This has been a great story! I very much enjoyed reading it. Thank you for writing this.

Sweet!

Unnecessary dramatics for Richard who finally married a heiress to get him an estate, albeit she being a sickly one.

Your story is written so coldly at times.
Anyway, there's no sympathy for the weak excitable boy Bingley who was easily manipulated by his sisters and friend without applying his own mind.

Indolent negligent Bennet was a failure as a husband and father. He shouldn't be given the privilege of the Darcy libraries but Elizabeth wore blinkers when it came to him

Pemberley will be polluted with the parental failures Mr and Mrs Bennet

I enjoyed reading your story and like most of it. Very rarely I find Jane interesting and with her own personality, and you created her really well. She has backbone and is capable of her own decisions. I very much liked your Catherine and Mary, your Olivier as well, even if he sometimes is "much" ;) It isn't any suprise, that I don't like your Elizabeth. She is really irritating. It is not even about obviousness - her approach to Jane's marriage. It is about her backwardness and attitude toward changes in the Bennets life, about her self-righteousness. I'm also disgusted, that she didn't see the opportunity to educate herself when Olivier tried to help all Jane's sisters. She could take advantage of an opportunity and improve her piano-forte playing, at least. She prefered to stay at Longbourn and be at loose end. Her sisters, except of Lydia, of course, are really interesting persons, Elizabeth has not much to offer. It is only my own opinion, but I really don't like her much. In P&P she and Mr Bennet are the worst from all positive heroes. Your story is comprehensive and I thank you for sharing.

I get what you're trying to say but there needs to be more than just a business arrangement in a marriage. Lizzy is right to be upset. While I do think Bingley is not deserving of Jane, a prudent marriage needs to be between people who are compatible. Marriage is a life long partnership that requires truly attached and compatible partners, especially when people intend to have children. I don't see that Oliver and Jane have had time to see if they have crucial things in common. There was barely any scenes where they bond over things they have in common or where they realize they compliment each other. Physical attraction also plays a part. It's not rational to jump into a marriage with as many expectations as Oliver has after only knowing each other for a few weeks. Jane is too young to be a mother of a 6 year old and that is not nearly enough reason to marry the father who is 10 years her senior and has a lot of money. He's also a bit controlling. This spells inequality and is not a good sign. There is a big power imbalance between them. Your idea is good, because contentment really is fulfillying, but there needs to be more solid groundwork, like compatibility and equality, for marriage to work, even when love isn't a factor. Security by itself is not enough to make the decision valid. They didn't give themselves time to grow to esteem each other.

I am so pleased to have discovered a lovely story...thank you for sharing

Rushed with one-dimensional characters. Interesting concept but finding it really hard to get into the story given how everything just whizzes by. Wish you the best on your other stories.

Without a doubt Lydia is a spoilt brat. Not only is she a spoilt brat she is downright nasty and unkind. If she can’t get her own way or is not the centre of attention she lashes out and deliberately hurts people. Kitty will be better off away from her. Mr and Mrs Bennet should both shoulder the blame for this child monster.

I like Mrs Andrews and the sound advice she has given Elizabeth will hopefully not fall on deaf ears and will do some good.

Young ladies back then were often sheltered and knew little of how the world worked. They didn’t know the realities of life. Oh, they might well have been able to navigate society and what was expected of them in their social circle, but, real life? No. The working class and servants did but ‘gently' raised ladies, no. Lizzy wants a fantasy and now she is seeing a bit of the reality of life and she doesn’t know how to deal with it. Hopefully she stops being the immature Miss Lizzy Bennet and becomes the less petulant and more mature Miss Elizabeth Bennet soon to be Miss Bennet.
Thank you for another great chapter.

Lizzy is very often naive, immature and blinkered in her thinking. Here she is being petulant and childish in her behaviour. However, isn’t she trying to do to Jane exactly what Mr Darcy and Miss Bingley did to Mr Bingley? She wants Jane to conform to her expectations. Unfortunately life, back then in particular, didn’t often allow for idealistic marriages. I know she loves Jane but she has to let go and let Jane live her own life. To be honest Lizzy needs to grow up and become Elizabeth.

I am really enjoying this story. I like Mr Olive Andrews, he’s a no nonsense type of man. He doesn’t beat about the bush, he knows what he wants and goes for it. I would say he doesn’t suffer fools gladly, is loyal, kind, caring, very protective of his family and above all he is honest. However, don’t cross him, I’m guessing he would not be impressed. Also he was very good at the way he interacted with the Bennet family. He doesn’t trample on them but oh boy did he play Mrs Bennet and Lydia like a well tuned violin. He was kind and attentive to Mary and Kitty, he will be a great big brother to them.
Mr Bennet is not stupid, well in some ways, however he’s so lazy it hurts, hurts him and his family, most particularly his family. Mrs Bennet is certainly unobservant, pushy and silly, but she is frightened, very frightened of ending up destitute should Mr Bennet predecease her. Mrs Bennet knows exactly what could happen if he did and life would most certainly be very difficult, after all why should he care he won’t know what is happening because he will be in his coffin. Back then, if left destitute, many women had to resort to selling themselves just to eat, never mind having a roof over their heads, at least men could get employment. It’s such a pity her bone idle husband didn’t take the time and effort to plan for his family’s future when he was first married, he was lazy from the start, not just because he had five daughters. He could have taken Mrs Bennet in hand when they first married and helped her learn but his books and port were more important than his family. Says a lot for Mr Bennet doesn’t it? For those who are critical of Oliver Andrews, would you rather have Mr Bennet who is, in reality, a mentally abusive, lazy husband and father or caring but slightly domineering Mr Oliver Andrews? A Mr Oliver Andrews who will always be the head of HIS household. I know who I would chose.
Thank you.