Chapter 15

Hurst House

London

The Next Morning

A gentle aria trickled through the drawing room, Louisa Hurst reinforcing her proficiency on the pianoforte. Her husband had dragged his favorite leather wingback chair closer to the fire and eased his bulk down into it. Now he snored softly in the pleasant warmth, a deep bass counterpoint to his wife's playing. Across the room, Caroline Bingley sat at a small table beneath a window, the drawn curtains beside her brushing her scarlet-clad elbow as she sorted through invitations to parties, each going into a small pile to accept, refuse, or consider.

The door opened and the butler stepped inside.

"Mr. Bingley," the butler announced and withdrew from the drawing room.

Louisa Hurst promptly stopped playing and stood up with a smile, which faded away as she caught sight of the expression on her brother's face.

"Charles," she said, hurrying forward, "whatever is the matter?"

Miss Bingley, who had not bothered to look up, now lifted a curious face and was startled to observe the anger on her brother's usually cheerful countenance.

"Caroline and Louisa," Bingley said icily, "Darcy confessed to me that you and he plotted to hide the fact that Miss Jane Bennet has been in Town for some months. Furthermore, I have learned that Miss Bennet called on you some weeks ago, Caroline, and that you waited weeks to return the call, and then treated both Miss Bennet and her aunt with disdain and incivility."

Caroline had concluded, long ago, that the best defense was a good offense.

"Of course I did!" the lady snapped. "Miss Bennet did not care about you, Charles, she cared only about your money! Moreover, a marriage into the family would have been a social disaster, and you know it! I grant that Jane is well behaved, but her mother is a vulgar solicitor's daughter, and her sisters are hoydens! I merely did what needed to be done."

The sound of grinding teeth emanated from Bingley, sufficiently loudly that Mr. Hurst woke up with a grunt and a snort and turned toward his brother-in-law in obvious surprise.

"Caroline, Louisa," Bingley said with controlled fury, "I do not know if there is any chance of success, but I intend to pursue Miss Bennet in the hopes of winning her hand in marriage. I advise you not to interfere in the future, or you will find yourself without any further financial assistance from me. I am quite confident that none of you would enjoy that."

Mr. Hurst was an indolent man, but he had an eye for the main chance and popped up to a standing position like a jack in the box.

"I am certain that Louisa will not put any further difficulty in your way," he said promptly, casting a stern look at his wife before adding, "Indeed, I wish you the very best of luck. Miss Bennet is a charming creature."

Caroline looked at her brother-in-law with disgust and said, "Mr. Hurst, I do beg you to return to your place by the fire. This has nothing at all to do with you."

"On the contrary, dear sister," the man replied with aplomb. "I am, as you know, more fashionable than wealthy, and my life is far more comfortable thanks to Bingley's generosity. I have no desire to tamper with such good fortune. Do you not agree, Louisa?"

Mrs. Hurst, having had time to ponder, nodded immediately. "Of course I agree. Charles, I do apologize for my interference. I do like Jane very much."

"Louisa!" Caroline screeched, bending a furious glare on her sister. "The Bennets are low born and impecunious..."

"Caroline," Bingley interrupted, "I advise that you think very carefully before you speak further. You are of age, and I am prepared to hand over your dowry into your care, but I will no longer provide you any additional financial support, and you will no longer be permitted in my home or at my table if you continue to interfere with my courtship of Miss Bennet or denigrate her."

Caroline was now plum red with outrage, but this threat had the rare effect of silencing her. Her dowry of twenty thousand pounds provided a very respectable yearly income, but she always overspent and inevitably requested her brother's help with bills. Charles rarely grew angry, but when he did, it was best to wait until he had calmed down before approaching him again. She would get what she wanted eventually – she always did – but now it was time to be quiet.

/

Half Moon Street

London

Elizabeth opened the door into the drawing room, stepped in, and looked around. The only occupant of the room was Jane, who was seated on a chair near the fire, her gaze fixed on the undulating flames. At the sound of the door, however, the eldest Miss Bennet jumped a little, turned a surprised look on the clock and then stood up.

"Dear Lizzy! How the time has flown. I had no idea it was already well past noon! Do let me call for tea!"

"That would be lovely," Elizabeth replied, setting a sheaf of papers onto a nearby table, pulling off her gloves, and sitting down across from Jane's chair. The warmth was welcome as it was a chilly day outside.

Jane returned from requesting tea, sank down into her chair, and smiled at her sister. "Did everything go well?"

"Yes, very well," Elizabeth said, reaching out to grasp the papers on the table. "Do read this copy of the financial arrangements, so you are aware of the legalities."

Jane opened her mouth in protest and then, at the stern look in her sister's eye, closed it and took the papers silently. Elizabeth leaned back in her chair and watched in anticipation for the moment when Jane discovered...

Jane's blue eyes flared wide in shock, and she lifted her gaze to meet her sister's. "Lizzy, no!"

"Jane, yes," Elizabeth replied with an amused smile. "I do not need seventy thousand pounds, dear one; eight and fifty thousand pounds is still a vast fortune, and I am honored to be able to provide for my sisters."

"I do not need an additional three thousand pounds when Mrs. Simpson already gave me three thousand!"

"So now you have a dowry of six thousand pounds," Elizabeth said with a shrug. "Please do not distress yourself, dear sister. I spoke at length to both Uncle Gardiner and Mr. Stokes, the lawyer, and we debated the details for some time before I signed the main document. Every one of my sisters now has three thousand pounds, but the younger three have their money held in trust by Mr. Gardiner until Mary is one and twenty, and Kitty and Lydia are five and twenty. I am pleased to know that none of you will be entirely poverty stricken."

Jane still looked distressed, and Elizabeth leaned forward to pat her sister's knee. "Jane, please know that I will sleep better tonight knowing you are provided for."

Jane wrinkled her nose and then sighed dramatically. "I cannot argue with that, I suppose. Thank you, Lizzy."

"It is my pleasure," Elizabeth returned, just as the door opened and a maid entered with the tea tray. She smiled at the neatly dressed girl and said, "Jane, would you mind pouring?"

This had the desirable effect of distracting Jane, and Elizabeth, after accepting her tea with sugar, leaned back with a slight smile. She was pleased that Jane knew that she was now mistress of six thousand pounds, and she was also pleased that Jane was completely unaware that she was Elizabeth's main beneficiary in her will, though the money would be in the charge of Mr. Gardiner and Mr. Phillips, her other uncle who lived in Meryton. No one liked to think of death, of course, but if something happened and Elizabeth passed on to Heaven, her money would largely go to the eldest Miss Bennet, who was far more sensible than the rest of the family.

Once Jane had settled in with her own cup of tea, Elizabeth asked, "So, have you made any decisions about Mr. Bingley?"

The eldest Miss Bennet flushed rosily and lowered her gaze to her cup. "I have, Lizzy. I am still very attached to him and wish to see him again. I know you do not approve of that..."

"It does not matter what I think," Elizabeth interposed immediately. "Lady Appleby is correct; both Mr. Darcy and I have been guilty of trying to control the lives of those around us, and I, at least, am determined to stop."

Jane chuckled and her face relaxed. "It seems that you and Mr. Darcy have several things in common."

"I do not think so," Elizabeth replied a trifle indignantly.

Jane continued on with an air of mischievous delight, "Oh yes. You are both clever individuals who like to read, you are both very wealthy, and you both are strong willed and inclined to direct the lives of those around you."

Elizabeth wrinkled her nose and then sighed. "I suppose there is some truth to that, Jane."

/

On the Road to Meryton

Hertfordshire

The Next Day

A gentle breeze wafted across the fields, picking up the scents of early flowers and tugging lightly at ribbons and hair and pelisses. Clouds scudded across a washed-blue sky, the road underfoot dry and hard-packed, with pink and white and purple flowers peeping through the grass.

The Bennet daughters and their governesses moved along the road in a knot of color and shade. The Misses Adler had both chosen simple grey pelisses, and Mary likewise wore a sensible dark blue. But Kitty and Lydia had opted for pale pink and light delicate yellow, heedless of the dust that spattered across their hemlines and the toil and effort required from the servants to return the clothes to spotlessness.

Mary and Phoebe walked ahead of everyone else, Kitty and Lydia behind them murmuring to one another, and Sophia bringing up the rear and keeping a sharp eye on her charges.

"The book shop also has music," Mary said eagerly to her new music teacher. "I still have some of my allowance for this quarter and perhaps you and I could choose some new music, Miss Phoebe?"

"Music?" Lydia demanded, tossing her bonneted head. "How very dull, Mary! If you have enough money to buy music, you certainly can lend me a few pence to purchase the blue lace that I need!"

"Absolutely not, Miss Lydia," Phoebe responded, glancing over her shoulder. "Miss Mary's money is her own; if you wish to purchase ribbons, you will need to use your own allowance."

"But I spent it all weeks ago!" Lydia pouted.

"That was your decision," Sophia chimed in. "Mary was sensible enough to save some for the future, and in any case, music is a fine use of funds."

Lydia's blue eyes narrowed, and she said, "You have no right to interfere with my discussion with my sister! You are only the governesses!"

Phoebe stopped and swung around so quickly that Lydia nearly plowed into her. Lydia was a tall, healthy girl, but the Adler twins were taller still, and Phoebe did not hesitate to take a menacing step toward the youngest Miss Bennet while she twisted her face into a forbidding frown. Sophia came up beside Lydia as well, so that the girl was partially boxed in.

"You are certainly free to be rude and disdainful to me and my sister, Miss Lydia," Phoebe said coldly, "but if you do, there will be consequences. Your father only permitted you to walk to Meryton today because we said we would look after you. If we tell Mr. Bennet that you are being difficult and refuse to cooperate with our directives, you will be forced to stay home."

Lydia stared at her in amazement, and then shifted her attention to Sophia, who did her best to look equally fearsome.

"That is ... that is ridiculous!" the girl exclaimed, though she sounded a trifle uncertain. "I have been walking to and from Meryton since I was a girl of ten. My father has never cared!"

"He does now," Phoebe said.

"I do not believe it! Merely because he has hired governesses..."

"Sophia," Phoebe interrupted, "it seems that Miss Lydia does not wish to accompany us to Meryton today. I will walk back with her, and you can..."

"No, no!" Lydia protested, and then lowered her voice and managed what could possibly be considered a meek smile. "No, I wish to come with you, and I will ... cooperate."

Phoebe considered the girl with care and then nodded slowly. "Very well. That was your one warning, Miss Lydia."

/

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Author Note: It has been fun to see all of the comments and discussion on this story. It really does make writing so much more fun! :-)