Who Are the Bennet Sisters Married To? A Guide to All ‘Other Bennet Sister’ Relationships
You know when you love a book or film so much that you just wish you could stay in that world a little longer? Just linger with the characters for a few more pages (or scenes), like nothing ever has to end? That’s exactly where spinoff novels like The Other Bennet Sister come in.
We all love Pride and Prejudice, no debate there, but what’s so fun about this follow-up from Janice Hadlow is that it gives us a fresh perspective on familiar faces, especially through the eyes of Mary Bennet (Ella Bruccoleri). Suddenly, the “background sister” gets her own story, her own voice, and a whole series of new misadventures to navigate. It’s the same world we know and love, just seen from a slightly different angle.
And now, with a TV adaptation bringing it all to life in technicolor, we get to revisit that world in an even more vivid way. There’s something really satisfying about watching the original story through this new lens, especially as we follow Mary on her journey of self-discovery and finding love in the process.
With so many relationships unfolding across the story, this becomes your swoonworthy guide to all the couples in the latest Jane Austen-inspired adaptation so far. Who are the Bennet sisters all married to? Let’s refresh your memory on the loves of Jane (Maddie Close), Elizabeth (Poppy Gilbert), Lydia (Grace Hogg-Robinson), Kitty (Molly Wright), and the rest of the characters in The Other Bennet Sister universe.
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Jane Bennet & Mr. Bingley
Jane Bennet is the eldest Bennet sister, and yes, the famously beautiful one. She meets Charles Bingley at an assembly in Meryton, where he’s just arrived as the rich new tenant of Netherfield. He’s instantly into her, dancing with her multiple times (a big deal), and clearly preferring her over everyone else in the room. From there, Jane spends more time with him and gets pulled into his social circle, including his sisters, Caroline Bingley and Louisa Hurst.
Then comes one of Mrs. Bennet’s chaotic matchmaking moves. When Jane is invited to dine at Netherfield, Mrs. Bennet deliberately refuses to let her take the carriage because Mr. Bingley won’t be at the dinner. Instead, she sends her on horseback in questionable weather… and it works. Jane catches a cold and ends up stuck at Netherfield for several days, giving her and Bingley more time together.
Just when things seem to be going well, Bingley suddenly leaves for London. Thanks to some not-so-subtle interference from Caroline, it looks like he’s moved on, possibly to Georgiana Darcy. When Jane’s aunt and uncle, Mr. Gardiner and Mrs. Gardiner, invite her to London, she goes while quietly hoping she’ll run into him. She doesn’t, and assumes the worst: that he’s lost interest.
But! It’s not over. Bingley eventually returns to Hertfordshire, clears up the misunderstanding (he genuinely didn’t know Jane was in London), and proposes. Jane accepts, and they end up one of the happiest, most easygoing couples in the story, especially close with Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy.
Elizabeth Bennet & Mr. Darcy
The OG love story, truly. Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy are the blueprint: enemies-to-lovers, layered with misunderstandings, bruised pride, and a lot of repressed feelings. Lizzie is convinced Darcy dislikes her (and to be fair, his first impression is… not great), while he’s actually down bad for her — just in the most socially awkward, emotionally stunted way possible.
Their dynamic builds slowly: sharp banter, mutual misjudgments, and some genuinely humbling moments on both sides. Then comes the first proposal, which is intense, badly delivered, and very much rejected. Lizzie absolutely shuts him down, calling out both his arrogance and his role in separating Jane Bennet and Charles Bingley. Yikes.
Darcy actually learns from it (rare behavior for a man, honestly). When he comes back, he’s different: softer, more self-aware, and still very much in love with her. The second proposal? Much better received.
That’s where Pride and Prejudice ends, and where The Other Bennet Sister truly begins. We get glimpses of Lizzie both before and after marriage, and her marriage sets the tone for everything that follows. For Mary Bennet especially, Lizzie and Darcy’s relationship becomes the love she is searching for.
Kitty Bennet & her husband
Yes, you saw that correctly. We’re never actually given the name of Kitty Bennet’s husband. But in a way, that feels fitting; he exists almost as an extension of her, reflective of how wives were so often treated in Austenian society.
Kitty, once closest to Lydia and firmly under her influence, matures noticeably once she leaves the Bennet household.
Drawing on both Austen’s original epilogue and The Other Bennet Sister, Kitty goes on to marry a clergyman who lives near Pemberley. The couple settles into a comfortable life close to Lizzie. Some interpretations even suggest that her husband may have been under the patronage of Mr. Darcy, further tying Kitty’s future to the Bennet family’s changed fortunes.
Lydia Bennet & Mr. Wickham
Lydia Bennet is the youngest of the five Bennet sisters, and very much her mother’s favorite. Loud, flirtatious, and a little bit chaotic, she’s allowed into society at just 15, which is… early. At the time, it was more typical for younger sisters to wait until their elders were married, but Lydia does what Lydia wants, and Mrs. Bennet is hardly going to stop her.
Things escalate when Mr. Bennet lets Lydia go to Brighton with Colonel Forster and Mrs. Forster, despite Lizzie Bennet being very vocally against it. And she was right. The family soon receives shocking news: Lydia has run off with George Wickham, supposedly eloping to Gretna Green. But in truth, Wickham never intended to marry her. He was actually trying to escape his mounting gambling debts and took Lydia along for the ride, letting her believe they were eloping.
At this point, it’s basically a social disaster. An unmarried elopement like this could ruin not just Lydia, but all the Bennet sisters. Everyone assumes Wickham will abandon her until Mr. Gardiner steps in. He tracks the couple down and negotiates a marriage. The terms are surprisingly modest: Lydia will receive £1,000 from her parents’ estate upon their death, plus £100 a year. Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Bennet are shocked Wickham agrees to so little… which, of course, raises questions.
Later, it’s revealed that Mr. Darcy is the one who quietly made it happen by paying off Wickham’s debts and essentially bribing him to marry Lydia, saving the entire family from scandal.
After the wedding, Lydia and Wickham leave Longbourn for Newcastle, where Wickham takes up a new military post. But marriage doesn’t magically fix them. When Lydia hears about Lizzie’s marriage to Darcy, she cheekily writes asking for money. The couple continues as they started: overspending, drifting from place to place, and never quite managing to live within their means.
Mr. & Mrs. Bennet
The patriarch and matriarch of the Bennet family, Mr. Bennet (Richard E. Grant) and Mrs. Bennet (Ruth Jones), could not be more different if they tried. Mrs. Bennet is famously stressed about getting all five daughters married — preferably ASAP and to someone rich. Mr. Bennet, on the other hand, is dry, sarcastic, and far more interested in his books than the chaos of his household. He mostly watches it all unfold with quiet amusement, stepping in with support when it actually matters.
When The Other Bennet Sister begins, they’ve been married for over 20 years, and while it might not have been a love match, they’ve grown very fond of each other.
Mr. & Mrs. Gardiner
Mr. Gardiner (Richard Coyle) and Mrs. Gardiner (Indira Varma) are the Bennet sisters’ London relatives, and they’re widely considered the most sensible adults in the family. Kind, practical, and socially savvy, they often serve as a much-needed grounding presence for the younger characters as they navigate the chaos of Regency society.
In The Other Bennet Sister, they take on an even more direct role in Mary Bennet’s life, offering her a position as governess. It’s a turning point for Mary—giving her not just employment, but also a sense of independence, structure, and purpose outside of the marriage market that has defined so much of her world.
Charlotte Lucas & Mr. Collins
Who can forget Mr. Collins from Pride and Prejudice? His enthusiasm for potatoes (and absolutely everything else, frankly) is oddly memorable. He’s a distant cousin of the Bennet family.
In The Other Bennet Sister, we initially follow his familiar trajectory: Mr. Collins (Ryan Sampson) arrives with his eye set firmly on Elizabeth Bennet, determined to secure a wife from the Bennet household. Elizabeth, unsurprisingly, is not interested. At all. When his proposal is firmly rejected, the situation quickly becomes awkward.
Enter Mary Bennet, whose mother is very keen to keep things “in the family,” so to speak. Mrs. Bennet starts nudging the idea that Mary might be a suitable alternative match. But Mr. Collins, in true Mr. Collins fashion, doesn’t take the expected route. Instead, he turns his attention to Mary’s closest friend, Charlotte Lucas (Anna Fenton-Garvey).
Charlotte, ever practical and level-headed, accepts Mr. Collins’ proposal. It’s a calculated choice as she’s prioritizing stability over love, which feels very of its time, and also very Charlotte.
They marry, and it leads to one of the most quietly devastating (and famous) quotes. In the 2005 film version of Pride and Prejudice, Charlotte puts it bluntly: “I’m 27 years old. I’ve no money and no prospects. I’m already a burden to my parents, and I’m frightened.”
