So sorry for the late update. I started writing in the middle of the book and got caught up. I'm back to writing the beginning again. At Least I can promise very frequent updates when the beginning meets the middle. Also, I've uploaded a book cover. If you have a pen name suggestion for me, I'd love to hear it. Thanks so much for all of your comments. I always stop what I'm doing to read them.
Chapter 4
"Mr. Bennet!" cried Mrs. Bennet while scurrying into his study with all the urgency of a woman with news of an imminent catastrophe.
Said man was interrupted yet again that morning, this time by his wife. Knowing this disruption to his peace would likely cause less amusement and even more vexation, he was already devising a strategy to shorten the interview.
Mr. Bennet spent all his time acquiring wisdom, but never took the trouble to apply it, or even to consider what he would apply it to and thought himself all the more clever for it. Mrs. Bennet, on the other hand, spent all of her time impulsively acting towards one goal and none of her time developing the understanding that would naturally increase the likelihood of her success. The business of her life was to get her five daughters married and she could spare not a thought to anything other than machinations to realize her achievement. Had either of the said couple troubled themselves to understand the other they would have made quite the pair, with his ability to reason and her determination to act. However, because of the little patience each one had for the other, he continued to reason without action and she continued to act without reason - to the detriment of themselves and all their daughters.
"Oh, Mr. Bennet, you'll not believe what I have heard. Oh, and it must be the truth, for I've had it from Lady Lucas, who has heard it with her own ears. How shall they marry Mr. Bennet, if she runs on as she is suffered to do at home?"
"My dear wife, dare I ask, who has exposed us and to what?" queried Mr. Bennet, though he could well guess after his interview with Mr. Darcy.
"It's that Lizzy, Mr. Bennet, who went on with philosophical arguments that Lady Lucus could barely account for the meaning of, and I couldn't understand at all. But she did insult him as she well should, I believe, at least for as much as I could make of it."
"I can't then understand your complaint, Madam," said Mr. Bennet. "You believe she should have insulted him, but are upset she did it. It seems your thoughts are in conflict, Mrs. Bennet."
"No sir, my thoughts are not in conflict. I dare say, I would not have deigned to dance with him if he asked, but she need not debate her point like a man." an exasperated Mrs. Bennet explained. She had too much pride to wish for a daughter of hers to dance with a man who insulted her and looked down on them all but worried her second daughter's education (supplied by her father) would ruin them all. Had he no thought for their futures?
"Am I to understand, Mrs. Bennet, that your complaint is neither that she refused him, nor that she insulted him, but that she wasn't silly when she so expressed herself?" asked Mr. Bennet.
"Oh, Mr. Bennet, my poor nerves, Oh how you vex me!" she cried. How could he not understand? She did her best to enlighten him to a matchmaking matron's understanding of the world. "We have five daughters in need of a husband, sir! We need not a debating bluestocking about, ruining the advantage of Jane's beauty."
"How is Lizzy's speech affecting Jane's beauty Mrs. Bennet? I've not seen her wrinkle when she hears sense," argued Mr. Bennet.
"Wrinkle!? When she hears sense? Of Course not Mr. Bennet, but I dare say if Mr. Bingley knows we raised one bluestocking; he might suspect us of sprouting another. Then what appeal would Jane's beauty be?" said Mrs. Bennet. Could the man understand nothing, for all the books he read, thought Mrs. Bennet?
"Fear not Mrs. Bennet. I dare say that there are at least a few men in the world who do not prefer a stupid, docile wife," said he, not knowing how right he was. "Perhaps Lizzy exposing her intellect will help get the girls married faster than Lydia exposing her ignorance."
"Mr. Bennet, you can trust me to understand this matter more fully, for it was not my book reading which caused you to marry me, but my lively spirit and lovely face."
To his eternal shame, Mr. Bennet could not disagree and knew better than to argue his remorse. Wishing to end the argument with his wife, he merely said, "Well madam, I will bow to your superior knowledge of inducing young men into matrimony." He had no intention of giving up the intelligent conversation he found with his Lizzy, but nor would he suffer further vexation by defending her intellect further to his wife.
Mrs. Bennet abandoned Mr. Bennet's study. Mr. Bennet, when his wife quit his company, proceeded to do nothing about the matter at hand and returned to his book, looking forward to a later debate about it with Lizzy. His wife proceeded to do nothing useful and continued to complain of Lizzy ruining them all with her intellect, as was witnessed by their daughters, servants, and callers.