Page 2 of The Bennet Heir

Chapter One

LATE SUMMER 1811

I n many ways, little changed at Longbourn after Mrs. Frances Bennet departed it. With her brother Jonathan now present, Elizabeth’s duties had decreased, and she had greater opportunities to apply herself to learning traditional feminine accomplishments. A piano master was hired to teach all four ladies, including Charlotte when she had time. Kitty requested a drawing master, and while Elizabeth and Mary both attended lessons, Kitty showed the greatest aptitude in that area.

Likewise, all four ladies regularly gathered in Grandmama Bennet’s sitting room to improve their skills in sewing and embroidery. They had all mastered the basic techniques, but none had previously found the time to devote to the finer details of these crafts. Under their grandmother’s guidance, they began to refine their stitches and explore more intricate patterns, learning not merely for the sake of accomplishment but for the satisfaction of creating beautiful lasting pieces. They often sewed for the poor and for their tenants and spent time throughout the year sewing useful items for the Christmas boxes gifted to the tenants on Boxing Day.

These sessions also became a time for reflection and conversation. The older lady, with her wealth of experience, offered both technical advice and personal insights, making the gatherings as much about bonding as about skill-building. Elizabeth, however, found herself enjoying these moments more than she had expected though her preference for the outdoors often led her to step outside when the weather allowed.

One afternoon, as they worked in the sitting room, Elizabeth sighed and glanced out of the window at the beautiful day. “I do enjoy the time spent in this room, but I must admit, a brisk walk in the garden or a ride through the fields calls to me more than these needles ever will. I am glad I took my walk early this morning, for I cannot abide sitting so long otherwise.”

Charlotte, seated nearby and diligently working on her embroidery, smiled softly. “I cannot say I disagree, Elizabeth, but I have learned to appreciate these tasks. There is a certain peace in creating something with one’s hands. Of course, the conversation is also much appreciated.”

Mary, focused on her own work, nodded in agreement. “Indeed. It gives me a sense of accomplishment. I never realised I would enjoy it as much as I have and appreciate this opportunity to spend time with my sisters and grandmother. Mama preferred for us to remain in the nursery unless she had some need of us.”

Kitty laughed lightly. “I think I would rather be out riding as well. Or drawing. But I must admit, I enjoy the time spent with all of you, especially you, Grandmama.”

Observing them with a smile, Grandmama Bennet spoke from her spot near the fire, “It is a good balance, I think. A time for reflection and a time for action. We can all learn much from each other, whether in the house or out in the fields.”

Elizabeth turned to her grandmother, her expression warm with gratitude. “You are right, Grandmama. Although my heart always yearns for the open air, I shall try to appreciate these moments more fully. After all, the conversation here is certainly more engaging—for Horace rarely answers my questions.” She laughed softly at her own remark, glancing at the mastiff her brother had purchased to accompany her on her countryside walks. A footman was usually tasked with following her, but Elizabeth often preferred the quiet companionship of the dog alone.

As they continued working, the conversation shifted to the books each of them was reading. The younger girls were particularly interested in the novels and histories that Elizabeth often shared, and their governess, upon discovering the depth of their discussions, began joining the sewing sessions. She found the conversation as enriching for her own knowledge as it was for her charges.

The ladies’ time together strengthened both their skills and their bond. Their sewing also served a charitable purpose, benefiting those who lived both at Longbourn or Netherfield.

Elizabeth had never known her maternal grandfather, who had lived at Netherfield until his death, and she was unsure who owned the estate now. Just the day before, she overheard her brother mention a new occupant arriving soon. For as long as she could remember, her grandmother had visited the tenants there, a practice Elizabeth now continued.

“I wonder who will be taking up residence at Netherfield,” Elizabeth mused as all the ladies sat sewing in her grandmother’s dower house. She paused speaking for a moment as she focused on threading her needle.

Charlotte glanced up from her embroidery, her expression thoughtful. “I suppose change is always a bit unsettling since we do not know who this person is. Still, it may be a pleasant thing to have new neighbours.”

“You are right,” Elizabeth replied with a small sigh. “Though I confess, I am curious about who they may be. The estate has been leased out before, but I do not recall any details about its previous tenants.”

Mary, who had been quietly listening, looked up and said, “Perhaps it will be someone of good character, someone who will help improve the neighbourhood.”

“I do hope so,” Elizabeth said. “But I suppose we shall see soon enough. Jonathan will visit them as is his duty, I am certain.”

Just then, the governess entered the room, carrying a stack of books. “Good morning, ladies,” she said with a smile. “I see we are all busy this morning. I hope I am not interrupting?”

“Not at all, Mrs. Smith,” Elizabeth answered warmly. “We were just speaking of the new tenant at Netherfield. Have you heard anything about who will be leasing the estate?”

“I have not, but I have heard murmurings in Meryton that the new resident will arrive shortly. A gentleman, I believe,” Mrs. Smith replied, settling into a nearby chair with her own sewing things.

“I wonder if he will prove to be a good neighbour,” Charlotte mused, her tone light but with a hint of curiosity.

“Only time will tell,” Elizabeth said with a shrug. “In the meantime, we have enough to occupy us here. Perhaps we will see him at the upcoming assembly.”

“Mr. Bingley, welcome to our small community,” Jonathan Bennet said a few days later when he made the first call to meet Netherfield Park’s new leaseholder.

“Thank you, sir. Might I also introduce you to my good friend, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley in Derbyshire,” Bingley replied, indicating the tall man standing next to him.

“We have met, but it was several years ago. My uncle, Edward Gardiner, is one partner in the shipping venture you and your father became involved in shortly before his death,” Bennet replied, extending his hand to shake the other man’s. “I was sorry to hear of your father’s passing,” he added sincerely.

“You do look vaguely familiar, Mr. Bennet, and, of course, I know Gardiner well. I believe he told me your own father passed away recently; at least, I assume he referred to you when he mentioned his brother’s passing,” Darcy replied, surprised by the connection. He admired Gardiner and had, since his own father’s death, viewed the man as something of a mentor despite their differences in station.

“Yes, but not so recently, since my father died almost three years ago. As I did not get along with his second wife, I remained in London with my uncle after university and did not return to Meryton until I took over the estate after his death. While I wrote to Father frequently, I saw him only rarely over the last years of his life.”

Bingley’s ears perked up. “Your mother is Mrs. Bennet, who resides with the solicitor, Mr. Philips? And Miss Jane Bennet—she is your sister?” He chuckled, recalling what he had overheard, unaware of the tension his words created. “Mrs. Bennet certainly had plenty to say about you,” he added with a laugh, oblivious to how his guest’s expression hardened. However, Darcy, more perceptive than his friend, noticed the way Bennet’s posture grew rigid as the remarks became more personal.

“When I visited the solicitor to finalise my lease, she was in the office causing quite a stir. Your name came up more than once,” Bingley continued. He hesitated briefly, then shifted the conversation back to what concerned him most. “Her eldest daughter is quite lovely. I glimpsed her through the window, and her uncle told me who she was.”

“The Mrs. Bennet you met is my stepmother,” Bennet explained. “She married my father while I was away at school. After my father’s death and my own marriage, she chose to move to Meryton to be near her sister and brother-in-law. Her eldest daughter, Jane, is from her first marriage. Her youngest, my half-sister Lydia, also accompanied her when she moved into her cottage.”

Darcy shook his head, discomfort evident on his face. While understanding the local community was important for managing an estate, the conversation felt uncomfortably close to gossip. “I daresay we will not be able to avoid meeting the widowed Mrs. Bennet. But tell us, Mr. Bennet—what can you share about Netherfield? My friend has never managed an estate, and mine is in the north which you may know from your uncle. What advice might you offer that I have not already shared?”

Recognising Darcy’s attempt to steer the discussion, Bennet shifted the conversation to estate matters. Over the next several minutes, he and Darcy spoke casually, discussing farming and land management in the southern counties which differed from Darcy’s experience. While the two were satisfied with what they had learned, Bingley could only shake his head, trying to take it all in. Before they departed, Bennet invited them to dine at Longbourn soon, and the invitation was accepted.

A few days later, Darcy and Bingley returned the visit to Longbourn where they met the current Mrs. Bennet—a pleasant lady who readily supported her husband’s invitation to dinner, helping to finalise a date. During their call, they learned that Mary and Catherine were in the schoolroom with their governess, while the oldest sister at Longbourn, Elizabeth, was out visiting tenants.

The visit was brief since Bingley had little interest in touring the estate that morning, preferring to return the many calls he had received since his arrival. However, Darcy arranged to return the next morning so that Bennet could give him a tour of the home farm and introduce him to several tenants.

Having heard rumours in town, Darcy had lingering questions about the Bennet family, but rather than address them outright, he waited for an opportunity to broach the topic privately as they rode out together the following day.

Darcy began his enquiries into the family cautiously, not wanting to cause offense as he sought to understand. “According to the gossip in town—repeated in nearly every visit the gentlemen of Meryton have paid upon Netherfield—Miss Jane Bennet is not truly a Bennet. Since my friend appears interested in her—or at least in her beauty—what can you tell me of the lady and her family?”

Bennet chuckled. “My friends in London have told me a bit about your host. I must admit, upon learning that a young man would be leasing an estate nearby, I wrote to enquire about him—after all, I have sisters to protect. From what I hear, he is easily captivated by a pretty face but just as quickly loses interest, flitting from one young lady to the next like a butterfly.”

Darcy smiled. “I cannot say you have heard wrong. Bingley is sometimes unaware of how his actions might be interpreted by others. In town, this has not led to him raising expectations too much, but I am concerned about how his behaviour might be perceived differently in the country. I have encouraged him to moderate himself and be careful not to raise expectations he does not mean to fulfil.”

“Unfortunately, my stepmother will interpret any attention as leading to a proposal of marriage,” Bennet said dryly. “She is most eager to have Jane wed. As to your question—Jane is her daughter from her first marriage and should rightly be called Miss Pattison. However, my stepmother insists that Jane, as the eldest, be called Miss Bennet, taking my sister Elizabeth’s place. Elizabeth cannot object without being accused of jealousy over her ‘prettier’ stepsister.”

Darcy shook his head. “Your stepmother sounds quite unreasonable. It would not be jealousy that would make your sister desire to be called by her proper name when her stepsister is using a name that does not rightly belong to her.”

“The problem with that statement, sir, is that you assume my stepmother uses logic in her arguments,” Bennet replied. “Since that is not the case, she prefers to speak loudly and often, hoping that no one will object to her many repetitions of falsehoods. You should warn your friend that Jane has only a small dowry—she was left a small amount from her father and she will have her portion of her mother’s four thousand pounds, shared amongst her four daughters. Had Jane remained in my house, I would have given her a larger dowry, but she preferred to stay with her mother, not wanting to disappoint her. Jane is a good sort of girl, but far too easily led by her mother’s feelings. Her mother plays on that, having convenient ‘fits of the vapours’ whenever anyone contradicts her.”

Nodding, Darcy seemed to take in this information. “You mentioned a sister, Elizabeth. Is she your full sister, unlike your half-sister Lydia, who accompanied your stepmother? From what I have heard, I have deduced there are several Miss Bennets but was uncertain of how many or where they fit.”

Bennet nodded. “Indeed. Between them all, I have five sisters. Elizabeth is the only one who shares both a father and mother with me. Jane is my stepsister—our only connection is through her mother’s marriage to my father. My father and Mrs. Bennet had three daughters together: Mary, Kitty, and Lydia. Only Lydia accompanied her mother when she left my house. Mary and Kitty remained with me, and I hired a governess to oversee their education, which was sadly neglected during my father’s life. I am sorry to say my father was far more interested in his books than in ensuring his daughters had a proper education. The exception was Elizabeth, who spent most of her childhood with my grandmother, who resides in the dower house at Longbourn.

“My own mother died when Elizabeth was born, and my grandmother stepped in to help raise her when Father was too consumed by grief to tend to much of anything. I was away at school when she died. When I came home at the end of the next school term—less than six months later—I discovered Elizabeth residing in the dower house with my grandmother, and my father married to Frances Pattison, the daughter of the local solicitor, and a girl half his age.” He paused for a moment, thinking of how to continue the tale.

“Before she wed, she was Frances—called Fanny—Gardiner, and she left the area at seventeen after she married a soldier. She returned a few years later with a young Jane—who was two or three years old at the time—and immediately set her sights on my recently widowed father. I never learned the full story of how she succeeded, but by the time I came back, my father was unhappily married to the lady and her daughter installed in my sister’s place,” Bennet said, scowling.

“As I said, they went on to have three daughters together. However, each time, my stepmother prayed for a son, hoping he might somehow replace me as the heir to the estate. Despite this, I would have continued to support Mrs. Bennet at Longbourn, but she was adamant that she would not give way as mistress of the estate to my wife. She was angry when I returned home nearly three years ago and was further angered with me when I married.”

Darcy frowned. “Mrs. Bennet cannot be entirely rational, can she? A son from a second wife would not displace the firstborn as heir. As master of the estate, your wife would naturally assume the role of mistress. Perhaps if you had remained unmarried, she might have continued overseeing the household, but she must have known that would change once you wed.”

Bennet shook his head with a wry laugh. “You are correct—I have long suspected my stepmother is not entirely rational. She never cared for me or my sister, and that indifference now extends to my wife. She resents I provided dowries for my sister and the half-sisters who stayed with me while offering nothing extra for my sisters who went with her when she left. We argued bitterly over their departure, especially Lydia’s, since she is so young and impressionable. But since she had no interest in learning, and Jane would never defy her mother, even with her guardian’s support, I chose only to ensure they lived comfortably—though not nearly as lavishly as my stepmother would like. Beyond that, I refuse to provide further support.

“As I mentioned, after finishing at Cambridge, I stayed in London with Gardiner, who is my stepmother’s brother, rather than return home. I spent nearly a decade learning from him and investing every penny I could. As you are no doubt aware, Mr. Darcy, those investments have since proved highly profitable. I urged my father to invest as well, suggesting he use the returns to supplement his wife’s jointure and secure dowries for all the girls, including Jane. He refused, although he did allow Lizzy and me to manage the estate once she was old enough to assist. With our grandmother’s help, Lizzy oversaw matters at hand and kept me informed so we could make decisions together. Through our efforts, the estate’s income grew—without my father knowing. With those additional funds, I was able to set aside a little more for my sisters.

“Since taking over, I have become more involved in the estate’s daily operations, but Lizzy remains an invaluable help. This is yet another reason Mrs. Bennet despises both Lizzy and me.”

Darcy’s interest piqued. “Your sister, Elizabeth, how old is she?”

“She is nearly sixteen years my junior and recently turned nineteen. I believe my parents suffered several losses between my birth and hers. It was difficult at first to find ways to relate to one so much younger, but we have managed it.”

Darcy nodded. “I understand the challenge. My sister is nearly twelve years younger, and I struggle to know how best to guide her through young womanhood.”

Bennet chuckled. “Fortunately, Lizzy had my grandmother, our Aunt Gardiner, and my wife to guide her. The Gardiners are not related by blood, but they are, without a doubt, the best thing that came from Father marrying that woman. Charlotte, my wife, was already friends with Lizzy before our marriage, and the two have grown closer since becoming sisters. Mrs. Bennet, however, never liked Lizzy. She believed my father gave her too much attention at Jane’s expense. She resented their closeness though none of the other girls showed the same interest in learning or assisting with the estate. Of course, she also disapproved of Elizabeth’s ‘unladylike’ pursuits—reading, learning, and helping to manage Longbourn.”

Darcy felt a pang of disappointment at having missed the opportunity to meet Miss Bennet each time he had been at Longbourn thus far. From the description he had heard of her from both her brother and uncle, she seemed far more interesting than many of the ladies he encountered in society. Her uncommon interest in estate matters set her apart, and the details of her education, as recounted by Bennet, only piqued his curiosity further.

He wondered if she might be a bluestocking—a label not entirely unappealing to him though often met with disdain in society. The glowing remarks he had heard from several of Netherfield’s tenants, however, suggested she was much more than that. They spoke of her visits with genuine warmth, mentioning how she took the time to listen to their concerns and offered thoughtful assistance when needed. Remarkably, she had not limited her attention to Longbourn’s tenants but had extended her efforts to Netherfield’s as well, despite the estate being without a master for some time.

Darcy found this idea to be particularly intriguing. A young woman who not only ventured beyond her family’s land and who did so with confidence and purpose, was a rarity among the ladies of his acquaintance. That her brother actively encouraged these endeavours spoke volumes about the kind of person she must be—capable, independent, and unafraid to engage with the world beyond the drawing rooms and parlours of society.

He could not help but wonder how these qualities would manifest in person. Would she possess the same easy charm and grace that her actions suggested? Did her wit match her reputation? The more he considered it, the more he anticipated their meeting. If her appearance was indeed as striking as it was claimed to be and her mind as lively as her habits suggested, she might be without peer.

For the first time in many years, Darcy felt a stir of curiosity that went beyond mere politeness or social obligation. It was an unfamiliar sensation—this eagerness to encounter someone whose character, rather than just their name or connections, intrigued him. While he would barely admit the thought to himself, he could admit that he was looking forward to making Miss Elizabeth Bennet’s acquaintance.