Chapter 5: Shock

Elizabeth stared at her father in disbelief. His words tortured her mind, body, and soul.

This cannot be true. This cannot be true.

" You are lying. I do not believe you. " She said, shaking.

" No, we are not. You are not born to us. We took you in with a kind heart, and what have you to give us? Nothing. We must have sent you with the maids." Her mother said with disgust.

Elizabeth felt dizzy.

" No! No! You are lying. Why are you doing this? "She cried with disbelief.

" No, I am not. It is the truth. All these years, we have been lying to give you a decent living just like the rest of our daughters. Now I realize that you are as ungrateful as your mother. "

My mother!

" Whom are you referring to? If I am not your daughter, then who am I?"

" You were born to my sister Sarah. Do not rejoice in the discovery. Nobody knows who your father is. You were born out of wedlock. Your birth is a disgrace."

Elizabeth looked at her mother in shock. She somehow knew that whatever her mother said was the truth. Her eyes revealed the honesty in her words.

Elizabeth felt her whole world collapse. All those years of questioning why her mother hated her had a simple explanation. She was not her mother.

She looked at her father with tears. All she could see in him was anger.

"Do not look at me like that. You would have been shunned by the world. But you have lived happily under our protection for so long. I never thought you would disobey my request. Now I realise you can never be long to our family."

" Stop it! Stop it! Who asked you to raise me? You could have given me away instead of making me a commodity for your financial needs. Where is my mother now? " Elizabeth asked in agony.

Mrs Bennet let out a low laugh.

"Oh! You had plans to see your mother? She died the day you were born. I am certain that she could not bear to see your face. She was ashamed of carrying you."

Elizabeth could not bear it anymore. She collapsed to the floor crying.

Her father reached her and dragged her to face him.

"Listen to me. We are not your parents. Your mother was a characterless woman who brought shame to the Gardiner family. Your uncle knows this as well. He wanted us to raise you and give you a good life. He didn't want to do anything with you. Fanny was pregnant with Jane at the same time your mother was with you. We moved from town to Hertfordshire to raise you without any scrutiny from society. Despite such a horrible past, we chose to give you a family and a respectable life. But now I realise none of our sacrifices has rendered fruitful. You have the same disposition as your mother. You do not care about anyone around you. You are selfish and insolent."

He held her so roughly that Elizabeth's arms hurt from his grip.

" So be it. Call me whatever name you want to. I do not care. You say you have given me a good life. What for? To trade my life for your well-being? You may have given me a house to live in, but you know you never loved me. All these years, I never understood why. Thank you for enlightening me on this subject. "

" How dare you say that? You had the same dresses as my daughters. Masters to learn. Every penny spent on someone so worthless like you. What else do you want? Do you know what name the society would have given you?" Mrs Bennet asked with anger.

" Those are materialistic things. You never gave me your care and love. Now I know why. You hated me for something my mother did. You could have killed me for deceiving me so."

" Look here. I knew someday the truth had to be told. But I never realised it would be so soon. Now that you know this, we can never live as a family with you. You have one choice you will marry him and leave. " Mr Bennet said with authority.

" You have stated that I am not your daughter. Then you have no right over me. You cannot make me marry him."

" Your mother gave custody before she died. You will obey us. Mr Collins does not know any details about your birth. Do you think any man will come forward to claim your hand? You will marry him. "

Elizabeth struggled and tried to free herself from his clasp.

She looked at both of them with disgust.

What she felt she could not explain. Shame, anger, betrayal, and helplessness engulfed her like a storm.

" You cannot force me to do that. As you say, you are not my parents and my mother is not alive. You have no proof of being my guardian. I will not sacrifice myself in the name of being grateful to you for raising me. I would insult every feeling of love and affection I have had on you as parents if I agree to this trade."

"You have no choice. Now you know the truth. You cannot live amongst us. Mr Gardiner will never take you. You have no one. You will marry him."

" No. I would rather die than marry that man. You have betrayed me in so many ways. You have no right to decide anything about my future. Leave me alone." She cried and ran out of the library to her room.

The rest of the family has already retired.

She ran up to her room and collapsed on the floor. Jane was already asleep.

Her world was torn apart. The life she had lived at Longourn was a lie. All the details about her past questioned her belief in life itself.

All these years I have called them my parents. They are my aunt and uncle. Oh! God! My mother is dead. Who is my father?

Am I illegitimate?

She could not believe it. The truth brought her shame. She did not know if she could survive another minute in the world.

" This is a mess. " Mr Bennet yelled at his wife in the library.

" What can we do? That insolent girl has no gratitude. I could not stand to call her my own all these years. Someday the truth must be out. She will marry him and leave this place. "

" No, Fanny. I know her. She won't. She will never accept that man. Had I been patient and coaxed her to marry him without revealing the truth, we would have succeeded. Anger got the better of me."

" What options does she have? She cannot go, Edward. They are way in France. It will be at least two months before they return. Even if she goes to them, she will hear the same story as what we told her. "

" This is a headache. I do not know what to do."

" Oh! Had you been strict with her, she would have obeyed you. You always had a soft corner for her in your heart. I am disgusted by it."

" Enough! No more of the past. We cannot leave this opportunity with Mr Collins. I have had sleepless nights about your future in case I die. She must marry him. Longbourn must be with us. "

"Oh! Do not fret, Mr Bennet. I know a way. We can easily send her with Mr Collins in a week."

" How do you think that will happen?"

" Why? He can compromise her. By the way, he has been looking at her, I am sure he will have no scruple in doing it."

Mr Bennett stared at his wife in shock. His wife almost expected him to disagree.

He merely nodded his head. He knew they had no other choice.

" We cannot do anything now. Jane is in the same room. Tomorrow I will make sure all the servants are there. I will convince Mr Collins about the task at hand. He will enter her room and... I do not need to guide him on what he should do. She will be ruined. We can marry them here as soon as possible. I am certain her self-respect will not allow her to disclose details about her birth if she wants to have a decent living with her husband." She said with certainty.

Someone was shaking with fear and rage outside the library, hearing her mother's words.

Mary had never left the place. She had stayed by the door and listened to every gruesome detail about Elizabeth's past.

The character of her parents grieved her beyond measure.

She loved Elizabeth with all her heart. Nothing was going to change her relationship with her.

I cannot let this happen. I cannot let that man ruin her. No matter what they say she is my sister.

Mary thought with resolve and wiped her tears.

Mr Bennet and his wife retired that night without the slightest idea that none of their plans was going to work.