Authors: Melanie Schertz
Elizabeth continued to mull the words of the
butler over and over in her mind. Of course a servant
would not wish to lose his position, so he would not
speak ill of his master. So Elizabeth concluded that
was the reason for Darcy’s glaring at her. He was
looking for each and every fault in her which made
her not handsome enough to tempt him, and finding
reasons for other men to slight her.
Finally reaching her uncle’s home, Elizabeth was
exhausted from not only the walk, but the mental
taxing of her mind was tiring.
“Lizzy, I am so pleased you have returned. I was
beginning to worry.” Mrs Gardiner declared as her
niece entered the parlor.
“I am well, Aunt Helen. I lost track of time while at
Hyde Park.” Elizabeth smiled, leaning over to place a
kiss on her favorite aunt’s cheek.
“Well, while you were gone, an express arrived
from your father. He sent one to your uncle as well. I
have a feeling we will be leaving sooner than
expected.”
Elizabeth took hold of the message her aunt held
out to her. Breaking the seal, Elizabeth began to read
her father’s words.
Your mother is threatening to come to Town to retrieve you if I do not send for
you immediately. I have sent word to your uncle as well, and I have sent him the funds
to send you from Town immediately. Your aunt and cousins can follow you if they need
the extra time, but it is vital you leave immediately. I cannot promise your mother’s
compliance with my dictate, you know how she is. I am doing my best, but you must
hurry, Lizzy.
Do not post any letters to me from wherever you are going. I do not wish your
mother to learn where you are. Please be careful and safe. Jane sends her love as
well, and says she wishes she could be with you, for your mother is making life
unbearable here. I intend to put my foot down with her, but it is my own failings which
have led us to this situation. I should have been stronger with her from the start.
It was frustrating, throughout the years, that her
mother’s behavior had gone unchecked. Mr Bennet
had preferred to retreat to his book room and
isolation rather than standing firm against her
mother’s vulgar ways and the manner of behavior of
her youngest sister, who was known to be the worst
flirt in the neighborhood. Jane and Elizabeth had
endured whispered disapproval from their neighbors
over their mother and sister. Even words of
disapproval were issued concerning their father, for
he rarely ever came out of his book room.
And now, Elizabeth was forced to flee to keep her
mother from forcing a marriage to a man who was
known to be violent, just so her mother could feel
secured with the man’s wealth when the day came
that Mr Bennet died. Mr Leland was nearly forty
years old, and cruel. His previous wives had rarely
been seen in public, and it was believed it was due to
their appearance being flawed by wounds inflicted by
their husband.
“Mamma is determined to marry me off to Mr
Leland. She is threatening to come to Town to force
me. Papa says I need to leave here immediately,
before Mamma can come.” Elizabeth looked at her
aunt, with tears welling in her eyes. “Aunt Helen, why
is Mamma so cruel to me? Why is she determined to
punish me?”
~~~~~~~ ** ~~~~~~~
Helen Gardiner was aware of the situation which
caused Fanny Bennet to detest Elizabeth. Fanny had
always been high strung and flirtatious. She set her
sights to marrying a gentleman. Despising her roots
as the daughter of a country solicitor, Fanny Gardiner
was determined she would not accept the hand of any
man who did not have an estate. At an assembly in
Meryton, Fanny met Thomas Bennet. Having set her
cap on him, Fanny set out to entice him into marriage.
Mr Edward Gardiner learned later, from his father
on his deathbed, that Thomas Bennet had been in love
with a young lady with ties to royalty, a young lady
named Constance Elisabetta, the niece of Charles,
Duke of Brunswick and Princess Augusta of Great
Britain, and cousin of Caroline, Princess of Brunswick.
Constance and Thomas had met in Town, when both
were visiting family.
Fanny did not care that Thomas had given his
heart to another, and she did everything she could to
make him notice her. It was not until she staged a
compromising situation did she succeed in her goal. It
would come to be the worst mistake of her life, and
would lead to many years of bitterness. Constance
was devastated to see her beloved be forced to marry
another. Thomas was angry at being forced to marry
Fanny, and she was too foolish to realize, at the time,
what she had done.
It was not long into their marriage when the
Bennets learned of their family increasing. What no
one knew was the fact that Mr Bennet would have two
children born close together rather than one. He
learned Constance gave birth to a beautiful baby girl,
who looked identical to her mother and that his
beloved Constance had perished just days after the
birth. Mrs Bennet was near her delivery, and Mr
Bennet decided to perpetrate a lie.
The daughter of Constance was kept hidden from
Mrs Bennet until the birth of Fanny’s babe.
Constance’s daughter had been small, and could easily
be passed off as a newborn. Mrs Bennet was in severe
pain during the birth, and the midwife gave the lady
some laudanum to ease the pain, so Mrs Bennet was
not aware until later what her husband had done.
Only two people, aside from Thomas Bennet,
knew what happened that day, until nearly a year
later, when Mrs Bennet finally forced the truth from
her husband. She could tell her husband held
Elizabeth with more regard than he did Jane. After a
bitter argument, Mr Bennet admitted that Elizabeth
was the daughter of his beloved Constance, the
woman he was forced to give up, due to Fanny’s
behavior.
Thomas was bitter with his wife, and told her in
no uncertain terms how he disliked her. He blamed
her for ruining his happiness, trapping him while
knowing he did not wish to marry her. Fanny had
known Thomas was in love with someone in Town,
but that did not matter to her.
“I have never loved you, and I admit to you now
that two days before I married you, I laid with
Constance. I wished for one last night of love, before
being forced to share a bed with someone I did not
even like, all to procreate an heir. Constance held my
heart, and still does. But she is dead, after giving me
the greatest gift, a living proof of our love.”
“And you made me believe she was my child.”
Fanny was furious. “I will never refer to her as my
daughter again. She is your natural child, but I will
not care for her.”
“If you know what is good for you, you will make
certain you treat her as if she were your flesh and
blood. If you do not, I will force you to live with your
parents. I have the right to bar you from my home.
Or I will move to London, taking my daughters with
me. You will be left with nothing, and I will publically
claim you as a harlot who compromised yourself, yet
making it appear that I could not keep my hands off
you.”
“You know you wanted me, it was you who
behaved inappropriately.” Fanny shouted at Thomas.
“You and your whore’s child, making people believe
she was mine. It is not right. I cannot tolerate that
child in my house any longer.”
“Then I will have your trunks packed. You have
your choice, you may stay with your sister or your
brother. Which do you wish to take you in?”
“No, Fanny, I told you. You will not take Jane from
me. Jane and Elizabeth are my girls, and they will go
nowhere without me. Now, where do you wish to
go?”
Fanny decided to stay with her sister, though Mrs
Phillips was far from discrete. She immediately sent
an express to their brother, who was building his
import business in Town. Edward took the time to
visit Longbourn, and learned the truth of his sister’s
behavior. Meeting the two girls, Mr Gardiner could
not withhold his love for either of the girls. Jane was
fair haired with crystal blue eyes. Elizabeth was her
opposite, with dark curls and brown eyes. But each of
the girls had a birthmark behind their left ear, a
birthmark in the shape of a small red heart. They
were Thomas Bennet’s daughters, and he would not
give up either.
Knowing the truth of the situation, Edward spoke
with his sister. “Fanny, you knew Bennet did not love
you, and that his heart belonged to another. But you
insisted on making him your husband, no matter what
you did. It was wrong, Fanny. You took something
from Bennet which was not yours to take. My
suggestion is to accept the situation you have made
for yourself and accept Elizabeth as your child. She is
a good girl, and very loveable. Can you not be her
mother?”
“Fanny, have you never thought of what you took
from Elizabeth’s mother, by compromising Bennet
and demanding he marry you. You knew he did not
love you. Can you not accept the situation?
Elizabeth’s mother is dead, she will not burden you
any further. Do not blame the child for what
happened, for she did not create any of the situation.”
“But she is a constant reminder of my husband
having been with another woman. It is not right. The
child should be sent away from here. She is a curse on
my marriage.”
Mr Gardiner shook his head. He knew his sister
would never change her mind, but he prayed her fury
would dissipate with time. “It is within your power to
make your life happy or sad. You may not like what
the child represents, but you made your bed, it is time
for you to lay on it. I will stand behind Bennet on this
matter, so, if you wish to return to your home and live
with your own child and your husband, you had best
live with your own actions.”
After a week of staying at her sister’s home, Fanny
Bennet returned to her home, and decided to try to be
pleasant to her husband’s love child, even though it
was a constant thorn in her side. As the child grew,
and was a constant reminder to Mr Bennet of
Constance, the thorn festered until nothing Elizabeth
could do would satisfy Mrs Bennet.
Over the years, Mrs Bennet had three babes born
dead, two daughters and a son, until finally, she was
able to give birth to her final child, Lydia. She poured
all her love and devotion into Lydia, spoiling the girl
as she felt Mr Bennet did for Elizabeth. It was no
surprise that Lydia was growing into an
uncontrollable young lady, who did whatever she
wished, not caring how it injured anyone else.
Elizabeth’s belongings were quickly packed in her
trunks and she was taken to catch the post carriage
headed north. Once Elizabeth arrived in the village of
Lambton, where Mrs Gardiner had grown up and still
had friends, she was to visit a Mrs Lackney who
owned the dress shop. Mrs Lackney would allow
Elizabeth to stay with her until the Gardiners arrived
a week later.
Arriving at the post station just before the carriage
was to leave, Mr Gardiner paid her fare and handed
his niece a small bundle. “Your aunt packed some
refreshments for you, and the other item is from your
father. We will see you in a week. Be safe and
careful.”
“I will, Uncle. Thank you for all of your kindness
to me. I look forward to seeing you when you arrive.”
Elizabeth stated as she turned to enter the carriage.
Once on the road, Elizabeth opened the bundle her
uncle had handed her. Inside were some of her
favorite biscuits, a hunk of cheese, a flask of drink, and
a pouch. Inside the pouch were coins, which
Elizabeth quickly hid in her pocket. Beside her on the
seat was one of the maids from the Gardiner home,
who was to remain with Elizabeth until the Gardiners
arrived in Lambton. The maid, Lucy, was a quiet girl of
seven and ten years, and she was quite devoted to the
Gardiner family. That devotion extended to Elizabeth,
as the niece of the family was always pleasant and
kind.
Lucy was learning to read, and she appreciated the
generosity of Elizabeth to teach her. During the long
ride, Elizabeth encouraged the young maid, teaching
her from some of the children’s books Mr Gardiner
had allowed Lucy to take with her.
The first night of their journey found the two
staying in a posting inn. They decided to share a
room, as Elizabeth would not hear of Lucy staying in
servant quarters, while Elizabeth was comfortable in
a large bed upstairs. Though Lucy attempted to
explain she could not possibly share the bed with her
employer’s niece, Elizabeth would not accept her
reasoning. “Lucy, I am used to sharing a bed with my
sister, Jane. If I can survive her kicking me in the
middle of the night, I can tolerate you. Unless you are
going to tell me you turn into a vicious animal and will
devour me while I sleep.”
Lucy laughed. “Miss Elizabeth, I can assure you I
am not a vicious animal, coming out at night, to
devour young maidens as they sleep. It would not be
proper for me to sleep in the room with you. There
are servants’ quarters below the stairs, and I am
certain they will be more than adequate.”
“We will save funds then, by only requiring one
room. See, you would be doing my aunt and uncle a
further service by sharing the room with me.”
“Very well, Miss Elizabeth. I give up. You are too
fierce to argue with.” Lucy held her side from laughing
so hard. “I will send down for some dinner to be
brought up on trays. The men in the dining room did
not appear to be too friendly.”