Grandma Bennet

Chapter Four – Selfish Schemes and Mistaken Identity, London, 1773

With England on a hostile footing in many places at once, Albert Gardiner found himself stuck in London more and more. Unable to properly support his practice in Meryton, he chose to send his best young solicitor in his place. Michael Phillips was a good man and a brilliant solicitor, especially on matters of property law, which was the most common issue in Meryton anyway.

Michael surprised Albert, however, when he asked for the hand of his eldest daughter Edith in marriage. After speaking with Edith, Mr. Gardiner was pleased to forward the match. They married in a simple ceremony and departed for Meryton that same day. Albert gifted them his house and office in Meryton as Edith's dowry and all were pleased.

Frances Bennet, now sixteen, was not pleased. She had intended to be the first married, but she consoled herself that she would capture the finest prize. Young Mr. Bennet had made two visits to her house in the past three years, but always to see her father. He never lingered for long and always stayed at his club.

Frances was far from innocent by that point. She knew all of the best places in her house and in the neighborhood to hide away with a handsome young man for kissing or even more. She was careful though. She never gave any of those young men her virtue. That belonged to the gentleman or even lord who would elevate her forever out of her family's sphere. She intended to capture Henry Bennet as soon as she could make the opportunity.

With Edith out of the house, Frances had lost her greatest ally and tool. Edith was not very bright and Frances found it very easy to manipulate her eldest sister to do whatever she wanted. Frances hated her sister Rose and had no time for her little brother Edward. They both thought they were so intelligent, always talking about things she did not understand and laughing at jokes that made no sense. After Edward began attending school the pair of them even started conversing in other languages! It was annoying, and not just because she could not eavesdrop!

But she would show them when she became the mistress of a grand estate and left them in the dust!

~oOo~

Henry Bennet was glad that his parents had counseled him and his brother never to identify themselves as being from the colonies. The wisdom of that caution had proven itself many times. Henry saw several other students from the colonies, including some of the islands and the Canadas, being persecuted by his peers, sometimes with great violence while some of the teachers turned a blind eye.

Henry never once thought to intervene. First of all, he was not a physical man. His brother was the farmer. He was a scholar. Second of all, he saw no reason to gather the taint of the colonies onto himself. He had kept his previous life hidden. If they forgot to do that, then he felt no sympathy for them. And third, he simply didn't care. I am here for me. When I complete my degree, I intend to remain here and teach. I do not understand why my brother would choose to be a farmer, even if it was an estate, or why my father would abandon even that to build ships! I choose books.

That did not keep Henry from other pursuits. He liked the occasional game of cards, but he hated losing, so he seldom played. He liked the occasional entertainment, such as a well-presented play, but he despised the crowds. But most of all he liked females. While he was in the colony with his parents, he had to be careful. But with his parents across the water and his brother playing at being a gentleman farmer, Henry could have his own pleasure to his heart's content.

He tried the brothels first, but quickly realized that that way led to disease. But he found that there were plenty of young widows and even the occasional dissatisfied married women readily available around such a large university campus.

That did not mean that he did not notice the young, single ladies. He had taken note of each of Mr. Gardiner's daughters each of the times that he paid a visit to withdraw additional funds. He hated having to beg for his money, but Henry could also admit that he was not careful enough with his spending. Let the solicitor control his funds. He had what he wanted when he required it... and besides, each time he paid a visit that toothsome youngest girl, Francine... Francisca... Frances... oh well, he would just call her "Fanny" and be done with it. He might not know her name, but he was most certainly aware of her person and the way that her eyes held his in that inviting manner.

As luck would have it, Albert Gardiner had only just received a letter from Thomas and Elizabeth Bennet, transferring the bulk of their financial assets to England for safekeeping. In his letter, Thomas explained that matters in the colonies were becoming very strained. They had no intention of leaving their thriving business and beautiful home, but for the sake of their family they were transferring a fortune in liquid wealth into Albert's capable hands.

This matter was to remain a secret for the moment, but they were also adding ten-thousand each to their son's accounts. Albert considered making a journey to see each of the sons, but then decided that it would be easier to ask them to attend him. There were papers to sign and matters of investment to decide. So he sent an invitation to each young man and then asked his wife to have a nice meal prepared.

Maggie Gardiner had realized her mistake a year ago, when Edith explained that a different Bennet was the future Master of Longbourn. A consummate gossip, the girl was also able to learn that the estate was much reduced, but that young Thomas Bennet was doing his best to restore the property. Maggie was only grateful that neither of her eldest daughters had thrown themselves at Henry Bennet as she had intended. Of course Maggie did not pass that information on to Frances because her youngest daughter was not included in those earlier conversations... or so she thought.

Maggie did tell both of her remaining daughters that the future Master of Longbourn would soon share their table. Rose was resolved to behave in a manner appropriate for a young lady. Frances was resolved to seduce the man.

Thomas received the letter from the solicitor, but the health of his grandfather had him alarmed, so he excused himself. Henry had only recently been almost caught in the bed of a professor's wife, so he was more than happy to absent himself from Cambridge-shire for a few days.

Hoping to catch Gardiner's youngest daughter alone, Henry arrived three hours before the appointed time, bag in hand. Albert Gardiner had insisted that the young men stay at his house so that they would have the time to cover several important issues. He was still in his offices just down the street. His wife was visiting with a neighbor, boasting about how one of her daughters would soon be the mistress of a great estate. And Rose was visiting her favorite bookseller with her best friend.

As Henry hoped and Frances schemed, they found each other alone.

Great was the uproar an hour later when the housekeeper discovered the youngest Gardiner daughter in bed with a man full grown. Henry was resigned. Frances was smug. Rose was humiliated. Maggie fainted.

Mr. Gardiner was furious, but firm. Henry would marry his daughter and bring at least a little respectability back into his home. Since his original purpose for summoning the young man was to inform him of his rise in fortune, the angry father was at least reconciled that his daughter would not starve.

Somewhere in the course of that contentious evening, Frances finally understood that Henry Bennet was the younger son. He would not be the master of anything except for his lessons at school. Nobody felt any sympathy for her when she proceeded to bemoan her misfortune.