“MRS BENNET, YOU WILL NOT EVER REPEAT THAT LIE AGAIN!” Bennet thundered. “If I ever hear that drivel come from your mouth, or it comes back to me that you have repeated it or anything similar to another, I will banish you to a cottage, and you will never receive pin money from that point forward! Do I make myself clear?”
Somewhat shaking from fear, Fanny gave a tight nod.
“That is better.” Bennet turned to Elizabeth. “You asked to speak to us, we are here and listening to you.”
Chapter 17
For a few moments, no one spoke, not even Fanny who was still in shock over the way her husband had shouted at her. Elizabeth took the time to consider her words carefully.
“Lizzy?” Bennet prompted.
‘If I am to honour Janey, then I must remain respectful and keep to the spirit of the fifth commandment. My dearest sister would never countenance my being rude to our parents, so as hard as it may be for me, I need to control my anger at Mother and Father, and the words I use to address that which I need to,’ Elizabeth told herself silently .
“Jane died from pneumonia; she was killed by a combination of misguided matchmaking, inaction, and by Miss Bingley’s callous treatment when she arrived at Netherfield Park.” Elizabeth began aloud. She saw the look on her mother’s countenance and the protest which was forming on her lips. “Do you know that Mr Bingley planned to propose to Jane the day after the dinner with the officers? Rather than check you over the years, my father has been amused by your antics. Are you aware the three suitors Jane had before Mr Bingley were driven away by what you considerhelping things along, which caused the opposite?”
“Mr Bennet, how can you sit by and allow Miss Lizzy to speak to me in this fashion. I am her mother, and I demand to be respected,” Fanny insisted.
“Tell me one thing Lizzy has said so far which is not true?” Bennet asked.
Fanny opened her mouth to refute what her husband said. When she could not, she closed it again. Then she thought she remembered something to contradict him, only to realise she could not and once again she remained mute. She went back to her old, oft use excuse for the men not offering for Jane. “Miss Lizzy drove them away with her bluestocking talk, always pulling their attention away from Jane.”
“Really Mother? Why do you not ask Father about that? He knows, as I do, because Messrs Farrington, Wilson, and Joden spoke to your husband before withdrawing from the field. You do not have to take my word for it, he heard it from the horses’ mouths,” Elizabeth stated forthrightly.
“I am afraid I am unable to refute what Lizzy said,” Bennet admitted, “All three said something similar.”
“What was that?” Fanny asked, not nearly as confident as she was previously.
“They were driven away by your brand of matchmaking. None of them could countenance joining a family of which you are a member. To my shame, rather than tell you and help you correct yourself, I told Jane it was not a bad thing to be crossed in love and enjoyed the sport you made for me,” Bennet owned. “That Farrington fellow was enamoured of Jane, and she of him, but he felt he could not ask Jane to break from all of her family, except for Lizzy, if he was to marry her. Jane had not as strong feelings for either Wilson or Joden, but we will never know what may have been because they did not last as long as Farrington.”
“Then how is it Mr Bingley was to offer for Jane if I am so terrible?” Fanny asked looking for sympathy.
“He loved Janey so much he was to offerin spiteof your so called matchmaking.” Elizabeth took a deep breath as tears formed in her eyes. “Do you know that hours before Jane was taken by God, Mr Bingley proposed to her? She left the mortal world knowing the man she loved returned her love in fullmeasure. It is why he will mourn as though he had lost a wife.” Elizabeth paused to dry her eyes. She took three deep breaths. “It may not be my place to say this, but even without knowing Mr Bingley was on the cusp of proposing to Janey, no loving parent should have allowed their daughter, one they knew was susceptible to cold related illnesses and weak lungs, to ride out in the rain.
“Do you know, Mother, even had Jane survived, she would not have been able to spend any time in Mr Bingley’s company? Other than when she was ready to come downstairs, and that would have been on the way home, she would not have seen him.”
Seeing her mother was about to protest about how wrong she was, Elizabeth forged ahead. “I realise as you were not gently born, you are not aware of all of the rules of propriety. Unfortunately, you rejected the lessons late Grandmama Beth attempted to teach you. In turn, Father laughed and teased rather than correcting you; so it is not entirely your fault you do not know what is acceptable and not in gentle society. A single man is barred from visiting the bedchamber of a single woman, especially when she is in her night attire. Before you say no one would have known, you are wrong—servants talk. Had Janey allowed it, which she would not have thanks to her firm moral compass, she would have been the subject of gossip. Then she and all of us by extension would have been unmarriageable.”
“Mrs Bennet, allow our daughter to have her say before you begin to whinge,” Bennet commanded when he saw his wife about to explode. With a sour look on her face, Fanny held her peace.
“As I said, sending Jane out on Nellie was unconscionable. I do not accuse you of trying to harm her, but of not considering the strong possibility she would be ill, or worse. We all know it was the worst possible outcome which occurred,” Elizabeth continued. “As hard as it is for me to saythis, Janey bears a tiny part of the blame for what happened. She could have refused to ride, but she put her desire to please Mother ahead of her own safety. Then again, what child does not want to please a parent, regardless of how often she is rejected by said parent.” Elizabeth looked at her mother pointedly. Fanny sniffed and looked away.
Turning to her father, Elizabeth looked at him for some moments to bring her anger under regulation so she did not say something she would regret. When ready, she spoke again. “However, neither Mother nor Jane, nor for that matter myself, had the absolute power to stop Jane from riding rather than sending her in the carriage. As you well know, the laws of our country give the male head of the house complete authority over his wife and daughters, even his sons to a lesser extent. Tell me I am wrong, Father. You could see it would rain before Janey reached Netherfield Park, but rather than order the use of the carriage you opted for entertainment.”
“As much as I would like to tell you what you intimated is incorrect, it is not,” Bennet admitted. “I did not believe it would start to rain so soon after Jane departed, I thought it might rain just as she arrived there. I could tell Mr Bingley was well on his way to reaching an understanding with Jane, but I was having too much fun, watching my wife’s inept matchmaking.”
“At least since the disaster of losing Janey, you seem to be trying to make an effort to rein in Kitty and Lydia before they have a chance to ruin us. But my question, Father, is why only now? Why did it take the death of my dearest sister to wake you up to the fact you had a responsibility to protect your family? You have not made Jane’s passing all about you, but you, Mother,” Elizabeth turned to face her mother again, “have. Rather than comfort your remaining daughters, you have hidden away. Yes, the ladies of the neighbourhood are angry with you, but what did you expect when word of what you, both of you, did spread in the area? Before you accuse me,I have not said a word to anyone not intimately acquainted with the goings on, but you forget the servants’ network—and servants talk. Staff and servants at both Netherfield Park and Longbourn are aware of what occurred, and that was before Uncle Phillips told Aunt Hattie about it all. How long after your sister discovering the facts do you think it was before word reached every house in the area?”
Fanny looked away. She knew what her daughter said was all true. Had her own sister not taken her to task for ordering Jane out on Nellie? “I hope that horse has been destroyed,” she stated to attempt to divert attention away from herself. “If that horse had not been so slow…”
“Mrs Bennet, you well know Nellie is old and slow. It is not the horse’s fault, so no one will be harming Nellie.” Bennet paused as he cogitated for a moment or two. “Elizabeth has said nothing here which is not accurate. Is it the place of a child to remonstrate with her parents, no, it is not.” Bennet did not miss the smug look on his wife’s countenance. “However, in this case, it was needed. Lizzy has the right of it, I had the power to countermand your order and should have done so. Instead I valued my peace and quiet over doing what I knew was the right thing to do. Things have to change in this family, and I mean more than just my putting our youngest two back in.”
“How can you put my girl in?” Fanny screeched. “How will she catch a man? We agreed when a daughter comes out is for the mother to decide.”
“No, Mrs Bennet, you badgered me and I capitulated. No girl of fifteen, or even seventeen for that matter, should be on the marriage mart. As Lizzy pointed out, I am the authority in this house, and I have put them back in. Until I feel they are ready, they will remain in. Do not attempt to test my will, you will not enjoy the results.”
Somehow Elizabeth had remained calm. No matter what she was feeling inside, she had spoken in an even manner, asrespectfully as she was able to, and not allowed her roiling anger to show on her face .
Anger burned inside of Fanny. She did not like the look of resolve on her husband’s face, so she turned her ire on her daughter. It was all her fault, it always was. “I am still the mistress of this house, am I not?”
