Pride and Prejudice

SUMMARY...As Mrs. Bennet's life nears its end, a portion of a mysterious inheritance arrives at Longbourn, the rest comes after her death. Mr. Bennet, bound by a promise, soon discovers the inheritance's full extent through a posthumous letter. leading to commitments and family secrets which could ultimately destroy both families- the giver's and the receiver's.

NOTE: For educational purposes only ... Back in the early eighteen hundreds any woman 23 and above were considered Old Maids.

AU Non-Canon General Regency

NOTE: Yes, I know the true facts as to Ages and marriages, but I wanted the girls closer in age and, yes, Lydia still out of the picture, BUT not married to George.

Unbreakable Bond.

Memories and Talk in Meryton Cemetary

Ch. 1

The lawyer's office did not stand out among others. Its shelves held typical books and journals one would expect to see in a barrister's possession. His desk was not made of rare wood, nor was his chair handcrafted in a way to shout, "Look at me!" No, it was none of those things that left the Bennets stunned. It was the papers and the jewelry set before them.

"Mrs. Bennet," Thomas looked down at the grave of his deceased wife. "I do not know if I have ever seen you look so shocked in my whole life." The gentleman shook his head. "I do not think you expected to be left anything by a stranger."

"I am sorry, but I am not allowed to say why your wife was chosen," Mr. Henry spoke as gravely as if someone had just passed away. "This set was delivered to me with…" The barrister held up a piece of paper. "This legal document. I checked the items out as you requested. The paper is not forged, and the jewelry is not fake."

"In our younger days, that gift would have been wasted on us; of that, there is no question," Mr. Bennet shook his head. "I was not all that amazed when the lawyer suggested we sell the set to pay off the entailment of Longbourn. Nor was I shocked to see you jump at his idea." The gentleman sighed. "I cannot really say I blame you. Our girls did need security, and we both said heartfelt prayers of gratitude for that blessing."

"Just think, Mr. Bennet," Mrs. Bennet's face shone brightly as they stood inside a jeweler's shop, waiting for the gentleman—who was thrilled to acquire such a fine set—to retrieve the money from his safe for Mr. Bennet. "Our unmarried daughters shall not have to worry about where to live upon our demise."

"I cannot say Mr. Collins was thrilled to hear the news, or maybe I should say Lady Catherine was not," Thomas again shook his head. "The woman was fit to be tied upon hearing we found a way to remove the entailment from the property. Of course, the dear…" sarcasm was heavily laced onto the word "dear." "Lady never bothered asking how; she just assumed I sat down at a game of chance and won big time. I have not wasted my money on that since I was a youth."

Thomas stood by as Mrs. Bennet's children took their turns talking to their dying mother. And after the children had all left, he went to his wife's bedside, listened to her request, and promised to respect it in front of the vicar and lawyer.

""My dear, it seems even in your final hours, you managed to leave me quite the conundrum. I was left to wonder at the web of expectations you had spun around me, each thread a reminder of you having been in my life. You always did have a way of making life... interesting? I now find myself in a most interesting position. The path I have been set on was not one I would have planned for myself. It is a most peculiar sensation. For a woman with not much intelligence, it seems you managed to outmaneuver me. And while I cannot help but feel more than slightly annoyed, I must confess I - begrudgingly- respect you for your final act of shall we say...helpfulness?"

The sound of wheels crunching outside the cemetery -momentarily distracted Thomas- but then he went back to speaking.

"What is am I to do? There is no question I shall have to tread carefully for, I where I now walk, I wish not to have any old pattern laid upon my path. Rest assured, I will honor your memory in all its complexity, even as I handle the final wishes you spoke of in a way that took me a bit to take in before your parting. You also begged me to find a way, if possible, to keep Lydia from making your mistakes, for she was too much like you."

"No, Lydia, you cannot go to Brighton." Mr. Bennet would have said yes, he just knew it, had Mrs. Bennet still been alive. "However, I know of an Ensign James Wickham. I met him the other day, made inquiries about him, and…after talking to an old friend…you will be chaperoned by your aunt, Mrs. Gardiner." Another act that would not have occurred had Mrs. Bennet still been alive.

"I cannot say Lydia did not give our sister a run for her money; she did, but no scandal came, just an early marriage. She and Ensign James Wickham are stationed at Portsmouth. I do not expect to see them much, if at all."

"To think, I married the first." Lydia giggled. "And I am younger than you all."

"It is not a competition, sister." Elizabeth rolled her eyes and left the room.

"Elizabeth and Jane are both recently married. I think you would be happy. Mr. Darcy is now our son through Elizabeth, and Charles Bingley through Jane." Mr. Bennet laughed. "And it all worked without you playing matchmaker, or me pestering those poor men."

"We need to talk." The lawyer waved Mr. Bennet away from his wife's bedside. "I know this is rotten timing; I do sincerely apologize for that. Maybe, things could have turned out different for you and your wife."

"What are you talking about?"

"If your spirit is not sleeping, as some people claim, then you already know what Mr. Caldwell showed me. I was shocked, stunned, and whatever other word you could imagine. "You were far more ill than most were led to believe. We; you, I and the barrister knew that -it is why we went straight to the jeweler and sold the set to get the entailment off Longbourn. Mr. Henry's office aid had handed him only part of the papers. We were gifted far more than I thought possible, you could have gotten far better medical care than you did."

He then grew sober. "For all that I have had no difficulty dealing with beyond what one might expect, but seriously, Mrs. Bennet, the promise you extracted from someone you barely met? Without informing anyone? Not even your own husband? I had to find out through a letter. When it comes to the talk we had when you were on your deathbed, I now realize it was two matters in one; I feel as if I have been tricked."

Thomas put on his hat and turned back to the subject of the money and her health. "I am truly sorry about you not getting better medical care. However, I now have more land than I am used it, and the girls have a fair-sized dowry." He could not help but turn back to the private letter which had come to him after the barrister had left, that had told him to wait two years before acting upon it; conveniently the same time as Mrs. Bennet had asked of him.

Looking towards his carriage, Bennet then glanced up at the sky. It was still clear, but the wind had turned chilly. "I suppose I should be heading home; there is much work to do before supper." Climbing into his carriage he missed Kitty coming into the cemetery. She did not draw close until Mr. Bennet disappeared from sight.

"Mama." Kitty knelt by her mother's side. And, making an educated guess about what her father had been talking about brought up the same subject, the last little bit. "You already know about Longbourn for that was done before you went to heaven." Her fingers traced the grass over her mother's grave.

A bird chirping on the church's rooftop could be heard, along with the soft rustling of leaves. But that was it. There was not even any real hint of a nip of cold air as Kitty began to speak again.

"And I suppose you quickly found out about the other gifts the barrister gave Mr. Bennet, and Papa's letter which came not only after my own, but after I had given a reply to it. I have not asked him what is in his, nor has he asked me about the one I received - other than the identity of the sender." Kitty sighed. "Mary's own came right after mine. Hers arrived at the same time as father's."

A lone white dove flew close by and settled on branch of a nearby tree. Its eyes remained on the young lady below as if keeping an eye on just her and no one else.

"I have no idea what contents Mary's held, I think I have no right to ask; besides, most likely, it is close to my own." Kitty ran her hand down her mother's headstone. "Mama, the letter was basically simply thanking me for treating an old lady's granddaughter as if she had no physical issues when you, Mary, and I were up visiting Uncle Edward and Mrs. Gardiner. I did inform the lady of your passing. I hope that was all right; she had mentioned you in the letter."

"Mrs. Philips suggested Father marry Miss Lucas." The idea of Charlotte Lucas marrying her father made Kitty roll her eyes. Miss Charlotte was a sweet lady. Had a good head on her shoulders, overall, but... after her parents had changed a few things in their marriage it became clear - to Kitty anyway- Mr. Bennet needed someone who held the ability to laugh in manner Miss Lucas could not.

"I guess I better get going. I am most certain Mary will be exasperated if I show up late. She has grown in leaps and bounds. Unfortunately, for me, she is quite the stickler one-managing their time wisely. And since father put her in charge this week, I best listen."