Grandma Bennet
When Mr. Bennet's mother presents herself on his doorstep shortly after the end of the war with the now United States of America, he does the minimum to accommodate her. Grandma Bennet takes over the raising of his niece from his older brother, Elizabeth, setting off a chain of events which will change the life of one little girl forever.
Chapter Ten – Rose Cottage, Meryton, 1784
Seven year old Lizzy Bennet climbed onto the bench and snuggled into her Grandmother, offering her the flowers she had picked. It was May and the area surrounding them was awash with a variety of colorful wildflowers "Grandma, thank you for letting me move in with you. It is very noisy right now, but it is still much quieter than my aunt."
Behind them workmen were hammering and sawing away at the drying barn being built near the small two-room cottage that was now the Grandma Bennet's and the younger Elizabeth's home. Two months ago it had been the old Perot farm, purchased by Thomas and inherited by the younger Henry with his brother's sudden demise. To Henry it was a useless piece of property with little to no value. So when his mother arrived unexpectedly from the former colonies and offered to purchase it, he had gladly parted with it. Better yet, as her only surviving son and heir he would get the property back with her death, so any improvements made through her purse would only benefit him.
Had Henry given it any thought, he might have wondered where his mother had found extra funds. After all, he had been under the impression that she had spent her last farthing on the property. Yet now she was spending even more by having the hovel turned into a delightful little home and a working farm for herself and her namesake.
Workmen had swarmed over the cottage, adding a bedroom and a still-room, repairing the roof, and securing it against the elements. Three more boys were tilling and weeding a large garden plot while other were tending to the row upon row of lavender plants that had been commissioned. The elder Elizabeth Bennet fully expected to make her investments back within a few short years.
In London a perfumery had already agreed to purchase the lavender when it was harvested and properly prepared.
Little Lizzy loved the cozy cottage, even when it was still under construction. The house was quaint and pretty, but its real attraction was her sweet grandmother. The elder Elizabeth had attempted to get to know her other granddaughters as well, but Fanny had kept them all at arms-length from her. Meanwhile she practically shoved the unwanted niece into Grandma Bennet's arms.
Grandma Bennet hugged the child close. Fanny believes herself to be a master at manipulation. She believes me a fool for taking the child off her hands, while my son most likely does not wish to hand over control of the quarterly stipend for his niece's care. When I offered to take on the child without demanding the fund, he agreed without ever reading the clauses. If they both only knew...
It is terrible indeed to be so disappointed in my own son. My dear husband would roll over in his grave if he knew what Henry has become.
I needed Henry to relinquish all legal authority for Lizzy. Now that is done I shall see that she gains back all that she lost and more, though I can never return her loving parents and infant brother. But I can most certainly see to it that she grows up to be an educated and accomplished young lady.
She hugged the dear child close to her, "You know that this is your home now, with me. You are always welcome here, my sweet Lizzy. Now, shall we go for a walk or shall I tell you a story?"
Lizzy reached up and touched the very beautiful and ornate jeweled cross on her beloved Grandmother's neck. Grandma Bennet always wore the piece and it fascinated her. "Can we walk up Oakham Mount, Grandma?"
"Of course. You know how much I love to walk." They stood up and started walking, not even bothering to retrieve their bonnets. Neither of them cared for the head gear anyway, both being creatures of the sun.
As they walked, Lizzy talked about her cousins. "Janie is really nice and kind, but Mrs. Bennet... she does not let me call her 'Aunt', she will not let Janie spent much time with me. Whenever she sees us talking she always takes Janie away or sends me off to do some chore.
"Mary is nice sometimes, but she likes to be left alone. She wants Mrs. Bennet to pay attention to her so I think she's afraid to let me get close in case her mother gets angry.
"Kitty and Lydie are still too young to do much with and the nurse takes care of them so I do not see them much. Lydie throws fits when she wants anything and Mrs. Bennet gives her what she wants."
Grandma Bennet nodded resignedly since no other response was needed. Francine Gardiner had compromised her son when she was only sixteen. She had wanted to be the first married and she wanted to be the mistress of her own estate. Having misunderstood Henry Bennet's status, she targeted him and succeeded in forcing a marriage... only to learn that he was the second-son and living off of the fund that his parents had sent back to England with him. When Thomas Bennet and his wife died, Fanny wasted no time in installing herself as the new Mistress of Longbourn.
I can do little of nothing for my other granddaughters for now, but I can and will do all that I can for my dear Lizzy.
"I think that you and I need to spend some time in London while they finish everything here, Lizzy."
-ooOOoo-
Lizzy ran back down to the pond to watch the swans and their cygnets move effortlessly across the glassy surface of the water. Edward Gardiner, the younger brother of Edith, Rose, and Fanny, sat beside Mrs. Elizabeth Bennet and watched fondly. He had been close to his sister Rose, who married Thomas Bennet. He had been there to support Thomas when Rose was delivering little Lizzy, and continued to visit whenever his job as a supernumerary on a trading vessel allowed.
Sadly, he did not have the same relationship with Henry and Fanny or their children. He had never been close to Fanny, and after her elevation to the mistress of an estate she wished to remove the "smell of trade" from her person. She wanted little or nothing to do with her younger brother who had recently opened his own trading house.
Had either Henry or Fanny paid him a visit, they would have realized that he was much more prosperous and successful than a young man just launching a business should be. That was because of the woman on the bench beside him.
When Thomas and Rose wrote to Mother Elizabeth in Massachusetts, they had often written favorably about young Edward. When Mrs. Elizabeth Bennet first set foot on England's shores again, he was there to greet her and warn her of all that had changed. She had affairs to settle, solicitors to engage, and a very large bank account to open. After that, she set young Edward to propose a partnership. Less than four months had passed and he had rewarded her trust with incredible energy and industry. There was no doubt that their enterprise would be very profitable over time.
Edward, still young and single, was keeping bachelor's quarters while working for a trading house. He saw no need to change that as he worked to grow his business. The elder Elizabeth had therefore purchased a comfortable home in a very respectable neighborhood for herself and also for little Lizzy to share with her.
"I am pleased to see that they allowed Lizzy to live with you so easily. And even more pleased that she could come to London with you," Edward stated. "I had feared that Henry might read the document more closely as he should have and make this all more difficult... meaning no offense to your actions, Mrs. Bennet."
"Do not concern yourself. Your estimate of my second son is entirely correct. That is why I need your help. As the second guardian of my Lizzy, I need you to work with me and my solicitors to wrest any possibility of his legal control away from Henry. I have already made her my heir, but I may not survive until she is one-and-twenty, so I need your help to protect her inheritance."
"You have already done so much for me, how can I refuse? Are there any other ways that I can help?"
"You could find yourself a good wife... that way if I do pass, Lizzy can reside with you. While she is with your sister she will never be safe. No offense to your family either."
Edward chuckled, "They may have married due to compromise, and they may dislike each other, but they are a matched pair in character, I fear. Of course the only people they dislike more than each other are the two of us and Lizzy. As to a wife, I am one and twenty myself, so it is a bit early to consider a wife."
"Do not wait too long, Edward. One of my other reasons for visiting London is to see a physician..."
This made Edward sit up straighter in alarm, "Are you unwell?"
"Do not concern yourself. It is just the trials of old age. As you may well remember, I did not make the journey across the water well. The years spent in hiding and on short rations did much damage. I would like to say that I have fully recovered, but that is not the case."
Edward, who had lost his own parents young and who had come to care for this dear woman, could only reply, "You have my word that I will keep my eyes open for a suitable bride who will also accept my niece into our home. Until then, please take good care of yourself."
Lizzy had her first pianoforte lessons that summer. She enjoyed the idea, though she found the exercises tiresome. Still, if it pleased Grandma Bennet for her to learn, then learn she would. Her favorite activity though, other than going to the park, was going into the bookstores. Never was there such a wonder as those shelves stacked floor to ceiling with books about every subject. Her father and mother had taught her to read at an early age. She had often sat in a comfortable corner of her father's study while he worked. When they died and Uncle Henry moved in, she was no longer welcome there. It had only highlighted her terrible loss.
Now Grandma's shelves in town were becoming full of wonderful books pillaged from several book stores. Duplicate of those books were also being sent to Rose Cottage, the name they had playfully given to the cottage in honor of Elizabeth's mother. And best of all, Grandma Bennet had appointed herself as Lizzy's teacher. For a girl who wanted to know everything about everything, it was the best gift of all.
-ooOOoo-
When they returned to Rose Cottage in August, it, the barns, and even the sheds had completely transformed themselves into a gingerbread house like the illustrations in a storybook. The garden had been planted with all manner of vegetables and sapling trees surrounded the small house. In Lizzy's eyes, the place was magical. The first crop of lavendar had been harvested and sold for a pretty amount. And best of all, there was second bedroom decorated just for her!
In the sitting room there were shelves of books, just as Grandma promised. There was also a pianoforte, though that did not give Lizzy as much joy. Yet when she sat down to it the poetry of her surroundings spoke to her and she tried to find ways to express it on the instrument. She was too young and too new to music to do much, but it signaled the beginning of an activity which would bring her joy for the rest of her life.
Lizzy never returned to live at Longbourn. Fanny Bennet did not wish her back. Henry Bennet did not care, so long as he continued to receive Lizzy's quarterly interest. And the girls, except for Jane, barely noticed that she was gone. Jane had wished to befriend Lizzy as the closest in age to herself, but her mother had always prevented it.
Contrary to expectation, Edward met the love of his life and married her within six months of the conversation in the park. He found her in Derbyshire, while securing a regular order of canvas from the textile mills for the making of sails. Madeline was everything Fanny was not and Lizzy loved her from the first time they met.
And so the years passed with the two families living separate lives. The only hitch in this peaceful separation was when the solicitors presented documents to Henry Bennet transferring full guardianship to Mrs. Elizabeth Bennet. He balked at first, but once assured that he would maintain control of the returns from Lizzy's little dowry, he signed. Now he could enjoy the interest without the expense of raising the girl. And with his niece gone, perhaps Fanny would settle and peace would reign in his home. At least that was his hope.
Rose Cottage, 1788
Twelve year old Lizzie Bennet watched from the safety of the hedge which ran side of her grandmother's cottage. The cottage was a beehive of activity as Fanny Bennet piled up anything of value. From the tone of her Aunt Fanny's exclamations, it seemed clear that she was not finding whatever it was that she was searching for. Lizzie suspected that she knew what her mother coveted, but she did not know the whereabouts of the garnet cross either.
Grandma Bennet had contracted a seemingly simple cold that past winter and had never quite recovered. Despite a long January and February spent under the care of one of the best doctors from Town, she had passed in early spring. Lizzie, who had practically never left her beloved grandmother's side, felt lost.
Lizzy had only returned to Meryton with her Uncle Edward to "deal with matters." While the he and her Uncle Henry talked in the Longbourn Study, Lizzy had run to Rose Cottage to gather feel close to her beloved grandmother. She knew that there was not much there at the cottage, since everything had already been collected and removed to London, but she wanted to be there and away from Longbourn anyway.
But as she drew close, she saw the Longbourn carriage parked outside and she hid, only creeping closer from the corner opposite the carriage. Now she was watching her aunt ransack Rose Cottage and it was making her furious. Nevertheless, she knew that she was powerless to change anything.
After another quarter hour of fruitless search, Mrs. Bennet departed from the cottage with those things she counted as valuable, leaving the cottage a wreck. She did not even close the front door! Once Lizzie was certain of the woman's permanent absence, she wiped her tears and spent the remainder of her afternoon setting all to rights as best as she could. The terrible woman had even sliced open the mattress to search for valuables!
Since her aunt had sent off any jarred or dried food to the manor house, Lizzy had no choice but to go to Longbourn. Mrs. Bennet cornered her about the cross and demanded it as her right. Lizzy tearfully told her that she had not seen it since winter, but the woman would not believe her. Lizzy had several bruises from her aunt's fierce grip before Uncle Edward heard her and erupted out of the study to put a stop to the abuse. Her Uncle Henry also stepped out, but he did not remonstrate his wife nor console his niece.
When Lizzie had made her own fruitless search she never found the cross. Yet in her cleaning she did discover another treasure: a little silver locket with a miniature of a very handsome, dark-haired Army officer. It had fallen into the crack between floorboards and somehow evaded Mrs. Bennet's hungry eyes. Lizzie liked the look the handsome man and somehow knew that he was important to her grandmother, so she had buried it before returning to Longbourn so that her aunt could not find it on her.
It was another before the will was read. Fanny refused to house Lizzie or her tradesman brother in her home, so they stayed the night at the local inn. The solicitor from London, Mr. Carrington, shocked the Bennets by greeting Edward Gardiner by name. Thomas Bennet demanded to know why the younger man was even there, but received no answer until the reading. He assumed that the man would take his niece away, which suited him. All he wanted was the property that his mother had purchased. After all, even he was aware of how profitable her lavender farm had become.
It is difficult to say who was the most angry between the senior Bennets when the will was finally read. Not only was full guardianship of Elizabeth Rose Bennet given to Edward and Madeline Gardiner, but the property of Rose Cottage, all remaining accounts, and the garnet cross were also given to the chit! And now even the profits from Lizzy's dowry was removed from Henry Bennet's control!
There was not one farthing for Henry or Fanny in the will, but there were untouchable accounts of two-thousand each for their four daughters. All interest from these accounts would compound and none of it could be accessed until the girls married or turned five and twenty.
While the Bennets raged, Lizzy climbed into the Gardiner's carriage to depart Longbourn for London. They made a stop by Rose Cottage, where Lizzy collected the silver locket and Edward arranged with Sir William Lucas to have the place cared for.
Then the new little family departed for London, where Mrs. Madeline Gardiner and their first child awaited them.
