Mary Bennet Falls in Love in 'The Other Bennet Sister'
"Even the most hopeless of situations, the most hopeless of people, with kindness, change. Little by little, I was excited to see who Mary Bennet could be."
"All life is in London and here I could be anything I wanted. Surely I could find something I could succeed at in this vast and inspiring city."
Mary Bennet is in love! The Other Bennet Sister opens Episode 4 as she falls in love with London: the shops, the parks where she can enjoy the greenery, and people watching. She allows herself to dream, to imagine a future in the city. After a walk in a London park, she returns to the Gardiners’ house, where her optimism and buoyancy receive a direct hit – she overhears the Gardiners talking about her, not realizing she’s nearby.
They are concerned for her, worried that despite all they do, Mary cannot emerge from her sisters’ shadow or her mother’s unkind influence. Mortified and embarrassed, Mary leaves the house, only to meet Tom Hayward on the front door step. In return for his friendly greeting, she tells him she is still trying to understand poetry. He offers his condolences on the death of her father, and is taken aback by her blunt response that she is relieved to be away from her mother and sisters. Hayward tactfully suggests that she isn’t feeling herself today, but Mary knows he’s wrong – this is her.
The Gardiners leave the house, cheerfully greet Hayward and Mary, and the three of them set off together, while Mary goes back into the house. There she discovers a letter from Mrs. Bennet has arrived, pages of whining and complaints. She wishes Mary were with her since she needs someone to look after her new puppy.
Glumly, Mary attempts a watercolor painting, which Mrs. Gardiner tactfully proclaims is “very neat.” When asked about her mother’s missive, she reports that much of the letter was complaints – damp, unseasonable pollen, and a rude shopkeeper. Mrs. Gardiner tells her that Mrs. Bennet enjoys small annoyances and a captive audience to respond to her complaints. Meanwhile, Hayward has something special planned for Mary and the Gardiners the next day, in which he promises “to break through our rational resolve and move our hearts as well as our heads.” Mary claims she has lesson plans to prepare, but Mrs. Gardiner dismisses her concerns.
Early the next morning, their carriage drops them off in a wooded area. Hayward leads them through the trees and, through some light rain, to a beautiful walled garden in the heart of the city. His fiancée, Miss Baxter, is not attending, apparently because she doesn’t enjoy such events. It’s all part of Hayward’s plan to introduce Mary to poetry and to be guided by feelings rather than understanding.
He begins with William Wordsworth’s Composed upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802:
This City now doth, like a garment, wear
The beauty of the morning; silent, bare,
Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie
Open unto the fields, and to the sky…
Mary is moved to tears. Hayward asks how she feels, and then tells her he’s leaving London for a while; and so is she, because her mother needs her. But her spirits are restored, and she’ll never forget Hayward’s kindness in arranging the morning’s outing.
The Gardiners are kind but disappointed that Mary plans to leave them, and Mr. Gardiner doesn’t understand Mrs. Bennet’s decision to make Mary responsible. (Well, someone has to mop up after that puppy…) The children will miss her. Her letter to her mother expresses her honor at being chosen to look after the pup, and promises she will stay with her mother, the Bingleys, and the Darcys at Pemberley for the summer.
Mrs. Gardiner suspects Mary was disappointed to find Hayward was engaged, and ventures into a description of a recent bonnet-shopping expedition, a rather clunky metaphor for meeting suitable men. Mrs. Gardiner describes a shopping expedition in which she adored the first bonnet she tried on, and then, after visiting other shops, found one that suited her much better. Mary should consider the quality and quantity of available men/headgear, because something more exciting will come along.
Mary stops at a bookseller’s to buy a book of Wordsworth’s poetry. In the schoolroom, she opens the book with a flourish and solemnly recites “Old Mother Hubbard” to the children. They are about to become poets, and will recite their finished works to their parents. George plans a poem about himself, Rebecca will write about typhoid or frogs, and Marianne’s topic will be love. The children’s poetry recital is a hit, with Rebecca introducing a tiny frog as part of her presentation. That night, Mary reads Wordsworth (Expostulation and Reply) in bed, and this time, she gets it.
Another literary event is planned: this time, an evening party where guests will play word games, drink plenty of punch, and have fun. Mary wears another bright dress, in her favorite colors of gold, green, and red, and meets witty, handsome Mr. Ryder (Laurie Davidson), with whom she feels an immediate rapport. Ryder and Mary are a formidable, quick-witted pair, and Mary is pronounced the winner of the evening. By the end of the evening, she’s considering staying in London, finally appreciating Mrs. Gardiner’s hat metaphor.
The Other Bennet Sister continues with weekly episodes on BritBox on Wednesdays through June 24, 2026.
The Other Bennet Sister
