“Yes and no,” Bennet replied cryptically. Seeing Phillips’s questioning look, Bennet first showed Phillips the clause regarding clergymen in the entail document and then revealed why he had waited to act for six months. “I am not at all proud of my actions, and worse, I was shamed into action by Jane and Lizzy.”
“There must be a story there,” Phillips prompted. He read the clause to which Bennet had indicated. “Yes, you should have come to me as soon as that buffoon wrote to you.”
After owning the truth of Phillips’s statement, Bennet continued, “After we met as a family yester-afternoon, I sat with Jane and Lizzy…” Bennet related the gist of the conversation and the way Jane had been forced to reevaluate her personal philosophy. He told of what Lizzy had learnt about the truth of Mr Wickham and the fact that Mr Darcy was a very good man. As he had not been told about the letter from Mr Darcy to Lizzy, obviously, Bennet could not mention it.
Then, as hard as it was, Bennet revealed what had occurred with Lydia and what they planned to do with her.
“Even without this additional information, we all know that the late Mr Wickham was the worst kind of man. If he was not already dead, I would have wanted to end him for meddling with my niece.” Phillips paused as he allowed some of the anger to drain out of him. “It is just as well that Mr Darcy is escorting the remains north. No one would have agreed to have him laid to rest in the Meryton cemetery,” Phillips revealed.
“Back to the matter at hand. How do we proceed?” Bennet enquired.
“Under the terms of the entail, it is an indisputable fact that Mr Collins and any of his descendants are disqualified from the line of succession,” Phillips explained. “According to this, I must show the Court of Chancery that there are no otherpossible heirs. Once the court is satisfied that I have done my due diligence, and that other than your and Collins’s line, there are no other male-initiated lines, the court will name you the owner of Longbourn and issue a new deed to that effect.”
“When that occurs, am I right that I will be allowed to name my heir, male or female, and the estate will not have to be split among my daughters?” Bennet verified.
Phillips read the pertinent section of the executed entail documents. “Yes, you may leave it to whomever you choose. There is nothing here to force the estate to be divided into pieces,” He confirmed. “Do you know who you will name as your heir? Is Lizzy not the one you trained to manage the estate in your place?”
Bennet had the decency to look embarrassed. “Yes, in my indolence, I did that so Lizzy would do the work I preferred not to do,” he admitted. “I suppose by rights it should be Jane as my eldest, but as you said, Lizzy is the only one who knows how to run the estate. This is something I need to discuss with my family, as I will not make a unilateral decision. Perhaps there is time for Lizzy and me to educate Jane about the workings of the estate as well.”
Seeing his brother-in-law’s new positive attitude impressed Phillips. He needed to write to Gardiner about the changes he was seeing. Neither man had ever thought Bennet would drag himself from his study to do his duty to his family.
It was only sad that it took Lydia losing her virtue to motivate Bennet to act.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Not long after the Bennets broke their fasts, Colonel Fitzwilliam called on them. He joined the parents and three eldest in the drawing room. The two youngest Bennetswere in the schoolroom.
“Hannah and Emma will join Miss Lydia in travelling to the convent. Mrs Jackson informed Lady Lucas that Miss Paulette was blessed with her female indisposition this morning,” Fitzwilliam reported. “They feel that she has learnt her lesson and does not need to be sent away for five months.”
“Paulette is the only daughter among a bevy of sons, so I understand why Mrs Jackson does not want to send her away,” Elizabeth stated. “I am happy for them that Paulette is able to remain at home and that her family did not abandon her because she was manipulated by that terrible seducer. I know we should never wish anyone dead, other than the Corsican Tyrant, but I will not mourn that libertine’s death.”
“I know that my cousin takes the responsibility for the damage Wicky left in his wake on his own shoulders, but he is wrong,” Fitzwilliam stated. “The only Darcy who bears some of the blame is my late Uncle Robert. He would not listen to William or to any of us who told him what a monster he had created. As long as I live, I will never understand why my uncle was so blind when it came to his godson.”
Changing the subject, Bennet queried, “When are the girls to travel north?”
“On the morrow. The carriage my cousin rented will collect Miss Lydia at sunup. There will be a maid to act as companion as well as two footmen. Colonel Forster has given me five men. They and I will act as outriders to make sure the young ladies arrive safely. Hannah and Emma will take the post coach to Hatfield with one of their fathers. The rest of us with Miss Lydia will meet them there and continue north once they and their trunks are secured. At that point, Hannah’s father will return to Meryton,” Fitzwilliam explained.
“My poor Lyddie; she is to leave so soon,” Fanny lamented. “I know there is no choice, but that does not make it easier. As I taught the youngest girls the wrong thing, it shouldbe me being sent away.”
“As I said when we first spoke about this, I am more to blame than any other. All we can do is move forward together and pray that Lydia is not carrying that demon’s spawn,” Bennet stated. “If she is not with child, and once she has gained some sort of education, she will be welcome to return to Longbourn. If she is in the family way, we will make the relevant decisions once we know that.”
“I must see Hill and have Lydia’s things packed,” Fanny stated as she stood.
“Do not forget that most of Lydia’s gowns will not be acceptable to the Sisters,” Jane pointed out. “We will all have to help to alter the ones she is taking with her to make them more modest.”
“There is nothing wrong with how my Lydia dresses…” Fanny caught herself as she reacted in the way she would have before all of the revelations. “You have the right of it,” she responded calmly. “Help from you girls will be appreciated. I will have Hill spare me any maid who is good with a needle and thread as well.”
Lydia accepted her fate without complaint, knowing that she could have been turned out of the house. With her mother, sisters, and some of the maids, she worked to make her clothing more appropriate for a convent.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
After he watched the rector of Kympton conduct the interment of George Wickham’s remains next to the graves of his parents, Darcy mounted Zeus and rode back to the manor house. A sadness had settled in over his person. Some of the servants mistook what they were seeing for the master’s feeling low after watching his former childhoodfriend being laid to rest.
The only one who knew the truth was Mrs Reynolds, the current housekeeper. She had come to work at Pemberley when the young master was but four and had risen through the ranks of the female servants until Lady Anne had appointed her housekeeper when Master William was eleven.
The housekeeper had been a comfort to Darcy when he lost, first, his mother before he turned thirteen, and a little more than five years past, his father had been called home to God.
She was his employee, while at the same time Darcy felt he could speak to her about anything, like he had after Ramsgate. He knew she would never repeat a word he told her. Mrs Reynolds had known that other than mourning the death of another human, her master would not be sad about Wickham’s passing.
