Author's Note: Comments have been screwy today, so I apologize if I have not addressed something. Please continue to let me know about errors or questions you have, or if you just have a thought about where the story is going.
Chapter 12
Thomas Bennet was feeling rather pleased with himself. Since receiving a letter several months ago from his heir, he had hatched a plan that would allow him to keep Longbourn in his family, thereby providing for his wife and children and ensuring that he continued to receive the stipend from his niece's estate.
His heir, Mr Collins, had proven himself a rather foolish man, readily agreeing to relinquish his claim to Longbourn in favour of Briarwood. The contract had already been drafted and was awaiting the signatures of both trustees. They had not shown concern for Elizabeth for the last fourteen years, so why should that change now? A week ago, he had sent a letter to Mr. Elliott, asking for his signature and instructing him to contact the second trustee, who would also be needed to sign. His brother, Mr. Phillips, had taken great care in crafting the legal documents, and a private agreement had been made between Collins and Bennet regarding the estate's distribution.
With Collins's agreement to continue the quarterly stipend Bennet had come to rely on, he could maintain his current lifestyle without fretting over reduced expenses or estate management. True, Lizzy's efforts had increased the estate's profits somewhat, which was helpful, but it would not be necessary for this to continue. Bennet believed he had found the ideal solution to continue in his indolent ways.
He did not even mind Elizabeth's absence in London for a month or two. His intention was for her to marry shortly after the new year. With Collins visiting in a week or two, it had seemed wise to keep Lizzy out of the way for the time being. He imagined she would be more compliant in marrying a stranger than she would be after meeting the man. Although the letters exchanged with Collins had revealed the man's foolishness, Bennet anticipated that Lizzy might not willingly accept him but would eventually comply with his demand. And if she resisted, well, there were ways to compel her into marriage.
A fortnight after Elizabeth departed for London, Mr Collins made his way to Longbourn. He expressed his dissatisfaction with the delayed signing of the contracts and the absence of his bride. Mr Bennet, however, sought to appease him by assuring him that everything was in order for the wedding. Nevertheless, the contracts were indeed signed, especially those formalizing the separate agreements between Bennet and Collins. They then set the wedding date for the twenty-seventh of January, enabling the reading of banns to commence on the Sunday after Epiphany, with the marriage scheduled for the day following the third reading.
Mr Collins asked, "Are you absolutely certain that everything is proceeding smoothly, Mr Bennet?"
Mr Bennet, with a feigned air of confidence, replied, "Rest assured, Mr Collins, there are no impediments to our plans. I have taken care of everything."
Collins hesitated momentarily before conceding, "Very well, Mr Bennet. I trust your judgment in this matter. I had hoped to meet my bride on this visit."
"Her aunt needed her in London," Bennet explained.
"I did not think she had any other family," Collins questioned.
"Mr Gardiner is my wife's brother. Lizzy has always considered them her relations, and she greatly favours them," Bennet replied, waving away the man's concerns. "She will return when the family gathers for Christmastide."
Collins nodded, although he remained displeased. The two made additional plans related to the wedding—Collins wanted to forgo a wedding breakfast so they might return to Hunsford sooner, as, per their agreement, he would not attempt to claim Elizabeth's inheritance until after her next birthday.
Bennet did not worry about gaining the trustees' agreement, not really. He felt that if he presented the marriage as a fait accompli, they could do nothing about it and would turn the estate over to Collins without question. It never occurred to him that others would not go along with his plan.
During this period, Mr Elliot and Darcy met with the solicitors, delving into the details of old Mr Tomlinson's will and the stipulations it contained. From their investigation, they gleaned that the twelve hundred pounds sent to Mr. Bennet each year served a twofold purpose.
Half of this sum was designated to reimburse Mr. Bennet for the expenses associated with Elizabeth's upbringing, covering housing, sustenance, clothing, and other necessities. The remaining half was intended for employing a governess, hiring masters for her education, and granting an annual allowance of fifty pounds per quarter. This particular arrangement was slated to take effect after Elizabeth's fifteenth birthday. Before that, it was meant to cover any educational expenses and the occasional indulgence she required.
The two gentlemen managed to conclusively establish that Mr Bennet had defrauded Elizabeth of a minimum of nine hundred pounds owed her for her allowance over the last six years, as she had received only fifty pounds per annum. Proving how the rest of the funds were misspent was more challenging, given that Mr Bennet had provided her with housing and sustenance. However, they discovered that the money intended for hiring a governess and masters had not been utilized as specified. No governess had ever been hired, and after consulting with Gardiner, it was determined that while Mr Bennet had sent some money to cover the masters engaged when Elizabeth visited London, it had not been sufficient. A cross-reference with Gardiner's financial records validated the sums Gardiner disbursed and received from Mr Bennet over the last five years, including the amounts spent on Elizabeth's clothing.
In light of this evidence, the trustees decided to request that Mr. Bennet reimburse Gardiner for these amounts. While Mr. Bennet might argue that the clothing was a gift, the masters were his obligation, and the books Elizabeth had discreetly taken from Longbourn provided clear proof that very little had been spent on her attire.
While there was little doubt that Elizabeth was owed a significantly larger sum, it was ultimately decided by Darcy, Elliott, and Gardiner, with input from Elizabeth and Mrs Gardiner, that when they met with Mr Bennet, they would demand a repayment of three thousand pounds. This sum was based on the concrete evidence they had, including the records and receipts, and while it fell short of Elizabeth's true entitlement, it represented the maximum amount they could irrefutably prove.
One additional revelation that emerged during their examination of the will was that, although the guardian's consent was required for Elizabeth to marry before she reached the age of majority if she married without that consent, the trustees could decide to still grant her inheritance immediately. Conversely, if her trustees disapproved of the match, the estate would remain under the trustees' care, and an allowance would be disbursed at their discretion.
"This is a good start," Mr Elliott told them the following week when they all met at the Gardiners to discuss what had been discovered. "The investigators cannot find any reason for Mr Bennet to need to do this other than a misguided attempt to protect his family. He hatched this scheme along with his wife since they thought it was a way to keep the estate in the family. By the way, Mr Darcy, your former friend Mr Bingley is still sniffing around Longbourn. He appears unwilling to commit to the eldest Miss Bennet because he is still waiting for the fallout from his sister's actions."
Darcy merely grunted in reply, not wanting to be reminded of his former friend or the scheme Miss Bingley had enacted to attempt to ensnare him.
Mr Elliott grimaced. "I should have paid more careful attention and visited Longbourn from time to time. But I was busy with my concerns and relied on these yearly letters. I wish I had made your acquaintance years ago, Gardiner," he said to the gentleman.
"Now, after Collins departs from Longbourn, you and I"—he indicated Darcy—"will go pay Bennet a visit. We will not let on to what all we have discovered but will speak to him about this marriage contract. Darcy, I worry a little about your involvement in this meeting, so I urge you to allow me to lead. Bennet should remember you from your offer to escort Miss Elizabeth to town, but he may not. How attentive was he when you met him?"
"I think our meeting lasted less than five minutes," Darcy replied. "He knew little of me other than I was conveying Mrs Nicholls to town and offered to take Miss Elizabeth at no cost to him. He approved it immediately."
"Would he recall your name?" Elliott asked.
"I would hope, but I think he barely looked up from his book the entire time I was there," Darcy replied, looking apologetically at Elizabeth.
She waved off his concern. "After all we have learned, it is of little surprise to me that he cared so little about my safety. I would like to think that he trusts Mrs Hill and Mrs Nicholls enough to trust their judgement, which is why he agreed so readily. However, I also know that he was pleased that things were so easily arranged with so little effort on his part," she replied, her voice equal parts sarcastic and hurt.
Darcy addressed the group with a solemn tone. "We are currently awaiting the final report from the investigators. We do know that Bennet engaged his brother Phillips to draft the contracts, and it appears that Phillips has been privy to Elizabeth's true lineage for all these years," he explained. "However, Mr. Collins remains something of an enigma at this point. He serves as my aunt's rector, but his background is something of a mystery. Conflicting accounts place him as growing up in both Oxfordshire and Surrey. Our agents are actively investigating in both regions to uncover more details about his origins. From what we have gathered so far, he appears to be a sycophantic fool and is easily swayed. This might explain why Bennet succeeded in convincing him not only to relinquish his claim to Longbourn but also to promise the continuation of the stipend throughout his lifetime."
"Does Mr Bennet have a copy of my grandfather's will?" Elizabeth asked.
"Presumably, although we do not know for certain. Surely, at some point, he would have seen it and read it," Gardiner stated. "Bennet may be lazy, but he is not a fool."
The others agreed with that conclusion, and the conversation drifted to other topics for a time, including a planned outing to the theatre in a few days.