Pride and Prejudice 00 General Regency AU
Best Laid Plans Go Awry
Previously:
"I hope you are correct." Lady Lucas wiped her tears. "The one thing I have learned from this horrid mess is what damage I have done in the past with my own mouth. I am bound and determined not to be such a gossip after this." And , surprisingly, to Elizabeth and those around Lady Lucas, Charlotte's mother's mouth might as well have materialized into a steel bear trap.
Rumors
Ch. 13
Thomas and Anne had exchanged vows, and he was now far wiser in his investments than before. Consequently, men were beginning to show interest in his daughters. However, Anne, with wisdom, discerned the type that were merely after money and those who were sincere. Moreover, possessing a keen insight into the girls' personalities, she imposed far stricter schedules on them than their birth mother had. This meant, much to Lydia's dismay, no attendance at parties where men in uniform were present.
The parlor at Longbourn, where Lady Lucas now sat, was a cozy room adorned with delicate floral wallpaper and a collection of framed family portraits that watched over the inhabitants. The furniture was arranged to encourage intimate conversations, with a plush settee and several armchairs upholstered in soft, cream fabric. A fire crackled in the hearth, casting a warm glow over the room and the mahogany bookshelves that held volumes of poetry and history.
Parties where military men were present would have been a welcome relief to Lady Lucas, who may have changed her talkative ways but was now feeling the sting of others' words. It caused her heart to ache not only for herself but also for all those she might have hurt in the past. She was now expressing her regret to someone, other than her own spouse, for pushing away Charlotte for the poor lady was tired of keeping a stiff upper lip.
"I am not who they say I am," she lamented, tears rolling down her face. "We have no scandal to hide."
"Please, forgive yourself and move on, Lady Lucas," Miss Ann urged as her neighbor sat in Longbourn's parlor, having come over from Rosings Park with Thomas.
"I am working on it, Mrs. Bennet," Charlotte's mother replied with a weak smile. "I tell my other children that their sister is living in Scotland of her own choice, that she had an opportunity that could not be passed up, and I hope I am not lying to them." Her shoulders slumped. "I feel as if I now carry a heavy burden. And the rumors people think do not reach my ears; do they think I am deaf?"
"You are referring to Lady Patiel, Mrs. Robison, and my own sister, Mrs. Philips, are you not?" Ann inquired, aware that those three were notorious gossips.
"Yes, when they were visiting Mrs. Philips." Her mind replayed their words.
"Did you hear?" Lady Patiel whispered, assuming Lady Lucas could not hear her, her eyes wide with intrigue. "The girl simply vanished! One moment she was content at home, then poof! Gone."
Mrs. Robison, her powdered curls quivering, leaned in closer. "But why? Why would she flee? Was it a scandal her parents are refusing to talk about? A broken heart, perhaps?"
Mrs. Philips raised an arched eyebrow. "I have heard whispers," she confided, her tone low but not as discreet as she believed, and it was quite conspiratorial. "They say she was seen near the old church ruins, her eyes wild, as if she'd glimpsed a ghost. The poor girl probably went mad, and who knows where she has run off to."
"But why would she willingly go there?" Lady Patiel pondered. "Unless…"
"Unless what?" Mrs. Robison prodded, more curious than ever about what her friend was thinking.
"Unless you are correct, and she was meeting someone behind her parents' backs," Lady Patiel concluded. "Some foreigner, a Frenchman. Perhaps a secret lover."
"Maybe she is even a changeling, and her parents are too embarrassed to admit it," Mrs. Philips interjected, feeling the need to have the last word.
"A changeling? You cannot be serious. My sister said that?"
"I am very serious," Lady Lucas nodded her head. "Mrs. Bennet, You know I do not gossip anymore, you know that to be true." Ann nodded; it was a fact beyond dispute. "I only told you that because I needed to talk to someone. I am feeling so worn down."
"Rest assured," Anne smiled and laid a hand on Lady Lucas's shoulder. "I know what it is like to be talked about, so no, I will not repeat what you have been saying. And since my two younger daughters are occupied with their tutor, they are not likely to have overheard us talking. And Elizabeth and Jane, even if they were around, would not pour salt into your wounds."
Lady Lucas could not help but crack a smile. "I do not think Lydia is impressed with the spare time that has now been cut from her schedule."
"I dare say you are correct," Anne smiled. "She has deemed me to be the most horrid mother alive, that is, until last night."
"Well, her tune switched over quite quickly. What changed?"
"Her mood." Anne replied, setting both ladies into laughter. "I just keep her on a schedule, and when she gets riled up; I simply do not add fuel to her fire. Truth is she does not seem as temperamental as before."
"I dare say that is because you have taken charge of the helm."
"More like Mr. Bennet has and, in spite of what people say, he can stand his ground very well in spite of being laid back."
"Now, that I believe is because he has a wife not only willing to communicate with him, but one who has his back." Lady Lucas stood and, before leaving, looked at Anne and said, "When no children are around, the name is Clara."
Once Lady Lucas had made her departure, Anne walked down the hallway to Thomas's library. The library was a room of quiet grandeur, with walls lined with dark oak bookshelves brimming with leather-bound volumes. The scent of aged paper and wood polish lingered in the air. A large mahogany desk sat in the center, its surface scattered with papers and a brass reading lamp casting a soft light. Knocking on the door, Mrs. Bennet entered when she heard Mr. Bennet's voice say 'Come in'. Looking up from his ledger, he smiled at Anne, but Thomas's mouth lowered when he saw the absence of a real smile on Anne's face.
"What is wrong?"
"I am doing my best to practice what I preach, Mr. Bennet." Anne looked up. "But I cannot help but be more concerned about Miss Charlotte than I am letting on to people. She has a very level head. My instincts tell me mine, and Elizabeth's friend, did not just go off by herself. That she is safe and secure. However, part of me is screaming she is in danger, and I feel like running off in search of her for it is I that took her to London. And it is I who watched her leave with Lady Smith."
"Come here." Mr. Bennet gently pulled Anne towards him and placed her on his lap. Wrapping his arms around her, he did not stop his new wife from leaning her head in the crook of his neck. "You were trying to help a friend. You did your best to put her with a family well-known for keeping servants within their own ranks. No one, not them, and not even you, have the power to control what is meant to be. And, it is obvious, that it was meant for Miss Charlotte not to come home at this time."
"Can you hold me for just a little longer? Five minutes? I will leave you alone after that, I promise."
"I think the books will survive that long," chuckled Thomas and held his wife far longer than that, for he had not the heart to wake her up when she fell asleep. He ended up carrying her into the parlor and sat down on the sofa as the girls were still being drilled by their governess—Lydia's words, not his.