His uncle’s voice brought him back to earth. “Now, my dears, I have some gifts for you!”
It was the moment that everybody had hoped for.
First, he presented Mrs Bennet with an ornate jewellery box of red velvet with an intricate silver lid. She opened it slowly and discovered an exquisite string of pearls. They were so beautiful that she remained seated with the box in her hands, scarcely daring to touch them. She had seen pearls before, but never any of such beauty.
“Let me put them around your neck, dear niece,” Thomas said, and Mrs Bennet rose immediately.
“For the last four years I lived in a village in the kingdom of Benin. I introduced the villagers to pearl hunting, which had not previously been one of their occupations. I even brought diving suits from France, made of leather, which allowed them to descend to sixty feet. Air was pumped from the surface by means of manual pumps. In that way, they were able to harvest far more mussels and discover many more pearls.”
“Fascinating,” Elizabeth said to her uncle.
“Yes, and when I left, these pearls were their gift of gratitude to me, so I stopped in Morocco and had this necklace made for your mother. The box combines Bedouin craftsmanship with a modern jewellery case. But for my great-nieces, I have genuine Bedouin art and some fabrics from Benin.”
Under the amazed eyes of the family, Thomas Bennet took from an ancient chest with massive iron padlocks silver necklaces and bracelets with intricate patterns that resembled embroidery. They received fabrics for dresses and pelisses in stunning colours: red, green, yellow, and a vibrant purple. With the room full of beautiful objects, the elders sat and watched the young ladies’ enchantment. They imagined gowns and matchingnecklaces for each of them, whilst the bracelets they already wore chimed softly with the rhythm of their excitement.
“This is the best day of my life!” Lydia declared, curtseying to her great-uncle.
“I want to know so many things about all these,” Elizabeth said, indicating the jewellery and fabrics. “What kind of people created such beauties?”
“Yes, Uncle, please!” Mary cried, caught up in the general joy.
“Ladies, ladies, we have all the time in the world. Now you must allow Uncle Thomas an hour’s rest before dinner.”
“Ladies, you have forgotten your father; my poor nephew has not yet received his present!”
It was true. Eager to examine their gifts, they had entirely forgotten Mr Bennet.
“My nephew has a chest full of precious books. On my instructions, Tom has already carried it into your library!”
∞∞∞
Mrs Bennet found her husband in the library, surrounded by the incredible gifts he had received.
“Every book in here is a treasure!” he said with the excitement of a schoolboy.
“I do not intend to interrupt you; it is obvious how much pleasure you take in your books,” she said, though she clearly wished to speak with him.
“No, stay,” he cried in a jubilant mood. “Let me admire your pearls.”
Even to an inexperienced eye, the pearls were magnificent.
“They must have cost a fortune!” Mrs Bennet said. “Do you think he has money?” she asked, not in her usual spirit of gossip but from a genuine curiosity inspired by the richness of the gifts they had received.
“Indeed, the pearls must be worth a fortune, but you heard the man. They were a gift. He did not purchase them, and the fabrics and jewellery for the girls cannot have cost a great deal.”
“I feel strange wearing such wealth around my neck.” Mrs Bennet touched the pearls lovingly. “It is comforting to know that, in difficult times, we possess something valuable enough to sell.”
Mr Bennet’s glance made his wife blush. It reminded her of a time when admiration had been easier to read in his eyes.
“They are yours, my dear, a present entirely worthy of your beauty.”
“Mr Bennet! What a thing to say!” she replied, though his words pleased her greatly.
“I merely mean that it is pleasant to be reminded that we are not selfish people after all, and that we care deeply for one another.”
“Yes, but this has happened chiefly because of your generosity and devotion to your family, Mr Bennet.”
“So you now admit that our expenditure proved not only useful but pleasant?”
