P&P FF
"The Captain's Concession: A Bennet's Destiny"
NOTE; For those who are still sticking with this story, since enough readers are struggling with the Scottish dialogue the captain is making a compromise. I know everyone will be able to handle it a lot better.
Previously:
"Why not?"
"Because where I have been called to is the highlands of Scotland." With that the captain walked out of Bennet's library leaving Thomas feeling as if he had been turned into thick tar, barely able to move."
Immovable Mary
CH 9
Humming resonated in Longbourn's back drawing room. The light was bright, as all the curtains were open, flooding over the brightly colored furniture and illuminating Mary's dark-red, high-waisted empire dress. She had taught herself to draw and paint. The paintings might not have been very good, but the drawings—more akin to sketches—were nothing short of amazing.
Mr. Bennet stood quietly by the open door, watching as his third daughter focused on her latest drawing. He was attempting to sear this scene into his memory as if it were a creature needing to be branded with a hot iron. If anyone had suggested he was jumping the gun, Thomas would have shaken his head; he knew Mary. There was no second-guessing her answer.
"Do you need something?" Mary asked when a break in her concentration allowed her to notice Mr. Bennet observing her.
"I…" Mr. Bennet glanced down as he pretended to push a piece of paper that was not even on the floor, then looked back up at Mary. "I have just finished talking to Captain Pedersen."
"His proposal involves me."
"Yes." Mr. Bennet walked over to the sofa and sat down. "However, he insists there is no desire on his part for you to feel obligated." He relayed to her all the details of how they would deal with people being informed and then added, "Nevertheless, Captain Pedersen did mention he has another offer that would keep me out of debtor's prison. You are not obliged to say yes."
"No, he does not," Mary spoken evenly with her eyes never wavering.
"I hope I do not come across as mocking or laughing at you." Mr. Bennet spoke sincerely. "However, you cannot see everything, my sweet Mary."
"No, I cannot; however, a vision told me last night the captain is, to the best of his knowledge, speaking truthfully. However, it is not so." Mary knew she had been the quiet one the majority of her life, people could not picture her any other way. She could not explain why the 'sudden' change. What had 'snapped'. But it had, and the dreams which had come for a long time had joined with that change. Mary now felt as if she could have tossed her drawing onto the table in front of her and thrown her arms around her father. It was that change which allowed her to speak clearly, "You have your faults, Papa; you have made mistakes; however, you have been trying so hard to change. I want you to know I have noticed. I do forgive you for anything you may have done wrong."
"You are going to say yes, are you not?" Mr. Bennet held his daughter close, regretting those investments that had failed so miserably.
"Yes, but please allow me to convey the news to Mother about this. Please, I watched Elizabeth stand her ground for years, in spite of what some people thought I was watching close...I learned a lot from her even if I do it in a different way. It is something that needs to come from me. I do not know why; it is merely something I know. And promise me one thing regarding Kitty."
Mr. Bennet pulled back and looked into Mary's eyes. "And what is that?"
"Keep her out of London, I beg of you, at least until she reaches the age of twenty or is with you or the Gardiners are with her."
"I promise, I promise you, Mary, I will keep your sister out of London unless I or the Gardiners are with her."
The two then proceeded to locate Mrs. Bennet and Kitty, their conversation a soft murmur amidst the rustling leaves of the garden. Mrs. Bennet looked up from where she had been tending to the carrots, her hands earth-stained and her bonnet askew, a testament to her morning's labor. The rows of vibrant vegetables stretched out behind her, a patchwork of greens, oranges, and reds, interspersed with the occasional flutter of a butterfly or the buzz of a diligent bee. "Has the captain departed?"
"Yes, but he shall return after lunch," Mr. Bennet replied, his voice carrying over the gentle hum of the garden. He then glanced at Mary, a gesture that did not escape Kitty or his wife. The sun cast dappled shadows through the canopy of leaves above, painting the scene with the soft light of early afternoon. "I believe it is now your moment?"
"Mother, Kitty," Mary spoke with composure, her voice steady as the tall, strong oaks that lined the garden's edge. "I shall marry Captain Pedersen and Longbourn shall be free of debt. Father is secure from the threat of debtor's prison." She then briefed her mother on the arrangements, the words floating over the beds of herbs and various flowers that filled the air with their sweet smell.
"Mr. Bennet!" Mrs. Bennet exclaimed in dismay, her voice a sharp contrast to the tranquil setting, having never truly believed the captain's letter could signify an arranged marriage. "Surely there must be another solution."
"The captain mentioned there was one alternative, but he indeed is seeking a wife," Mr. Bennet clarified, his tone as firm as the ancient stone path that wound throughout the garden. "I have not hidden from our daughter the other option."
"If that is so, why do you feel compelled to agree, Mary?" Her mother inquired, perplexed, the confusion clear in her eyes, matching the varied hues of the blooming roses. "If this captain is prepared to offer your father another choice, why marry an old sea captain?"
"Father has already informed you Captain Pedersen is not as elderly as most sea captains who have sailed as long as he, and the gentleman reassured Mr. Bennet himself that fact was correct. As I have stated previously, if it were within my power, my father would not face debtor's prison. And when he comes back, there is no need to ask him to speak formally. I think, Mother, with as hard as you have been working to change that you can admit there is no need for that. The gentleman is not English." With that, Mary turned and walked into the house, her departure stirring the leaves of a nearby bush.
"We are unworthy of her." Tears streamed down Mrs. Bennet's cheeks, her heart shattered, the droplets glistening like morning dew on the petals of the garden's flowers. "I would have - in spite of what others have accused us of, preferred to lose Longbourn than to lose her. However, she is correct, there is no need for the captain to speak formally if he does not desire to."
"Let us regard it as a blessing that Captain Pedersen has taken our reputation into consideration throughout this affair. Kitty still possesses the opportunity for a favorable match. Which reminds me," Mr. Bennet addressed his fourth daughter, his gaze as penetrating as one of the sharp thorns on any of the garden's roses. "You inquired about traveling to London with Mr. and Mrs. Philips."
"Yes," Kitty's expression brightened, then dimmed when her father declined, her hopes wilting like a neglected flower.
"Mr. Bennet," his wife's eyes widened in shock, as startling as the sudden appearance of a snake getting ready to strike. "That is my own sister."
"My answer remains no. Regardless of family ties. Your sister is too indiscreet and lacks the necessary fortitude." Thomas re-entered the house, his resolve as unyielding any oak's roots, determined that if Mary was willing to marry a stranger to prevent his incarceration for debt, the least he could do was to ensure Kitty would not travel to London without a suitable chaperone.