Pride and Prejudice
Fan Fiction
I am My Father's Daughter
Previously:
Anne's thoughts were broken off by Lady Janet speaking up to her. 'Do you mind if go up to Longbourn first? I just remembered I promised Miss Kitty I woul bring some of my old dresses for her to look at. I mean, You did say Miss Susan's parents did not actually live in Meryton. It would not take us long."
"I do not see why not. It is not like I have any pressing matters to attend to."
Longbourn
CH. 15
"Kitty!" Mr. Bennet hollered up the stairs.
"Yes, Father?" Kitty appeared at the top of the stairs.
'I would greatly appreciate it, darling offspring of mine." Thomas held up a small knitting needle made of wood. "If you would be so kind as to put your belongings up rather than on the floor so as not to risk my foot screaming in my ear before my mouth had a chance to speak. My brain did not particular care to be assaulted without warning."
"I am so sorry. I thought it to have been put up with the rest."
Kitty took the needle from her father, walked into the parlor and opened a drawer and up the item in it before shutting it. Going back into the hallway she cringed when her father pointed to a ball of yarn in the corner; her cat had gotten a hold of it earlier- Kitty was supposed to have put it up the day before.
Thomas struggled not to blow. He knew Kitty was doing better since Lydia was out of the picture. And yet she still struggled to keep things organized. And, poor girl, had a dickens of a time rememeberig what tasks she was supposed to be doing. Mr. Bennet went to speak only Mrs. Hill came around the corner all upset. "I am so sorry to bother you, but we are now in a quandery."
"Why what has happened?"
"The cook's help just up and quit without notice. Yes, she can still put the meals together, but that puts extra work onto her and the rest of us have do not have much spare time to lend her aid. I think I could run home and ask my younger sister for help; shel lives next door to me. And I think she could help for about two days, but that is about it."
"I see." Mr. Bennet frowned as his mind ran through the matter. There was no way the gentleman was going to have Kitty in there; she was extremely clumsy when it came to anything breakable- and he was not being mean in thinking that; it was true. Mary and her husband had just moved over to Cambridge. And while they had informed him it was only temporary, it still put her out. Jane was laid up in ill. It was then Thomas recalled the note which had been stuck in his pocket. "If she can help for two days, I will be on the look out for kitchen help."
"Thank-you."
"The answer is no." Thomas did not have to turn around to feel Kitty's mouth go open to offer to help.
'I have not dropped anything breakable in a month." Kitty protested.
"What about that vase Mary gave you before she left?" He turned around rising a muscle on his forehead. "That was within this month."
"Oh, I forgot about that." Just then a knock came at the door.
"Mr. Bennet, Colonel Fitzwilliam, Lady Janet and Miss de Bourgh are here to see you and Miss Kitty." Mr. Hill spoke as he walked down the hallway.
"Miss de Bourgh is here? What does she want?" Kitty spoke with almost as much disdain as Lady Catherine might have.
"Kitty!" Snapped her father. "That was uncalled for, Miss Anne has done nothing to either one of us, not even spoke one ill word; though her mother is another matter."
Kitty apologized for her words and followed her father into the parlor. "How may we help you?" Mr. Bennet greeted their guests as he sat down. "I cannot honestly say we were expecting you this morning."
"We apologize for not sending word." Colonel Fitzwilliam explained it was a last minute add-on to their plans. "Lady Janet needed to bring Miss Kitty some dresses and, since we were taking Miss Anne to a friend's home not far from here, we asked her if she did not mind us coming by."
Lady Janet had a bag next to her on the floor and Kitty was more than willing to take them, along with Lady Janet, up to her room to try them on. Colonel Fitzwilliam was called away when Mr. Hill stepped in and begged for some help with an unexpected chore outdoors.
Thomas's sharp mind figured out he who the note referred to, and that the impression at the church had indeed pointed to Anne. So, he asked if the lady had come for the papers Mr. Darcy had given him. The one no one but Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth Mr. Bennet and now Anne knew about.
"Mr. Darcy gave you the papers?" Anne's eyes went wide and then her smile went from ear to ear when told yes, he had. "I love it!" She cracked up laughing. "When I said to put it in the last place my mother would look, I confess I was not thinking Longbourn and I should have."
"Your cousin did not tell you?"
"No, but in his defense, things have been crazy at my mother's place." Anne then answered his question. "No, I do not need them yet and, if you do not mind, I would prefer they stay in your possession. Fitzwilliam was right in bringing them here."
"When are you returning home?"
"If you are referring to Rosings Park, I am not." That made Thomas' eyes widen; however, Anne continued on seeing no need to address a reaction that was to be expected. "When Lady Janet asked to make this detour I realized I may as well not fight it for as I had planned to ask Susan's parents about seeing if anyone would hire me and include room and board. It would loosen up the two hundred a pound a year I have. And, last time I checked, it was not a sin to work with my own hands." Ann acknowledged there had been an attempt to live at Rosings Park. "But my mother has made that option impossible."
"Are you going to try to mend the rift between the two of you?"
"I do hope she and I can reconcile. But this is the only way I can think of to get it through her head I am not the sickly daughter she has led everyone to believe and that I, sadly, allowed others to think for too many years after I healed. But, at this moment in time, if the whole picture is looked at...it is not I that has the bigger issue on this subject."
"I have a position of kitchen help, it just came open -literally- but I am surprised your mother is not trying to take you to court or something over this."
"She threatened it before I left. And is still seriously considering it. A fact I caught wind on my way over. It is why Colonel Fitzwilliams stopped at a few of my friend's places to secure witnesses for me should she follow through. And, when a few memories, came to my mind, I got the impression I was to come here before going anywhere else."
"Your mother is going to hate me." Thomas shook his head.
"For taking me on, or for having the audacity to live when your best friend died and you could not get to a doctor fast enough?"
"I see someone told you about that night?"
"No, I read it in my mother's journal one day when she left it open." Anne shrugged her shoulders. "I was fourteen and bored. I understood her need to lash out at someone but, Mr. Bennet, you had no control over the weather. It was a great risk you took even going for one. I do thank you for that. Besides, I was nine when he passed away and that was eighteen years ago."
"Please, allow me to write to your mother. See if I cannot get through to her that the papers would make her look like a fool and your witnesses would smear her name more than yours. And, as much as she and I may not get along, she is Sir Thomas's widow. Maybe, she will be willing to reconcile with you. I will let you be the cook's helper until I can find someone else; however I would you rather be a companion for Miss Kitty. I am sure, in your mother's eyes, that will not be much better, but at least she can be at ease I did not put a knight's daughter in the kitchen."
"Go ahead, write a letter. I am questioning if it will do any good; however, I suppose it would not hurt. As to the companion bit, while I would be more than happy to help your daughter in anyway I could, I know more about the kitchen then you might think. Please, even though society would scream, at least consider it, at least keep it in mind if one of your staff gets sick."
"I will do that." Just as he finished Lady Janet and Colonel Fitzwilliam walked back in only to be told of what had just occurred, and that it would be Mr. Bennet who would inform Lady Catherine of the turn of event; both the colonel and Lady Janet were more than happy to let him take on that responsibility.