Page 2 of Heiress of Longbourn (Pride and Prejudice Variations)

Drawing Room

Longbourn

Two Hours after Midnight

Thomas Bennet lifted his head from his book at the sound of his wife’s shrill voice. He generally retired by midnight, but with his wife and daughters at the assembly at Meryton, he had decided to stay up out of curiosity. It was no great sacrifice on his part, as he had acquired a new book only two days previously, and he could always sleep in late if necessary. He heard the footsteps of his daughters climbing the staircase which led to the west wing, while his wife walked hurriedly along the corridor toward the east stairway, only to stop at the sight of him.

“My dear Mr. Bennet,” his lady exclaimed, spying him through the open doorway and surging into the room. “Fancy seeing you still awake!”

“I wished to learn how the assembly went. Did you and the girls enjoy it?”

Mrs. Bennet frowned, dropped into a wingbacked chair, and said gloomily, “Mr. Bingley danced twice with Jane, only once with Lizzy, and did not ask the younger girls to dance at all. I fear he is not interested in the younger four at all. It is quite dreadful.”

For the hundredth time, Bennet considered telling his wife that Elizabeth was the heiress of Longbourn instead of Jane, and for the hundredth time, he decided against it. Mrs. Bennet was irrational about the disposition of Longbourn, and if he told her the truth, she would only turn her obsession on Elizabeth, who was not nearly as serene as her elder sister.

Instead he said, “The fact that this young Bingley fellow danced with Jane twice does not mean that he will ever offer for her.”

His wife slumped in her chair, her face suddenly drawn with weariness. “I know, Husband, but I fear that the younger girls will never find a husband with Jane still unwed. She is so very beautiful – not that I blame her for that – but she is an heiress too, and thus the young men flock to her instead of the other girls. I do wish I had birthed a son. He would have brought his bride here, and I would not have worried so much about losing my home when you die.”

Mr. Bennet reached over to pat his wife’s hand and said, “My dear, I do beg you not to worry so much. I am not an old man and may well live another twenty years!”

“Yes, but you never know! My cousin Meredith lost her husband when he was thrown from a horse, and Mrs. Long lost her husband to influenza, and Mr. Styles fell from a building, and...”

Mr. Bennet suppressed a sigh and leaned back in his chair as his wife recited a litany of ways in which he might die suddenly. This was not the first time Mrs. Bennet had expressed her nerves in such a way, and he did not even pretend to listen. Instead, he turned his thoughts to Jane. As much as his eldest was a phlegmatic soul, it must be difficult for her to be discouraged by her own mother from pursuing a husband of her own.

He had never worried about the matter before, as none of the young men interested in Jane seemed worthy of her notice, nor had she indicated that she cared particularly for any of them. But now? He had visited Mr. Bingley the previous week at Netherfield Hall, and while that was not enough time for him to be certain of the young man’s character, he had been impressed with his pleasing manners. Bingley might be a good match for Jane, and Bennet did not wish for his wife to prevent such an advantageous union due to her ridiculous fears.

He resolved to speak to his eldest daughters the next day.

***

Library

Longbourn

The Next Day

Noon

The door opened, and Bennet looked up and smiled at his eldest daughters, standing side by side in the doorway, the elder dressed in dark blue and the younger in green, both with woven shawls adding an extra layer of warmth.

“You wished to see us, Father?” Elizabeth asked.

“I do, my dears. Come in, shut the door behind you, and sit down by the fire. It is cold this morning.

His daughters obediently made their way to a small settee and sat down, while he took the wingbacked chair in front of them.

“Is something wrong?” Jane asked, her forehead wrinkled with worry.

“No, no, not at all,” he responded hastily. “No, it is merely that I wished to ask you both, in private, your feelings about the assembly last night.”

His daughters looked startled and glanced at one another.

“We enjoyed it very well,” Elizabeth said.

“What did you think of Mr. Bingley and his party?” her father asked.

“Oh,” Elizabeth said. “Did Mamma tell you about Mr. Darcy? I assure you that I am not distressed in the least about his insult. It means nothing.”

Bennet sat up in surprise. “What is this? A gentleman insulted you?”

His second daughter frowned. “Mamma did not tell you? Well, obviously she did not... It is no great thing, Father. Mr. Bingley came to the assembly, as anticipated, and one of his companions, a Mr. Darcy, stated within my hearing that I was not ‘handsome enough to tempt him’ to dance. It was annoying, but I am not dismayed, I promise you.”

Bennet scowled and said, “That was not well done of this Darcy fellow, not at all. Was Mr. Bingley equally rude?”

“Not at all!” Elizabeth replied quickly. “Indeed, it is hard to understand how Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy could be friends. Mr. Bingley was cheerful, and loquacious, and kind, and danced every dance, whereas Mr. Darcy danced only with the two ladies in his party, and then glowered from the corner of the hall for the rest of the night.”

“What do you think of Mr. Bingley?” Bennet asked, turning his attention on his eldest child.

Jane blushed and said, “I like him very much. He is just what a young man ought to be – sensible, good-humored, lively – and I never saw such happy manners! So much ease, with such perfect good breeding!”

“He is also handsome,” Elizabeth chimed in, “which a young man ought likewise to be if he possibly can. His character is thereby quite complete.”

“Jane,” Bennet said, reaching forward to gaze into his child’s lovely face. “I am aware that your mother does not wish you to marry before your sisters, and in the past I have kept quiet, as I have never met a young man who would be a good match for you. I do not pretend to know Bingley well, but from my brief observations, I think him a pleasant individual, with a character somewhat like yours. I have no idea whether you and he will make a match of it, but I urge you not to be swayed by your mother’s foolish concerns.”

Jane, to his disappointment, merely sighed and sat back, her face grave. “But Father, is it not my duty to honor my mother in this matter? She is so very afraid of losing Longbourn after you die and if I can ease her mind…”

“That is not fair, Jane,” Elizabeth interrupted, her face now pink with indignation. “You would be a wonderful wife and mother, and for you to remain unwed because our mother has an irrational fear of losing Longbourn? Absurd!”

“She said that perhaps I can marry after one of my sisters is already wed?” Jane suggested tentatively.

“Jane,” Bennet said, and now his tone was stern. “You will honor me by being prepared to accept an offer of marriage from a suitable gentleman. Your mother’s fears are, as Lizzy says, irrational, and I have no intention of letting you sacrifice yourself on the altar of her foolishness.”

“Why is she so afraid, Father?” Elizabeth demanded. “It makes no sense at all! There is no entail on Longbourn, and thus the precise disposition of the estate can and will be part of any marriage settlements!”

Bennet sighed and leaned back. “You are correct, of course, but in your mother’s defense, she had a close friend who lost her home because her elder sister, who was the heiress to the estate, married poorly.”

Elizabeth frowned. “How did that happen?”

Bennet grimaced and said, “It was the Simmons, who used to own Purvis Lodge and the surrounding land. There were only two girls, Julia and Miriam, with Julia being the heiress of the estate. Julia Simmons was a rebellious girl, especially after her father’s untimely death when she was seventeen, and she fell in love with a handsome ne'er-do-well during her Season in London. She was underage, and her guardian, an uncle, did not approve of the match, so she and – the name escapes me … Hastings, that is it! – Mr. Hastings ran off to Gretna Green, and they were married over the anvil. This meant, of course, that there were no marriage settlements signed, and Hastings proved to be a gambler and a spendthrift. Within four years of the marriage, the house and lands had to be sold to keep Hastings out of debtor’s prison. Miriam and her mother were forced by poverty to move in with an uncle and aunt in Liverpool, and your mother never saw her again, though she heard from mutual friends that Miriam Simmons never married.”

“That is sad,” Elizabeth said slowly. “Very sad. But if the older daughter had not run away to Scotland…”

“Precisely, my dear. Because of the elopement, there were no legal marriage settlements to protect the Simmons family. But your mother is more inclined to think with her heart than her mind, and while I have tried to explain many times that such a thing could not happen here, she refuses to believe it.”

“It was stupid of the young lady to run away like that,” Jane said, “but I suppose she was very much in love.”

“I think we can be entirely confident that Jane would never do such a thing, though,” Elizabeth said, smiling fondly at her favorite sister. “She is the most honorable lady I know.”

“Thank you, Lizzy,” Jane replied. “I would not say that, but I would never accept a man without the blessing of my father.”

“I am confident that is true,” Bennet replied, hesitated, and then continued, “There is one other thing, my dears. Longbourn is not entailed to the eldest child. I have the power to alter the disposition of the estate based on my children’s potential marriages.”

Quick-witted Elizabeth gasped softly and shook her head. “But surely, Father, Jane must be the heiress! She is the eldest, and such a wonderful lady, and so intelligent, and…”

“Hush, Lizzy,” Jane interpolated. “It is quite all right. This gives Father more freedom to protect us all. I only wish that Mother could understand it. Perhaps if I spoke to her?”

“You can try,” her father replied, “but do not be distressed if you cannot explain the matter to her satisfaction.”