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Peter Goulding laughed out loud and pulled his wife close.

“How long have you been preparing that?”

“Mrs. Purvis and I might have met yesterday afternoon.”

Rosemary Goulding relaxed into her husband’s arms.

“Is there nothing we can do? How long is it until the friend returns to London?”

“I have heard it described as two months total which would mean in approximately three weeks. That would be the end of November which makes sense for the advent celebrations. You know better than I that we can indeed not invite them to our evening soiree. But you always counsel me that we need to be careful not to burn bridges unnecessarily. The only one we will end up having to talk to is Bingley and he is harmless.”

“I will invite them all but you have to promise me to suggest to Mr. Bingley that his sisters return to London with the friend. Talking of which, has anyone found out what happened at the Michaelmas Assembly. I discounted Mrs. Ellis’ description of Elizabeth Bennet’s face but she was gone within three days. And her sister was away less than a week after her. Nobody seems to know what happened, not even the mother.”

“Remind me what Mrs. Ellis said.”

“Mr. Bingley walked over to Mr. Darcy and appeared to be pleading with him to dance. He pointed in the direction of Elizabeth Bennet who was sitting out the dance. Darcy made some comment and Bingley flushed and hurried back to the dance floor. The words Mrs. Ellis used were ‘Lizzie Bennet looked like she wanted to gut this Darcy like a fish’.”

“That is quite the descriptor. Gut him like a fish?”

“When I questioned her on it, Mrs. Ellis said it was not so much fierce as vicious.”

“You have always said she is the one with the worst temper of the five of them.”

“With Fanny Bennet as her mother I am surprised they are not all like that. Mary and Kitty at least.”

“Jane Bennet was a calming influence.”

“It is where Elizabeth is rumoured to have gone, to see her sister.”

“The supposition is that Mr. Darcy made a comment but no one knows what?”

She nodded.

“It is not like he says much when he attends any of these affairs. Maybe we should have some dancing and get Mr. Bingley to badger him again.”

The two Gouldings laughed.

--

“Ignore it Lizzie. I will write back to Mama and tell her that I need you here. We will delay sufficiently that this Mr. Collins will be gone before you can return.”

“Thank you. I am surprised she did not write before now.”

Jane grimaced in distaste.

“It is entirely likely that our father did not tell her until the day he was due to arrive. It is the sort of thing he finds ‘funny’.”

Elizabeth was forced to agree that such capricious behaviour was entirely plausible. Regardless, she would not have to deal with the Rev William Collins.

--

Madeline Gardiner watched her niece go through a variety of emotions. She said nothing but her face was a picture.

“Judging by your face there is news from Longbourn. Is there anything you can share?”

She was not so crass as to demand to read the letter, she would not let herself descend to the level of her sister-in-law. Her reward was to have the letter handed to her.

“You had better read this then we can talk.”