{ psl: to london }

[moralized]

[ The last days of the year which were meant to be spent in merriment with family were unfortunately tainted at Longbourn by the failure of Wickham to return. At first Lydia seemed content to laugh it off, saying this was not the first time he'd done such a thing, but as the third day arrived with no word from him, Lydia began to show cracks in her carefree facade. The rest of the party was of course concerned and the Darcy family took their leave early as Mr. Darcy took it upon himself to track the scoundrel down. Georgina was saddened to have to leave the large family gathering early and both she and Kitty wept at the parting. To Mary, Miss Darcy gave real compliments towards her music and said how she regretted she could not have heard more in their time together. Thankfully she made no mention of Mr. Cartwright and the two shook hands and parted as budding acquaintances.

Days more passed and it seemed someone was hiding Wickham very well. Their loyalty to him was surprising because usually money would loosen the lips of his ilk, but no leads surfaced. Lydia declared that she had been used very ill and would not have him if he returned. Mr. Bennet wished to wash his hands of the whole matter but knew that under the eyes of his wife, his daughters, and even God that he simply would have to put up with his wayward child being in residence until after the baby was born.

Despite the tense atmosphere, there was one event that would be going forward despite the recent interruption. Kitty was to be married and to London she must go to purchase wedding clothes. Mrs. Gardiner invited Kitty and whoever else in the household was chaperoning her to stay at the Gardiner residence and plans were made. In the meantime the Bingleys took their leave as Jane felt she could do little more to calm Lydia during this time. As much as Lydia declared she was fine to ride in a carriage and simply must go to London, the town doctor disagreed and said she was to stay put for the rest of her confinement. Mrs. Bennet insisted that she had to stay with her dear child in her delicate condition and so it was put on Mary to chaperone Kitty to town where their aunt would be chaperone to both.

Mary naturally felt put upon at having to play a role in all this, but of course did not give voice to it as she might have once done. Kitty was trying to improve herself and even Lydia's unexpected return did not make her relapse into her old ways. She had become more cautious in her speech, less excitable about frivolous things, and when she was given the money for her clothes by their father, she met his eyes as he instructed her on its express purpose and nodded her head seriously. This new attitude made for a more pleasant carriage ride than Mary had been expecting and by the time they had reached London she somehow knew all there was to know about Kitty's intended and yet was not sick to death of the mention of him. Truly Kitty had grown if she had succeeded in not devolving into raptures.

The pair were greeted at the Gardiners' door by all of their cousins who had rushed out in excitement at the sight of the carriage they had been looking for through the window. Mrs. Gardiner soon joined them and all were ushered inside amid a great deal of chatter from the children. Naturally the Bennet sisters were given time to rest, but they would be attending the theater that evening and had to make ready to leave that evening. Mary disliked the speed which with things occurred in London, but she was also punctual and far from the last one downstairs to leave. Now she simply had to hope the performance was good and the crowds not too pressing. ]

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[moralized]

[ Mary has never been the best at socializing, though she does try. She has, of course, read a variety of books on the matter but her skills at properly engaging in conversation with a whole party and knowing when to steer topics has always fell a little flat. Because of this, she is glad that the bulk of the work had fallen on her Aunt Gardiner and she could observe her in the hopes of taking something away from the encounter.

And now that the gentlemen are leaving she feels she could do with some quiet time alone in her guest room, perhaps with a book. Sadly her thoughts are interrupted once again by Mr. Hickinbottom, who expresses his deep regrets in being parted from her so soon. His behavior this afternoon has been quite odd, but at no point has he been reprimanded by her aunt or uncle and she's left to wonder if this is common behavior for men in London. He goes on to suggest the two take a carriage ride in Hyde Park on the morrow and Mary's eyes widen slightly at the boldness of the invitation. ]

Excuse me, but I do not believe it would be deemed proper.

[ Her eyes flicker to her aunt, seeking guidance, and her aunt too looks a little rattled by the suddenness of Mr. Hickinbottom's favor for her niece.

"I am the height of proper and your reputation is my chief concern," he replies with condescension. "Hyde Park is a very public place and all would see we are behaving properly." Aunt Gardiner calmly states that to meet in Hyde Park and take a turn is perfectly acceptable if a chaperone is present, but to leave from this house and travel to Hyde Park alone would not be. And so Mr. Hickinbottom switches tactics and tries to draw in Mrs. Gardiner or Kitty to act as chaperone. Mary doesn't know how to properly give the signal to her relations that she has no desire to attend and after a great deal of hemming and hawing she finds herself obliged to go the next day, though she insists Kitty ride with them too. Such is fine with Mr. Hickinbottom. He'll try and find an excuse to leave Kitty behind. Surely an engaged girl will be fine left to herself for ten or twenty minutes.

This arrangement leaves Mary with unsettled feelings and she rises from her seat to force Mr. Hickinbottom to leave by her movements alone. If he insists on lingering she will have to draw him to the door and all but shove him out onto the stoop. Leaving the room and entering the hall, she comes across her cousin and Mr. Cartwright still having a conversation on camels. Robert speaks of his desire to ride one and Mary settles her hands lightly on the boy's shoulders as she stands behind him to address the gentleman. ]

Thank you again for visiting, sir. If I do not see you before your departure, we will meet again at home.

[ The smile she gives him is one of her rare ones, heartfelt and transformative as her eyes nearly sparkle. Her newly discovered feelings will be known to her alone, but they're precious to her and she can't help how she feels. However, as Mr. Hickinbottom moves closer to her the smile shifts into something tight and restrained as she nods to him. ]

My sister and I shall meet you tomorrow, sir.

[ And with that she nods to the footman to open the door before Hickinbottom can think up another reason to delay. ]