Uncommonly Intelligent Chapter 7: The Most Difficult Subject, a pride and prejudice fanfic

Chapter 7: The Most Difficult Subject

The passing weeks turned into months, and then years. Jane was becoming a stunningly beautiful young woman as she approached her 16th birthday. Mr. Bennet, observing the looks she drew when they were in Meryton, asked Lady Rutherford whether she thought that self-defense lessons might be appropriate for Jane and Lizzy, who was also developing into a very pretty girl, with large brown eyes, and a light and pleasing figure.

Bennet would have bet a guinea that Lady Rutherford would embrace this idea with enthusiasm, for she had always been supportive of Lizzy learning as many and varied subjects as possible. But to his surprise, Lady Rutherford said that it might not be such a good idea. When asked why, she reluctantly told Bennet of the time she had witnessed an angry Lizzy attacking a man three times her size and ten times her strength when she was a child, and said that she worried that if Lizzy became overconfident by sparring with a man who was paid not to strike back, she might fight rather than run if accosted by a man who had no scruples about hurting her. Bennet, aware that Lizzy sometimes lost her common sense along with her temper, reconsidered. He and Lady Rutherford decided upon an alternate plan that involved an intimate discussion between the girls and Lady Rutherford about avoiding situations where they might become vulnerable, and the necessity to abandon decorum and run away as fast as they could should they find themselves in danger from an unscrupulous man. The one concession to Bennet's original plan was that they were told where to strike a man if they needed to break his grip in order to run away.

Although there were no more tutors at Netherfield, Charlotte Lucas continued to join Jane, Lizzy, and later Mary for sessions with Lady Rutherford's music master, Lorenzo Mondello. Mary was by far the most diligent at practicing, and became quite proficient. Lizzy also continued learning from masters in other subjects that Lady Rutherford brought to Netherfield, but those sessions were usually too advanced for the other girls.

All the Bennet girls pitched in to help their tenants. Rather than embroider useless doilies and samplers, they made clothes for the children, and when Lizzy was making her rounds inspecting the estate, her sisters would accompany her to distribute the clothing and other small items that added to the tenants' comfort.

Clarence, who had just turned 18, was spending the summer at Netherfield before leaving again for Cambridge. He began to be tongue-tied around Jane, who pretended not to notice. Lady Rutherford made sure that they were never left alone together, and warned Clarence as sternly as she had ever spoken to him that there could be nothing between them. She wished that it could be different, but she knew that the duke would never allow it, and did not want to see either Clarence or Jane hurt.

Shortly after Lizzy turned 12, Lady Rutherford introduced her to a slim, dapper, bright-eyed man named Mr. Canfield. She was informed that he would teach her card games.

Canfield had been warned that Lizzy would learn whatever games he taught her with little effort, but was still astonished that she not only remembered the rules after one explanation, but could remember every card dealt or exposed in every hand, and could devise strategies shortly after learning the game that most people never learned. It therefore took him only a few hours to teach her how to skillfully play every game that she was likely to encounter in a social situation.

Lizzy wondered why Lady Rutherford had gone to the expense of bringing Mr. Canfield from London, when any of several people in Meryton could have taught her the games. She found out the second day, when Mr. Canfield challenged her to several hands of various games, and won every time, while Lady Rutherford looked on with amusement. After Lizzy began to grow frustrated, Lady Rutherford asked her, "Lizzy, do you know why you are losing?"

"I suppose that Mr. Canfield is using a strategy superior to mine," Lizzy said.

No, he taught you the best strategies yesterday. You are losing because he is cheating."

Lizzy was astonished. "But gentlemen do not cheat!"

Mr. Canfield smiled. "Miss Elizabeth, when did I ever say I was a gentleman?"

Lizzy looked at Lady Rutherford in confusion. "But... but cheating is wrong!"

"Indeed it is, Lizzy, but you are not a child any longer. You know, if not from your own experience, then at least from your reading, that the world is full of people who do wrong. And you should certainly know that not all gentlemen behave like gentlemen."

Mr. Canfield resumed, "In fact, Miss Elizabeth, I was born a gentleman. But as a third son, I have had to make my own way in the world, and I do that by gambling."

Lizzy was very uneasy. "You make your living by cheating?"

Perhaps because Lizzy was so obviously young and innocent, Canfield was not offended. He said, "No indeed, for I would likely have a short and most unpleasant career if I were to cheat at cards in London. Nevertheless, there is no shortage of men stupid or desperate enough to attempt it, and it behooves one to be able to recognize them."

Lizzy nodded. "That makes sense. But how can I recognize them?"

Lady Rutherford said, "That is one reason that I have engaged Mr. Canfield, for I know you did not need him to learn to play card games, but I believe you do need him to learn how to spot a cheat."

Mr. Canfield then showed Lizzy what could be done with a deck of cards. He could shuffle and cut them as many times as she pleased, and still deal himself a perfect hand. He showed her, slowly at first, and then faster and faster until she could not see it even though she knew he was doing it, how he could make it seem that he was dealing fairly from the top of the deck, while actually dealing the second card, or the bottom card. But he also showed her how to spot a cheat, even if she couldn't see him cheating. For example, although he could deal the cards so expertly that she could not see him taking the card from the bottom, he had to hold the deck in a certain way to do it. He could not do it as smoothly while holding the deck the way most amateurs did, although he cautioned her that there might well be very skilled men who could. He showed her how cards could be concealed and switched into one's hand at a critical moment, and how they could be marked so that their values could be discerned when face down.

He included instruction in tricks gamblers used that fell short of cheating. The simplest and most common of these merely involved playing poorly at first to make his opponent feel overconfident, and then employing expert strategies after the stakes were raised.

Lizzy had him show her some of the techniques, but again her fingers were of only average dexterity, so she never got truly proficient at it. She supposed that was just as well, for she had no desire to frequent the gambling hells of London, much less be shot for cheating. She did eventually get good enough to fool Kitty and Lydia, though she did it only for their amusement.

The next day, Canfield had another surprise for her.

"Miss Elizabeth, you have learned the strategy for card games, and you have learned what to look for to help prevent being cheated. I must say that you learned these things more swiftly than anyone else I have ever met."

"Thank you," Lizzy nodded modestly.

"But has it not occurred to you that many men gamble for all of their adult lives? Perhaps it takes them a month to learn what you learned in a day, perhaps even a year or longer, but surely after decades, they would learn it?"

"Yes, that is clear," said Lizzy.

"Then how is it that some men win consistently, and some lose consistently?"

Lizzy frowned. "I do not know." Then her eyes went wide, and she asked, "Do they cheat?"

Mr. Canfield chuckled. "As we discussed, there are certainly men who cheat, but I daresay that none of the men we are talking about now do, for it would be phenomenal for a cheat who played high to last a month, let alone many years, before his body was fished out of the Thames. No, the reason lies elsewhere. Let us play some games, but this time for stakes."

Lizzy looked uncomfortable, but Lady Rutherford said, "Don't worry, Lizzy, you will not risk real money. You will play for toothpicks, which I will furnish. The stakes are only for keeping score, not for profit."

Mr. Canfield said, "This time there will be no cheating. So that you know this is true, you will deal every hand yourself, and I will roll up my sleeves so that I cannot hide cards there."

They commenced playing, but this time, Lizzy won about the same number of hands as Canfield. Yet somehow, her stack of toothpicks kept shrinking, while Canfield's kept growing. In less than an hour, Canfield had all the toothpicks.

Lady Rutherford applauded softly. "Bravo, Mr. Canfield. Lizzy, what do you think just happened?"

Lizzy frowned. "I do not know. I dealt the cards, and his arms are exposed, so he did not use sleight of hand." She examined the cards closely, then looked at Canfield. "You showed me how cards may be marked, but I can detect no marks or pinpricks. Is there another technique, or are they truly unmarked?"

Canfield smiled. "Very good, Miss Elizabeth. You are asking the right questions. But no, these cards are perfectly fair. And as you said, I did not use sleight of hand. Before you ask, I will also aver that I did not use any strategies unknown to you, at least regarding the cards."

Lizzy gave up. "Then I do not know how you did it."

Lady Rutherford said, "And that is the true reason I have engaged Mr. Canfield, Lizzy. Learning to win at cards is not an especially important skill if you are not a professional gambler. But he is going to introduce you to the most difficult subject you will ever attempt, one you will never stop learning, and yet will never truly master. It is, in short, how to read people."

"Read people?"

"Yes. To read a person means to gain some insight into his thoughts from observing him closely. Everyone does this to some extent. If you see someone crying, you believe he is sad. If you see someone laughing, you believe he is happy.

"But you are also aware that people can control their expressions to some degree. People may smile when they are hurt by some comment, to pretend they do not care. Or smile at someone to make him think they are friendly, when they are planning to injure him in some way.

"Men like Mr. Canfield have learned to see through such deception. He can tell - not always, but enough to win consistently - whether a man has a good hand or a bad one before he reveals his cards, even though that man is doing his best to betray no emotion."

Mr. Canfield took up the narrative. "I watched you closely while we were playing over the last few days, and learned to discern whether your hand was good or bad." His smile grew wider. "Really, you are such an open book that I daresay I could have done well after half an hour, and most of that time would have been spent convincing myself that you were not just pretending to be so revealing. Your eyes narrow slightly when your hand is good, and you actually frown when it is bad. Most gamblers are much harder to read. I adjusted my bets and strategies appropriately when we played just now. If I perceived that you had a good hand, I threw in my cards early. If I perceived that you had a bad hand, I bet low to give you some incentive to keep playing. And if I perceived that you had a good hand but I believed that mine was better, I bet as much as I thought you would match.

"The result was that even though we won an equal number of hands, your wins yielded fewer toothpicks than my wins, and eventually I ended up with all the toothpicks. A few more games with you, and I believe I might start an emporium," he said with a wink.

Lady Rutherford said, "Everything Mr. Canfield has done these past days has merely been to prove to you that his techniques work. Although all knowledge is useful, in the grand scheme of things it is not important that you know how to win at cards, let alone how to avoid being cheated. You can do that by simply declining to play. But it is extremely useful to be able to know whether a person is lying to you."

Mr. Canfield elaborated on this. "I repeat Lady Rutherford's warning that this is a skill that you will never truly master. People can fool you, deliberately or accidentally. I once lost a small fortune because I put too much faith in my ability. To this day, I don't know whether the man was deliberately setting me up by always flaring his nostrils when he had a good hand, or was simply so nervous at the amount of money on the table that he froze, but for whatever reason, at a critical moment he didn't flare his nostrils when he had an extremely good hand, and I lost a great deal of money. I rather suspect it was accidental, for I have been keeping track of him ever since, and he has lost more often than not."

Lady Rutherford said, "Nevertheless, most people you will encounter in your daily life are not so skilled at disguising their thoughts as professional gamblers. It would be of great benefit for you to be able to discern whether people are sincere, for you are a trusting person by nature, and have been surrounded by good people for your entire life. It will not always be thus when you venture into the wide world."

And so Canfield began teaching Lizzy to look at more than people's facial expressions, which could be controlled. She learned to look for signs more difficult to disguise, such as constricted or dilated pupils. Some people even had a blood vessel close to the skin that allowed an observer to see when their heart beat faster. She learned that the same signs in different people might well denote different things, so that closer acquaintance with people brought more accuracy.

As promised, it was a skill she never perfected, though she steadily improved. She came to be almost infallible with people she knew well, for her phenomenal memory allowed her to compare her observations of people days or weeks before with what happened later, so that she was very rarely fooled when a close acquaintance tried to conceal something. She was no mind reader, of course, so she could not know until later what had been concealed, but she became quite adept at knowing when someone was not telling the whole truth.

Lady Rutherford warned Lizzy, "You will need to be careful when you study people, because it is not polite to stare, and you have such fine eyes that anyone at whom you stare will surely notice it. Fortunately, you also have long thick eyelashes, so if you pretend to be engrossed in something in one direction while looking from under your lashes in a different direction, you are not as likely to be caught, and if you are, well, a pretty girl shyly looking at a man from under her lashes is not likely to cause offense, though you must be careful not to give him any ideas."

While Jane, Lizzy, and Mary were well on their way to becoming proper young ladies, Kitty and Lydia were more problematic. Kitty was not so bad when separated from Lydia, but Lydia was almost incorrigible.

While Lizzy seemed to have a boundless supply of energy, she could channel it into useful activities. But Lydia's energy could best be described as uncontrollable rather than boundless, and rather like her mother, she had trouble not being loud and demonstrative at inappropriate times. Bennet and Lady Rutherford had many discussions about Lydia, but in the end, all they could do was keep trying to show her by example how a young lady should act, and hope that she grew out of her hoydenish phase. Lady Rutherford did all that she could for the younger Bennets, holding frequent teas at Netherfield where they could rehearse their manners, and taking them on day trips to towns larger than Meryton, especially St. Albans, where they could interact with a broader range of people, and were not automatically deferred to because of their position in the local hierarchy.

There was one thing, however, that nothing in Meryton or even St. Albans could supply, and that was experience in London society. With Clarence now at Cambridge, there was nothing tying Lady Rutherford to Netherfield other than her husband Frederic's desire that she be there. Lady Rutherford began to think about taking Jane to London for a season when she turned 17. When she approached Mr. Bennet about this, he had no objection, but opined that Jane would probably not want to come out without Lizzy. He proved to be correct. Jane, with the goodness that characterized her, not only turned down the generous offer, but insisted that Lizzy not be told of it, for Jane knew that Lizzy would want Jane to go, and would blame herself if she did not. Lady Rutherford therefore struck a bargain with Jane and Bennet that both girls would come out in Meryton this year, and both would have their season in London in two years, when Jane was 19, and Lizzy 17.

But when that year came and Lady Rutherford asked her husband for his permission, she was denied. Lord Rutherford did not want his wife in town, and especially not attending balls and parties, because questions would be asked if he did not escort her, and escorting her would inconvenience him. Lady Rutherford knew better than to protest this decision, as she was wholly dependent on his favor for what was in most respects an idyllic life for her.

The following year, Lord Rutherford's father, the Duke of Mayfield, required that he tour the family's holdings in Scotland and Ireland. This trip was expected to take four months, two of them overlapping the London season. Lady Rutherford renewed her request, carefully specifying that she would be in town only during the two months that Frederic was on his tour outside of England, so that he could not be expected to escort her. Her favorite brother-in-law David agreed to perform that task, and Lord Rutherford could see no reason to deny her this time.

Lizzy and Jane were overjoyed when Lady Rutherford told them the good news. Their father, who of course had approved of the revised plan before Lady Rutherford had informed the girls or approached her husband, bought them three new gowns each, and they spent weeks adorning them and working on matching accessories. The best surprise of all was when Lady Rutherford brought a seamstress from town to Netherfield to fit them each for a fourth gown, but not just any gown. When they saw the monstrosities, with their large hoops and trains, they both squealed, for there was only one place such gowns were worn.

"Yes, girls, it is true," Lady Rutherford said, feeling almost as much pleasure as Jane and Lizzy when she saw their unabashed delight. "As your sponsor, I have arranged for you to be presented to the queen."

The girls felt as if they were dreaming. Netherfield rang with laughter as they practiced walking backward in the clumsy attire, for it was a gross breach of etiquette to ever turn your back to the queen. And Longbourn trembled to the ecstatic shrieks of Fanny Bennet when she was told that her daughters would be presented at court.

The day finally came for the journey to London, and Jane and Lizzy were up with the sun, eager to begin their glorious adventure. Lady Rutherford's carriage was to arrive at 9 AM. But as the appointed time came and went, there was no sign of it. At first, the girls were not too worried, for they were well aware of how easily last-minute items could come up. But as noon approached, they began to fear that something was very wrong.

Finally, the carriage arrived, but when they rushed to greet it, it was empty. The coachman handed Jane a note from Lady Rutherford, which asked that she and Lizzy board the carriage, without any luggage, and take it back to Netherfield.

When they arrived, they were astonished and dismayed to see Lady Rutherford dressed in black. She took one each of Jane's and Lizzy's hands in her own and said, "I'm so sorry girls, but our trip to London has been canceled. I received an express from Scotland late last night that my husband caught influenza last week, and he took a sudden turn for the worse and died two days ago. I am now in mourning for a year, and cannot possibly escort you to events in town. And since my only relations who know you well enough to sponsor you are now also in mourning for half a year, there is nothing to be done."

Despite their disappointment at the news, Lizzy and Jane both immediately hugged her and assured her that everything would be all right. Lady Rutherford appreciated their sentiments, but said, "I'm afraid there is more bad news.

"The Duke of Mayfield, my late husband's father, has long wished for Clarence to be at Mayfield with him. To my surprise, I have learned that it was my husband who sided with me and prevented this. Frederic never liked his father much." She frowned and went on. "The duke is a very hard man. Just between you and me, he is a very unpleasant man. But he is the head of the family, and now that Clarence is his heir apparent, and my husband is no longer with us, he cannot be gainsaid. He is taking Clarence out of Cambridge and bringing him to Mayfield, to begin personally training him to assume his duties as duke when that time comes."

Lizzy's quick mind immediately grasped the implications of that, and she breathed softly, "Oh, no."

Lady Rutherford smiled sadly. "Yes, Lizzy. Although I love you two as if you were my own daughters, I cannot stay here while Clarence is at Mayfield dealing with the duke. I will be leaving in a few days, and although I have no confirmation of this, I believe that Netherfield will be closed. I hope that I can one day persuade the duke to let you two visit me at Mayfield, but for now... let us just say that he believes that the distinction of rank must be preserved, and intends for Clarence to associate only with his peers - and when he says 'peers,' he means it literally. I know that you are gently born, but to the duke, only those with titles and their near relations are good enough for Clarence.

"You will find this hard to believe, but I am as disappointed as you are that I will not be able to escort you through a season in Town. I had great hopes for finding worthy husbands for both of you."

Both girls blushed, but Lady Rutherford went on. "I would like to talk to each of you alone in my study before you leave today. The duke's agent will most likely be arriving tonight, and this may be my last chance to speak with you. Once he is here, I will be able to accept only very short condolence calls."

Lizzy was too agitated to sit, so she paced back and forth in the parlor while Lady Rutherford talked with Jane in her study. Jane emerged just ten minutes later, and when Lizzy raised an enquiring eyebrow, Jane said, "She merely expressed her regret at leaving, her hopes that we would correspond, and told me to contact her if I ever needed help. I expect she will say much the same to you. She said you were to go right in."

As Lizzy entered Lady Rutherford's study, she looked around and triggered the switch in her head that captured every detail, for she feared this might be the last time she would enter this room which held so many memories of the woman who had meant the world to her. She could not stop the tears that flowed down her cheeks as she embraced Lady Rutherford.

Lady Rutherford's own eyes were brimming, but she said, "None of that, Lizzy. We shall always be friends, though I shall be very cross with you if you do not write me frequently and let me know how you and your family are doing."

Rather than sit at her desk, she led Lizzy to a short sofa where they could sit together, and took Lizzy's hands in hers.

"Lizzy, as I told Jane, you and she have become so dear to me that by far my biggest regret in leaving Netherfield is to lose the pleasure of your frequent company. I wish you both to be happy, but I worry far more about your future than Jane's, especially with regard to finding a suitable husband."

Lizzy nodded, "Yes, Jane is so beautiful that she will have no trouble finding a husband."

Lady Rutherford shook her head. "You are both beautiful, Lizzy, never doubt it. It is not your appearance, but your mind that concerns me. We both know that you are far more intelligent than any man you are likely to meet. What you may not fully understand is how few men there are who would find that situation tolerable in a marriage." Lizzy opened her mouth to protest, but Lady Rutherford raised a hand. "No, Lizzy, it is true. I know that you are probably thinking of men who joke that their wife is the true master of the house, or say that they would be lost without her good advice and the like. And I suppose that there may be men who sincerely mean that."

She frowned, and continued, "But the sad truth is that almost all of them do not really mean it. Oh, they allow their wives to win small arguments to keep the peace in their homes. They give in on minor issues in the same way that they don't bother trying to keep a cat from lying where it wants, and they praise their wives' intelligence in the same way that they praise their children for knowing their letters. They may even admit that their wives have greater knowledge than they when it comes to subjects they consider relatively unimportant, such as fashion, or organizing a dinner or a ball.

"But despite all that, they make the final decision on important issues, and they would not be at all comfortable with the idea that their wife's intellect is truly superior to their own. That is why women who demonstrate high intelligence are too often derided as bluestockings, or even freaks."

Lizzy could scarcely believe what she was hearing. "But Lady Rutherford, I have many friends who know that I am intelligent, and I feel very sure that they are sincere in their admiration."

Lady Rutherford nodded. "You are probably right when it comes to those 'feelings,' for you learned your lessons from Mr. Canfield very well. But Lizzy, you must remember that you live on Meryton's second-largest estate, and when Netherfield is closed, Longbourn will be Meryton's most important estate. Your tenants and your acquaintances look up to you, but they would look up to anyone of your station, and you could not marry a tenant or most of your acquaintances. The only gentleman in the area who would make a suitable husband for you is John Lucas, and although he is very amiable, I believe that you might be surprised if you knew what he truly thought about the idea of having a wife more intelligent than he is."

Lizzy had to admit to herself that John, while a good friend, had never shown any signs of wanting to be more than that.

Lady Rutherford continued, "My point is that you are a big fish in a small pond, and even though people here are more likely to accept the idea of your intelligence, it will not be so in the wide world. In London, your family would be considered to be, at best, in the fourth tier of society, after royalty, peers, and very rich and well-connected squires, and it is likely that even many families of equal wealth will disparage your country origins and relations in trade. You are very pretty and accomplished, and I believe you must be accumulating a respectable dowry, so you will have no trouble attracting a man. But will he be a man you can admire? There's the rub. I do not believe you could be happy unless your husband has a formidable intellect, and such men take pride in that intellect. After being considered the most intelligent person in their circle of acquaintances for their entire lives, they are not likely to relish the prospect of being only the second most intelligent person in their bedroom."

Lizzy nodded slowly. "I realize that what you say makes sense, and I have considered it before. I have long thought that I might find work as a governess if I do not meet a suitable man, and more recently my uncle Gardiner has been paying me for helping him with his business."

Lady Rutherford was delighted to hear that. "Working for your uncle sub rosa would be an ideal situation, but businesses can have setbacks. And you are certainly more than qualified to be a governess, but with your face and figure, it would be dangerous for you to work under the power of a man outside of your family. And even if you find a position with a spinster or a widow, she may later meet a man, or have a male relation, who could cause the same kind of trouble if your employer fails to protect you. I beg you, please don't put yourself in such a vulnerable position."

She smiled. "I know that under normal circumstances, you can easily take care of yourself, but we are at war. Anything might happen that could disrupt society. If some calamity occurs that leaves you short of money, write to me, and I will hire you as my companion. And I will tell everyone but the duke and his secretary, who must pay your salary, that you are my particular friend, rather than a paid companion, so that your eligibility for marriage is not damaged."

Lady Rutherford squeezed Lizzy's hand. "In time of war, anything is possible. The French might invade. A blockade might prevent imports and destroy businesses. The government might default on its debts and wipe out your savings." She paused, realizing that there was no reason to frighten Lizzy out of her wits. "I pray that I am wrong. But if I am not, please know that you do not need to marry someone you cannot abide. Were something to happen to your father, and with your estate entailed, I know that you might believe it necessary to marry to help support your family.

"But please do not marry without love, or at the very least, mutual respect and admiration. I can tell you that it is a devil's bargain. I do not have complete freedom, but I believe that I can pay a salary sufficient to support your mother and sisters."

Lizzy started to protest, but Lady Rutherford cut her off. "No, Lizzy, it would not be charity. It would be my greatest pleasure to be reunited with you in the future. You are as dear to me as any daughter could possibly be, and knowing what I know of the duke, your company at Mayfield would be worth more to me than diamonds and rubies."

The duke's agent did not arrive until the following day, but his advent was just as unpleasant as Lady Rutherford expected. In a tone not quite sneering enough to be uncivil, he informed Lady Rutherford that the duke understood how much she had come to love living at Netherfield, and that she was welcome to stay there as long as she wished. That was what he said, but it would take someone much, much less perceptive than Lady Rutherford to see that what he meant was that the duke hoped that she stayed at Netherfield, out of sight and out of mind, until the day she died. She knew that the duke had always thought that she was making Clarence too soft, and that he wanted to mold Clarence in his own image, without her meddlesome influence. She had no intention of indulging the duke's wishes. She replied courteously but firmly, thanking him for his generosity and understanding, but said that she preferred to live at Mayfield with Clarence. As Clarence was already miffed at the duke for demanding he leave Cambridge just three months before graduation, the duke did not want to further antagonize him by keeping his beloved mother away, so he acquiesced.

After Lady Rutherford left for Mayfield, Netherfield was indeed closed, with only the senior servants and staff remaining.

Following an exchange of messages with Edward and Madeline Gardiner, Jane and Lizzy did have a short season in London, but with no entree to the balls and parties of the first circles, and of course no presentation to the queen, it was nowhere near as exciting as they had hoped. Fanny Bennet was especially put out at the inconsiderate timing of Lord Rutherford's death, for she had crowed incessantly about her daughters' upcoming presentation, and now her chickens were coming home to roost as Lady Lucas never passed up a chance to make some comment in her hearing about her own visits to court, and what a shame it was that the Bennet daughters had not had that experience.

Upon returning home, Jane and Lizzy filled their time by becoming even more attentive to Longbourn's tenants, and they began to include Netherfield's tenants in their rounds as well when it became evident that the man the duke had placed in charge of Netherfield's purse was a skinflint. While Mr. Whitney remained as Netherfield's steward, he had far less freedom of action than he had under Lady Rutherford, and next to no discretionary funds. Every non-routine purchase had to be approved by the duke's agent, and unless the need was dire, it was likely to be refused. Lizzy and Jane appealed to Mr. Bennet, and to their great satisfaction he was willing to repay the many kindnesses Lady Rutherford had shown his daughters by funding their efforts to make her former tenants' lives more comfortable. In truth, he was happy to do it, for he knew he could never repay what the marchioness had done for him and his family. A few blankets or toys for Netherfield's tenants and children was the least he could do.

Lizzy now spent her time walking and riding around both estates, trying to see tenants at least once a week, and more often if she needed to check on the sick, or if some modifications were being made to their houses or fields. She continued reading books on the latest estate management techniques, and implementing changes and improvements as warranted, so that Longbourn's earnings continued to grow, and it had a reputation for being an estate that treated its tenants well. Although nothing was ever explicitly said, the tenants knew who the driving force at Longbourn was, and respect for "Miss Lizzy" grew apace.

She also went back to Mr. Jones, the apothecary, for further instruction not just in medicines, but in setting bones, stitching wounds, and even assisting at births, though she never told her mother about that. Although he said there was no need, she repaid him by helping him prepare his potions, and locating local sources of various plants and herbs. It was not many months before he had all but ceded responsibility for the health needs of Longbourn and Netherfield to her.

Lizzy and Jane corresponded with Lady Rutherford frequently, and Lady Rutherford was most gratified to learn of their care for her former tenants. She attempted to persuade the duke to have his man be less strict with Netherfield, but was told that her opinion on the management of his estates was neither required nor desired. Relations between her and the duke had never been warm, but now they were positively frigid, as the duke tried to mold Clarence into his idea of what a man should be, and attributed any resistance on Clarence's part to be the fault of his mother, both in the way she had raised him and, he suspected, in current efforts to undermine him. Lady Rutherford was therefore not surprised when, after her year of mourning had passed, the duke refused her request to allow her to invite Lizzy and Jane for a visit to Mayfield.

She would have been very surprised, however, to learn that this was not simply because the duke was an unpleasant person in general, or even that he disliked her personally, but that he was particularly opposed to her association with the Bennets. Unbeknownst to Lady Rutherford, the duke had had agents visiting Meryton regularly ever since Lady Rutherford had first been established at Netherfield over 20 years earlier, to report on her and Clarence. In the duke's eyes, a young woman living alone on a country estate was a recipe for scandal. Although Lady Rutherford's husband would not have cared if she had taken lovers so long as she was discreet, the duke most emphatically would, and so he had her watched. He was almost disappointed when she behaved impeccably at all times, without any hint of impropriety, but he maintained his surveillance of her, and of Clarence as he grew, for Clarence would one day inherit the dukedom. He was informed of the Bennet girls taking their lessons with Clarence, and at first saw no harm in it, but he grew concerned as his agents reported that Jane Bennet was growing into a truly beautiful young lady, and that she and Clarence spent a great deal of time together. The duke had plans for Clarence, and they did not include him becoming attached to a country mushroom with insignificant wealth and relations in trade. That was part of the reason that he insisted that Clarence be removed to Mayfield when Lord Rutherford died. If the duke had his way, Clarence would never see Jane again.

Lady Rutherford's repeated requests to have Lizzy and Jane visit were therefore turned down with less and less civility, until finally she was informed in no uncertain terms that the duke did not wish the subject raised again. By this time, some two years had passed since she had left Netherfield, and she was forced to acknowledge that she would never be allowed to invite Jane and Lizzy for a visit. So she took a different tack, and asked whether she and Clarence might spend the summer at Netherfield. The duke resolved to shut down what he considered her unreasonable, impertinent, and incessant requests once and for all, and so he told her that that would be impossible, for he had already decided to put Netherfield out to lease.

That was a lie, but only for a few seconds, because as soon as the words were out of his mouth, the duke realized that it would be of great benefit for him to make them a reality. He had no important use for Netherfield at the moment, and its upkeep was a minor, but not negligible, expense. Renting it out would fulfill the dual purpose of making more money, and putting an end to Lady Rutherford's importuning. He recalled that his agents had said that the senior staff at Netherfield was excellent, but they could be protected.

He therefore instructed his agent to put Netherfield out to let immediately, and at a bargain price so that it would quickly become occupied. London property agents were informed of its availability in late July of 1811, just two weeks before a rich tradesman's son named Charles Bingley, accompanied by his friend and mentor Fitzwilliam Darcy, began looking for an estate near London that would serve to help Bingley decide whether the life of a country gentleman suited him.

A/N: By popular demand, the next ten chapters will be devoted to an in-depth examination of the Duke of Mayfield's family history since the Norman Conquest. NAH, just kidding! The prologue is finally finished, and in the next chapter the battle of wits between Darcy and Lizzy begins! Thanks to everyone who favors, follows, or reviews, especially those who offer constructive criticism.