32. Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-One

Dangling her foot over the edge of her chaise lounge, Mrs. Bennet couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of satisfaction with the way Jane’s wedding had unfolded. She had just loved the look on Lady Lucas’ face when she had crowed about having the first daughter to be married. Jane had chastised her for it, but it was worth it. She dug around in her bag of chocolates, enjoying the anticipation of the next treat as she felt the smooth surface of each piece before savoring the way the sweet flavor melted on her tongue.

With Jane married to a well-to-do man, she would be able to put her daughters in front of wealthier men than they would normally have access to in Meryton. Once they returned from their wedding trip, she would visit Netherfield and make sure Jane was doing everything she could to bear her husband an heir, as well as running the estate properly. Jane was sure to want her to become a semipermanent fixture in her home, and it would become Fanny’s route to get back in the good graces of the townspeople.

Things had started to run downhill ever since that ungrateful second daughter of hers had left. Fanny’s plan had been foolproof, yet Elizabeth had chosen to defy her. Then her friends somehow uncovered the truth about Elizabeth’s disappearance, and from that point on, everything began to crumble. Invitations to gatherings had slowed to a trickle, and whispers and gossip surrounded her when she went into town.

Jane’s wedding was the key to regaining her status and reputation. Her daughter’s beauty had not been in vain, as it had attracted the attention of a wealthy man who had chosen her to be the mistress of the largest estate in the area. Everyone would once again have to invite her or else they would insult Jane. Once things settled back down to as they should be, she would spread the rumor that Elizabeth had become a maid or something else demeaning and the townspeople would recognize that Elizabeth got only what she deserved.

Fanny indulged in another chocolate, licking a smudge of chocolate off her thumb. Her smile faded into a frown as she recalled the one sour note on an otherwise delightful wedding breakfast. The new Mrs. Darcy had been on everyone’s lips. She had only glimpsed the woman in the chapel. The brim of the woman’s bonnet was too deep to allow her to see her face.

The most annoying thing was that was that none of the Darcy party bothered to attend her wedding breakfast. She had thought that Mr. Darcy was Mr. Bingley’s closest friend. The man had stood up with her new son-in-law but had not come to the wedding breakfast. It just made little sense to her. It must have been the new wife’s fault.

With a heavy sigh, Fanny leaned back against the pillow behind her and directed her gaze towards the ceiling. Its dull, off-white color did nothing to lift her spirits. Surely the austere couple would not be in the area long and she would not have to deal with them. While stuffing another chocolate in her mouth, she realized things had been mostly perfect and were sure to get better.

Hearing the door open, she turned her head to yell at whoever had come in; she had told them she was not to be disturbed. Her mouth dropped open in shock when she saw the people in the doorway, and a trickle of melting chocolate escaped from the corner of her mouth. She clenched her jaw shut, swallowing hard and fighting the urge to choke.

Elizabeth’s gaze lingered on the woman who had played a significant role in her life. She couldn’t help but notice the chocolate dribbling down her chin and staining her dressing gown. She had been celebrating yesterday’s success by eating an entire bag of chocolates.

When Elizabeth saw the woman who was her mother, she felt a wave of nervousness wash over her, causing her to stumble over her words as she greeted her with a hesitant, “Hello, Mrs. Bennet, it’s been quite some time.”

After choking for a moment, Mrs. Bennet jumped up from her languid position, shouting, “How dare you show yourself here, you ungrateful child! You disappear for months without a word and all because you did not want to obey your parents as you should!” Taking a step forward, she continued, “I should box your ears for such ill behavior. As it is, do not think you will get out of being locked in the nursery until it is time for you to marry Mr. Collins. We will send for him today and I will pay for the common license myself if it means I can see you married to him tomorrow.”

Elizabeth could feel the muscles in William’s arm tense at her mother’s verbal attack. Patting William’s harm soothingly, she calmly responded, “I do not think so, Mrs. Bennet.”

Halting, Mrs. Bennet looked at her askance, as if uncertain of her daughter’s bold reply, and Elizabeth wondered if Mrs. Bennet had become used to being able to bully people around in her absence. Straightening her shoulders, Elizabeth stood strong, asking, “Have you forgotten that I am now of age?”

Parroting her words, Mrs. Bennet said, “Of age?”

“I know you hardly ever remembered my birthday, Mrs. Bennet, but still you should know that now that I have come of age I do not have to do anything you say.”

Elizabeth smiled up at William as she finished her statement, feeling a sense of empowerment as she declared, “I am my own woman, or I was until I became Mrs. Darcy.”

With a tender gaze, William looked down at Elizabeth and said, “You are still as much your own woman as you ever were. Being married could not change that. It is more that we belong to each other in all the best ways.”

This only served to fuel Mrs. Bennet’s rage. As she came forward, her voice rang out with fury, “You are the new Mrs. Darcy! How dare you! You do not deserve such a marvelous match!”

Moving to block Mrs. Bennet’s approach, William stood firm, his voice hard. “Elizabeth deserves as much more than you were ever willing to give her. If you ever think to harm her again, be aware that I will not hesitate to press charges against you.”

Looking at William for the first time, she scoffed, “You would never want it known that you had your mother-in-law charged with something. It would not look good to all your wealthy friends.”

Shrugging, William responded, “What makes you think that? I just watched your husband being forcefully taken away, and now he is being transported to debtor’s prison. If I was not about to stop that, why would I hesitate to have you charged? Besides, it would help them know that I do not tolerate attacks against the people I love.”

Taking a step back, Mrs. Bennet’s face took on an ashen pallor. Feeling behind her, she reached blindly for the chaise behind her so that she could sit down. After a period of silence, Mrs. Bennet asked, “But who is to manage Longbourn? We do not even have a steward.”

Elizabeth’s voice brokered no weakness when she answered, “While I would have been able to manage Longbourn even without a steward, I know that is something that you could never do. And before you think to pressure any of my sisters to take up the mantle, know I will not allow it. My husband has kindly arranged for an under steward in his employ to come to Longbourn to take over, but it will come at a price.”

Shoulder’s drooping, Mrs. Bennet said, “Of course there is a price. You were always a spiteful girl.”

Ignoring Mrs. Bennet’s biting words, Elizabeth continued, “Things will change at Longbourn. There will no longer be any overspending, you will be given a strict budget for the running of the household, and it will not include the funds to host all the lavish gatherings that you enjoy. If you want to throw a party, you must use your pin money, which will be two hundred pounds a year—exactly what it should be according to your marriage settlement.”

This elicited a muffled shriek, as Mrs. Bennet’s hands instinctively covered her mouth. However, Elizabeth pressed on, determined to make her point. “I know you would never think to care for my sisters properly, so they will no longer be your concern. My husband’s aunt, the countess, has invited them all to stay with her for the next several months at the Matlock estate.”

Sitting up straighter, Mrs. Bennet actually smiled and said, “If the countess would like to spend time with my daughters, surely she would want me to—”

Elizabeth cut her off right there. “No. You are not invited, and you will not be able to connive an invitation. Should you attempt to make your way there, you will be turned away.” Taking a deep breath, she said what she had specifically come to say. “You are a selfish woman who only sought to use her children to better her own life. I know that you often complained that Mr. Bennet did not treat you better, but I think you deserved each other. Neither of you are capable of caring for anyone but yourselves and what you want. Your actions were not just wrong, but cruel, when you disparaged me during my formative years and then tried to coerce me into marrying Mr. Collins. From this day forward, I will have nothing to do with you.”

As Elizabeth stared at the woman she had once considered her mother, a newfound sense of liberation washed over her, knowing that she was no longer under her control and had finally had her say. While she may provoke pity from another individual, Elizabeth would never extend that kind of sentiment towards her.

Taking out a handkerchief, Mrs. Bennet dabbed at her eyes, sniffing in a familiar effort to gain pity. Elizabeth and William turned to leave, only to have Mrs. Bennet shout, “But what about Mr. Bennet? Those debtor’s prisons are rife with illness and violence. Surely, he will die soon. Mr. Collins will throw me into the hedgerows the first chance he gets. He was not at all happy you backed out of your engagement. What will become of me then?”

Turning back over his shoulder, William remarked, “Mr. Collins has been sent to India for crimes against the church and the people in his parish. I am petitioning the court to enact common recovery. Longbourn will go to our second son or oldest daughter. And you, Mrs. Bennet, will not be going to the hedgerows. I will allow you to use the cottage on the property as your home for you when your husband dies. With your two hundred pounds a year, I am sure you can afford a few servants and whatever else you may need.”

As a unit, Elizabeth and her husband left her mother’s room. They had only moved a few steps away from the door when the sound of shrieking and breaking glass reached their ears. Sighing, Elizabeth shook her head and looked up at William. “It seems Mrs. Bennet will learn the hard way that I told the staff not to cater to her whims or her tantrums. They are not nursemaids, and she will have to learn to behave like a grown woman.” Then chuckling, she added, “At least this way she will not have to pack much when she ends up moving into that cottage.”