Chapter 1 #2
At first, Bennet was flattered that the very pretty Miss Fanny Gardiner was paying him attention.
He attempted to have a conversation with her.
It did not take him long to understand that she was unintelligent, vapid, empty headed, and not one who would interest him.
Bennet soon excused himself and never requested a dance from Miss Gardiner.
His disinterest only made Fanny and her mother that much more determined that the former would be the mistress of Longbourn.
To that end, whenever Mr Bennet was in company with them, Fanny put herself forward and flirted outrageously with him.
Nothing she did helped. He did not attend any of the first three assemblies of 1786, and to Fanny’s chagrin, whenever he saw her approaching him, Mr Bennet turned and walked away.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Two days before the winter assembly to be held on the final Friday of November 1786, Fanny ran into her mother’s parlour excitedly. “Mama, I had just entered the Lucas Mercantile when I heard Messrs Bennet and Lucas speaking. It is such good news, Mama,” Fanny gushed.
“What is good news, Fanny dear?” Jane Gardiner enquired.
“Mr Bennet will attend the winter assembly. I want him as my husband, Mama.” Fanny, who had turned sixteen a few months’ past, stomped her foot to make her point. “I heard he is interested in that plain Miss Morris. She will not take what is mine!”
“Then, you will have him as such, my darling girl. And no, we will not allow Melissa Morris to steal that which is yours. After all, you could not be so beautiful for no reason. Hattie is plain which is why I did not object to her accepting your father’s clerk.
As Edward has told your father, he will not read the law, it seems that my son-in-law will have my husband’s law practice next.
You are not meant for a clerk, or even a future solicitor.
You will marry better than I did. Listen to me, Fanny, this is what we will do… ”
By the time her mother had explained the plan, Fanny was excited and could not wait for the two days before the assembly to pass.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Bennet’s naiveté with women allowed him to believe that Miss Gardiner had given up her ambition of him ever offering for her when he had indicated by his actions that he had no interest in her. In his mind, human beings were all rational and what woman would want to be with a man who disdained her?
As he had not been in her company for more than six months, Bennet was convinced that Miss Gardiner had understood that her pursuit of his person would bear no fruit.
The reason he had given into Lucas’s entreaties to attend this assembly was because he had found a lady he wanted to court, Miss Melissa Morris, the only daughter of his neighbours who owned Netherfield Park, who he already loved.
He was waiting for her to arrive, and intended to request two sets.
The first and the last to indicate the significance to all of his neighbours.
Then he would request a private interview for the morrow.
Miss Morris was exactly the type of woman he knew he would love.
She was intelligent, compassionate, kind, considerate, and loved reading.
Unlike the self-centred Miss Gardiner, Miss Morris cared about the needs and feelings of others, as shown by the way she treated the tenants at her father’s estate.
He hoped that he had not misread the signs that she had tender feelings for him.
He could not know it, but one of Netherfield Park’s carriage horses had come up lame just before the conveyance turned onto the lane leading to Meryton, which delayed them by about a quarter of an hour. Hence, Bennet was standing and watching the door and did not see Miss Gardiner approaching him.
As she got close to Mr Bennet, Mama let out a squeal which caused Mr Bennet to turn to see what the noise was. Fanny threw off her shawl and fell forward.
Being a gentleman, Bennet could not allow a lady to fall, so without thinking he saved her from hitting the ground.
His thanks was for her to wrap her arms around him and force a kiss onto his lips.
It was only then, in his horror that Bennet became aware that her gown was ripped, exposing almost all of one breast.
Mrs Gardiner’s squeal had achieved both of her aims. Mr Bennet turned towards Fanny as she had planned, and many of those in the hall had their attention pulled towards the event.
“Elias, Mr Bennet is taking liberties with our daughter, and in public too,” Jane Gardiner said, feigning outrage.
“Bennet! You will come see me first thing in the morning!” Gardiner demanded. He was sure this was something his wife and daughter had engineered, but there was no choice. If he did not demand that they wed, Fanny’s reputation would be in tatters.
The protest died in his throat when Bennet saw all of his neighbours staring at him.
Worse, while Miss Gardiner was still attached to him like a limpet, the Morrises walked in.
The looks on their faces, especially that of Miss Morris told him everything.
The Morrises turned and left the assembly hall.
The last one to exit was Mr Morris who gave Bennet a look of great disappointment.
It was then Bennet noted the look of triumph on Miss Gardiner’s face. As much as he hated it, Bennet knew he was well and truly trapped. Without a word, he pushed the woman, who he disliked with a white hot intensity, off his person and marched out of the hall.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
“Gardiner you know that I was entrapped, do you not?” Bennet insisted when he sat down in the solicitor’s office.
“I have not asked my wife and youngest daughter, but I suspect that is what occurred,” Gardiner owned. “That being said, I am afraid there is no choice. If you do not marry her, her reputation would be destroyed.”
“Why should I care about her reputation when I am the aggrieved party here?” Bennet asked.
“Please, Bennet,” Gardiner implored. “My family name will not recover if you do not agree to marry Fanny. I know,” Gardiner proceeded before the younger man could protest. “None of this was by your hand. However, I have always seen you as an honourable and dutiful man, so I do not see you walking away and leaving my daughter ruined.”
It irked Bennet greatly, but much to his chagrin, Gardiner had his measure. “Does she have a dowry?” Bennet enquired.
“She does. It is five thousand pounds. I will reserve it for her use in the settlement. In the four per cents it will allow her fifty pounds per quarter allowance…” Gardiner tailed off when he saw the anger on Bennet’s countenance.
“If you think, I will reward her with such pin money or to have her dowry reserved for herself after the dishonourable way she and your wife acted, you are sorely mistaken. Not only that, but I will not give her the authority of mistress of my estate. She will receive three pounds per quarter, and not a penny more. Every shop in Meryton will be told she may not charge anything to Longbourn’s accounts.
If they allow her to anyway, I will not pay.
“I was about to ask for a courtship from a lady for whom I have feelings and admire. I would wager your shrew of a daughter was aware of my feelings which caused her to act as she did.” Bennet paused and allowed some of the anger to bleed out of him.
“If I must instead suffer with her as my wife, then she too will suffer. She will not receive anything she wants other than being my wife. The marriage contract will reflect all of this. If it does not, I will not sign it, and I will not marry her.”
With that, Bennet stood and marched out of the office.
Mother and daughter had been listening at the door which led from the office into the residence. As soon as they heard the door Mr Bennet used to exit close, they burst into the office.
“Elias, you cannot allow this to stand! Fanny must have her full pin money and be the mistress of the estate!” Jane Gardiner demanded.
“Jane, before you and Fanny plotted to compromise Bennet, you should have thought about how angry you would make him. It is well known that he was calling on Miss Morris. As it is, he feels nothing but disgust for Fanny, notwithstanding your statements that she could not be so beautiful for nothing,” Gardiner stated.
“If you want Fanny to have more than three pounds a quarter in allowance, you will have to give her yours. Even if you do, there is no guarantee Bennet will not confiscate it, as it will be his right to do so. If I do not write the contract as he stipulated, he will not sign it. Whether Fanny is happy or not, the die is cast. If she refuses to marry him, which she can, she will be ruined.”
“Mama, noooo! You told me I would be envied for being the mistress of Longbourn! Who will envy me now? I do not want to marry him…” Fanny stopped caterwauling when her mother slapped her cheek.
“Your father has the right of it. There is no choice now,” Jane Gardiner ground out. “You must marry, or you will be irrevocably ruined.”
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
From Gardiner’s office, Bennet rode his gelding the two miles to Netherfield Park. At first, the butler did not want to admit him. Bennet told the retainer that he must be allowed to explain himself to Mr Morris.
Based on their past friendship, Morris received Bennet in his study. The anger the former had, bled away when he understood what had occurred. Knowing Bennet was not a man to prevaricate; he commiserated with him and led him to the drawing room where his wife and daughter were.
Morris begged them to hear Bennet out, and then, he allowed Bennet to repeat what had been told in the study.
“Can you not refuse to marry the horrid woman?” Melissa Morris asked with tears of sadness running down her cheeks. She answered her own question. “You would not be the man I lo…like if you were to act thusly.”
“As it will be too painful for Melissa to see you married to another, even though you have no choice, we will move to our estate in Cornwall and allow this one to be leased,” Morris stated.
“We do feel for you, Bennet, but I will not allow Melissa to remain here and suffer, even though you are blameless.”
Within a sennight, the Morris family left Netherfield Park, and Gardiner’s head clerk, Phillips, was made their agent for rentals and the like.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
A week later, the settlement was acceptable to Bennet, and he signed it. The date of the wedding was set for the nineteenth of December, the earliest date after the banns were read.
Bennet met with his senior staff and explained that the woman who would be his wife would have no authority and that Mrs Hill would continue to function as the de facto mistress of the estate.
When this was done, Bennet went to each and every shop in Meryton where Longbourn had an account and informed them of his strictures regarding his wife’s ability to purchase and charge to his accounts.
By the time he left, there was no misunderstanding as to his instructions.
On the Tuesday after the third banns were called at St Alfred’s Church in Meryton and St Hugh’s Church in Longbourn Village, Thomas Bennet and Fanny Gardiner were married, both were unwilling but knew they had no choice.