AU Pride an Prejudice

Fan Fiction

For Clarissa's Sake

Previously

"Only if you go straight to bed, willing to let my servants bring you a meal to you there and say nothing to my brothers. I dare say they would not leave without drawing you into conversation if you were to go back down." Mr. Bennet agreed. Therefore, he waited while the baron rang for a maid to show his visitor where he was to spend the night. It was only then that he left the baron alone in the room.

Kitty talks to her Sisters00Bidding Farewell

Ch. 5

Jane and Mary were sitting in the parlor with Elizabeth, who had driven over from Pemberley. They were all talking to Kitty and were in shock at the correspondence their father had sent. None of them had ever heard of Baron Morgan Grey or his daughter Clarissa-May. Their father had not said much, only that Miss Grey had just turned nineteen, that her father was very ill and might not live much longer. He had also stated her dowry was not in cash, but land adjacent to Longbourn. He had asked that Miss Grey be allowed to stay at Netherfield.

"Since when was father courting?" Mary sat next to Jane and looked at Kitty as if their sister had been hiding information from the family. She was not concerned about her husband's two young children overhearing her as they were visiting Colonel Jansen's mother up north. Nor was Jane concerned about her son as he was not even six months old.

"Do not look at me." Kitty protested vehemently. "I knew nothing about this. All I know is some gentleman shows up with a message, father goes running off without eating his meal, and then this letter comes."

"Do you think father seduced her?" Jane hesitantly asked, knowing absolutely nothing about the baron's conversation with her father.

"I think not." Elizabeth spoke at the same time as she shook her head. "Father has his problems, but that I cannot picture." Their sister had in all reality been sent a separate letter pleading with her to give her father time to explain in person before passing judgment on him and especially on Miss Grey. And if she had been in the same room as Mr. Bennet, she would have supported him even more than she already was. Hence her willingness to remain neutral at this point of time.

"Then why hide this from us?"

"Well, it does not say they are actually engaged." Kitty spoke slowly. "Just that he is bringing her down here to meet us."

"Lord Grey obtained a special license for father; they are engaged." Elizabeth spoke cautiously. "We need to welcome her into our family. Father is much improved the past few years. You know as well as I, he would not be making this move if it was not the right thing for him to do."

"I suggest we do as Elizabeth says, give her a chance." Jane smiled sweetly. "She has never been to Meryton, the least we can do is not to scare her off this family."

"How can you be so sure, Elizabeth? You out of us all are the closest to father, I would think you would be having the hardest time. And what about Lydia, what is she going to say? What will we tell her when she finds out?" Mary was trying not to complain but she was understandably confused and even a little hurt.

"Tell her to write home more often, and to do so for reasons other than to ask us for money. Then she would know what is going on." Elizabeth did not bother hiding her annoyance. "Give father some credit, he at least is having proper banns read and their announcement in the papers will not be small and rushed even if she is young enough to be Kitty's twin. It is more than Lydia ever gave us." Mr. Bennet's second daughter refused to let Lydia's opinion be a deciding factor on how Mrs. Darcy should feel herself.

"That is very true." Mary smiled and began to feel better, but still asked if it bothered her sister even a little.

"I would be more bothered if Father had shown up married with no sort of warning with Miss Grey. For now? Let us be grateful he has enough courtesy to write before bringing a new wife to Longbourn. Good heavens, he is giving us time to get to at least have a decent conversation with her before any vows are exchanged." Her words seemed to soothe Mary and she confessed her sister had a point.

"I can live with all that." Kitty shook her head. "I just hope she is not a snob." The fourth Bennet sister could not help but groan. "I am so tired of those types. Seems lately, that is all I have been meeting in town."

Mrs. Darcy, Mrs. Bingley, Mrs. Jansen, and Miss Bennet may have been talking about the letter, but Miss Grey was packing her traveling bag. She saw no need to take all her dresses as some in her station might; the lady took a handful of her favorites and a couple of her favorite books. Her one weakness was paints and hair pieces. Clarissa hoped Mr. Bennet would not hold that against her. Putting on a shawl, she picked up her bag and went downstairs.

Mrs. Rawlings was all up in arms. How could Lord Grey and his wife not tell her what was really going on? Why let her believe Miss Grey was going north to cousins when in reality a special license had been obtained for marriage? Why had not someone in the family spoken up? And if that had not been bad enough, did it have to be to an old man with no title, good as he may be?

"Relax, Mrs. Rawlings." Clarissa felt the need to soothe the old lady's nerves. "Mr. Bennet cannot be a horrible gentleman or my father would not have gone to all this trouble. And my uncles would have protested if he were. I am certain, Thomas Bennet will not beat me." 'Unlike Viscount Bruin.'

"That is not the point." Wiping her nose, Mrs. Rawlings would have said more, only Mr. Bennet came downstairs where he had been talking the baron, the baroness and to the new doctor which had been sent for.

"I will take your bags." Mr. Bennet spoke politely, then pulled her aside - away from Mrs. Rawlings - but only because the lady had begun wailing again so loudly, he could hardly hear himself think, let alone speak. "If you wish, you may go say goodbye to your parents." Her mother was busy taking care of her father who - it appeared - was having a relapse from whatever was plaguing him. "Then we will travel with Mrs. Smith and her daughter to Netherfield, and you will stay there until our wedding. Which will be as soon as the banns can be properly read and a marriage notice be put in the paper. There will be enough talk about us getting married as it is; no need to make it worse by rushing those two things."

Mrs. Smith and her daughter were Clarissa's new companion and lady's maid; her parents, along with her aunts and uncles, had paid their wages for a year. Their private conversation still rang in her ear; her father's first. "My dear Clarissa, you are the light of my life. You have always been a joy to me, and I admire your courage and kindness to those around you, even when the viscount started visiting and began throwing his weight around as much as he could." He grinned and shook his head. "I knew of all those times you were helping the servants when you did not know I was watching; for your wedding, we wanted to give you something special. We have hired a personal servant and a companion for you for a year. This is our way of saying thank you, but after the year is over the servants will leave."

Her mother had then said. "Please, be careful and live within the income of your spouse. Do not waste money on frivolous things, and do not lose sight of what matters most. Promise me that you will be content with what you have and be loyal to Mr. Bennet, stand your ground as you always have but still give submission. He did not have to do this. He could have turned his back on your father's request. You could have easily been left at the mercy of our cousin, Viscount Nicolas Bruin."

"I promise."

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The outside of the tavern was quiet when Mr. Bennet's carriage pulled up to its doors. Thomas climbed down and then opened the door for the women. Helping Clarissa out, he then gave aid to the other two women. Leaving the Baron's coachman to take care of their mode of transportation, Mr. Bennet led the women inside.

Voices did not fill the halls as they were kept low; most were tired from their day's journey. A good share were winding down their meals. Thomas noticed their talk grew quieter as he and the ladies sat down. He did not have to ask why; it was Clarissa.

Clarissa was not a beauty queen, but she was not a wallflower either. And even if she had been, the coach they had arrived in shouted she was a Baron's daughter. Therefore, people were assuming he was the Baron. It was all Mr. Bennet could do not to burst out laughing when the owner came up to him and addressed him as a Lord.

"We have venison stew with dumplings and peas, grilled salmon with lemon and parsley." The gentleman continued to rattle on choices, even offering brandy or wine. He was sadly disappointed to find out Mr. Bennet was not a baron but had only been visiting one and had been lent the carriage only as a means to travel home.

"And that, my dear," Mr. Bennet grinned widely once the man had left to get them their meal of venison stew and vegetables, "is why it is not good to ever assume things about people you have just met, no matter their mode of travel." He found Clarissa's smile matching his own.