Chapter 14 - A Mrs. Fryar
Many of you have been telling me that Lydia should not divorce Wickham since it was not good in their time… I know :) You will see it in this chapter…
"Absolutely not! Are you out of your mind girl?!" The harsh words criticised coldly from the other room. Mary and Kitty was sitting on the staircase, listening in to what was happeing.happening. Lydia had gone to Mr. Bennet to ask for a way to get rid of Wickham and in her eager she had proposed divorce.
"But papa!" Lydia's tearstained voice begged.
"Mr. Bennet, she cannot stay with a man who is like Mr. Wickham! I am sure we can afford…" Mrs. Bennet tried.
"Afford?" Mr. Bennet laughed humourlessly, "even if we DID have money enough I would still not give her a divorce!" He spat in anger. "Lydia you little fool! Have you even considered what the consequences were if you got divorced? Or perhaps you can think you can keep it a secret and go flirt with other men?"
"I am not old!" Lydia interjected quietly.
"Old! That has nothing to do with it! You're tainted! No man with dignity and respect to himself and his family would ever take you in! And to believe you could keep it a secret – that is not possible!"
"But-" Lydia tried.
"There are no buts!" Mr. Bennet nearly yelled. "You want to bring more scandals to this family? You want to make it even more difficult to get your sisters married? Have you even thought beyond your own selfish needs and looked what might happen to everyone else's reputation?" Silence fell upon the room.
"Mr. Bennet," Mrs. Bennet said in tears, "something must be done."
"Yes, Mrs. Bennet, you're absolutely right, something must be done. Something will be done," movement sounded from the room, "Now Lydia you will go to your room and pack your things. Then you shall go back and live with your husband."
"Mr. Bennet!" said Mrs. Bennet in horror.
"Papa!" Cried out Lydia in tears.
"I will not hear more of this!" Mr. Bennet silenced them both, "Lydia you foolish child! You made your bed now lie in it! Stop being a child! You have pointed out so many times before that now you're an adult! ACT LIKE ONE!" And with that Mr. Bennet's steps were heard coming to the door leading to Mart and Kitty. He entered and looked at the two girls stiffly and then moved on. From the room he had just come from, Lydia and Mrs. Bennet were crying and Mary and Kitty decided to leave not knowing what else to do.
The following hours were mute and uncomfortable at Pemberley. Lydia had not gone to pack her things but had merely gone to cry in her bed. After an hour and still not having met up in the entrance hall Mr. Bennet went to her, which ensured another argument and more tears. In the end Lydia's trunk had been packed by Mr. Bennet, and none too careful, and this sent down to the carriage. Lydia had then been forced out of her room and into the carriage herself, under much protest and tears, but eventually the carriage had moved on.
Two of Mr. Darcy's men in the carriage with her to make sure she got to Wickham.
Dinner was quite an uninterested affair and no one of the family stayed for long but moved to each of their respective rooms.
A few days passed with the uncomfortable silence, which was eventually broken when an unexpected visitor arrived, asking for an audience with Mr. Bennet.
"Mary, Mary! Come quickly!" Mrs. Bennet voice called from the hallway before the woman herself burst through Mary's door. Mary looked up surprised.
"Mama?" Mary questioned confused.
"Oh my dear, dear girl! This is such a happy day! Who would've thought?" Mrs. Bennet cried out, "You have a visitor," she looked pointedly at Mary, who frowned, "who has asked of a private meeting with you!" Mary stood immediately. Ferdinand. He had come! She rushed through the hallways to the sitting room where he was and ran right into her father.
"Papa, I'm sorry," she apologised, but he merely smiled and patted her head, before he moved aside so she could get in. Mary quickly stepped in. And froze.
"Mr. Fryar-" Mary said confused upon seeing Mr. Fryar standing by the fireplace looking quite self satisfied.
"My dear Miss. Mary!" He spoke highly when the door had been closed, leaving the two alone in the room. He moved to her and took her hands. "I knew from the first look at you that you should be mine! You do not have the astonishing beauty or elegance as other women, and that is why. You and I are so much alike! From the first glance at you I was taken!" He kissed her hand lovingly and she would've moved away had she not been so shocked.
"I- I don't understand," Mary said, not even registering any of the words he had said to her, but hinting that Ferdinand wasn't there. How could she be so stupid to believe HE would be there?
"My dear Miss Bennet I've asked your father for your hand and he agreed! I must say you've done quite well to get me, but that is nothing of matters, our love matters! It only gave me strength to hear how quick you hurried to see me here," he laughed and held her hand a little tighter.
"I do not believe I've ever had so much fun as I've had with you and the few balls we've attended. We stayed by each other's side and- well I can't even express my feelings!" He once again laughed. "I see you can't either, my darling!" He said, caressing her cheek.
"You are all astonishment!" He laughed at her frozen expression and then moved towards the door, "I know you are surprised, but I am quite sincere! Now I must go to my father and let him know you said yes!"
"Oh Mary I am so happy for you!" Lizzie entered the room and so did the rest of the family, all eager to pay their best wishes. But inside Mary she was in a complete daze. Some of her wanted to cry out at her own stupidity to believe that Ferdinand had come for her and some of her wanted to scream no at Mr. Fryar. But when she came to, her family had surrounded her with well wishes and she felt overpowered by the happiness. Without paying her thanks she left them for her room where she fell asleep before even thinking about what had happened. It had surely just been a dream.
Mary woke up not many hours later and upon contemplating what had happened she decided to see her father. She could not enter into marriage with Mr. Fryar.
"Father, may I speak to you?" Mary asked from the doorway to the library where her father was sitting and reading a book.
"Of course Mary," He said with a huge smile, "I must say I am proud of you," he commented when she occupied a chair.
"Please, papa," Mary asked. "I have come to talk to you about Mr. Fryar. I cannot marry him! I wished I had spoken earlier, but I was too astonished!" Mary said and met her father's eyes. Mr. Bennet stood and began to pace.
"Mary I know you must be surprised and it is just your nerves talking," Mr. Bennet said calmly, but with an edge.
"No, father," Mary begged seriously. "I do not love him!"
"Mary, do you have any idea what this means?" Mr. Bennet stated harshly and Mary fell silent, "Mr. Fryar is from a family of fortune and he will be able to provide for you. The chances of another offer are slim, if any at all!" Mr. Bennet moved to his child, "My dear child, you are soon twentyandone and this is your first offer, it cannot be rejected. Your parents cannot provide for you much longer," he looked at her sincerely, "this is for the best child."
"But I don't love him, I'd rather become a spinster!" Mary said forceful and her father cocked an eyebrow at that.
"Your mother and I cannot provide for your future any longer, Mary, time to move on. You will learn to love him," Mr. Bennet said calmly and Mary left. However, this was not the last objection from Mary for as things began to sink more in she began to protest even more.
Not long before Mr. Fryar was coming to visit Mary had another protest towards the marriage.
"Would you rather marry a redcoat?" Mr. Bennet answered one of her other objections. "This man can at least provide you with the intellectual needs you have!"
"He can buy them, but he hardly understands them himself!" Mary objected.
"End of discussion Mary. This is an offer you don't throw away. I am doing this for you!"
"Mary, Mr. Fryar is here!" Mrs. Bennet called and Mary was forced to go great him.
"My dear," he kissed her hand and she smiled insincerely. "It is quite a lovely day, Mary. Will you favour me with a walk?"
"Of course she will!" Mrs. Bennet cried out eagerly and then pushed the pair out of the door. What scared Mary the most was perhaps that Mr. Fryar did not seem bothered by Mrs. Bennet's constant pushing.
"You have such a loving family, my dear," Mr. Fryar spoke as they moved through the gardens. Mr. Fryar stood for the speaking and Mary for the listening, but as they reached the pond Mary could no longer keep it in her.
"Mr. Fryar," she turned to him and she looked at her with his questioning piggy eyes.
"Yes dear?"
"Please, I cannot, I am truly sorry, but if it is okay with you I ask to be released from our engagement," Mr. Fryar's face froze. "I cannot marry you."
"Don't tease me, my dear" He recovered and laughed and Mary shook her head. "Miss Bennet you made me believe that you loved me!"
"I've done no such thing!" Mary objected.
"Your father shall hear of this! You must not be thinking straight! Illness" Before Mary could object Mr. Fryar was already moving hastily towards the house. "Mr. Bennet!" Mr. Fryar called.
"Yes?" Mr. Bennet asked just as Mary entered.
"Your daughter asks to be released from our engagement," everyone fell silent and looked at Mary.
"Mary, come here," Mr. Bennet walked out the room and Mary obediently followed.
"Father," Mary said but he hushed her with a hand.
"You will marry Mr. Fryar and that is final. Should you not agree you shall no longer be welcome in this family. What you get can here is a one in a life time opportunity-"
"Because I am so ugly?" Mary cried out harshly, "and old? I am nothing worth and should simply settle with what I can! YOU KNOW NOTHING!" Mary cried out and hurried to her room.
"Mary?" Lizzie and Jane entered some 15 minutes later. "Father told Mr. Fryar that the heat had drained you and you were delirious…"
"The engagement is still on," Jane supplied.
"I don't want to marry him! He revolts me!" Mary stated angrily.
"Mary!" Jane said shocked. "Have you even thought what this mean? Don't throw away this chance!"
"Jane is right; you should see this as a blessing!" And the two sisters left, leaving Mary to fume that the cat was indeed out of the bag. People did indeed believe her unable to capture any man and were sure she'd become a spinster.
"I must stop living in this fairytale," Mary said to herself which a hint of tiredness. She was still waiting for Ferdinand to come and she had even told her father that he knew nothing. Nothing of what? Of Ferdinand? What was there really to know? She sighed tiredly and went to bed.
The forthcoming days were strained. It was no longer Mr. Bennet who was now aware of Mary's disagreement to the marriage but the entire family. Every once in a while her mother would exclaim:
"Oh Mary! This is your chance or you will end up all alone!"
Georgiana and Mr. Andrews had chosen mid July to keep their wedding. Although it was only within a few weeks both had agreed that they wanted a summer wedding and so it had been decided.
"When will you and Mr. Fryar marry, Mary?" Kitty questioned at breakfast one morning.
"I don't know… Perhaps in some months," Mary said quietly.
"Oh rubbish!" Mrs. Bennet cut in quickly, "Mary, you cannot have a wedding in the winter! You'll get sick! And we cannot wait till next year! Far too long for that! You know, I've been thinking, August is perfect! Not too hot and not too cold!" She looked very satisfied and Mary glanced at her father, who was looking sternly at her.
"That sounds like a good idea," Mr. Bennet spoke while looking at Mary pointedly.
In quiet agreement Mary said, "Yes, that sound good," and then made to leave the table.
"Remember, Mr. Fryar is visiting, he's taking you out," Mr. Bennet called after Mary and she briefly halted.
"Yes, father," she then said and continued to her room. Mary longed to see Ferdinand, to have him advise her, and the thought of writing to him occupied her mind, but she knew not where to send it to. She did not know where his father had sent him on business, or what she should write to him at all.
"Mary! Mr. Fryar is here!" Kitty called and Mary sighed and left her room.
"Mr. Fryar," She greeted and tried to keep up a smile. They greeted and then excused themselves and left for a ride around in the carriage.
"It is truly beautiful out here," Mr. Fryar commented, "but I shall be quite sure you will like our home very much," he grinned at her confidently and she smiled lightly.
"Indeed, sir," she agreed quietly and turned her face to look at the nature as they slowly rode past.
After few minutes Mr. Fryar said, "I am glad you are well," and Mary looked at him somewhat confused before realising what he was referring to.
"Yes… yes I'm well," she replied and silence fell upon them again. The silence continued for another few minutes before Mary asked, "Do you read any books?"
"Well," he said contemplating, "I read the bible…"
"Other than the bible?"
"No," he replied simply.
"What do you occupy your time with?" Mary then tried, hoping that they just had one thing in common.
"I like to play cards," he said after another minute of contemplated silence.
"Cards?" Mary questioned with a pang. "Cards? At parties or… when you're alone?"
"Oh cards can be so much fun, Miss Mary! You mustn't make it sound so horrific!" He laughed lightly, "I guarantee you that I know every single game there is to play, single as multi! And I've even invented my own!" He grinned proudly and from the pocket conjured a pack of cards. "These I my special cards, I have them on me all the time. They bring luck!" He promised her and Mary stared at him in horror.
"Let us find a spot where we can hold our picnic and then I shall teach you!"
"Oh, Mr. Fryar, you really don't have to bother," Mary assured him, but he shook his head.
"Do not be worried, my love," he told her and Mary internally cringed by the name. "I even know a few magic tricks!" Mary clenched her fists, her nails digging into her flesh painfully. He was acting as if she was a little child, eager to see a magic show.
Not many minutes later they found a spot for their picnic and Mr. Fryar quickly set it up. And so went the new couple of hours with food and magic tricks and card games while Mary desperately tried to convey to him that she had no interest whatsoever in it. Things were not looking good at all
Long chapter, I know :) neeeeway, please review. Don't worry, Ferdinand is not out of the picture.