Author's Note: This is a short chapter. If you recall, Phillips left just after the wedding, and now he is home to inform the Bennets of what has transpired.

Chapter 22

Saturday, 21 December 1811
Longbourn, Hertfordshire

Thomas Bennet sat in his study, a deep frown etched across his face. When his brother Phillips had first come to him to tell him of the decisions made in Derbyshire, he had been seething with fury, but maintaining such intense anger was too taxing. Now, he opted to remain seriously displeased.

His brother Phillips had come that morning to explain the disposition of Bennet's five daughters. It seemed to Bennet that Lizzy had assisted her uncles in deceiving him and forcing him to grant permission for her to wed. They had gone to Derbyshire and married, and Lizzy was no longer a Bennet.

Bennet scoffed at gaining such an understanding, "Well, she has gained what she wanted then, and she will have to live with the results. She is nothing to me any more. Though I suppose I might miss her company, she is no longer my concern."

Reclining in his study chair as he listened to Phillips explain other documents he had signed unwittingly, Bennet contemplated the ramifications of these events. "In addition to signing that blasted marriage settlement unknowingly, I have fully relinquished control of Longbourn to Lizzy's new husband," he muttered to himself, shaking his head in disbelief.

As the realization settled, he couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. "My daughter, allowing her husband to run the estate. Oh, this should be entertaining," he thought with a wry smile. "I know Lizzy well enough; She will not be content to be a silent partner in the running of Longbourn. She will insist upon her say and what will her husband think about that. I wonder how Mr. Darcy will fare with a woman like my Lizzy. Pompous meets determined — that should be quite the spectacle. I almost hate that I will not be around to see the battles that will take place when they disagree."

He paused, a smirk playing on his lips. "They might just make each other as miserable as my dear wife and I did." A bitter chuckle escaped him, and he added to himself, "Not that her misery was ever much of my concern."

Phillips watched these emotions flit across his brother's face as he continued to explain the terms of the contracts. The other girls would receive one hundred pounds per annum for their upkeep for the rest of Bennet's life. Mr. Phillips and Mr. Gardiner would act as their guardians, ultimately making decisions about their lives until they came of age. Most likely, Mary and Jane would spend most of their time in London with the Gardiners.

Kitty and Lydia would go to school. The estate would pay for most of the tuition, which Bennet did not like. However, he was appeased when he learned he would still have the same amount he always did for his personal spending. Mrs. Bennet's pin money would remain the same, but things like the household food allowance and the clothing budget would decrease since it was just the two of them living at Longbourn now.

The steward would receive a raise since he would be running Longbourn with an absentee landlord. He would keep in touch with Darcy and Elizabeth through the post, and Phillips would be able to advise as necessary or to act when someone was required to be in person. The Darcys would also pass through Hertfordshire when they travelled to and from London each year, and that would also enable them to handle any matters that needed their personal attention.

While Phillips explained things, Bennet soon realised he might be better off than he was before. He had next to no responsibility for the estate, and while the portion he received to spend would not increase, it had always been enough. He might wish for more, and perhaps one day would be able to insist upon more, but for now. He was content.

As Phillips continued with his explanation, a gradual realization dawned on Mr. Bennet. He leaned back in his chair, an intrigued expression replacing his earlier displeasure. "So, let me understand this correctly, Phillips," he interjected, "I have essentially divested myself of the headache that is Longbourn?"

Phillips nodded cautiously, "Yes, Bennet. Lizzy's new husband, Mr. Darcy, now holds the reins of the estate. As you know, Lizzy has already been largely responsible for the last several years, but now she and Mr. Darcy will have full control."

A wry smile crept across Bennet's face, "Well, that might just be the best thing that has happened to me in a long while."

Phillips raised an eyebrow in surprise, "You are pleased? Not at all distressed?"

Bennet chuckled, "Distressed? Far from it. I have next to no responsibility for the estate, and as long as the portion I receive remains intact — which, as you say, it will — I am in a better position than before. More freedom, less hassle. I might wish for a larger portion in the future, and who knows, maybe I will insist on it. But for now, I am content with things to remain as they are."

Phillips grimaced at his brother, not approving of his attitude, "Well, I suppose congratulations are in order, then. I wish you good reading."

Bennet lifted his glass in a mock toast, his lips twisted into an ironic smirk, "To a life of newfound freedom, my dear brother."

Disgusted, Phillips left his brother's study with scarcely another word, returning to his office. He wrote a brief description of the encounter to his brother Gardiner and sent the letter on, knowing it would be read by most of the party gathered at Pemberley.

That contentment was soon shattered when Mrs. Phillips arrived later to inform Mrs. Bennet of the wedding that had taken place in Derbyshire. Mrs. Bennet was in raptures to have a daughter married, but then she began to wonder about the rest of the girls. That Elizabeth was the first daughter married and to such a wealthy man as Mr. Darcy was reported to came as a shock.

Though she found solace in this information, numerous questions lingered. Discovering from her sister that Mr. Darcy had proposed to Elizabeth while they were still in Hertfordshire and the marriage had taken place away from home due to Mr. Bennet's disapproval left her utterly astounded. The fact that she had been denied the opportunity to plan her daughter's marriage to such a man became a source of incessant complaint for Mrs. Bennet in the days that followed.

Likewise, when she learned that the rest of her daughters were not to return and that Mr. Bennet had allowed others to take them away from her. "Will my children never return to me?" she demanded when she burst into M. Bennet's study to lambaste him. "How can you do this to me?"

"Cease this caterwauling at once, Mrs. Bennet! What possible difference can it make to you? You can still spend your days gossiping with your sister and all the other matrons in town. You can shop, as your pin money has not changed. In fact, it might even increase since now, Lydia will not always be plaguing you to give her more. You can brag about your daughters' great successes in life — Lizzy is now married to a wealthy, if somewhat taciturn, man, Jane and Mary will have access to far more men in London, and Kitty and Lydia will attend schools selected for them by a Countess."

Mrs. Bennet was somewhat mollified by this. Regardless, she spent a great deal of that day above stairs bemoaning her husband's unkindness to her in sending all her daughters away at once.

Sunday, 22 December 1811

As soon as she arrived at church on Sunday, Mrs. Bennet wasted no time in spreading the news of her daughter's marriage to Mr. Darcy. Despite her not having attended and the fact that the wedding had occurred far from home, she spoke of the wedding as though she had planned it all for months. She still conveyed a degree of disbelief upon learning that it was Elizabeth who got married, not Jane. Nevertheless, she spoke of her daughter's success in the most effusive terms to all who would listen. There were many questions that Mrs. Bennet did not have answers to, but she did not let that stop her. Where she lacked knowledge, she simply made up the information or ignored the question entirely.

Elizabeth marrying Mr. Darcy was quite a surprise to everyone. They had expected an engagement between Jane and Mr. Bingley, but this match was beyond the belief of many. A few had noted that Mr. Darcy was less reticent upon his returns to Meryton, and others had observed a certain closeness between the two when they were in the village together. However, they were still surprised by the speed at which their relationship had progressed, especially since most in town were unaware of a courtship between the two.

Most astonishing was that the wedding had taken place at Pemberley. This was a matter of much speculation and was one of those questions Mrs. Bennet chose not to respond to. She also ignored the question of why she and her husband had not travelled with the girls to Mr. Darcy's estate, and many found it odd when they learned that Mr. Phillips had been present at the wedding.

The news of Mr. Darcy's involvement in settling Wickham's numerous debts in town and his part in the latter's capture had significantly altered the townspeople's perception of the reserved man from Derbyshire. He was now seen as solemn and serious rather than haughty and rude. However, many harboured curiosity about how he and the lively Miss Elizabeth would fare together.

Regardless of how things came to be, they were pleased to see her so well settled, and a few of the tenants from Longbourn had begun to speak of the visits "Miss Lizzy" had made to their farms the day before she left. Since Mr Darcy had accompanied his fiancèe on these visits, the tenants had seen him as a knowledgeable man and had noted the connection between the two first-hand. When these stories began to circulate, they answered some of the lingering questions people had, though the matter of why Mr. and Mrs. Bennet had not been invited to the wedding continued to be discussed for some time.