His very own Hunsford moment
Mr Bennet accidentally overhears something and it is not favourable at all. Now, what to do? This little oneshot is set sometime during Elisabeth's stint in Kent. Could this still be canon or couldn't it?
Disclaimer: I am still neither English nor from the regency time period, so please report (kindly) any mistakes to me. Pride and Prejudice is still part of the public domain as far as I know so if anyone wants to pay me for this little oneshot, feel free! ;-)
Thanks to cfsdad for beta-reading and editing!
It is perhaps not unreasonable to suppose that they really had not seen him. He was sitting with his back to the door after all, and had been for while. Furthermore, both his brother Phillips and Mr Goulding were not known to be malicious.
Still, the words managed to penetrate his carefully built... imagination – one would have to so call it now to be true – of respectability. Respectability, that is, as far as his family was concerned.
To fully understand Mr Bennet's hurt one, dear reader, would have to be privy to the exact conversation mentioned above. For the sake of your better information it will be related presently. Only for your understanding, mind! It would not do to gossip, would it?
When Mr Phillips and Mr Goulding entered the room, some 10 minutes prior, they seemed unaware that it was already occupied. Their conversation was already well established.
"Come now, Phillips," Goulding said, "you cannot truly wonder why Mr Bingley jilted her. If my wife is to be believed," - a small chuckle was heard form both of them - "the Bingley family has aspirations to join the first circles of the ton. The Bennets may be of longstanding gentility, but they are not of the first circles."
"True, true" said Phillips. "But our Jane very well could be. Her manners and disposition always were far above the rest."
"She would do well for someone already established in the first circles, someone who could calmly weather any scandal her younger sisters bring upon the family."
"It pains me to speak so of family" here Phillips paused, probably to acknowledge Gouldings understanding nod, "but the youngest two are an accident waiting to happen. My brother Bennet refuses to see how bad they already have become, and their mother is too silly to see where they err."
"Well, I always thought Bennet too complacent to take them in hand. I cannot imagine failing my own offspring in so dilatory a way."
Despite not having any offspring himself, Phillips made some concurring murmur before Goulding continued: "If they had handsome dowries it would not be so bad, I suppose; some men would overlook embarassing relations for a plump dowry. As it is, one must say Bennet raises a herd of spinsters and scandals to be. I could not care less, you know, but you will be saddled with the lot when Bennet ..." At this point in the conversation both gentlemen left the room, presumably to join the rest of the party.
The, now again, sole occupant of the small library was left in deep contemplation.
At first he was enraged to hear his family spoken of in this way by men he had previously considered close acquaintances, if not friends. Those backstabbing... never mind.
Kitty and Lydia could not be so very bad, could they? They were still children after all... well children who were out, which would technically make them... adults. Scary thought that!
Better think of … Jane... dear, gentle Jane, had he truly failed her? And his little Lizzy? There was plenty of time left for them to find the right match, was there not?
Regardless of his faults Mr Bennet was generally honest, even to himself. It only took some minutes for his honesty to overcome his injured pride and make it impossible not to give some justice to the overheard information. It pained him that his Jane probably had only two or three years left before she would be considered on the shelf. She would probably calmly take up the spinster's cap, and assure anyone that she would happily care for any offspring her sisters had. If any of his daughters deserved motherhood it was his gentle, caring Jane. Mr Bingley, as overexcited and flighty as he appeared, could very well have been her last chance for matrimony.
His Lizzy would not mind spinsterhood, he thought.
At first, a voice at the back of his mind insisted, but when she was beholden to the Philips or even the Gardiners would she not rue the lack of her own establishment?
She was a fighter, he argued with his inner voice, she would not lightly be dependent on anyone. There was always the possibility of employment as a governess or even as a lady's companion. For the sake of the argument, he conveniently ignored the inevitable dependency on any employer.
The little voice persisted: did she have the necessary accomplishments for a governess? She plays the piano and knows some latin and greek, but what about popular languages or drawing?
With a cold shiver, Mr Bennet realised that none of his daughters had a fair chance at respectable employment not even Mary, who proudly wore the moniker of most-accomplished Bennet daughter.
Slowly and hesitantly he began to comprehend his wife's fears. Those same fears that had transformed a gay, naive beauty into the nervous harridan that haunted his home.
He had not only failed his daughters with his idleness, but his wife, too!
He should have employed a governess to better prepare his daughters, but instead chose to ignore the situation. As if it would go away. At least he should have practised better economy to up their dowries, or taken an active interest in their education.
He should have known that his wife would be overwhelmed, but had ignored any signs in favour of a new book and the silence of his refuge, his beloved library.
Now that he had acknowledged his faults what could be done?
Did he have the funds to employ a governess for Kitty and Lydia? Mary too, probably... Well he could economize a bit and without the steady demand for new dresses for any and all functions... But he could not very well declare them "not out". Once a girl was "out" there was no way back. It would smell of hidden scandal, and he shuddered to imagine what tale his backstabbing neighbours would come up with. They seemed to anticipate scandal from his family any day now. No, a governess was out of the question. That left finishing school. Since the girls were only "out" in the country, it could be reasoned away as polishing for a season in town or something. They were still young enough. For Mary a year should suffice, Kitty and Lydia would probably need two or even three. He could say that there was some small inheritance left especially for education. Some distant cousin no one had heard of... female, probably spinster or childless widow... That would do. He would probably need to pay for a season for his least deserving daughters to keep up the charade. The small season at least. Mary would hopefully decline. That meant he had two to three years to save the funds for that. Well, he would save some pounds on the finery his daughters could not possibly need in school. They could cut the expenses of entertaining a bit. That should cover the school and then some. His brother Gardiner, with his widespread contacts, could make some inquiries into inexpensive finishing schools.
Perhaps Gardiner could, too, organize some masters for Jane since she was already in London. Drawing perhaps, and French or Italian. Lizzy could participate once she returned from Kent. That would mean a longer separation from his most sensible daughter. He had to quell his selfish wishes and think of her benefit. Once they had a good grounding they could practise alone at home. Maybe another stint in town to refresh their knowledge later in the year? What about a small season for them? Well, with the expenses of masters, that would probably be impossible. He would have to talk with them when they returned. Perhaps next year?
He would have to check his accounts when he was back in his own library and write some letters. Should he produce a fake letter about his "inheritance"? Better not... Mrs Bennet would believe him without it and that should be enough to start the gossips. He would have to tell Lizzy. Jane was too honest, but Lizzy would understand and support the scheme.
Tomorrow. Tomorrow his plans to educate his daughters would commence.