Chapter 1

                                    

                                          
Elizabeth walked to the dresser she and Jane shared. She heard the familiar creaking of the floorboard in the room's middle as she stepped on it. Jane had the top two drawers and Elizabeth the bottom two. The drawer closest to the floor never slid out smoothly but would catch on the left side. Elizabeth jerked it for the last time and pulled it out.
                          

She gathered all her dresses into her arms and then turned to put them in the large trunk on the floor. As she pushed the clothes down, the scent of lavender permeated the air. Elizabeth smiled as she remembered when she had picked the lavender last summer and dried it. She put it in her drawers to scent her clothes.
                          
Elizabeth sighed. She would miss her lavender bushes, the plant drying room, the grounds of Longbourn. She knew all the paths, the hiding spots of birds, foxes, and deer. Who would check on the next generation of hedgehogs? Elizabeth would have to tell Charlotte where to look for them.
                          
A creak in the hallway alerted Elizabeth to someone approaching her room. She turned to find Charlotte standing just outside the door."
                          
How are you faring, Lizzy?" Charlotte walked into the room, scuffing her shoes on the floor. There were no rugs in the room anymore to silence the sound of shoes.
                          
Elizabeth smiled at her good friend. "I am doing well, Charlotte."
                          
Charlotte glanced down at Elizabeth's filled trunk and then around the room. "There is not much left for you to pack, is there?"
                          
Elizabeth looked closer at her friend and saw Charlotte wringing her hands, the tightened corners of her mouth. Elizabeth held out her hands to Charlotte. "There is not. You seem anxious, Charlotte. Is anything the matter?"
                          
"I do wish you would stay, Lizzy." Charlotte held onto Elizabeth's hands like a lifeline. "Living in Meryton without you does not seem right. You know Mr. Collins and I would not mind at all if you stayed at Longbourn. As a matter of fact, I would enjoy our close friendship greatly."
                          
"Oh Charlotte, you know a newlywed's home is no place for a family of relatives to stay." Elizabeth grinned at her friend. She knew how hard it would be for Charlotte to say goodbye this day, but it had to be done. They could not stay at Longbourn forever, not with the Collins' family growing at some point.
                          
Charlotte tilted the corner of her lips up. "Be that as it may, Longbourn is much too big for just the two of us. And Mr. Collins is often gone in the fields and walking about town. I fear he does not have as much to do here as he did at Hunsford. I would greatly love it if you could stay, Lizzy."
                          
Elizabeth squeezed Charlotte's hands. "I would love to do that Charlotte, but you know I cannot. It is not right for us to stay here in Longbourn any longer." Charlotte opened her mouth, but Elizabeth cut her off. "No, do not say anything. You have been most kind and generous letting us stay for several months after Papa died. It gave us time to find new places to live. We will never forget that."
                          
"Lizzy, you know it was the right thing to do. But do you all have to go? I can understand how difficult it is for your mother to live here, but do you and Jane need to leave? There is no need for you to leave and seek employment when you can stay here. Think of how that will affect your ability to marry well."
                          
Elizabeth grinned and looked away through the beam of sunlight flowing through the single window, out to the winter landscape outside. She knew Charlotte was desperate now, but she would be fine. Her family lived not far, and Meryton and all the landscape was familiar to her. Elizabeth felt a pang of sadness, but she pushed it down again. She had to be strong and look forward with optimism. There was no other course of action for them. Mr. Bennet had not left them enough money to live on, not to even rent a small house to keep the family together. The Phillips did not have enough room for Jane and Elizabeth as well as the rest of the Bennets. The eldest two had to leave.