“Three pounds per quarter,” Gardiner said softly.
“I did not hear,” Fanny shot back.
“Father said three pounds per quarter, and you will not have the authority of the mistress, which will include you not using the mistress’s chambers,” Edward related.
“How could you sign such a travesty?” Fanny shrieked.
“Because Mr Bennet would not marry you unless I signed,” Gardiner admitted.“Before you say you would not have married him had you known, you would have been ruined in that case.” Gardiner held up his hand to stop the protest forming.“You have no one to blame but yourself. You, with Hattie’s assistance, crowed about yourtriumphto one and all. Thanks to you two spreading the news far and wide, there was no putting the genie back into his lamp.”
“You will provide me with pin money!” Fanny insisted.
“I may not; none of us may. It is written into your settlement. When Mr Bennet rejected your advances for well over a year, you should have realised he would not be pleased with you forcing his hand,” Gardiner opined.
“Then, you and Edward must intercede with my husband; it cannot be like this,” Fanny beseeched.
“You made this bed, and now you must lie in it,” Edward stated firmly.
“You belong to your husband now,” Gardiner reminded his youngest.“You remember your vow of obedience, do you not? You are to be at Longbourn within the hour, and he will not send the carriage for you. I will take you in the gig, but we need to leave soon.”
Fanny was reeling. Nothing was like she imagined it would be. This was all Hattie’s fault! She should have known it was a bad idea.
The fact that even if her sister had advised Fanny against compromising Mr Bennet, she would not have paid any heed, was neither here nor there. She ignored that inconvenient truth as Fanny looked to lay blame everywhere except where it belonged: with herself.
While Fanny collected the few items not already moved to Longbourn, the two Gardiner men and the Phillipses returned to the enlarged room. It was empty except for a manservant and a maid who were starting to clear all of the practically untouched food. Gardiner was certain that the talk of a compromise had been confirmed. It would make living in Meryton that much harder.
“This,” Phillips indicated the empty room with his hand,“is the price of you assisting Fanny in her dishonourable endeavour. Had you not felt the quickening a sennight past, I would have ordered you out of my house.”
The depth of her mistake hit Hattie like a runaway cart.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Until she walked into Longbourn’s manor house, Fanny had tried to tell herself things would not be as bad as her father and Edward made them out to be. That hope proved fruitless in short order. On entering her new home, Mr Bennet introduced her to the Hills, the butler and housekeeper.
“Mrs Hill has filled many of the functions of the estate’s mistress since my mother joined my father in heaven. She will continue to do so. You are not to interfere with her duties or make any demands on the staff and servants here. You will not have your own maid. Rather, one of the upstairs maids will assist you if and when she has time. If you cannot live by these and other rules in this house, I will be more than happy to move you into a pensioner’s cottage,” Bennet stated in monotone.“Do you understand me?”
All Fanny could do was to nod. Now, too late, she realised that compromising Mr Bennet was not a good decision.
The housekeeper led the master’s new wife to the second floor, where the guest chambers were located. She opened a door revealing a bedchamber where the lady’s trunks, which had arrived during the wedding, were located. Without a word, Mrs Hill took her leave.
Fanny understood that the unpacking of her trunks would be for her to do without assistance. The chamber was not enormous, but neither was it very small. The bed was a four-poster, and the mattress and pillows were all soft.
At least, her husband was not forcing her to sleep on the floor. Suddenly, it hit her that this level of comfort was as much for him as for herself.
Hattie explained what Fanny was to expect in the marriage bed and how painful the first time would be and just unpleasant thereafter.‘Will my husband come to me to consummate the marriage?’Fanny asked herself silently. The truth was that she knew nothing about the schedule of meals in the house or if she would be welcome at the table. Surely, her husband was not so very cruel that he would deny her permission to eat in the dining parlour?
As the trunks would not unpack themselves, Fanny set about doing so. She did not do it with good cheer. This was supposed to be the work of servants while she rested at leisure. Was that not what the life of a gentlewoman was? At the same time, she did not want her husband to see that she was affected by his draconian measures.
It took her close to two hours to unpack. Thankfully, there was more than enough space for all of her clothing. When all was done, Fanny rang. When the housekeeper arrived after some minutes, she saw the empty trunks and left.
It was not much longer until two footmen came and removed the trunks, which Fanny was told would be stored in the attics.
“Mrs Bennet, if you will follow me, I will show you the ground level where the drawing room and parlours are,” Mrs Hill requested. She led the way down two flights of stairs to the ground level.“The master’s study is down that hallway.” Mrs Hill pointed as she spoke.“The dining parlour is that door to the left, and the kitchens, scullery, and the rest is behind it. To the right is the main drawing room.”
They passed the main drawing room that Fanny had thought they would enter.
“Next to the drawing room is a music room. The late Mrs Bennet used to play the pianoforte and harp. Now then, we come to two smaller parlours. The master said you may chuse one of them for your own use. Any redecorating needs to be discussed with the master,” Mrs Hill related.
Fanny opened first one door and then the other. They were much of a sameness, about the same size and with similar furnishings. She chose the one on the same side of the house as the drawing room.
