Dear Readers, I am grateful for the amount of support this story has received and hope you are kind enough to forgive any unintentional mistakes that I have made. Few of the readers have also requested to become better acquainted with the background of the story and I hope I have rectified that. I have also edited the first chapter for your better understanding and hope I continue to receive positive response for this story.

The credit for betaing this chapter goes to the wonderful Dr-Lizzie.

Chapter II Father Bennet's Receives an Unusual Letter

- Meryton -

Father Bennet was different to other priests in the Catholic Church. He was, what other people would consider, an eccentric. Though he was a man of faith, he was also a man of science and rationality, not unlike his personal heroes Copernicus and Mendel; but his experiments in astronomy did not venture beyond seeing the rings of Saturn from his telescope. As for botany he did not move far from his front garden where every day, early in the morning before conducting the daily mass, he could be seen tending to his precious roses.

His other eccentric characteristic was his great appetite for books other than the Holy Bible. Everyone in the little village knew that it was better to bring Father Bennet a book rather than any number of scrumptious delicacies from Mrs. Long's bakery. Before arriving in Meryton there were rumors that Father Bennet had displeased the church and that was why had been sent to this corner of the world

The one thing Father Bennet did not like about the humble villagers of Meryton was their propensity to gossip, because gossip always had its foundations in the truth, and usually caused more hurt then delight.

People liked to label themselves as 'Good Christians' and feigned worry about what was going to happen to so-and-so, when in reality they wanted to feel secure in their own place in the world and often felt better when someone else was brought low.

The thing that made Father Bennet different from other priests was his acceptance of sinners in his home and his church.

Oh, he certainly laughed at the silly follies and foibles of his neighbors, but never at something that was a real source of pain. He did not censor or refuse the poor widows of soldiers who in their penury filled their children's bellies by trading their flesh. Rather, at Sunday mass, he awarded them as much respect as he did to the wife of any other man residing in the little village of Meryton.

The reason behind this, the villagers liked to gossip, was Father Bennet's fall from grace following a youthful misadventure. The nature of the misadventure was never known, but most agreed that if not for, it they would never have had the particular joy of being acquainted with the sedate and remarkably kind Father Bennet.

When the good Father had been just and had not officially joined the Mission yet, he had been caught by a pretty face and lost his mind over a girl, like many others before him.

It had not been love but lust that he had lost his bearing to; the one weakness that every man battled against at least once in his lifetime.

He had called her Francis and taught her to read and then broken the poor girl's heart. She had been younger than him naive and full of joy.

Father Bennet had always tried to forget that time of his life and had dedicated every moment since to understanding the Lord better. But, sometimes, when his life lost focus, she would come in to his mind and he could not but remember what a thing of beauty she had been.

This time, as he remembered, Darcy's confession came to his mind. After all, he had promised to help the lad acquire a wife – and the kind of wife that was acceptable to Hurst and Collins was certainly not going to be acceptable to him. Darcy was no fool, but he was stubborn to a fault. He needed someone who could stand her ground.

As Father Bennet meditated upon all this over his morning breakfast Mrs. Hill, his housekeeper, came over with the post;

"Mr. Philips' says you have a received a post from all the way from Lambton Father", Mrs. Hill said in her usual sweet voice.

"Lambton you say! It must be important because this is not the time they send their usual monthly sermons."

"I am sure it is nothing to worry about Father, they must just be missing you at the Mission as you are so sparse with your post. I am dusting your study today Father," and, saying that, Mrs. Hill went about clearing away his empty plate, leaving no room for argument.

As Father Bennet started opening his post from Gardner, the town's book shop owner, about the latest order he had given for the village school he could not help but notice the rather unusual post from the Mission. Casting the letter at hand aside and donning his spectacles, without which he most surely will be blind, he opened what was a letter from his dear friend Father Lucas and what he read, dear readers, hit Father Bennet veritably – like a lightning bolt – and rendered him mute. Incidents like the one he had just read, he believed, only happened in the silly novels for girls (which, if you will ask, he would hesitate to confess he was quite fond of – despite his many reservations);

"Dear Brother Bennet,

I hope you are well and I am much in your thoughts like our beloved Lord. I am sure that as my fellow lover of religious literature you were delighted by the Biography of St. Thomas Aquinas that I sent to you last month; I believe it nourished both your analytical mind and your God-fearing soul. My position as the new school master has taken much of my time this past month and agrees with me very well. The boys at school come from different backgrounds but are determined to learn, I believe. Much like you the teaching of sparing the rod and spoiling the child has never agreed much with my sensibility and I believe the sisters are sometimes quite angry with me with my inability to tame their rambunctiousness.

Now, I believe that we are quite done with the general civilities that society dictates must be observed between two correspondents and I must now tell you the reason for this untimely correspondence. I have always believed you to be a man devoted to our Lord despite your eccentricity and never attributed your lack of ambition, despite your unusual academic brilliance, to mean anything except want for a quiet life in service of our Great Lord. I know of your youthful dalliance with that girl from the nearby Indian settlement in Lambton but you never told me of a child. If you were unaware, as I believe you were, on me being very well acquainted unflinchingly honest character then I forgive you my friend for I have never believed you to be of a duplicitous nature, but we have some serious matters at hand which are too sensitive to be suitably conducted through correspondence and your presence is urgently needed here. It is not the time for reticence my friend and I beseech you to be as hasty as you can.

Your devoted friend,

Father William Lucas"

Still very much in a stupor Father Bennet rose from his seat and filled a glass of water from his dear mother's white ceramic jug. He called for Mr. Hill to pack his bags and to arrange transport for Lambton. Coming out of this momentary sloth and not yet completely recovered he said; "Tell Darcy I have some urgent business with the Mission and not to wait my arrival".

In an hour, he was packed and on road to his destination his mind understandably remembering the past, while the thoughts of the imminent future invaded his mind.

Letters form an important part of Austen's literature and I hope mine was not too shabby. As, a writer I try to borrow Austen's sensibility but I know, I am no match for her wit. I am always happy to hear from my readers and will be very interested to hear anything you have to say about my writing till then keep safe and be happy :)