FAN FICTION

GENERAL REGENCY

NOTE: I edited the ending of the last chapter to explain why the Collins line did not fight the rest of the Bennet family (because what they did felt right).

Previously

"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's secret or betray us to Collins?"

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

Family Time Out

Ch. 9

Caitlin knelt by a stream that ran through Longbourn, along with Mary, Kitty, and Kirsty. They were picking watercress, dandelion, and other wild plants and flowers. She had promised the girls that if they helped her pick them, she would show the head cook how to use them in the evening meal.

"She needs time to adjust, Mrs. Hill." Thomas Bennet was talking to his head housekeeper. "Surely, you and the others can think of some ways to help her. Mrs. Bennet wants to do the right thing for Longbourn. She has read books, but she has only lived in the highlands of Scotland. My wife is used to cooking, cleaning, and sewing, among many things that English women do not do. Please, I have my duties to attend to, and Mary is being difficult at the moment. Kitty is trying, but she is young. And Kirsty is as new to England as her mother, and only ten years old."

"We will do our best."

The words had been spoken in front of the cook and the new Mrs. Bennet. They still echoed in her ears. She had not been surprised by her husband's private reaction of shock at the idea of his wife being in the kitchen when they had servants, or by the cook's look of horror when Mrs. Bennet had offered to cook the breakfast. The scene had reminded her of another one.

"Caitlin, I cannot afford to do more than to ask Mrs. Hill to guide you, since Mary is being so stubborn. You would think that she would not be, considering how much she reads those moralistic books of hers." Thomas had risen from his desk and taken hold of her hand. "I know you would be in the kitchen for every meal if I let you, but this is England, and we have to remember that you are still in danger. We need to do whatever we can to win over the hearts of our family and servants, not push them away."

Mr. Bennet had been right in what he had said, so rather than nag or argue with him, Caitlin had done her best to follow what she had read. She got up at the hour that the books had recommended, worked with Mrs. Hill instead of against her, made sure that Mary, Kitty, and Kirsty did what they were supposed to, and prayed that it would work.

"Kirsty, Kitty! Take those biscuits and pies to Mrs. Hill now!" Caitlin's voice carried down the stairs without her even trying, and the servants suppressed their amusement when both girls tried to act innocent as they appeared at the top of the stairs, only to have Mr. Bennet's wife prove their guilt step by step. "Now, get those desserts to where they belong."

"I told you Mother's head is full of eyes." Kirsty muttered to Kitty as the two red-faced girls returned the pies to Mrs. Hill with their mother standing behind them. Her remark made the servants' eyes sparkle, even if their mouths stayed flat.

The scene flashed across Kitty's mind as Mrs. Bennet walked by and replied with something akin to "Not on your life. Ensign Jones is a younger version of George Wickham. I can spot a cad a mile away." The fourth Bennet sister protested, saying how Mrs. Bennet could say anything like that when Kitty had not even mentioned him.

"You are wanting to go to the dance with him tomorrow night at Netherfield, are you not?" Mrs. Bennet asked as she sat on a blanket next to Mr. Bennet, who had come to join the party and had been admiring his wife as she had been crouched by the stream.

They were in a field on Longbourn, surrounded by green grass and colorful flowers. A stream ran nearby, sparkling in the sunlight. The women had just finished picking watercress, dandelion, and other wild plants and flowers, which they had promised to prepare for the evening meal.

"Well, yes, but I had not even asked yet." Kitty pouted and demanded to know how her new mother had known her question if it had not even been asked.

"Told you she could read minds." Kirsty hissed as she walked by.

"Really? She can read minds? That is amazing! I wonder if she would care to read mine. Oh wait… Never mind, forget I suggested such a thing." Mr. Bennet joked.

"To you, Kitty…" Mrs. Bennet smiled. "I saw your face when he walked by. It was not that hard to figure out." She then turned and looked at Mr. Bennet. "As to you, kind Sir, I can read minds, can I? That is most amazing. Perhaps I can tell myself what your mixed-up mind is thinking when you make those absurd remarks at Almack's."

Mr. Bennet cracked up laughing. Kitty grew confused as her father did not like social gatherings. And, if it were not for the fact that Mr. Bennet was laughing so hard, she might have thought their new mother was making fun of him. Kirsty, however, simply shook her head and mumbled. "Mothers." And Mary, who had gained the ability to see when people were simply joking around with each other, decided this new mother was not so bad after all, in spite of being Scottish.

Mr. Bennet quit laughing as he saw lone man standing off in the distant. However, he drew no attention to it as he did not wish to alarm the women. Nonetheless, while part of him kept up a lively conversation with his children, the other kept track for the lone traveler.

Caitlin was not one step behind her husband. Outwardly, there was no sign her activities were anything more than a new mother taking care of her charges on a family outing. However, her eyes were just as sharp, if not sharper than her husband's. And that let her know, for now, the Bennet family was safe enough. However, she suggested to Thomas, via a coded remark, it might be wise-for the time being- to take Mr. Darcy's hired help with them on anymore family outings.