Chapter 42

Upon the ladies' arrival at Longbourn, they spoke with their father forthwith and an express was sent to their uncle in Cheapside. Mr. Bennet was sensible to the benefits of his favorite daughters absenting themselves with little enough persuasion. Their ready excuse of shopping for wedding clothes was convenient enough that all participants were satisfied, that they could convey the trip as a necessity to someone of Mrs. Bennet's logic. With the removal of her vexations, Mrs. Bennet would have less prompting to lamentations, though it would hardly put a stop to the woman entirely, it would buy them all some reprieve. The extra coin for the shopping trip their father would readily pay, thus purchasing the peace he could not acquire through reasoning with a wife of Mrs. Bennet's temperament.

Over dinner, Mr. Bennet made the announcement, knowing full well it would vex his wife greatly, though nothing could be done about it. The choice lay entirely between suffering greatly now, with some quiet after his eldest daughters left, or peevishness exclamations for months on end, every time Elizabeth entered Mrs. Bennet's line of sight. Her fits of nerves would be unendurable with the constant prompting of the daughter who jilted two suitors, and Mr. Bennet well knew it.

"And why should she go to London? She is hardly deserving of it, as she will not marry. And to refuse such a man! As good as a Lord he is! She can expect no kindness from me when we are all in the hedgerows." Mrs. Bennet exclaimed, seeming to forget Mr. Collins entirely upon thoughts of Elizabeth's carriages and pin money as Mrs. Darcy.

"When that is the case, I imagine you will have little enough to offer for her comfort, Mrs. Bennet," replied Mr. Bennet drily. The scene at Longbourn that evening was hardly aboration from the servant's point of view, the source of her vexation mattered little to them, as exclamations themselves were nothing new.

"Mama, I sure Mr. Bingley and I would never allow that to come to pass," replied Jane, attempting to soothe the situation her father was inflaming.

"Ohh, yes, yes, he would. I'm sure of it, now that Lizzy has so jilted his friend. Why should he take us in?" reasoned Mrs. Bennet, with what reason she had. She was determined to lament the worst that could happen. It seemed to them all that she was entirely agitated when not garnering sympathy. Mrs. Bennet, it seemed, found in her nervous fits her only consolation, as ironic as that was. In their minds, she had fixed her character as the most determined to be pitied in all of Hertfordshire, entirely unwilling to let go of such a prize as commiseration. So they sat there, silently, unable to attempt to calm her without exciting her further. "Oh, I knew how it would be! The second we were saved, Lizzy ruined it all, now even Mr. Bingley will not have us, hoping to avoid further insult to his friend."

"Mama, he has said no such thing. He suggested I take Lizzy with me to shop for my trousseau. I'm sure he means to treat her with every consideration as my sister."

"Oh, Jane, you are too kind, for I'm sure he means for you to abandon her there. Leave her in London, and keep her from plaguing the rest of us. I'm sure he's afraid you'll develop her impertance. Far better to abandon her to relations, he thinks, I am sure, for he does not yet know you are the dearest, sweetest girl and have none of your sister's obstinance and that your sweet, obilging temperament never could obtain it."

Jane sat there, now quiet, wishing her temperament could obtain some of her sister's firmness of character, at least enough to shut her mother up. Lizzy, she thought, would never go in the direction she was pushed. Whether her mother realized it or not, she was driving Elizabeth further from the ending she wished for her to obtain.

Elizabeth sat there stewing that her mother continued to wish to force her into a marriage that would pay for her extravagance. Why should she have to marry to pay for her mother's expenditures after her father's death? If she were so determined to maintain her standard of living, she could certainly remarry after her current husband went to his eternal reward. As much as Elizabeth loved her father, she knew his demise would be no inconvenience to her mother, outside the loss of her pin money.

Jolting both Elizabeth and Jane from their musings, their mother went on to declare, "How shall you shop for wedding clothes, for you do not know where the best warehouses are! It shall all be for not if you disgrace Mr. Bingley as his wife. You must have the finest things, to be sure of it! You must all have new dresses, even Lizzy, for she should not embarrass us further, wild creature that she is. She should be happy to live in the hedgerows, I'm sure, as she is always out of doors. I will find out how much your father will give us and I shall go with you. If Elizabeth must come, she will look after the children, for my sister will know where to find the finest fabrics and lace from the continent."

Nothing could horrify the sisters more than the thought of being trapped in the carriage with their mother all the way to London in her current state of mind. Neither was inclined to give audience to her complaints and insistence on every manner of things, especially her opportunity to work on Elizabeth. They both could well imagine her vulgar utterances when they arrived. It was hardly how Jane wished to prepare for her new life as Mrs. Bingley, her mother's tastes were far more elaborate than her own, adding no benefit to Mrs. Bennet's attendance. She looked at her father, pleadingly, hoping he would remember how seldom she asked for anything.

"Mrs. Bennet, before you take this fabric, or that lace, in your imaginations, I beg of you to remember that you are needed here. I daresay your three youngest could not do without you, even for a fortnight." Mr. Bennet declared, not entirely out of benevolence for his eldest, as he knew his wife would likely spend more than he could spare. If she were left to her own counsel in London, he was sure she would become convinced half of every merchant's wares were absolutely a necessity on account of Jane's pending nuptials. Happy as he would be otherwise to spare her, and enjoy her absence, he knew he could ill afford it.

"Very well Mr. Bennet, if it must be, it must be. I can not imagine they could do without the society in my absence, and with the militia present. You know I fancied a redcoat in my day, Lydia dear. Did I ever tell you of Colonel Milton, who was stationed in Meryton when I was your age? How fine he looked in a red coat! But nothing did come of it, happy as I am to remember it."

Feeling all of the gratitude for the escape they had just made, the Bennet's eldest daughter's patiently listened, as Mrs. Bennet eventually went on to rattle off a list of everything Jane must acquire in London, however unreasonable her utterances. Eventually, she declared she must make a list, as it would never do to return to Meryton without all that was needed, as the quality was no where near that of which could be acquired in town.

Sorry for the delay, and my failure to repsond to comments. I've had a truely trying week. I'm still reading though, so please keep letting me know what you think, it makes me feeel guiltiy to not get a new chapter out while you guys are waiting.