The older of the two Hurst ladies explained that she too was not born a gentlewoman and had to learn to behave as one. Leticia—as she requested Fanny call her—related that due to her husband’s work keeping him in London far more than at their estate, her daughter-in-law was more the mistress of their estate than she was. Fanny had been invited to address Louisa informally as well, and she had granted permission for both Hurst wives to address her as Fanny.
In addition to learning about being the mistress of an estate from Louisa, Fanny began to emulate the way both Leticia and Louisa behaved. The changes to her behaviour greatly tempered her wont to make vulgar and inappropriate utterances, as well as boastful statements. However, the biggest change was her ceasing to look at any single male as a potential husband for one of her girls.
Fanny’s best friends in the area, her sister Hattie and Lady Sarah Lucas of Lucas Lodge, could not fathom the changes in her. They were the two with whom Fanny used to enjoy gossiping. At the same time, she used to never miss an opportunity to bring Sarah’s eldest daughter Charlotte into theconversation and compare her plainness unfavourably to the beauty of Fanny’s daughters, especially Jane and Lydia. The fact that Charlotte was a best friend to Jane and Lizzy had never tempered Fanny’s statements in the past.
Lady Lucas was pleased that Fanny had ceased harping on Charlotte’s—she was already twenty—lack of suitors and beauty. Like Hattie, she was confused by Fanny’s unwillingness to partake in gossip as she formerly did.
When Fanny mentioned that she had begun to call on Longbourn’s tenants, her two friends had been shocked beyond measure. In the past, Fanny had insisted she would never enter one of those peasant hovels. When their friend mentioned the other tasks she was beginning to take on, like supervising the chicken coop, the dairy, and the kitchen garden on the home farm, the two ladies had almost fallen from their chairs.
“Who are you, and what have you done with my sister?” Hattie asked in wonder.
“All of us, from Thomas down to Lydia, have begun to make changes,” Fanny replied. “We have a companion and governess…” She related the changes being made, without dishonouring her promise to Thomas that she would not mention anything to do with their much-improved financial position or the land which had been purchased. “If Thomas and my daughters can all make an effort to be better, how could I not do the same?”
“Lydia too?” Lady Lucas and Hattie chorused.
“Yes. Lyddie is behaving much better and is present for her lessons with Miss Firth,” Fanny declared. She turned towards Lady Lucas. “Sarah, I am aware that Maria did not enjoy spending time with Catherine and Lydia…”
“Catherine, not Kitty?” Hattie interjected.
“Yes, Catherine. Not only does my husband not want one of our daughters named for a cat sleeping in the barn, but Catherine prefers the use of her proper name to being called Kitty,” Fanny explained. “As I was saying, I did not acknowledge it, but I was aware that your Maria did not relish spending time with Catherine and Lydia, mainly because of the latter. I can now see that Maria, being a much quieter girl, was overwhelmed by Lyddie, and it did not help that Catherine used to emulate her younger sister.”
As much as she was shocked by the changes to Fanny Bennet, Lady Lucas was pleased that she would no longer need to make excuses for Maria when she was invited to spend time with the youngest Bennets at Longbourn, or when they wanted to call on her youngest at Lucas Lodge.
“Sarah, if Charlotte would like to be present with Jane and Lizzy when Mrs Annesley works with them, she is more than welcome,” Fanny offered. “The same is true for Maria to join my younger daughters with the governess.”
Lady Lucas was shocked by the very generous offer. She intended to encourage her girls to accept and attend lessons at Longbourn. It would not hurt for them to have added accomplishments. “Thank you, Fanny. I will pass your magnanimous suggestion onto Sir William, and I am sure he will agree it will be very beneficial for our girls,” she responded gratefully.
Her husband used to be plain William Lucas, owner of the general mercantile as well as two other stores in Meryton. Three years ago—before the war on the continent had begun—he was the mayor of Meryton, and thanks to Their Majesties making an unscheduled stop in the town, he had received a knighthood. Asthe mayor, he had felt it incumbent upon himself to welcome the King and Queen to the town. Hence, he had made an impromptu and extremely complimentary speech. The King had been so pleased by what William Lucas had said, he had knighted the man on the spot.
That had led to the selling of his businesses and the purchase of the property he renamed Lucas Lodge. Lucas Lodge was a small estate which neighboured Longbourn on one side and Meryton on the other. Her husband had found remaining in trade disgusting once he was titled. Lady Lucas never pointed out to her husband that since moving to Lucas Lodge their income had gone down. One advantage of the selling of the shops was that Charlotte and Maria had each been dowered with one thousand five hundred pounds after the purchase of the estate.
In the past, when Fanny had boasted about her daughters’ beauty, Sarah Lucas had told herself that at least her girls had larger dowries, and they did not need to wait until their mother was called home to receive them.
With the offer Fanny had made, Lady Lucas decided that it would be very small of her to think of the disparity in dowries any longer.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
When he remembered the boast he had made about schooling Lizzy in the game of chess the last time he had seen her at Gardiner’s offices, Harold could not help but feel chagrined.
The first opportunity he had had to play chess against her, he had thought he had being magnanimous by playing at less than his full capability. It had been him who had beenschooled. He was yet to beat her, even when he had played every subsequent game to the best of his abilities. One time, Bennet had removed Lizzy’s queen before the start, and she still beat him.
It was not just her skill at the game, which was great, but she remembered every move an opponent made against her as well. Now, Harold understood why Bennet had been so amused by his statement that day.
At least when he played against Bennet, he did not lose every game. While Gardiner had been at Longbourn after he and his wife escorted the Firth sisters to the estate, there had been a chess contest one day. Gardiner had won, and his prize was a game against Lizzy, which she had handily won.
The day before the Gardiners departed, unbeknownst to Bennet, Gardiner had imparted some intelligence to Hurst. He had learnt about a group of French spies trying to establish themselves as part of London society.
Rather than send a courier with the information, Hurst decided to travel to London himself, which led to the departure the same day as the Gardiners.
If Bennet had wondered at the sudden change of plans for Hurst, he had not asked anything. It was not surprising that the older Mrs Hurst had not accompanied her husband, as Bennet believed that the lure of her growing grandson was far too strong for her to depart Netherfield Park.
When Bennet looked at the changes in his family, he admonished himself for not educating Fanny years previously. Yes, she had not shown him her true self during the courtship, but he was the one who had ignored the fact she was the only wife he would have and refused to help her grow into her roleas mistress of the estate. Add to that, he had played on her fears for what would happen after he was called home for his own amusement. It was the actual reason he had not told her about his plans for the future.
There were many positive changes which all stemmed from the questions the younger Hurst had asked him, which had made him reconsider much.
The biggest change between Bennet and his wife was his return to her bed and her enthusiastic welcome of his person. Now, rather than a duty to have an heir, the act was enjoyable to both of them.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
