Chapter Five

Mary was in the middle of a spirited debate with Mama about the length of time they should spend in London when Mrs. Longbottom's letter arrived.

Kitty had been staying well out of it, torn between her desire to spend more time with Sir Jasper, and not wishing to side against Mary on what was, after all, her trip. Papa had already retreated to his book-room in the hope of avoiding travel at all. Mrs. Hill entering with a letter was, on the whole, a great relief.

Mama paused to read it, and Mary retreated to the couch next to Kitty, who showed her the sketch she had been working on. It was the Longbourn church, with Mr. McKnight and Mary standing at the alter. "I can change the details of the dress if you like, but I thought the Modiste might appreciate a sketch. Mrs. Weaver in Meryton always prefers a visual of what I wish a dress to look like."

An impatient frown stole over Mary's face, as it often did when someone failed to realise something that Mary considered obvious. "Mrs. Weaver's assistants were never taught to read or figure beyond the basics. A picture is easier for them to understand when they are sewing." Mary viewed the design thoughtfully. "Can you change the sleeves? I do not like them quite so fitted."

Kitty did so. Looser sleeves were not precisely in fashion, but they never really went out of fashion, either. "Would you like a bonnet or a turban, like Mrs. Hurst favours?"

Mary scoffed, "I do not need an abundance of feathers to appear even more like a sparrow to my sisters' songbirds. Mr. McKnight and I will live more modestly than we do at Longbourn; there is no need for such fancies."

Catherine would never understand her next-eldest sister. None of the younger sisters had Jane's beauty or Elizabeth's charisma, but that did not make them plain or ill-featured, like Charlotte or Mary King. "Then at least let me re-make your bonnet for the occasion! I am quite good at it, and if the Lord is kind, you will only be married once. You deserve for it to be a memorable occasion."

Mary still looked exasperated, but a little less resistant to the prospect. "It will be memorable for who I am marrying, but if you wish for a new project, I will allow it. I had been meaning to do something with my brown bonnet, anyway."

The brown bonnet was a very acceptable stovepipe, made in brown silk that put one in mind of chocolate on a winter morning. "Brown is very versatile. I will buy a ribbon to match whatever colour your dress will be, and promise not to make it too extravagant. I am sorry that Mama is pressing you for my sake, too."

They were distracted by a cry of triumph from the writing desk, which brought Papa out of his study. "Is everything all right out here?"

Mama was all smiles, "Oh, Mr. Bennet, Mrs. Longbottom writes that they will be in London at the same time as our trip for Mary's wedding clothes, and she wishes to meet Kitty for herself! They will be in London a month, and she wishes for some female company, amid her four sons."

Papa had improved at knowing when to tease and when not to. At least a little. "Well, I suppose we can spare Kitty, at least until she is required home to stand up with Mary. For how long shall you be in London?"

Mama launched into the same arguments she had been using with Mary, and the insistence that Papa must join them, to meet the people Catherine would potentially be staying with. On the couch, Mary spoke to her sister in an undertone. "Four days, returning on the fifth, and you will back me when I disagree with Mama's fashion choices. Papa does not enjoy London any more than I."

That sounded a very fair arrangement to Catherine. London was only half a day's journey on good roads. "Agreed. How would you feel about Mama remaining in London for a few days after, if I do receive an invitation?"

Mary's smile was like the sun coming out, and really, wherever did she get the idea that she was unattractive? "If you can arrange it, I will be forever indebted to you. I can arrange things to my taste, Papa can approve it, and I can give Mama her way with the Wedding Breakfast when she returns."

Mama had her triumph over Lady Lucas in the matter of their eldest daughters, with Jane's wedding breakfast at Netherfield being obviously superior. Now Lady Lucas had begun to be smug about Charlotte's marriage to a man of the cloth, and the descriptions of Hunsford, in comparison to Mary's upcoming wedding, and Mama's hackles were up.

Four days sounded like an excellent compromise to Catherine, though she was sure Mama would not see it so. She raised her voice to join the conversation between their parents. "As Mary was saying, a London dressmaker will have more seamstresses than Mrs. Weaver, so we will not need to wait so long for the dress to be ready, and Mary intends to purchase much of her trousseau here in Longbourn village and Meryton."

Mary had been very firm on that, not wishing to appear to snub her future parishioners, and nodded eagerly. "I am sure three days complete will be more than enough time away."

Mama immediately protested, arguing her way up to four days, and leaving after luncheon on the fifth, as Mary had planned. Mama was permitted her way on the matter, and rang for Hill to begin preparations for their journey. "There will only be the four of us, and my sister Gardiner already agreed to host our family for the duration. Oh, Kitty, it seems Sir Jasper enclosed some sketches for you, as well. You may read the letter, if you wish."

***

Mrs. Longbottom's letter had a lovely border of simple sketches, and from a brief skim of the graceful writing, she was certainly on board with Mama's matchmaking schemes.

'I have not my sons' education in such matters, but from the model my younger son, Henry, created, Miss Catherine's design was a great success. Even if I did not share your hopes, my dear friend, I would happily host her for an engineering lecture or two. '

Kitty almost melted in relief; she could not have borne it if Sir Jasper mocked her idea as the tenant boys had. Mrs. Longbottom's words were high praise, and more than she had ever received before. What did one do with the design of a new invention, in any case? Surely there was some kind of legality over the matter, in the same way novels had a copyright?

One of the sketches showed Kitty's invention in miniature, hoisting a wooden ornament, and a thrill of pride warmed her to the core. She would have to ask Sir Jasper's advice on the matter of copyright.

Kitty's eye was drawn to the note Sir Jasper had added to his mother's letter. " Dear Miss C, I have not your skill with a pencil, but I hope you enjoy these sketches none-the-less. I look forward to seeing you in London.

Yours etc., Sir J"

She should have known that he would not mock her. Sir Jasper had laughed at her sketches, but in genuine humour and appreciation of the sardonic joke they were meant to be. He'd offered his opinions on her more serious artworks, when she asked for them, but never unwanted criticism. Now, he was answering her missive in kind; artwork for artwork.

One of the sketches was the framework of a sleigh, without the boarding of the finished product. Kitty would need to see the finished thing to be sure, but if one added a... brace, lock, whatever the name was for a holding device was... here and here, runners could be stowed beneath the seating area, their curved ends following the line of the seat. By raising the top a little, a storage compartment could be added for a wheel... not too large a wheel, but sleighs, even convertible ones, did not need to carry the weight a carriage did, and a spare wheel was always useful in emergencies.

Kitty carefully placed the letter on the writing desk, and dove for her sketch-book, opening it to a new page.

She would see Sir Jasper soon, and show him the new idea then.