Chapter 3

F anny Bennet was rather nervous when she was summoned into her husband’s study, an event which almost never happened. In the past when it did, it was to tell her she was not doing something correctly.

“What have I done now, Mr Bennet?” Fanny asked before she took a seat where her husband indicated.

“Fanny, please sit,” Bennet requested tenderly.

It was almost as if she was seeing her husband as he was when they fell in love more than a quarter century ago. Fanny could not remember the last time Thomas had spoken to her in that tone. For some years now, he would not say anything to her, but when he did it was only to mock or make sport of her.

The surprise and confusion Bennet saw on his wife’s countenance told him more about his failures as a husband than anything else. This was the only woman he had ever loved; how could he have allowed himself to treat her as he had for so long?

There was a time he had resented Fanny for the rift between himself and James, and yet she had had no responsibility for it. When he thought about it critically, he had to admit his younger brother was, or had been then, much like Lizzy, quick to draw conclusions based on faulty premises, and slow to admit it when wrong.

Regardless of his promise to his late mother that he would never treat Fanny in any way other than with respect and love, and he would not allow James’s petulant and selfish actions to come between them, he had done just that. Instead of consoling Fanny when daughter after daughter was born, he had withdrawn. Fanny had made errors as well, but the lion’s share of the blame was his, and his alone.

Bennet could see Fanny’s anxiety building while he sat and cogitated. “Fanny, I have not asked you here to remonstrate with you, make sport of you, or anything close to that,” Bennet began gently. He did not miss the way his wife’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “There is much we need to discuss, but before we do, you must allow me to apologise to you.”

Fanny stared at her husband blankly. Was she dreaming? Could it be that her husband still loved her and wanted things to improve between them? “I-I d-do n-not -u-u-understand,” Fanny stammered out.

“Since we married, and James left flinging unfounded accusations at you, things have not been like they were when you and I were first in love. The greater share of the blame is mine.” Bennet looked into his wife’s still very attractive face. She was only two and forty years old; yes her body had changed with each daughter she birthed, added to the natural aging, he still saw the beauty he married in her eyes which were watching him intently, an eyebrow arched, just like Lizzy was wont to do. “First I have a question. Phillips and Gardiner were here earlier, and they confirmed that you were aware that James is, or at that time, would be, the owner of Netherfield Park, and as such you could have refuted James’s ridiculous claim that you were a fortune hunter. What I would like to know is why did you not just issue him a setdown and lay out the facts to prove his claim was what it was, nonsensical?”

“When I overheard them, my late papa and Frank told me that if I breathed a word to anyone until the truth was revealed to James, it could interfere with his inheritance, so I said nothing. I would rather have lived with his unfounded accusations than have him possibly lose his inheritance.”

“Fanny, my dear, I believe that was not true. Your late father knew you would hate to hurt anyone, so he spun you a yarn to make you believe you would harm James if you spoke of what you knew.”

“It was effective, I said not a word, not even to defend myself.”

“You know I never believed that about you, do you not? I did not know all when you did, and Father only told me on our wedding day. If I had not been wallowing in self-pity, I would have told you what I had been told and made you feel much easier. There are so many amends for me to make. But first let me put one of your biggest worries to rest. Am I correct that your talk of the hedgerows is rooted in your worry of what will become of any unmarried daughters of ours when I go to my eternal reward?”

“Yes, that is the reason.” Tears fell down Fanny’s cheeks. Both from speaking of the subject which gave her many sleepless nights, and from the considerate way her husband was addressing her.

“Thanks to the information Phillips and Gardiner imparted to me today, you can remove the girl’s financial security from your worries even if they never marry.”

“I did not see my brothers here, and what could they have told you that would make sure our girls are secure? Please tell me you are not making sport of me to set me off with an attack of my nerves.” Fanny worried her lip.

Bennet stood and came around his desk, took the seat next to his wife and took her hands in his own. “Fanny, I swear to you this is no joke. That conversation you heard more than five and twenty years ago was only part of it. James Morris had another part of his will to deal with the income from his estate until it was inherited by his daughter or younger grandson. My late mother enhanced…” Bennet related the salient parts of what he had been told earlier. When he was done with telling what he knew, Fanny was sitting with her mouth open, in a state of shock.

“How on earth do each of our girls have so much? Can this be possible?” Fanny managed when she regained the power of speech.

“That is the same question I asked of Gardiner. He reminded me our grandfather James passed away in April 1785, more than six and twenty years ago. Since then, all profits from the estate, which are between five and six thousand pounds per annum have been added to Grandmama Clarrisa’s dowry, which started out as fifteen thousand pounds, and had grown in the funds since then. When Mother passed away, her dowry in the same amount as her mother’s was added to the principal. Do not forget that my mother had the estate leased out since her father was called home. That income too was added to the money.” Bennet smirked. “Do you realise what Miss Bingley would say, who looks down on us as being impecunious, when she discovers that not only does the estate belong to one in our family, but her brother is helping to increase our daughters’ fortunes?” Bennert returned to what he was about to tell his wife before he was diverted. “Phillips over a few years transferred almost all of the funds to Gardiner to manage. Your brother has been earning between nine and thirteen percent per annum. Gardiner has been compounding the money.” Bennet saw his wife was not sure of what he spoke. “The more money there is, the more it earns. As nothing has been drawn from the money, it has grown to the point that with our girls, James’s one daughter and his second son, who will receive a legacy if he has no estate, will each receive an equal share, that is about forty thousand pounds.”

“Yes, you mentioned that amount before. So the seven of them will split it? That will give them a healthy fortune each. If they invest it with Edward, there will be a good income.”

“No, Fanny, it is not to split, that is the amount they will each receive. If they were able to receive the dividends as it is today, they would each have about four thousand annually.” Bennet watched as his wife sat frozen in place, not moving a muscle for some moments. He poured her a small glass of port. “Fanny, drink this.”

Fanny took the glass and threw it back in one gulp. “And I have been encouraging that awful Mr Collins to pursue Lizzy, so she could secure Longbourn for us. What have I done?” she wailed.

“We could take this time to go over the past and examine all of our follies, or we can decide to learn from the past and look to the future. I have decided that much must change, and I hope you will join me and not oppose me in this.” Bennet looked into his wife’s eyes so she could see his sincerity. “You pushing Collins towards Lizzy is a prime example. I could see what you were doing, I also did not miss how much Lizzy disdains Collins and would never accept him. Rather than save you and Lizzy both the mortification, I intended to sit back and allow things to play out to maximise my entertainment.”

“What are we to do now?” Fanny worried.

“There are changes you will need to make, especially as it pertains to our two youngest, more so, Lydia, but it all has to begin with me. I told your brother and Frank that the time has come for me to take charge of things, and I am absolutely resolved in this. I will begin with Collins. Before I do, I must tell you that I wrote to James some months ago when that buffoon started to write to me.” Bennet saw his wife’s eyebrow arch high in question. “Another of my failings, I never shared that with you, and only mentioned his coming the day he was to arrive.

“I begged James to come, and if nothing else, break the entail and decide what to do with Netherfield Park. I know not if he will respond, he never did to the letters Father and I sent him many years ago.”

“I wanted to ask, how is it you know of your brother’s children, and what of his wife?” Fanny enquired.

Bennet explained how he had gleaned the information with help from Gardiner’s man in New York and about their sister-in-law’s passing some four to five years past. “That is why I divided the principal into seven. Between what the children’s great-grandfather and grandmother did, they are very well off.”

“How was it I was not told until now? I would not have pushed the girls at men the way I have, had I known their futures were secure regardless of marriage or not.”

“Phillips was bound by the terms of the wills, both my grandfather’s and my mother’s. He only told me now because it seems that Jane is being courted seriously. One of the girls being courted or Jane reaching her five and twentieth birthday, were the two events which triggered the disclosure to be made today. My parents knew all about the terms of the wills, but they passed away before we had a child. I believe they would have told us when Jane was born.”

“Will they not be hunted for their fortunes?” Fanny suddenly realised.

“Firstly, we will not make this common knowledge. We will tell our eldest three, but until they mature a lot more, we cannot allow Kitty and Lydia to know. Secondly, as we speak, Phillips is adding more restrictions to the ones written in the wills, to make sure the girls are protected. Speaking of our two youngest girls, they are far too immature to be out.” Bennet held up his hand when he saw Fanny about to protest. “Fanny, you said yourself you had pushed the girls out early so they would be able to catch a man and secure their futures, did you not?”

“Yes! Yes, I suppose I did,” Fanny allowed.

“And did you not just say their futures are secure now?”

She allowed that it was so. “But to put them back in after they have been out…I did allow Lydia out at fourteen because she complained it was unfair she was the only one in. Was that too young?”

“I believe so. I will tell you what I will do. With the rain for the last day, and there is no sign it is letting up, I will only observe our daughters for now. If the rain clears enough for us to attend the ball, we all will, but I will warn Kitty and Lydia about the behaviour I expect from them before we leave. If they act the way I believe they will, they will be back in, and I will not be gainsaid in this.”

“I will not stand in your way. If they do not heed your warning, I will support you as well.”

“Thank you, Fanny. It can only be for their own benefit. There will be many other changes, but not all at once. One thing I demand with immediate effect is that no more officers will be received at Longbourn. I will not say more until we receive some additional information, but it seems some of these men are wolves in sheep’s clothing. With the rain I do not think it will be an issue until after the ball. I intend to speak to Colonel Forster at the ball, so he can inform his officers.”

“What will I do now that I do not need to worry about the girls’ future security?” Fanny mused.

“Hopefully you will be much happier, like the beautiful young lady I fell in love with all those years ago. Then you can banish your nerves which have been our companion for about twenty years.” Bennet leaned over and did something he had not done for well over fifteen years, he kissed his wife on the lips.

Fanny sat with ragged breath and a racing heart. Surely her husband kissing her was real, and not a dream? Thomas’s lips on hers was something she had believed she would never again experience during her remaining time in the mortal world. “When will you inform Jane, Lizzy, and Mary of their good fortunes?” Fanny asked once her breathing returned to a normal rate.

“After the ball. It is only another two days to wait,” Bennet replied. “There is no hurry. I need to observe them closely as well. Our youngest two are not the only ones who need to make some amendments to their characters.”

“Even your favourite, Lizzy?”

“Yes, even Lizzy. On that subject, it is not good that we have chosen favourites, and even worse, our children know who we prefer. Think how left out Mary and Kitty must feel. I lavish time and attention on Lizzy, while you do the same for Jane and Lydia. It is one of the reasons I believe Kitty follows Lydia in all things, and why Mary tries to excel as a moralistic person and on the pianoforte. And do not think this is a criticism of you, Fanny. We both do it, and I had the power to demand change, yet I did not. Hence, as I said earlier, far more of the fault lies with me, and I will bear it.” Bennet paused as he turned and lifted his wife’s head to look at him directly after she had dropped her eyes to the floor. “Change, even when it is good, is hard. I am sure I will err and possibly even revert to some of my past behaviours, but I will continue to remind myself what I am doing, and more importantly, why.”

“And you will need my support, will you not?”

“Yes I will. Even though I used to call them the silliest girls in the realm, I believe Lydia is anything but, she only acts that way to get her own way. If she sees daylight between us, she will exploit it. So yes, Fanny, I absolutely need your full support.”

“Thomas, I pledge that you will have it!” Fanny exclaimed emphatically.

“Please send Lizzy to me, my love,” Bennet requested when his wife stood to exit the study.

A few minutes later, his second daughter entered. Bennet asked her to relate the contents of the discussion she had had with Lieutenant Wickham at the Widow Harrison’s house. He listened without comment not pointing out the glaring inconsistencies and contradictions.

When she left her father’s study, Elizabeth was somewhat disconcerted. She had expected some reaction to the tale of Mr Darcy’s perfidy, not silence and a curt dismissal.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

It rained for two days, and the day before the ball to be held at Netherfield Park, much to the chagrin of the estate’s hostess, the sun came out, drying and firming the roads.

Caroline Bingley had been in anticipation of cancelling the ball. If it was because of the weather, Mr Darcy could not blame her, but now thanks to the sudden change and the rain ceasing, she was trapped by her own words, agreeing with the man she intended to marry.

The ball proceeding meant the Bennet sisters would be in attendance. One, far too low and poor to become a Bingley, Jane Bennet was the object of her brother’s attentions. She was sure, just like the other angels she had run off, she would be able to do the same with this one as well. Worse, it meant Eliza Bennet and her fine eyes would be at Netherfield Park to tempt her Mr Darcy. Caroline had chased him for five years and no country bumpkin, no matter how fine her eyes, would steal Mr Darcy out from under her.

Contrary to popular belief, she was not blind to Mr Darcy’s disinterest in herself, but she would not allow a small thing like his preferences deter her from her path. Charles had warned her that he would never offer for her, even with a compromise. Miss Bingley was sure her brother was wrong. Mr Darcy was, first and foremost, a man of honour so he would always do the right thing.

She was not ready to resort to a compromise yet, but she would if he did not come to the point on his own before they left this backwater.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

“You asked to see me, Cousin Bennet,” Collins stated pompously as he planted his large derriere in a chair before the desk without being invited to sit.

Although his odour was not pleasant—it smelled like sweat and other unpleasant elements—Bennet had to tolerate the contemptuous man, so he could deliver the message he needed to impart. “I did. Firstly, when we travel to Netherfield Park, unless you bathe and scrub yourself from head to toe, you will sit on the box, loathe as I am to subject my coachmen to your odour.” Bennet ignored the outraged look on his cousin’s countenance. “Secondly, I will not bestow my permission for you to marry any of my daughters, especially not Lizzy. Mrs Bennet was in error with her advice to you. If you humiliate yourself and ask her to be your wife, Lizzy will flatly refuse you and I will support her, as will her mother!”

Collins looked outraged. In his mind none of the Bennets could do better than to marry him. Did his cousin not realise the daughter would be mistress of the estate one day? “In that case, I will withdraw my offer to dance with them at the ball, and the other men will follow suit!” he bit out angrily.

“If it gives you comfort to believe that, it is your right. My girls were very popular dance partners before you came, and it will be the same after.” Before Collins could add a bitter retort, Bennet added, “On the morrow, after the ball, we need to speak of the entail.”

Bennet smiled as he watched Collins try and divine what he intended to say. “What can you tell me I do not already know; my beneficent patroness reviewed the documents and agrees I am the legal heir.” Collins’s chest puffed up with pride like it did whenever he mentioned Lady Catherine de Bourgh, his all-knowing and wise patroness.”

Although he wanted to ask his idiot cousin where the lady read the law, Bennet merely nodded and dismissed the odoriferous man.