1. Chapter One

As a tranquil sunrise spread golden hues across the sky, the house of Longbourn awoke to a morning far removed from the chaos that had once been its daily custom. The song of birds served as a gentle reveille, replacing the shrill exhortations of Mrs. Bennet which had so often disturbed the peace. Indeed, a remarkable sense of harmony now reigned at Longbourn, and it owed much to the calm and capable presence of its new mistress, the second Mrs. Bennet; the former Charlotte Lucas.

"Good morning, Mrs. Hill," Charlotte greeted the housekeeper as she descended the stairs, her words accompanied by an encouraging smile. "I trust all is well?"

"Indeed, ma'am," replied Mrs. Hill, her eyes reflecting her gratitude for the orderliness that now characterised the household. "The staff have already begun their tasks, and the girls are preparing themselves for breakfast."

"Thank you, Mrs. Hill," said Charlotte, pleased with the report. She moved gracefully through the halls of Longbourn, observing the smooth functioning of the house with a quiet satisfaction. Gone were the days of uncertainty and disarray, replaced now by a sense of purpose and direction that could only be attributed to Charlotte's steady hand.

As she entered the dining room, Charlotte found herself immersed in the comforting sights and sounds of a family meal. Elizabeth and Jane shared a light-hearted exchange, while Kitty and Lydia engaged in animated chatter about their recent letters from friends. The absence of Mary, who was currently under the tutelage of the Gardiners in London, left a notable void at the table, yet the overall atmosphere remained congenial and amicable.

As she surveyed the scene before her, Charlotte felt a deep sense of purpose and fulfilment. The delicate balance between duty and desire had long been the subject of her contemplation, ever since she had agreed to marry Mr. Bennet after the passing of his first wife in childbed. Assuming the role of stepmother to his five daughters, Charlotte knew that her decision had been born from a genuine love for her new family, as well as from a keen sense of responsibility towards the welfare of Longbourn. And in this quiet moment of reflection, Charlotte could not help but feel that she was indeed fulfilling her destiny.

"Good morning, Stepmother," Elizabeth exclaimed, looking up with a warm smile. "You entered so quietly, I did not hear you! Come, have some of the toast before Lydia eats it all."

Lydia squawked indignantly, plucking a strawberry from her plate and flinging it at her sister. Elizabeth caught it deftly, but it was Charlotte who immediately stepped in.

"Lydia Bennet, we do not throw food in this house, and nor do we squawk like a chicken. Have you finished your breakfast? Then be off upstairs with you, and finish your packing. Your father wishes to leave within the hour to escort you and Kitty back to school after your holiday."

Lydia sighed, but she obediently murmured an apology to Elizabeth for throwing the strawberry – one which was immediately followed by an apology from Elizabeth for teasing her – and left the room, trailed by Kitty.

"I love them dearly, but there is no denying Longbourn will be a good deal quieter once they are gone back to school," Jane murmured, picking up her teacup for a sip.

"How pleasant it will be to be just us grown-up ladies here," Elizabeth agreed, with a warm smile at Charlotte.

Charlotte did not say anything, never liking to speak ill of any of her stepdaughters, but privately she agreed with Elizabeth. She loved Kitty and Lydia too, but the pair could be silly at times, especially when they got together with Charlotte's younger sister Maria. Certainly Charlotte thought it for the best that Kitty and Lydia would be safely away at school if the rumour Charlotte had heard just the previous day came to pass – that a militia regiment might quarter for the winter in Meryton. Keeping silly young girls away from redcoats was not particularly how Charlotte would like to spend the next few months.

It was a little past the appointed hour when the Bennet carriage departed, Kitty and Lydia hanging from the windows to wave their handkerchiefs until Longbourn was out of sight, while their father sighed and rolled his eyes with impatience at their silliness. He would spend a night or two in Oxford visiting old friends before returning, knowing Longbourn was safe in Charlotte's capable hands until then.

Elizabeth linked arms with Charlotte as they turned from waving their farewells to go back inside the house. "I am planning a long walk this morning, Stepmother. Shall you accompany me?"

"Thank you for the offer, Lizzy dear, but undoubtedly Kitty and Lydia will have left a dreadful mess in their room to sort out, and I will not leave it all to poor Hill." Charlotte kissed her cheek. "If you should happen to come home past Lucas Lodge, would you drop this receipt off for Mama?"

Elizabeth took the folded paper with a laugh. "Of course! Are there any other errands I may make myself useful about?"

"Not today. Enjoy your walk, dearest!" Charlotte watched as Elizabeth set off at a determined pace, heedless of the rising wind that whipped her dark curls about.

Jane was in the stillroom, Charlotte saw as she passed. The eldest Bennet daughter was fond of flowers and herbs, and liked to make soaps and lavender-water as well as a few simple herbal remedies. Charlotte encouraged Jane in the hobby; it was a useful skill for the mistress of a house and flowers unfortunately tended to make Charlotte sneeze if she spent too much time in close proximity to them.

Lydia and Kitty had indeed left a disastrous mess, with discarded clothes, ribands and knick-knacks strewn all around their room. With a fond sigh and a shake of her head, Charlotte set about bringing order to the room, much as she had spend the last ten years bringing order to Longbourn as a whole.

The first Mrs. Bennet's sad departure, even as she tried so desperately to give her husband a long-desired son, had thrown the household into utter disarray. Jane, at twelve, and Elizabeth at ten had tried as bravely as they might to pull the family together, but it was clear to all his acquaintance that Mr. Bennet needed a wife to give his daughters a mother, and soon. Lady Lucas and Mrs. Philips had been in complete agreement on the matter, and when Lady Lucas' eye fell on her daughter Charlotte, just eighteen but so sensible, and so plain it was very possible she might never attract a suitor at all, it seemed an advantageous match indeed to promote.

Charlotte, for her part, had been quite happy to be placed before Thomas Bennet as a potential wife. Yes, he was almost twenty years her senior, but he was an intelligent, kindly gentleman – despite his occasional acerbic witticisms – and being mistress of a house such as Longbourn was far more than she ever might have dared dream for herself. She was not romantic, but Thomas was patient and gentle with her, and over the last few years she had come to love him deeply.

Her one regret was that she had never managed to give him a son either – had never conceived at all – but she would not permit that lack to blight her joy in her home and her family. Completing her self-appointed task, she looked about the now-tidy room with a satisfied smile.

On his return from Oxford two days later, Mr. Bennet stepped down from his carriage and into an immaculate Longbourn, blissfully quiet, his wife and two eldest daughters quietly occupied in the parlour. Elizabeth as usual had a book in her hand, and Charlotte and Jane both plied their needles industriously.

"What a charming scene to come home to," Thomas Bennet declared, and all three ladies looked up with welcoming smiles.

Charlotte has truly brought order to this estate,Mr. Bennet mused, his thoughts returning to his wife's passing and the chaos that had once reigned at Longbourn. The memory of Mrs. Bennet's shrill voice and incessant fretting seemed like a distant echo, replaced by the calm, organized demeanour of his new wife. Marrying for good looks was all very well – at least Fanny had given him daughters of remarkable beauty – but marrying a woman of good sense had been a far better decision.

Charlotte rose and came to his side, threading her arm through his and reaching up to kiss his cheek. "Welcome home, husband," she said warmly. "You are in good time for dinner."

"And it smells excellent," Thomas said, sniffing appreciatively. Roast lamb, unless his nose was much mistaken, and doubtless there would be mint sauce and roasted potatoes to go with it. As mistress of his house, Charlotte was quite peerless in laying an excellent table, though how she managed to do it on less than half the money Fanny had always spent every month he could not fathom. His wife's frugal habits stood Longbourn in good stead, however; he had even been able to set a little more by for his daughters' dowries in the last few years, and though they would never be called well-dowered, he believed he would be able to manage a thousand pounds for each of them when the time came.

"Some letters came in the post for you this morning, Papa," Jane remarked, laying aside her needlework. "I placed them on your desk."

"Thank you, my dear. Well, I had best go wash this travel dirt off me. I would not want to delay our dinner. Not when it smells so good!"

After dinner, Thomas felt so comfortable and at ease with his wife and eldest daughters that he did not retire to his study, instead collecting his letters and sitting with them in the parlour, enjoying listening to the gentle flow of sensible female conversation. Recognising the handwriting on one letter, he sighed and left it until last, finally cracking the seal when he had no more excuse to delay.

"Hmph," he muttered, reading the ornately curlicued handwriting with some difficulty. "Still an idiot, then."

"Of whom do you speak, Papa?" Elizabeth asked, with a laugh in her voice.

"Our cousin, my dear." Thomas glanced across at Charlotte. It had been her idea, a few years ago, for Thomas to reach out to his cousin and heir and try to mend the breach between them. As in many other matters, she had been quite right. The fear that his wife and daughters would be turned out of Longbourn had eased considerably once Thomas began correspondence with William Collins. The man was silly, but not vicious, and he would not hold the old grudge of his father against Thomas and his daughters.

"Collins has taken his orders finally, and is lucky enough to be the recipient of a living already. In Kent, apparently, some place called Hunsford." Thomas read the letter again. "He sings the praises of the lady who awarded him the living, a Lady Catherine de Bourgh."

"I cannot think much of her," Charlotte murmured, plying her needle. "For what woman of sense would award a man of Mr. Collins' abilities a valuable living?"

All of them laughed, though kind-hearted Jane shook her head. Neither she nor Elizabeth had actually met Mr. Collins; both had been spending the winter in London with their Gardiner relations two years prior when Mr. Collins had paid his one and only visit to Longbourn. They had heard quite enough of his silliness and obsequious manner to believe the lack of his acquaintance no particular loss, however.

The following morning brought visitors to Longbourn, regular ones. Charlotte's mother Lady Lucas had made it her habit to call in at least twice a week, usually accompanied by her younger daughter, Maria. Over the years the visits had changed from Lady Lucas poking about and offering her advice, to the ladies sitting in the parlour, drinking tea, and indulging in a little gentle gossip, while the younger girls giggled abovestairs.

With Kitty and Lydia absent, Maria was perforce obliged to sit down in the parlour with the others. She sighed and looked bored, sitting by the window to look out. Jane took pity on her and went to sit beside her, talking quietly to her while the older ladies gossiped.

Today, Lady Lucas had a particularly interesting piece of gossip to impart. "What do you think I heard yesterday!" she exclaimed once she was settled in a comfortable chair with tea in hand and a plate of delicate cakes at her elbow. "Mrs. Philips heard it first from the grocer, and then the butcher confirmed he had an order too!"

"An order for what, Lady Lucas?" Elizabeth asked curiously.

"Why, for Netherfield Park! It is let again, at last!"

"Goodness," Charlotte said mildly, giving her tea a delicate stir before setting down her spoon. "Another party of gentlemen coming to use it as a hunting box? What has it been, four years? But since we did not see hide nor hair of them in society last time, I cannot think it will matter this time either."

"This time will be different," Lady Lucas said smugly, obviously pleased to be imparting new information. "The house has been let by a gentleman, name of Bingley, and his sister is coming with him to keep house, and they are bringing a large party of guests, so I am told. They have certainly sent down enough baggage! Five carts passed Lucas Lodge this morning on the lane to Netherfield!"

"A gentleman and his sister," Charlotte mused, interest obviously piqued. "Not a wife? I wonder how old he is?"

"Hopefully of an age to be of interest. Quite wealthy, I suspect. He must be, to be letting Netherfield." Lady Lucas offered a knowing smile. "Could be a good thing for one of your girls, Charlotte."

"How so?" Elizabeth asked with a laugh.

"To marry one of you, of course." Charlotte placidly sipped her tea.

"Stepmother!" Elizabeth stared at her, plainly shocked.

"Elizabeth. Dearest. This is our home, and we all love it dearly, but even you must admit there is a tragic dearth of eligible young men in this neighbourhood. Your father and I were only persuaded to part with you and Jane to stay with your Gardiner relatives in London in the hopes of widening your social circle and perhaps finding some eligible suitors." Charlotte shook her head. "And despite both of you being admired everywhere you go, and that one young man writing Jane some very pretty poetry, not one suitor has ever come up to scratch."

Elizabeth opened her mouth, seeming about to deny Charlotte's words, but then she hesitated, glancing across to where Jane sat beside Maria at the window.

"Jane is two and twenty," Charlotte said gently. "More than of an age to be wed and have a family of her own. While neither your father nor I would ever press any of you to accept a gentlemen we did not feel was worthy of you, nor one that you did not whole-heartedly wish to marry, we would like to see at least some of you well-settled, now that you are of age."

"And the mistress of Netherfield would certainly be well-settled!" Lady Lucas trilled, reaching for the plate of cakes. "I shall have Sir William call as soon as I hear the new tenants are arrived, and you must encourage Mr. Bennet to do likewise, my dear. For as everyone knows, a gentleman in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife, and who better than one of your girls?"