Thank you so much for your support.
Chapter 2: Under the Willow
Elizabeth walked up a little known path towards where she knew she would find her quarry. As she got to a hedge with a gate she grasped the handle and entered.
It was a garden of sorts. With flowers and stones forming a path around the little flowerbeds and there in the middle of the garden was a wooden bench and a big willow tree. The tree's branches flowed down shielding the bench from harm and giving anyone within its cover, a small amount of privacy.
Sitting on the bench was the person she was looking for.
"Knew I'd find you here." She said clasping her hands behind her back and walking to the edge of the willow.
"How is it you always know where to find me Lizzie?" James asked.
"Why how could I not? For you are always in the same place each time." She touched a branch, "May I?"
James smiled, "Certainly. I always welcome the company of my other half."
Elizabeth smiled and moved some branches aside to enter. She went and sat next to her brother and they only broke the silence when the branches rested again.
"It is about what Aunt Phillips said is it not?" Elizabeth said knowingly not even needing conformation.
"I know we are but one and twenty Lizzie but I can't help but think I shall have to go to London and bring back a bride. For I dance and engage many girls at all the assemblies and none of the girls in town seem to catch my fancy." James said determinedly looking at his knees.
"Would that be such a bad thing?" she asked.
"Of course it would. The woman in the society in London care very little for the work, care and simplicity that the Mistress of Longbourn would be met with. They like ribbons and lace and fashion and grand balls. And I shall not be able to provide great fashion and grand balls for her." He said standing. "And I can't just marry any London beauty. I would like, very much, to have a love match."
"And so you shall James. For you are to be Master of Longbourn and you must find a mistress worthy of such an honor as to be your life long partner." She paused for a moment to take a breath. "James, What is it if a woman likes ribbons, lace and fashion. Kitty likes all those things and balls and assemblies but you would not think her a mere Meryton beauty right? For she is far much more than just a silly fifteen year old. So shall the woman that you pick whether from Meryton, London or any other place. She will have much more to her than her mere interests in lace and ribbons."
James paced while his sister talked, she had points of course but he did not want to think of his inheritance for that meant the death of his father which he was definitely not ready to acknowledge. He was rather focused on trying to improve the estate and increasingly satisfy his tenets. Marriage was such a big worry that surely it would drive him mad thinking of so many things at once.
Elizabeth watched her brother pace back and forth in front of her within the confines of the willows protective branches. Finally she said, "But as you say we are not more than one and twenty and papa is in most excellent health so I wager that you should not have to think about such things for some time."
He stopped and sat back down, "Yes of course you are right Lizzie. For it is not as if I am to inherit it immediately. And thankfully I have you to help manage things with me." He paused, "But surely you wish to be married. For I know your loving nature and all the endless love and support you give. Surely you would wish to be courted and then be married to a land manager as well would you not?"
She smiled, she had thought about being married but she was not so sure that she really liked anyone as opposed to Jane who was predisposed to think the world of anyone she met. Lizzie found that many of the men that she had met were not the picture of her future partner that she had wanted. Someone who was kind, well educated, courteous, generous, gentlemanly and could stand to match her teasing and witty comments with anything of his own.
After a while she said, "I suppose I should like to marry someday. But I fear that I have not let anyone get too close. For the only men I have let get truly close to me is you and papa. But I should like to have a man who would value my opinions and listen to me when I speak. Not merely thinking that they could have a pretty woman to have on their arm to host balls and parties; and certainly I would not want to be put inside a spot light. I should be most uncomfortable if I should marry someone of great status."
James smiled. "Yes. Being singled out is indeed uncomfortable. How do you think I feel? I am first known as James Bennet future master of Longbourn. I am not known for my knowledge, kindness or excellent practice in the management of the estate. If I am not thought firstly thus I am thought of as one of the infamous Bennet twins. Which," he smiled at his sister, "Is not the worst thing in the world. But it is certainly not easy having a bright girl like you to be in comparison with. But I am confident that you shall not have to marry so far above the station in which you find yourself. Not many Lords come through Meryton. In fact this 5 thousand a year seems as though the only way any of you should marry into any wealth; less you go stay with our uncle in London. But I suppose you each shall have a rather larger dowry than you would had I not existed."
Elizabeth smiled at her brother, "Ah brother I fear your views in favor of me are quite contrary to the views of other young men. For though I dance at assemblies and parties I fear that I shall end an old maid. For I am determined that not but the deepest of love will induce me into matrimony. Therefor I shall remain at Longbourn till I follow our mother into the grave."
James grabbed his sister's hand, "Dearest Lizzie. You, as shall all my sisters, no doubt will find the deepest of love and bear your amiable husbands many children and I shall happily host all of you at Longbourn for Christmas."
Elizabeth smiled leaning into her brother. They often calmed each other's fears and were each other's most trusted confidantes.
In the house music filled the halls and came loudest from the music room. Mary Bennet knew she was not a great beauty but she was determined not to be down on herself. Before the passing of her mother, even then she had been shy whilst in company. After being taken to London her Aunt Gardner had suggested that she try her hand at the pianoforte. At first she found that it was not very rewarding but after her aunt found her a tutor she began to see the love of music. Her teacher had explained that music was freedom to express the feelings which she felt to be inadequate in explaining through speech.
Mary would practice and practice and within four months her tutor smiled at her pupil and proclaimed her to be a miracle for she had most efficiently mastered the pianoforte. She played for her aunt and uncle and even some of her aunts friends but it was little four year old Kitty that suggested that she sing. She would sing sometimes when she was in the bath but never had she sung for her family or anyone else for that matter.
She could be caught humming the tunes of songs and later would be able to put them into play through the instrument. But she hadn't sung until the day that young Kitty had burst into tears because she could not find the doll their father had bought her before they'd departed for London. She sang softly at first and then casually grew more confident. After than it had been at nights that Kitty would lie in bed and fall asleep to Mary's sweet voice.
As she sang nightly to Kitty her voice became better and better and one evening her Aunt Gardner heard her singing to Kitty in the yard after she had fallen and torn her stockings. When she finished her song her aunt had clapped and begged Mary to sing again. So Mary had sang for her aunt and Kitty then for her uncle and then one Christmas had sang for her whole family.
Such was the talent of Mary Bennet that she found herself in need whenever anyone was down. Her father, when he was having a bad day, would sit in the chair in the corner of the music room while Mary played and sometimes sang to lift his spirits. And she was often called upon to play at parties and balls.
Today found Mary playing a soothing number for the whole house seemed off to her. The news of the new owner of Netherfield and much talk of lace and ribbons combined with talk of marriage tended to cause an uneasiness to come over Longbourn. So playing her soothing music Mary tried to calm the tension.
Kitty Bennet walked into the music room to sit by Mary while she played. Young Kitty, being the youngest of her siblings, was sometimes thought of as silly. For she had been brought back from London, where her proper training was taking place, at the age of nine and handed into the instruction of her Aunt Phillips who, so much like Mrs. Bennet had been, was in herself very silly. But Kitty did, in fact, retain some of her knowledge from her years in London. She was ladylike and had the decency to, sometimes, hide her giggles when young men asked her to dance.
But Kitty had also taken frequent trips to London where she had learned to draw, paint and write in such a beautiful hand. When she was at home she would often set up her paints in the music room where she could paint the feelings that Mary would pour out through her music. As like her sister, Kitty had proved to have a quick excellence for her chosen art. And was sketching exact replicas of things she saw as soon as six months after starting.
Both of the younger Bennet sister were both equally talented in their pursuits and both shined with the benefits as Jane for her beauty and kindness and Lizzie for her intellect and wit.
"James and Lizzie have gone off." Kitty said sitting on a chair near Mary with a pad of paper and pencil.
"I suspected as much." Mary replied.
"I do see how James can be uncomfortable with such a topic as marriage and Lizzie to console him. But I do not see why Jane should be so strange about becoming a wife. She is the oldest of us all." Kitty said turning to a fresh page.
"I imagine it is because she will most likely have to marry first and very well for us to have any hopes of marrying well. And she knows it."
Kitty sighed, "I should like to be the first to marry. But to whom is the issue."
"Perhaps one of the Lucas or Long boys."
Kitty made a face, "The Long boys are not my kind of a gentleman. And as for the Lucas boys I have not given them much thought."
As Kitty pondered the possibility of courtship with a Lucas and Mary played, Jane walked in. "Mary. Kitty. Have you no idea where James and Lizzie have gone?"
Just then the two of them walked in, "Here we are Jane." Lizzie said.
Jane sighed, "Wonderful. We need some things in town."
Kitty jumped up, "I shall go Jane. For I have been looking for an excuse to walk past the ribbon shop."
"I would not begrudge you that Kitty." Jane said and looked at James, "Would you escort Kitty and Lizzie to town to pick up some things?"
James nodded, "Certainly Jane. For I would rather enjoy a walk into Meryton."
And with his solemn promise to return both sisters back in one piece, the three siblings set off for Meryton.
Leave my a review and let me know what you think about Mary and Kitty?
