Chapter Seven

London was like a waking dream.

Kitty could think of no other way to describe her every wish coming true at once. Sir Jasper thought her mechanical ideas were worth the bother of legal paperwork to declare them hers, and he wished to marry her! How lovely, to become engaged - oh.

Taking advantage of her parents' distraction, she slipped into the room where Mary was having pieces of calico pinned to her shape. The tight line of her jaw indicated a degree of discomfort at having people in such close proximity. Mindful of Mary's dislike of crowds, Catherine kept her distance. "Are you bearing up all right?"

Mary did not bother faking a smile. "I shall endure, and perhaps be able to empathise more with a dressmaker's dummy. I presume you had a question that could not wait?"

Catherine stifled a laugh at her sister's bone-dry wit. "Sir Jasper means to speak to Papa tonight at dinner. Would you like me to ask him to wait until you and our parents have departed? This is your trip to London, after all."

Mary stared at her for a moment. "If you can take the attention off me, you will become quite my favourite sister. I dislike the spotlight, as you well know, and having two weddings to plan will let me push for a smaller celebration for Mr. McKnight and myself."

That was a point that Catherine had not considered, although maybe she should have. Hunsford and Swansea had similar incomes, from what she had gathered from Mama and Lady Lucas's sparring, but Mr. McKnight tended toward frugality, and felt no need to overspend in order to court the Bennets' good opinion, as Mr. Collins leaped to imitate Lady Catherine's opulence.

Hopefully Charlotte would be able to coax him toward a modicum of common sense.

***

Later, back at the Gardiner's, the sisters took the opportunity to rest, while Mama entertained Aunt Gardiner with tales of the Modiste. Kitty, as promised, was re-making Mary's bonnet when Mary sighed, putting down her book. "Our eldest sisters are not here to advise you, so the duty falls to me. You know I struggle with the best way to say things, but I promise to do my best."

Oh, Lord... but Mary had improved at leaving the sermons to her future husband, lately. "I promise not to leap to offence."

Her next-eldest sister turned the closed volume over in her hands. "I fell in love slowly, but Jane knew Mr. Bingley for barely six weeks before he declared himself and she accepted. I will not claim that everyone must fall in love the same way, but... are you sure? Marriage is for life, and very difficult to undo."

Kitty was eighteen, still three years from attaining her majority, but she was not the flighty fool that so many assumed her to be. She had an eye for fashion, and adored socialising, and her drawings were not the pastoral landscapes or still-life drawings that were popular for young ladies to create. In many ways, she was still learning who Catherine Bennet was, but since at least three philosophers agreed that such discovery was a lifelong journey, she saw no need to put her life on hold for it.

Still, Mary's inquiry came from a place of kindness, and she was as unaccustomed to giving such talks as Kitty was in receiving them. "I told Sir Jasper that he was the first man to notice me for who I am, rather than seeing a shadow of my sisters, but it is more than that. He believes in me, in the things I create. He is kind, and if it is not love yet, I believe that it can very easily grow to be."

Sir Jasper was not like Mr. Bond, who dismissed the beauty of Mrs. Bond's artwork as if they were a child's scribblings. He was like Uncle Phillips, who listened when Aunt Phillips suggested a new system for storing his old files that both made it easier for Uncle Phillips to find things... and utterly confounded potential thieves. One such miscreant had actually been discovered in tears, too confused to even start looking for the old Will which favoured him over his cousins, which he had hoped to swap for his recently-deceased Aunt's current will.

Given the invective he hurled at a smug Aunt Phillips when he was hauled off to the magistrate, Kitty was hardly that surprised that Old Mrs. Church had changed her mind about who should inherit.

Mary smiled, and re-opened her book. "Then I will not question you further, as long as you are certain."

Catherine tilted her head, trying to read the title. "A guide to Pedagogy?" Her knowledge of Greek begun and ended at root-words that had lent themselves to the English language. "That is to do with children, is it not?"

Mary nodded, "The teaching of children, specifically. I want to help with the Parish school, once it opens, and if I cannot... well, I will have children eventually, and I do not want them to flounder like we did."

Mama had taught them to read and write, and accounting, and the basics of a stillroom; everything they would need to run their own household one day. Papa had taken Jane and Elizabeth in hand for a few years, while the younger three were still under the care of a nursemaid, but tired of the endeavour before Catherine was old enough to benefit. Lydia preferred to learn her history from plays and novels, more than books, and there was no denying that their education had been... scattered.

Well, the future was bound to be bright for both of them, and that was what mattered. Outside, bells chimed the hour, and they would soon be departing for dinner at the Longbottom townhouse. Kitty considered her dresses, before selecting a dinner dress the colour of lavender, and a sage- green ribbon for her hair.

***

Sir Jasper had mentioned having three younger brothers, but he hadn't mentioned how different they all were.

John and Henry, the younger two, had all of Lydia's energy and about as much restraint. Henry had barely waited until the introductions were over before quizzing Kitty on her design process, and John had lasted only a little longer before asking her sources. Sir Jasper had checked that she was all right with the attention before vanishing into his study with Papa.

Catherine, despite his fears, was very familiar with this style of conversation, for Mama and Lydia communicated in much the same fashion when they were excited. She waited for them to take a breath, then launched into an explanation just as the second-eldest, Michael, was about to admonish them to leave her alone.

Mrs. Longbottom looked approving, which Catherine took as a good sign.

By the time Sir Jasper and Papa emerged from the study, Michael had engaged Mary in conversation. Mary had nearly refused when he openly admitted it was to avoid the loud debate taking up the bulk of the room, but relented when he paled at the thought of taking sides. Mama and Mrs. Longbottom were keeping an odd kind of score on the sidelines.

Kitty had sketched two comparative designs, one of the unmodified sleigh frame, and one with her own modified design. John thought it would make the sleigh too heavy, while Henry wondered if the additional cost in time and materials was too high to justify their inclusion. Kitty folded her arms. "Clearly, you've never been stuck beside the road in the rain while a footman rides back for additional men and a cart!"

Sir Jasper cleared his throat. "Only once, and we overturned the conveyance and sheltered beneath it until the storm passed."

Gentlemen who only needed to change a pair of stockings, and whose dark breeches would show less stains, could afford to do that, Kitty supposed. "I doubt that it was a particularly pleasant experience, none-the-less?"

Michael weighed in from the safety of his corner, "Not at all, and it took some very careful work to get it upright again, and back home and dried before the wood started to warp."

Catherine waved a hand impatiently, "While if you had a spare wheel with you, and the hoist I designed, you would only need a little time to exchange the wheels and be on your way home to hot baths and clean clothes!"

Sir Jasper chuckled softly, "That is a compelling argument, you must admit."

Henry nodded reluctantly, "More-so at the time than now, when we are speaking in theoreticals. Perhaps as an optional extra for customers who want a year-round vehicle, not just a winter sleigh."

Catherine had not been educated in matters of business. She was happy to leave such things to those who were. Papa was watching her as if she were a new person he had never seen before. "Kitty, my dear, Sir Jasper wishes a private conference with you, if you are amenable."

A quick glance at Mary, who nodded confirmation that she would not be upset, and Catherine eagerly followed Sir Jasper out of the room.

Her heart was pounding in her chest, loud enough that she barely heard the undoubtably very pretty speech he was giving. She pinched herself in order to focus, just in time to hear, "- be my wife, Catherine Bennet?"

Breathless with joy, she clapped her hands, "Oh, yes, I should like nothing better!"

A squeal of delight came from the other side of the door, where at least one of their mothers had undoubtably been listening. Sir Jasper paused, "I did not think... will Miss Mary mind us announcing our engagement tonight?"

Catherine smiled; this was what made them such a good pair. "I did, and asked her earlier. She is quite happy for the distraction."