“Yes, Miss Bennet, you have been, but your family loves you and that is why you are here, they want to help you so that you will have a good life. That is theONLYreason that you are here, not jealousy, spite, or anything else you were certain of when you were dropped off today. If they did not love you, they would wash their hands of you, not send you here to try and reform your behaviour so that you can join society and partake fully in it when the time comes for you to be out.
“You should know that both your father and mother accept some of the blame for your previous behaviour. Your mother knows that she pushed you out before you were ready and indulged your whims rather than educating you. Mr Bennet told me how he regrets laughing at you rather than correcting you. He believes that, although you exhibit silly behaviour, you are actually quite quick and intelligent, similar to your sister Elizabeth.”
At this Lydia looked up in shock. ‘Papa thinks me intelligent, almost like Lizzy? How can that be? Perhaps it is time for me to start to learn how to be a proper gentlewoman and not be a silly girl anymore. How close I came to ruining myself and my family!’ Lydia, for the first time, felt concern for the family above that of herself.
“I will have to write to my Mama and Papa to apologise,” Lydia stated resolutely.
“You will have to earn the privilege to write and receive letters after your punishment period. Do you recall the punishment that Miss Jacobson told you of for running away?” Mrs Gilbert waited, wondering at it being so quick a change, or was it play acting to get what the young girl desired.
“Yes, Headmistress,” said Lydia calmly, “a month working in the scullery.”
“That is correct. Your attempt to run from my office earned you additional penalties. You will wear a garment made from burlap and you will eat meals with the servants until you have completed your one-month penance. Let us hope that this is the last time that you will stand before my desk for me to mete out a punishment. It is in your hands Miss Bennet; it is all your choice. Now please go to your chamber to sleep for the two hours that you will have before you are woken and taken to the kitchens. Your new dress will be waiting for you when you wake,” Mrs Gilbert decreed, amazed that there was not a single protest.
Lydia held her head high and accepted that she would have to pay penance for her behaviour. The remaking of Miss Lydia Bennet had begun. Once a very quiet girl left her office, the headmistress wrote an express to Mr Bennet that would be sent in the morning.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The next afternoon, as the family was busy with various pursuits, Bennet sat in his study looking over some papers when Thatcher knocked on his door, and on being bid to enter and proffered the silver salver that held an express. Seeing it was from Lydia’s school it was with no small amount of trepidation that he opened the missive. What he read both surprised and pleased him.
Dark Hollow School for Girls
4 May 1812
Mr Bennet:
As you surmised, your daughter did in fact try to run away last night. She was caught after taking a few steps outside, and after being awoken, I had a long talk with your youngest.
She is now fully informed about the perfidy of one Mr Wickham and has woken up to the truth of her behaviour, and the ramifications that could have followed were she not checked.
Your daughter has committed to follow the rules and accept her punishment without complaint. Once she earns the privilege to write and receive letters, she states that she intends to write letters of apology. Having many years of experience with wayward young girls, I can tell you that in my opinion she is completely sincere.
She will not need to be here above one school term. After that, I believe you will be able to safely send her to my cousin at Greenlake School for Young Ladies.
I thank you for entrusting her well-being to us.
Sincerely,
Mrs Hesperia Gilbert, Headmistress
After he sat at his desk staring at the letter to make sure that it was real, Bennet stood and went to find his wife, who he found having tea with her oldest daughters and Charlotte in the family sitting room. The youngest two were at Darcy House with Miss Darcy and Lady Tiffany. He said nothing but simply handed the letter to his wife. On reading the words on the page, Fanny Bennet had tears of relief streaming down her cheeks. The express was passed to Jane and she read it with Lizzy reading over her shoulder and lastly it was passed to Charlotte.
“My baby girl will be well,” Fanny said with no little relief. “I feared that I had spoilt her beyond redemption, oh how happy this makes me.”
“Fanny, the blame rests as much with me as it does you. Rather than check her I made fun of her. Instead of apportioning blame, let us rejoice in the fact that we will soon have five well behaved and good girls.” While he said this, he had taken his wife’s hand in his own and was rubbing it gently.
The oldest Misses Bennet looked at each other in wonder. Neither had ever thought that they would ever see respect and felicity between their parents. Wonders would never cease, and it was not just the apparent changes that they would see in the youngest Bennet when they met her again.
Charlotte sat smiling at the scene of familial felicity that she saw before her, hoping that she would find it one day. She was to leave the next day; it was time to return to Lucas Lodge.
That afternoon, Mrs Chandler was interviewed and hired to be Mary’s companion, as both Mr and Mrs Bennet found that Lady Elaine had not exaggerated. Mary had given up her moralistic texts more than two years ago, but Bennet felt sure that her newly employed companion would help her broaden her scope of literature even more. For the new companion, it was ideal as she would be working for a family that lived right across Grosvenor Square from where her sister, Mrs Annesley, was employed. Henrietta and Helena had always been the closest of sisters and both had the misfortune of marrying men who left the mortal coil while young and without making sufficient provisions for their wives.
The knocker had been down at Bennet House until a few days after Lydia was at her school. On the day that the knocker went up, the ladies of theTonstarted to descend on the ‘upstarts’ that lived at one of the most exclusive addresses in London. Any who thought that they would be looking down on the family, who they had heard were wealthy in the extreme but unknown were very wrong. They made the assumption that the Bennets were unconnected, but were disabused of the notion and their intentions to sneer at or put the Bennets in their ‘place’ when they walked into the elegantly appointed drawing room at Bennet House.
The mistress of the house was flanked on her right by her Grace, the Duchess of Bedford, who had Lady Marie, the Viscountess of Hilldale to her right. If that was not enough, one of the patronesses of Almack’s, Lady Sarah, the Countess of Jersey was seated to Mrs Bennet’s left with Lady Elaine, the Countess of Matlock to her left. Also present were the three oldest Bennet daughters, each one prettier than the next and if the rumours of the massive fortunes were to be believed, it made them the most eligible ladies in London. A few were ill advised enough to make biting comments and those ladies were introduced to the rapier wit of the second Bennet daughter with looks from the Duchess and Countesses that let them know that they should not repeat their attempted insults again.
Any lady with mischievous intent knew instantly that it would be most unwise as she surveyed the show of force arrayed by some of the most influential women of theTon. The message was heard throughout theTon; the Bennets may be unknown in Town, but they were not unconnected and anyone that disparaged them would do so at their own societal peril. The stream of visits increased and many invitations were delivered to the Bennets as theTonacknowledged their place at the top of the first circle.
When Fanny Bennet started to return calls with her three oldest daughters, they were invariably accompanied by one or more of the titled ladies that had been with them in the drawing room on that first day of visits. Those who wanted a connection with the Bennets for selfish reasons were dropped as acquaintances. There were some genuine friendships forged and those would be the only ones admitted to the Bennets circle of friends.
