Until they saw the Gardiner carriage stop in the drive, the eldest Bennet sisters had resolved to remain in their chambers for the rest of the day using the excuse Jane gave to Sarah as the reason.
They had readied themselves as speedily as they had been able which had brought them outside the drawing room in time to hear Aunt Maddie berate their mother.
For the first time since being forced into accepting the brute she was to marry, Elizabeth showed a ghost of a smile in reaction to hearing her aunt stand solidly at her side. She wasabout to enter the room when Jane placed a restraining arm on her wrist and shook her head. Elizabeth understood Jane wanted to hear what else was said. For her part she too wanted to know, so Elizabeth stopped and stood with Jane.
The three younger girls sat with gaping mouths at the way their normally mild-mannered Aunt Maddie had attacked their mother.
“How dare you speak to me in my house thusly. That ungrateful, disobedient girl will save this family, as it is her duty to do as she refused to be born a boy!” Fanny screeched.
“So you sold Lizzy to the worst kind of man because of that nonsense you hold onto, that Lizzy, or any babe has the ability to choose the sex it will be born,” Madeline shook her head at Fanny’s abject stupidity and ignorance. “Following your logic, why is it you do not blame any of your other four daughters for not being sons? And what of Lyddie, it was her size which made it impossible for you to birth any more children. Should we blame her for that over which she had no control as well?”
“Mama, the bible teaches children are a blessing from God, so how could Lizzy determine to be born a boy or girl?” Mary, who had turned fourteen a few days previously, pointed out.
“Hold your mouth! What do you know? A girl as plain as you has no room to talk about anything!” Fanny bit out at her middle daughter nastily. She turned back to her sister-in-law. “And you miss hoity-toity, you are just jealous my daughter will be a duchess and I will move in society much greater than the wife of a tradesman…”
Fanny Bennet had always been jealous of her brother’s wife. Madeline had been raised a gentlewoman whereas she was the daughter of a solicitor. Everyone liked Madeline and she was too intelligent for a woman; hence Fanny disliked her.
“NO YOU WILL NOT!” Elizabeth, who had slipped into the drawing room unnoticed, insisted at the top of her voice. “If you think you will ever be in my presence again after I leave this home, you, Mrs. Bennet, are delusional.”
“Do not dare to speak to me in that fashion, I am your mother!” Fanny screeched as she began to stand intending to slap her rude daughter as hard as she was able.
“Fanny Bennet, if you attempt to harm Lizzy in any way, I will do the same and worse to you,” Madeline threatened.
Fanny did not like the determined look in her brother’s wife’s eyes so with no good cheer, she sat back into her chair.
“You and Mr. Bennet are no longer my parents,” Elizabeth retorted once her aunt had said her piece. “Anyone who is willing to sell their daughter into slavery cannot be considered such. We both know if the Duke had not for whatever his unknown reasons are, chosen me, you would have been quite happy to sell Jane to him. You have always professed your love for Janey, yet you would have consigned her to the terror I am to endure as his wife. Is that how you would have demonstrated your love for Janey, marrying her to an old man who has the makings of being a brute?
“So no, Mrs. Bennet, you will not join me in Town, you will never be invited to any of my husband’s houses or estates. Once I leave this house I will never know you or Mr. Bennet again.”
“Lizzy, what do you and Aunt Maddie mean that Mama and Papa sold you to the Duke?” Lydia asked confusedly.
“You know your sister tells tall tales,” Fanny tried to hedge.
“It is nothing but the truth, Lyddie,” Jane spoke up. “If he had not wanted to marry Lizzy, Mama would have put me forward, in fact, she tried to have him take me instead.”
“Jane, how could you,” Fanny averred with put on sadness, her hand over her heart.
“Because it is the truth, and you know it is,” Jane shot back.
Now it was Elizabeth’s turn to squeeze her sister’s hand in support.
Just then Gardiner entered the drawing room and nodded to his wife. “Girls, go and pack as much of your things as will fit into two trunks, the rest will be sent to you on the morrow,” Gardiner instructed. His wife placed a restraining hand on his arm.
“Of what do you speak?MY GIRLS ARE NOT LEAVING ME! I suppose you can take Mary and Kitty, and of course Miss high and mighty Lizzy. The sooner I never see her again the better,” Fanny stated disdainfully.
“Lizzy, after what you have been through, we do not want to take more choices away from you than has already been done.” Madeline, ignoring Fanny, looked directly at Elizabeth. She turned to address the other four girls. “We would like all of you to come live with us, you until you marry Lizzy, the rest of you for the time being. Your father has given his permission, inwriting.”
“The sooner I am away from Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, the happier I will be,” Elizabeth accepted.
“I feel the same,” Jane added.
“Me too,” Mary agreed.
Jane looked at the two youngest Bennets. “We will not leave you two alone here. I promise you this is a very good thing.”
The three youngest Bennets stood and headed for their chambers to pack while Fanny stared at them with her eyes wide-open, and a gaping mouth. She was about to tear into her husband’s study to demand he rescind his permission if he had in fact given it. Before she could stand her second daughter addressed her with ice in her voice.
“When my fiancé or one of his despicable men come seeking me, send them to Gracechurch Street.” Elizabeth turned and cut her mother and she and Jane went up to pack.
