Summary: Follow Mary Bennet in her quest to discover her true self, as unlikely friendships are formed, tentative romances occur, and attempts of matchmaking (or insufferable meddling) run wild. Also featuring Kitty, and other less known Austenian heroines. "Crossover" with other novels from Jane Austen.
Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Jane Austen's genius. Only this plot is mine, along with a few original characters.
Elizabeth Darcy was not a woman easily put off by unexpected news. But at this very instant, she could not bring herself to smile encouragingly and nod in approval. Instead, she all but screamed:
"You are to work as a domestic!"
Mary, lips pinched, corrected coldly:
"As a companion. This is not quite the same."
Her sister's collected composure irritated Elizabeth. Indeed, the anger which rose within herself could rival the one she felt during her husband's unfortunate first proposal. She said in a deadly voice:
"Mary, have you lost your mind? Why did you accept such a position, and why did you even seek it in the first place?".
Mary went rigid. She knew that breaking the news to Elizabeth would be one of her most arduous tasks, but she had to admit that it was one thing to steel herself for the upcoming confrontation, and a wholly different thing to actually live it.
"I see nothing wrong in my decision, Elizabeth, and so should you."
"Nothing wrong!" Elizabeth cried. "To work! And to accept a situation so inferior to your rank! What possessed you to act so foolishly! You, who always pride yourself on your sense of property!".
"Elizabeth…Lizzy, I am just asking you to trust my judgement. What I did was indeed most sensible, and…" Mary implored.
"Sensible! You acted selfishly, without ever thinking of the consequences you would bring on us!" Elizabeth interrupted.
It had been trying enough to make Darcy forget that the despicable Wickham was his brother-in-law, but she did not know how he would react when he would learn that one of his sister-in-law would work as a companion, and worse, what the Ton would think of this. Would she always have to be ashamed of her relatives? Kitty had been her constant preoccupation since Lydia's elopement, but nothing could have prepared her to Mary's truly appalling behaviour. But there remained a possibility to prevent the disaster from happening…
" Mary", Elizabeth tried in a more gentle way, "why did you do this? Have you ever considered that when you are a companion, many people of our society will shun you…"
"Indeed, I am shuddering at this very thought! Still, I surmise that I will not perceive the difference with my current situation", Mary replied ironically.
"But this may compromise your chances of getting married!" Elizabeth attempted in despair.
"Which chances are you talking about?" Mary asked sadly, without expecting any answer.
Elizabeth brightened suddenly:
"Mary, you should not be so harsh with yourself! You shall not take this position because you believe that you will die a spinster anyway! You shall have no worry about it, I am convinced that we could find you an honourable man in due time! I shall ask Mr Darcy to…"
"No, Elizabeth!". Mary felt the bitterness overwhelming her. "Your charity is lost on me! I do not want to throw myself at any decent man in need of a wife and decided to overlook her lack of beauty and fortune because of her wealthy connections which would help him to make his way through the social ladder! I refuse to owe my husband to you, Elizabeth, as I refuse to sink so low as to accept an union which would be just a masquerade! I am a bit like you on this matter", she whispered but Elizabeth heard her nevertheless.
"Mary, no man would make such reasoning!" she said but her tone lacked the conviction. Elizabeth mentally cursed herself for being such a terrible liar, but she had never been one to successfully hide her emotions.
" However, you must realise that whereas Jane and I have married for love, such lucky matches are not within the reach of many people, but I know several women who did not enter the state of marriage as much in love with her husbands as we were, and still found their happiness. Indeed, you are sensible and therefore shall understand that love is not always required in successful unions, and could be replaced with esteem for the man you are to marry. Love may come later."
Elizabeth felt awfully uneasy. She was expressing ideas which were not hers, but she feared that Mary's hopes, whatever they may be, could only distress her sister more. After all, Mary had never seemed to be a romantic, and she was not one to trigger passion wherever she went. And Elizabeth had not really lied to her, for this matrimonial advice would not have been disparaged by the now happily-wedded Charlotte Collins.
"You say that I am sensible, Elizabeth. This is the reason why I prefer working as a companion, to earn a living and to save enough money for the time when I am labelled as an "old spinster" depending on my sisters' charity, despised at the worse and pitied at the best. I am proud enough to refuse both your pity and your charity, and I am not naive to believe that despite my looks and my poverty, I could find a man eager to marry me. You see, Elizabeth, I confess that I am foolish, foolish enough to reject the thought of marrying without love. Since I am not as beautiful and attractive as Jane and you, I will work to afford having the choice of being, in spite of all my knowledge, just a silly romantic girl who will die a spinster, but an independent one."
Mary's eyes shone with unshed tears.
"Mary, you are being ridiculous! This is nonsense, you will find a husband and live happily ever after! And I cannot let you work and risk your future…"
"Elizabeth, I have given my word to Mrs Traumayn and I am resolved to keep it.", Mary interrupted firmly.
"If you do not listen to me, you shall listen to our father! I will write to him immediately" Elizabeth rose, agitated.
"I did not come to obtain your blessing, and I have already seen to tell the news to Father, who had the right to be the first informed of my resolution." Mary cut in.
"Father will not give you the permission!"
"Do you really think so, Elizabeth? If I remember accurately, he remained rather indolent during and after the whole affair of our young sister's elopement? Why should he take extreme measures to make me come back to Longbourne since what I am doing is, unlike what Lydia did, nothing I should be ashamed of!" Mary said stiffly.
Elizabeth could find no reply. Mary rose and added calmly:
"I shall leave now. I am sorry that you do not understand my decision, and I hope that you shall hear reason in the future, for sisterly affection is a strength which should never stop uniting us."
Elizabeth answered instead:
"People will think that we have failed you somehow."
Mary's words betrayed her cold anger:
"Everything does not revolve around you, and as far as I am concerned, there will be no failure. I will make sure of that. And you shall be glad to hear that I will not put the Bennet name to shame, for where we are going, Mrs Traumayn will introduce me as a friend who travels with her, and not as a woman who is paid to do so."
Mary's face was livid as she added before leaving the room: "It seems that only my family will remember to look down on me for my being a companion."
Mary had already taken several steps away from Elizabeth's house when she heard Georgiana's voice calling her. Turning her head, she indeed saw Miss Darcy nearly running towards her. In her haste, she had forgotten to put a bonnet on her head and her long blond curls were flowing freely:
"Miss Bennet!" Georgiana managed to utter.
"Miss Darcy! Why are you following me? I gave your maid a letter to bid you farewell."
"I know", Miss Darcy said, blushing furiously. "But I overheard- it was by accident, I swear! I was in the stairs when you called on us, well, on Elizabeth- and I could not help but hear what you said. You are going to work as a companion…"
Mary kept her head down. What would Miss Darcy think of her?
"… and travel far away?" Georgiana asked.
"Well, not that far, but I do believe that it will take much time before we may see us again, Miss Darcy."
"Why?"
"I am sorry, Miss Darcy?"
Still blushing, Georgiana said tentatively:
"I do not pretend to understand your choice, but I did hope that we might still write to each other while you are away, and this until we meet again…if you wish so, of course."
Mary was moved to tears by this proposition. It was Miss Darcy's way of showing her support, and Mary knew that she had just been offered Georgiana's friendship:
"I would be much delighted to be your correspondent, Miss Darcy. Indeed I would, but I do not want you to get into trouble with my sister and your brother for writing to me."
"But why would William or Elizabeth be against it?"
Mary sighed, but whispered nevertheless:
"Miss Darcy, except for Jane, I do believe that I have just been…disowned by my family. Middle-class daughters whose father is a gentleman may either get married or die spinsters, but they are forbidden to work. Work for women is only acceptable for those of lower rank, and this no matter how much middle-class daughters need money to survive with dignity…"
Mary choked on the words. Miss Darcy's sympathetic gaze did not falter, and she said simply:
"We are sisters, and nothing others could tell me will change this. Give me your address, and I will write to you." Georgiana concluded determinedly.
Mary could do nothing but comply with her new friend's request, and they parted ways, both feeling that they had gained something unexpectedly valuable within the past month.
Meanwhile, a confused Elizabeth was remembering an other shocking announcement, when her former friend, then Charlotte Lucas, had told her about her engagement to Mr Collins. A little voice kept nagging at the back of her mind: "not all of us can afford to be romantic". Was this sentence behind her sister's choice?
Mary recalled Jane's reaction at her news: she had not understood her sister's choice, but her first concerns had been for Mary's welfare. Jane had inquired about Mrs Traumayn, and she had made Mary promise, besides to write to her monthly, to tell her at once if Mrs Traumayn did mistreat her, in order that Mr Bingley could ride to fetch her within the week.
And here she was, in the carriage which was taking her away from London.
Her eyes fell upon Mrs Traumayn, who was dozing lightly, and she remembered their first encounter at Mrs Traumayn's London house...
Mary entered the room where Mrs Traumayn would receive her.
The day before, an excited Mrs Elton had told her about this Mrs Traumayn, a widow who, after having spent the last few years abroad, was looking for a young woman to travel with her to the area where she was to settle for an undetermined amount of time.
"Your friend, Miss Walford, must go to this Mrs Traumayn at once! The poor lady cannot seem to find a suitable candidate but she has resolutely rejected my assistance so far! I hope Miss Walford should make her hear reason! Anyway, I have taken upon myself to recommend your friend to her, and she already expects to meet her tomorrow! How encouraging indeed!".
And thus, since the ever-active Mrs Elton had promised to Mrs Traumayn that her protégée would come to her the following day, the dreaded interview came sooner than expected for Marry. This was the downside of her collaboration with Mrs Elton, who was a woman of great energy but of little consideration for the feelings or the will of others. This did not prevent Mary from expressing her gratitude to her, for the woman had been a precious help.
A calm, clear voice broke off her thoughts:
"Come in, Miss Walford. I was expecting you. Take a seat."
Mary did as she was instructed to. Then she dared looked at Mrs Traumayn. She saw a lady probably in her fifties or sixties, with grey hair carefully arranged, and attentive blue eyes. She radiated strength and natural authority.
"So you are the Miss Walford Mrs Elton keeps telling me about…"
Mary shivered then quickly said:
"In truth I am not."
Mrs Traumayn blinked a little:
"This statement, you shall understand, confuses me. Are you not the woman this meddling Mrs Elton wants me to hire?"
Mary palled, anticipating Mrs Traumayn's reaction, but went on bravely:
"Well, yes and no, Mrs Traumayn. I do confess that I requested Mrs Elton's assistance under the false pretence of looking for a position for a friend of mine, but it was for my sake that I did it. Miss Walford, if she exists, is no friend of mine."
Clever blue eyes fell upon her:
"Why did you lie so blatantly"- Mary cringed at Mrs Traumayn's bluntness, but took hope in the fact that she had not been ushered out of her house yet- "to Mrs Elton? What reasons may account for your behaviour?".
"Personal motives, Mrs Traumayn, made me reluctant to tell my real name to Mrs Elton. My family was not aware of my action, and I intended to keep the whole thing a secret, unless I had to warn them of my departure. Mrs Elton is a woman whose energy and self- confidence I admire, but I had some doubts concerning her…well, her discretion" Mary gulped, waiting for Mrs Traumayn's reply.
"Am I to infer that your family does not know about this interview?". Mrs Traumayn stated rather than asked.
"Yes", Mary answered.
"May I inquire about your real name?"
"My name is Mary Bennet."
For the first time, Mrs Traumayn showed some surprise:
"Bennet? Are you related to Mrs Bingley and Mrs Darcy?"
"They are my sisters", Mary admitted lowly.
Silence fell. Mary was furiously tempted to fidget under Mrs Traumayn's scrutiny, but she managed to remain quiet despite her uncomfortable confessions.
Then Mrs Traumayn rose out of her seat.
"This is the end", Mary thought. "She is going to send me back".
But Mrs Traumayn gestured for her to remain seated, then asked in her most natural voice:
"I have spent many years abroad, but I know it is time for me to settle in England again. I have all planned: I enjoy living in London, but residing in the country most of the time is definitely more pleasant. I have already rented a house, for I do not own any in the country. Nevertheless, besides calm and fresh air, I need some company. I do not need a slave, Miss Bennet. I have seen too many women whose task is restricted to comply with their Mistress' whims or to flatter her. What I want is only a person with some sense ingrained in her, who may hold an interesting conversation, whose frankness I could appreciate, and who would not mind to read to me or to play the pianoforte for my scarce entertainment. Could you do that, Miss Bennet?"
Thus called, Mary hesitated a little, then answered slowly:
"I do not pretend that I am the most accomplished woman in London. I have recently made progress, I believe, in my playing the pianoforte, and I love reading. However, I feel it my duty to tell you that many people hold me for" she swallowed, "a bore. I would gladly make endeavours to be more interesting, but if you are looking for a woman who is interested in fashion or who makes it an habit to be very talkative, then I am not this person."
Mrs Traumayn smiled. Her smile lasted a few seconds, yet Mary did not see it as she was keeping her eyes downcast.
"Miss Bennet, I am really impressed by your frankness. I am myself quite straightforward, I shall warn you of the fact. I tend to say what I do think, and this as far as good manners allow it. The more you talk, the more I am convinced that you are the right person. The other candidates were insipid and did not speak their mind, which was very wise but not honest since they would spend the following months, and who knows? the following years with me. My offer still stands, Miss Bennet. I shall leave in four days, so you must make your mind now. And I would like to make sure that your family will be aware of your leaving. "
"I accept your offer, Mrs Traumayn, and I thank you for it. As for my family, they will be warned, and I give you my word that no matter how they react, I will come with you. But I shall ask you just one thing in return, for I am worried about the gossip around my name when it is known that I am a companion, I, Mrs Darcy's and Mrs Bingley's sister…"Mary trailed.
Mrs Traumayn answered decisively:
"I am aware of the complications it may cause. Society is so narrow-minded that you or you family may be scorned if your situation is known. For me, I do not see that my companion should be ashamed of her position, so I will introduce you under your real name, but as a friend I have taken under my wing. I will make sure that you shall be received in all the places we will go, for you are a gentleman's daughter and you must be treated as such."
"I cannot thank you enough, Mrs Traumayn, for your understanding." Mary whispered.
"Enough thanks; let me tell you where I have rented this house. It is situated in the country of Northampton…"
"Miss Bennet!"
"Yes, Mrs Traumayn?"
"We shall arrive soon. The few servants I have sent should have already prepared the house. I have been told that Everingham provided all the comfort we should wish for, but I have not seen the house yet."
"Was it wise to rent it without having had the sight of it?" Mary could not help but ask.
"I sent my Londonian housekeeper visit it, and I have been assured that the bail was more than justified by the state of the house."
Then the carriage came to an halt. Mrs Traumayn and Mary got off it, and Mary could enjoy the elegance of Everingham, even though she did not think it could compare with the taste of Mrs Traumayn's house in London. Both tired by their journey, they spent the rest of the day unpacking their luggage, and Mary was glad her silent diligence proved a great help in the unavoidable disorder which greeted their arrival, for the servants had not expected them so soon.
Mary woke up early, but she was surprised to discover that Mrs Traumayn shared her habit as she found her already taking her breakfast. Mrs Traumayn then motioned for her to sit:
"I am agreeably surprised to see that all young ladies are not as idle as they seem to be nowadays. If it is usual for you to get up at this hour, then we shall have breakfast together. Today we shall introduce ourselves to our neighbours. I do expect a courtesy visit from some of them tomorrow, but I have heard that one of them was an invalid, or rather is very indolent and therefore it falls upon us to make their acquaintance."
A few hours later, Mary, dressed in a grey dress Mrs Traumayn did not object to but commented that "it was correct, but the form and the colour were not very flattering for a young lady ", stood before a magnificent mansion.
"What a splendid house, Mrs Traumayn! And how exquisite the surroundings are!" she frankly answered to Mrs Traumayn's question on whether she thought this house redeemed the other houses of the area they had caught a glimpse of while driving to the mansion.
They entered the mansion, and a servant led them to a charming room where a lady in her forties but still handsome was languidly lying on a sofa, with in her arms what Mary, quite astonished, identified as…a pug?
Before Mrs Traumayn could introduce herself, someone exclaimed with a mix of disbelief and joyful surprise:
"Mary? I mean…Miss Bennet!"
Mary looked at the speaker: this lively countenance, those hazel eyes…
The quiet lady intervened then:
"Do you know my niece, Miss Bennet?"
Mrs Traumayn took her cue:
"I am your new neighbour, Lady Bertram. My name is Hester Traumayn, and I have rented Everingham where I will live with my young friend whose name is, as this young lady said, Miss Mary Bennet."
Lady Bertram nodded slowly:
"Please take a seat. I am pleased to meet you, and I am glad that Miss Bennet has already made the acquaintance of my niece, Miss Susan Price."
Susan Price! So this was the name of the girl she had saved, and she did remember her! Mary was flattered, but how would this impact her life at Everingham?
"I was not aware of the fact that you knew our neighbour's niece, Miss Bennet." Mrs Traumayn said.
Neither was I, Mary thought.
Miss Price intervened:
"We met just once, while I was away in London- do you remember, Aunt? However, I did not stay long there, and Miss Bennet and I have never been properly introduced to each other."
She did not mention the almost-accident, probably in order not to worry her Aunt, though Mary did not think that Lady Bertram was prone to alarm. Mrs Traumayn tried to converse with Lady Bertram, but all she got from the seemingly exhausted Lady was that she was sorry that "Sir Thomas was not here, and that none of her children was here, either in London in the case of her daughter Mrs Yates, or in the parsonage nearby for her son Edmund and his wife Fanny, who was Susan's sister if Mary understood well, and her husband and her elder son were away for business". She did mention, though, that" since Miss Bennet knew Susan, she would be welcome here whenever Susan was at her leisure", and sorrowfully answered to Mrs Traumayn's invitation at Everingham that "as for Sir Thomas and the others, she could not tell, but that she thought that the journey to Everingham was too trying for her health, and that Susan might come sometimes, but she depended much on her niece, and she needed her service dreadfully- she did not know how she could have managed without her a whole week, and if Tom had not insisted that it would do much good to Susan to spend a few days in town, she would never have had it, but thankfully, her niece was back, so would not it be for the best if Miss Bennet was to come here instead?"
Mrs Traumayn answered with a smile that she hoped to see the rest of the Bertram family in the future, and that Miss Bennet was free to visit Miss Price. Then she rose to depart, closely followed by Mary, after having reiterated her wish to receive a few members of the Bertram clan at Everingham, while Miss Price smiled warmly and supported her Aunt's invitation for Mary to come back.
As Mrs Traumayn sat in the carriage, she told Mary:
"Well, this visit was certainly more interesting for you than for me! I doubt Lady Bertram will grace Everingham with her presence, but I am glad to see that you have already an acquaintance, and I daresay, quite probably a friend!"
"A friend?" Mary asked, incredulous. "We have met only twice, and I do not even know Miss Price!"
"I had the neat impression that she was looking forward your next meeting. Poor child! She does not have many friends", Mrs Traumayn said pensively.
"What makes you think such a thing, Mrs Traumayn? She looks more daring than I, and her sister does not live far from here. Surely there is no way she could have no friends among the local society."
"When you are my age, Miss Bennet, I think that you will recognise the signs which tell that people are lonely and in need of a friend, a confident. I daresay that this is the case of Miss Price."
Mary remained silent, then remarked suddenly
" You did not tell me the name of the Bertram house, Miss Traumayn."
Mrs Traumayn replied:
"I was wondering when you would ask me. After all, the Bertrams are among our closest neighbours. You have just visited Mansfield Park, Miss Bennet."
Author's Note:
-and here begins the crossover! you did not expect it anymore, did you lol?
- sorry it was a wholly Mary-centered chapter, but I found it necessary. Hope you got Mary's explanations and Lizzy's reactions, I tried to follow the line of reasoning of that time...But don't worry, we'll see Georgiana and Kitty again, but there is a split now between the main heroines...
-answers to reviews will be on my profile! I really enjoy your reviews, they mean a lot to me, and thanks you for helping me to improve my writing! want to see more of a character, suggestions? I would gladly take them into account!
Coming soon: more of Susan Price, a few new characters, another ball for Kitty and Georgiana, and Lizzy is keeping a secret?