Battle of the Dragons Chapter 8, a pride and prejudice fanfic

Sorry about the delay. Mr Bennet was most uncooperative.

~O~

Papa Dragon

At Longbourn the volume of noise reduced considerably over the next few days despite Mrs Bennet spending more time at home as she said little but observed a lot.

She observed her three oldest daughters busily sewing and putting finishing touches on various projects. In previous times she had not paid much attention to such activities at this time of the year as she had assumed the projects were Christmas presents for family. This year she realised that what her daughters were producing could not be for family, as the girls were sewing simple outfits for children. While the Gardiner's had children, their clothes were of finer quality.

On enquiry Jane explained, 'Those are for the Christmas boxes for our tenants and staff.'

'Christmas boxes for tenants and staff?' Mrs Bennet echoed with a puzzled expression.

She saw Elizabeth open her mouth with a disdainful expression, but before any words came out, her daughter pressed her lips together and took a deep breath instead. A moment later she said in a carefully neutral tone of voice, 'On Boxing Day, landowners present boxes of useful things to their dependents. They are usually prepared by the mistress of the estate, or her representatives.'

'If that is something that I should be doing, why do I only find out about this now?'

Mary replied with a prim expression, 'We have mentioned this to you in the past, but you did not wish to know.'

Mrs Bennet flushed as she realised that her aunt had been correct. Her older daughters knew more about being the mistress of an estate than she did. 'How did you learn about this? I obviously did not teach you.'

'Aunt Gardiner has provided us with the necessary instruction after Grandmother Bennet passed away,' Jane explained carefully. She did not mention that she had once heard her grandmother complain that Fanny seemed completely uninterested or incapable in learning her new duties.

'It seems that I need to have a long conversation with my sister when the Gardiners come for their Christmas visit,' decided Mrs Bennet.

~O~

Fortunately, it was only a few days later that the Gardiners arrived for their Christmas visit.

Mr and Mrs Gardiner very quickly noticed the difference in the Bennet household.

While the children played, enjoying the expansive space available, Mrs Gardiner asked her sister about the cause for the change. All she received in reply was a mysterious smile as Mrs Bennet said, 'You will soon find out.'

It was only half an hour later that Isabella arrived in response to an invitation by Mrs Bennet.

Mrs Bennet was utterly delighted at the stunned expressions by the Gardiners as she performed the introductions.

Isabella was once again required to relate her family history while the Gardiners fortified themselves with tea and cakes.

'That might explain something that always puzzled me. In my last year at Cambridge, I mentioned one of the new students by the name of Preston to father. He became quite angry and required me to stay away from him. He would not explain why, he only said it was for the good of the family.'

'He must not have known that the old Viscount had died years earlier.' Isabella hesitated before she added with a sad expressions, 'Or perhaps he was still angry with me for following my heart.'

'Perhaps he was more his father's son than he wanted to admit and was angry that you had been right all along,' Gardiner suggested.

Isabella tilted her head as she considered his words before she sighed. 'Now that you remind me, Robert did in have a low opinion of women's ability to think logically or sensibly.' She was about to say more but snapped her mouth shut. There was no reason to mention that in her opinion her brother's wife had not been the brightest woman. Perhaps he had had a good reason for his attitude.

Gardiner had watched her reactions and accurately guessed her thoughts. 'I often wondered why he married our mother.'

Isabella raised a brow and said diplomatically, 'For her beauty.'

Gardiner grinned and did not deny her claim. Instead, he said, 'Whereas your husbands must have married you for much better reasons. While I do not know anything about your first two husbands, your last husband had a reputation to value intelligence, ability, and character above all else.'

Isabella returned the grin. 'You flatter me, nephew. Please do not try to make me out to be an example of perfection. I have enough faults.'

Mrs Gardiner had listened quietly to the discussion between her husband and his aunt, and she decided that not only did she like the forthright nature of the woman, but she suspected that Isabella was the reason for the change in the Bennet household. 'Pray tell, what are those faults you claim to possess?' she asked with a smile which mirrored her husband's.

'I usually believe that I have a greater understanding of what needs to be done. While I am often correct, I have on occasion been known to be wrong… rarely, but it has happened. I am also guilty of managing people. In my defence, I usually have the best of intentions. Of course, I am also used to getting my own way.'

She did not confess that she thought many of the rules imposed on women by society to be ridiculous and were intended to hamper women from reaching their full potential. Isabella thought it impolitic to say that she believed those rules were meant to ensure that men could continue to feel superior. Her opinion about many of the men she had met did not show them to good advantage. That was particularly true of Mr Bennet.

'Those are grievous faults indeed,' laughed Gardiner. 'How could anyone be so misguided as to try to improve people's lives.'

~O~

The addition of another man to his household, as well as the promise of interesting reactions due to Isabella's existence had drawn Bennet from his study. He had delighted in the initial consternation of Gardiner and been amused by the conversation which had followed.

The mention of his wife's mother confirmed his suspicion of the woman, whom he had never met as she had passed before his marriage. He could not resist to comment, 'Well, Mrs Bennet, it seems that you have come by your mental acuity honestly. I wonder, did you also inherit your nerves from her?'

Mrs Bennet gave him a distracted look before she focused again on the other occupants of the room.

'Well?' demanded her husband. 'Answer me or are you too slow to even understand a simple question?'

'I understand you, but I stopped listening to you years ago since you never say anything worth listening to,' she said in the same dismissive tone of voice which Mr Bennet normally used and without really paying him any attention. She had found the conversation between her brother, his wife and her aunt utterly engrossing.

Bennet bristled at what was obviously a dismissal. 'Mrs Bennet,' he said forcefully. 'You will attend me. I am still the master of this house.'

Irritated and reaching the end of her patience she replied, 'Since you never act like it, it is child's play to forget that.'

For years, Mrs Bennet had been forced to tolerate her husband's attitude as she had to consider the wellbeing of her daughters. She had not the means to take care of them if her husband decided to cast them out. It was bad enough that the estate would go to Mr Collins on Mr Bennet's death, but she had also feared that he would tire of her and their daughters. The spectre of starving in the hedgerows had hung over her for decades.

Yet with the advent of Aunt Isabella, her fears diminished. She was certain that her aunt would take her in if the worst happened. That wonderful lady had already offered to take three of her girls to London to find them good husbands. While she was dismayed that Isabella had insisted on sending her younger girls to schools, she could reluctantly accept that this would improve their chances at a good and secure future. During her conversations with her aunt, Mrs Bennet had realised that society expected more from ladies than she had ever learnt. It seemed that beauty alone was not enough.

All those things had come together to give her a new confidence. In the past she had argued with Mr Bennet from a sense of fear. Now she vented her frustration.

Before Bennet could reply, she added, 'The Bennet family had the distinction to produce two such noteworthy examples of the male sex as you and Mr Collins. The Gardiners on the other hand have produced several relatives who are prepared to protect their family. That is an accomplishment which you have never mastered.'

'How dare you insult me like this in the home of which I am the master,' growled Bennet in barely controlled anger

'Since when is it an insult to speak the truth?' Mrs Bennet asked calmly despite quavering on the inside.

Bennet's gaze travelled over all the occupants of the room, and he saw only amused smiles.

While his motto had always been for what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbours, and laugh at them in our turn, yet he was unused to being on the receiving end of that laughter.

He stormed out of the room to find sanctuary in his library.

'Oh dear. I wonder, was it something I said?'

~O~

Christmas and the Gardiner's visit passed peacefully. Part of the reason may have been that Bennet spent most of the time in his library sulking.

When he had sought solidarity with Gardiner regarding the irrational attitude of women, he had been sorely disappointed.

'Bennet, you know perfectly well that I have been after you for years to put money aside for your family. While Fanny has been rather shrill about the subject, I cannot say that I blame her for worrying and all you do is tease her.' Gardiner gave a malicious grin. 'You are simply upset because your jibes do not hurt her as much anymore.'

'Are you accusing me of deliberately hurting my wife?' Bennet huffed and glared at his brother- by-marriage.

'Yes. How else would you explain your constant sniping and exacerbating her fears. But now that she has the support of Aunt Isabella, she does not have to pander to your inflated sense of self-importance anymore.'

'You do realise that it is bad form to insult your host.'

'To quote Fanny, it is not an insult if it is the truth. Although, if you find my company so irksome, I am sure that our aunt will find rooms for me and my family.'

Bennet grumbled, 'Never mind. It is rare enough that I have male company in this house.' But it still niggled that apparently every member of his family had such a low opinion of him.

~O~