Chapter 9

Mr Richard Owen and Mrs Mary Owen left for their wedding trip on the morrow. The elder Mrs Owen and Kitty would meet them in Wiltshire a few days later, after they had deposited Lydia in Wales. Mrs Owen's older son and his wife, who had come for the happy event, were coming with them. Since they had not seen their aunt in a few years, they were looking forward to seeing Mrs Rhys. It was also Mrs Owen's hope that Lydia would be intimidated by their presence, which would tone down her behaviour a bit. With any luck, Kitty's presence might also prevent her from making a scene.

Mrs Bennet was in vapours when she found out her youngest was leaving. Lydia, was furious, and she was obstinate she would not go. She was angry at everyone, for she was sure they had all been lying to her. Her sisters assured her they had no knowledge of the plan, and tried to convince her that she was lucky to be going on a new adventure. She would have a lot to tell, when she came back, and plenty to write in the meantime. Lydia applied tearfully to her mother to revert the decision, but even Mrs Bennet could not convince her husband. Seeing that her father had not been sympathetic to her pleas, Lydia upon leaving Longbourn, refused to talk to him and went into the carriage sobbing, without saying goodbye. Kitty herself was happy to go, but she felt bad for her sister, and after heartfelt goodbyes, she sat next to Lydia, and tried to comfort her the best she could. Mr and the Mrs Owens sighed. This was going to be a long journey.

The first leg of the carriage ride was uneventful and very quiet. It was Mr Owen's carriage, who, Kitty was surprised to find out, was a gentleman farmer. She knew his late father and his brother has chosen the Church as their profession, so she had assumed him to be a clergyman as well. But he had married a gentleman's daughter who had inherited her father's estate. He looked to be around thirty years of age, and his wife, Kitty soon found out, was four and twenty. They had been married a little over a year, and had not been blessed with children yet. Both seemed to be very agreeable people, and they made the effort to converse with her, trying to ease the tension brought by Lydia's unhappiness. They talked, slept and read until they reached the inn, they would spend the night in. Both young girls were uneasy, as it was their first time spending the night in such a place, so they barely uttered a word. After dinner, they went to bed and soon fell asleep, taking in the events of the day.

The next morning saw no change to Lydia's demeanour who was as angry as she was sad, and she again did not take partake in the conversation. Kitty was curious of her surroundings, and she asked many questions throughout the journey, which were answered kindly by an amused Mr Owen, and his mother. Kitty had taken her sketchbook with her, and she tried to capture many sights without much success, as the carriage's movements made the activity particularly complicated. They eventually arrived late in the evening in their destination, the village of Skenfrith, located close to the English border. Kitty was most interested when she heard about the Three Castles of Gwent, and she was soon reassured she would get to visit the area's most sought after locations.

The whole party was welcomed by Mrs Rhys, Mrs Owen's sister-in-law. She was a fine-looking woman who looked to be in her fifties, with an engaging smile. The lady led them inside her small cottage and after a quick tour of the place, showed them to their rooms. The youngest Bennets would share a room, while Kitty was present. They felt somewhat out of place among the relatives' reunion, and they remained quiet while taking in their surroundings. Mrs Rhys then took them to a small sitting room, and offered them refreshments, while asking about their journey. Pleasantries were exchanged and all that was proper was said. She saw that Kitty was still carrying her sketchbook, and inquired about it. She offered to show her the best spots in the village and promised the scenery would be a perfect theme for her drawings. Kitty accepted enthusiastically, as she liked to draw and paint natural landscapes as much as portraits. Lydia on the other hand, was subdued. The older woman recognized it, and she tried to make her more at ease, but to no avail. The young girl would later cry herself to sleep in her sister's arms.

The next day, Kitty wrote to Longbourn and informed her family of their safe arrival, but she could not get her sister to write anything. Lydia did not say a word for a couple of days, and refused to get out of her room, but on the third day, she finally accepted to come out of her shell. Mrs Rhys asked her about her interests, and upon finding out that she had always led a very shallow existence, she vowed to make her see there was more to life than ribbons, and common pranks. Kitty tried all she could to make her feel better, for she felt guilty that she was relishing the new experience when her sibling was miserable. Mrs Rhys eventually told her not to worry, and that this melancholy would soon pass. She had been told about what had happened, and she assured Kitty that her sister would come to make the most out of this time away from home.

The few days spent there were very enjoyable. The Owens took the girls on a day outing to the sea, upon learning that they had never seen it before. They also took several strolls near the river and the castle, and Kitty filled her sketchbook with as many drawings as she could. They met a few neighbours, but life in Skenfrith, seemed to be very quiet, and Kitty wondered how her sister would fare there. Their parting was very emotional for both girls. Kitty promised she would write often, and Lydia agreed to write as well. The Owens and Kitty were to head to Wiltshire to join Richard and Mary. The first hours of the journey were done in silence, but eventually Mr Owen and his wife managed to bring back joyful conversations to the carriage. This went on until they arrived to what would be Catherine's new home for the next few weeks.