Thank you everyone for your encouraging comments. Here is my next chapter and that you enjoy it. XOXO

Chapter 7

Jane

The entire family minus Lydia was waiting outside when Mrs. Taylor arrived. Mrs. Taylor was not at all what Jane had imagined, although she was not certain what she had expected. Mrs. Taylor was in her mid-forties, tall, elegant and must have been quite beautiful when she was younger, she also had a kind and open expression. Jane for some reason had imagined a strict, rigid older woman. Jane stepped forward to greet her.

"Welcome Mrs. Taylor to Loungbourn, we are delighted that you are here and thankful that you have agreed to this post. I am Jane Bennet."

"Thank you, Miss Bennet, the pleasure is all mine."

"Let me introduce everyone. This is my father, Mr. Bennet."

"Welcome to Loungbourn Mrs. Taylor."

"Thank you, Mr. Bennet."

"And these are my sisters, Miss Elizabeth, Miss Mary and Miss Katherine. We have another sister, Miss Lydia, the youngest, but she could not come down."

Jane did not wish to tell her that Lydia had refused to leave her room, screaming that she would not welcome the governess and claiming she would never listen to her. Jane had tried to force her and had even gone to her father, but he had no desire to fight so he had not helped Jane. So Lydia had stayed in her room sulking. Jane would ask for a private talk later with Mrs. Taylor to explain the situation. Although by her face Mrs. Taylor did not seem very surprised.

"You do not need to worry Miss Bennet, you aunt Mrs. Gardiner informed me of the situation when I accepted the job."

Jane nodded unsure of how to respond to that.

"Well, then let me show you your room so you can settle in and you can refresh yourself before dinner."

"Thank you, that would be lovely."

Jane led her into the house and showed her where her room would be. Lizzy and her had prepared the room, she hoped that Mrs. Taylor would find them comfortable.

"I hope that your rooms are comfortable, if you need anything just ask."

"Thank you, Miss. Bennet., I think I will be very comfortable here."

Jane turned to leave the room but before she did Mrs. Taylor stopped her.

"Miss Bennet, before you leave I would like to have a quick chat with you."

"Of course, but we can do that after you've settled if you wish."

"It's fine, it will be short, we can talk more tomorrow. As I said when I arrived, you aunt Gardiner has already explained the situation, not in great detail but enough that I have an overall knowledge of what is going on. Although I will talk to your father tomorrow, your aunt mentioned that you were the one who wrote to her about hiring a governess. Is that correct?"

"Yes, after my mother passed away I realized that certain aspects of how we lead our lives and how my sisters are being raised had to change. I thought that a governess was what we needed."

"How did your father react to your idea of a governess? As I understand you never had one before. Why is that?"

"I am not exactly sure why, Elizabeth could guess, but it's not something I really want to think about it. What is done is done, and about father, I am not certain how involved he will be, he was more involved when Lizzy and I were young but he let my mother mostly raise us as she wanted. He paid closer attention to Lizzy but she was also his favorite and most similar to him."

"Thank you, Miss Bennet. I will be talking to your father tomorrow after breakfast. How about we meet after and talk about how we will proceed?"

"That is a good time for me, although if you don't mind could we add Elizabeth to that conversation? We have been working on this together."

"Of course."

"Then I will see you at dinner, Mrs. Taylor."

Jane left the room very happy, she was starting to have hope that this would work.

Dinner went fairly well but few words were spoken. Lydia had refused to appear for dinner and food had been sent up for her to eat alone in her room. Mr. Bennet was quiet and the only one making an effort to make some conversation was Elizabeth, but she didn't seem to have much success. Mrs. Taylor seemed happy to observe the family and talk a bit with Elizabeth.

The next day Jane waited with Lizzy outside of her father's library for Mrs. Taylor. The talk between Mrs. Taylor and her father made her nervous. Her father had not been in favor of the changes and had made no effort to help them. Worry filled her about what he might say to her. Jane could see Lizzy was similarly affected, she was pacing backwards and forwards and wringing her hands, not able to hide her nervousness as well as Jane. Thankfully they did not need to wait for long. The door opened and Mrs. Taylor came out.

"Mrs. Taylor, I hope your conversation with our father went well?"

"It was certainly illuminating." Jane and Lizzy looked at each other with worry before Lizzy took over the conversation.

"Well, how about we have our conversation now. The living room is free, Mary and Kitty are both in their rooms reading and sewing respectively to try and give us some space to talk."

"That would be acceptable. I think we have much to talk about."

Jane lead the way to the living room where they all sat down to talk. Lizzy and Jane looked at each other uncertain about how to bring up the subject of her conversation with their father. They both wanted to know what had transpired and what had been said. But the worry was short lived as Mrs. Taylor brought up the subject herself.

"I can see by your faces that you are worried about my conversation with your father. Is that right?"

"You are correct, I'm afraid that when I talked to my father about our plans he was not easy to convince. I'm afraid that father does not like change and Jane and I were a bit worried about what he might have told you."

"Well, you can relax he was not offensive and he did not chase me away. It is true that he did share with me that he did not think I was needed. He will not aid but he will also not interfere. It's not as good as I would have hoped but I can work with that. I can clearly see that both of you truly want my aid and I believe Miss Mary and Miss Kitty do as well?"

"Yes, they do."

"Then that is more than enough to work with. Miss Lydia will be a challenge since she does not desire my help and your father does not wish to involve himself, but she is the youngest so I have more time. So how about we talk in more detail about your plan."

Lizzy looked at Jane and gave her a nod for her to start talking.

"Longbourn is entailed to our cousin Mr. Collins, we have no dowries and the amount we will inherit from our mother is very small. The truth is that when our father dies we will be poor and homeless. Our aunt and uncle would not let us starve but they also have their own children, and our aunt Philips... well to sum it up, we must marry to secure our futures. Mother always worried and tried to push, but the truth is that she was not a woman of intelligence and information, she loved us but she did not know how to help us. Our father helped to raise Lizzy and me but I think that after Lydia was born he started to loose hope of having an heir for Longbourn and lost interest in raising our other sisters. Lizzy and I tried to help but mother... I do not blame her, she didn't know any better and I know she loved us with all her heart. She is now gone and we have to face the facts, father is healthy but he could die at any moment. Lizzy and I are the oldest, during our mourning period we could improve ourselves with your help, Lizzy with her playing and I with my singing. I have never sung in public, it has always been hard for me to expose myself, I have always been shy. When the mourning period is over we will go to London for the season, our aunt Gardiner will help us with that. During that time you can focus more on the rest of our sisters. As the oldest Lizzy and I will go first, it is also true that we also have less to unlearn and to learn. I do not wish to sound unkind but..."

Jane did not know how to say what needed to be said without being mean, but Lizzy did not have any issues and took over for her.

"It's alright Jane. What Jane is trying to say is that Kitty and Mary have much to learn. Our mother for all her love for us was not a woman of information. She thought that what women needed was to be pretty, have nice dresses and flirt to win a husband. Mary always tried to be accomplished but her playing has no feeling and most of what she reads are all moralizing books that are not conversation starters. Kitty always followed after Lydia who was foolish and silly. She has matured and realized that she had not been behaving appropriately but she still has many lessons to learn. A few weeks ago she was acting like a silly foolish child, flirting with soldiers and gossiping without thought. The truth is she does not know what behaving appropriately is. Lydia is even worse, she has been confined to her quarters for running away to visit the soldiers by herself and nearly ruining us all. I am not even sure anything can be done for Lydia."

"Do not say that Lizzy there is still time."

"Are you sure of that Jane? She is a spoiled, selfish, stupid child that does not care for anything but her own amusement. Even you can see that now."

"I agree that she is what you say she is, but she is not only that."

"Isn't she?"

"Miss Bennet, Miss Elizabeth, could I call you Jane and Elizabeth."

"Of course."

"Yes"

"Well then, Elizabeth I agree with Jane, I do not believe anyone is out of reach yet."

"Thank you, Mrs. Taylor."

"But Jane I am not saying that she can change. Yes, she is 15, that is an age where there is still a lot of growing up to do. There is still time, but it depends on her, she must want to change and better herself. I will certainly try my best. Both of you have been very honest about yourselves, your family and situation and I appreciate that, I believe I can help you. You have a very good plan that I wholeheartedly approve it. So this is what we will do, I will get to know your sisters Mary and Kitty to have a clearer idea of what I'm working with and what they will need. Tomorrow morning we will come up with a schedule and work plan for the next two months and a half and we will work on it every day and see how it goes. Your father has told me Lydia has been punished until the mourning period is over so I will start working with her then. How does that sound?"

"That sounds wonderful." And it was all Jane wanted to hear. She looked at Lizzy and she seemed as happy as she did.

"Excellent, so why don't you call for Mary and Kitty to come down so I can get to know them better."

"I will do that." Lizzy stood up so fast she almost jumped. Jane could see how excited she was that things were progressing so well.

Lizzy

Lizzy knocked on Mary's door and then knocked on Kitty's before Mary had time to open hers. Both doors were next to one another and they opened almost at the same time. Kitty nervous and exited was talking as soon as her door opened.

"How is she? Did it go well?"

"It went very well, we are both very hopeful that this is exactly what we need."

Kitty squealed in happiness. Mary frowned at her.

"Kitty act your age!"

"I'm sorry, it's just everything has been so gloomy and hopeless, now it feels like we finally have some hope."

"I understand Kitty, I do. She wants to meet you two now."

"Us? What for?"

"I think she wants to get a sense of you and what you may need."

Mary nodded in understanding. "It makes sense, she seems like a very thorough woman."

"She does."

She walked them both down the stairs to the living room.

"Jane, Lizzy I have already talked to you both and I have a clear idea of what you need. I would like to have a private conversation now with Mary and Kitty if you do not mind?"

"Of course Mrs. Taylor." Jane and Lizzy stood up and left the living room.

"Jane how would you like to go for a walk, and we can talk."

"That would be lovely."

Jane put her arm around hers and they went for a nice walk as they left their sisters in the capable hands of Mrs. Taylor.