Mr Bennet takes an interest

by sysa22

What might have happened if a year earlier Mr Bennet had become more involved with the lives of his family. Could things have worked out differently?

8. 8 - Aunt Mathilda

Thank you to those (few) of you, who have provided feedback. It helps me tweak the story.

I guess this story is too nice, as in, not controversial enough, for everyone to voice their opinions. ;)

Colleen S: Sorry, there probably won't be a sequel for the Dark Lord. Since very few people bought the first book, I can't afford to spend time on his stories. The funny thing is, virtually everyone who read it and provided a review on Amazon or Goodreads, loved the story, but commercially it is a different story (sorry, I still love bad puns).

I hope you all enjoy a new character. Bingley's Maiden Aunt from Scarborough.

~~~o0o~~~

Aunt Mathilda

In the afternoon, a plain but excellent carriage rolled to a stop outside Netherfield, from which alighted a middle-aged woman. She was tall and slim, with strong features and a no-nonsense attitude.

Bingley was coming down the stairs, just as a footman opened the door to the visitor. He exclaimed with a huge smile, 'Aunt Mathilda. What a delightful surprise to see you. What brings you to Netherfield?'

'Your atrocious handwriting, Charles. I received your letter, but the only words I could decipher were Caroline, problem and help. Instead of wasting time trying to clarify the problem via correspondence, which I assumed would be a true waste of time, I decided to come and find out directly.'

'I am exceedingly pleased to see you, Aunt. Would you care for some tea while Mrs Nicholls arranges for a room to be readied?'

'Tea would be delightful, as long as you have something stronger to go with it.'

'I do have a rather nice brandy…'

'Excellent. We shall partake of both in your study, where you can tell me what problems Caroline is causing now.'

Mrs Nicholls, who had arrived to see if she was need due to the new arrival, after being introduced to Miss Mathilda Bingley, assured Bingley that she would see to both tasks immediately. Miss Bingley thanked her graciously, and instructed her nephew to lead the way.

When Mrs Nicholls turned away to carry out the requests, her eyes were brimming with mirth. While she had not deliberately eavesdropped, she heard enough to suspect that Miss Caroline Bingley's days as Mistress of Netherfield were numbered.

She hoped that the new arrival would stay indefinitely.

~~~o0o~~~

'Congratulations, Charles. This looks like an excellent house. You have chosen well.' Miss Bingley looked around in approval. 'I hope Caroline has not had a chance to ruin it too badly with her atrocious taste.'

'We have been in residence for only two weeks. She has been making plans to refurbish the public rooms and her chambers.'

'Do you like the house as it is?'

'I do, but I know nothing about fashionable décor.'

'Never mind fashionable. A home should be comfortable, and preferably elegant. Those criteria are not always fashionable, but only an idiot would want to live in a house that is uncomfortable, just to be fashionable.'

Bingley smiled in relief. He had never been able to stand up to Caroline when she had her mind set on something. Aunt Mathilda on the other hand was stronger than Caroline.

Some people thought his aunt to be irascible and difficult. While it was true that she could intimidate anyone with her forceful personality, she was a kind and considerate woman. She simply had no patience with meanspirited people like his sister.

'Caroline…'

'…is a fool.'

There was a knock on the door, and Mrs Nicholls entered, followed by a footman, carrying a tray which he placed on a small table by the window.

Miss Bingley smiled at the man, and thanked him, before turning to the housekeeper. 'Mrs Nicholls, have my nieces given instructions about redecorating the house?'

'They have given instructions, but there has not yet been time to carry them out.'

'Do you believe those instructions will improve the house?'

When Mrs Nicholls hesitated to answer, Bingley told her, 'please answer my Aunt honestly… without fear of retribution.'

The housekeeper smiled. 'Miss Caroline's instructions will make the house more fashionable, but I do not believe they will improve the comfort of the accommodation.

'In that case, ignore her instructions, and refer any complaints to me.'

'It will be my pleasure, Miss Bingley.'

'I bet it will,' murmured the lady under her breath, before adding in a louder voice, 'thank you, Mrs Nicholls, that will be all for the moment.'

Once the housekeeper had left, and Miss Bingley had poured tea, while her nephew took care of the brandy, she instructed, 'now, tell me what has been going on.'

~~~o0o~~~

Mr Bingley spent the next hour telling his aunt all that had happened since his arrival a Netherfield.

Miss Bingley listened attentively, interjecting the occasional question to clarify her understanding.

'I can see why you wrote to me. Caroline is getting completely out of hand. Although I loved my brother dearly, I have to say that he never could control your sisters. And neither can you.'

Bingley looked shamefaced when he agreed. 'I simply do not know how to get her to listen to me. When she gets an idea in her head, nothing can change her mind.'

'Well, I am here now, and I have years more experience in being stubborn than Caroline.' Aunt Mathilda smiled. 'I have wanted a change of scenery for a while. If you are agreeable, I believe I should stay for a time.'

Mr Bingley looked hopeful and apprehensive in equal measure. 'I would appreciate it if you could get Caroline to mend her ways, but I fear that the process is not going to be quiet.'

'I can do that on one condition… you do not countermand any of my decisions or orders.' When Bingley looked hesitant, she added, 'as regards to your sister, and the running of this household. I will not interfere in anything else, although I do wish to meet the Bennet ladies.'

Bingley brightened considerably. 'I will support you in all things concerning Caroline. As regards to the household, will you act as my hostess, Aunt Mathilda?'

'Yes, I think it would be best if I took on the Mistress' duties while I am here.' She patted her nephew's hand with a smile. 'Cheer up, Charles. We will soon have everything running smoothly.'

The lady rose and added. 'Now that I know the situation, I believe I will go to my room and freshen up. Then I will have a conference with Mrs Nicholls. Please inform her of the new arrangement.'

~~~o0o~~~

Miss Mathilda Bingley could understand her family's problems, since a similar situation had occurred about twenty years earlier.

Miss Mathilda had been the youngest of the Bingley siblings by more than a decade. As a result, she had been indulged in her interests. Unlike her niece, she had not wished to climb the social ladder, but was interested in the family's business.

She had an excellent head for numbers, and understood how external events shaped the market. She was quick to spot business opportunities. The first time she made a suggestion to her father, he was amused that his young daughter had the audacity to assume that she could better predict where a profit was to be made, than he, who had decades of experience.

Mr John Bingley decided to allow Mathilda her opportunity to fail, to teach her to listen to him, and not interfere in his business, but stick to keeping the books. He provided her with the funds to attempt her foray into the business world, and then sat back, waiting to have the last laugh.

To Mr Bingley's amazement and chagrin, Mathilda's scheme was a spectacular success. Being a pragmatic man, interested in maximising his profits, he started to involve his young daughter in his business affairs. He allowed Mathilda to keep the profits she had made on her first venture, and use them for further projects.

By the time Mathilda Bingley came out in society, she had made a small fortune, but then she met with disappointment.

There were quite a number of gentlemen who were willing to marry her, but each of them was only interested in the money she could bring to the marriage. Not only that, they expected her to hand over her hard-earned profits to them, and then refrain from any further involvement in business. After all she would be too busy to keep house and look after their children.

None of the men she met was prepared to let her make her own decisions, and be useful outside what they perceived to be her proper sphere.

In the course of a year, Mathilda rejected five proposals of marriage. When her family tried to coerce her into accepting, she dug her heels in, explaining that she would rather be a business woman than a wife.

There were many acrimonious discussions, but unlike her niece, Mathilda Bingley did not scream, shout or throw crockery. She simply refused to bow to social and her family's pressure. Since she had enough money to support herself, threats of expulsion from the family proved ineffective.

In the end, her father accepted that she would not be a traditional female. Instead, he made her a partner in his business, and ensured that her brother could not oust her from her position.

Although Charles Bingley Senior was not comfortable with his sister's interest, he recognised that with her help he could amass a great enough fortune, so that he or his children could eventually purchase an estate and leave trade. He had just reached the point where he could make his dream a reality, when an accident claimed his life.

Now Charles Bingley Junior was trying to fulfil his father's dream.

Unfortunately, in the process of preparing to becoming a gentleman, Mr Bingley Senior had sent his daughters to a renowned school for ladies, where Caroline had learned not only her accomplishments, but had become determined to rise above her station.

While Mathilda Bingley understood Caroline's desire not to be confined to her traditional sphere, she abhorred her niece's methods. It was time to make some changes.

~~~o0o~~~

When Miss Mathilda Bingley had freshened up and changed into a clean dress, she asked a maid to send Miss Caroline Bingley to her.

While she waited in the sitting room of the suite Mrs Nicholls had prepared for her, Miss Bingley amused herself with writing a list.

It was several minutes before Caroline entered her aunt's presence. 'Good afternoon, Aunt Mathilda. While it is good to see you, I would have liked to know of your visit, so that I could have a room prepared for you.'

'Good afternoon, Caroline. It was a spur of the moment decision to travel hither, but do not concern yourself, Mrs Nicholls has done well by me, arranging for these rooms. Quite a nice house Charles has here.'

'I suppose it will be liveable once I am done redecorating. Although I hope that we will not be in this backwater long enough.'

'Oh, I expect it will be unnecessary to redecorate. I do believe that the house is quite charming from what I have seen so far. I will be quite comfortable here for the next few months.'

'Aunt, while I am pleased to host you, I am afraid that I will be unable to entertain you, and I doubt we will be here much beyond the end of the month. If we are here even that long. You know what Charles is like. He becomes enthusiastic about something, and then just as quickly loses interest'

'I do not expect you to entertain me, dear niece. I can do that quite well for myself. But since I arrived, I have received reports of your deplorable behaviour, and have offered my assistance to your brother to curb your manners.'

'That is just like Charles, hiding behind your skirts,' sneered Caroline.

'Your brother is a gentle soul, who has done his best to look after you. But since you refuse to listen to him, I have come to take you in hand.'

'There is nothing you can do to me,' blustered her niece.

'Charles is the head of this household. If you do not like living by his rules, how would you like to live on your own? I can suggest to Charles to release your dowry to you to set you up in your own establishment.' Aunt Mathilda paused with a malicious smile. 'Naturally that would only be after he deducts your overspending of the last five years from your dowry. If he follows my advice, I suspect you will be left with next to nothing.'

'He would never do such a thing.'

'Charles has agreed to let me handle the situation, no matter how I choose to act.'

Aunt Mathilda had given the matter some thought. She hoped that Caroline had enough native intelligence to learn to behave with decorum, if not with kindness. She banked on Caroline's selfish nature to bring her into line.

'Here is what is going to happen. I will remain at Netherfield and act as Charles' hostess. You will remain as his guest. If you behave with propriety and decorum, all will be well. If you do not, for each infraction of the rules, ten pounds will be deducted from your allowance.'

'I have already spent my allowance for the year.'

'In that case you had better not squander your allowance for the next year on bad behaviour.' Miss Mathilda Bingley said carelessly. 'You might as well sit down and make yourself comfortable. It will take a while for me to acquaint you with the new rules.'

Caroline glared at her aunt, but sat down, and crossed her arms in a belligerent attitude.

Aunt Mathilda suppressed a smile. Part of her plan was already working.

'Here are the new rules. I will give you a copy in writing, but I thought I give you an opportunity to ask questions.'

She looked at the list she had prepared. 'One. You will be polite to the staff.'

'Why should I? Those people are of no consequence and are only here to serve me.'

'Because good manners demand that a lady is polite to all. See, it was a good idea to give you a chance to ask questions.'

Aunt Mathilda smiled. 'Two. You will be polite and courteous to your family and to your neighbours. At all times.'

'Three. You will not denigrate anybody to anybody, including your sister.'

'Four. You will dress with restraint. Not one of those eye-sores you are currently wearing.'

'That is the latest fashion.'

'The colour is completely unbecoming to your complexion. The combination hurts my eyes. If you cannot dress tastefully, you can stay in your room.'

'Five. You will only be allowed to purchase things for which you can pay in cash. Charles is closing all your accounts, and will not cover any debts which you run up.'

'But I just spent my whole year's allowance on my current wardrobe. I cannot afford to buy the kind of clothes you insist that I should wear.'

Miss Bingley considered the conundrum. 'Very well, as a Christmas present to you, I will gift you with two dresses… to be made locally,' she emphasised when Caroline brightened, assuming that her niece would want to go to London, to order the dresses from a fashionable modiste. She was confirmed in her suspicion when Caroline's face fell.

'But the locals have no style and no sense of fashion,' Caroline whined.

'Then you will fit in perfectly.'

Caroline Bingley rose and stormed out of the room in a huff, slamming the door behind her.

'That will be ten pounds,' her aunt called after her. 'And we have not finished the list. We did not even get to Mr Darcy yet.

~~~o0o~~~

~~~o0o~~~

Mr Bennet takes an interest by Sydney Salier, Copyright © 2021