Part One
A beautiful sunny day is nothing without someone to share it with. Especially when it is the last one you could expect for the year. Especially when everyone else in your family had someone, and everyone else was happy.
No one would have expected Mary Bennet to feel this way. It was generally believed that she did not care for anything outside her books. But she did care, very much. Always the ugly duckling throughout her childhood, a wallflower when out, and even with no other sisters left at home (for Kitty spent so much time with the Darcys and the Bingleys that she hardly counted) she was passed over constantly. She read in her books about love (though often it was to sermonize against it) and yearned for some for herself–something like she could see between Lizzy and her Mr. Darcy. Or Jane and Bingley, who, come to think of it, she should visit as they had been away for a week visiting Lizzy. The walk might take her mind off things.
As anyone who has been in Miss Bennet's shoes will know, a lonely walk with yearning thoughts in one's head does nothing to quench them. Rather, it forces you to dwell on them, for there is little else to do than look at the scenery and wish there was someone to share it with. Combined with the fact that Mary was still not used to walking such long distances, even ten months after her sisters' marriages, she was very hot, flustered, and in a very unpleasant state of mind when she reached Netherfield. She could not stay cross for long, however, at the sight of her eldest sister's smiling face.
"Oh, Mary," she exclaimed. "How good it is to see you! We were hoping one of you would come today, for we have some exciting news!"
Mary found herself taken down the hall to the parlour, where Bingley was sitting, writing a letter. He stood up when he saw her.
"Has Jane told you our news yet?" he asked.
"No, dear, I thought I'd wait until we were both here," Jane replied.
"You're not... ah... expecting, are you?" asked Mary, blushing.
Jane looked astonished. "No, no, not at all!" she replied. "Our news is this–when our lease expires on Netherfield in two months time, we are to move to ––––––shire, not thirty miles from Pemberley! Charles has bought the most delightful estate there, and you shall come and stay with us whenever you please!"
Mary tried to look happy for Jane's sake, but she found her emotions strangely unaffected.
"And how were Lizzy and her husband when you last saw them?" she asked, endeavoring to appear interested.
"Oh, they are both well, although Darcy insists on making Lizzy rest more than she would like. She still has a long time to... ahem... go," said Jane, who despite ten months of marriage was still uncomfortable talking about these matters.
The talk soon moved back to their new estate and Jane and Charles insisted on accompanying Mary back to Longbourn in their carriage, to break the news to Mr. and Mrs. Bennet. Their reactions were typical–Mr Bennet was understanding, though a little sad to see his daughter excited about moving away, and Mrs. Bennet was torn between sadness at their parting, and excitement at their owning their very own estate. Mary crept out during the conversation and sat in her room, staring out the window, thinking about nothing.
For the next week Mary was forced to sit with her mother and hear her talk about Jane with anyone who was unfortunate enough to call. She attended the Meryton Assembly and was forced to dance as much as possible to escape her mother. Not that she minded too much, as without the constant comparison to her sisters, Mary almost enjoyed society. She still spent a lot of time in solitary reflection, but her outlook on life was altogether less virtuous. Fordyce's sermons gathered dust in the study, much to her father's delight.
To Be Continued... Possibly...