Free Longbourn to London by Linda Beutler

invitations to small parties where their aunt is in attendance. In large parties, I am confident they can and will avoid her themselves, and will have Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy to defend them.
    “That is all for now, Mrs. Bennet.” He dismissed her, even though he was in her room. Mr. Bennet paused, bowed briefly, turned and slammed her door behind him. The start of a new tirade, delivered in soliloquy, was heard over his shoulder.
    “Well I never…” Mrs. Bennet began, ranting to no one. She rose from her favourite rocking chair and sat at her desk. She was angry over the scene just endured and blamed Elizabeth. The only thing to be done was to—as far as propriety would allow—disavow herself of her second eldest daughter and her wedding plans, even if she was marrying a man with ten thousand a year. She would write to her brother’s wife, who seemed to understand Elizabeth as she herself could not, and beg assistance. Mrs. Bennet did not like writing letters other than extending social invitations and responding to them, but in this case she wrote with alacrity. As silly and blathering as Mrs. Bennet was in her manner of speech, in her habits of writing, she tended to be concise even when prevaricating.
    15 October 1812
Longbourn, Hertfordshire
    Dear Sister,
    The plans for Lizzy and Jane’s wedding are quite over-taking me, and I find I must write to request a favour, which, if each daughter were having a separate ceremony, I would not need to ask. May I prevail upon you to assist with Lizzy’s wardrobe for the event? Mr. Bennet has set a budget of £75 for the trousseau. While I wish it were much more, I trust you to help Lizzy with her decisions as she may not understand what she needs or purchase enough. Perhaps you may find fabric for her gown in town, such as may be used by the local dressmakers, and when you arrive later in the week, other items may be ordered.
    It is inconvenient for me to be shopping for both Lizzy and Jane at the same time. I cannot keep all of the details separated properly. Please say you will consent to providing such assistance, and think of it as practice for when your own dear Alyse and Sophie plan their nuptials.
    Fondly and gratefully,
F. Bennet
    Simultaneously, in the Longbourn library, the following letter was being composed.
    15 October 1812
Longbourn, Hertfordshire
    Dear Sister,
    I shall safely wager you will find, in the next hours and days, your correspondence inundated with missives from Hertfordshire. Indeed, His Majesty’s Postal Service may have need of a new man just to handle the Gardiner volume. Yet, I find I must now add to the man’s burden.
    You will certainly be receiving a letter from Lizzy, and likely one from Mr. Darcy if I have become any judge of the man’s character. They write about a situation arising in part from the officious and ill-natured attentions of my wife and her sister, though I would not doubt every married woman of Lizzy and Jane’s acquaintance had a hand in causing the chaos and misapprehension now lodged in their minds.
    You may now well imagine where my thoughts tend. Lizzy and Jane have both, usually together, received the foulest warnings and slanders of what to expect of married life. They have spoken, or at least Lizzy has, to their betrotheds of the resultant fears that have developed, and as you may well apprehend, both men have expressed their alarm to me.
    I have proved no help in the matter, as it must be further confessed that two books on the subject, which I had quite forgotten I owned—past tense as they are now both ashes—have been consulted by the girls under cloak of night.
    I have prevailed upon Mrs. Bennet to retract what she has said of the matter, and at the behest of Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley, we at Longbourn will endeavour to separate Lizzy and Jane from their Aunt Phillips when necessary, and to avoid her society between now and the wedding.
    Now you see what pandemonium awaits you and Edward upon your