The Heiress

by Ldibo

Mr. Bennet had been married twice in his lifetime. His first marriage was not of his own choosing, and it was an unhappy one. His second marriage brought him much happiness, and he was deeply devoted to his wife. When Mr. Bennet passed away, to Jane's surprise, he chose Elizabeth as the heiress of Longbourn. This is a story about deception,betrayal and love. Unedited story. E&D J&B

33. Chapter 33

Notes: A little about Mrs. Phillips' thoughts.

PPP

Incensed with a rage that knew no bounds, Mrs. Phillips directed her ire not just at her husband, but also, with even greater ferocity, at her detested cousin, Elizabeth Bennet, née Carey. The mere mention of Elizabeth's name ignited a tempest of animosity within her. She held Elizabeth accountable for the contentious exchanges with her father and even for the untimely demise of her cherished sister. As if that were not enough, she believed that the marital discord she endured stemmed from Elizabeth's machinations.

From her earliest memories, she recalled her father's incessant habit of unfavourably comparing her and Fanny to the seemingly impeccable Elizabeth. In his eyes, Elizabeth possessed an unparalleled talent for playing the piano and singing with grace, whereas she and Fanny had demonstrated a lamentable lack of interest in acquiring such skills. Moreover, Elizabeth's mastery of the French language was complemented by her knowledge of Italian, while she and Fanny had never dedicated themselves to the pursuit of learning a foreign language. Her father extolled Elizabeth's intelligence and extensive accomplishments, while simultaneously labelling her and Fanny as woefully ignorant.

She was aware that the sad truth was that her father had harboured a lifelong, unrequited love for Elizabeth's mother. The reason behind his union with her mother was because she looked like Elizabeth's mother, and Elizabeth's mother had chosen to be Mr. Carey's bride.

In addition, it incensed her that Elizabeth was a gentleman's daughter and enjoyed a social standing that was above theirs. Moreover, Elizabeth's dowry far surpassed her own, boasting at least double the value.

Were it not for Elizabeth, she was firmly convinced that Mr. Bennet would have succumbed to the allure of Fanny, and, under her subtle persuasion, would have successfully duped him into believing that Jane was his biological daughter. It was highly probable that her hapless sister would still be alive, and Jane would have inherited Longbourn. Alas, from the very moment of her birth, Elizabeth seemed destined to wreak havoc and shatter her dreams.

Her father, whose sole concern had been the future of her brother, Edward, heartlessly disowned her. Now, even her husband, who was supposed to be her protector, chose to defend her cousin. This betrayal, this flagrant disregard for her feelings was utterly intolerable.

In a cruel twist of fate, the neighbours adored and admired Elizabeth, refrained from uttering a single negative word about her, while she and her husband endured harsh criticism and judgment from many of them. She hated her!