Chapter 2

Two days after arriving back at Longbourn, Bennet sat with his daughters in the drawing room. "Do you understand why we cannot tell the new Mrs. Bennet and her children about Tommy, the actual state of the entail on Longbourn, or our cousins?" Bennet asked as his two girls sat on the settee next to him.

"Papa is that not a lie to not tell the full truth?" Jane asked. "And have you not always told is to lie is unacceptable."

"I do not want to lie Papa!" Elizabeth looked concerned.

"In a manner of speaking it is an untruth. There are times in life when we need to withhold some information from another for good reason. This is one of those times. When you are older, I give you my solemn word I will explain this all to you when you will be able to understand the circumstances. For now I ask you to trust your Papa and do as I say. You are both intelligent young girls and you know I would never ask anything like this of you unless I felt there was not choice, do you not?" Both girls nodded emphatically. "What I am asking you to do is for the good of our family, and especially Tommy. It is also for your own protection."

"What will happen to us if you go to join Mama in heaven Papa?" Jane asked with concern.

"Do you both remember what a contingency is?" Bennet asked. Both of his daughters loved to read, and Elizabeth was starting to read more advanced books and had come across the word no too long ago.

"I remember Papa, you told me it means making plans in case," Elizabeth remembered proudly.

"Yes Lizzy-bear," it was endearment that Fanny had dubbed her second daughter with as she gave the best hugs, "that is correct. Firstly, you will not get rid of your old papa so easily, but if heaven forbid, if something happens to me, I have made contingencies with both Uncle James and Uncle Edward. In a few years I will be able to explain everything in detail to you, but please remember my darling girls how important it is not to answer any questions about the entail, our connections, or money, like your dowries if the new Mrs. Bennet or her children ask you."

"What is a dowree?" Elizabeth asked.

"A dowry is a lady's fortune that she brings with her when she marries. As you neither know the amount of yours, you will not have to prevaricate and will be able to honestly answer that you do not know. My preference if any of them ask you questions about the subjects that I have stated that you refer them to me." As Bennet completed his speech there was a knock on the study door and Hill announced a lady Bennet had been expecting.

"Miss Jones, welcome, please sit." Bennet looked at his manservant and butler all in one. "Hill please request tea service from your wife." Hill bowed and departed the study and Miss Jones sat in the seat that Bennet indicated.

After Mrs. Hill poured tea, weak for the two girls, she curtsied and exited the study pulling the door closed. "Who is this lady?" Elizabeth asked directly.

"This lady, Jane and Lizzy, is your governess, Miss Anita Jones. She is sister to Mr. Jones, the new apothecary and doctor in Meryton. She will be working with you and making sure that you are busy. I will repeat what I already told you when we spoke previously Miss Jones. The new Mrs. Bennet will be my wife but not the mistress of this house. I. and I alone, am the only one who will be allowed to issue instructions regarding my children and unless I specifically tell you otherwise, the Bingley children are not to be included in the lessons with my children." He turned to his daughters, "I wanted you two to hear this from my own mouth in case anyone tries to gainsay me, and I am not in the house." Both girls nodded. "Miss Jones will commence on the morrow, and she will stay to look after you when I go to Town to …" Try as he may, Bennet could not force himself to say the word marry!

A few days earlier, Bennet was talking to Mr. Jones when he mentioned that he was looking for a good and dependable governess. Jones had told Bennet about his younger sister, Anita. They had grown up on a small estate in Bedfordshire; Jones was a third son. The family had saved money for the education of their three sons and daughter, but past that the younger two sons needed to find a profession and shift for themselves.

The middle son had chosen the church while the third son had chosen medicine. He had learnt both disciplines, doctor and apothecary, as he correctly believed that most small market towns needed both but did not have the population to support separate men. Bennet had met with Miss Jones who did not want to be a burden to her parents and older brother. Hence she was seeking a position. It had not taken long for Bennet to realise that she would be perfect for the position. His daughters took to Miss Jones almost immediately, which sealed the proposition, and she was hired.

One of the contingencies that Bennet put in place was that regardless of his being alive or not, the servants would all get paid through Gardiner, so the new Mrs. Bennet would have no say over the firing or hiring of servants. If she wanted personal servants for herself or her children, she would have to pay for them out of fifteen pound and half sovereign that they would have each month if one combined their allowances.

That afternoon, Bennet had occasion to visit the general store where he met with his friend, and the proprietor, Mr. William Lucas. The Lucas family owned a nice sized house behind their store. His wife Sarah had been remarkably close to the late Fanny Bennet. His oldest, Charlotte, who was almost fourteen, and sons Frank and John, eleven and seven respectively, all helped in the store whenever they could. Their unanticipated baby, Maria, was not yet one and demanded much of her mother's time.

Besides being the owner of the local store, William Lucas was the mayor of Meryton. It was a largely ceremonial position, but Lucas enjoyed it as he was a jovial and sociable fellow. While Bennet was ordering some of his favourite port, Lucas was regaling his friends of how in about a sennight, the King and Queen would pass through Meryton and, he, a lowly merchant, as mayor would make an address to his Royal Majesty.

Lucas was a rather loquacious chap, but that did not bother Bennet. The only thing that counted was that the Lucas family were loyal friends of long standing and either would do anything in their power to help the other. Even though Charlotte was almost five years older than Jane, she enjoyed spending time with the Bennet sisters.

Bennet asked if he could speak to Lucas in the store's office. With his wife there to assist the customers, Lucas led the way. Bennet filled his friend in on all of the happenings and Lucas pledged himself to help and support as required.

After Lucas, Bennet spoke to his friends Spencer Goulding and Johnathan Long, both pledged to assist as and when needed. Before his departure to London, Bennet met with Phillips several times to make sure that his will and all other relevant documents were as they should be.

As Bennet travelled to London during the latter half of March 1795, he cheered himself by thinking of Lizzy's fifth birthday and how much fun they had. He was also diverted that the King, for a reason known only to himself, had been enamoured with William Lucas's boring speech and as a reward, the man would be knighted at St. James Palace in early April. His friends were now, or would be after the investiture, Sir William and Lady Lucas.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

Lady Catherine de Bourgh was seriously displeased, seemingly a permanent state for her. No matter how many letters she wrote about her claimed agreement with the sister, who she claimed stole the man and rank that was her due as the older sister, there had not been a single answer—other than the one with a warning even she would not test,

If that were not enough, it seemed that Anne did not care a whit if she married her cousin. At ten, Anne was not like others her age. Until she was six, she had been a normal, even vivacious, girl but then she had been beset by scarlet fever. As much as her mother did not want to acknowledge it, Anne's heart, among other things had been weakened and the chances were that she would never see her thirtieth year, that is if she even reached twenty.

Ann de Bourgh knew that everyone thought her spoilt and a sour person, yet they would feel the same if they had her mother as their mother. Anne was fully aware that she was uneducated and had no accomplishments. Her mother always spouted the 'if my Anne had been healthy enough to learn…' nonsense.

The truth was that Anne would have loved to have learnt to play, to draw, and to do many other things but had always been denied by her officious and overbearing mother. Her mother thought that Anne was not aware that once she attained the age of one and twenty, eleven years in the future she would become the owner of Rosings, de Bourgh House in town, and the de Bourgh fortune. As the estate was unentailed, she would be able to will it to whomever she chose.

Lady Catherine was ranting about her brother-in-law refusing to do his duty to her and betroth his son to Anne thereby combining the fortunes of Pemberley and Rosings Park. It was the only way that Lady Catherine could see where she would retain control of the fiefdom, she had created for herself since her husband had drowned some five years previously.

Anne shook her head out of her mother's line of sight. The Darcys owned eight estates, three besides Pemberley as large, if not larger than, Rosings Park, so why would need the estate in Kent? Even at her tender years, Anne was sure that her mother's push was about herself gaining access to the Darcy coffers after failing to entrap her Uncle Robert some years ago and nothing to do with her daughter's happiness.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

The deed was done. Bennet was married to the last woman he had ever wanted to marry. "You could have looked a little happy," Martha Bennet whined as her husband handed her into the carriage after her children.

"I have no reason to be happy. You fully know this is not what I desired. Let us depart, I want to return to my daughters as soon as may be." Bennet closed the door.

"How is it that you are only telling me you have children now?" Martha asked.

"If you had not deigned to compromise me, and I had been even a little interested in you, I would have shared all about my family with you." The woman had the decency to turn red at that statement.

"Well at least now your unfortunate daughters will have a mother," Martha drawled.

"Let me rightly understood," Bennet wheeled with a thunderous look, "I give you no authority over my children. You may not question them, discipline them, or anything else. They are not now, nor will they ever be under your care! Do I make myself clear?"

For the first time Martha was afraid of Bennet and decided that for now anyway, she would obey her husband. She was still confident that she would be able to use her feminine wiles to bring her husband to heel. It had never failed to work before. Her compliant former husband had never questioned that none of his children looked a lick like him.

Charles was tallish with sandy blond hair and grey eyes; Louisa had mousy brown hair, brown eyes, and was plump to put it nicely. She never saw any food that did not call to her. Even Martha had to own her older daughter was homely. Caroline had orange hair, almost yellow eyes and was a bony young girl, she was not at all corpulent like Louisa. Rather, she was the opposite—all skin and bone. Unfortunately, she too was homely. Martha hoped that her daughters' appearances were not obvious, as the disparity with her daughters' looks and her husband's two were great.

Martha did not know how yet, but she had to convince her husband to adopt her progeny so they would have the name of a gentleman and not a tradesman. She would just have to seduce him. It was as simple as that.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

Four hours later, with Bennet riding ahead, they arrived under the portico at Longbourn. Martha was not happy, as there was no one to receive her, no servants lined up, her husband's daughters were also nowhere to be seen. "You would think that my new daughters…" She got no further as Bennet interjected.

"Madam I will tell you one last time. My daughters are not now, nor will they ever be your daughters! If you make me say it again Mrs. Bennet you will have a choice before you: annulment or divorce!"

"You would not do that; either would cause you scandal!" For the first time Martha began to realise that she may have underestimated her husband.

"If you break a single rule of my house, I most certainly will. No matter the cost or the scandal I, will be rid of you. Before our wedding I explained that you are not mistress of this house, you have no say over anything, and especially not my children. Under no circumstances will you or your children claim they are Bennets to anyone! Do I make myself clear or do I need to summon my solicitor and begin proceedings to rid myself of you and your spawn?" Bennet demanded. His anger was palpable, and Martha knew that now was not the time to test his will. She may have to bide her time, but at some point, she would prevail.

As she was standing in shock, two of the prettiest girls she had ever beheld burst out of the front door and jumped into their father's arms. As homely as her daughters were, her husband's daughters were at the very opposite end of the scale. She immediately resented the two girls who were receiving love from their father in a most unreserved way.

Louisa and Caroline stared wordlessly at the visions before them. No matter how much they told themselves otherwise, when they saw their stepsisters, they saw what beautiful was and it was not what they saw when they looked in the mirror. Caroline especially hated the two beauties for all they had, from the quality of their dress to their looks, things she would never have.

Charles was almost twelve and had a habit of spying on his sisters when they changed or bathed. When he saw the two Bennet sisters for the first time, his eyes opened wide, especially when he saw the older of the two—a blond angel. He would have no opportunity to ply his trade with his stepsisters. His mother, his sister, and he were shown to chambers on another floor from the family. Between them they had three small chambers and they were told in no uncertain terms that there would always be a footman on duty in the hall below that led to the family chambers.

As a safety measure, Bennet moved his daughters into a bedchamber next to his and out of the nursery, which was on the floor where his wife and her children had been placed. Miss Jones was ensconced in the bedchamber next to Jane and Elizabeth.

There was an uneasy truce between the inhabitants of Longbourn, which lasted for a few years.