] The Bennet girls would need to know how to manage a household, which is different from actually doing the work (just ask my staff ;-) ). The Lucas girls knew how to work in the kitchen but the implication was that the Bennet girls did not, nor did they need to know. I don't think that this was Mrs. Bennet being foolish -- she was maintaining the standards of her class and her times.

Right, I meant managing as well, which is the type of work Vickery is discussing. Unless you were quite poor you had a servant in those days, so I didn't mean it was foolish of Mrs. Bennett to not teach her daughters how to do the down-and-dirty chores. Rather, that her bragging about "bringing her daughters up differently" (ie, to be indolent and mindless) is foolish. Though I did find the quote finally (Chapter 9) and it does seem to imply that the Lucasas are doing the actual cooking. You're right, the Bennett girls should not have to know this, but they certainly aren't getting household management skills from their mother either!