Thomas Bennet, Imposter

The man known as Thomas Bennet has reasons to hide away in his study other than to avoid social interaction. The less people who see him, the less who might recognize him, or realize that he is not who he claims to be. Only Elizabeth figured out part of the truth, but not the whole.

AN: Yes, this story will require a certain suspension of disbelief, so if you are a reader who just has to have all of the i's dotted and the t's crossed, this might not be the short story for you. For the rest, please enjoy.

Cambridge, King's College, 1781

"Thomas! Did you understand anything that Professor Wilkinson said today?"

" Of course, Your... Oh sorry, Ernest. But then I enjoy geometry and astronomy."

"Bah! Give me the philosophers any day! I would rather leave math to the mathematicians. Even Uncle would rather be a farmer."

Thomas, who hailed from a small community in the middle of nowhere important, chose not to join in his friend's jest towards his uncle. After all, not many dared to use humor at the expense of His Royal Majesty, King of Great Britain. He would leave it to Prince Ernest Frederick to exercise his satire in that direction... perhaps he could get away with it. "If you require help with cyclic quadrilaterals, I will be happy to tutor you."

Prince Ernest sighed, "Yes, I will need a great deal of help if I hope to pass this class. His Majesty has written to the Dean and made it quite clear that he will be most seriously displeased if my professors make passing easy for me. I had considered asking you to wear my garments and take the test for me, but Greville did not appreciate our last little prank. He is one of the few who can recognize who is who unless we stand side-by-side."

Thomas chuckled. The first time he had met Prince Ernest, it was like looking into a mirror, only the other image was more finely dressed. He was shocked to learn that his alter-ego was in fact royalty and a grand-nephew of the King. Their resemblances began their acquaintance, but it was their compatible personalities and their similar sense of humor which turn acquaintance into a deep and lasting friendship. For the fun of it the pair had taken to switching clothes and attending each other's classes. But when Thomas allowed Ernest to talk him into visiting St. James Court dressed as the Prince, the King's Equerry, Robert Fulke Greville, put a stop to their adventures.

Thomas Bennet remembered with no little trepidation the day Greville sat both down and yelled at them for a full half hour about what might happen should a mistake be made. Threats like "the Tower" and "beheading" tend to stay with a person. The two young men decided to restrict themselves to less politically dangerous methods of fun. Still, their friendship only grew and flourished.

Ernest was the first to comfort Thomas when his father and brother were suddenly killed in by a runaway carriage. He even adopted a disguise so that he could attend Thomas' wedding. He was impressed with Mrs. Francine Bennet's beauty, but wondered why his friend would choose someone of such limited intelligence. For his part, Thomas also wore a disguise to attend a very small wedding when Prince Ernest defied royal edict and secretly married Lady Rosalie Fulbright, the daughter of the Earl of Bridgend.

The Crown eventually become aware of Ernest's secret marriage. King George was angry and demanded that their marriage be set aside. Pressure was put on the Earl to take his daughter in hand. Ernest, in response, whisked his pregnant wife off and into hiding. He decided to purchase a property using funds he had hidden away. Thomas Bennet recommended Netherfield and made a pretense of leasing the property himself in order to increase his annual profits. The prince and his wife moved in quietly and remained in place with only loyal servants until the time for Rosalie's delivery was at hand.

Thomas was also there with Ernest when Lady Rosalie Elizabeth Frederick died in childbirth, leaving behind a girl child with her mother's beautiful, unique features. Ernest named her Elizabeth Rose.

Bitter about his family's treatment of his wife, the Prince made a fateful decision, "Thomas, I want you to take Elizabeth. I will not allow her to be treated as a bastard child or a Royal. I want her to have the freedom to live her life as she chooses."

Thomas gently debated with his friend, but Ernest was determined. In the end Thomas sat down with his wife and presented the idea. Francine Bennet never knew exactly who her husband's almost identical friend truly was. All that she knew was that the man was wealthy and seemed to have the an air of power about him. She was reluctant at first to accept a strange child into her home, but when Thomas told her that Elizabeth would bring five-thousand pounds along with her care, Francine immediately agreed.

Thomas did not tell her that the girl-child was also an heiress with her own estate, or that every extra pound not used for the upkeep of Netherfield Park would go into Elizabeth's personal savings. Thomas loved his wife even if he sometimes felt that he made a mistake in marrying her. Though he loved her, he knew that she was spendthrift in nature with an inability not to spend when there were funds available.

Prince Ernest returned to the control of his royal family. He carried out the duties assigned to him. He attended the events he was required to attend. And he made himself as invisible as possible as often as he could.

Netherfield Park, 1796

Thomas Bennet took sick shortly after Elizabeth joined his family. Neither the local doctor nor the apothecary could determine exactly what ailed him, but each year Thomas became weaker. Francine, frightened about the entail on their estate, continued to push him to get her with-child, but each birth resulted in another female. Just a week ago Lydia Francine was born, and Thomas knew she would be his last.

Ernest had been there for him this time, just like he had for the last two deliveries. As usual, he had to hide away at Netherfield rather than being at Longbourn, lest any of the locals become aware of Mr. Bennet's "twin." Now Thomas, looking careworn, spoke his concerns, "Ernest, I have failed my family and you. You will need to find another home for poor Elizabeth within the next year. That about how long as I have left in this world. Collins is a vile man and I hate the idea of him having my estate. When the time grows close, I will install my wife and daughters somewhere far from here. I must ask you to do what you can to see them safely settled."

The prince offered another alternative, "Thomas, my dearest friend, I have propose a different idea. My uncle is pushing for me to marry again. He has even gone so far as to send to Hanover for a possible bride. I will not do this. It is too much. But if I became you, if we switched places just one more time, then your cousin Collins will be denied, your family and my Elizabeth will remain at Longbourn, and I will no longer be under the thumb of the Crown."

As exhausted as Thomas was, he still sat up straight after hearing this proposal. His first reaction was to laugh off the idea, but the more he thought of it, the more possible it became. "If we employed the talents of our old friend Jarlington, who has contacts in theater, then artfully applied stage-paint could help us to carry it off. I would need to leave Longbourn to go to a sanitarium."

"And I would need to make a tour of pleasure which would take me near where you were. You look so unwell now that it has altered your appearance. If you were gone for a long period and I returned in your place, then I could gradually improve my appearance until I looked healthy and sound once again. Yes, I might look slightly changed, but illness can have that effect."

"But how will I... you die?"

"We will determine that when your time draws to an end. I shall miss you my friend, more than anyone except my dear Rosalie."

Longbourn, 1797

The entire Bennet family gathered outside of the manor house to welcome Mr. Bennet when he finally returned from the sanitarium. Fanny almost threw herself into his arms, but she could see that he was still quite weak, so she restrained herself. Each of the older girls hugged their Papa. He was almost a stranger to them now, after being bedridden for months before, and then being gone for nearly a year at the sanitarium. Jane was now eight, Elizabeth six, Mary four, Kitty two and Lydia almost one. The youngest two did not know him at all. The older three seemed shy of the man. Elizabeth, more than the others seemed to regard him with an odd look of contemplation.

Not wishing to keep the poor man out in the open air, Fanny issued orders for all to return inside. Over the course of the following weeks everyone seemed to settle in together, though Elizabeth, or "Lizzie" as she was known to most, continued to have moments where she regarded the man skeptically.

Their neighbors came and went, each congratulating Thomas on his return and each wishing him a speedy and full recovery. He knew them all and had a kind or witty comment for each. They returned to their homes pleased to have their neighbor back, despite his satirical bent.

Wilbur Collins made his own appearance two months after Thomas Bennet's return. By then the master of Longbourn was greatly improved. He was even beginning to work with his steward to oversee his estate, something that had not happened for almost two years. Collins, who had already been bragging about his approaching inheritance, was livid when he saw Bennet's condition. He even tried to say that the man was an imposter... which made him the laughing stock of the whole community.

This new Mr. Bennet took the time to become closer to each of his daughters. He might have favored his Lizzy, since she was the most intelligent, but he gave attention to each and tried to find a connection with each. Fanny tried to suggest another attempt at an heir, but Thomas sadly explained that his illness had ended all chances of another child. When this overset her, he lessened the blow by explaining that his dear friend had passed tragically in a boating accident, but had left Thomas a legacy of ten-thousand pounds. "I have already met with our brother Phillips to purchase a house in Meryton for you and any daughters who remain unmarried if I pass.

Meryton Church, 1812

Both happy and sad was the day that Mr. and Mrs. Bennet married off their two eldest daughters. Their neighbors were almost as pleased to see Mr. Bennet out and about as they were to see the two most popular Bennet girls getting married. Despite his remarkable recovery, Mr. Bennet had remained a recluse from the rest of the community for the most part. He explained this by saying that an expert had told him to avoid mixing with people, lest his sickness return. Since the man took prodigious care of his family, his estate, and his tenants, the neighbors did not complain... much.

All of the Bennet girls were liked, even if the middle child was sometimes pedantic and the youngest got into mischief, they were all kind and good sort of girls. So even though Jane and Elizabeth had landed the two most eligible bachelors to enter the community in years, there was surprisingly little animosity towards the family. Fanny Bennet had even calmed since her husband's return, though many joked that it was the tidy little brick house which truly made her happy.

When Elizabeth kissed her father, she stepped back and looked into his teary eyes for a long moment of silent communication. "Just because I am gone, Papa, does not mean that you can hide away in your book room. My sisters will still require your loving care."

Thomas (Ernest) squeezed his beloved daughter's hands in both understanding and promise. Shortly after his return as Mr. Bennet, little Lizzie had crawled into his lap, looked up at his handsome face, and said, "You're the other one."

Startled, the man asked, "What do you mean, Lizzie?"

"You're the brother. When Kittie came, you were there with Papa. Then when Lydie came, you were there again. I walked to Netherfield and saw you and Papa. He told me you were his brother, but I mustn't tell anybody. He said he had to go away, and if he could not come back, then you would, but not to tell anybody. I promised. He said you love all of us very much, but you love me most. Why do you love me most?"

Ernest cleared his throat and wiped the moisture in his eyes, "Because you remind me of someone very, very special. Someday, when you are older, I promise to tell you about her, but not until you are all grown up. Your Papa, the first Papa, sent me to take care of all of you after he couldn't do it himself any more. But it must always be our secret. Will you promise, my dear child?"

Lizzie nodded, "I promise. Papa said you would be my Papa when you came and that you were the best man in the whole world."

Ernest had to clear his throat again, "He was very special too. Now go and play, My Lizzy."

As time went on and Elizabeth grew in understanding, she began to realize that there were many subtle differences in the two men who looked so much alike. The first taught her to love math. The second taught her to love literature, philosophy, and a good debate. The first was not the best at running his land, but the second made the family wealth grow. She also understood that the second twin (she decided that they must be secret twins) was there because of this "entail" that Mama sometimes mentioned.

Still, Elizabeth never forgot her Papa's promise. When she became engaged to Mr. Darcy, she stepped into her Papa's study one morning and said, "It is time to tell me the rest of the story, Papa." Ernest nodded, rose, and led his beloved daughter out for a walk to the top of Oakham Mount. He did not have his daughter's particular attachment to that location, but it offered the greatest chance for complete privacy.

For the next hour Prince Ernest Frederick told Elizabeth everything, without holding anything back. She sat there, stunned. Then, as he continued to speak, she rose up and paced. Then she hugged herself. And finally she laughed. "Oh, if Miss Bingley only knew! Or Lady Catherine! Or my William for that matter! But Papa, I have to tell William! I cannot keep secrets from my husband, and besides, how will you explain Netherfield Park, or such an enormous dowry? I almost wish that I could split it among my sisters, but I fear another Wickham might appear! Imagine if Lydia had been allowed to go to Brighton as she hoped with a dowry like this!"

"I may have been somewhat lenient, my dear, but I would not have allowed child of fifteen to go off in the care of Forster's wife. Thomas entrusted his family into my care."

"And the entail! Oh Papa, is it right that Mr. Collins has been allowed to think he has to wait?"

"I have not the slightest tinge of guilt on that score, Child. If you knew how the elder Collins gained entry into this family, or how he treated his wife after he compromised her, then you could not either. His son is ridiculous, but the father was a monster."

"Then I will think of it no more... but we must talk with William. You do not have to say that you are royal, but he must know the rest."

"We are royal, my dear. And it is for your sake that it has remained a secret. The throne is about power and politics. People matter little and being royal does not give you freedom, it robs you of it. If you trust your betrothed enough, then we will tell him. Otherwise, it will remain a secret forever."

"I trust him, Papa."

-oOo-

Two weeks later, after an energetic and joyful few hours, Fitzwilliam Darcy lay with his wife of one day resting against his chest. When she felt his rumbling chuckle, she looked up and asked, "What amuses you, husband."

"I am laughing at myself, my dear Mrs. Darcy."

"And may I share in the reason?"

"So long as you remember that you've already forgiven me for my past mistakes. I spent months thinking of all of the reasons to not marry you. And all of the time you were so far above my station that only by hiding the truth could you ever be my wife. And then I thought of Caroline Bingley."

"You thought of Caroline Bingley on our wedding day... in our wedding bed?" Elizabeth demanded, trying to conceal her teasing smile.

"Yes, because I find it vastly amusing that the entire time she was looking down on you, she was living as a tenant in your home. And every time she openly denigrated and criticized your relatives, she was actually speaking subversively against the Crown."

Elizabeth laughed, but then she ran her hand over her husband's muscular chest... and they forgot about talking for a while.

Years later, when their firstborn came of an age where it was reasonable to expect understanding and circumspection from their son, William and Elizabeth debated if they should pass on Elizabeth's secret. Eventually they decided that there was no good purpose in the revelation. So when they passed away many decades later, the secret died with them.

Almost two centuries later, when Eleanor Darcy had her DNA investigated for a college family tree project, she was quite amused to learn that she was distantly connected to the Royal Family. Looking back at the well-documented list of her progenitors, she quickly passed over Elizabeth Darcy, nee Bennet and went on to look at all of the wives whose families had dukedoms, earldoms, and the like. When she found no clear answers, she shrugged the matter off and focused on getting the best grade for her project.

And what happened to the rest of the Bennets, you ask? Fanny Bennet never had to leave Longbourn, though she did occasionally look longingly at the house which waited for that day. It was rented out and the money from the lease added to her savings. She predeceased Mr. Bennet by ten years, but not before she saw all of her girls well married and got to meet fifteen grandchildren. To her credit, after Elizabeth joined the family she became Fanny's daughter. Never once in all of the years which followed did Fanny ever think of her in any other way.

Thomas Bennet the Second, A.K.A. Prince Ernest Frederick, spent the remaining decade of his life visiting the homes of his children. Mr. Collins also predeceased him, but the second Mr. Bennet liked Mrs. Collins and her children so much that he invited them to move in before his death so that Charlotte's son could begin to learn how to properly manage an estate.

Longbourn's stone church and the family graveyard had not been touched for many years, so nobody saw or noticed when a body was exhumed from its resting place in Wales to be properly buried in the Bennet family plot. As his final request to his beloved Elizabeth and her fine husband, Prince Ernest was buried beside his wife in a similar plot at Netherfield.

AN: As I said, implausible, but the story got into my head and had to get out. Hope you enjoyed it.