Alias Thomas Bennet (2 page)

“Shhh, Shhh, Fanny,” Mr. Bennet hushed as he gently took his wife’s hands and looked tenderly into her cornflower blue eyes. She smiled and calmed the moment she saw his dark eyes fixed upon her. Her heart was captured by the softness of his regard, and she relished the interlude of gentle mutual admiration shared by a couple who had been in love for many years.

A moment later, five lovely girls, aged fifteen to two-and-twenty, gracefully entered the parlour, smiling sweetly as they saw their parents. Sensible to the tender scene, they waited discreetly with their greetings, each quietly taking a seat. Their parents did not release their hold on each other’s eyes or the gentle contact of their hands.

When he was assured his wife was calm and her attention was on him, Mr. Bennet asked softly, “Now, my dear, how may we help you?”

“Husband, a young man has let Netherfield Park. If you were to make his acquaintance, your easy manners would recommend him to the gentlemen of Meryton society and assist him in being well settled. Also, Thomas, it would please me very much to offer our hospitality in honouring the gentleman and his party with a welcome dinner at Longbourn.”

“That is very gracious of you, my dear. My, my, I am very pleased. It is to the advantage of the neighbourhood to have Netherfield Park occupied again and ever so interesting to make a new acquaintance. But I am curious to know more about this fellow. Perhaps one of my daughters has some intelligence to reveal to her father?” He turned to the girls with a smile, his eyes twinkling in anticipation.

“Papa, his name is Mr. Bingley,” his youngest offered. “He is a single man in his twenties from the North. He is his own master with his father’s fortune made through trade and is planning to become landed. His party is arriving in a se’ennight. His sister will be the mistress of his house, and they will bring several companions from Town with them.”

Her manner of speaking was all that was proper and ladylike, but her eyes shone, and she fidgeted with a handkerchief as she spoke, belying an attempt to hide her enthusiasm for sharing the news. She was the child most like her mother, gregarious and lively, always eager to glean information and pass it on to delight their neighbours, though her good breeding ensured she was discreet about what she shared.

“Well, then, I shall call on him as soon as we know he is comfortably entrenched at Netherfield Park. Will that make my ladies happy?”

“Yes, Papa, most certainly,” the eldest daughter replied. “If he is agreeable, our neighbours would be quite delighted to have the company of Mr. Bingley and his party at the autumn assembly in Meryton. It would provide him with the opportunity to meet many of our society. Perhaps you might offer an invitation when you call.”

“What a thorough report on one who is not yet settled in our county, and such interest in entertaining this Mr. Bingley!” He turned his amused face towards his wife. “Tell me, my dear Fanny, do you have your eye on this young man for one of our daughters, sight unseen?” Mr. Bennet smiled at her, and she glanced downward in a coquettish manner then flicked her smiling eyes back to meet his.

“Why of course, Mr. Bennet. We have three who are eligible, and all my girls deserve a rich, handsome, young gentleman for a husband!”

“So he is also handsome?”

“Yes, Mrs. Nicholls, the housekeeper at Netherfield Park, says he is the handsomest young man she has ever seen, and so agreeable!” Not a moment later, she frowned and continued, “But if he turns out to be a rogue, then someone else’s daughter may have him!
My
girls are still in the first bloom of youth and so very beautiful and accomplished, they need only consider the
best
of suitors. Not like Charlotte Lucas, who is set to be a spinster and is so plain!”

“Mama!” a chorus of five responded, and all shared in the laughter.

“Well, there I go letting my tongue free to do its uncivil damage. I must pray for forgiveness of the sin of pride and be charitable to my neighbours. I will own Miss Lucas is as lovely a young woman as any of you. Her intimacy with our family will be sure to throw her in the paths of suitable men.”

The seven Bennets continued a lively discussion regarding the past occupants of Netherfield Park and their anticipation of making the acquaintance of the Bingleys and their friends. They teased and jested about the matchmaking.

In truth, Mrs. Bennet’s excitement grew from her busy mind, which had immediately begun planning all the parties and finery requiring the attention of a mother of five delightful young ladies whose company was certain to be most sought after by their new neighbours. Mrs. Bennet was a social being who relished opportunities to interact with others, and she was known as a pleasant and generous hostess. The pending arrival of the Netherfield party allowed her to immerse herself in the duties and responsibilities she felt were put upon her capable shoulders as a most respected member of the Meryton community.

Mrs. Bennet also enjoyed designing subtle interpretations on the latest in fashion and, with her daughters’ help, often reworked their gowns into masterpieces that would be admired even in London. She declared herself to have the best part of the proficiency of the finest modistes in the county and shared the enthusiasm for pleasing new attire with her five daughters. She took great pride in her ability to use their income to its best advantage, sensible to the importance of ensuring each daughter had the best opportunities towards attracting suitors who could provide an advantageous marriage. While typical of most society mothers in her attempts to make eligible matches for her girls, equally important in her eyes was their felicity.

The estate the Bennet family called home was Longbourn in Hertfordshire. It had been inherited by Mr. Bennet through an entailment to the male line some eighteen years past. Longbourn generated an income of £3,000 a year, providing a comfortable life for a country gentleman with five unmarried daughters. In addition, Mr. Bennet had other income from lands in Gloucestershire and investments in Bermuda. It was common knowledge in the neighbourhood that, although none of the girls would inherit their home, the income from Mr. Bennet’s other holdings, and some additional investments made possible by Mrs. Bennet’s economy, would supplement the girls’ rather small settlements and provide security for Mrs. Bennet’s lifetime should Mr. Bennet leave her a widow.

The Bennets found their country life in Hertfordshire rather agreeable. Longbourn was close to the village of Meryton where Mr. Philips, a solicitor married to Mrs. Bennet’s half-sister, had his practice. Aunt Philips’s home was a regular stop on trips to Meryton, which occurred almost daily. Mrs. Philips was the heart of all gossip in Meryton, so it was always interesting to visit her and learn the latest goings-on in their small community. The Philipses had no children, so their aunt doted on all the girls and often hosted card parties to give the family opportunities to enjoy the company of other young people.

Although Mr. Bennet had no interest in spending time in London, Mrs. Bennet’s much younger half-brother lived in Town. The year each Bennet girl came out, the young Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner welcomed her and Mrs. Bennet to their home for part of a London Season. However, at their father’s insistence, they attended only smaller balls, private parties and the occasional visit to the theatre, in keeping with the family’s financial circumstances.

Mr. Bennet was a quiet man, well educated with a love of books and learning. He was a generous master, accommodating landlord and industrious landowner. He was also very interested in the newest advances and applied them wholeheartedly to the farming practices on the estate. As a result, he had increased the income of his estate, and he was able to enlarge the house a few years past. He was firm in his principles but also loving and encouraging to his family.

Since Mr. Bennet enjoyed his daughters’ company in his pursuit of knowledge and love of intellectual conversation, all the Bennet girls had received a superior, if perhaps unconventional, education at home. As the young ladies matured, the Longbourn parlour increasingly played host to lively discussions of politics, literature, philosophy, and current events, and the reading aloud of poetry, plays and even novels. The Bennet girls were sometimes teasingly referred to as bluestockings by their friends, though their pleasing manners ensured they were included in all of the society and enjoyment due any young woman of gentle breeding.

Mr. Bennet had brought a highly intelligent Bermudan family back to England after an extended visit there in his younger years. Mr. Akuete, originally from a family of the first circles in Nigeria, was an unpaid labourer in a shipyard prior to Mr. Bennet employing him and his wife as servants. Mr. Bennet had seen uncommon intelligence in Mr. Akuete, so he befriended the young man and spent evenings in his study teaching him a basic education. Akuete showed voracity for learning and, in turn, educated his equally interested wife. When Mr. Bennet discovered this, he quickly decided to offer them both the best education possible given the existing societal restraints. Mr. Akuete was to learn all the skills necessary to become a steward while Mrs. Akuete acted as governess to the girls until their father took over their education on more complex subjects.

By the time Jane was four, Mrs. Akuete was teaching letters and numbers to her. Elizabeth and Mary soon joined them. The Bennet children were very intelligent and quickly outstripped children of their age group. Their classmates, the Akuete children, were equally gifted.

As the Bennet daughters grew older, their interests and talents surpassed Mrs. Akuete’s knowledge. She became the housekeeper, and masters were hired to further the girls’ gifts. Self-study was also encouraged, and there were no limitations placed on subject matter. Their father assisted as well as he could, purchasing books on any topic of interest. They were avid readers of
The Ladies’ Diar
y for its discussions on science, philosophy, and mathematics.

Although Mrs. Bennet was not in possession of such an intelligent mind as the rest of her family, she was a loving and protective mother who would do anything to improve the happiness of her family. Having benefited from a good upbringing, she, in turn, had taught her own children all things proper and important for a young gentlewoman. Fanny Bennet ensured her daughters’ education included the knowledge and practice of proper etiquette and conversation, setting a fine table, household management, dancing and graceful manners. They also were encouraged in sewing and artistic achievements appropriate for a gentlewoman.

The Bennet girls were as gracious and accomplished as most young ladies of the
ton
, but much more knowledgeable on matters of literature and politics, and interesting but unaffected conversationalists. The girls had a music master, and all learned to play the pianoforte quite well, though Mary’s skill was superior due to her dedication to long hours of daily practice. The Bennet house was constantly full of music—that is, when they were not preparing for a social function. Then they gathered with Mrs. Bennet to modify gowns, trim bonnets, and try new hair styles.

Mrs. Bennet was not exaggerating when she claimed her daughters the most beautiful and most accomplished. And she, herself, was still a very handsome woman.

***

April 1792
Gloucestershire

Fanny Gardiner smoothed her skirt for the fifth time since dressing and inspected her form in the looking glass. Admiring herself, she proudly thought her ensemble made her look remarkably mature for her seventeen years. She had taken extraordinary care with her appearance for this ball, wearing a pale pink silk gown with a cream lace overlay trimmed with small, embroidered roses. Pink ribbon roses were in her hair, which was done in the most complicated arrangement of plaits and bun she had ever known. Her slippers were the finest kid, and she wore her mother’s pearls.

She heard irregular footsteps plodding slowly down the corridor. They stopped outside her sitting room, and there was a scratch on the door. She smiled broadly and immediately felt more confident. Her visitor could only be one person—her dear cousin Thomas Bennet. She bade him enter the small parlour. He leaned on his cane as an awed expression overcame his face, and she blushed deeply.

“Fanny, I cannot find words to do justice to your beauty!” he said in a hoarse voice. “You have always been lovely, but tonight you are the most beautiful girl in town. You will surely steal all the suitors from the other girls!”

“I thank you for your compliments, Thomas. I hope you are correct. I would be mortified to be seen sitting at my own coming-out ball!” She felt proud to have him admiring her and excited for this momentous evening. She was so happy she thought she would burst.

“My dear Fanny, you will have more suitors than you have spaces on your dance card. Mama and Papa would have been so proud.” His eyes became wet; it was cruel they had to miss this important event in her life. The memory of the fire was fresh in his mind—he still bore the physical pain and scars—and they were barely out of mourning clothes for the death of his parents.

“It is unfair that I must dance the first with my father. He is a stranger to me. I wish you could stand up with me, Thomas. You are my only family now that your parents are gone, and you are the one who sponsored this ball!” She had been brought up by her father’s cousins, Thomas’s parents, since the age of seven when her mother perished in a carriage accident. When her father, Mr. Gardiner, had remarried, his new wife did not want young Fanny, so she stayed with the Bennets and thus was not well acquainted with her father, stepmother and their two young children, a boy and a girl.