Chapter Nine - First Meeting, Old Perot Farm, 1784

Loud were the protestations from Mrs. Bennet when she learned that her mother-in-law had returned from the wilds of America. In part, her fears were reasonable. The war was fresh enough that there was still strong resentment towards the colonists who had thrown off the control of their mother country. So fearful of this had Fanny been that she had "implied" that her husband's parents were long since passed. Now everyone would know the truth. She would need to spin a revised story very carefully.

More terrible was the idea that this wilderness nobody might attempt to usurp her authority at Longbourn. It was bad enough when her own sister tricked her, but now this person from the wilds of nowhere?! No! It could not be!

Finally, for the sake of his own peace and quiet, Henry Bennet informed his wife that his mother had used the last of her savings to purchase that insignificant strip of land near Oakham Mount from him... and for a significant profit. He had hoped to keep the sudden influx of money to himself, but if it purchased him a few hours of peace and quiet he would share.

This was a bird of a different tune entirely! Within minutes Fanny had ordered the carriage prepared and was readying her daughters for a trip to Meryton for shopping! Lydia and Kitty were left in the nursery, of course. They were young enough to still be too much of a great trial to take shopping. She did occasionally haul the youngest two around for her visits, but not today. That could be another trip. After all, she had pounds to spend! No, today it would be Jane and Mary.

Little Lizzy did not even merit a thought from either her aunt or her uncle. The past two years had been a trial for her. Her home had once been a place of love, comfort, and safety. After her parents vanished from her life, everything changed. Uncle Henry Bennet was an almost non-existent person in her life. He made his daily appearance at the dinner table and occasionally stepped out to demand peace when the house became too loud.

Aunt Bennet, on the other hand, was an almost ever-present force for chaos. She was never satisfied with anything and with her niece least of all. Lizzy looked nothing like her own girls, her aunt told her this on a daily basis. "You are nothing to my Jane! She will be the most beautiful woman in England! She will save us all! Not you, of course. When you are old enough we will find you some farmer to wed and have done with your care." She touted the beauty of her other girls as well, save Mary, who was a disappointment with her plain looks. Still, Lizzy had been assured that Mary was at least prettier than her.

Aunt Bennet was not even silent when she hurried off to be with an attack of "nerves" … a common occurrence. From her rooms above stairs the woman could be always be heard bemoaning her existence and shouting for "HILL! HILL!" Lizzy felt sorry for Mrs. Hill. The housekeeper was a dear, sweet soul who must have more patience than seven year old Lizzy could muster. Her aunt would go on and on about "that entail" and "hedgerows."

Lizzy asked Mrs. Hill to explain what an entail once and she learned that the estate would be taken away by another relative, a man, not a woman, when her uncle died. Lizzy thought it unfair, but then again her aunt and uncle had taken over Longbourn when her father died. As the ever-practical housekeeper explained, "If the entail gave them the property, then the entail can take it away. 'Tis only fair."

The one great benefit of the fact that Mrs. Bennet did not want Lizzy in her home was that Lizzy had more freedom than her cousins. She had learned to love walking from her parents, so in the last two years, despite her tender age, she had only increase the diameter of her roaming. She had also remembered the names and locations of the other homes she had visited. Even though Lizzy was only seven, it was nothing for her to walk to visit old Mrs. Fortenbush at Netherfield Park, or the Gouldings, Longs, or Westerly's.

But her favorite place to visit, next to Oakham Mount itself, was the newly purchased and renamed Lucas Lodge, where her friend Charlotte Lucas lived. Charlotte's father, William Lucas, had been the wealthiest merchant and the town mayor for Meryton for years. When the King made a whirlwind tour around England, Lucas had delivered a rousing speech. It had earned him a knighthood, so Sir William decided that it was time to have an estate to match his new status. Luckily for Lizzy, he purchased the estate west of Longbourn.

Lizzy had spent the morning visiting Charlotte. Even though the other girl was seven years her senior, they shared a common interest in books and knowledge. Locked out of Longbourn's library, Lizzy often borrowed from her friend's growing collection. Then they would discuss their impressions. Lizzy appreciated Charlotte's wisdom, while Charlotte never ceased to be amazed at her little friends intelligence, perceptions, and unique ideas.

They had visited for almost an hour that morning and could have happily lingered longer. Lest Lizzy get in any more trouble with her aunt, however, Charlotte had deemed it best to send her young friend home. Lizzy was on her way, passing by one trail to Oakham Mount, when she saw a very pretty older lady in an stylish but worn dress standing on the side of the road and looking out on the old Perot farm. When Lizzy drew nearer and could see the woman's profile more clearly, she felt an odd sense of familiarity, "Hello."

The small woman turned and that sense of the familiar only grew. She looked... she looked somewhat like her father! It was something in her cheekbones, her nose, and... now that she saw them... her eyes. Then the woman smiled and Lizzy could not help but smile back. "Hello, you must be Lizzy."

Lizzy was shocked, but felt safe in this elderly woman's presence, "How do you know my name?"

"I knew your father and he wrote to me about you." The elder Elizabeth Bennet had to fight the urge to grab the pretty little girl and hug her tight.

Lizzy screwed up her face in concentration, "You look like my Papa?" It was more a question than a statement. She couldn't make sense of it... and then it came to her, "Are you my grandmother?"

" That is right, my clever girl. I am your Grandma Bennet. And I am very pleased to meet you."

Lizzy felt none of the constraints that the older Elizabeth was under. She had heard many wonderful stories about her Papa's Mama, and she had dreamed of having a loving, kind grandmother. So now that she had the creature in front of her she rushed forward and gave her a hug.

"Oh my! I wanted to hug you, but I did not want to frighten you."

"Oh," Lizzy said stepping back only enough to look up, "I do not scare easily. Just ask John Lucas. He tried to scare me with a snake and I just picked it up and chased him with it. Charlotte, that's his sister, laughed and laughed. John didn't think it was funny then, but he's better now."

"My, you are formidable. Now, I have just purchased this property and I would like to take a good look. Would you like to look at it with me?"

Lizzy nodded, took the older woman's hand, and led her down the path that led to the Perot cottage. "Farmer Perot and his family lived here, but they were all gone when I was little, except for the old man. He was very sad 'cause all his family died or went away to war."

"That is sad. We will have to see if we can make this land grow again, won't we?"

"What are you gonna grow? Wheat doesn' grow well here and Uncle Henry complained about it a lot."

"You and I will grow lavender."

"Oh, I love the smell of lavender. Will Aunt Bennet let me help?" The troubled look on the little girl's face made her grandmother grind her teeth, but she replied with a smile, "Don't say anything to them, but I have a plan which will make it possible."

Lizzy felt strangely confident in her newly acquired grandmother. On impulse the lonely little girl hugged the woman again.

~oOo~

Mrs. Hill was a very young maid when the master's younger son married the rich, kind, and beautiful young woman from Derbyshire. In the following years, especially after marrying her Mr. Hill and rising in their positions, she had often wished that the pair had remained in England and could have taken over the estate.

When their son Thomas and later his wife Rose ran the estate, it was once again a happy and wonderful place to serve. The Hills loved the couple and their children. So when little Lizzy was suddenly orphaned it was as much a tragedy for the Hills as it was for the child. At that time Abby Hill, acting on her own, had set aside many of the jewels that had belonged to Rose, some keepsakes that had belonged to Thomas, and even the children's books that little Miss Lizzy had so loved.

Her decision had been fortuitous because that greedy Fanny Bennet swept in with fingers outstretched like claws to claim everything that had been her sisters for herself. Hill had been wise enough to only hide a few items so that their absence would not raise the grasping woman's suspicions. Since then not even the illustrated children's books had seen the light of day, lest that woman seized them for her own daughters or sell them for pounds and pence.

When Mrs. Hill was informed by Mr. Bennet that little Lizzy would be departing the house to live with his newly returned mother, it had taken Herculean effort not to burst into a wide smile. The poor dear had suffered so much at the hands of her aunt, uncle! At least the two older girls were somewhat nice to their cousin, though their mother would not allow them to play with her.

Abby Hill waited until Mrs. Bennet had gone off shopping with her two eldest daughters, Mr. Bennet was locked in his study, and the younger two went down for a nap before she snuck out to the tool shed. Many, many years before another Bennet had felt the need to create this hidey-hole for precious items. Hill had no idea what he hid, but she did appreciate the very dry, solid, and well-concealed space. Checking once again, she moves several potted plants, removed several planks, and then pulled the chest hidden within out of the hole.

Mr. Hill, having been forewarned, appeared soon afterwards to take possession of the chest. It was placed on his work wagon, under a blanket, and covered by little Miss Lizzy's few items of clothing and other personal goods. Before Mrs. Bennet had even made her first purchase in town John Hill was driving his horse and wagon toward Oakham Mount and the old Perot farm.