Endurance's End - Chapter 3
A/N: To everyone who has reviewed, favourited and followed, thank you! It is deeply appreciated and welcomed. Right now, it looks like there will be 14-15 chapters in total. Bingley will make a very brief appearance in Chapter 7, which is also when Darcy will show up. I do not think this will be at angsty; there will be some confusions and misunderstandings as well as some very silly 16 year old girls but even they will get their HEAs.
Editted to add: A big thank you to the reviewers who pointed out typos. I've updated to fix them.
After dinner on Thursday, Mr Bennet discreetly called Jane into his bookroom. "I have been avoiding this," he confessed wryly. "But I cannot send you off tomorrow without acknowledging the truth of your words last week."
"Oh Papa!" cried Jane, guilt written across her face. "Please do not… I should have spoken as I did, it was most unfair and improper."
"Jane, Jane. You are too good!" answered Mr Bennet. "I know you have not been happy these past months, my dear, and I am sorry I teased you so. But I hope you will not pine for Mr Bingley much longer – he is most unworthy of your esteem."
When she saw the expression of genuine sympathy and affection on her father's face, Jane only barely held back her tears. "I know he is, Papa. If he was not serious in his attentions, then he should not have distinguished me as he did, and if he was serious, then his continued absence speaks poorly of his resolve." Her voice barely rose above a whisper as she blushed and fretted to speak so ill of someone she had thought of so highly.
"Did he speak to you of his affections?"
"No… it was ever implied and never spoken. At least I have not that pain!"
"Then you must let go of your attachment to him! Such misery as I have seen in you will do your health no good. Go to Upper Dorring tomorrow; dance with as many young men as you may and promise me to find something to laugh at!"
Jane could only offer a watery smile. "Oh Papa! I do promise!"
"Very well. Now, I do have something more mundane to speak of; Phillips tells me his brother's resources will be stretched a little to entertain guests, so before you go to bed, would you speak to Mrs Hill and put together a basket to take? I know we've conserves still from last year and the orchards have done well; we've plenty to spare to show them our appreciation.
Such a task was very agreeable to Jane and she was pleased to have a little more respite from her mother's flutterings and admonishments.
The three sisters, attended by Longbourn's single footman, set off just after eight on Friday morning. They were to break their fast at Jopley and Jane had not been surprised when their father slipped them some extra funds to ensure they could treat themselves similarly on the way home. It was a merry party; Lizzy and Kitty were both in high spirits and their animated discussion of bonnets and lace, dance tunes and what moves were their favourite should they be so lucky as to stand at the top of a set and call the figures, and how ridiculous poetry could render a person (Lt. Saunderson wrote a few lines to Kitty when he heard she would be absent for their farewell party).
When they arrived at Jopley, the place proved to be of only moderate interest for there was nothing much to distinguish it from any other small coaching town. They settled down at breakfast at the inn and were only half done when the Stratton carriage arrived, bringing an bright-eyed but elderly lady.
"I'm Mrs Kettering," she introduced herself cheerfully. "My husband's been gone more than twenty years now, he was the parson at Upper Dorring before Mr Phillips. I have a little cottage in the village now, and Mrs Stratton, she thought you'd like to be met by someone more than a servant my dears!"
The Bennets welcomed her graciously, and invited her to join their meal, which she did with excessive gratitude.
"Now then, Mrs Phillips, she said there was Jane, which must be you, my dear, for she said you were a beauty and indeed you are!" Mrs Kettering exclaimed. "Not that your sisters are not as well, to be sure, but they are both dark and I am sure Mrs Phillips said Jane was fair."
Jane blushed but confirmed she was the eldest and identified her sisters as Elizabeth and Catherine.
"And you have two more sisters at home?"
"Yes ma'am," replied Elizabeth, as Jane had just picked up her cup. "Mary and Lydia remained at home."
"Oh my… five girls! And your father's estate entailed away I'm told - 'tis a tragedy, that it is!" Mrs Kettering did not eat a great deal; she was too busy talking. From exclaiming over the Bennet's situation, she launched into a meandering exposition of the various families of Upper Dorring who also had an excess of daughters.
Very little further conversation was required from the sisters as they finished breakfast and the Longbourn footman approached to advise that their baggage was all secured to the Stratton carriage and everything was ready to go. Jane attended to payment and they all boarded the carriage.
It was a better vehicle than the Bennet's; newer and better sprung, if somewhat less spacious. However, there was still ample room for their party of four. Once back on the road, Mrs Kettering took up the conversation and in between stories of the villagers of Upper Dorring, she managed to confirm various details about the Bennets. It had been clear from what she had said in the inn that the bare facts of their situation were no secret and as Mrs Kettering rattled away, it was plain that the Phillips had not obfuscated anything.
Eventually, Kitty ventured a question about the Stratton's guests and Mrs Kettering's chatter immediately took a more useful turn.
"It is quite the house party! Master Stratton, the eldest son, is lately married and his new wife has both her older brothers visiting. Then there are two friends of Master Stratton, who he knows from school and Oxford. That makes… oh, four, yes indeed, that is four of them. Of the others, one is a cousin, he's only twenty my dears, and still has several terms still at Oxford before he graduates. He's intended for the church I understand. And then there is Miss Stratton's school friend, a Miss McKendall along with her brother and her cousin. Very handsome they are, even if their family estate is in Scotland!
"But I would be careful, my dears. Young Mr McKendall has been most attentive to Miss Stratton and of the others… well, most of them don't have their independence yet, and there's few young gentlemen who can afford to imprudence when it comes to the question of a wife. Mr Townsend, that's the Stratton cousin, as I said, he's only twenty. He's certainly not a marriage prospect for anyone yet, although apparently he is an excellent dancer. Master Stratton's friends, now I must advise caution. I suspect they would want a wife to bring at least three or four thousand and their fathers might well not approve a match with less."
Jane and Elizabeth listened to the warnings without surprise; despite the excitement that 'seven eligible gentlemen!' had generated in their mother and aunt, they had doubted from the start that more than one or two might really be viable prospects. Kitty, however, was somewhat distressed and was much less adept at maintaining her composure than her sisters.
"Oh dearie, do not take it to heart!" cried Mrs Kettering when she paused in her expounding long enough to see Kitty's expression. "I merely did not wish to see your expectations too high! One thing I can assure you is that no matter how likely or not any of the gentlemen are to offer you their hearts, I am absolutely assured they all greatly enjoy a country dance! And, you know, to be so fond of dancing is a excellent step towards falling in love!" Such an exclamation diverted the discourse to what dances were likely to be called at the May Ball, how many couple were expected to attend, which tunes the local musicians knew well and which were rarely played. Such frippery topics filled the remainder of the journey.
After waving off three daughters that morning, Mrs Bennet, had only Mary and Lydia to accompany her to a party at Lucas Lodge. It was a lively evening; Mary obliged them with various airs on the pianoforte so Lydia and the other young ladies could dance with the officers and if there was a little bit of frenzy in the atmosphere, it is only to be expected when so many young ladies' hearts are breaking.
When they arrived back at Longbourn, Mary immediately sought her bed and Lydia, worn out by dancing at every opportunity, was not long in following. Mrs Bennet sat beside her bed for several minutes, her mind tumbling restlessly over memories of everything that had happened since last Michaelmas. Feeling inexplicably unsettled, she sought her husband and found him sitting up in his bed, reading.
"Oh Thomas!" she said fretfully, "Such a sad, sad business of poor Jane's!"
Mr Bennet peered over his glasses, somewhat startled to find his quiet invaded by his wife. "Did not the party at Lucas Lodge go well?"
"Oh it was delightful! So lively – Mary played for the dancing and Lydia did not sit out even once! She's very popular with the officers; they will miss her so!"
"I am sure the officers will find plenty of other silly girls to dance with in Brighton."
Mrs Bennet sniffed and settled herself in the chair beside the bed. "Lydia would have had such fun. I still do not understand why you had to change your mind!"
"Fanny, I do not wish to discuss it."
Mrs Bennet sniffed again before sighing deeply. "I suppose Jane was right, however. There are very few suitable husbands to be found in the regiment."
"She was perfectly right in that."
"So you must take us to London."
"I have no idea of doing any such thing!"
"Thomas!" cried Mrs Bennet in agitation. "Thomas, you must! Please, we must get at least some of them married and settled! If they do not marry before you die, they shall be condemned to end old maids, you know they will! What kind of a future is that for our daughters, our precious little girls?"
Mr Bennet would have preferred to continue reading his Greek and not had this conversation at all. He did not like facing the truth of his obligations. "No one will be in London at this time of year, Fanny.
"But if we are to go for the Season next year, we must be prepared! There will be much to do… we shall have to plan most carefully to see the girls all outfitted and everything done!"
"No, Fanny." Mr Bennet knew he had to put his foot down now. "No. We cannot afford a Season in London."
"But Thomas!" came the wail.
Mr Bennet carefully set his book and his glasses safely beside the bed and reached out for his wife. Drawing her into his arms, he kissed away her tears. "We shall go to Bath. I have several acquaintances there and the cost will not be nearly so much as London."
"Oh Thomas!" Mrs Bennet kissed him back.
"Stay with me tonight, Fanny." he said gently, and there was nothing more spoken that night.