Pride and Prejudice FF
Unbreakable Bonds
Previously:
"Please tell Miss Mahalia..." Andrea only spoke formally due to them being in public. "I am sorry, but my father needs help further south and I must go with him. It may be a while before I see her again."
"I will inform her as you wish and, my dear..." Lady Rhy set a gentle hand on her unofficial granddaughter's shoulder. "Take care of yourself and be safe."
Meeting Mahalia
Ch. 12
The morning mist had long since dispersed from the cobblestones when the coach finally departed from the inn. Its sturdy wooden wheels rolled smoothly over the stones, the clatter surprisingly soothing. The soft snorts of the horses were familiar enough not to cause any disturbance. The coach, adorned with panels of polished mahogany and brass fittings, would have gleamed if the light had hit them just right.
Mr. Bennet and the driver, no longer wrapped in heavy cloaks, sat atop, each absorbed in their own thoughts as they left the town behind. The landscape opened up to rolling hills, leaving the inn and other establishments of Bath behind. The road wound through the countryside, bordered by ancient hedgerows and stone walls. The coach's journey unsettled flocks of birds pecking at the dewy grass, sending them into flight. Mary watched with eager eyes the scenery unfolding, wishing she possessed the skill to capture it on canvas.
The road began to ascend, and the coach's pace slowed as the horses labored up the gentle incline. To the left, a small dirt path led towards a river, the faint sound of water tumbling over rocks a gentle accompaniment to the journey.
As they reached the top of the hill, the single-level gray stone guest house came into view. Lady Rhy's home was set out in the open, with well-trimmed hedges around the front yard. A gate on the side led to her private garden in the back. The stone walkway, flanked by rock walls, led to the guest house, set back far enough from the main house to afford privacy to its occupants.
The coachman brought the coach to a stop in front of the guest house. The horses, chests heaving slightly from the exertion, were unhitched and led to a nearby trough for a well-deserved drink. Mr. Bennet climbed down and opened the door for his daughter. Mary gathered her belongings and accepted her father's help as she stepped down.
"Welcome to my home," Lady Rhy announced, stepping out onto her front porch just as her granddaughter rounded the corner of the house. Thomas felt a jolt of recognition, recalling a collision from the previous year that had left an indelible impression.
"I am so sorry, Sir, I did not see you. Here, let me help you," the young lady had said after bumping into him, causing him to drop a pile of books. Her eyes were the darkest brown Mr. Bennet had ever seen.
"Have you two met before?" Lady Rhy asked, noting the surprised expressions on both their faces.
"Accidentally," they responded in unison, breaking into laughter at the shared memory.
"It was when I went to London with Miss Andrea for you, Grandmother," Mahalia said with a wide smile. "I became so engrossed in thought that I embarrassed myself by bumping into Mr. Bennet as he was coming out of a bookstore, causing him to drop all his books. At the time, I had no idea he was Miss Mary's father."
"That saves me one less introduction," chuckled Lady Rhy. "Please, show Miss Mary to her room while her father and I have a talk at the dining table."
Before long, Mary found herself standing in a well-sized room. Its white walls and light-blue curtains complemented the large bed, adorned with blankets matching the curtains. A five-drawer chest was placed near one of the windows, alongside a writing desk and chair.
"My mother is an easy-going woman as long as you do not lie, cheat, or steal," Miss Mahalia spoke candidly. "I am certain her letter explained the situation regarding my father's home."
"It did," Mary confirmed.
"We cannot stress enough: do not discuss anything beyond trivial matters like the weather with anyone from the main house," Mahalia advised, giving Mary a single word to slip into a sentence or write in a note if she ever felt unsure about a situation. "If my grandmother or I are present, make sure you speak loud enough, and we will come to your side. If we receive a note from you, we will rush to wherever you are. Do you understand?" She did saw no need to explain that while Lady Rhy now felt Mrs. Rhy was not the real threat; it was still better to play safe then to be sorry later.
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Please, call me Miss Mahalia- Ma'am sound so stuffy." Mahalia made her request with a genuine smile. "Now, let us join my grandmother and your father in the dining room."
Mr. Bennet had just been reassured by Lady Rhy that she harbored no hidden secrets, other than wondering what was really going on with the tall thin man she had found was called Mr. Wayne Tyler. These were not mentioned when Mahalia and Mary joined them. Lady Rhy took over the conversation once her granddaughter and the new companion were seated at the table.
"Mr. Bennet, I understand you have another daughter at home, but after our discussion, would you consider assisting Mr. Hartung, our groundskeeper, an extra month or two? He can only manage so much, and it is a busy time of year with many people coming and going on the estate."
"I am willing to speak with your groundskeeper. I cannot promise how long I am willing to stay. Where might I find him?"
"My granddaughter will show you to his place. You two need to have a discussion anyway. And I believe she has a confession to make?" Lady Rhy turned to Mary, "Meanwhile, Mary and I will take this opportunity to become better acquainted." The older lady ignored Mahalia standing up shooting a 'gee thanks Grandmother' type look Lady Rhy's way, as she then picked up her cane. as her leg had started acting up.
"Follow me."
Mr. Bennet opened the door and waited for Miss Rhy to make her exit before doing as she had said. He did not show it, but the gentleman was very well aware of being watched from the main house. And it was by a woman with blond hair on the second floor.
"So, what do you need to tell me?"
"It was not anyone with a hidden motive as some of thought, or even my grandmother who have sent your wife the jewelry set." Mahalia might as well have been sitting for there was an aurora of squirming about her. "It was I."
"Why did you do it? And why not say tell us?"
"While I was having an off day as to her references toward taking her place by your side." Mahlia could not help blushing; however, she managed to keep speaking. "I easily caught her concerns over her daughters' future. After I talked to my grandmother - when she came up with the other money bit- I asked what she thought of my gifting Mrs. Bennet the necklace set as a way to aid your wife in helping her daughters out. Grandmother gave her opinion it really was up to me, but to keep in mind to do it knowing your wife did not have a very good reputation with her habits involving money. I could just be tossing away a very expensive jewelry set. Hence, I asked the lawyer to suggest the bit of using it to buy the entailment off Longbourn."
"I see." Mr. Bennet took what she said and turned it over in his mind and then focused on what he had seen through the upstairs window. "I take it your father's wife likes to watch your every move." Neither one mentioned it but felt relieved the bond they had felt in London, but had not acted upon, was in all reality now deeply tied to a promise of two years ago; one that now brought them face to face.
"She does not always do it. And I cannot figure out-when it does occur, the why behind it. it is not like I do anything Mrs. Rhy considers exciting."
"What do you enjoy doing?"
"When I am not sewing, or cooking, I enjoy gardening and listening to someone read."
"You do not read yourself?"
"I tried, more than once." Mahalia sighed. "However, people told me I was…"
"What did they say?"
Mahalia was reluctant to admit why she loved to have someone read to her, but could not bear to open a book herself. "They either said I was crazy or stupid." Her ears did not wish to hear words of the past repeated hence her reluctance to continue speaking.
"If you tell me, I promise not to call you either."
"The words…" Mahalia took a deep breath and took a leap of faith, trusting Mr. Bennet would do as he said. "They move on the paper; I cannot get them to stay still."
Mr. Bennet regarded her with a gentle earnestness Mahalia had seldom seen in others. In the past he would have been the others there was no denying. However, he had changed a lot in the past three years. Hence, he did not. "It seems to me, your brain is simply made different. There is nothing wrong with that." When the gentleman gave his reply, his voice carried a warmth that reached her in a way no other person ever had. Mr. Bennet's eyes, steady and kind, left no room for doubt about his sincerity.
Mahalia could not help but feel a huge wave of honest relief wash over her. It was a rare comfort to be met with acceptance rather than severe judgment, or cruel laughter. The two disappeared around the corner of the main house and walked over a graveled road. Mr. Bennet was shown past the carriage house and up to a small, red-stone home with an office attached to it. He surmised it had to be the residency of Mr. Hartung; Mr. Bennet was correct.