, you are aware we do not keep as many servants which is why Maria and I assist around the house as needed.”
“From that perspective, it is a very prudent match,” Elizabeth owned. “If the Colonel is sensible enough to offer for you, I—we—will be first in line to congratulate you.”
“Thank you, Jane and Eliza.” Charlotte looked at Jane pointedly. “Do you mayhap have any news to share?”
“I do, but please do not repeat it…” Jane shared she was engaged to Mr. Bingley and the fact there would be no announcement for some few days.
This time it was Charlotte’s turn to share her approbation with her friend. When she discovered her advice about allowing the object of one’s affection to see that fact had helped speed up the happening, it pleased Charlotte inordinately.
The friends spoke for a time about various subjects, one of which was teasing Elizabeth about Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth huffed and pointed out she and Mr. Darcy were too far apart in wealth and connections to be a reality.
Now that Elizabeth was aware Mr. Darcy was not engaged, her traitorous heart had started murmuring about their compatibility. She did her best to ignore it.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
