Ooops or Consequence & Consequences Chapter 13, a pride and prejudice fanfic

Sorry to make you wait. Thursday and Friday are usually my 'weekend'.

Here is a short chapter to tide you over. I hope you enjoy.

~~~o0o~~~

Midmorning on Monday, the household at Barrington was thrown into an uproar, shortly after three carriages pulled up in front of the house.

The Duke and the Gardiners had conspired in a surprise for the Bennet ladies.

From the first carriage exited Madam Bujold, the current premier modiste in London, followed by five of her assistants. The second carried no less than eight seamstresses, while the third carriage was loaded with fabrics, ribbons, lace and beads, as well as thread in all the colours of the rainbow.

Fortunately, the Duke had warned Mrs Darrow to expect these visitors, but had sworn her to silence. The retired housekeeper had arranged for the ballroom and an adjoining parlour to be set up as a workspace for these ladies.

When Madame Bujold was announced, while the family was gathered in the drawing room, the Duchess came precariously close to backsliding to her former behaviour. Remembering her new dignity just in time, she merely commented to the Duke, 'Mr Bennet, you do delight in vexing me.'

Since it was said with a smile, the Duke surmised that his surprise had please his wife. 'I do my poor best. But I believe that Gardiner and I are now superfluous. We shall retire to the library. Enjoy your day.'

On his way out, he murmured to Elizabeth, 'try to keep it to no more than thirty dresses each,' which left his daughter staring after him with a stunned expression.

~~~o0o~~~

While the footmen brought in the supplies, the modiste and her staff took the opportunity to refresh themselves.

Madame Bujold was pleased when the Duchess invited her to have tea with the ladies, while they discussed the styles of dresses which they favoured.

Lady Sophia and Mrs Gardiner, supported by Elizabeth and Jane, convinced the Duchess to opt for restrained elegance rather than up to the minute fashion.

Madame Bujold noted the style and quality of the dresses worn by Lady Sophia and Mrs Gardiner, and was very favourably impressed. These two ladies had taste and style. She was happy to acquiesce to their choices, especially since the Duke had made her an exceedingly generous offer to spend the next six weeks in his house, together with her assistants.

The Duchess nearly had to send for her salts, when she saw the selection of fabrics and trim which had been arrayed in the ballroom.

'Did you clear out all your warehouses?' she asked Mrs Gardiner in disbelief.

'Not quite. We left the second-rate fabrics behind. I am afraid that many ladies of the ton will not be as well-dressed this season as they would like to be.'

For the rest of the day, the Duchess and her daughters, as well as Lady Sophia spent the day being measured, selecting fabrics and discussing styles. Mrs Gardiner was surprised when she found out that the Duke had left orders for her to be included in the largesse.

Lady Sophia tried to object when she realised that she too was to receive a complete wardrobe, until Elizabeth, supported by her mother, explained. 'We are to go to London for the season, where we will need your assistance to navigate the ton. Therefore, you will need a wardrobe to fit in.'

Before the lady could become effusive in her thanks, the Duchess requested, 'please help to convince Mary that there is no sin in being well dressed.'

Mary was indeed being difficult. She wanted the plainest fabrics, and tried to choose colours completely unflattering to her colouring.

Surprisingly, it was Kitty who intervened. 'Mary, this would look so much better on you.' She held up a bolt of pale peach coloured silk with a delicate pattern in a darker pink. Especially if,' she rushed over to another table, where the fashion plates were scattered, 'you choose this design.' She held up a picture of an elegant, but modest design. 'You would look exceedingly well in this.'

'Kitty, you know perfectly well my views on vanity,' Mary countered repressively.

'Do you not remember that Fordyce advises should they by any neglect of their persons render themselves less amiable than God has made them, they would so far disappoint the design of their creation. Since you put so much credit in his advice…' Kitty smiled mischievously at her sister.

'You have read Fordyce's sermons?'

'Of course I did. I wanted to know what you found so inspiring.' Kitty did not add that she thought most of the advice to be utterly ridiculous and contradictory.

'I never knew that anyone in the family ever listened to me. Why did you not say?'

'You never asked anything of Lydia or myself. In recent years I thought that you considered me too young and silly to have any opinions. Lydia was the only one who would listen to me… when it suited her.'

Mary was dumbfounded. 'I am sorry, Kitty. I only saw the attention you and Lydia were getting from Mama. I never realised that you were ignored as much as I was… simply in different ways.' She swallowed hard. While she felt remorseful of having been guilty of the same attitude she had abhorred in the rest of the family, it was a relief to realise that Kitty knew how she felt. This was something to think about later.

She changed the subject. 'Do you really think this would look good on me,' Mary asked shyly.

'I believe you would look wonderful. Especially if you let me do something with your hair.'

~~~o0o~~~

While the other ladies were busy, Mrs Darrow was keeping Lydia company. A maid had accompanied her, bringing a tray of breakfast. Lydia devoured the meal, since she had discovered that if she threw the dishes at the maid, the meal would not be replaced.

The lady had settled herself in the rocking-chair with a book and started reading aloud. As Lydia's hunger decreased, she found herself listening to the tale. By the time she finished her breakfast, she was caught up in the story about a young girl who falls in love with a dashing stranger. Since the girl's family are against the match, she agrees to elope with her love. After surrendering her virtue to the man, in anticipation of the wedding, she discovers that he never had honourable intentions, and leaves her ruined and heartbroken.

In the early part of the story, Lydia cheered the girl's resolve to be with her true love, and disparaged the parents who tried to prevent their daughter from finding her happiness. But she was horrified when the man turned out to be a rake.

'No this cannot be so. A gentleman would never treat the woman he loves in such a manner,' she cried.

'Not all men are gentlemen. Many may have the appearance of goodness, which disguises a character without morals. They do not care whom they hurt, as long as their own desires are fulfilled.'

Mrs Darrow sighed. 'It is always thus. Young girls will allow themselves to be fooled by such rakes, if they do not listen to their elders.'

Lydia brightened. 'No, this cannot be true. 'Twas but a story. My mother never told me about such men.'

'Your mother was fortunate that she never encountered one such. In a small community where everyone knows everyone else, it is difficult for a rake to find victims. But in a town like London, there are many such men. There, ladies have to be careful about their comportment, so as not to attract such men. They cannot afford to flirt and behave in unseemly ways, otherwise they are thought to be unworthy of marriage.'

'But my mother always told me that men like girls who flirt and are lively.'

'That is true, up to a point. But while most men enjoy a lively girl, they are rarely prepared to marry such a girl. Your father is an honourable exception.'

Mrs Darrow smiled and patted Lydia's hand. 'I believe the Duchess is learning that she was fortunate to have found an honourable man. She now wishes to protect her daughters from fortune hunters.'

'Fortune hunters? Why would fortune hunters be interested in…' Lydia suddenly stopped as the idea started to sink in. 'Oh…'

'Oh, indeed. There will be many men who will want to marry the daughter of a Duke, and some of them will be happy to take advantage of a naïve and flirty girl, to obtain her dowry. They will make love to such a girl; and if she is foolish enough to fall for their blandishments, they will quite happily profit from her gullibility. Compromise her even, to achieve their designs.'

Since Lydia appeared to be listening, Mrs Darrow added some final advice. 'Did you not realise that in town, young ladies are not allowed out in society until they are older? That is to ensure that they have reached the maturity to discern the rakes from the gentlemen. Now, if you will excuse me, I have duties to perform. I will leave you to consider your new situation.'

~~~o0o~~~