Here we are at last, at the end of this little tale. I apologise to all the reviewers whose excellent ideas I didn't incorporate into the story, but as it had already been published, I thought it best not to start changing it now. I will take this down from FanFiction after a few months. If you want to keep a copy for posterity, it is available on Kobo and Amazon, as A Floury Apron, by Margaret Gale.

Epilogue - A family tradition

"Mama! Bennet has run away from Nurse again! You must come!" Anne Darcy tugged on her mother's sleeve, urging her to hurry. She was disappointed in her appeal, however. Instead of a panicked rush, she was met with calm reason: "Did Nurse send you to get me?"

"No, Mama. I knew you would want to know, so I didn't wait to ask Nurse. She was too busy looking for Bennet anyway."

"Well, I think I will wait until she asks for help. She is really quite good at finding Bennet, you know. After all, it is her job, and he's given her plenty of practice. But since you are here, my dear, do you think you might like to help me make the tarts?"

Five-year-old Anne stared with wide eyes from a face that strongly resembled her father. The natural reserve she had inherited from him was leavened by a dash of her mother's energy and impertinence, resulting in a child who took care of her younger siblings with a fierce determination, including running the length of the house (and it truly was a very long house) to find help for them if needed. She considered her mother's question seriously: she was not quite convinced that three-year-old Bennet could be left to the nurse's care, but the temptation of learning how to make such delicious treats was, in the end, too much. She nodded her acquiescence and awaited instruction.

Elizabeth Bennet Darcy tied a cloth around her daughter's waist to serve as apron and began to reveal her most closely-guarded secrets: "We have to make the crust and the filling separately. Let's start by gathering together all the things we will need. Would you please ask cook for some eggs and a large mixing bowl … "

© 2019 elag

Author's Note:

I hope you enjoyed this little excursion into what might have been if …. All characters belong to Jane Austen, and I hope she would forgive the liberties I have taken with them, and the occasional stealing of her phrases.

There is nothing in canon that supports the idea that either in the Bennet household or as Mistress of Pemberley, Elizabeth would have had anything to do with actually cooking. On the contrary, Mrs Bennet assures Mr Collins when he first visits Longbourn that her daughters do not cook.

"The dinner too in its turn was admired; and he begged to know to which of his fair cousins the excellency of its cooking was owing. But he was set right there by Mrs Bennet, who assured him with some asperity that they were very well able to keep a good cook, and that her daughters had nothing to do in the kitchen."

The idea of a girl in such a household as Longbourn being able to keep her cooking activities secret is also a big stretch - I am sure that Lydia and Kitty would somehow have found out and told on her, if nothing else!

But despite all these reasons this story could not have happened, I have obviously watched one too many episodes of the Great British Bakeoff, and this plot idea would not go away.

If, like me, reading this story has made you hanker for a good lemon tart, try this recipe from the BBC's Mary Berry: www DOT bbc DOT com / food/recipes/individual_lemon_92197