Thanks again for all the comments everyone, I have corrected a few typos in the earlier chapters (nothing big) and here is the next chapter
Chapter Ten
The Bennet girls were sitting in their aunt's parlour enjoying a sweetened cup of tea and some delicious cakes when their uncle came in.
"My dear girl," Mr Phillips walked straight to Elizabeth and took her hands in his affectionately, "you may not have seen me, but I was at the side of the haberdasher earlier and I heard all you said to that ridiculous man, I only stayed behind to answer any questions from the other onlookers and control some of the rumours. I am so sorry Martha and I have not been able to protect you; first with Mr Collins and now with that… that man. Dear, dear Lizzy, if you do not want to go home, we would love to have you stay here until the Gardiners arrive."
Such emotions finally broke through Elizabeth's composure, and tears started to fall. "Thank you, Uncle," she sobbed, "I do not know what I should do; I am so weary, so very very weary."
Kitty moved to sit on the floor in front of her sister and laid her head on Elizabeth's lap. "We are all here for you, Lizzy, and Lydia and I heard what people were saying as we all walked away; your reputation, all our reputations are safe, I am sure of it. People in Meryton love you, although not as much as we do." Lizzy was gently caressing her little sister's hair as Catherine spoke.
"I know dearest, and I am so very grateful I have the four best sisters a lady could ever hope for. I will be well, but perhaps I will remain here tonight if you all promise to look after each other and Mama at Longbourn."
"Can I stay with Lizzy?" Catherine asked timidly, "I do not think I could see him, I mean Mr Bennet, not today; I am not as strong as my sisters."
"Of course, Kitty, you two can share the spare room, and we will have a quiet evening and bring comfort to one another I am sure. But first, I will walk to Longbourn with the girls to keep them safe," their aunt said, "I will not stay but I will bring some clothes for you girls, and invite Fanny to join us here in the morning so we can make plans to keep control of the gossip, and steer it further in our favour."
After another tea tray and more tender reassurance that they would deal with everything and be more united than ever, Jane, Mary and Lydia embraced Elizabeth and Catherine and returned home, accompanied by their aunt.
While the girls were challenging Mr Wickham in Meryton, the last confrontation of this momentous day was taking place in Longbourn. It may have been unplanned and a little rushed, but Fanny knew it was long overdue.
Bennet had managed to compose himself within an hour of Elizabeth leaving his study, and, in his ignorance, he sought out his wife to manipulate her into forcing her daughter's compliance.
"Mrs Bennet," he started, "it appears your second daughter has taken into her head to defy and ruin us. I believe that she needs to be given time to reflect on her attitude, and to that end, I will be confining her to her room once more until she learns to behave in a more appropriate manner."
"Save it, Mr Bennet, I have no interest in your thoughts," Fanny snapped, unknowingly mirroring the words her daughter had used with Mr Wickham in Meryton moments earlier, "Lizzy has told us everything about your clever little schemes. It is the last time I have let you hurt any of the girls."
For the second time that day, Bennet's world was upended; his wife seemed different, not shrill and loud as usual but cold and composed, very similar to Elizabeth in demeanour at this instant.
"Whatever do you mean?" he asked, hoping for a moment to regain his footing, or for a return of her nerves and complaints.
Fanny snorted, "What I mean, sir, is that I have had enough of your antics. First, you attempt to marry my girl to your cousin, who by the by would never have left his parsonage or his patroness as you had planned. Do you think I was unaware of your pathetic endeavours? I must thank you for restoring the cottage however as Mr Collins, bless his heart, has already offered it to me as a small dower house if I require one after your death. I do not believe I will need it, and Lizzy has plans to use it as part of estate improvements Charlotte can carry out when she becomes the mistress here, but the offer did warm my heart." Her smile was genuine, yet harsh and biting in Bennet's opinion.
She stood and refilled her cup of tea, not offering to make one for her husband, and continued, "And today, you try and impose a low-born scoundrel on my child. You are deluded if you ever thought I would allow such a man to marry any of my babies, for they are mine, my girls, not yours, not ever. While you were wallowing in your own pitiful misery this past hour, my daughters have gone to Meryton to quash any rumours of engagement, and I will ensure all our neighbours finally know what type of a man you are. I doubt any will be surprised; they have long observed your arrogance, your conceit, and your selfish disdain for the feelings of others. We had not been married a month before I knew that you were the worst possible husband my father could have chosen, and my sister and brother found out soon after; for more than three and twenty years, I have remained silent, quietly protecting my beloved children against your cruelty, but no more."
Bennet finally came out of the frozen state his shock had induced. "You have lied to me, all these years, you have lied. And what do you care about who I marry Lizzy to? You do not even like the plain chit."
"Oh, how stupid you can be at times, Mr Bennet." Her steely voice cut through him like a sharp blade. "I used to believe you clever enough, but it appears I was mistaken and your cleverness is just book smarts and education without any real intelligence behind. All five of my bright, beautiful girls matter more to me than anything in the world. Far more than you or your comfort. You will find life at Longbourn very different from now on, for none of us will obey your ridiculous dictates any longer. You may have enjoyed thinking of our being destitute and miserable after your death, but we have friends and family. Even your family will help us, as Mr Collins is ten times the man you are and he will not abandon his cousins should we need his support, nor will our dear Charlotte. Our circumstances will be reduced, but we will be cosy and happy nonetheless."
She stood and bestowed him a glare filled with decades of contempt and disgust. "I suggest you reflect on the choices before you, sir. You may have legal power over us as head of this household, but we wield greater power than you can even imagine, having carefully built an intricate network of support here and in London over many years. And before you threaten to throw us all out, which would be no great distress to us as my brother Phillips has recently purchased the house to the left of his own to expand his thriving business and could easily house us for several months, remember that my child runs this estate and keeps you in luxury. The same child who has known for these past five years how little you care for her or her siblings. The child who can out-think you any day and who thoroughly trounces you at chess whenever she is not in a mood to let you win. The child you openly betrayed for the last time today."
Noises in the entrance indicated the return of some of her girls and she left him alone and dumbfounded, his mind reeling under the weight of the day's revelations and the failure of all his plans and hopes.
Mr Bennet stayed in his library for the remainder of the day. He did not want to admit to himself, that he was fearful, terrified even; Elizabeth and Fanny had ruthlessly taken him to task, and like most bullies, he had absolutely no idea how to react now that they no longer feared him. He could not ask them to leave, as the house and the estate would fall apart without Elizabeth and his wife, yet he did not want to face them in this weakened state either. Mocking and abusing silly girls and a stupid wife had been easy and pleasurable all these years; Bennet was spineless underneath his bluster, and he was unprepared to deal with the strong women he had discovered that day. By avoiding them, he could pretend for a while longer that the other four girls were still the vain, uneducated children he had always thought them to be.
By the time he ventured into the breakfast room the following morning, the housekeeper informed him that the ladies had gone to Meryton to speak with Mr and Mrs Phillips. Mrs Hill acted as she always did, respectfully and efficiently, yet Bennet saw a hint of smug satisfaction in the woman's smile and quickly dismissed her from his presence. He would get no more support from his servants than he would his tenants or neighbours; belatedly Thomas Bennet realised that his laziness and apathy had ensured Longbourn's dependants would stay firmly loyal to Elizabeth, and his cynical mocking of the local gentry meant the whole of Meryton would strive to protect Fanny and the girls, just as his wife had stated the previous day.
With Mr Collins engaged to Elizabeth's closest friend, Bennet had no other family members or even acquaintances who would take his side should his wife and daughters defy him. He felt utterly powerless, ironically as powerless as he had always believed the ladies of his household to be; he did not know whether to be glad to have more time to think before having to face up to his family again or to be angry at them for leaving without taking any notice of him.
Mrs Phillips was laughing so hard, tears were streaming out of her eyes. "Oh, Fanny, how I wish I had seen that man's face when he realised the treasure you are, after all this time, oh, how it must have stung. All his cleverness and education count for nothing against the six of you. It is too much."
Mrs Bennet had recounted the set-down she had handed Mr Bennet the previous day with all its delicious details, and with a lot of humour and wit; her family was relieved and somewhat delighted. The deception was over; Mr Bennet may look for revenge, but soon the whole town would know better and be ready to protect the girls. Meryton was a close-knit community and the Gardiners had always been at the centre of it; the Bennet girls were pretty, lively and generous to a fault, and everyone, from every level of society, enjoyed having them around. They would be looked after.
Mr Phillips was sitting a little apart from the ladies, smiling as he wrote the most cheerful letter he had ever sent his brother-in-law in London. Edward Gardiner and his family were due to arrive for their usual Christmas visit within a fortnight and would relish the news.
"I am feeling happier too," Jane sat next to Elizabeth as she spoke, "but I am not quite ready to trust all is well yet. For now, I would like to think of happier topics, such as what to get for our little cousins for Christmas."
"Or about Louisa's dinner invitation for tonight, as the charming Mr Bingley will be back, perhaps?" Elizabeth jokingly added.
Jane blushed, "Indeed, I am quite impatient to see him again, but I was also serious about preparing for our family's visit. We have been so busy sewing all sorts of items for Charlotte and Mr Collins, it would not do to forget the children."
"Very well, I will not tease you this morning, Jane." Elizabeth conceded, "Going back to the topic of Christmas treats, I have a few trinkets already you know; as I was preparing the boxes for the servants and tenants, I had the opportunity to purchase some pretty toy carts and horses Mr Smithson whittled in his spare time for the boys, and I have made new dolls for the girls, although I need to complete their dresses and bonnets."
"How can you find time to make toys for the tenants and our cousins when we have been so very busy?" Catherine asked.
"I started months ago, Kitty dear, and there were far too many rainy days in spring when we were forced to remain inside if you remember. I have been collecting the scrap of fabric discarded by anyone in Longbourn, and sewing simple animal-shaped toys for the tenants while listening to Mary practice her music; it is very soothing and I have enough tiny cats, dogs and frogs for each of the children to have two each. They are like little pillows filled with odd ends of wool the haberdasher let me have for a very good price. For our little cousins, the dolls are more complex, but luckily Charlotte had a nice pattern I could use and they have turned out quite well. Of course, for the boys, I have not made the toys, so it took no time at all to buy them. Mr Smithson made some sweet little animals for our tenants, mainly pigs and cows, and they cost very little; Mama provided the funds for all the Boxing Day treats for the servants and tenants as usual."
Catherine was still unhappy, "I wish I was more industrious, like you. I am so ashamed that I have not done anything for anyone yet. I have not even spent much time in the garden or the still room like Jane and Mary."
Mrs Bennet smiled and soothed her sensitive child. "Kitty, Lydia and you are still very young, and you have to continue with your studies. When you have mastered French and History as well as your older sisters have, we will reduce the hours you must spend reading books and you can help with the tenants or in any other way you decide. And anyway after the Collinses' wedding in early January, Mary and you will be off to London to help your aunt, it is all arranged with your uncle who has even found masters to help with your music and drawing. You will have plenty of time to think about how you will help us next year once you are back home."
The family remained in lively conversation for many hours, only stopping in the early afternoon as Mr Phillips returned to his work while his wife and sister started their planned visits to shops and neighbours alike. Mr Bennet's reputation as a lackadaisical but benign father and landlord was about to change.
The reunion between Jane and her betrothed was as warm as can be imagined. The Bennet sisters had arrived a little early, and the two young lovers were left in relative peace for nearly an hour before dinner while the Hursts entertained Miss Elizabeth at the other end of the cosy parlour Louisa favoured when receiving guests.
When dinner was announced, Miss Bingley descended the main staircase dressed in a very ornate green dress more suited to an outing at the theatre than to a family dinner with a couple of neighbours. Apart from a short snort quickly disguised as a cough from Mr Hurst, the assembled company greeted her without comments about her attire or her tardiness.
The meal was delicious, and for Elizabeth, seated between the Hursts, the company was congenial and entertaining. After his efforts over the past few weeks, she was no longer surprised to enjoy a lively debate about the war on the continent with the gentleman, while his wife offered some sharp insight into the fate of the many refugees from France and Spain currently settled in London. Elizabeth noticed that Miss Bingley was frequently interrupting and disrupting Jane's conversation with Mr Bingley, but the man seemed to have his sister sufficiently in hand for her to ignore the lady.
"I think that for tonight we should ignore the usual separation of the sexes and go straight to the sitting room together." Bingley cheerfully stated as soon as the meal was finished. "I have an announcement to make." He was smiling warmly at Jane as he spoke.
As soon as they had all settled around tea or port, Bingley raised his glass and addressed his family. "I am delighted to announce that Miss Jane Bennet has accepted to become Mrs Bingley in just a week's time, on the fourteenth of December."
He was not allowed to continue as Miss Bingley started screaming. "No!, Charles, you cannot do that to me. You cannot marry a fortune-hunting country mushroom of no consequence, I will not allow it."
Before her brother could react, Mrs Hurst had jumped to her feet and was standing directly in front of her sister, "Caroline, you will apologise this instant, or you will not be welcome in my home in London ever again. Jane will be a kind and wonderful sister, and I look forward to welcoming her to my family."
She turned to face Mr Bingley and Jane, cutting her sister who stood still in surprise. "Charles, this is wonderful news, and I hope you will allow me to talk to Mrs Bennet tomorrow about the wedding breakfast. Netherfield is larger than Longbourn; I would be honoured to offer her our ballroom, and our servants for this happy event, as I expect most of our neighbours here will want to wish you joy on that happy day."
Miss Bingley inhaled loudly and appeared ready to launch into another tirade against the upcoming union, but she was cut short by Mr Hurst, who had come closer to join his wife in congratulating the happy couple once more. "Caroline, I believe you should think twice before saying anything further. You are not welcome at my father's estate, Louisa will have my full support if she decides to ban you from our London house; do you really believe Charles will allow you to stay here unless you are impeccably polite to his chosen bride or her family?"
"Why do you care?" the lady sneered, "are you not supposed to be drunk already at this time?"
Louisa gasped and spun around, "How dare you Caroline Julia Bingley? You will not say one more word against my husband or my new sisters. As a matter of fact, you will not say any more words to any of us tonight." She called to the footman who stood outside the door and asked him to escort her sister back to her room. Stunned by Louisa's anger, Caroline followed the servant out and returned to the room that was fast becoming a prison in her eyes. How had her world turned on its head so fast? She had come to Hertfordshire with a singular purpose, to prove to Mr Darcy that she was a perfect hostess and worthy of the position of mistress of Pemberley; within a few weeks, she had lost the right to act as her brother's hostess, most of what she considered her due allowance, and more importantly the dominance she had always exercised over her siblings.
"I am so sorry for that outburst," Louisa was looking down rather than at Jane, "while I did not expect Caroline to be overly supportive of your nuptials, I never guessed she would be so heinous."
"Louisa, you are not responsible for Miss Bingley's actions." Elizabeth said warmly, "Indeed, her reaction was not surprising as her ambitions for your family were much higher than the circle we inhabit."
Hurst smiled gratefully at Miss Elizabeth and took his wife's hand in his. "I am not distressed either my dear, and Caroline is correct in the fact that I would have been drunk at this time only a month ago. I am happy I am not, however, as I enjoyed seeing you finally stand up to her. Bingley, perhaps it is time for our sister to go visit your aunt in Scarborough, at least until you two lovebirds are settled here after your wedding trip."
"We have not yet spoken about a wedding trip, although I like the idea." Jane was smiling at her betrothed, with her head inclined to the left side as she spoke.
"Well, soon-to-be brother of mine," Elizabeth laughingly stated, "you will learn that this tilt of my sister's beautiful head is a clear sign that you should very seriously consider her words. It seems our Jane wishes for a nice little holiday with her husband once she has one."
"Lizzy!" Jane scolded affectionately. Louisa and Hurst joined in Elizabeth's laughter and the mood was lifted, allowing them all to enjoy the rest of the evening.