Chapter 18
Towards the end of the first full week of April, Bennet received a note inviting him to Phillips’s office. He was in anticipation of this meeting, believing that he knew the reason.
“You received the new deed, did you not?” Bennet asked as soon as he entered his brother-in-law’s office, even before the two men exchanged greetings.
“And good day to you too, Bennet,” Phillips returned with a grin.
He could not remember the last time he had seen his brother so happy to be out of his study.
“Sit, Bennet, and yes, your supposition is correct.” He waited until the other man had seated himself.
“The entail to heirs male is no more, and the one which replaced it is now in force. You are the owner, but as you know, you are only permitted to leave it to one of your daughters, or if there are grandsons before you are called home, to one of them.” Phillips paused.
“Will you write to that dunderhead Collins, or should I?”
“It is my expectation that we will hear the squawking and claims of being cheated out of his birthright all the way from Kent. That being said, I think something official from you, including a copy of the notice from the court, will suffice.” Bennet shook his head.
“Now, it is on me to tell Fanny. I did not say anything as I wanted to be able to present it as a fait accompli. That way my wife will not work herself into a dither with thoughts that something can still go wrong.” He looked off into the distance while not actually looking at anything.
“This means I must begin to truly exert myself to improve the estate and its income, as my excuse that everything I do will benefit a Collins is no longer valid.”
‘Think of how well off your family would have been had you not been so indolent,’ was on the tip of Phillips’s tongue, but he did not say it. Nothing in the past would change if he did. Instead, he said, “That is a sound decision.”
“I will go home and speak to Fanny while you compose the letter to Collins.” Bennet stood and shook Phillips’s hand.
“Take a copy of the deed with you, so Fanny will know you are not making sport of her,” Phillips suggested as he slid a document towards Bennet.
Bennet mounted his gelding and turned the horse towards Longbourn.
It was a heady feeling to no longer have the threat of the entail hanging over them.
He decided that although it was more than twenty years too late, he needed to contact Gardiner about sending him Fanny’s dowry, and, going forward, anything else he could save from the estate’s annual income.
He felt shame because Phillips had pointed out his desire to have fun at his wife’s expense, which he had done for years, rather than try to ameliorate her concerns. Much needed to change.
As he rode back to his estate—those two words had a whole new meaning now—Bennet chastised himself for had he read the entail documents years ago, the main issue of contention would have been removed between Fanny and him.
Bennet dismounted at the stables and entered the house through the kitchens.
He stopped at the office shared by the Hills.
“Hill. Please summon the mistress to my study in ten minutes, and Mrs Hill, you may need to be in the hallway with the salts in case they are needed,” he told the butler and housekeeper.
Afterward, he made for his study and poured two small measures of brandy.
He had a feeling Fanny would need something to fortify her.
“What is it, Mr Bennet?” Fanny demanded when she entered the study. She was nervous because being summoned to her husband’s study was a rare occurrence. “I am not in the mood for teasing.”
“Fanny, please sit. Before we begin, allow me to swear to you that nothing I say here is not true,” Bennet vowed.
“Are you sick? Are you to die so Mr Collins can throw us into the hedgerows?”
“No, Fanny, I am well, and that is just it. Mr Collins, in fact no one, will ever be able to evict you from Longbourn.”
Fanny tried to understand what her husband was saying. What did he mean? “Mr Bennet… Thomas, what are you saying? Why will Mr Collins never be able to remove me and my unmarried daughters from Longbourn? Is this estate not entailed like I was told it is?”
“Let me begin with the entail. Yes, there is still an entail on the estate; it is just no longer in favour of the male line only. Fanny, my great-grandfather wrote the entail in such a way that no descendant of William Bennet, the man who became the first in the Collins line, was permitted to inherit the estate.” Bennet saw the joy radiating from his wife’s countenance.
It seemed he would not need Mrs Hill and the salts after all.
He went on to explain why the new entail had come into effect.
For once, Fanny was not flapping her silk square because of her nerves; it was being done because of happiness. She waited until her husband explained everything to her. “Jane should be your heir; she is the oldest and most beautiful.”
“Beauty has nothing to do with managing an estate. If I were to make my decision based on ability, then Lizzy, who knows how to run Longbourn better than I, would be the heir.” Bennet raised his hand to stem the forming protest. “I will work with Phillips to make a new will, and my intention is to leave it to the first grandson who will not have his own estate and is willing to take the Bennet name. That way, there can be no arguments between our daughters about fairness or lack thereof regarding who the heir is. If there are no grandsons, it would be the first granddaughter born, and when she married, her husband would need to adopt our family name.”
“That seems fair,” Fanny agreed. “There can be no fights among the girls about who the heir is. Speaking of the girls, have you heard from Edward and Maddie about a governess for Kitty and Lydia?”
“I expect some names any day now. Are you sanguine with the youngest two being back in?”
“After Lydia almost ruined the family, I am. It is my fault I overindulged her.”
“And my fault was never checking them no matter how much Jane and Lizzy begged me to do so.” Bennet paused. He decided he needed to reveal the identity of Lydia’s saviour. “You remember I told you that Sir William was the one who exposed that black-hearted villain, Wickham?”
“I do,” Fanny responded.
“He acted, but the information came from our Lizzy. Before you ask, I am no more aware of where she learnt the truth about that scoundrel than you are. It is imperative for our daughter’s safety and well-being that you never mention her name in connection with this to anyone.
Mr Wickham, if he manages to extricate himself from debtor’s prison, can be rather vindictive and vengeful. ”
“I would never do anything to harm one of my girls. I knew she could not be so intelligent for nothing.” Fanny paused as she considered all she had heard. “This is the best news, Thomas. It is only right that our home should not devolve to a Collins. May I tell Lady Lucas?”
“Please wait until we know that Collins has received the information from Phillips. I want him to hear officially rather than by an epistle from Lucas Lodge.”
As much as she wanted to shout her good fortune from the rooftops, Fanny understood that she needed to wait.
It would have been only right, based on how Sarah Lucas had crowed about her daughter being the future mistress of Longbourn when Charlotte became engaged to Mr Collins.
Fanny owned—if only to herself—that her urge to take her revenge was a petty one.
She felt lighter and happier than she had in many years.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Caroline Bingley spent the days since being cut and refused entry into her friends’ houses as well as her modiste’s place of business convincing herself that her place in society was still assured and nothing so very bad had occurred.
She had made excuses for why she did not want to venture out into society.
Her sister had been only too happy to remain at home, as she and Hurst were looking for any way they could cut back on their expenses.
What greatly troubled Caroline was that Charles had not come to apologise like she had said he would.
She wondered if he had truly travelled back to Scarborough as he claimed was his intention.
Convinced as she was—by herself—that all was well, Miss Bingley demanded that Louisa accompany her to Gunter’s, as she was sure that she would see some of their acquaintances there, and they would be welcomed.
Mrs Hurst was not sure what had occurred the last time Caroline had gone out.
She had been greatly perturbed when she returned but had refused to speak of it.
Today was the first day Caroline seemed to be back to her old self.
The Hurst carriage conveyed the sisters to Berkley Square and stopped outside Gunter’s.
At the same time the sisters were alighting, a group of five women were leaving Gunter’s. They were the Duchesses of Bedford and Hertfordshire, the Countesses of Jersey and Holder, and Lady Laraby, the wife of a baronet.
Miss Bingley was about to approach the ladies and fawn over them when, in full view of all those seated inside Gunter’s and others walking nearby, all five ladies turned their backs and issued the cut direct.
Miss Bingley stood as if frozen; all that was moving was her mouth, which was opening and closing like a beached carp while her sister jumped back into the carriage with all speed.
“It seems like that one is such a delusional chit that she did not understand how ruined she is after the last time she was cut in public,” Lady Rose, the Duchess of Bedford, said.
“Would you believe that after she accused my future daughter by marriage of being kept by my Paul, she had the temerity to come to my house in an attempt to disparage dear Jane?” Lady Edith stated.