Part of her motivation for the entrapment when she had put her plan in motion was to make sure that she was the first of the three Gardiner siblings to marry. Fanny could not allow plain Hattie to marry before herself, the acknowledged beauty of the family.
“You may call it what you will, but I will enforce the contract!” Bennet barked. “Your sister was complicit in your disgusting plan to force me into a marriage with a woman who disgusts me, so, yes, you will not be allowed to call on her, and she will be barred from setting foot on Bennet land. If you have not already begun to learn that I will not bend or be diverted from my path, you will soon enough.” Bennet paused. “As distasteful as I find it, I must lie with you because my estate is entailed to the male line. Therefore, I must beget a son. As soon as we suspect you are with child, I will cease coming to you. Also, before I forget, unless you are summoned to join my mother and me for meals or to sit in the drawing room, you will remain in your chamber and take your meals on a tray. And no, you will not have a maid assigned to you.”
Fanny stood, her mouth hanging open. Not only was she not to be mistress of the estate or be allowed to see anyone, but she would effectively be a broodmare locked in her stable. Why, oh why did she not cry off? The only hope she had was that Edward would come from London and fight on her behalf. Yes, he would make sure his little sister did not suffer under her brute of a husband’s ruthless rules. Her ruminations were disturbed when the housekeeper came to lead her to her gaol cell.
Bennet joined his mother in the drawing room. She had been the only witness at the Longbourn Village Church during the ceremony. Bennet had not allowed anyone named Gardiner, especially the sister who had helped entrap him, to attend. There had, of course, been no wedding breakfast, as there was nought to celebrate. Beth could see that her son was troubled.
“Thomas, I know you do not like acting in a way which could be construed as cruel, but the woman made her own bed, and now she must lie in it. You offered her a way out, and it is not like she was not aware of the restrictions under which she would live if she did not refuse to marry you,” Beth consoled her son.
“Even with all of that, it was not easy for me to remain strong, Mother,” Bennet admitted.
“I do understand that, Son. Do not forget that you are tied to a supremely selfish being who cares nothing for anyone’s feelings other than her own. She is so used to manipulating her weak-willed sister, and I believe her father, that I am sure she married you believing she would be able to get her way as she has in the past.”
“In that she will be sorely disappointed. In time I may relax some restrictions as far as her movement around the house, but no more than that,” Bennet decided determinedly.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Edward Gardiner had not been able to leave his post sooner, and now he had three days to visit his home before he was required to return to Mr Bingley’s business in London.
“It is good you are come, Brother,” Hattie said as soon as she saw Edward. “You must intercede. Fanny is married to a man who will not allow her to see anyone, not even me.” Hattie wrung her hands and looked away from her brother’s searching stare.
“Father wrote that she is to marry, or is married to, Mr Bennet of Longbourn. How did that come about? Did I not hear Fanny whinging about his disinterest in her? What changed? And if it was his choice, why would he be cruel?” Edward asked.
Hattie looked everywhere except at her brother. “She trapped him, with my help,” she mumbled.
“And you are surprised he will not allow you to see her? Hattie, how could you? You know Fanny manipulates you easily, but I never thought you would assist her with something so dishonourable,” Edward shook his head. “Father wrote that Mr Bennet demanded the terms of the settlement be disclosed to Fanny so she could cry off, and afterward she still wanted to marry him, is that not so?”
With her head down, and her eyes pointed to the floor, Hattie nodded.
“Fanny decided her own fate. Let me guess, she thought she would get her way like she is used to doing with you and Father, did she not?” Hattie nodded again. “You have done her no favours by always giving in to her. Do you not see where this has led our sister?”
“But on her deathbed, Mama made me promise I would always make sure Fanny was happy,” Hattie wailed.
“And our late mother made the same mistake of indulging Fanny’s every whim, and you interpreted your vow to keep doing the same. Rather than help Fanny, the gross overindulgence has done her harm! Do you think that you and father have assisted her by giving into her?” Edward paused as he thought of something. “Did either of you think of the consequences to Father’s law practice by doing this?”
She had not thought she could feel worse, but now Hattie did. “How can this influence Papa’s business?” she asked without lifting her eyes to look at her brother.
“The Bennets of Longbournwerelong-time clients. Thanks to Father supporting Fanny and forcing her on Mr Bennet, they have already left the practice.” Edward saw Hattie was about to protest. He lifted his hand to stay her words. “Yes, Fanny chose to go through with the wedding, but Father could have stepped in, and he did not. Like you, he enables her bad behaviour. Now that the Bennets have taken their business elsewhere, and word gets out, how long do you think it will be before many others follow them? Fanny, with your help, may be the instrument of putting Father out of business. Have you considered how Phillips will react to what you have done? His prospects are tied to Father’s.”
By now Hattie was crying in earnest. “What have we done?” she sobbed. “Will I lose Frank because of this?”
“That is a discussion you will need to have with him. In the meanwhile, I intend to make for Longbourn and apologise on behalf of the family. Whether or not it will mitigate the repercussions which have begun and those I believe are coming, is not sure,” Edward stated. He made his way into his father’s office.
“I have already lost the business of four landowners other than the Bennets,” Gardiner bemoaned when he saw his son.
As hard as it was to berate his sire, Edward told his father how, in his opinion, he had erred. By the end of their discussion, the older Gardiner had his head in his hands.
“Like Hattie, I made a promise to my Jane before she was taken from us. You have the right of it, Son. I have done Fanny no favours. I suspected the truth of the matter, but I saw a way to be rid of Fanny and not have her bad behaviour be my responsibility any longer.” Gardiner cogitated for some minutes. “I think the only way to save this practise is for me to leave, and that means turning it over to Phillips. It will cost Hattie her betrothal though; he was disgusted when he found out the truth from Bennet. However, he could not break the engagement unless Hattie did. I will convince her it is for the best.”
“That is a heavy cost, Father,” Edward mused. He told his father what he intended to do if the Bennets would hear him.
“It is, but it was my weakness that allowed Fanny to marry Bennet when I knew it was wrong. Who else should feel the effects if not myself? I should have publicly censured both of my daughters for their behaviour rather than stand by and enable them. Now it is too late and Fanny is effectively trapped in a prison of her own design.” Gardiner sat behind his desk; his shoulders slumped in defeat. “Send Hattie and Phillips in to see me on your way out.”
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Fanny thought she would go insane, trapped in her small bedchamber for most of the day, every day the same as the one before. As herhusbandhad told her he would, he had come to her the night of their wedding and a few nights thereafter. He would knock once, enter the chamber, do the deed, and leave immediately after, never enquiring after her pain or discomfort.
Thank goodness she had not gifted her virtue to the officer she was sweet on a year previously. She had allowed himmany liberties, but not that. After the first time, her husband had checked the bed for the signs that she had been a maiden. He had told her in no uncertain terms that if she was not, he would not have rested until he gained an annulment.
