Page 5

He saw that Lizzy was unhappy by such a brusque summary and tried to explain.

“It was not the sort of understanding that I hope you girls establish before you marry but I had a sincere affection for her.” He quirked his eyebrow in an effort to lighten the atmosphere.

“And she was far more beautiful than an old bookworm such as myself could ever have hoped to attract.”

Pleased to see his daughter smile a little, he wound up the story. “And so we were married. It was a quiet ceremony because of my father’s death. I suspect that is why Fanny dreams of lavish weddings for her daughters.” They both chuckled.

“But seriously, Lizzy. I cannot imagine Longbourn without her, especially in those early years. I’ve never been lively and I was overwhelmed with estate work.

Fanny brought light into the house; she bustled around re-arranging the furniture and redecorating; she had people over for dinners and jollied me out to socialize with the neighbors.

And then, a year later, she gave me the gift of a beautiful baby girl.

We named her Jane for my sister who had died not long after my father.

Over the years, she was followed by four more girls to whom, for all of my teasing, I am quite attached. ”

Father and daughter shared a fond smile. After some minutes of contemplation, Mr. Bennet clapped his hands together. “Well, I need to go sort out this business of Lydia going to Brighton. Shall we walk back by the pond, Lizzy?”

“Thank you, Papa, but I should like to sit here a bit longer.” She smiled up at him. “I have a great deal to think on. Thank you for talking to me.”

Her father picked up his walking stick and waved farewell. “Yes, yes. I will inform your mother that you may miss tea. Just be certain you are back before dinner or I shall not be responsible for all the tremblings and flutterings!”

Thomas Bennet might live a quiet life as a country squire, but he was well aware of the evils abounding in the world.

Longbourn provided a rural sanctuary for his family and he was beginning to realize how far he had allowed himself to drift into lethargy.

The information from Mr. Darcy had provided a rude awakening.

For a moment, he considered what might have happened if he had ignored Elizabeth and never read that man’s astonishing letter, but soon pushed such thoughts aside.

There were more important plans to work out.

Foremost was how to deal with his wife and youngest daughter without breaking up all his peace.

Fortunately, the walk was long enough that Thomas was able to work out a plan that had some hope of succeeding with a minimum of feminine angst. He arrived at the house in time for tea and, after informing his wife that he had given Elizabeth permission to absent herself, he sat and observed.

Such was his usual mien that none of the Bennet ladies detected anything amiss.

He, however, schooled himself to use that brain of which he was so proud to assess his family.

Instead of looking upon their silliness as his own private comedic performance (as had become his habit in recent years), he observed his daughters, sternly reminding himself of their ages.

Finally, he listened to his wife and gradually realized that living at Longbourn had left her just as out of touch with the dangers of the world as it had him.

Setting down his teacup, he stood. He had found a place to begin.

“Mrs. Bennet? Please come to my study—there is a matter I must discuss with you.”

That lady looked startled—surely he knew that Lizzy handled all the household accounts?

But after a moment she stood and followed him to his sanctuary.

The girls barely noticed. Mary had her nose in a book while Kitty and Lydia argued over how best to re-trim an old bonnet.

Jane was sitting by the window, placidly hemming baby clothes for a poor tenant.

When his wife entered, Mr. Bennet shut the thick door of his study and guided her to a comfortable pair of chairs by the fire. Once they were seated, he spoke, taking care to modulate his voice in a calm tone with none of the sarcasm and censure that he used so often of late.

“Mrs. Bennet, I find myself in need of your advice with regards to Lydia. I’ve recently heard from an acquaintance who, upon hearing that our dear girl was to go to Brighton, has cautioned me with some disturbing stories.

I’ve decided it best to relay the unvarnished facts to you, for though unpleasant, I believe them necessary to help her.

In short, I am told that it is not uncommon for young ladies, particularly those of our Lydia’s beauty and liveliness, to be enticed into compromising situations while visiting Brighton.

The girls are lured by promises of marriage but then abandoned in unwedded disgrace. ”

Although slightly ashamed by his dramatics, Thomas was glad to hear his wife’s exclamations of horror.

“Yes, my dear, it is in every way horrible. These girls are shunned by all society, their only recourse to be sent to a distant farm in Scotland, never to be married or seen by their family again.”

“Oh, Mr. Bennet!”

Thomas did not like to frighten his wife in such a way but it was necessary for Fanny to understand the consequences. “And worse, their entire families were also shunned. No decent gentleman would marry the sister of such a girl and all of their former friends cut them direct.”

“Oh, Mr. Bennet! What a terrible thing for our girls!” By now, Fanny was in tears, her imagination full of horrible visions.

“Yes, my dear. But you must remember that this has not yet happened to us. However, you see why I’ve sought your advice on how best to protect our daughters?

My acquaintance said that it was the most gentlemanly of officers, one who had all the goodness in his countenance and the kindest of manners who was caught trying to seduce a fifteen year old girl. ”

By now Mrs. Bennet was frightened to silence, her eyes round in shock.

Thomas did not like to confront her with such unpleasant things but it was necessary for her to understand.

“What do you think, my dear? Lydia so desires to go to Brighton but I fear that Mrs. Forster, with a similar liveliness as our girl, may not know enough to look out for her. ”

Bennet waited, praying that his wife’s mean understanding of the world, added to her genuine love of their daughters, would lead her to the correct conclusion.

He was not certain that he would be able to save Lydia from herself without the help of her mother.

Thus, he was deeply relieved when Mrs. Bennet spoke in a calmer, more decisive tone than he had heard in a very long time.

“Well, Lydia mustn’t go to Brighton! There are no two ways about it— she and Mrs. Forster would’ve had such fun and I’m sorry for her to miss it but that lady won’t watch over her properly in such a dangerous place!”

Fanny looked up at her husband with fear in her eyes. “Thomas, do you think that there are such men in the regiment at Meryton?”

She blanched when her husband nodded emphatically.

“I fear so, my dear. In fact, tomorrow I shall be making the rounds of the shopkeepers to see that Colonel Forster is informed of any accounts that his soldiers have not settled. It is the colonel’s responsibility to make sure that debts of honor are managed within his regiment but it is our duty to be sure that our tradesmen are not cheated.

I will take Sir William Lucas and Mr. Goulding with me.

Perhaps your brother, Mr. Phillips as well— it never hurts to have a good solicitor at our back, after all. ”

For all of her pretensions, Miss Fanny Gardiner had grown up the daughter of a merchant and perfectly comprehended a tradesman’s horror of unpaid debts.

She looked to her husband and, for the first time in many years, they were in complete understanding.

“I shall speak to Lydia. Kitty as well, now that I think on it. I’ve encouraged them to make merry with the officers, but our girls are still full young and don’t understand the dangers, I fear. ”

Mr. Bennet touched his wife’s arm and the genuine approval in the gesture prompted tears to form in her eyes.

Stepping away, she patted her eyes dry before gathering herself like a general going forth to discipline her troops.

“Well then! I shall go see to them now. Dinner will be at seven as usual. Don’t be late— Cook found a lovely bit of fish this morning at the market. ”

Mr. Bennet smiled briefly as his wife bustled out of his study with her usual energy.

Then he moved back to his desk and penned brief notes to his foremost neighbors and brother-in-law, asking them to call upon him the next morning on a matter of some importance.

After sending a servant off to deliver the notes, Thomas settled back in his favorite chair and poured a glass of wine that he considered well-earned.

The afternoon had been nothing short of astonishing.

He was especially pleased with this new understanding with his wife and hoped it boded well for their future.

He was beginning to see that their daughters might be leaving soon and surmised that in the not too distant future it might be just himself and Fanny left at Longbourn.

It was rather like a chess game, he thought to himself.

Groundwork laid now could pay dividends in the future.

Later, Mr. Bennet settled back in his most comfortable chair and allowed his mind to wander into memories.

He thought of the story he had told Elizabeth and all the details that he had left out.

Details that he had observed himself and details that he had pieced together from his sister, father, and others.