Bennet had always known Jane was not the sweet, innocent girl she presented to the world, but he had never known she was this bad. He was in a quandary. If he supported his wife he would lose his favourite daughter forever, and if he did not support Fanny he would never know a day of peace again.
Jane found Elizabeth where she suspected she would be, on the swing under the big oak in the park. “Father wants to see you,” Jane told her sister with a gleeful expression as she believed her plan would force her sister to comply.
Elizabeth did not say a word and simply followed Jane back into the house. She did not miss the looks that passed between Jane and her mother as they entered her father’s study.
“Elizabeth your mother tells me Mr. Collins proposed to you, is that correct?” Bennet asked.
“It is,” Elizabeth returned.
“And you refused him?” Bennet verified. Elizabeth allowed it was so. “Now we come to the crux of the matter. Your mother and I demand you accept him to make sure there will be a home for your mother and any unmarried daughters when I go to my final reward,” Bennet said the words which tasted like bile in his mouth.
“It pains me to disobey, but I refuse to marry that man. Jane is not being courted so let her marry him,” Elizabeth replied calmly.
“You ungrateful, wilful hoyden,” Fanny yelled. “If you do not accept Mr. Collins you will be banished and cast out. You will no longer be a member of this family. You will be slighted by us all, we will not recognise you, nor will we mention your name again.”
Elizabeth looked at her father with an arched eyebrow in question to see if even in this he would not make a stand. “It will be as your mother said,” Bennet said weakly, unable to look his second daughter in the eye.
“These misfortunes are heavy indeed, but it seems you are doing me a favour. You, Mr. Bennet, have no backbone. You are so interested in your books and port you allow this woman to spend you into apenurious state. I used to respect you, but no longer.” Elizabeth turned to Mrs. Bennet. “I lose nothing in not having to call you ‘Mother’ any longer. You may have given birth to me, but you haveneverbeen a mother to me.
“How stupid do you have to be to blame a babe for its gender?” Fanny Bennet drew her arm back to slap Elizabeth. When she brought it forward, she found her arm caught in a strong grip. “Hit me, Mrs. Bennet, and I will hit you back ten times harder. Did you think all the exercise you deride me for would not make me strong? You are a disgrace; you have no idea how to raise a gentlewoman, as you are not one yourself.”
Elizabeth released Mrs. Bennet’s arm. The lady stood looking at her open-mouthed. “Mr. Bennet, how is it you allow your daughter to talk to me so?” Fanny demanded.
“Mayhap I am deficient in understanding. Did you not five minutes ago state that Elizabeth is no longer part of this family? As such, there is nothing I can do to temper her behaviour,” Bennet stated innocently.
“You have spoilt Lydia to the extent that she thinks only of officers and Kitty follows her like a sheep. You will be lucky if she does not ruin herself and all of you within the year. As I am no longer part of this family, I will not partake of your shame. That leads me to dear, serene,innocentJane.” Elizabeth turned to Miss Bennet whose pallor had turned decidedly grey.
“You have nothing to say to my dear, innocent daughter. You only wish you had her beauty and poise,” Fanny barked.
“You mean your innocent daughter who gifted her maidenhood to Johnny Lucas some three years ago? The one who lies as easily as she breathes? Well done, Mrs. Bennet, you have truly taught your protégé how to behave with men. Do you know what ruin will befall you if word of her shame becomes known to society? There is only one maiden in this room, and it is not yourinnocentJane,” Elizabeth delivered the blow. After supper the night of the ball, she and Charlotte had a long talk. Part of it was the revelation of Jane’s wanton behaviour.
“Get out of my house,” Fanny screeched.
“Mr. Bennet, I will need the cart to take me and my trunk into Meryton,” Elizabeth requested.
“You will walk, you hussy! No one is to assist you! And you,” she turned to her husband, “will not give her any funds!” Fanny Bennet turned and stormed out of the study with cries of “Hill, my salts,” ringing through the halls of Longbourn’s manor house.
Jane was sitting on the sofa under the window, unmoving. Elizabeth left to pack her trunk. On her way, she encountered Mrs. Hill. “Mrs. Hill, I am leaving and I will need mydress you were repairingfor me back if you please,” Elizabeth told the kindly housekeeper.
“I will bring it to you anon, Miss Lizzy,” Mrs. Hill said softly so no other would hear.
Bennet looked up and saw Jane still rooted to the spot where she sat. “Is it not strange that in life, Jane, when we cause trouble for others how it has a way on rebounding on ourselves?”
Her father’s statement galvanised Jane and she ran out of his study in tears, up to her bedchamber. Bennet knew where Lizzy would go and was certain she had funds to get her there. He rang for Hill. “Mrs. Hill, I know you have been concealing Lizzy’s money from my wife.” He held up his hand to stem the protest on the housekeeper’s lips. “Here are banknotes for one hundred and fifty pounds. I am sure you are holding her money somehow and will find a way to pass it back to her, please add this to it—quickly before any of my family see.”
Mrs. Hill took the notes, bobbed a curtsy, and made for her rooms. She opened the secret pocket in the lining of the dress and added the additional notes to the ten pounds already hidden away. By the time she delivered the dress, Miss Elizabeth had all but completed her packing.
“La, what a good joke, you are kicked out because you will not do your duty to us and marry Mr. Collins,” Lydia was crowing after Elizabeth donned her dress.
“As I am no longer your sister, I suggest you get out of my way before I teach you a lesson you will not soon forget,” Elizabeth stated menacingly. Lydia understood that it was time for her to make a fast exit.
“It is so sad, Miss Lizzy,” Mrs. Hill stared as she swatted at a tear. “I am so sorry Mrs. Bennet is doing this.”
“I will be well, Mrs. Hill, I promise you. Please deliver this note to Miss Lucas on the morrow. I will stay at the Red Rooster Inn tonight and be on the post to London in the morning. It will be the Sabbath, but it has to be done. Uncle Edward and Aunt Maddie will take me in,” Elizabeth told her housekeeper bravely.
As Mrs. Bennet was in her chambers having a contrived attack of her nerves, Mr. Hill and the footman Peter helped bring the trunk down to the front of the house. Elizabeth donned her brown three-quarter length coat, beige gloves and tied a shawl around her waist.
She gripped her trunk, and dragging it behind her, started her final walk from Longbourn to Meryton.
