A Wife for Mr. Darcy

in, and an unembarrassed Mr. Bennet climbed in after his wife. After every Bennet enjoyed the comfort of the carriage and after every servant had taken a peek inside, all returned to the parlor for a short visit, as Georgiana needed to return to Netherfield.
    But before she departed, Georgiana wanted to warn the Bennets about the Crenshaw children. After listening to tales of syrup on chairs in the servants’ hall, puddles filled in with pine needles to hide the water beneath, pine cones in pillows, et cetera, Mrs. Bennet said, “Surely, Miss Darcy, you are having a little fun with us. After all, they are only children.”
    “They may be children, but they think and act like adults—very, very mischievous adults. If you see them near a stream or collecting acorns, be on your guard.”
    Jane glanced at Mr. Bingley. Surely, Charles would expect civil behavior from any guest, but most particularly from the children of his sister.
    “Where is the father?” Mrs. Bennet asked.
    “Safely in London at Lincoln’s Inn. Apparently, Mr. Crenshaw visited Pompeii as a youth and was disturbed that so many people died. He blamed it on a lack of preparation, so he has brought up his children in a way that they might survive an epic disaster.”
    “But we do not have volcanoes in England. A heavy snow and a rather nasty flood are all that we have ever had in Meryton. I am afraid they will be disappointed,” Mrs. Bennet said in a concerned voice.
    Georgiana knowingly shook her head. “I will leave you to judge for yourselves, but as my brother often says, ‘Forewarned is forearmed.’ I hope you will have no need of this information, but you might want to tell your neighbors.”

When it became known about the village that Jane Bennet was engaged to the handsome, not to mention very rich, Mr. Bingley, the news was greeted with smiles from the ladies and huzzahs from the men because Jane, along with her sister Lizzy, was among the neighborhood favorites. No one could describe Jane without mentioning the words “kind” and “sweet,” but under that gentle exterior was a determination that would have surprised many.
    There were many times in Jane’s nearly twenty-three years when Mrs. Bennet’s nerves or heart flutters had caused her to take to her bed, which usually resulted in Mr. Bennet retreating to the safety of his study, leaving the care of the younger children to Jane and Lizzy. Although the sisters shared responsibilities, it was decided that it would be best if Mary, Kitty, and Lydia looked to one person as the ultimate authority, and they had agreed that it should be Jane by virtue of her seniority. While Lizzy liaised with Papa, Jane would see to their mother and sometimes assume her duties. Her first meeting with the cook regarding the evening meals had been when she was thirteen.
    In preparation for the arrival of Charles’s sister, Diana, and her six children, Jane decided to have a talk with Mr. Bingley. She wanted to know exactly how much of what had been said about the Crenshaw children was true and how much exaggeration. When Jane asked for an accounting of any misdeeds they had actually committed, Charles had answered, “Just those done to me or to anyone?”
    What followed was a litany of horrors perpetuated on family members as well as the general population by the Crenshaw brood. In a tone Charles had never heard from Jane, she asked for an explanation as to why such behavior was tolerated.
    “I feel sorry for Diana because she is married to an eccentric,” Bingley answered defensively. “First, Crenshaw thought he needed to prepare his family to survive a natural disaster. When none occurred, he instructed them as to what they should do in the event of a French invasion: rearguard actions, foraging, sabotage, and so on. The problem is, he considers himself to be a theorist, and as such, leaves it to Diana to execute his ideas. Unfortunately, she is always with child and has very little energy, and so the children run wild. I am the only one who will have them for a visit.”
    But then Bingley broke out into a smile. “I have taken the precaution of warning the staff and have given them permission to respond in kind,” Charles said, “and I have doubled their monthly salary for the length of Diana’s visit as compensation. Besides, I expect that my sister and her children will return to their home in about three weeks’ time.”
    “Mr. Bingley, that is all well and good, but in three