AN - Just a short exert from on of my new works. It will be short, about twenty thousand words and is half done. For those of you wondering, NO, I have not forgotten those stories that are published and half finished. I hope to add another chapter to Unusual Path to Happiness very soon.

"My dear Mr. Bennet," said Mrs. Bennet, wishing to mention a particularly scintillating report received from Mrs. Long not an hour ago. Unable to contain her excitement, her voice increased in pitch and volume. "Have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last?"

For his part, Mr. Bennet smirked, allowing one eyebrow to rise. His wife of four and twenty years had recently returned from the small market town of Meryton, where the ladies exchanged little but gossip. He knew to what she referred and more so, what she wished to gain from the conversation. With five unmarried daughters and the estate entail from the female line, his wife's only goal in life was to find husbands, preferably rich and well connected so she might be comfortable in widowhood.

"Indeed," he answered in an aloof tone, "I have heard. Oh did you not know the gentleman of Meryton have as much interest in Mr. Bingley as their wives."

With this declaration, Mrs. Bennet appeared somewhat discomposed. She was a woman of mean understanding, little information, and uncertain temper who often though herself overtaken with vexation or nerves. Therefore the lady, quite obviously, never considered her husband, nay any man of her acquaintance, capable of such gossip. Mouth opening and closing, Frances Bennet could not find a word to say. Such was quite an accomplishment for her longsuffering spouse.

"That is not all I have to impart," Mr. Bennet professed, standing to pace the length of the drawing room. The attention of his five daughters firmly fixed upon him, he let out a slight chuckle. It appeared he had silenced them all, if but for a moment. "Mr. Bingley is a young man of large fortune from the north of England. His family's prosperity arises from trade. It is said he has four or five thousand a year. Further, his father wished to purchase an estate but passed on before being able to do so, leaving the young man the funds to settle and become a gentleman."

Sighing liberally, he turned to face Mrs. Bennet, hands linked behind his back. Fast losing his humour, such sport paled rapidly when pertaining to his somewhat silly wife. "It so happened, that Mr. Bingley came from town on Monday in a chaise and four to see Netherfield, and was so much delighted with it, that he agreed with Mr. Morris immediately. He is to take possession before Michaelmas, and some of his servants are to be in the house by the end of next week. It appears the young man is single, and therefore must be in want of a wife. I should think that a good thing for our girls. What say you, Mrs. Bennet?"

The wind taken out of her sails, Mrs. Bennet frowned before rallying tolerably well. "Then, my dear," she implored, "you must go and see Mr. Bingley immediately he comes into the neighbourhood."

"I see no occasion for that," at the end of his patience with his wife, Octavius Bennet began to lay the foundation for his escape. Unfortunately he knew to which Mrs. Bennet's thoughts tended. Soon she would take a fit of nerves and retire to her chamber with the salts, leaving the house in uproar. "Perhaps I shall send him a letter, then you and the girls may go to deliver it. Or you may send them by themselves, which perhaps will be still better, for as you are as handsome as any of them, Mr. Bingley may like you the best of the party."

Kitty and Lydia giggled at this exclamation, for they knew not to what their father's sardonic reference tended. Jane's serenity and ability to see good in everyone, wished the comment to be a complement to her mother. Mary, her nose in a book, ignored the entire scene for she had seen too many just like it played out while the family took tea or dined together. Only Elizabeth felt the sting of her father's words and comprehended how he had come into such knowledge.

"If I can but see one of my daughters happily settled at Netherfield," Mrs. Bennet's nasal whine escalated with the increasing distance of her retreating husband, "and all the others equally well married, I shall have nothing to wish for."

"Mama," Elizabeth responded, "we shall surely meet Mr. Bingley at next month's assembly, if not before. I am certain one our neighbours will invite us to dine with the family from Netherfield and there we will be introduced."

Mrs. Bennet turned on her least favoured daughter in a moment of spite. "Enough of your impertinent opinions, Miss Lizzy. Mrs. Long has nieces to marry off. She and any other ladies of our acquaintance will keep Mr. Bingley to themselves, so we are never to know that gentleman. You father is determined to see us all in the hedgerows, for he has a will of iron. Once he has made his mind up, he will not change it. How ill he uses my poor nerves."

"Your poor nerves," Mr. Bennet shouted from his book room, before closing his door, "have been my old friend these four and twenty years."

"I am sure," Jane soothed, "Papa will call upon Mr. Bingley as he would any new neighbour."

"Oh, no he won't. If only we had had a son," the lady wailed, quite lost to all reason by this time.

Elizabeth looked to her elder sister. Rolling her eyes, both knew what would follow, for at least once a month their mother took to her bed with the same complaint. Jane, her countenance serine and comportment well versed in the art of diplomacy, called for Mrs. Hill, their housekeeper. Within a few minutes, Mrs. Bennet was ensconced in her room making as much trouble as possible without the ability to affect a change to her liking.

By and by, Mr. Bennet did his duty and called on their new neighbour, as was proper and courteous. Indeed, Longbourn was one of the first estates to make itself known to the neighbourhoods' most recent addition. Mr. Bennet was so odd a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humour, reserve, and caprice, that the gentleman made sport of his spouse when informing Mrs. Bennet of the fact some days later. Now the acquaintance had been made, it could not be undone. Her effusions of joy forced the master of Longbourn into his book room.

Mr. Bingley returned the visit a few days after the initial association had been formed. Hearing tales of the five very handsome and amiable ladies inhabiting Mr. Bennet's estate aided his prompt call. Understanding why Mr. Bingley chose to make Longbourn his first foray into Hertfordshire society, Octavius found it amusing to keep the young man from the company of his daughters.

Before long, Mrs. Bennet took advantage of the association and issued an invitation to dine at Longbourn. She wished the gentleman to know her daughters, even if Mr. Bennet denied them such pleasure. Much to her displeasure, Mr. Bingley was forced to visit town the following day. There he would collect a large party and thus declined until some later date. It was rumoured there were to be twelve ladies and seven gentlemen in the house party, all of whom would attend the assembly. On the night of the assembly, the entire populace of Meryton held their breath. When Mr. Bingley entered, he accompanied his sisters, Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst, her husband, Mr. Hurst and his friend, Mr. Darcy.