Chapter Eight – Changing Fortunes
I know, my dear Lizzy, you will be incapable of triumphing at my expense, when I confess, I have been entirely deceived in Miss Bingley's regard for me. She made it very evident that she took no pleasure in seeing me and no longer wished to continue our acquaintance. I can only thank our Aunt for her cautious words when I first came to town. It has stopped me appearing like a fool.
Closing her eyes, an expression of pain crossed Elizabeth Bennet's face. For the first time in weeks, she wished to be in London, offering comfort to her sister. How Jane must be suffering to write such a letter, Lizzy considered her sister's emotions upon discovering Miss Bingley's treachery.Jane might be quiet but she knows her worth. My dearest sister's intelligence is often over looked because of her sweet disposition. Once again, the Superior Sisters are ruining her chance for happiness with their selfish disdain for the thoughts and feeling of others. Yet, with all I have learnt since the 26th of November, I can't help but understand their opposition, at least a little. While their family's wealth comes from trade, Mr. Bingley intends to buy an estate which will make him a gentleman. It is true, Jane is a gentleman's daughter, yet we are not his equal in wealth nor will we be in consequence, once he acquires an estate to call his own.
Oh, Jane, Elizabeth cried silently, trying to stem the tide of threatening tears, I so hoped your beauty would be enough to raise our fortunes but it seems Miss Bingley wants the same for her brother and does not care that your heart is involved. I cannot fault her for wanting better for her brother. I can, however, fault her character and how she brought this about. How I wish I were there to comfort you. At least Aunt Gardiner will allow you to grieve in private and to speak in your own time.
"I am sorry to interrupt your solitude," Mrs. Woodward smiled kindly. About to request Miss Elizabeth keep to her schedule and practice her instrument, the sad expression alerted the older woman to her charges state of mind. "Is that not a letter from Miss Bennet? Pray, is there anything I can help you with?"
"Not unless you can turn back time," Lizzy managed a very weak smile and strained laugh at her forced joke. Folding the letter she'd read through several times, Elizabeth rose from her place at the window seat. "Perhaps I should put the morning to better use and practice my abominable French, for I cannot make German out at all. Are you sure other young ladies speak three or more languages to be deemed truly accomplished?"
"I am afraid so," Mrs. Woodward offered in French with a sparkle in her eye. "Some speak such languages with the correct accent, having access to masters from that country. However, you are saved for the moment. Your sisters are not yet ready for their language lessons. Might you express your emotions on the pianoforte? Do you think it might help?"
"Wee," Lizzy laughed at herself. She'd understood every third or fourth word but the meaning became clear with Theodosia's rapid finger movements in the air.
The Bennet sisters discovered their mother and Mrs. Phillips had the pleasure of a governess for their early education, although they'd been left to their own devices once they reached marriageable age. They spoke French and German, neither finding a use after their betrothals. Listening to Mrs. Woodward's instructions, Mrs. Bennet quickly remembered her early lessons and began to correct the companion's accent with a smirk of the cat who had stolen the cream. Far from annoyed by this interruption, Theodosia kept her countenance, secretly overjoyed at the older lady finally taking an interest in her daughters expanding their minds. She felt it served the mother as well as the children in this instance.
Fanny relished demonstrating her superiority over the upstart companion and continued to be present at every opportunity. Once considered very accomplished, she revealed several other abilities. Mrs. Bennet could crochet fine lace, paint and draw to a very high degree, although arthritis in the hands and fingers had begun to set in and limited her technical ability. While it had been many years since she'd picked up a book, the lady proved she remembered those considered appropriate for a young woman before her coming out. Indeed, spending time with her developing daughters improved her countenance, tone and expression, a very little. Her understanding remained as mean as ever.
"I remember whole days, Miss Lizzy," Fanny scolded, in French, "where my sister Phillips and I spoke nothing but German or French. Even the servants were forced to take instructions in that language."
"Please, speak slowly, Mama," Elizabeth beseeched.
From that day on, Tuesdays became French day in the Bennet household, and German abounded on Fridays. Surprisingly Lydia had a knack for linguistics without really trying. It made her even more insufferable on those days as she continued to crow over her sisters at her rapidly developing skill. In the first week of February, due to her increasing compliance and generally better behaviour, Mrs. Woodward allowed her out of the house in the company of her sisters. The test failed miserably, just as Theodosia expected.
"She did what?" Mr. Bennet gulped on hearing the details. Nothing good could come of Lydia's wild and reckless behaviour. Taking off his glasses and placing them carefully on his desk, the balding man rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration. This is why I hired you, so I didn't have to bother with this kind of trouble,he glared at the companion standing before him.
"Her obvious flirtations with any man in a red coat are bad enough," Mrs. Woodward stated, a severe frown marring every portion of her face, "but Lydia attempted to drag Miss Catherine into her scheme without though for her sister's reputation, or that of the family. She is truly one of the most thoughtless, selfish girls I have ever had the misfortune to meet."
"I have long suspected Lydia of being one of the silliest girls in the country," Mr. Bennet sighed. Hoping to end the subject, the look on Theodosia's face stated the exact opposite. "You will not train such behaviour as this out of her in a mere six weeks, Mrs. Woodward."
If looks could kill, Mr. Bennet would now be popping up daisies. Theodosia felt most of the fault lay with her lackadaisical father who would not take the trouble to bring his household to bear with the dictates of decent societal behaviour. There had been few rules and those that were imposed occurred in a most sporadic fashion. Discipline, in her mind, needed to be swift and uncompromising. Lines, once drawn, had to be defended and reinforced.
"It does not follow that Lydia should remain so forever," Mrs. Woodward stated in an icy tone. "'I'm afraid keeping her from society is not enough. More must be done to curb her wild ways. She seeks out occasions to expose herself at the slightest opportunity."
Sighing heavily, Octavius replaced his glasses. "What am I to do," he asked in a faraway tone.
"Mr. Bennet," Mrs. Woodward set her expression with determination, "I must speak plainly. Your youngest child blatantly lied about her intentions, used her sisters to cover her escape out a window, travelled from your sister Phillips home into Meryton and deliberately met up with a group of officers, alone. What she intended to do with them can only be left to the imagination! Lydia prearranged the entire escapade. Had I not been in town, running errands, this fact would have escaped me. What would have occurred if someone else saw your daughter in the arms of Lieutenant Denny looking to the world like she'd just been kissed senseless? What more would have occurred if I had not come across her? Can you not see the damage to your families' good name and reputation should Denny speak of his assignation?"
Closing his eyes, Octavius remembered the look in the young officer's orbs several weeks past forcing the addition of Mrs. Woodward to their household. Lieutenant Denny had been out to have a good time with his youngest and did not care to hide the fact. Lydia was silly enough to fall for the ploy for little more than a few sweetly whispered words.
When the older man didn't answer, Theodosia continued, "the reputation of your other daughters, indeed your family is on the brink due to the rumours circulating about Miss Bennet's disappointment. And, might I add, from your wife's tongue no less. More scandal will do irreparable harm. Do you want Elizabeth and Jane to end up reprehensible prospects for any young man?"
"Lizzy and Jane will be appreciated and admired where ever they go," Octavius, not wanting to hear the truth, stated in a voice of such authority he believed the conversation to be at an end.
"True," Mrs. Woodward offered in a tone of consolation, before firing her final bullet. "However, the young men they meet will have no designs in marrying either of them when it becomes known Lydia Bennet is their sister. Do not misunderstand me, Sir, your youngest daughter is all but compromised after what I witnessed today. Your neighbours will shun you publicly and make fun of your situation behind closed doors should it ever become publicly known. Then Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth will end up without even the opportunity to gain a respectable position. What will become of them then?"
"Are you attempting to extort me, Madam?" Mr. Bennet roared. He couldn't remember being thus angered in his entire life. The very thought of his Lizzy left with nothing but a thousand pounds and no skills prove insupportable.
"Now," Theodosia kept her calm countenance but pushed her point, "you see how easy it would be if it had not been a loyal servant witnessing this abhorrent behaviour. She is too poor to entice any man into marriage. What charms will Lydia have to tempt the next scoundrel who desires an assignation? When word of her fall becomes known among the officers, she will become a play thing, or worse."
Deflating visibly, Octavius Bennet knew he'd lost this round. "What," he couldn't contain the petulant tone, "do you wish of me? For I feel sure you have a solution at hand."
"Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner are to take Miss Elizabeth touring this summer," Mrs. Woodward commented. It earned a nod as Octavius considered where her mind wandered. "Miss Bennet should be allowed to join them, in fact you must insist upon it. They need a chance to secure their future free of impediments and any slur against their family name. Here in Hertfordshire Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth are too well known. They have been intimately acquainted with every eligible gentleman within ten miles their entire life. Both would have been well married should any one of them proved suitable."
Mumbling under his breath, Octavius couldn't help but agree and he knew not one among them suitable for his eldest daughters. Yet he did not want to give into Mrs. Woodward's sentiments. On the other hand, as much as he would miss Lizzy, Mr. Bennet wanted to see his favourite well settled before his demise.
Sensing her victory, Theodosia continued. "We must have the two eldest married and situated away from Longbourn before Lydia is allowed back into society. As to Miss Mary and Miss Catherine, they are coming along well and will cope with the work I leave them, should you allow me full rein over Lydia. She, on the other hand, needs to be separated from all society so I may begin again with her. With your permission, I will take her to live in a tenant's house where she will experience the hardships of a life without the refinements of her current situation. I believe Mr. Black recently vacated his cottage and you have not a tenant for it until the spring."
"There is a very good reason for leaving that cottage vacant," Mr. Bennet looked astonished. "It is in desperate need of repair. Indeed, I should not like to lose a tenant farmer the likes of Mr. Black, so I have relocated his family. They are to return in early summer. As you take the girls to visit with the tenants, you must know the last winter storm dislodged half the roof."
"That is the circumstance," Theodosia grimaced, not looking forward to the next months in a cold, draft ridden and dilapidated home. "I shall use it to break Lydia's spirits and allow her to return to polite society a changed woman. I promise you a very different child will return from the experience."
Nodding, Mr. Bennet understood the unspoken comment. Should Lydia remain true to her current course, the experience would set her up for a difficult life without fortune or family connection. However, he felt it imperative to make one amendment to the current plan. "I shall have to insist the work of restoring the cottage go on around you."
"I understand and would expect nothing less. Thank you, Mr. Bennet, for your forbearance in this matter. I shall make the necessary arrangements with the housekeeper. I only ask you to stop any workman from talking to Lydia, for I wish no contact with the outside world until I deem it appropriate," Mrs. Woodward requested.
Winning her point, she silently retreated to make plans. Mrs. Woodward had much to do, if the cottage were to be ready for their occupation any time soon. Indeed, Theodosia intended to make the transition within a few days, if at all possible. It would come as a shock to the youngest Bennet but Mrs. Woodward understood the experience would be worth the trouble.
I believe the shock is necessary for Lydia, Mrs. Woodward contemplated all that needed arranging as she looked for Mrs. Hill, for I do not wish her to be as overwhelmed as I, being thrown to the hedge rows, or joining my husband on board a ship. Yes, I had to learn the hard way and perhaps it was not so bad in hindsight. However, I would not wish it on anyone if at all possible. I hope you understand I am offering you a gentler approach to what faces you should you continue on your current path.
"I will not have it, Mr. Bennet," Fanny shrieked with indignation the morning of Lydia's departure. The house eerily silent as she descended stairs to break her fast, all her daughters and Mrs. Woodward had conveniently disappeared. After much searching, Mrs. Bennet approached her husband's book room. There she'd been informed of the changes that were already underway. "Return my Dear Lydia immediately," she demanded, incensed at this plan and breaking down into hysterical sobs. "And then you may dismiss that horrid governess. She has been aught but trouble since the day she stepped into this house."
Woken at dawn by Theodosia and pre-warned, Lizzy escorted Mary and Catherine into Meryton to break their fast with Aunt Phillips. There they were to stay until the carriage called for them later in the day. Thus, the middle Bennet sisters managed to escape the worst of their mothers' nervous fluttering's and piteous wailing.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Woodward took the youngest Bennet sister to her new home at precisely eight o'clock in the morning, without the aid of full stomach. Not use to removing herself from bed at such an early hour, Lydia assumed a visit to the tenants. She hated the duty imposed on her by the older woman but found going along with the once a fortnight duty kept Mrs. Woodward content. When requested to quickly pack all her belongings into a carpet bag, Lydia began to suspect an ulterior motive. Kicking and screeching at the top of her lungs as Theodosia all but dragged the reluctant girl along in her wake. Lydia became truly frightened when servants she had known the entirety of her life failed to stop her companion.
"'You must make that horrid woman bring back my dearest Lydia," Mrs. Bennet once again broke into heart wrenching sobs before her husband. He resolutely refused to answer as the luncheon hour approached and still her children stayed away from Longbourn. Feeling lost and alone, Fanny retreated to her room with the smelling salts and Mrs. Hill for company.
Unmoved by this old tactic, Mr. Bennet continued to keep his countenance and resolutely closed the book room door securely. He gave instructions that he should not be disturbed on any account. Only the thin white line of his lips gave away his frustration and annoyance at this development. Octavius did not like Mrs. Woodward's tactics, yet he realised it might be the only way to save the rest of his daughters. And it saves me the trouble, he felt thoroughly ashamed of himself, yet not enough to rouse himself and order the carriage to return his daughters to their family home. Without Lydia's presence, eventually we might have peace in this house. I may not esteem my wife, and while she goes about it the wrong way, Mrs. Bennet only wants to see her girls well settled. As do I.
"Mary," Elizabeth called to her sister on entering Longbourn some hours later. They had waited at Aunt Phillips home in Meryton all morning and well into the afternoon without sight of their father's carriage. By three, Lizzy's patience had completely evaporated. She collected her sisters, bid farewell to her aunt, and then walked the mile home in strained silence, not sure what to expect. Upon entering the house, all appeared quiet, which did not bode well. "Please find Hill and request she to bring tea to the mistress's chamber. Kitty, go above stairs and sit with Mama until we join you. I'll see to Papa. I am sure he will be in his book room."
"German, Lizzy," Kitty reminded, "it is Friday. Just because Mrs. Woodward and Lydia are gone, we should not discontinue our lessons."
Quirking an eyebrow, Elizabeth truly looked at Catherine Bennet for the first time. Now out of her younger sister's influence, she'd started to express her unique character. They were all improving under Mrs. Woodward's gentle but insistent hand. In that instant, Lizzy wondered how much more was to change without the distracting influence of Lydia.
"Do not look at me like that, Lizzy," Kitty sounded just like Jane with the soft, ladylike rebuke. "I cannot lie, I like it when Mama pays me attention for my ability to draw or embroider. Perhaps I will take up the sketch we started. I may even cheer our mother out of her doldrums."
Elizabeth smiled warmly, going and giving her sister a kiss on the forehead, "go and speak German with Mama while requesting your lessons. I believe it may just improve her mood. Mary and I will join you shortly."
Surprisingly, Fanny Bennet, after a quarter of an hour's tears and vexation with her three remaining daughters, found employment with her second from last child. Removing to the drawing room to await the dinner hour, she requested Mary play a light tune on the pianoforte while she continued to speak with Kitty in German. By the next morning, the pattern's Mrs. Woodward set in her almost seven-week tenure saw the Bennet family happily engaged with only the slightest thoughts of Lydia's new situation.
Two miles to the east, Lydia tromped through the early February snow to her new home. Cold and wet, she'd given up complaining as her companion refused to listen and would simply take her arm, pulling her along. The tears also abated when she understood they turned to ice on her lashes. Stumbling, her feet frigid, a small cottage finally came into view. Relieved when Mrs. Woodward approached the shelter, Lydia nearly sang for joy. Once inside the room, her new situation became abundantly obvious.
"Please light a fire," Theodosia ordered, not giving the girl a chance to complain. "The tools required are situated to the left of the grate. If you do not know how, then continue to try until the job is completed." Before the wailed words discontent could be uttered, Mrs. Woodward glared, her voice turning low and slightly menacing. "The room will not become warm for some time. You will need more wood from the pile by the door if you wish the fire to continue throughout the day. There are no servants here Lydia, to do any work for you."
Turning, the young woman's mouth agape, she could not, did not want to understand. Although the words made sense, Lydia could not believe them. Mama would not allow such an abuse of a gentleman's daughter.
"You will cook and clean or you will go hungry," Mrs. Woodward continued, watching the girl carefully as awareness of her new situation finally penetrated her mind, "while my meals will be furnished from Longbourn's kitchen. Our days will start at first light and end when the work is finished. If you are determined to compromise yourself with a man of little means, then you must also learn to live the life of a poor wife and run a house without help."
Unable to speak, Lydia swooned, or at least pretended too. Falling to the ground, Mrs. Woodward simply stepped over her and left the girl where she fell to go about her chores. In the bedroom they would share upstairs, she'd laid in many winter clothes. The bag her charge carried contained the only belongings Lydia considered of value. Theodosia suggested she take two winter dresses, a warm cloak, several shawls and one bonnet. Refusing to carry a heavy case, Lydia would soon learn her mistake when the contents proved woefully inadequate.
"You will not visit her," Mr. Bennet stated at the dinner table a week later when his wife enquired. He could not bring himself to say her name, finally made to feel the weight of his disinterest. "As much as I hate to decline your request, Lizzy, Mrs. Woodward has been very specific about this. Mrs. Hill gives me constant updates when our footman delivers meals to the cottage. They are doing as well as can be expected but it seems your sister's residence there will be of some duration."
AN: Thank you once again for the amazing support for this renewed work. Until next time.