“I cannot lose what I never had. And it is only for less than three months that you will have the power to decide where and when I travel, or whom I marry or do not marry. On the fifth day of March in 1813, I will reach my majority,in case you forgot that fact.” Elizabeth, stood, turned, and left her spluttering father’s study. She did not tell her father that missing her allowance was not a hardship as she had—unlike him—saved, and invested, most of her quarterly pin money.
At least he had not commanded her to remain in the house and never leave it. That would have been one order she would have disobeyed.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
By the time Elizabeth reached the drawing room, the tension of keeping her equanimity during the confrontation was too much for her. She fell sobbing into her mother’s welcoming arms as she released her anxiety in a physical form.
Mary led her younger sisters out of the room and pulled the door closed. Lizzy needed to speak to Mama without interruption. She would speak to her older sister later. She was grateful neither Kitty nor Lydia questioned their need to vacate the room and allow Lizzy privacy.
Fanny waited until Lizzy had cried as much as she needed. She handed her second daughter, the eldest one left at home, her silk edged handkerchief while rubbing Lizzy’s back comfortingly.
“Was it so very bad?” Fanny asked when Elizabeth had ceased crying.
“No worse than I expected,” Elizabeth averred as she dried the last of her tears. “He took it about as badly as I thought he would, but I had to say what was needed. Nothing he said caused me to cry, it was simply a release, after having to maintain my outward façade in the study.”
“Did my husband punish you?” Fanny worried.
Elizabeth explained what her father, Mr Bennet as she thought of him now, imposed on her. “At least he will not order me into his study and I am allowed out of the house.”
“It is for less than three months,” Fanny shook her head.
“That is what I said,” Elizabeth stated as she gave a watery smile. “If we are welcome, my sisters, and I should visit Netherfield Park most days. At least Becca and Gigi are there, not to mention Mary’s fiancé. I would visit Charlotte at Lucas Lodge but I think her attentions are focused on her colonel.”
Remembering what Lizzy said about her father revoking her allowance, Fanny took her daughters hands in her own. “You will not be hurt by having no allowance,” Fanny asserted, “I will give you part of mine, and I am sure your sisters will do the same once they hear about the cruel an undeserved punishment Mr Bennet imposed on you for speaking the truth to him.”
“Mama, as much as I appreciate it, it will not be needed,” Elizabeth claimed. “When I was about six, I heard Uncle Edward imploring your husband to invest and save with him; of course Mr Bennet refused. Even though at that age my allowance was not very much, I had three quarters worth of allowance I had not used, and asked Uncle if I was allowed to save with him. He agreed on condition I not tell my parents.” Elizabeth looked at her mother shyly, “he said until I reach my majority you two had the power to take my money. It is why I never mentioned my money to Mr Bennet. In any event, I have been sending most of my allowance to him for over fourteen years now.”
“Lizzy, how much money do you have with my brother?”
“A little more than one thousand five hundred pounds. My uncle earns me roughly ten percent per annum. I have never taken it before, but I could have up to one hundred fifty pounds each year without affecting my principal.”
“My clever Lizzy!” Fanny exclaimed. “I am sad to say, the way I used to behave, I would have demanded your money and wasted it on fripperies no one needed. Edward’s advice to you was sound. Make sure it remains a secret for the next three months or your father will be purchasing books and port withyour funds.”
“Well I know that, Mama. Before I knew what Mr Bennet is, I thought to ignore what Uncle Edward advised, but I thankfully knew his counsel was always sound, so I did not tell Mr Bennet,” Elizabeth owned.
After another hug between mother and daughter, Elizabeth left her mother in search of her sisters.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
After leaving Mama’s company, Elizabeth had told her sisters of her confrontation with their father and the results thereof. Her sisters, like her mother had, volunteered to share their allowances with her. Without telling them the true reason—Elizabeth did not want to chance her two youngest sisters letting something slip inadvertently. She told the truth, just not the whole truth: Uncle Edward would send her what she needed. Thankfully her sisters did not ask any questions about why their uncle would do that. Elizabeth fully intended to share the whole truth with Mary when they had time to speak in private.
Mrs Hill informed her mistress the Master had ordered that from this day on, he would take all of his meals in the study. This news was greeted with relief by Mr Bennet’s wife and daughters. If Bennet had thought he would be punishing his family by denying them his company, he was sorely mistaken. Without his sarcastic comments or silent sneering at them, his wife and daughters enjoyed dinner that evening greatly.
In his study, Bennet who was still seething from the altercation with his second daughter hardly touched his food, rather, he increased his intake of port to drown out the thoughts about the many facts she had listed. Somewhere in the deep recesses of his mind his conscience was trying to tell him that he needed to make amends for his cruelty and selfish actions, but he had never listened to it before, and he was notabout to begin now. In his mind, he somehow thought it would not be long before Lizzy realised the error of her ways, and she and his family would be begging for his company once again.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Thanks to there being no precipitation, only a slight frost on the ground, Elizabeth decided to ride Penny on Saturday morning. As she always did, she rode out without an escort. Had the threat posed by Messrs Denny and Wickham still been an issue, she would not have done so.
Since there had been some frost, Oakham Mount was not an option as the frost made the stones on the path to the summit rather slippery at times. She allowed Penny to gallop across several of the fields in the direction of Netherfield Park. The cold wind whipping at her face, as Penny ran, was invigorating rather than off-putting. As she approached the fence between the properties, Elizabeth spied a riding party of five. She slowed her horse until she was walking along the fence on the Longbourn side. The group on the other side was comprised of three Fitzwilliams and two Darcys.
Darcy was more than pleased they had met Miss Elizabeth on their early morning ride. His eyes found her beautiful face on their own accord and he was rewarded with a becoming blush when she noted his intent look.
Greetings were exchanged as the riders all stopped. “Mary did not join you?” Lord Hilldale asked disappointedly.
“She does not ride,” Elizabeth averred. Seeing the questioning looks from more than one of those across the fence, she expounded, “Like I did, Mary began to learn to ride when she was seven. Mr Bennet thought it a joke to put her on a rather rambunctious gelding he used to own before Mary was ready. It threw her and she broke her left forearm, and ever since, she has refused to ride.”
The fact he would not have known her at that age did not stop the Viscount from wanting to go thrash his futurefather-in-law. Just when he thought the man could not sink lower in his estimation, he had managed to do so. “Lizzy, how did yourmeetinggo once you arrived home?” he asked.
