AU Not Cannon

Pride and Prejudice

They Called Him a Bennet Too

Mr. Bennet

Ch. 2

The carriage swayed gently and then rolled to a stopped as Mr. Bennet climbed out after his trip to London. Stretching his legs, he walked around his home uneager to go into even his study as he had in the past. Yes, he still read books- mostly ones that would benefit the estate and his tenants. However, after this last trip, a book and business only made his mind cringe. Taking a deep breath Thomas enjoyed the sounds of silence.

No noise, other than a few stray cats, or dogs, were far more smoothing than all the racket he'd just left. Men's voices arguing over crop prices, women chattering over the upcoming season he had no interest in - though more than one man, or woman, in his circle had tried to get him interested in attending those annoying parties. No, it felt great to be out of London. His solitude was broken when he came back around the front of the house and Mary stepped out the front door.

"Where is Elizabeth?"

"With her husband?" Mr. Bennet smiled sympathetically when his daughter's mouth turned down as she bemoaned the fact because her sister had told Mary that she'd be coming back to Longborne with their father and said as much. "Sorry, Mary, she met a lady who needed a friend, met her myself - for a very brief period-so she stayed a couple extra days, and Fitzwilliam ended up needing to straighten out a mess with one of the banks." He patted her shoulder and went into his home and finally headed down the hallway towards his library.

Sitting down at his desk opened up his ledger. No letters were shown in red. Profits were quite high and there was no threat in losing Longborne. It was amazing how far he'd come in three years since he'd been able to put into effect Elizabeth's suggestions, along with ideas he'd gotten off a financial advisor in London. Writing down a few necessary numbers he closed the ledger, Mr. Bennet than opened his journal and read an entry that the trip to London and brought to the forefront of his mind.

Mrs. Thomas Bennet passed away... Thoms sighed. He hadn't, in spite of what others thought, hated his late wife. Yes, he had been guilty of using too much sarcasm, no, he hadn't been as involved with his younger daughters as he ought to have. However, the gentleman had learned from life. It was one reason he had tried to use a kinder tone with Mary when she'd asked about her sister. Looking at the 'Mrs. Bennet' part of the sentence part caused him to let out another long sigh.

"You have to look at remarrying." One of the men in London spoke with his nose far too high in the air, Mr. Bennet had almost told him where to go in very impolite words not fit for polite company. "Your place has turned around; it is extremely successful. Longborne needs a lady in the house."

"Mary is there."

"My good man. Surely, she will marry one day. Your daughter may be plain, but she is a fine woman. We all know she would make any man a great wife."

It was yet again his old tongue was tempted to bite the man hard. A few choice words Bennet no longer used would have easily been tossed out. And Thomas would have certainly stormed out. However, those days were in the past, and nothing had been said other than a polite goodbye.

"I married for the wrong reasons last time. I did not even marry for anyone's honor, or to be someone's rock and protector. If I cannot have at least that much, then I am not interested at all." He spoke softly while closing the journal in front of him and set it back on a shelf behind him.

Closing the door to the library, Bennet ignored the books and walked down the hall. His chest filled with air as he smelled fresh bread, and soup cooking for supper.

"Father." Mary's voice pulled him out of any private thoughts. "Reverend Collins swung by today."

"What does that..." Mr. Bennet took a deep breath." man want?" It wasn't what he was originally going to say but, hey, just because he was working on changing didn't mean there were those who did not hold the ability to push his buttons.

"I don't know, but..." Mary looked concerned. "He was strutting around here acting as if you were already dead and he had the right to look the place over."

"What gall." Mr. Thomas scowled. "I am far from dead. He then looked at Mary. "Please, do not worry, dear. Should a husband not come like they have for your sisters, Elizabeth will always have a place for you." He smiled and added softly. "If you would let Jane or Elizabeth to help, I am sure, they would easily put you in circles far better suited to find one than I am capable of doing even with our improved financial status. Nor would they allow anyone to know the true size of your dowery. We've let men believe I'm a miser. I..." His smiled faded. "Your father seems to have no such knack when it comes to arranging marriages; maybe your mother had a point on that end. If any of your sisters made good matches, it was not of my making I fear."

"Oh, father." Mary left what she was doing, hugged her father and whispered low. "Do not fret over the past, or what mother thought; all your daughters have seen your work to change." It was true, at least for her sisters and herself. If there were those in town who could not, that was their problem, not her family's.

*thank-you JW I did mean gall