“Will she be kind?” Lydia asked suddenly, the question breaking through her excitement.
Mr. Bennet paused. “I believe she will be sensible,” he said. “And I hope she will be kind.”
“Stepmothers are often wicked,” Kitty said, lowering her voice as though repeating a well-known truth.
“They are often misunderstood,” Mary replied.
Jane glanced from one to the other. “We cannot know until she comes,” she said gently. “It would be unjust to decide beforehand.”
Mr. Bennet inclined his head, as though acknowledging an ally. “Very justly said.”
The week that followed passed in a mixture of anticipation and uncertainty. The gowns were ordered, discussed, and altered. The house was put in better order than it had known in many months. Mrs. Hill, who had long borne the responsibility of keeping Longbourn together, found herself relieved and apprehensive at the prospect of surrendering her authority.
On the appointed day, Mrs. Barnett arrived.
The carriage was seen from the front windows, and all five girls gathered there despite Mrs. Hill’s attempts to impose some decorum upon their curiosity. When the door opened and Mrs. Barnett descended, a hush fell among them that no instruction could have achieved.
She was young.
Grace belonged to her as naturally as her name. Her figure was elegant without ostentation; her movements composed without stiffness. Brown hair, arranged with care rather than excessive display, framed a countenance that might have been called handsome or pretty, according to the observer, but was more accurately described as pleasing. Her eyes, a clear and steady green, took in the house and its inhabitants with an expression combining intelligence and warmth.
At her side stood her daughter.
Elizabeth Barnett resembled her mother so strongly that the connection required no explanation. The same brown hair, the same clear eyes, though in the child there was a brightness and liveliness still untouched by experience. She peered about her with open interest.
Introductions were made. Jane stepped forward first, her courtesy natural and unforced. Mary followed, more formal but equally sincere. Kitty and Lydia curtsied, Lydia with more enthusiasm than precision.
Mrs. Barnett addressed each in turn with attentive kindness. She did not overwhelm them with affection, nor did she appear to be performing for effect. Her manner was simple and genuine, and the impression she made was instantly favorable. When she spoke to Jane, it was with appreciation for her composure; to Mary, with respect for her seriousness; to Kitty and Lydia, with a gentleness that acknowledged both their youth and their lively spirits.
Elizabeth, meanwhile, attached herself almost instantly to Jane. Something in Jane’s manner invited confidence, and Elizabeth responded instinctively. They spoke quietly together, discovering within a few moments a sympathy that might have taken others weeks to establish.
Kitty and Lydia watched with interest. Any expectation of coldness or severity quickly disappeared. Curiosity overcame their initial caution, and before long they were engaged in conversation as well, their many questions answered with patient good humor.
By the time Mrs. Barnett was shown through the house, much of the initial uncertainty had been dispelled.
She moved through the rooms with a discerning eye, neither finding fault nor offering empty praise. When she came at last to the mistress’s chambers, she paused—not in reluctance, but in consideration.
“There will be some changes required here,” she said, turning to Mrs. Hill. “Nothing drastic, I hope, but sufficient to make the space my own.”
Mrs. Hill inclined her head, her expression a careful balance between deference and interest.
“Of course, ma’am.”
The changes, when they came, were indeed not drastic. A rearrangement of furniture, a different arrangement of curtains, a few additions that reflected Mrs. Bennet’s taste—these wereenough to mark the transition without erasing what had been before.
The marriage took place privately, as had been determined. The banns were read; the ceremony performed; the household adjusted itself to its new mistress.
Mrs. Bennet did not assume her role with display. She observed first and then acted. Within a short time, however, her influence was evident.
Order returned—never the rigid order of rules imposed without understanding, but a steadiness that allowed each member of the household to find a secure place within it. Meals were better managed. Accounts were attended to. Servants received clearer direction.
Most significant of all, a governess was engaged.
Miss Porter arrived within the month, bringing with her a system of instruction that was both firm and reasonable. Lessons were established and expectations clarified. Jane applied herself with her usual diligence. Mary found satisfaction in the structure. Kitty and Lydia resisted, tested boundaries, and discovered gradually that resistance did little to change what was required.
Elizabeth, though outside Miss Porter’s formal charge, took an interest in her sisters’ progress and offered assistance whenever she could. Her own education, though less regular in earlier years, had been carefully maintained. There was a quickness in her understanding that required little supervision and an eagerness to engage that made improvement almost inevitable.
Mrs. Bennet watched all this with quiet approval. She made no attempt to recreate what had been lost; instead, she set about building something new.
