What if Mrs. Bennet overheard the soldiers discussing her youngest daughters in the crudest of ways? Mrs. Bennet’s dream for her daughters to marry officers comes crashing down when she accidentally overhears the brutal truth of the militia’s opinions about Lydia and Kitty. Stung and humiliated, she attempts to salvage her daughters' reputations—but will the harsh truths she overheard force a painful reckoning for the entire Bennet family? Author's this is a Pride & Prejudice variations novelette of just under 10,000 words. It was initially published in Pride, Prejudice, & Permutations.