Chapter 43

Chapter Forty-Three

APRIL 1811

A fter such a long courtship, it was decided that the wedding would not be delayed. The wedding would take place at the chapel in Longbourn since Mary wished for her friend, Mr. Allen, to preside over her wedding. Now that William Collins was her brother, along with having been her friend, she asked him to walk her down the aisle, a decision both her uncles seconded.

Since the previous summer, Mrs. Bennet had been confined to her cottage and a nurse was employed whose primary responsibility was to keep the lady content and to provide companionship. This woman knew not to trust her charge or to allow her to leave what had essentially become a very well decorated gaol. Among other responsibilities of the nurse, she had a special blend of herbs to give her patient three times a day. These herbs, recommended by Darcy’s physician the previous summer, were intended to keep the lady calm and to prevent outbursts.

Out of a sense of duty, Jane continued to visit her mother at least once a week. Upon hearing the news of Mary’s wedding, Mrs. Bennet had grown angry since the gentleman Mary had wed had a larger estate than Longbourn, and Mrs. Bennet was still upset at Jane for marrying Mr. Collins. This anger grew when she overheard that Jane was with child.

Following this outburst, Jane ceased her visits, and the physician was called again to assess her condition. Before he arrived, Mary returned to Longbourn to prepare for her wedding, and somehow Mrs. Bennet learned of the impending arrival.

No one was quite certain how the next event happened. When Mrs. Bennet was supposed to be resting, she managed to sneak out of the house and make her way to Longbourn to meet the carriage that Mary arrived in with her Aunt Gardiner.

Mary had barely set foot on the gravel when her mother’s shrill voice reached her ears.

“Mary! Oh, Mary, how could you let them do this to me?” Mrs. Bennet wailed, rushing toward the carriage. Her face was flushed, her hair slightly askew, and she clutched at her gown in a way that suggested she had dressed hastily. “My own daughter, coming home with no thought of visiting me! They have locked me away, treated me like some old hag, and you—you have forgotten your poor mother!”

Aunt Gardiner stepped forward, her voice calm but firm. “Sister, this is not the time nor the place. Mary has only just arrived, and you are in no state?—”

“No state?” Mrs. Bennet cut her off, her eyes wild as she rounded on her. “Of course, I am in a state! Left to rot in that dreadful cottage while my children abandon me! How could you allow this? How could you let them shut me away?”

Mary, who had stood frozen in shock, finally found her voice. “Mama, please. We only did what was best for your health. No one has hurt you and you have everything you need.”

Mrs. Bennet’s gaze swung back to her, narrowing. “My health? My health would be perfectly fine if I had not been treated so shamefully! No one cares for me, not even my own daughters. First Jane abandons me, and now you too, Mary? And you have allowed them to send Lydia away to some terrible school and she is not even allowed to write to me.”

“Mama,” Mary began, her voice growing firmer in her resolve, “you know that it is not like that. Your family is trying to care for you and to do what is best for you; for all of us. You will exhaust yourself if you continue as you are.”

Mrs. Bennet threw her hands up dramatically. “Exhausting myself? I am merely trying to live my life. But what do any of you know of exhaustion, hm? Living in comfort while I am kept away from society—no one to speak with, no carriage to take me where I please! I am a prisoner in that awful place!"

Aunt Gardiner made an attempt to calm the situation. “You must return home and rest, Fanny. Mary and I intended to visit you once we were settled in Longbourn.” This was not completely true; they had intended to visit with her briefly during their stay at Longbourn, but it likely would not have happened that day.

“You were going to visit me?” Mrs. Bennet spat. “As if I wanted to see you after what you have done to me these last few years. I need to be freed from that prison of a cottage. I am suffocating, I tell you! I should be at Longbourn, hosting guests and keeping my house as I have always done before. But you—” she pointed an accusing finger at Mary, “you refused to marry Collins and are now marrying the man who Jane ought to have had. You have stolen from her the chance to marry a man of wealth. Jane barely visits me anymore, and I know that it is due to your influence.” She turned and moved her finger to point at her sister instead of her daughter.

Mary’s expression grew pained, her composure slipping. “Mama, I have not taken anything away from Jane. Mr. Collins and I were only ever friends, and he and Jane fell in love. She wished to marry him; I did not. Neither did he ever ask me to do so since I have only recently reached an appropriate age to marry. Your entire family has done everything they can to make sure you are comfortable in your cottage, but you have continued to make it difficult for people to do anything for you, Mother. Please stop now and return to your cottage. Please do not make things harder than they already are.”

Mrs. Bennet paused for a moment, as if the thought had finally registered. But instead of softening, she grew more indignant. “Harder? Harder on you? Well, let me tell you, Miss Mary Bennet, it is hard on me to be left alone as I have been. And now you are to marry some wealthy gentleman while I am left with nothing and stuck in this cottage, without even my Lydia for companionship. I have no fortune, no house, no respect. It is always the same with you girls, thinking of yourselves and never of your poor mother!”

Before Mary could respond, Aunt Gardiner stepped in more forcefully, her patience finally wearing thin. “Fanny, this is enough. You are clearly not well, and this behaviour is unbecoming. We will not continue this conversation out here. Go to your cottage and rest, or I will have no choice but to send for the apothecary to come and sedate you immediately.”

Mrs. Bennet looked between them, her chest heaving with fury, but Aunt Gardiner’s steady gaze seemed to quell her outrage—for the moment, at least. With a final huff, she turned on her heel and began storming back toward her cottage. A groom from the stables followed her to ensure she made her way back safely and to let the nurse know she had escaped.

Mary watched her go, her shoulders sagging in defeat. “That was worse than I expected from her in some ways, but not as bad in others. She still believes she could have forced me to marry Mr. Collins and is still upset that Jane did not simply allow her to remain as Longbourn’s hostess. Despite the fact that she never truly acted as the mistress of the estate, she liked being the hostess of the largest estate nearby and the social status she gleaned as such. ”

Her aunt nodded and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “I believe you are correct, Mary. She is the type of person who will never be satisfied with what she has been given. For now, it is best that we enter the house and tell Jane and Mr. Collins what has transpired on their drive. It is obvious that your mother is ill, but you must not let her overshadow your future. We will manage her, as we have been doing.” She gave Mary a reassuring smile.

Mrs. Hill stood at the entry; her eyes wide at having witnessed the confrontation. “You were expected, ladies, but Mr. Collins was called away this morning by a tenant and has yet to return. Mrs. Collins is upstairs resting since she has not been well this morning. She asked me to convey her apologies to you for not being down to greet you and requested that you be shown directly to her private sitting room. However, if you prefer to be shown to your rooms, she said she would wait upon you later.”

Not needing to rest after such a short journey, the two asked to be shown directly to Jane. They quickly related their encounter with Mrs. Bennet to their hostess, and Jane could only sigh. “I have had to stop visiting her myself. Since she is now aware that I am with child, her behaviour has only grown worse. The physician should arrive within the next few days to evaluate her and give some suggestions about what can be done about her. Honestly, I am worried about what will happen if she learns that Elizabeth and her husband are to arrive soon for the wedding. They are leasing a house nearby for the weeks before and after the wedding.”

Mary nodded, remaining silent for several moments. “Fitzwilliam told Uncle he has an estate in Scotland where there is probably a cottage that could house Mrs. Bennet and any servants necessary to care for her and maintain the house. I doubt it would be any more expensive to hire servants in Scotland than it is here; the only extra expense will be the journey.”

The others agreed and they began discussing possibilities for Mrs. Bennet’s care; however, the conversation soon turned to a letter Mrs. Gardiner received from Lydia’s school. “I am afraid Lydia will eventually need to join her mother although I have suggested that the headmistress give Lydia a tea similar to the one that Mrs. Bennet takes. It seems to help when she takes it first thing in the morning. However, they have noted that when Lydia goes for a vigorous walk in the morning, her energy levels and ability to focus improve. With a suitable companion to encourage her to maintain these habits regularly, she may eventually be able to return home.”

This was met with another round of nods as they all considered what they had been told. “Given her treatment of her sisters over the last few years, I am uncertain any of us will be very willing to spend much time with her unless she has truly changed. I think she could do well with Catherine and Georgiana—they would provide an example of proper behaviour for her—but I am afraid she would become jealous of the close relationship between the two and seek to be the centre of attention in whatever way she can,” Mary stated

“I agree,” Mrs. Gardiner said. “The headmistress reports her behaviour is the same as it always has been except she is somewhat more cooperative when she takes her tea and has exercise. She is still difficult to get along with and tries to intimidate her schoolmates into giving her what she wants.”

Jane and Mary both sighed at that. “I am afraid she would not be welcome here either. There is no one in the neighbourhood who would be willing to befriend her due to her previous actions, and I am worried about how she would treat me. Given that I am with child, I think it would be unwise to have her here. I am afraid if she is not at the school, she will need her own establishment someplace where her interactions can be monitored,” Jane finally said.

“But she cannot be with Mama. If the two are together, they will make each other worse instead of better. I do believe Mama is truly ill, perhaps a little mad, but with a proper example, I would like to think Lydia could be better,” Mary replied .

Mrs. Gardiner tutted. “You are borrowing trouble. At the moment, Lydia is well established at the school and will remain there for some time. The school is year-round, and Lydia will not need to return home any time soon. When that time comes, we will determine what needs to be done then. For now, let us focus on what needs to be done for Mary’s wedding.”