FAN FICTION

GENERAL REGENCY

NOTE: For those who have already read Ch. 6 a small edit was made, one that will effect a future chapter; the edit is about halfway down if you so choose to read it.

Previously

"One that I have been thinking about ever since our talk." Mr. Darcy leaned back and got comfortable and asked the one question Kerian had deduced he would. "If your grandfather was not a Bennet, or a relation, how on earth did he gain posssessionship of Longbourn?"

Private Talk

Ch. 8

"I never claimed that he was not a relative; I merely stated that he altered his name." Thomas smiled and relaxed in his armchair, surrounded by shelves of books and volumes of family records. "He was a distant cousin of the Bennet who dwelt here, a mature gentleman who came to live here after his wife's demise. When the tragedy befell, Mr. Charles Bennet was as outraged as many of his neighbors, though he kept his feelings to himself. People assumed he was indifferent to the events in Scotland, and to the massacre."

"Sounds like someone else I know."

Mr. Bennet gave a soft laugh and continued his tale, tapping his fingers on a leather-bound book that had been placed on the table beside him. "Well, when my grandfather arrived at his door, telling him why he had my father with him but no spouse. The man considered it a fortune, as he had no offspring of his own - and, since the other relations were as displeased as he was; and none of them cared to inhabit Longbourn, they agreed and - at the proposal of the cousin who should have inherited this place, my grandfather altered his name, and avoided the town as much as possible; it helped he bore a striking resemblance to the old man. People assumed he was an estranged son who had reconciled with his father; the Bennets let that assumption stand, and the cousin who should have inherited quietly - without fuss or fanfare- signed Longbourn over to my grandfather with the entailment still intact. Thus, my father was brought up in the same manner and I have resided in this estate all my days."

"So, the rest of the Bennet family hid your grandfather, and father, from the law right under their noses. Does Mr. Collins know this?"

"That they did. And as to the Collins line? What do you think?" Mr. Bennet's eye-rolling tone of voice gave Mr. Darcy his answer so he focused his next question on his own family's awareness of the situation.

"And none of my relatives ever uncovered the truth?"

"With all due respect." Mr. Bennet shook his head. "We do not associate with the same circles and..." The gentleman shrugged. "Do you wonder why the Bennets then avoided any engagement in politics, or high society? And, why I was taught to do the same?"

"Until now?"

Thomas shook his head. "I did not seek out society, or politics, I rode into a hornet's nest for the sake of my dying, now dead, cousin's child." He straightened up and folded his hands. He paused, trying to choose his words carefully; Kirsty and Caitlin should be safe enough at Longbourn, as should he. Kirsty was now the only a child surviving child of her parents. Caitlin's situation had been told him in the letter and, in private by both men. However, his new Scottish relatives were right in saying, before he and they parted, that someone down here needed to be informed of what was happening. They needed to know, basically, what else the letter had told him and why else he had gone to Scotland not only to get Kirsty, but to marry a lady he had never met. if he could not rely on Mr. Darcy to keep his mouth shut, then Mr. Bennet might as well not have gone in the first place.

"What is happening? And do not say nothing. It is obvious that something is wrong."

"There is a feud going on that we cannot mention outside this room, or it will endanger both my bride and my new daughter." Thomas was not surprised to see Mr. Darcy tense up. "Supposedly it is being contained, but I dare not take the risk of assuming anything until i hear differently."

"Did Kirsty's mother die because of that feud?"

"Not directly." Mr. Bennet sighed. "But I doubt the stress of it did her any good." He leaned forward. "The letter I was holding the day we first talked told me about that feud and why they wanted the ladies out. Mr. MacDonald took a great risk in sending it; the least I could do was to make the trip. Basically, the feud involves four clans...the MacLeods, MacKenzies, MacDonalds and McDowells. People in English power are being bribed to ignore it, unless they get 'caught in the crossfire' and have no choice but to haul in any culprit exposed." When asked what had sparked it, Mr. Bennet shook his head again. "A mad ring, one that supposedly belonged to the ancient kings of Scotland. One of which I doubt exists; even Keiren MacDonald and Andrew McDowell admitted the ring they were aware of, well, let us just say men would be hard pressed to claim it ever belonged to royalty. And yet, most of the majority of those clans are quarrelling over where it is at, and who should possess it. Maybe, I should say the McDowells are siding with the MacDonalds in saying the ring rightfully belongs to Keiran, but the MacLeods are backing the MacKenzies' claim to it. At the time, I confess I did not take it too serious as Alexander never had taken stress well when he was younger. I thought his wife being ill had gotten to him. However, for the sake of his wife I made up my mind to honor her dying wish."

"And how do the McDowell ladies fit into this? I mean, other than their surname being McDowell?"

Mr. Bennet unclasped his hands and leaned back in his chair. "Kirsty has nothing to do with it, except for the misfortune of having her birth mother dead, and a father too sick to fight back." Clenching his fists and then relaxing them, Bennet continued. "Caitlin is a different story." He got up and walked around his desk.

"She was the one in real danger?"

"Yes, as you can see, my wife is a very beautiful woman, even more so than my first." Thomas looked out one of the library windows. "Unlike my late wife, the new Mrs. Bennet has a sharp mind, enough to figure out how to stay alive and out of the enemy's grasp. However, as she grew older, it became harder and more challenging for her father, uncle and close male cousins to conceal her beauty. And, knowing how men are, Andrew wrote to me." There was one particular thing which put her danger had she stayed in Scotland, one his sharp mind had figured out by the time the couple had climbed into the Gardiner's carriage, but Mr. Bennet was unsure how to weave it into their conversation. So, for now he kept quiet.

"He thought marrying her off to you was safer than risking one of their enemies getting hold of her."

"Yes, as did his sister's widower and Mr. MacDonald. And, after our narrow escape from that McLeod fellow, and the group of McKenzies, I dare say make their concerns valid. It helped the MacDonalds and McDowells all knew how much Scottish blood runs in my veins, more than I originally thought." Mr. Bennet shook his head when Mr. Darcy said that having one Scottish grandmother did not make Mr. Bennet much of a Scotsman. "Try two grandparents, possibly three."

"What?"

"My grandfather's wife, that's one. And one of my mother's parents. She kept quiet about that fact by their own orders. I only found that out before leaving Scotland. And, from what they suspect, her father may not be fully English either. But that one cannot be proven."

"So, neither of your parents are pure-blooded English?"

"No, now are you going to leave Elizabeth? Knowing how much Scottish blood runs through my veins? And how much I sympathize with my Scottish relations? Not to the point of Treason mind you, I do have my limits." He did not consider having a traditional Scottish wedding with hand binding anywhere near being a traitor to the English crown.

"Not on your life." Mr. Darcy clenched his jaw. "Considering your narrow escape from death, If you wish, we can stay at Netherfield for a while. Mrs. Bingley has been pleaded for us to visit for quite some time."

"Would you? And, as much as I hate to ask, could you hire some extra help around here? Bruce said that McLeod fellow is not likely to come here and, at this point we probably do not need it, but I would rather be safe than sorry." Mr. Bennet did not need to explain what he meant, nor did he have to plead for Mr. Darcy to agree.

"If you do not mind, Mr. Bennet, I do have one more question now that we have had our talk."

"What is that?"

"Why did the Collin line not object? I would think they would have."

"I agree and, when i learned this piece of history the only two things I could think of was one...William's great-grandfather had a bigger heart than he. Something, I confess I find hard to believe, or they made the same assumption as those around them. Thus allowing the rest of the Bennets to run with it."

"I vote for the second."

"Same here.' Mr. Bennet stood up. "Will you stay quiet about our family secrets or betray us to Collins?"

"Betraying you out to a man like that is not ever an option in my book."

*Thank-you r1965rd for your review; I knew the storyline felt right, but I spaced off editing it to explain why it felt right.