Page 30 of Great Uncle Henry (Pride & Prejudice Vagary)

“Thank you. I would like to see everything I may.” Lizzy led her to the kitchens. Jane noticed that water was being drawn directly from a faucet in the kitchen and scullery both; no buckets were involved. “How is it that the water flows like that, and why are there two faucets in the scullery?”

“You were not aware, but Uncle Henry had the builders add pipes for hot and cold water. They are in the bathing rooms on the first and second floors as well. There is no carrying buckets to fill tubs here,” Elizabeth explained.

“Lizzy, as Uncle Henry rebuilt this house the way he did, I surmise that he is not poor like Mama and Papa claim, is he?” Jane enquired.

“No, he is not.” Elizabeth did not elaborate.

After all, it was not her place to do so; if and when Uncle Henry decided to tell Jane more, that was up to him.

After they saw the rooms on the ground floor, she led Jane up the stairs to the first floor.

“When I sleep here, I use the second bedchamber in the master suite.” Elizabeth inclined her head to a door.

“Mary uses that chamber, and Kitty the one next to it. If you ever want to stay overnight here, the one next to Kitty’s is available. ”

When Lizzy led Jane into the chamber she had indicated was the one she used, Jane’s breath caught. It was twice the size of Mama’s. The sitting room between the two chambers was more than double the size of the mistress’s sitting room in Longbourn’s manor house.

Next, the two eldest Bennet sisters made their way up to the second floor, where Jane was shown the suite and the four bedchambers. Lastly, Elizabeth led Jane up to the attics where the latter saw the places for the female servants to live.

“You noticed the stables when we arrived?” Elizabeth verified.

“I did,” Jane confirmed.

“Rooms were built above for the manservants to sleep. Next to the stables is a nice-sized carriage house,” Elizabeth explained.

While they returned to where Uncle Henry sat, Jane could not help but think of how much nicer the house was than she had thought when she arrived. She also could not stop berating herself for her mistakes over such a long period of time.

“Uncle Henry, please allow me to apologise for the way I treated you over the years,” Jane stated contritely as soon as she sat in the drawing room on the return from the tour.

“It was one thing when I was a little girl who did not know better, but there is no excuse for when I got older and should have been able to see past Mama’s pronouncements to the truth.

I used to think that Lizzy, Mary, and Kitty were wrong, but it was me who had the wrong of it, not them. ”

“I always hoped you would wake up and see things like this, and now you have done so on your own. Of course, I forgive you. You have been inculcated against me by your mother for as far back as we both can remember. Even were I not inclined to pardon you, you are my great-niece,” Henry allowed.

“Before you say you should have known sooner, because Mary, Kitty, and I did not believe Mama’s nonsensical pronouncements, do not forget for the first six years of my life I never knew Mama, and when I moved back, she did not have time for the three of us, so we were never under her influence,” Elizabeth pointed out.

“Also, you had the strength of character to ignore Mama about how to behave with men or how you dressed.”

“I was so jealous that you were allowed to wait to come out. What I would have given to be able to delay entering society,” Jane revealed.

“Jane, why did you never tell Fanny how you felt?” Henry queried.

“I thought she would take it as disobedience, and I wanted to honour her as the commandment orders,” Jane averred.

“Do you know that Mary likes to study the Bible and religious texts of other religions as well?” Elizabeth asked.

The reply was a shaken head. “One day, we debated the Ten Commandments. On the fifth one, Mary opined that honour does not mean blind obedience even when you know something is wrong.” Elizabeth raised her hand as Jane was about to protest. “Before you say it, you allowed your morals to override Mama’s orders when you knew what she told you was wrong.

You did not do so in everything, but enough to maintain your integrity and not go against your character. ”

“Uncle Henry, I thank you for your forgiveness. I do have a question, if it is not too impertinent,” Jane said.

“Ask it, but I may choose not to answer,” Henry responded.

“You are obviously far better off than Mama and Papa believe. Why do you allow them to believe that?”

“Because I have chosen not to correct them. I want people to like me for who I am, not for what I may or may not have in the way of wealth. With all due respect to your parents, you know your mother is both mercenary and a spendthrift. Your father is indolent and would want to do even less if he thought I had the wherewithal to pay for his life.”

“What do you know of your sister’s family, who, I assume, are on their way to England?” Jane enquired.

“No more than I had Lizzy tell your father. In her letter, Felicity only names her son and eldest grandson. I just today received a note from the Dennington Lines that my sister and her family are on their way. I would expect them to reach London in the next sennight to fortnight. When they arrive, all of the questions will be answered.” Henry paused.

“Jane, without going into the amounts involved, I will tell you that even if you never marry, you will never want for anything. I do not ask you to lie to your parents, like I have never asked it of your next three younger sisters, so all I ask is to only answer direct questions from your parents without volunteering more than they want to know. I am very happy to have you as part of the circle of my great-nieces. I will tell you that I never expect Lydia to wake to the facts. I, we, are all concerned she will ruin herself.”

Rather than trying to find a positive which was not there, Jane spent a long, hard time thinking about Lydia.

“I am afraid you are correct. She will do anything Mama asks, no matter how dishonourable. I am worried that if more officers come to Meryton, she will indeed ruin herself,” Jane stated as she shook her head.

“Brava, Janey. That is the most unforgiving speech that I ever heard you utter. Good girl! It would vex me, indeed, to see you being duped by Lydia’s non-existent character,” Elizabeth exclaimed.

That Jane was able to see past her desire to ascribe good to everyone impressed Henry.

He would not change who his heir was, but if this continued, he would increase Jane’s portion to match what he had set aside for Mary and Kitty.

He was well pleased that his eldest Bennet great-niece had finally awoken to see the reality of who her parents and younger sister were.

The sisters remained and took turns reading to Uncle Henry for two hours before they asked for their horses to be saddled. Before they departed, when asked, Jane gratefully told Uncle Henry she would not refuse a mare as she had in the past.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

That afternoon Jane joined her next three younger sisters in riding to the stables at Netherfield Park.

Jane did not ask why they went to the neighbouring estate, although she suspected it belonged to Uncle Henry.

Not knowing would allow her to answer the question—if it were asked of her—about who owned the estate honestly.

Lizzy led them to the stables, and there Jane was shown four mares.

The last one she saw was a bay. She was very calm, was between fourteen and fifteen hands high, and had a white blaze on her nose and forehead.

Jane loved the way her black mane, tail, and lower legs looked against her reddish-brown colour.

Lizzy told her the mare was named Penelope from Greek mythology.

“If she is not too expensive, I would like to have her,” Jane stated as she rubbed the mare’s nose. She was only four, so Jane would have her as her mount for many years.

“I am sure Uncle Henry will work out a good price with the owner of Netherfield Park,” Elizabeth said as she fought to school her features.

A groom joined them on their ride back to Longbourn; he led Nellie back.

Elizabeth intended to suggest that her father allow Nellie to retire and be put out to pasture. As it would not cost him funds or effort, she was certain that he would allow it.

As the four Bennet sisters were departing, a coach arrived in the drive.