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“I understand your sister Jane’s place in your heart shall forever be the most cherished. No doubt you miss her dearly, but what of your other sisters? I should love to hear more about them, as well. Of course, my brother proclaims them to be the silliest girls in England, but he has always countenanced such opinions about the fairer sex—at least for as long as I can recall.”

“My sister Mary, who is next to me, is best described as a young lady of deep reflection. She is an ardent reader, and she is most proud of her accomplishments on the pianoforte. When she is not reading, she is practising.”

“It sounds as though your sister Mary is a very accomplished young woman. The constant improvement in one’s mind through the practice of reading is a laudable quality.”

Elizabeth accepted the compliment on behalf of her sister and recommenced speaking. “Kitty is next to Mary.”

“Kitty?”

“Pardon, your ladyship, for you likely have heard her spoken of by her given name, Catherine. My youngest sister, Lydia, can be credited for calling her ‘Kitty’ I suppose by insisting as a young child that she was more like a kitten than a cat.” Elizabeth chuckled, likely in recollection of the childhood memory, but Lady Vanessa was not amused.

Her ladyship raised her eyebrows and laced her voice with condescension. “I suppose one would have had to be there to appreciate the story.”

Elizabeth cleared her throat. “I suppose you are correct, your ladyship.” Elizabeth went on to describe her two younger sisters. By her niece’s account, Lady Vanessa considered that perhaps her brother was correct, for try as Elizabeth might to extol their antics with consideration and affection, her ladyship could not but suppose that indeed they were rather silly.

Fortunately, the same cannot be said of Elizabeth. My brother once said his second eldest had something more of quickness than her sisters. That was long ago when he had been the one to attempt reconciliation, but Lady Vanessa had not been inclined to agree. She had her principles, and certain rules of society absolutely must be upheld for the protection of the greater good. The prospect of dying alone with no one of her own blood to give a care obliged her to alter her opinion.

Elizabeth’s later mentioning of her youngest sister’s fast friendship with the bride of the colonel of the militia and her ardent wish that she would be invited to go with the couple to Brighton when the militia decamped later in the spring, drew Lady Vanessa’s attention and, by her tone, her disapprobation.

“Brighton? Will your mother accompany her?”

“No. Should Papa consent to the scheme, the colonel shall be charged with Lydia’s supervision. Papa is convinced she will meet with no harm owing to her lack of fortune and relatively insignificance in comparison to the older, more accomplished women available to divert the officers.”

“I take it you have reservations?”

“Lydia is young and impetuous, and she is a very determined flirt. She is bound to make herself ridiculous wherever she goes. A young girl of her temperament is likely to attract a fair amount of mischief. But Papa insists that there shall be no peace at Longbourn if Lydia does not go to Brighton. For that reason alone, I fear he will consent to the scheme.”

As much as she was disheartened over the prospect, Elizabeth had chosen to leave the matter at that. She had done her best to persuade her father, and there was nothing more to do. Besides, it would be many weeks before a final decision was needed. Having had so little contact with any of the officers herself, save a Lieutenant George Wickham with whom she delighted in a brief discourse, Elizabeth supposed she was being overly concerned. Were all the officers nearly so agreeable, there truly would be no cause for apprehension.

“I know none of the particulars, and yet, I am inclined to agree with you. However, on the matter of your sisters’ lack of fortune, your father has no one to blame for that unhappy circumstance save himself. It is most disturbing to me that my brother has done nothing to break the entail on Longbourn, relying instead on his wife to give birth to a male. Has your family even met the young man who is to inherit the estate—a Mr. William Collins, I believe?” She huffed. “I understand he has been granted a living in Kent.”

“Yes, Mr. Collins visited Longbourn last autumn.”

“No doubt he meant to take stock of his birth right. Is he married, or is he single? For if he is single then perhaps he might marry one of your sisters, thereby acquitting my brother, Thomas, from the shame of his lapse.”

“Mr. Collins was single when he arrived, but he has since married.” Clutching her brooch, Elizabeth diverted her eyes away from her aunt. “He is married to a dear friend of mine: the former Charlotte Lucas from a neighbouring village—Lucas Lodge.”

“Lucas Lodge—a neighbouring estate of Longbourn? I have never heard of the place.” Her ladyship pursed her lips. Racking her brain, she recalled a Mr. William Lucas who had been in trade in Meryton. Oh, yes! He had made a tolerable fortune and had risen to the honour of knighthood by an address to the king during his mayoralty. “Has William Lucas—or should I say, has Sir William Lucas gone and fancied himself a landowner—a gentleman of breeding—rather than the tradesman that he is by virtue of his father and his father’s father?”

“I know not how to answer your ladyship without casting aspersions on my dear friend and acquaintances from home. There is no shame in what he has done.”

“You speak your mind most decidedly for one who is so young. After what your father has done in marrying beneath his sphere, I supposed I cannot fault you for failing to recognise the differences amongst society’s ranks, but as you are a gentleman’s daughter, you must learn to appreciate the distinctions. I mean to make certain that you do.”

Elizabeth had no doubt of the veracity of her aunt’s pronouncement. By now she had stopped studying her ladyship’s countenance for similarities to her father and sisters, for she had discerned quite enough to satisfy her curiosity. Never had she met anyone who stated her opinion so unreservedly, regardless of the person’s age. Lydia, perhaps, Elizabeth considered, fighting desperately to subdue her amusement. It is most fortuitous that her ladyship was distracted by Sir Lucas’s elevated rank, else she would have seized upon the fact that someone other than a Bennet daughter had landed the hand of Longbourn’s heir. One can only imagine what she might say if she learned that I had been the means of Mr. Collins’s asking for my friend’s hand in marriage by virtue of my spurning his offer.

Her ladyship’s voice pierced Elizabeth’s musings. “I shall require you to attend the horse racing contest with me later in the week, Elizabeth. Several of the local gentry mean to pit their finest bays against one another.”

Elizabeth frowned. “A race, your ladyship?”

“Indeed. Everyone who is anyone will be in attendance. People come from miles away.” Widening her eyes, she placed her jewellery-laden hand to her chest. “Surely you are no stranger to the sport. Attending the races throughout the country was one of my dear husband’s favourite pastimes. Your father must have taken his family to enjoy the races.”

“My papa does not relish games of chance or high-stakes gambling, which in my limited understanding is largely the basis of horse racing. Hence, my family has never celebrated the sport.”

“It is a shame; however, I cannot pretend to be surprised. Horse racing is the sport of a gentleman, and your father practically forfeited his claim to such a distinction when he married the daughter of a tradesman.”

Steel infused Elizabeth’s spine. “Pardon me, your ladyship. I am aware of the gulf between you and my father as well as the purpose of my being here as your way of healing the breach. However, you cannot expect me to countenance your repeated insults against my family. I cannot and I will not.”

“Once again, you insist upon voicing such strong, unreserved opinions. You will learn that I speak my mind with equal enthusiasm.” Furrowing her brow, she looked Elizabeth straight in the eye. “I can see our alliance shall be mutually advantageous, for I shall endeavour to temper my sentiments, and you, young lady, shall learn to temper your insolence.”