Endurance's End - Chapter 2
A/N: To everyone who has reviewed, favourited and followed, thank you! It is deeply appreciated and welcomed. To address a couple of points raised, the one offer refered to by Jane in chapter 1 is Mr Collin's offering for Lizzy. While she knows of Mr Darcy, she would not, even in her anger, break Lizzy's confidances. Also, while we will hear from Bingley at some point, it will be brief. He never loved Jane enough to come back after all, and Jane will meet someone who loves her far too much to walk away! I hope you enjoy this chapter, but please do not assume I will always post so fast. I have three kids and I'm currently battling with depression and some other mental health issues; writing is a solace and hopefully it will continue to be. Thanks again for reading!
As Jane and Elizabeth returned to the house, they could not miss the cries emanating from the parlour. Lydia's hysterics were putting even their mother's greatest performances to shame and exchanging a wondering look, they hastened to fetch bonnets and pelisses so they might absent themselves.
Jane was changing her slippers for boots when Kitty slipped into the hall. "Jane!" cried Kitty in a semi-whisper. "Where do you go?"
"Lizzy and I are about to walk into Meryton -" Jane replied mildly, looking up as Elizabeth returned from advising Mrs Hill of their intentions. "We were planning to visit the bakers."
"Oh, do let me come with you!" begged Kitty hastily, dashing to fetch her own bonnet.
Jane and Elizabeth made no objection to the request and the three sisters walked out together. They made their way in silence for some minutes before Kitty finally spoke. "Papa changed his mind."
Jane winced.
"About Lydia's trip to Brighton?" queried Elizabeth cautiously.
"Yes. When Mama finished her breakfast, she called for the carriage and Papa came out of his bookroom and canceled it. He told Mama he had thought about it and Lydia was not to go to Brighton. Mama objected but Papa just shut himself back into his bookroom and locked the door!"
"Poor Lydia!" cried Jane. As much as she had abhorred the scheme, she could not help but feel sympathy for her baby sister's disappointment.
Elizabeth looked skywards and threw up her hands in exasperation. "Poor Lydia indeed!" she returned sharply. "Stopped from exposing us all to shame and thus perhaps not blighting the prospects of all us, her included!"
Jane sighed, her expression displaying her unhappiness. "It must be for the best," she allowed sadly.
Kitty looked from one sister to the other and her forehead crinkled as she thought. "Jane… Lizzy… why are you… how would Lydia expose us to shame?" she asked in a small voice, her expression pleading.
"Kitty, do you truly not understand?" cried Elizabeth.
Jane paused in her walk and drew Kitty into a quick embrace. "Oh Kitty, I wish we did not have to explain!"
The rest of the walk was spent in earnest conversation and Jane and Elizabeth spelled out in painful detail the impropriety of Lydia's behaviour, her lack of experience, how unscrupulous men would not refrain from taking advantage of her and the consequences of such a thing would be on the Bennet's already shaky reputation. Kitty had always been affronted by their advice and censure in the past but at last she was listening.
Upon reaching Meryton, Elizabeth guided their steps towards the house where Colonel Forster lived, explaining that Hill gave her a note to deliver from Mr Bennet. Jane and Kitty did not ask the contents; they could guess well enough. Once the note was delivered to the Colonel's hand, they then walked on to the baker and Elizabeth treated them all to a sweet sticky bun. They sat by the green, greedily eating their buns and licking their fingers as they had done as children. No one stopped to talk with them although several acquaintances greeted them in passing.
Unwilling to talk more of sensitive matters in so public a place, they kept their conversation trivial. Kitty was happy to hear stories of their young cousins in London and they all giggled over the antics Jane described. Eventually, Kitty suggested they should call ont heir aunt Phillips and as Jane and Elizabeth's moods had mellowed, they agreed.
Mrs Phillips was easily as silly as her sister and had always been vulgar but despite her penchant for gossip, she was genuinely kind and generous at heart. She welcomed her nieces most happily and when she asked why she had not seen Lydia and Mrs Bennet come to shop yet, Kitty blurted out that they wouldn't be shopping for Mr Bennet had changed his mind.
"Oh dear! Oh gracious! Poor poor Lydia!" cried Mrs Phillips energetically. "Did your dear father give a reason? Is she ill? Has something happened to my sister?"
Jane blushed a violent pink and Elizabeth hastily stammered an explanation that perhaps Mr Bennet did not wish to part with his youngest.
Mrs Phillips dismissed that idea at once and, her gaze locking onto Jane's embarrassment, pursued the question. Kitty was entirely unable to withstand the inquisition and Jane did not fare much better and it was not long before their aunt had the whole story of Jane's outburst at breakfast.
Elizabeth expected her aunt to take Mrs Bennet's part but she was swiftly proved wrong.
"My dear Jane," cried Mrs Phillips, "How distressed you have been! Such a sad business with Bingley! I am not surprised it pressed even your sweet temper beyond the end of your endurance! You are right of course. Such great men are not likely to connect themselves with the likes of us." She continued in this vein for some minutes, lamenting all Jane had gone through and the lack of great matches in the neighbourhood. She did not see that it was the behaviour of their family that was an issue; she repined their lack of fortune and connections and blamed it all on the evil of Longbourn being entailed away.
Unfortunately, the thought of the entail brought to mind Mr Collins and Elizabeth's refusal and from attempting to console Jane, Mrs Phillips was moved to scold Elizabeth for her foolishness yet again. Elizabeth did not allow her aunt to provoke her and soon managed to turn the conversation to the doings of Meryton, something that occupied the conversation until the sisters took their leave and walked back to Longbourn.
That evening, Mr and Mrs Phillips dined alone and Mrs Phillips spoke to her husband most feelingly about Jane's plight. "I wish I could think of a way to assist them, my dear. I shall write to all my acquaintance and inquire!"
Mr Phillips said little in reply but the issue was of sufficient import that he mentioned it a day later in a letter to his brother.
Mrs Bennet spent four days sympathising with her youngest daughter but Lydia's hysterics did not abate. Jane and Elizabeth spent their time chiefly with Kitty and the three took every excuse they could contrive to be away from the house. Mary would not be moved from her studies and her music and Mr Bennet spent most of his waking hours behind the now locked door of his bookroom. It had seemed almost as if it would go on forever but Mrs Bennet was a woman of uncertain temper and Lydia's incessant complaints finally misstepped.
"Enough!" Mrs Bennet screeched at the dinner table. "Lydia, be quiet! Oh my poor nerves!"
Lydia pouted and whined some more.
Mrs Bennet erupted from her seat and, taking a firm hold of Lydia's ear, marched upstairs and relieved her feelings by delivering several sharp smacks to her daughter's bottom before sending her to bed. Having finally gained the silence she had demanded, she returned downstairs exuding an unusual satisfaction. Discovering her husband still at the table, she immediately expressed her indignation that his intransigence should have driven them to this!
Mr Bennet eyed his wife in wonder and replied that it was rather Lydia's intransigence that had so disturbed the household.
Mrs Bennet immediately retorted that she had been monstrously ill used and once dinner was over, she retired to her room with a headache.
The next morning brought rain enough to keep all the Bennets indoors. Lydia's offense of the previous evening was not mentioned although the shock of her treatment had served some purpose – in fear of being sent back to her room, she stayed quiet and occupied herself by tearing apart an old bonnet. Mrs Bennet was lamenting that her head was still paining her and her nerves would not settle when a visitor arrived.
"Sister! I have wonderful news!" Mrs Phillips cried as soon as she entered, brandishing a letter before them.
"Oh sister! What news? From whom?"
"It is from my sister Phillips."* answered Mrs Phillips, referring to the wife of her husband's brother. "I shall read it out at once!
"My dear sister Phillips,
My husband shared with me the plight of your nieces and the deplorable lack of prospects in Meryton that his brother mentioned in his last letter and I mentioned it to my dear friend, Mrs Stratton.
Mrs Phillips broke off in her reading to remind them that Mr Stratton was the gentleman who had granted Mr James Phillips the living at Upper Dorring.
"The Strattons son married last year but their eldest daughter is still unattached and right now, they are hosting a house party and they have no less than seven most eligible gentlemen visiting, -"
Mrs Bennet gasped. "Oh sister!"
"- along with several young ladies. There has long been planned a May Ball at the assembly rooms for next Saturday and the Stratton's guests are quite determined to attend so they may dance. Mrs Stratton, however, is concerned there are not enough young ladies present for the dance to come off well. Therefore, she suggested I should invite some of your neices to visit so there may be enough partners for all the young people."
"Yes!" cried Mrs Bennet. "Oh, it is just the thing! Seven eligible gentlemen! I shall go distracted!"
"If it is all agreeable, send them to us on Friday. Mrs Stratton has most generously offered to send their carriage to meet them at the coaching inn in Jopley which is remarkably near the half way mark from Meryton. We can return them the following Wednesday in the same manner as that is the only day the Stratton carriage can be spared. Write me at once with the details. I fear I have only the one room I can spare here at the parsonage, however, so I must beg you only send me two or perhaps three girls if they are not so very large.
Your sister, Mrs James Phillips."
For perhaps three or even four seconds after Mrs Phillips finished reading the letter, there was silence. Then the excitement erupted; Lydia demanded she be allowed to go in recompense for her disappointment, Mary disclaimed any interest in being one of the party and Mrs Bennet babbled about dresses and shoe roses.
When Mrs Bennet finally remembered to apply to Mr Bennet for permission, the matter was settled. Jane was to go and Jane insisted Elizabeth accompany her. Lydia would not go; her mother would not hear of it for Lydia must be here to properly farewell the militia (who were set to depart on Monday). Kitty wavered between wishing to attend the farewell party for the regiment versus wishing to go with Jane and Elizabeth and Jane settled the matter by asking for Kitty to come with her. To Upper Dorring, therefore, Jane, Elizabeth and Kitty were to go.
* To clarify, in this universe, Mr Phillips has a younger brother, Mr James Phillips, who went into the church. You'll meet him and his wife and kids in future chapters. He holds a living in Upper Dorring which, for the purposes for this story, is situated about 5 hours by carriage from Meryton and is, in essentials, just another country town akin to Meryton or Lambton.