#the netherfield visit

[jupitersmegrim]

Thanks for reminding me! I added the passage in its entirety, partly because I felt (not unjustly) called out by your vaguepost, partly because my interpretation differs—at least in nuance—from yours.

Both her parents’ reactions quoted above put Elizabeth’s insistence on walking in a different light. The fact that not just Mrs Bennet finds Lizzy's idea unseemly, but also her father expects her to ride over in a carriage underlines the decision to walk through the mud as being expressly about more than exercise and seeing Jane; it's about subverting expectations. This she hints at by proclaiming

“I shall be very fit to see Jane—which is all I want.” (P&P I,7, emphasis mine)

Singling out Jane as the only person she plans to call on is simultaneously a refusal of her gesture being understood as being directed at the inevitable actual hosts.

But why does she say it? After all, her family knows all too well she barely cares for the Netherfield party. And yet she explains her refusal to comply with genteel comportment, by declaring Jane the sole recipient of her going there.

Caroline Bingle has, I believe, once again in her jealousy accidentally hit the nail on the head when she, behind closed doors, accuses Elizabeth of trying to send a message to all of them. Later in the evening, after Elizabeth has been invited to stay at Netherfield too, Miss Bingley and Mrs Hurst first denigrate Lizzy's looks. When that doesn't get the desired reaction from the gentlemen, she pivots and attacks her character:

“To walk three miles, or four miles, or five miles, or whatever it is, above her ancles in dirt, and alone, quite alone! what could she mean by it? It seems to me to shew an abominable sort of conceited independence, a most country town indifference to decorum.” (P&P I,8, emphasis mine)

We as readers may speculate whether the intended message in question is identical with what Miss Bingley imagines. But the core of it—that it's been about communicating a refusal to bow to the Netherfield party's idea of decorum—is central. The dirty petticoats are just one element; the coming alone and, as Mrs Bennet succinctly put it, “not [being] fit to be seen when [she] get[s] there” is the other.

It's about leaving nobody confused that she isn't yet another Bennet daughter seeking a pretense to spend time with the eligible bachelors at Netherfield because Elizabeth is demonstrably unfit to be seen by anyone.

We may still assume she heeded her parents’ advice and tempered her country manners by avoiding the very worst (“crossing field after field at a quick pace, jumping over stiles and springing over puddles with impatient activity”, P&P I,7). Though I would probably say less so in an attempt to save the servants labour, and more so as not to embarrass her sister in front of her admirer.

One very subtle but speaking moment in P&P that I don't think I've ever seen anyone talk about is this one:

“Yes, and her petticoat; I hope you saw her petticoat, six inches deep in mud, I am absolutely certain, and the gown which had been let down to hide it not doing its office.”

We all get caught up on the "six inches deep in mud" thing (and it is a very funny and versatile line)—but that misses the depth of the characterisation of Elizabeth that's developed in this sentence.

What Mrs. Hurst means is that Elizabeth had, at some point, been wearing her gown (this would have been morning dress) pinned up to show the bottom portion of her petticoat. This was pretty common in the very late 18th and early 19th centuries: an outer petticoat was not really considered an undergarment, but something that could be shown, at least in part. Gowns might be shorter than the petticoat; or very sheer to show a coloured petticoat; or slit up the front or sides; or entirely open in the front (called "négligée" or, racistly, "mameluke" style). A lot of petticoats were embroidered around the bottom (and sometimes in a pattern up the center as well) in a way that would be visible under these conditions. See these examples:

"Costume Parisiennes," The Ladies' Monthly Museum Vol 3 (April 1816), p. 231:

Evening Dress.—Round dress of soft white satin, made short enough to discover the muslin-petticoat underneath, which is ornamented with two full quillings of fine lace; the satindress finished at the border by four rows of scarlet velvet [...]. (see the illustration for this one here)

"London Fashions," The Repository of arts, literature, commerce, manufactures, fashions and politics (May 1, 1819), p. 304, plate 31:

A jaconic muslin petticoat, ornamented round the bottom with four rows of muslin trimming, composed of narrow welts finished with edging. Over this is an open robe, with a plain high body [...]. (description of left image above)

Ibid., no. 82 vol. 14 (Oct. 1815), p. 240, plate 22:

A cambric muslin petticoat, ornamented at the feet with a double flounce of French work, appliqued with a narrow heading of the same; the body, from the shoulder to the neck, gathered full into narrow trimming, corresponding with the heading of the flounce; a military collar, frilled with the French work; short French négligée, open in the iront, and trimmed entirely round to correspond. (description of right image above)

If Mrs. Hurst is correct, Elizabeth had either been wearing her dress pinned up anyway, or pinned it up specifically for the walk—and then, after she had arrived at Netherfield but before she had been announced, taken the pins out and let the skirt of the dress down to try to hide the dirt on her petticoat. This is an amount of forethought that suggests that she actually does care about how she looks, or about appearing tidy, or about what the party at Netherfield thinks of her.

She doesn't care enough to keep her from seeing Jane (“I shall be very fit to see Jane—which is all I want"), or enough to wish to avoid the walk (Mr. Bennet says “Is this a hint to me, Lizzy, to send for the horses?", which coming from him I think is tantamount to an engraved invitation to send for the carriage). But she cares just enough to briefly plan how best to minimise the damage, and decide to pin up her skirt before walking—or at least to take a moment to think about how she would appear to an observer, check her skirts, and take a step to improve her appearance slightly, once she had arrived.

Jennifer Ehle looks very cute and charming in the scene in the 95 version where she's walking to Netherfield and accidentally jumps in a mud puddle and looks at her skirts and shrugs like, oh well! But I don't think it's very "Elizabeth."

Elizabeth is sort of the Goldilocks of ladyhood. She doesn't have the rigid adherence to conduct-book logic that Mary has, or the sneering sophistication that the Bingley sisters have, or the impulsive, pleasure-seeking anarchic energy that Lydia has. She's neither very fashionable, nor completely without a sense of propriety, decency, or morality (whatever these words mean according to 19th-century mores). I think takes that emphasise only her wildness and distinctness from fashionable ladies, and takes that emphasise only her respectability, are both missing something.

[whats-in-a-sentence]

The ladies of Longbourn soon waited on those of Netherfield.

"Pride and Prejudice" - Jane Austen

[aniimamundi]

Pride & Prejudice - a Drarry tale

(I've been wanting to write a Pride and Prejudice inspired Drarry story for a while. I'm writing it as a full-length fic that I won't start posting on Ao3 till I have a few chapters written in full. Meanwhile, I'm posting it as ficlets here on Tumblr.

Warning: This is going to be very silly and campy. Also, I know it makes more sense to have Draco as Mr. Darcy but my heart really really wanted him as Lizzy, and so there's tremendous amount of twisting to fit that narrative 😅)

Chapt 1: Cissy & Portia

Narcissa Black was a changed woman. The tides of war had swept over her life and when they retreated, they took her husband, his significant fortune, and her desire to perch atop the social pyramid. In retrospect, those things had brought her nothing but anxiety and it was just as well that they were gone. 

These days, Narcissa lived for simple joys and her children. The actual one and all the other strays that she had taken under her wing. Oh. And for Portia as well she supposed, blushing a bit at the thought.

As if on cue, the beautiful Portia Zabini bustled into the library where Narcissa sat behind the desk with a book.

“Narcissa! Darling! You would not believe what has happened,” exclaimed the excitable woman.

“Then perhaps you shouldn’t tell me and save yourself the wasted effort.”

“Oh! Cissy!,” Portia cried, flicking her handkerchief at her, “you wicked woman! If you weren’t so pretty, I would be so mad at you.”

Narcissa couldn’t help but smile. “All right. Tell me.”

“Netherfield Park is let, at last! And you would not believe who has taken it! Ronald Weasley!"

Narcissa frowned at that information. Ronald Weasley was a child. Well, not a child technically, but a child to the likes of them. Why was Portia excited at the notion of … Her blood ran cold at the thought. Portia with her propensity to marry powerful men …

Portia flopped down on her lap and put her arms around her neck. “Silly goose, I’m talking about our children.” 

Narcissa couldn’t help but let out a bark of laughter. “Our children!”

“The Weasleys are rich now. With monetary rewards from the war and their very successful family business. The gossip through the grapevine is that Ronald Weasley has not been promised to anyone. Imagine! Pureblood. Rich. Single. What a fine thing for our boys!”

“Darling, the Weasleys hate our children! Need I remind you that Draco took the dark mark? He almost killed Ronald Weasley.”

Portia waved her concerns away. “That was ages ago –”

“Three years.”

“Bygones are bygones.”

“Are they?”

“The children are serving their sentences. The Wizengamot thinks community service is enough penance to wipe off their crimes, why should anyone else think differently?”

“Oh, Portia.”

“And even if he doesn’t want Draco or Greg or Vince, perhaps he will fancy Blaise or Theo. There might be a wedding sooner than you expect. As soon as they move in darling, we must visit them. The Parkinsons have already made plans to do so.”

Narcissa couldn’t help but laugh at her partner’s detachment from reality. “Count me out. You can visit alone if you like and convey our approval for Ronald Weasley marrying whichever of our delinquent children he likes. He can even have them all.”

Portia got up from her lap in a huff. “Must you vex me so? Oh to have suffered seven husbands only to find a beautiful woman and discover that she is no better! I will get all the children married. You just wait and see!”

Narcissa watched her lover flounce out of the room with an attitude. Her arse looked delectable in the tight skirt she was wearing. Portia Zabini was a force of nature. Perhaps the children really would all be married by the end of the year. She shuddered at the thought, before remembering her resolution to take life easy and not worry about such bothersome matters.

(read next part here)

[bethanydelleman]

How would the ending of Pride and Prejudice change if Jane had gone with the Gardiners to Derbyshire instead of Elizabeth, and met Darcy at Pemberley?

This is a very interesting question...

Let's assume everything happens the same way, Jane and Mr. Darcy meet while he's coming out of the stables. He probably would be surprised but not as embarrassed (still somewhat because he doesn't know if Jane knows about his role with Bingley). Jane doesn't know that Darcy interfered with her and Bingley, so all she knows is that Darcy proposed and the information about Wickham. She'd be very polite.

I think Darcy would still approach and he'd probably still go try to find the party later on the path and be polite with the Gardiners. I suspect he would enact his plan of checking if Jane likes Bingley earlier, instead of at Netherfield. We probably still have the visit with Darcy, Georgiana, and Bingley at the inn, and you know my boy Bingles will be so smitten and excited.

Here is the real problem: Darcy is unlikely to just stop by the inn without notice to see Jane like he did with Elizabeth. If he misses the letter about Lydia, then he can't save Lydia in time. However, this could be fixed, maybe Bingley is so excited about seeing Jane that he follows her to Hertfordshire (she leaves suddenly) and then he learns about the elopement as they weren't very good at keeping it under wraps. So then he tells Darcy and we're all good.

The other issue is that Elizabeth doesn't get to see Pemberley, which is so important to understanding Darcy's character, but Jane can tell her about it and Darcy bringing Bingley to see Jane would be very significant to Elizabeth too.

[taradactyls]

Dear Lady Catherine

Submission for @janeuary-month 2025 Day 16: Gossip

Following the Netherfield Ball, Mr Collins happily gossips in a letter to Lady Catherine that her that her nephew may be on the verge of matrimony… to Miss Bingley. He overheard his cousins talking of the lady’s attentions and quite misconstrued everything. Lady Catherine, as incensed as she could ever be, goes to confront her nephew in London… and arrives in the middle of the ‘Why You Should Not Marry Jane Bennet’ intervention.

Yelling ensues. And maybe more than one instance of self-reflection.

OR

In which Mr Collins has the sacred duty of sharing gossip he wasn’t supposed to know; Lady Catherine is of infinite use, which ought to make her happy, for she loves to be of use; Miss Bingley learns what all her attempts to secure Mr Darcy’s affections have amounted to; and Mr Darcy himself is full of pride and confronted with his hypocrisy.

Rated G, 4.2k words, Elizabeth Bennet/Fitzwilliam Darcy, Jane Bennet/Charles Bingley

Tags: Canon divergence, Lady Catherine is in peak form, and facing someone who's allowed to argue back, Character development, Speedrunning Darcy's realisations, Arguing, Self-reflection

Read a preview below or the entire work on Ao3

Dear Lady Catherine

“Netherfield Park, Nov. 27.

“Lady Catherine,

“This letter is to inform you that I am departing Netherfield unexpectedly, and to address all correspondence henceforward to –– Berkley Square. I shall be in residence there before this message reaches your hands. Have no fear over my hasty departure: it is merely to follow Mr Bingley, whose name you may recall as the friend whom I have been staying with in Hertfordshire, to town. I travel with his sisters and the husband of the elder. We expect no issues on the road. You shall hear from me again at my regular writing time.

“With affectionate respect, your nephew,

“FITZWILLIAM DARCY”

----------------

“Longbourn, near Meryton, Hertfordshire, 27th November.

“Dear Lady Catherine,

“The most esteemed and venerated patroness,

“Before beginning, I must reiterate my thanks again for your most benevolent actions in condescending to allow me to be from my parish for duration of this journey to visit my family. They are all so grateful to you for granting me this liberty, and awed by your magnanimity. I could not have wished for a happier welcome! Though I must suppose I should not be surprised, seeing as I come bearing the honour of your good regard, and shall, in all likelihood, one day be the master of this fine estate. I hope Mr Bennet might look on me as something akin to a son, which, as you well know, is a desire I intended to make true and I am more convinced of the merit of than ever, as I found his elder daughters as pretty and charming as reported. I am sure the economy and amiable qualities of one in particular will make me happy man indeed, and she is a true gentlewoman, just as you requested.

“But I find I am not the only gentleman whom I hazard to say might soon find matrimonial bliss! I was fortunate enough to meet your nephew, Mr Darcy, only last night. He is staying at Netherfield, very close to Meryton, which is the house his friend, Mr Bingley, has taken. Though unknown to either, my relation to the young ladies (whom they are intimate with, as my cousins are one of the few distinguished families in the vicinity) and residence at Longbourn was enough to secure my invitation to a ball hosted by Mr Bingley! It was a most splendid affair, and the lady of the house, Miss Bingley, was an elegant hostess. I accidentally overheard from some of my cousins (I would never intentionally eavesdrop, naturally) that Miss Bingley must be dreaming of hosting at Pemberley – your nephew’s very own seat!

“I understand from the young ladies that Miss Bingley’s attentions to your nephew have been very marked, and from my own notice, he appears to receive them with dignity. A man in his position must never allow his composure to lapse, but as he danced (most skilfully, a compliment I am sure you will appreciate hearing) with the lady, she is the sister of his dearest friend, and I understand they have spent many weeks under the same roof and were in company very often before that, we may imagine where his preference lies. Moreover, she is a very rich and fine young lady, well-educated and accomplished in all the necessary skills a husband must find desirable in an elegant female of her position.

“I imagine your nephew shall divulge all to you, and seek your blessing, and I hope he does not begrudge me the honour of hinting at the match to you if I have beaten him to the post. I know little else of the lady, other than that she is a close friend of Miss Bennet, and cared for her most dutifully when my cousin fell sick at her house. Such evidence of a kind heart is indeed to be cherished in a prospective niece! Her family is from the north of England, and I believe highly respectable. Her father was in trade but parted with his business so his son and two daughters (who are all very excellent models of good breeding and gentility) might be raised as true gentlemen and ladies. You shall particularly appreciate how skilled Miss Bingley – though she may no longer bear that name when you meet – is upon the pianoforte; I am not sure I have ever heard playing so fine!

“I shall be certain to announce to you any further developments my cousins learn. They were anxious that I do not spread their words further, but of course an exception must be made for yourself. I remain your humble and gracious pastor,

“William Collins”

----------------

Unaware of the storm approaching in an ornate carriage, a crumpled letter in the occupant’s hand, Mr Darcy felt his present situation could not grow any more unfortunate. Detaching Mr Bingley from Miss Bennet was the purpose which had driven the Netherfield set to join their host directly in London, and saving his friend from the certain evils of such a choice was an office Mr Darcy readily engaged in. But that could not make his friend’s emotions any easier to bear. He was relieved Georgiana was out with Mrs Annesley. He would not have her overhear anything passing in the drawing room.

Despite Mr Darcy, Miss Bingley, and Mrs Hurst describing and enforcing the dangers of the match earnestly, Mr Bingley was not receptive. “I cannot believe you all!” exclaimed he. “To think, those closest to me comprehend me so little as to feel Miss Bennet’s wealth or connections would erase all my affection for her!”

“Charles, an uncle who is a country attorney is bad enough, but her other uncle is in trade and lives by cheapside!” cried Mrs Hurst. “Our father did not rise us so high only so that you might sink yourself again!”

Mr Bingley looked at his sister incredulously. “Miss Bennet’s connections might emphasise our family’s origins, but it shall not harm me in any material way. I would not lose anyone’s good opinion which was worth having. I shall still possess the education and wealth of a gentleman, and have the means to purchase an estate should I desire to.” He made the effort to release any annoyance from his expression. “And I shall be more likely to purchase if I have a wife,” said he. If he hoped to mollify his sisters’ by dangling the fulfilment of their great hope before them, he was mistaken.

“But you need not suffer any degradation with the right marriage,” said Miss Bingley. “If you marry someone of fortune you and your children shall be richer, and not tainted by such low connections. Think if you should have a large family! How dearly you shall then wish your wife had brought twenty thousand pounds, or more, into the marriage. Dear Jane is sweet, yes, but she will drag you down in the eyes of society and has so little fortune that she will cost you money to maintain.”

Anticipating his friend’s response, Mr Darcy said “I know remonstrances on the matters of wealth and the situation of her connections alone will not sway you. But there are other causes of repugnance: think of the embarrassment of being so closely connected to Miss Bennet’s nearest relations. The situation of her mother’s family is nothing in comparison to that total want of propriety so frequently, so almost uniformly betrayed by Mrs Bennet, the three younger sisters, and occasionally even by Mr Bennet.”

Mr Bingley turned his face away; he could not argue against that.

“Your sisters are not wrong to remind you that your reputation and standing in society is tenuous as the first gentleman of your family,” continued Mr Darcy. “On matters of wealth and standing, you might indeed feel you suffer little. But to have the largest share of your wife’s family be embarrassing and vulgar to anyone of sense can only harm you and any children you might have.” With careful emphasis, he said, “You should ensure that you marry a woman whose connections always act with gentility, with becoming manners and no hint of rudeness or impropriety –”

He got no further before a disturbance in the entry hall drew all their attention and a footman burst through the door. The evident shock of that servant at this turn of events, as he managed to make a hasty bow and quickly announce Lady Catherine barely half a second before she entered the room, was no less than that of the room’s occupants.

“Nephew, I must speak with you,” said Lady Catherine without preamble. Upon noticing the others she scowled, dwelling most intently on the ladies.

Shocked at her abruptness, and attempting to soften it before his friends, Mr Darcy bowed. “Lady Catherine, I was not expecting –”

“Is that,” interrupted Lady Catherine, looking at Miss Bingley, after discerning the wedding ring and cap Mrs Hurst wore, “the upstart young woman with pretensions towards yourself? Who desires you to sully your reputation through forming an alliance with herself?”

 “I know not what you speak of,” Mr Darcy sharply replied, as Miss Bingley blanched.

That did not hinder Lady Catherine’s ire. “Do not imagine me ignorant to the report of a most alarming nature that this woman intends to be your wife. It is my duty to intervene, in the place of your late mother.”

“Madam,” Mr Darcy said firmly, “let us discuss any concerns of yours in the library.”

“Dismiss them from your presence immediately.”

“I cannot countenance behaving that way towards my guests.” Saying so, Mr Darcy moved to stand between his friends and his aunt, in hopes of steering her out the door.

Lady Catherine sucked in a shocked breath and looked to Mr Darcy. “It is her, is it not? This Miss Bingley mine own rector spoke of as your future wife. How can you defend her so over my superior right to be in this house? Only look at her – nothing in her features to mark distinction. Who are her family? No one. You see in her face the descent of shepherds.”

“Outside, madam,” repeated Mr Darcy.

Continue reading here

[painted-kneecaps]

More AA Pride and Prejudice thoughts-

The character roles are not exact matches. Some characters might play multiple roles in the AU, some roles might be skipped over in favor of creating one that fits better. It still follows the main plot points of P&P, but inter character relationships are more important to me than telling the exact same story as P&P.

That being said, Phoenix is our Lizzie and Miles is our Darcy. Obviously.

Apollo and Klavier are Jane and Bingley, because it’s funny and makes sense with Jane’s whole “doesn’t show her true feelings” arc.

The gist of the story is that Phoenix is a penniless lawyer in the country town of Kurain, and Lady Mia Fey takes him on and allows him to operate out of Fey Manor, in exchange for his helping to keep the place afloat and deal with the legal side of things.

Mia is killed and Maya is framed per usual, but though Mia leaves everything to Maya in her will, she also makes Phoenix as her legal guardian, thus ensuring him a place in polite society, for better or worse.

As the years go on, Phoenix continues to operate out of Fey Manor with Lady Maya’s assistance, and he also continues to pick up strays. Pearl is sent to live with her cousin when Morgan falls “ill”, and remains at Fey Manor afterwards when the three of them realize that Morgan’s illness doesn’t seem to get in the way of anything she does besides being a parent. Trucy is adopted in much the same way as she is in the games, and Apollo and Athena are welcomed into the family under the guise of being “employees”, despite business being slow, when Phoenix realizes that neither of them has any money or anywhere to go.

Money starts to run out, and there is only so much work for lawyers in a town as small as Kurain, so in order to keep the firm and the Manor afloat, Maya suggests that one of them marry rich.

Apollo suggests that they not do that, and when “Netherfield Park is let at last,” and to their great fortune, to a lawyer from the city who has brought friends to visit from his own firm, Apollo argues that instead of trying to woo him, they should get him to invest in their firm.

Of course since Klavier is Bingley, he ends up trying to woo Apollo, much to Apollo’s frustration and bewilderment.

Might change some things as time goes on and i actually play Apollo Justice (why is it 50 dollars. why) but this AU is consuming my brain and i want to yell about it

[raebiis]

Think about it: a crossover between Pride and Prejudice and The Vampire Diaries (or any other vampire media you fancy).

Mary Bennett, the overlooked and plain sister- super religious, super conformist.

Lizzie and Jane are taking up all the attention with their romance endeavors- the Mikaelsons are ‘just passing through’ and something about Mary…

She’s not particularly remarkable to them at first, serving only as a quick meal that Klaus indulges in and keeps alive for the sole purpose of her blood being particularly delightful- he wouldn’t want it to go to waste.

She’s compelled to forget and Elijah, the gentleman, offers her an escort home.

But, with the strange (to her) amount of attention she’s given by Klaus and, eventually, Elijah, she begins to truly flourish.

Mary secretly has a heart for adventure! And a desire to keep their developing friendship close to her heart, away from her family’s unkind and judgmental eyes.

She gradually opens up to these men, often meeting them while her family is pre-occupied (something she finds easy, as they often deem her ‘too boring’ to bother with). She discovers within herself a desire to experience things previously unknown to her.

She wants to ride astride a horse! She wants to fence! She wants to dress as a man so that she can visit gentlemen’s clubs freely- all of these things and so much more. And she does them all with the help of her new friends- Klaus and Elijah.

Klaus begins to fall in love with her rebellious heart, finding a sort of kinship in the cruelty of their fathers (certainly Mr. Bennett was never physically abusive but Klaus knows the pain of indifference and harsh words). Elijah falls in love with her compassion, her kindness prevailing over the neglect she faces. And gradually, with Mary’s coming into herself, she seems to grow more beautiful with every passing day, life returning to her ‘dull’ features and bringing forth a beauty that had been clouded over by a sense of inadequacy she’d harbored.

Maybe Klaus has been feeding from her this whole time, compelling away the memory of it so as to keep her as a companion. But one day, Elijah can’t take the dishonesty anymore- not in the face of such sweetness. And he confesses all.

But Mary, whether her initial reaction is anger, sorrow, or betrayal, is kind. She remembers the good that came of her relationship with the brothers- all the kindness they gave her. And maybe it’s unhealthy, but even if it was all a farce, she wants to give them a chance to explain.

So she does. And their relationship deepens on a level previously unknown to any of them.

Both brothers begin to feed from her regularly, with her permission (which started as basic curiosity). It’s incredibly intimate- they even begin feeding her their blood because of the sheer amount they consume from her.

(This would be the point that things begin to get compromising for Mary 👀)

Mary is sneaking out more and more, returning at strange hours of the night- rumpled and carrying a distinctive glow to her. Due to her family’s preoccupation with her older sisters, this remains unnoticed- until Kitty catches her.

An argument ensues but Mary convinces Kitty to stay quiet- on the condition that she spill everything. Mary does, making sure to leave out the supernatural parts.

Learning this makes Kitty pay more attention to her sister, and she begins to notice how much more beautiful and lively Mary has become- indeed, it seems as if she could steal all the attention in any room if only her mind were not already so preoccupied.

Kitty, however, is a little concerned and tries to tell their mother to watch out for Mary- she, however, gets dismissed.

Then, finally, the moment where the Mikaelsons officially meet the Bennetts, Mr. Darcy, and the Binglys. Elijah and Klaus attend the ball at Netherfield (timeline? What timeline?).

They introduce themselves- and it quickly becomes clear that they know Mary quite well, and even consider her a great friend. Everyone is immediately worried about Mary’s… situation… but Klaus and Elijah subtly assure them that their sister, Rebekah (who was recently undaggered and not at the party so she can recover) has been chaperoning.

Then, things finally come to a head between brothers- Elijah says, “Indeed, dear Miss Bennett would make a fine wife” in apparent remark of her virtues. And Klaus, in clear anger, says back “yes brother. She would.”

And it becomes clear to the others that Mary is apparently tied up in quite the love triangle.

Anyway, I’m running out of time, but the general drama ensues. Klaus and Elijah fight to be the one who marries Mary, Mary and Rebekah get along swimmingly, Mary’s family is desperately trying to play catch up (aside from Kitty, who, while not knowing everything, knows a great deal more than the rest), Mr. Darcy gets involved in some way, Lizzie despairs because she thinks Darcy is falling in love with Mary (that’s entirely up to you), and Mary herself is in the process of shedding her past life in order to embrace her new one.

Things end with Mary becoming a vampire, leaving her old family behind, and marrying one of the brothers (who it is, is entirely up to you).

Ta-daaaaa!

[duckprintspress]

"A Truth Universally Acknowledged": Our Fifth Teaser Post

The crowdfunding campaign for A Truth Universally Acknowledged: Queer Fanworks Inspired by Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice is about two/thirds done, and we’re more than halfway through our teaser posts! The campaign ends December 5th, and our special Flash Backer Level (with a massive discount on all our anthologies, old and new!) ends December 2nd. We’re so close to our base funding goal – almost 90%! – so if you’ve been thinking about taking a peek, there’s no time like the present. Maybe you’ll be the backer who pushes us into officially funded!

Two of our authors, Téa Belog and nottesilhouette, opted to do related stories – not in the same settings or about the same characters, but about similar themes. In the final book, we gave the creators the option to write a paragraph or two about the inspiration behind their pieces, and Téa and nottesilhouette talk a lot in theirs about how their pieces are in dialogue with each other. As such, we’ve of course included both their teasers in the same day’s post!

Story Teaser: Téa Belog

Title: unwound thread and wilted roses

Excerpt:

It wasn’t something she ever expected, not before Bingley and his party went to stay at Netherfield. Despite all the barely disguised offers, batted eyelashes, and pointed looks, Georgiana never expected her brother would actually fall in love.

William never cared for courtship or marriage; he never had any inclination toward romance. His friends, while few and far between, were loyal and platonic and nothing more. In Georgiana’s eyes, he was never looking for romance in the same way others were. And maybe most importantly of all, he never seemed unfulfilled or restless in the way that some people did when they were searching for love. Or even just marriage. Despite the grand fortune bestowed upon him, William never mentioned looking for a wife.

And that… that had been a relief.

Art Teaser: Flore Picard

Title: Girls’ Night In

Story Teaser: nottesilhouette

Title: tell that to my tell-tale heart

Excerpt:

“So proline has restricted phi and psi angles given its 5-ring structure—you can see how it’s an outlier on the Ramachandran plot here.” Mary points to a tight ring, curled up on itself, tiny compared to the way the other amino acids sprawl out and take up space across the plane of the graph. “And that restricts its ability to bond with other amino acids.”

Immediately, Lydia blinks back tears.

She feels ridiculous, sobbing over protein folding patterns, but god, proline’s just like her for real. Bent all wrong, all sharp corners and stolen valence electrons. The way proline twists up into itself, the only amino acid to bond the protein backbone twice—it’s like it’s holding its own damn hand, no space for anybody else.

Art Teaser: mcdad arts

Title: Follies and Nonsense

Story Teaser: Em Rowntree

Title: We Can All Begin Freely

Excerpt:

“Come,” she says, “let’s dance.”

“I cannot dance,” Charlotte says. “I’ve been crying.”

“Perhaps that is the best time for it,” Caroline says, and her tone has its usual velvet sarcasm, but her expression is the most earnest Charlotte has ever seen it.

“I do not know if I can,” Charlotte admits.

Caroline says nothing, only begins the dance with a smile. Charlotte cannot help but follow, though she tries to move stiffly, tries to maintain propriety; she tries to show that she knows how odd and uncomfortable she must look, so she cannot be caught off-guard and vulnerable by a joke at her expense from Caroline. But her body has cried away its stiffness and its shame for tonight. Her body moves softly, easily. Her body asks for more.

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[sailforvalinor]

As this week is show week for Pride and Prejudice, here are some of the show's biggest hits:

This script is just 10x more chaotic in general--lots and lots of shouting and overlapping lines, screaming from Mrs Bennet, etc. This Lizzy is also 10x more awkward, which while I don't think is necessarily very true to her character, is pretty entertaining. To give you an example, the moment when she and Darcy meet is when she accidentally bumps into him and spills punch all over him during the ball.

This show uses bells for a lot of sound cues to signal different moments in all of the romantic relationships--for example, a bell rings when Jane first sees Bingley, and vice versa, and a bunch ring when Lizzy and Darcy stare at each other after she spills punch all over him. Because I'm also in the theatre production class this semester, I was involved in some of the production process, including the sound cues, and by far my favorite bell cue happens after the first ball, when Lizzy and Darcy are the last to leave the stage, and stare at each other over their shoulders before exiting, during which a boxing bell goes "DING DING DING." I advocated very hard for that boxing bell, lol.

Opening night, somebody kept wolf-whistling every time Darcy came on stage and it was so funny that I almost broke a couple of times, lol.

This version really goes ham on characterizing Bingley as a dog, to the point where it’s hilariously overt—he idly plays with a ball at Netherfield, at one point when he’s trying to send up a sick Jane her sixth round of tea, Darcy shouts at him to sit and stay, which Bingley does, and then Darcy hands him the ball and says "good boy"--but my favorite bit has to be that at one point, he starts bringing Jane a bunch of random objects to impress her. By the time the show itself rolled around, we'd settled on a ball, a pillow, a ball of yarn, and a shoe, but during rehearsals, he was just grabbing whatever objects he could find offstage, the best one being when he carried out an entire chair and put it on her lap.

Mr. Collins (played by our Bingley) is kind of made into a bit more of a creep in this version, which I can't say I was the biggest fan of? But I understand why--it's hard to make why Mr. Collins is so objectionable to Lizzy as a potential love interest is difficult to do in play format, and going over-the-top on the characterization is kind of the *thing* in this adaptation. He is still hilarious, my favorite part being during when he starts to propose:

Mr. Collins: *gets down on one knee*: "Elizabeth Marie Bennet--"

Lizzy: "--not...not my middle name."

When Lizzy goes to visit the Collinses, the scene opens with Mr. Collins singing "BING.....BONG......BING....." along to the church bells in the distance, and it has the audience in stitches.

Anne De Bourgh wears a bunch of veils, and speaks nearly exclusively in indecipherable sighs, groans, and mumbling.

The Darcy proposal scene absolutely slaps, and is the part that kept the most original dialogue. Staying true to the theme of knocking things over, though, Darcy backs Lizzy into a desk and she knocks over an inkwell, spilling ink all over Charlotte's carpet.

In the penultimate scene before Lizzy and Darcy's final romantic scene, Lady Catherine comes to confront Lizzy, Darcy brings Bingley so he can propose to Jane, and thus every single character ends up in the Bennet house, very very confused, and they just end up shouting names at each other: "'Lizzy?" 'Jane!' 'Mama?' "MR. BENNEEEET!!!' 'Fitzwilliam!' 'Darcy!' 'AUNT CATHERINE???'" It's just fantastic.

[thegreeks]

MASTERLIST: Mr. Darcy x You

A Winter's Love at Pemberley:

admiring your two children playing in the winter snow

A Dance Beneath the Stars:

enjoying a day with your busy husband and ending it with a loving dance with thanks to his sister Georgianna

A Most Unexpected Surprise:

• Part 2

telling your husband you are to be expecting a second addition to your family

A Love Beyond Time:

your lovely wedding day with your Mr. Darcy

A Dance of Words:

your friendship with Georgianna Darcy leads to the beginning of your courtship

A Heart All Their Own:

due to encouragements from friends and family, you and your husband realize it's time to expand your family

The Dance of the Swan:

playing piano and dancing to Carnival of Animals XIII The Swan with Mr. Darcy at his ball

The Heart's Awakening:

an unknown bitterness sparks when an acquaintance makes a move on your close friend Mr. Darcy

An Affectionate Rebellion:

Lady Catherine de Bourgh comes to Pemberley to scrutinize the unity between you and her nephew

• Prequel- The Warmth of Home:

the joys of an aristocratic life with your husband and son Edward

An Undisclosed Love:

Bingley!Reader; You and Mr. Darcy confront the tension of the inexplicably drawing connection, marking the quiet beginning of a romance

Love and Tenderness:

your gentle, intimate wedding night with Mr. Darcy

Confession of Broken Hearts:

you cannot bear to see the one you love show tender affection to another, thus you urgently confess

Whispers in the Storm:

• Part 2

• Part 3

an urgent calling for you and your husband to Longbourn amidst a terrible storm

Tremors of Betrayal:

• Part 2

grappling with the haunting presence of your husband's past love

The Cost of Pride:

Mr. Darcy reflects on pride that caused the greatest loss

Tender Moments: Home with Darcy:

loving moments at home with your dear husband as you reflect on your union

Gentleman's Restraint of Yearnings:

coming across you on a walk, he realizes he is not at liberty to comfort you though he wants to be

Melting Hearts:

"I felt as if I were melting inside, and I might go on and on melting" - Joanna Glenn, "All my Mothers"

Between Love and Grief:

• Part 2

"Love and grief, joy and pain. They're very close together. Or perhaps sometimes they're not even different things." - Joanna Glenn, "All My Mothers"

A Fevered Return:

Mr. Darcy returns home to Pemberley to find his wife has taken sickly

A Visit to Longbourn:

Bennet!Reader; shortly after your marriage, you receive an invitation to your family in Longbourn

Jealousy and Devotion:

"Such is my life; A minute ago I was happy, immersed in a book. Now I feel a misery only violence could cure." - Kim Addonizio, "''Round Midnight,"

Ripples of the Lake:

finding yourself in an unexpected lakeside encounter, revealing a surprising side of Mr. Darcy

A Family Announcement:

Bennet!Reader; telling your dear friends and family you are to be expecting a child

A Tour to the Lakes:

a journey to the Lake District with your dear husband

Tormented Love:

"- You don't love me? - Yes, but in torment." - Marina Tsvetaeva, from Selected Poems; "Poem of the End,"

Whispers in the Dusk:

"It is dusk. I want to know how to be close to you. Closer." - Else Fitzgerald, "Everything Feels Like the End of the World"

A Night at Netherfield:

"I was oversensitive. I'd been told this my entire life. It was a liability, my sensitivity, but it was also a power," - Suzanne Scanlon, "Committed; On Meaning and Madwomen,"

In the Stillness of Night:

with footsteps in the unease of night, your husband Mr. Darcy protects you from any danger

Ink and Affection:

Part 2

"Writing to you is like kissing you. It is something physical" - Simone de Beauvoir, in a letter to Nelson Algren

---

[misscrawfords]

I've been listening to Pride and Prejudice again this week in the car - I've got as far as Mrs. Gardiner's letter - and oh, my heart! So many thoughts and feelings. (Pls ask me about P&P, please.) Anyway, one thing I've been reflecting on is how the plot is almost too neat. It's fairytale-like in that there's really no way it could have happened IRL - what are the odds that Elizabeth's best friend marries Darcy's aunt's clergyman and they all happen to be in Kent together? What are the odds that Elizabeth goes to Derbyshire and visits his estate at exactly the time he arrives back? etc. etc. In real life, none of this could have happened. P&P is as tightly plotted and sparse in its extraneous details in the same way that Emma is and Emma is possibly the tightest plotted novel ever written.

But it got me thinking about P&P "variations" as the published fanfic is called and how unlikely so much of it is. People really want to make Austen's characters do things they absolutely never would. There is zero chance that Elizabeth would accept Mr. Collins. There is less than zero chance that Mr. Darcy would compromise her and force her to marry him. (Mr Darcy? The guy who thinks staring uncomfortably at a woman across the room is flirting? As if!) These so-called variations might end up with interesting plots but are fundamentally flawed because the characters who would act in these ways are absolutely not the characters Austen wrote.

So I was wondering where you could successfully have a variation. It would have to be a scenario in which circumstances change but not characters. So here are a few I think could work (and almost certainly have been written):

Bingley meets Jane in London. Despite Darcy and Caroline's best efforts, it's not inconceivable that they might bump into each other. London's big but not that big. It's as plausible as the meeting at Pemberley. I can't imagine Bingley could be persuaded against Jane when she's actually in front of him, looking sad and ill because she missed him so much. But what of his relationship with Darcy? Surely strained at this point. And what of Darcy's relationship with Elizabeth now that they'd be thrown together much more much earlier on and in a way that ensures continuous acquaintance. What happens with Lydia? Unlikely she'd ever go to Brighton. Jane's marriage changes the Bennets' circumstances entirely. Everything is changed here but it's an intriguing AU and not implausible.

Elizabeth and the Gardiners go to the Lakes. I mean... it's only authorial dabbling that means they don't in the first place. The Pemberley sequence never happens. Big repercussions for the development of Darcy's character, Elizabeth's feelings and Lydia's reputation. How do you get them all back together? Uncertain. Another more minor but potentially interesting change in this area would be the Gardiners always intending to go to Derbyshire. The journey is brought up at Rosings. Darcy pre-proposal invites Elizabeth and her relations to Pemberley. It gives him an opportunity to be nicer earlier but how does Elizabeth receive it? What happens at the proposal consequently? What happens to the offered invitation post-refusal? Becomes even more awkward in Derbyshire.

Georgiana accompanies Darcy and the Bingleys to Netherfield. Not the AU I'd be most interested in because I think Wickham would nope out of there the second he knows Georgiana is in town because there's no way Darcy wouldn't act if his sister's wellbeing was on the line, so that whole plot would be knocked on the head. However, the possibility of a friendship being struck up between Elizabeth and Georgiana at Netherfield while Jane is ill is a cute one. (Though I think without an interest in Darcy himself, Elizabeth would take time to warm up to Georgiana - lbr the Bennet who would instantly become her big sister is Jane.)

Lydia never lets slip about Darcy being at her wedding. Not a very interesting AU because Elizabeth would find out somehow and Bingley and Darcy would return to Netherfield anyway and she's in love with him even without knowing about Lydia so....

Can you think of any more AU possibilities like this that don't involve the characters acting OOC to set up the premise?

[cocoscurios]

The Hour, the Spot, the Look, the Words Chapter Commentary

Chapter Fifteen: Brightened by the Exercise

Darcy sat in the breakfast parlor at Netherfield, drinking his tea and reading a letter from Georgiana, responding vaguely to Miss Bingley without really listening to her. Georgiana did not sound like herself. Perhaps it was unreasonable to expect her to, only months after the debacle at Ramsgate, but that did not make him any less worried. He should be with her now, instead of with Bingley. He wished he hadn't been obligated to come to Hertfordshire in the service of his friend. Georgiana was still fragile; she still needed him. I have vivid memories of writing this chapter at work. Without giving too much away here, my workplace at that time basically had several months of COVID vacation when we were shut down entirely, but we had recently come back and, due to the nature of the job, there was a lot of downtime. And so I wrote. Mostly, I was writing Important Nothings, but some chapters of HSLW slipped through too, including this one. I can picture exactly where I was standing, socially-distanced from my coworkers, as we all blatantly did what we wanted.

He was quite prepared to spend the morning mulling over these disagreeable thoughts, but they were abruptly suspended by the arrival of Miss Elizabeth Bennet.

The whole room looked up, surprised. Bingley, of course, recovered quickly, welcoming her with his usual delight at receiving company. Brief break for some Bingley Appreciation. I love this Golden Retriever of a man. Miss Bingley, Darcy noticed, had not yet hidden her derisive sneer.

Miss Elizabeth was shin-deep in mud and her hair was wild, curls escaping from their arrangement and clinging to her forehead and neck. As usual, my apologies to Elizabeth for giving her my hair. She was wearing a gown in a pale peach color that did not become her, there appeared to be a small hole in one of her gloves, and, upon the whole, she looked distinctly disheveled. I spent a stupidly long time trying to decide on the color of Elizabeth's gown. I ultimately stole the pale peach from a coworker's blouse (she, for the record, looked perfectly lovely in it).

It was important for Darcy to concentrate on all of those things, because he was in danger of focusing on other, more appealing ones. She was flushed and pink with exercise, which made her look very pretty indeed, and her eyes, already so fine, were sparkling brightly.

And, in fact, as he had never seen her hair look entirely tidy, that was not a significant mark against her now. It's really difficult to tame it, okay? Even when they had dined with the Bennets at Netherfield, and when Darcy had seen her at Lucas Lodge, he had noticed the stubborn curls that escaped from their hold and sprung out in unexpected places. It's a constant war and the bobby pins and I are losing. Sorry again, Elizabeth. Miss Bingley had criticized this on several occasions, but Darcy found it strangely endearing. It suited her. Little did I know (for we hadn't met yet) that Jake would end up feeling the same way. Wishful thinking sometimes works! ;)

Miss Bingley, with her sleek, blonde hair and fashionable gowns, always looked completely put together, but Darcy thought that, even at her very best, she did not look a fraction as handsome as Miss Elizabeth Bennet did right now.

Which was not a thought that he wanted to have at all. The poor dear is struggling.

Darcy made a polite enquiry after Miss Elizabeth's health and he met her eyes as she answered. They really were extraordinarily beautiful eyes, dark and expressive, quick to light up in amusement. He looked swiftly away, discomfited by the feelings this interaction had produced.

He considered, instead, her behavior, and the oddity of a young woman walking alone merely to visit a mildly ill sister. A minor cold hardly seemed to justify the impropriety of her actions.

But wouldn't you rush off to see Georgiana, if she were ill? said a traitorous little voice in his head. Wouldn't you disregard dirty weather and decorum to get to her, even for something as small as a cold? Underrated similarity between Darcy and Elizabeth.

He could not deny that he would.

Darcy was feeling most uncomfortable now.

Miss Elizabeth was taken to see her sister and he turned back to his letter, knowing his anxiety for Georgiana would distract him.

But he could not entirely eliminate the knowledge that the flutter in his chest, which had not yet eased, was the consequence of his being really quite glad to see Miss Elizabeth Bennet at Netherfield that morning. He's got a cruuuuuuuussssshhhh.

[chesh-cat-rus]

So I am re-reading "Pride and Prejudice," and this caught my eye:

When Lizzy walked to visit ill Jane at Netherfield, she arrived there "with weary ancles, dirty stockings, and a face glowing with the warmth of exercise."

Darcy "was divided between admiration of the brilliancy which exercise had given to her complexion and doubt as to the occasion’s justifying her coming so far alone," and then Miss Bingley tried to butt in:

“I am afraid, Mr. Darcy,” observed Miss Bingley, in a half whisper, “that this adventure has rather affected your admiration of her fine eyes.”

“Not at all,” he replied: “they were brightened by the exercise.”

I remember a similar scene from 'Persuasion' when Anne first saw Mr Elliot and her Capt got jealous, that was also after a stroll, and "her very regular, very pretty features, having the bloom and freshness of youth restored by the fine wind which had been blowing on her complexion, and by the animation of eye which it had also produced."

I think I see a theme here.

[its-toph-bitch]

im writing an adaptation of pride & prejudice so i had to summarise the relevant plotpoints, and this is what came out of this lmao

Darcy and lizzie meet, he offends her, Bingley and jane seem to like each other

Mr collins wants to marry lizzie (but just out of practicability), Wickham meets the bennets, tells lizzie darcy wronged him (leads to lizzie disliking darcy even more)

Darcy and lizzie dance at a ball, mrs bennet tells people (loudly) that bingley and jane like each other and will likely marry, lizzie rejects collins, so he proposes to charlotte (she accepts)

Darcy and bingleys sisters persuade bingley that he shouldnt marry jane (bc of the mother), jane visits her uncle (to get a meet-cute with bingley à la “oh i didnt know youre here too”), lizzie hates darcy more bc she suspects darcy is responsible for their breakup

Lizzie visits collins and charlotte, invitation to lady catherines home, fitzwilliam tells lizzie how great darcy is (“he cares so much about his friends that he saved him from a toxic relationship”), lizzie realises its jane he talks about

Darcy proposes to lizzie (bc he loves her despite her low social status), she is shocked and rejects him (“youre the last man id marry, also its not cool what you did to my sister. And to wickham”), darcy is genuinely proud that he saved bingley from the toxic relationship and ignores the wickham part (for now)

Darcy gives lizzie a letter in which he explains that wickham is an ass and tried to get as much money as he could out of him, he also says that he didnt know jane liked bingley (and that her family is problematic), lizzie is ashamed bc of her family and her prejudice

Lizzie goes on vacation to clear her head, they come to darcys home, he invites them and now she begins to like him back, in the middle of this lydia elopes with wickham, after some time wickham agrees to marry lydia, lydia gossips that darcy is the one who made wickham agree (but she shouldnt tell anyone, oops)

Bingley and darcy come back to netherfield, bingley proposes, jane accepts, lady catherine heard a rumour that lizzie wants to marry darcy and threatens her to not marry him actually, but lizzie doesnt want to promise, darcy hears that and gets new hope, so he proposes (again) and finally she accepts

[bethanydelleman]

Hi! I was reading a post about the ending of Pride and Prejudice that said something about Lizzy and Charlotte spending time at Pemberley together after Lizzy's marriage and it made me wonder:

Are Charlotte and Mr Collins of sufficient social standing to be invited to Pemberley? It'd make sense for them to see each other when the Darcys are in Kent, but an invitation to Pemberley feels like a different level of distinction.

It's been a while since I've done my own research on this, but I also wonder if the Lucases are slightly below the Bennets in terms of rank (I'm mainly basing this on the fact that Charlotte helps with housework in some capacity, and that we don't hear about the Lucases paying social calls to Netherfield, aside from Sir William calling on Mr Bingley at the beginning.)

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this 😊

Firstly, the novel says nothing about Charlotte Collins (or her husband) visiting Pemberley, so that would be pure speculation. However, I do think it is possible, even likely, especially after Mr. Collins inherits Longbourn, which would basically put him on the same social footing as Mr. Darcy (generally) and relieve him of his job as a clergyman.

As for the Lucases vs. the Bennets, they are about equal. Sir William Lucas comes from trade, but he has achieved a knighthood which would make him and his wife officially higher status than the Bennets. However, it's very clear that the Bennets are richer and they would count as "old money" (as far as we know), so they have about equal status with these factors balancing out.

As for no social calls at Netherfield, the Lucases were invited to the ball and the Bingleys were at Sir William's party, so they were certainly interacting socially.

Lastly, clergymen were part of the gentry, even if they were at the bottom. Elizabeth is childhood friends with Charlotte so I could see her being given an invitation to Pemberley. Clergymen are supposed to preach every Sunday, but Henry Tilney (Northanger Abbey) has a curate so he can hang out in Bath and meet Catherine. It wouldn't be that strange, I believe, for the Collinses to visit. However, it would be expensive for them to travel all the way to Derbyshire (at least a 3 day's journey) and they may consider the commitments at Huntsford too great to leave for several weeks. Again, I think it would be more likely for them to visit after Mr. Collins inherits, they would be both richer and closer.

[firthbetterorfirthworse]

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries (2012)

Season 2

We're staying at Netherfield! Caroline is introduced on camera. And Bing Lee! (who is super adorable, btw)

But oh nooooooo Lizzie is trusting Caroline why

And Collins shows up, as blathering as ever, and somehow a perfect depiction of a dude I have met a few iterations of.

When Charlotte takes Collins proposal to become his business partner after Lizzie turns him down, she and Lizzie have a pretty rough argument about it - Charlotte is being practical and upset that Lizzie won't listen to her point of view.

We alsooooo meet pretty boy Wickham! He tells us his sob story. Lydia comes into the room - "you're the swimmer, right?"

"Oops! Oh my, it can't be comfortable sitting here in a wet shirt. Why don't you take that off?"

They don't spend a lot of time on the Netherfield ball party, other than Lizzie being annoyed that Wickham promised to go with her and stood her up, and she ended up dancing with Darcy.

Bing makes a TWITTER UPDATE the next morning that was like "small towns are great but back to the big city. Hello Los Angeles!"

Jane is naturally heartbroken, but soon takes an opportunity to relocate to LA for her job for a while and stay with their aunt.

Wickham takes off for a few weeks for job stuff, and Lydia comes to comfort her about him partying it up with other girls. Lizzie is like huh should I be more upset that the guy I was kinda dating is off doing stuff?

But Charlotte calls (yay!) and they make up, and she invites her to come visit. Hooray