Page 15 of The Bennet Heir
Chapter Fourteen
I t took several days for the rumours of Mr. Collins’ rise to the rightful heir of Longbourn to reach Mr. Philips. When his wife first told him the gossip she had heard, he dismissed it, but when he heard from two or three others that Jonathan Bennet had, apparently, stolen the estate from the Collins family, he sought out more information. Once he was in possession of what was being put about in town, he went to his nephew.
“Bennet, have you been to Meryton in the last day or two? Or any of your women?” he asked by way of greeting when he called at Longbourn on Friday morning.
“No, we have all been busy on the estate. Two of our tenants’ wives have given birth while another of the tenant families at Netherfield is ill. Charlotte and Lizzy have been rather occupied in assisting them. A barn collapsed in the storm on Tuesday, so I have been assisting there, both to get it replaced and to see what of the food and hay stored there can be salvaged. Why, what has happened?” Bennet asked, suddenly anxious. He wondered if his dismissal of his distant cousin, or of Mr. Darcy’s departure on Monday, could have created any gossip.
“Your stepmother, my sister by marriage, has put it about that the Mr. Collins who visited you last week is the rightful heir of Longbourn,” Philips said with a heavy sigh. “I believe the story was, at first, that he was your heir, but it grew in each of the subsequent tellings now half of Meryton thinks you and your father have stolen what should have rightly been another’s.”
Bennet laughed incredulously. “You cannot be serious,” he objected, but was stunned silent when his uncle nodded. Bennet then recounted the letter that had arrived from Mr. Collins regarding his imminent arrival along with what had happened during the whole of the visit, including the fool’s claim of an engagement to his sister Elizabeth.
“Did you know that Mr. Collins visited your stepmother after he left this house last Friday?” Philips asked. Bennet indicated that he did not know for certain, only suspected it, and so Philips continued. “Somehow Fanny received a letter meant for your father, and she corresponded with this Mr. Collins a time or two before he wrote to you to invite himself here. His letter where he acknowledges that he knew the entail had been ended will help should he pursue legal action, but something must be said or done about these rumours flying about town. I also worry that he will say something about this engagement that you said he mentioned, and if Fanny is involved, she may seek to ruin Lizzy’s reputation.”
Bennet nodded as he thought over the matter. Finally, he spoke. “You handled the paperwork that ended the entail when I came of age. Despite the fact that we are not related by blood, some may believe that you are assisting me due to some misguided idea of family. The original entail documents are in my safe, of course, but if I were to obtain a copy of the document from the solicitor in St. Albans, along with his word in the matter, do you think that would be enough to stop this speculation? Do I even need to? If Collins were to bring any sort of suit, it would be a headache, but ultimately, it would be dismissed. I have far more evidence on my side than he does on his.”
Philips agreed, and the two men discussed what steps Bennet ought to take. It was unlikely that Collins would take the matter to court, but they could not be certain.
The more pressing matter was what would be done if Collins attempted to claim he was engaged to Elizabeth. Should the rumour become widespread, it could harm her reputation in the area. It would not be enough to ruin her completely, but could result in a need for her to be sent away. Idly, Bennet thought that could actually work to her benefit since he knew Darcy would enjoy courting Elizabeth in London, but he did not wish to send her away amidst a scandal. Would doing so cause Darcy to change his mind about her?
Bennet doubted if anything would change Darcy’s mind about his sister, but he was determined to write to Darcy about the rumours regardless. He would speak to his wife and sister that very afternoon, and the three of them would make plans. After a moment, he decided it would be best to include his grandmother in these discussions, for she had knowledge about the entail over the last several generations.
“Thank you for bringing this matter to my attention, Philips,” Bennet said after having been silent for several minutes. “I know that Fanny is your sister by marriage, but may I ask, where does your wife stand on this matter? She must know that it is her sister who is behind this gossip, for Fanny would like nothing better than to embarrass both my sister and me.”
“She and I have heard rumours that Fanny and Miss Bingley have met several times of late, which seems rather odd in my opinion. Miss Bingley struck me as a snob who would not wish to associate with the widow of a minor landholder. However, neither of us can understand what Miss Bingley could have to gain by assisting her,” Philips said.
Bennet appeared to weigh the idea carefully before speaking. “Darcy,” he said abruptly.
Philips looked at him in surprise, prompting Bennet to chuckle. “If Lizzy were caught in a scandal—say, rumours of a ‘broken engagement’ or, worse, were coerced into marrying that fool Collins—Miss Bingley might see it as an opportunity to ‘win back’ Mr. Darcy.”
Seeing Philips’s confusion, he elaborated, “Darcy mentioned that his friend’s sister was pursuing him, and he left Netherfield before she could attempt to compromise him. Miss Bingley resents the attention Darcy paid to my sister, so she may believe that, if Lizzy is removed from the equation, she might secure Darcy’s hand.” He scoffed. “She is even more foolish than I thought. Even if Lizzy were suddenly unavailable, Darcy would never choose her.”
“What will you do?” Philips asked.
“I had already intended to write to Darcy to tell him of the rumours, but perhaps I should seek his permission to announce their courtship,” Bennet said. He further explained, “He asked Lizzy for a courtship before he left, but none of us wished to announce it publicly yet, especially with him leaving for town. He hopes to return with his sister, but he wished to wait until the Bingleys left. I doubt they will remain in the area much longer.”
“If word of a courtship between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy were spread before this engagement rumour, it would at least cause everyone to question which was true. With you announcing the courtship and my sister championing the engagement, it should be obvious to all that the relationship she speaks of is fictional, since she has no say in who Elizabeth weds. Anything she says about the happenings at Longbourn should be suspect since everyone is aware of the break between the two of you, yet there are those who would cling to any sort of gossip as true,” Philips agreed. “It would be more difficult without you speaking of another connection, even though the entire neighbourhood saw how close Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy were during his stay here.”
“I will write to him immediately and travel to St. Albans in the morning; it is only an hour’s ride. I will be back well before the Gouldings’ dinner party tomorrow evening and will announce the courtship then—assuming Darcy agrees to my plan,” Bennet stated.
The two men discussed one or two other small matters before Philips departed. He had done what he could to inform his nephew of the rumours and would correct anyone who asked him about them. He hoped the issue would be easily resolved, but he was unsure it would be as simple as everyone hoped it would be.
Elizabeth and Charlotte were incensed when they heard what Philips told Bennet that morning. Grandmama Bennet was no less displeased when they told her. Though much of what they thought they knew was only conjecture, they knew enough of each party to suspect that they were close to the truth. The details might vary slightly, but they suspected that, somehow, Fanny Bennet, Caroline Bingley, and William Collins were plotting together, each seeking to gain something by it.
Collins’ motivation was perhaps the least clear although Grandmama Bennet pointed out that he had likely been embarrassed by being tossed out of Longbourn and sought to get revenge on the family. Should he manage to force a marriage between himself and Elizabeth, he would gain a closer connection to the family and whatever dowry came with Elizabeth.
Fanny Bennet knew Elizabeth had a portion from her mother though she had no idea of the amount. Throughout her marriage, she had repeatedly tried to persuade her husband to reveal the sum, but he had never relented. His refusal irritated her to no end, leaving her to wonder whether he kept it from her because it was embarrassingly small or because it was more substantial than she had assumed.
Similarly, she was well aware that her stepson had increased Longbourn’s wealth, and it still infuriated her that he refused to grant her control over her daughters’ portions. She knew he continued to add to Mary’s and Kitty’s dowries, but he had been firm in his stance that Jane and Lydia would receive nothing further if they chose to leave Longbourn with her. Yet Fanny had refused to accept this as fact. Instead, she convinced herself that, when the time came, her two daughters would be granted an equal share of whatever Mary and Kitty received upon their marriages.
Elizabeth seethed as she considered Miss Bingley’s likely motives. “Mr. Darcy had no interest in her before he even met me—how can she be so daft as to believe that ruining my reputation in Meryton would somehow make him turn to her? At worst, I may be forced to leave my family, but that would not make him pursue her instead.”
“Lizzy, I believe you must curtail your walks for a time. I know that you always take Horace with you along with a footman, but we do not know this Mr. Collins or what sort of man he might be. What if he attempted to take you by force? I would not wish you to be harmed,” Bennet said to his sister, causing his wife and sister to blanch. Grandmama Bennet had already considered this and did not react to his words.
“You cannot think that a rector would compromise a woman in a violent manner, do you?” Elizabeth asked, aghast.
“I cannot say, Lizzy,” Bennet replied. “The fact is, we do not know him well enough to speculate on what he may do. I had intended to ask you to restrict your movements somewhat anyway, for the militia is now quartered in Meryton. While the officers ought to all be gentlemen’s sons, that is still no guarantee that they will behave in an honourable fashion.”
Drawing in a deep breath to slow her racing thoughts, she nodded her agreement to her brother’s words. “I will do as you ask, Jon, but what would you have me do? I cannot merely sit at home and wait for you to escort me to our tenants’ homes.”
“I will travel to St. Albans tomorrow, but when I return, I will see about hiring someone whose primary responsibility will be to see to your safety,” Bennet replied.
Charlotte gasped. “I still have trouble believing this is necessary. What about me and Mary and Kitty? Are we safe?”
“Mary and Kitty are too young to be forced to marry, nor would marrying them give him Longbourn. I do not think they will be her target. However, all of you will need to take precautions. I will alert the servants to be on guard,” Bennet replied.
“Lizzy, Charlotte,” Grandmama Bennet spoke for the first time in several minutes. “I know you do not believe that anything truly terrible can happen to you here. Meryton, especially Longbourn, has always been safe for you. However, you should all be careful. Charlotte, you are carrying the next generation of Bennets. Your child will inherit Longbourn one day, even if you have only girls, you will not need to worry about your future since the entail has been ended.”
Then she turned to look at Elizabeth. “My dear Lizzy, you have so many good things to look forward to and, you are correct; you will never be forced to marry that Collins man. But he can harm you, as can Miss Bingley or that fool my son married. You must be wary.” She clasped her granddaughter’s hands in her own as she spoke and looked her directly in the eyes. The two had always been close, especially since the dowager had raised her granddaughter after the child’s mother died. Elizabeth nodded after a moment, and Grandmama Bennet let her eyes shift to her grandson.
“Jon, you must also take care. This fool is claiming to be the heir. Should something happen to you, he could step in and attempt to take Longbourn from your legitimate heirs. While many would protect your wife and sisters, Collins and Fanny could cause problems for the family,” she told him.
Bennet had not considered any potential danger to himself until his grandmother mentioned it. He had planned to ride to St. Albans the next day, but now he wondered whether it would be wiser to take the coach or at least bring a footman for protection. However, doing so would mean fewer men remained behind to look after his wife and sisters. He resolved to give the matter further thought.
Silence settled over the group as each person reflected on Grandmama Bennet’s words and what they might mean. After a few moments, Charlotte shifted the conversation to a less troubling topic, asking their grandmother about the sewing projects she had been working on for the tenants in preparation for Christmas. The discussion turned to the estate’s tenants, particularly the families in need and the efforts to assist them that week.
They spoke for another half hour, but soon, Grandmama Bennet began to tire. Seeing this, her grandchildren bid her goodnight and returned to their own home for the evening meal, making their final preparations for the following day.
That evening after supper Elizabeth retired to her room to write to Mr. Darcy about the events of the day. Although she knew her brother had already written to him, and that letter had been sent earlier with the messenger, she wished to express her displeasure to her suitor. It had not yet been a week, but she had come to greatly enjoy this exchange of ideas and had soon come to rely on hearing his thoughts about matters. She did not know what his reaction might be, but she hoped he would be just as frustrated as she felt at present about others trying to force their hands.