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“Cousin Fanny, Lydia is not ruined,” William Collins insisted. “Did she allow the man far more liberties than any gently born lady should have? Yes, she did. However, we have it from the seducer’s lips that he planned to complete his seduction today, and he has been in the militia’s brig since before the ball.”

“What did that terrible man say to overset Papa, Mamma, and our sisters so completely?” Elizabeth enquired.

“As you know, Cousin Elizabeth, you are not the only stubborn Bennet. I contacted…” William told of his request to his friend and the choice given to Mr Wickham. He told of how their parents and the two youngest had heard what had been said candidly. He was careful to point out that Kitty had refused to allow the libertine anything, not even a kiss. “Wicky, as he is called, will never repeat a word about your sister because he knows it will buy him a transfer from Marshalsea to King’s Bench Debtors’ Prison. As Hamlet said to his mother, Queen Gertrude in the Bard’s play, ‘I must be cruel, only to be kind.’ I felt I had to follow that maxim, as it was the only way to open the eyes of those who refused to see.”

Jane walked to her mother who was sitting in her favourite chair staring straight ahead but not seeing. She took her mother’s hand closest to her. “Mamma, do you understand why we, well mainly Lizzy, have begged you to rein in our youngest sisters?” Jane asked. “Mamma, I beg you see this as the chance it is.”

“How can I see this as anything but a disaster? I did not know any better,” Fanny lamented.

Elizabeth came to her mother’s other side and took her other hand in her own. “As Cousin Collins said, there has been no ruin. The only way there will be any ruin is if you, Kitty, or Lydia repeat anything of Lydia’s actions to anyone. As much as I love Aunt Hattie, surely you see that you can never tell her what you have learnt today?” Elizabeth looked at her second youngest sister. “All is not lost. Kitty did not allow that libertine any liberties, and as much as you and Lydia have been shocked today, is it not time for us all to learn how to behave as gently born ladies?”

“Cousin Fanny, if nothing else, surely you can see that Cousin Lydia does not have the knowledge or maturity to be out in society?” William prompted. “Even though Cousin Kitty did not allow Mr Wickham to do anything to her, her behaviour would lead men to think that she would. I think that she too should be back in.”

Not trusting herself to speak yet, all Fanny could do was nod. She would do anything she had to in order to make sure that nothing that had almost occurred to her two youngest daughters had a chance of ever happening again.

William knew that there was no better time for him to confront Cousin Bennet. Confident that the three eldest sisters would guide their mother and youngest sisters towards amending their ways, he made his way to the study. This time when he knocked, he did not wait for his cousin’s invitation to enter the room.

Before him sat his cousin, elbows on his knees, his head in his hands. William understood that everything had been fun and games for Cousin Bennet until the reality of what almost occurred intruded upon his world in a way that was impossible to ignore.

“I thought myself so superior, but I did not see what was happening under my nose,” Bennet said when he saw who had entered the study. “I mocked where I should have educated, and I laughed when I needed to check behaviour. I have made a complete mull[6] of it.”

“Yes, Cousin, you have. It is not only your family you have neglected but your estate as well,” William stated firmly. “Are you aware that under the terms of the entail that if the current master allows the income to fall to, or below, half of what is expected, his heir, or in this case, heir presumptive, is permitted to become the new master? Do you know that you are obligated to make sure that the dower house is in good repair so that your wife will always have a home?”

All Bennet could do was shake his head. He had never read the document that governed the entail. It was sitting gathering dust in the safe. Given how he had failed his family, it was only right that a Collins could evict him from Longbourn. He admitted that rather than play on his wife’s fears of the future, had he repaired the dower house, he would have been able to assure her she would never be in the hedgerows. He had rather made fun of her.

“You have lost eight of your eighteen tenants; among them, the three largest farms are not being worked. More are ready to leave. Longbourn should bring in more than six thousand pounds per annum, and thanks to your mismanagement, it is what, only about two thousand five hundred pounds a year now?”

Again, Bennet nodded. He had allowed his cousin to peruse the ledgers, but he had convinced himself a Collins would not understand them, all evidence to the contrary. That ridiculous prejudice against the Collinses could cost him his estate.

“It is not my intention to kick you when you are down after the great perturbation you experienced today with regard to your daughters. However, in my mind the two go hand in glove. The same indolence which keeps you in your study and not running your estate as it should be is what makes you ignore your duty to your wife and children. Let me ask you something, Cousin. When you married your wife, were you aware that she was not gently raised?”

“Yes, but what has that to do with anything?”

William ignored the petulant whine. “You knew that, but you never took the time to educate her. Instead, you mocked and laughed at her, and you did the same with most of your daughters. How can you act surprised when your wife did not teach your youngest daughters how to behave? I know from the three eldest sisters that you were aware of the advice that Cousin Fanny gave to them, but you said not a word. As badly as Cousin Lydia behaved, she did not know better. I am afraid that is a direct result of the abrogation of your duties as head of this family.”

Bennet wanted to refute his cousin’s words, but he could not and still remain honest.

“Do you know that it was men I employed who spoke to Colonel Forster and the officers before the ball to make sure that none of them would approach your two youngest daughters? It was my men who followed your youngest to the overrun hunting lodge where she expected to meet Mr Wickham. Even if you cared not for your family, I would not allow the family of the lady I intend to marry to be ruined.”

“You take too much on yourself,” Bennet said weakly.

“Someone has to, and you were not doing your duty. Would it have been better to allow your daughters to partake in Cousin Lydia’s ruin?” William shot back.

Needing some time to consider what his cousin was saying, Bennet decided to change the subject. “Do you know where the animosity between our two sides of the family originated?”

“I do. My great-great-grandfather was William Clem Bennet…” William filled in the family history. “Even though each man in the Collins line honoured the Bennet name by taking it as their second name, Henry Bennet, your and my father’s great-great-grandfather, would not move past his pride. I have mentioned my father’s estate, Collins Hollow, have I not?”

Bennet nodded it was so.

“The entail stating that the family name must be Collins ends when my father is called home. The first thing my brother will do as master is to reclaim his Bennet name. If you read the entail, you will see that as the master after you, I must take the Bennet name, something I have no objection to doing. In fact, if Mary accepts my hand in marriage, I will make the change to my name before we marry.

“That you and Bennets before you blindly carried the prejudice against the Collinses forward without knowing the truth makes me question the intelligence of all the Bennets along the way.” William looked at his cousin to tell him he was included in that statement.

“I have faults aplenty; I own that,” Bennet stated honestly. “The truth is that I am not one who is a good estate manager. Hence, if you want to use the clause in the entail to become the master now, I will not oppose you.”

“You will not be able to avoid your responsibilities so easily. I have a proposal; will you hear it?”

Knowing it would not be as easy as he had envisaged, Bennet nodded.