“No, Mrs Bennet, hemost certainlywill not!” Bennet interjected. “Do you remember the penalty I told you would be exacted if you demanded any of the girls come out before the age I allow?”
“S-surely you w-would not be s-so c-c-cruel to w-w-withhold my p-pin money?” Fanny stammered.
“Have you ever known me to make idle threats?” Bennet shot back. “Yes, Mrs Bennet, this infraction has lost you one quarter’s allowance. Mention the girls coming out early again, and it will be an additional six months allowance you will forfeit.” He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. “As to your railing against Phillips, I know for a fact that he has no authority to refuse a potential lessee because he does not meetyourmarital aspirations for our daughters. Especially, as Jane pointed out, she is still two to three years away from coming out.”
Fanny began to wail and force crocodile tears from her eyes. Her husband was unmoved, so the wailing ceased as quickly as it had begun.
“But Mamma, you promised I would not have to wait until I am an old maid to come out,” Lydia insisted. The youngest, and most indulged Bennet had turned eight in June past. “You told me how important it is to marry as soon as may be because of the entail, and that when Papa goes to his final reward, you and any unmarried daughters will be thrown out of Longbourn to live in the hedgerows.”
When Bennet heard what his youngest said and how brash she was, he realised that leaving his two youngestdaughters’ education in his wife’s hands had been a serious error of judgement on his part. However, the trouble his stepping in would cause made him put aside his momentary determination to contact the Gardiners and have them keep their ear to the ground for available governesses.
“Mrs Bennet! Have I not told you that I am making allowances for the future? You will never be consigned to the hedgerows, and our daughters will be cared for.”
Bennet did not think he could trust his wife with the fact that each girl already had a dowry greater than ten thousand pounds and that he was planning for his wife’s future after his passing. He did not want his daughters to become the objects of attention for fortune hunters, especially as he increased their portions over the years. Of one thing, he was certain. As soon as Fanny was aware of the truth, her sister would be told, and it would become common knowledge in the neighbourhood. As it tended to happen with gossip, with each retelling the amounts would be embellished. After many retellings, the gossip would have the amount equal to a queen’s ransom.
Just then, Hill entered the drawing room, an epistle on his salver. He bowed before the master and proffered the tray.
Bennet removed the missive and read it quickly. “Jane and Lizzy, please join me in the study,” he requested. He saw his wife about to protest and raised his hand. “No, Mrs Bennet, you are not invited. Unless you would like to risk another quarter’s worth of allowance. If I were you, I would hold my peace.”
As much as Fanny wanted to make her opinion known to her husband, she was unwilling to risk any more pin money; hence, with no good cheer, she closed her mouth and remained silent.
“Yes, Papa?” Jane and Elizabeth chorused once the door was securely closed and Mr Hill was stationed outside in the hall to ensure there was no eavesdropping.
“The Hursts are the ones at Netherfield Park. It is both the older and the younger couples. You have both heard your mother and Aunt Hattie speaking of a newly born babe, have you not?”
Both eldest Bennet daughters nodded they had.
“The child was born to the younger Mrs Hurst. We, you two and I, are invited to take tea with them on the morrow in the morning,” Bennet revealed. “I am sure they will enjoy meeting Mary, but she is unaware of the ownership of the neighbouring estate. Unless they say so, we cannot tell her. If memory serves, the younger Mrs Hurst loved hearing you playing, so I am sure she will want to hear Mary play as well.”
“I told Mrs Hurst—the younger one—about Mary’s abilities on the pianoforte last time we saw her,” Elizabeth reported. “Mary would keep their confidences, but we will say nothing without permission.”
“We will depart at half past the hour of ten on the morrow,” Bennet informed his daughters.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
“I cannot wait to see these extraordinary young ladies for myself,” Hurst told his son during the morning meal.
Louisa was absent, busy feeding Arthur. That left the other three at the table.
“You have heard Gardiner confirm that the abilities are real, and Louisa and I have both seen them displaying their gifts,” Harold responded.
“What I could do with one who can remember anything she sees, hears, or reads. Not to mention the older sister’s capacity with numbers. They would add so very much to our abilities,” Hurst mused when they were alone.
“Ignatius, surely you would not attempt to recruit young gentlewomen to your organisation?” Leticia enquired concernedly.
“No, Lettie, dearest. I would not. Firstly, they are far too young, and secondly, as you pointed out, they are gently born, and the chances are even if we approach them, we would be rebuffed,” Hurst assured his wife. “The ladies who work with us are not gently born.”
“Why is everyone so quiet?” Louisa questioned as she joined the family.
Harold related the brief conversation to his wife. She added her voice to Mother Hurst’s that these were not girls who should be recruited.
Once the meal had been eaten, the men retired to the study to meet Harper, the steward. The ladies went to meet with Mrs Nichols and Cook to discuss menus for the upcoming week.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
All four adult Hursts greeted the three Bennets when they arrived the next morning.
They retired to the drawing room to make introductions, but not before Elizabeth greeted the two huge men who did notintimidate her. The Hurst men looked at one another when they saw Biggs and Johns come as close to smiling as they had ever seen.
