The storyline, new character development, new events, and new characters are my intellectual property. Glorioux
A/N The next few chapters will have some drama, but will be resolved. Unfortunately, Mr. Bennet is trying to make many changes at once, besides having an unbalanced person coming their way,
Mr. Bennet takes charge -
"Mr. Hill told me who had told him, and I was shocked. Mr. Hill asked the informer, as a personal favor, not to repeat it. Though, I am confident they won't, this must stop. So, I am sending the girls to a school, and we need to leave before anyone hears. That alone can ruin everyone of you." Mr. Bennet looked sad.
"Why did not your parents like my mother because she wasn't from a noble family?" Lizzie wanted to know.
"No, that is not the reason, but I don't want to discuss it; it is private, so please don't ask. I have let your mother have her way because I don't like to fight. As much as I wish that I had listened to my parents, I did not, furthermore I don't regret my beloved daughters. If Jane wants the stay with your mother she may, understanding she will lose the chance to be presented as you all have the right. You should know if I go back home, I will be Lord Bennet, and you will all have honorary titles, for ladies is Honorable. My father demands a divorce, that will be complicated, but so be it." Mr. Bennet's shoulders slumped.
"It is so dreadful, but there isn't much I can or wish to do. I will make sure that your mother lacks nothing, and she can live here, as long as I'm alive. But my younger daughters will all come with me. I will make provisions for your mother if I should die before her. I am not interested in marrying again. I already had enough, but I want to my daughters to come with me. Don't tell anything to your mother. Now, tell me do you want to marry Mr. Darcy?"Her father asked.
"Yes, I don't see any other way. Miss Bingley will spread rumors whatever she goes. She will not listen to anyone. And Jane is willing to help." Lizzie exhaled. She didn't tell him she wanted to get away from Jane.
Mrs. Bennet was knocking at the library door, yelling angrily."Mr. Bennet, we need to talk; you must not listen to Elizabeth. She is lying, causing problems for my daughters, and that is not right."
Mr. Bennet opened the door,"Mrs. Bennet, you need to lower your voice, furthermore, I don't want to hear what you have to say. Moreover, you will not like what I'm about to do, but listen well, my daughters shall not step foot out of this house unless I give them permission to do so. I guess you must know that your younger daughters are chasing after officers. I believe that Lydia is dragging Kitty along; but we will talk more, privately." Though his tone made her angrier, Mr. Bennet stood firm.
Meanwhile, she had ignored Mr. Bennet and had allowed Lydia and Kitty to go out. The sisters were leaving the house while their parents argued, but Mary came to alert her father.
Mary knocked on the library door, "Father, Kitty, and Lydia are going out, running really fast."
An irate Mrs. Bennet went to Mary and slapped her daughter's face quite hard, but not for the first time. She was often high-handed with Mary, Lizzie, and Kitty.
She was going to slap Mary again when Mr. Bennett grabbed her hand and said,"You don't touch the girls, not ever again. mind your manners. Indeed, mind your manners If you wish to stay in this house."
At once, Mr. Bennet ran out the library, yelling to Lydia and Kitty,"Come back or stay out, for good." Lydia ignored him and kept walking, but Kitty turned around, walking towards the house, reluctantly. Mr. Bennet quickly reached Lydia and held her arm."Starting right now, you're going to always stay in your room. I will lock your door, and Mrs. Hill will bring your food to the room. You will stay there until I can make arrangements for you; I cannot allow you to ruin yourself and your sisters." Mr. Bennet told her, trying to remain calm.
Lydia angrily screamed,"You cannot do that; you don't have the right to lock me. Mama says I can go."
"Where? To the encampment? Do you know what kind of women do that? You're mistaken, and I have that right. No one more word and go to your room right now." He was not backing out, and Lydia was going into the house.
Mrs. Bennet stood by the door, screaming,"Lizzie is poisoning your mind; she's jealous of my prettiest daughters," and followed him to the library, still yelling. She did not care who listened to her."They are the only ones who inherited my beauty, and the other three did not. They are not pretty, not at all."
"I don't see why Lizzie should be jealous. And what does beauty have to do with being good people and good daughters? Besides, all our daughters look a little bit alike, and while it is true, Elizabeth looks more like my mother, who was known for her beauty, and Mary and Kitty's looks are from my father's family, all my daughters are beautiful. However, you like Jane and Lydia more for a reason I don't understand; now go to your room." Mr. Bennet argued, already entering the library.
Elizabeth held Mary, who was crying. Between sobs, she told Lizzie,"I don't know why she always hits me when she's angry. She never hits anyone else."
Lizzie whispered,"Dearest, she does; Mama often hits either Kitty or me."
Mr. Bennet noticed they were both sad; he was certain they had heard their mother, who thought they were ugly. Though calling them ugly was not the worst, not at all. Until now, he had not known that his wife hit the girls. He did not deny he was to blame for his girls's mistreatment since he had been remiss in his parental duties. He had stayed in his library most of the time, feeling sorry for himself, while his wife mistreated his daughters, or let them run wild. That was also changing; his parents never lifted a hand against their children, so he was not going to tolerate his wife treating his daughters in such way. He looked at the clock. Oh, it is getting late, he realized.
"Lizzie, darling, go clean up. You must get ready." Mr. Bennett told Lizzie, not explaining what she should get ready for, not wishing to alert his wife, considering she might do something regrettable. He told Mary to go to her room, not to pay attention to her mother, and, if something else happened, she should see him. Then, he went to ask Mr. Hill to lock Kitty and Lydia's rooms and to have Mrs. Hill bring them water and their meals to the rooms.
Lizzie and Mary went up holding hands; Lizzie whispered, quickly telling her what was happening, and that Mr. Darcy was coming. Mary hugged her and whispered,"Lucky you to be able to leave."
Lizzie whispered as well
"You come with me. I must get ready." It felt good to have another sister; it comforted her after Jane's comportment, though she missed her dearest sister.
Mean Words and Heartbreak
Afterward, their father went to talk to Mrs. Bennet. He went into their receiving room and found her drinking sherry. He went straight to the point,"Madam, one more word, and you'll leave this house. That is right, it is my house, not yours. I can no longer stand by and tolerate your madness. If you think I don't mean it, think again. Right now, I would like you to go to your sister's home. Wait until I send you instructions."
"Pish, posh, I will not do that; this is my house," she smirked.
He shook his head,"The law will tell you otherwise. I will not lift a hand against you; however, I want you to get ready and go to your sister. If you want me to pay for you, you will do it, and we will discuss how I will provide for you. Only take your clothes and belongings, and please listen, one more scream, and you will be on your own. If you harm my daughters, because they are mine, you will not get a pence from me. Moreover, if you try to hit my daughters again, I will stop you. Though I am a gentleman, I'm not a coward, and I cannot abide seeing my daughters either abused or mistreated because you're angry. I will no longer tolerate it, and I will talk to Kitty, Lizzie, and Mary to learn more. I am sorry I closed my eyes for too long."
He stood straight, imposing, looking at her with narrowed eyes, full of contempt. She was still a handsome woman, though she looked her age. He remembered falling into her bed and her arms. He was putty in her hands and disregarded everyone else's concerns. There had never been anyone else before or after the older and experienced beauty. He was considerate, and knowing her fears of being destitute, he would make sure that wouldn't happen, but his daughters were first. He suspected neither Jane nor Lydia was his, or best said, she thought they weren't. He would ask her, why not? Though they all have something of him, he thought, but she is confusing him.
"Do Jane and Lydia have a different father? Not that I care because the law says they are mine." He looked straight at her.
She paled, but her lips would not stay shut,"You have no reason to say that. You might be right, but you will never know, will you?"
"Maybe not, but there is a reason why you prefer them to the other girls. Though, I should find out why, hopefully, you have not done something so disgraceful that you might have ruined your daughters. I will try to find out quickly, so I will ask your sister since I trust her. She has wanted to talk to me, and I had not wanted to, afraid of what she might reveal, but I believe it's time." Thomas Bennet felt as if he were boiling inside; he had never been this angry and did not like it.
Fanny Bennet laughed sarcastically,"Do as you wish. You are so foolish that the house could fall on you, and you wouldn't notice. Whatever my sister might tell you, it's a lie. She's always been jealous of my beauty." She shrugged.
"Yeah, is that so? I see; regardless, I will talk to her," he answered, trying to remain calm, as other times this day.
"Jane and Lydia are the only pretty ones. The other three girls look like you and are not very pretty. They look like the stuffy one you are now and always have been, Mr. proper aristocrat. I liked you for Longbourn, for nothing else. You were but an insipid boy, a pretty baby, nothing compared to the handsome older officers I knew. How old were you? I think not even 19. You were arrogant in your fancy attire and talk, and I laughed behind your back. True, my brother tried to tell you about me, but I made sure you did not listen." She looked at him and tapped her lip. She was deeply hurting him, intentionally, but he would not let her know. Though he felt his eyes stinging, he did not cry; why give her the satisfaction of seeing how hurt he was?
"I have a small secret; I met your parents; they came to talk to me a long time ago when you went back to Cambridge for those few months. They offered me money to leave you alone but did not offer enough. Besides, I have always wished to live in Longbourn or Netherfield, and now I do. I saw them, so I can see that three of the girls look like your hateful parents; they came in their fancy carriage to look down on me. The three girls take after you and them. As for Lizzie, she does not look like my child; she carries herself like she is better than me. With her fancy words and ways, Lizzie talks, looks, and carries herself as your hateful mother did." She harrumphed.
Her words came as a surprise to Thomas Bennett. He had not known this."I see. So, you don't like them because they look like they're my children, interesting. You are wrong because each one of my girls is beautiful; they look a bit like you and like me. You were a beautiful woman, but beauty is not everything. They are all clever and educated, not all educated, because Lydia has never wanted to study, and neither has Jane. Why? Only because you have turned them into vain, silly women. You don't deserve them. I can change them; at least I will work with Lydia, who is young and was a sweet baby."
She smiled, her eyes shining with malice,"I never said Jane or Lydia were your children. How could they be since they follow my footsteps and are so pretty and clever? They don't look anything like you, not like the other three. Look at you, a pretty man, with your fancy, gentle ways even in the marriage bed; you are nothing like the handsome manly officers, who knew how to please a lady."
At this, Mr. Bennet was not calm, aware she was insinuating he was not a man and much more,"I will not allow my girls to be around you, not one more day. You are a despicable person; your brother was right. He begged me to stay away from you and still hopes I see the person you are. Heaven knows what you have done."
He stopped to breathe, then looked at her; I want you to go to your sister's right now. Your things will be sent to you. Get your bonnet and reticule and go, right now!" He pointed his finger at her but did not raise his voice.
She laughed victoriously."But first, I am going to see Mr. Wilson. I have rights." She readied to go,"I am coming back; my brother will help me." She could see how offended he was and was enjoying it. He could see she was not a good person. Realizing that she had always laughed at him, was eating him inside.
Though he thought she was partly lying, now he knew why she preferred Jane and Lydia. It was ludicrous, thinking that they did not look like him, but she was wrong; they did. She had failed to see their noses, eye color, and some distinctive features, which were his. Thought it was true Jane and Lydia looked more like her. Though he had never hated anyone, he was starting to hate her. His hands were shaking, his body felt icy cold, and he was nauseous after listening to her hateful, mean words. He needed a stiff drink, so he went to get one. If he were able to cry without her knowing it, he would. He might have regretted marrying her, but he had loved her. He sat on a couch wit an aching heart.
A/n how sad, a terrible day for Mr. Bennet. I made myself cry; sadly, people can be mean and cruel, just all have dealt with unkind people. Maybe Mrs. Bennet just wanted to hurt him because he challenged her. But I think she had a grudge since his parents's visit.
answer to an anonymous: Yes divorce was nearly impossible unless you had millions and then some. I know. Besides that is Mr. Bennet's father alternatives. The story is not finished, I am sure he will consider everything for his daughters, so shall we wait?