AU Not Cannon
Pride and Prejudice
They Called Him a Bennet Too
Dreams
Ch. 13
"Do you not intend to watch my father, your companion, until he is entirely gone?" Mary asked gently.
"No, first; he is with men who either make a living breaking up illegal activities or know him from his days in the military and are used to being under his command. Second, seeing Mr. Bennet ride off will not affect the consequence, and finally, I do not desire that to be the last impression of him in my mind, should your father not return." Christina went and sat near the bed where her son lay.
"Sometimes I am inclined to utter my indignation against men such as Mr. Hamilton. They enter into illicit trading, raise themselves to a superior station among their companions, and chiefly for desiring estates such as Longborne because they are seen as favorable spots for hiding their ill-gotten riches." Elizabeth had not meant to interrupt their conversation, but she was so vexed by the man's behavior it was taking all her effort not to shout at the top of her lungs. Her sister, and stepmother, made no reply to her remark seeing it would yield no real benefit to their small group, or to their situation.
"Do you mind if I ask you a question?" Mary asked gently, admiring her stepmother's courage even though at times she appeared so fragile. She was- tactfully- steering their conversation away from Elizabeth's outburst and, besides, this sister had figured out a little more than some had given her credit for and her question -once she had been given permission to ask -proved it. "My father gave you no choice on marrying him." She watched Christina's reaction - along with Elizabeth's- and, even though there was no real reaction, Thomas's third daughter plowed ahead with her inquiry. "Why did you not object, not really? It seemed as if you were prepared for it. Did you anticipate what he was planning to do?"
"You are right, there is more to it. However, I must ask, Do you believe that the Welsh have a sixth sense? Do you believe in gifts from the Holy Spirit?"
"I have heard such tales as to the Welch, and yes to the Holy Spirit, but I have yet to experience it for myself. Why do you ask? Are you Welsh? Did you have some vision of this whole unfortunate affair?" She did not ask about faith for Christina had not taken long to show it was another reason, other than what she had told Thomas; she had managed to hold things together for as long as she had in London.
""Yes, on my mother's side. " Christina paused and, looked at Elizabeth who nodded. "I have something to confess but you must make the most solemn vow you will not say a word unless your father releases you from it." Christina had opted to take the risk of allowing Mary into their secret for not only had Mary proven to be a quiet one, but faithful and true to her word as well- even under pressure; a fact proven the other day when Lady Catherine had pressed her something fierce about Christina in town just the other day without being aware she and Elizabeth were within earshot.
"I give you my word, upon my honor, I will not utter a single syllable." Mary listened intently as Christina began speaking.
"I have been married before, a very short marriage. My husband was killed. Your father did not sire Curtis." Mary's eyes widened but let her stepmother continue on without interruption. "Meeting your sister, then Curtis being born, followed by Elizabeth coming back to London and bringing me to Longborne - to your father, it accomplished two strange visions I had while only joined to my first husband for a mere two days. They both were incomprehensible to me. So, pray tell, why should I have resisted your father insistence of marriage when it fell right in with my dreams?"
"Would you mind telling me your dreams?" Mary asked just as much out of desire to keep her mind focused on anything but what was going outside of their home and hopefully, Christina's too; especially since they fit into her stepmother's calmness in accepting her father's actions.
"I saw myself give birth to a child and I turned to hand him, for a knew it to be a boy, to Peter only my husband was nowhere to be seen near me though I had just birthed him a son. I walked through a door wandering where my husband was only... " Christina shook her head. "I was in a strange field. I saw my mate in the distance, but oddly-he faded and there stood a stag with five does surrounding him. The second doe came forward and pressed me towards the stag, he lowered himself and I -along with - my child- got on. Four of the does disappeared and I was left alone with the stag standing tall once again with only one doe by his side. They both had violet eyes." She looked at Mary whose own eyes were wide open at this point. Letting out a long breath of air Christina continued on.
"The second had me just as perplexed. I was lying in bed holding a baby, yet again I knew it to be a boy. Peter walked in but did not get close. His eyes were dark...not like a person is when they are furious at a man, or woman, who has done wrong no... his eyes were brown...the baby's eyes were violet. They did not match. They looked nothing alike and yet I knew Peter had sired the child." Christina shook her head again, "When your sister met me in London and said her father did not divorce your mother when she gave him but five daughters, I felt the hair on my skin rise. No, I was not aware, yet I was with child for I had just been hired. Nonetheless, the dream popped back into my mind of the does especially as your sister has violet eyes. And when I gave birth, saw Curtis's own eyes and she showed up in London I knew what her idea was."
"Good heavens, what dreams. Surely some heavenly guardian was watching over you." Mary now counted it a blessing she had not thrown out unkind words to her father and saw the wisdom in keeping her mouth shut; especially if Christina's first husband had been killed by men dealing with illegal goods.
Christina, who had lifted her son and fed him, settled him onto his side of the bed and spoke softly having no clue as to what information Mr. Bryant was withholding from Thomas spoke. "Your father and I have no account for why Curtis mirrors him so much and not Peter. I pray before the night passes, the Good Lord confers Thomas some understanding, for I have not known where to turn in order to obtain answers on my own. Your brother's eyes seem to be the only clue we have."
"Have you had any other dreams?" Elizabeth asked quietly from where she stood against the door frame with her baby bump showing a little more.
Christina could easily figure out why she was asking and saw no reason to tell her details of the latest two. They would only serve to give the impression to Thomas's girls it meant his death, because she had seen two men fall - one of them being Mr. Bennet. However, details had been muddled. Therefore, Mrs. Bennet spoke the only truthful words in the half-lit room she could without causing Thomas' daughter's alarm.
"If you are asking me about your father, I sensed no death in connection to him." A fall yes, death no.
Gunshots could be heard outside the house and Elizabeth hurried to lock the door. Christina snatched the baby up and rushed to the other side of the room, away from the window. "Come here." Elizabeth opened a door which exposed a closet big enough to be small room, closing it behind them, the ladies sat on the floor and kept their conversation nonexistent as not to be overheard should any enemy get inside their home.