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“Does it matter Edward? When you think of it, she was the one who was treated the most poorly. Rather than cause a fuss she just left for more than three months. If their paths crossed then I am sure she would immediately rekindle the flames of her prejudice, but the truth is their paths are not going to cross. She is more concerned with Jane than she is with an ignorant comment from 16 months ago.”

“Is there anything we can do for Jane?”

“You tell me Edward.”

She saw and heard the sigh.

“Many things are covered in a marriage settlement but marital relations between the couple is not one of them. If Oliphant wishes to lay with his wife there is no one to stop him. I wish to know no details but has Jane confided in you?”

Madeline Gardiner shook her head.

“No. She keeps it all bottled up. She talks round the edges with Lizzie but even she does not know many of the details. As a maiden nothing should be shared with her but that will not stop Lizzie asking anyway. What is pleasing is the way that Kitty is maturing. It was clear that it was her that took the lead and Mary was happy for her to do so. She has many of the best traits of Elizabeth but she is not so quick to anger. If I had to guess she will be the first of the three sisters to be married. She knows her worth, but is not burdened by unrealistic romantic ideas.”

“Romantic ideas?”

“Elizabeth is a complete romantic. She has told me that she wishes a marriage like ours. We are her role models. She calls us kind, happy, generous, a true family.”

Edward Gardiner chuckled.

“Are you sure she means us? That does not sound like the Gardiner family I know.”

Madeline Gardiner knew he was teasing and merely kissed her husband.

“I will think on your penance for such words!”

Her husband did not look worried.

“Let us come back to Lizzie in a second. What about Mary?”

“She is coming into her own, more slowly than her younger sister but I can see there is progress. But it is too soon to have any idea as to whether she will make a match, even if she is capable of making a match. Why did you skip Lizzie?”

“She seems the most difficult to assess. She is the smartest, at least the most academically smart. Which is not necessarily a good thing in the eyes of many men. She will be quickly labelled a blue stocking.”