Chapter 2 #2
“My suspicion is that my mother and sister were aware that you were interested in Miss Morris.
Knowing them, they decided they had to act to get that which Fanny decided she must have.
Unfortunately, saying that my mother over-indulged Fanny is an understatement of rather epic proportions.
My father used to attempt to say no to Fanny, but Mother would always overrule him.
“When you did not bend to her will, it was a great shock to my sister who was used to always getting whatever she desired.” Edward shook his head. How many times had he warned Father something like this would occur with Fanny one day?
“Your call today is greatly appreciated,” Bennet said as he inclined his head to the two men, not just men, but his brothers-in-law.
He may be married to the last woman in the world to whom he wanted to be tied, but at least, he had gained two honourable men as brothers through marriage. “Would either of you like some port?”
Both men accepted. When they spoke they discovered they had more in common than not.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
In June of 1788, Fanny Bennet missed her courses.
As pleased as she was that she could tell her husband this and have him cease his biweekly visits to her, she would not have been pleased to discover that of the two of them, he was far more relieved that he would not have to bed his wife for the better part of a year if she was in fact in the family way.
One of the only things they both agreed on was their happiness when Fanny missed her courses in July, and then August. In early September, she felt the quickening.
The Sunday after she felt the quickening, Bennet looked far happier to Mr Pierce, the man who Bennet’s father had awarded the living at St Hugh’s Church. He looked at his patron questioningly.
“It is certain my wife is with child,” Bennet stated so only the rector could hear. “My wife is using her being enceinte as an excuse to remain at home. You will not hear me complain.”
“I will pray for a good outcome,” Pierce promised.
Bennet’s friend, William Lucas, spent some time speaking to him before he walked back to Longbourn. Lucas had been awarded the title of mayor of Meryton in September. It was a largely ceremonial role, but Lucas felt the compliment keenly.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The months passed by as they are wont to do. Until the middle of December 1788, there had been nothing of note. That was until Jane Lydia Gardiner was called home.
She had contracted what she had termed a ‘trifling cold’ which she refused to have the new apothecary and doctor in one person, Mr Jones, called to attend her. Within a fortnight the cold had become pneumonia. On the eighteenth day of December, she breathed her last.
Fanny was very melancholy, though not so much that her mother had passed away.
Rather, it was because her mother had used her own pin money to supplement Fanny’s pitiful allowance and that she purchased clothing and fripperies for her youngest daughter.
Hattie told her that she could not do the same because her husband had forbidden it.
When those in the neighbourhood saw Fanny’s sadness they assumed it was because of the loss of her mother, when like most things, it was a purely selfish reason.
It was a few days before Christmas that a coach with royal livery made an unscheduled stop in Meryton.
It was one of about twelve in the convoy which had members of the Royal Guard as outriders.
The King and Queen of England were in the conveyance.
As the mayor it fell to Lucas to welcome them, which he did with a flowery, compliment laden speech.
His Majesty had been so impressed, he had knighted the mayor on the spot. Mr William Lucas became Sir William Lucas while his wife was now Lady Lucas.
When Fanny Bennet heard that the former Mrs Lucas was now titled, she was not gracious about it, but being so close to her lying in, her opinions were not heard outside of Longbourn.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
By early January, Fanny Bennet could not wait to get the child in her belly out of it.
The labour pains began during the night of the tenth day of January.
For once she had a good reason to caterwaul, something she did almost from the first instant the pains became serious.
Fanny was attended by both the local midwife, Mrs Loretta Sherman, and her sister.
Though Hattie had never fallen with child, she wanted to support her younger sister.
Even though Hattie was not malicious like her late mother, and Fanny still was, the sisters shared some traits. Like Fanny, Hattie was flighty, a gossip, and not very intelligent. She was not forceful like her younger sister, so she was much quieter than Fanny.
At seven minutes past the hour of three in the morning of the eleventh day of January 1789, Mrs Sherman finally told Mrs Bennet to push.
A quarter of an hour later, the mewling of a newborn babe could be heard. “I want to see my son,” Fanny demanded after the afterbirth had been delivered, and she had been washed before being changed.
“Fanny, it is not a son, you have a daughter,” Hattie informed her sister.
Before Fanny could rail about the disobedient child not being born a son, Hattie handed her the swaddled bundle. There was a shock of golden-blonde hair, and the babe had the deepest blue eyes.
“She looks just like you when you were born,” Hattie cooed as she looked at her niece. “Have you a name?”
As soon as Hattie said the babe looked like her, Fanny’s pique evaporated. “She will be called Jane Frances, after her late grandmama and myself. How well that sounds,” Fanny preened.
“Do you not think you should confer with your husband before you name your new daughter?” Hattie verified.
“Fathers have no use for daughters,” Fanny claimed. “He will not object.”
After his daughter had been fed by her mother, Hattie brought the newborn down to Mr Bennet’s study where her father and Frank were waiting with the new father. Edward, who was in his final year at Oxford, would be home in less than a sennight and would meet his niece then.
Bennet did not object to the name of his firstborn, but not for the reason his wife had stated.
As much as it meant he needed to continue to lie with his wife after she was churched, so he could beget an heir and a spare, he had fallen in love the instant he saw his daughter.
He did not oppose those names, so he decided it was not worth gainsaying his wife over the matter.
He also decided he would allow his wife a few months beyond the churching before he returned to the distasteful duty of attempting to have his wife become with child again.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
In June of that year, he had begun to take his husbandly rights again, twice a week like before.
It was one of the few things they saw eye to eye on, neither of them enjoyed the act with the other.
His wife fed their daughter for most of the child’s first year.
The more she grew, the prettier she became.
As his wife seemed to love their daughter with all of her heart, Bennet watched from a distance for the first year. That all changed before Janey, as he called her, was a month past her first birthday.
He made his way up to the nursery to visit Janey without any prior notice of his coming.
She had just begun to take her first tentative steps, so Bennet wanted to see if there was any progress.
He heard his wife’s voice and stopped just outside the nursery to hear what she was saying.
When he heard her say things like, “You will be just like me,” and “You could not be so beautiful for no reason,” Bennet marched into the nursery.
He asked Nurse to take Janey and ordered his wife to follow him.
He did not want to have Janey see what was to follow.
“Mrs Bennet, from now on you will have no contact with my daughter,” Bennet commanded when they had arrived at her bedchamber on the family floor.
“No, Mr Bennet! How can you be so cruel…” She closed her mouth with a clack at the angry look and raised hand from her husband. Fanny could not fathom what she had done to anger her husband this time.
“I heard what you were saying to Janey. I will not have her be like you,” Bennet responded.
“But fathers do not care about daughters…” Fanny tried to say.
“This one does. I will employ additional nursemaids, and as soon as she is old enough, a governess to teach Janey. Any other children we are blessed with will not be taught by you. If I need to I will employ a wet nurse, but I require you feed each child you bear. That is all you will do. Do not test me on this!”
As Fanny knew her husband well enough to know he meant what he said, she knew she would not be able to gainsay him.
In early August 1790, Fanny missed her courses.
Before the end of October, she felt the quickening.
Of one thing she was certain, this child would be the first of the two sons she needed to bear.
She prayed for twins, so she would never have to have her husband’s attention at night ever again. She planned while God laughed.