Chapter Fourteen
Such a good thing for the neighbourhood!” Mrs. Bennet cried. “And for our girls, of course!”
Elizabeth Bennet and her elder sister, Jane, traded glances.
Mr. Bennet merely scowled at his wife and returned to his morning paper.
Mrs. Bennet turned her attention to Jane. “Your new blue muslin gown with the blue stripes will be just the thing for the next assembly, Jane. He is certain to fall in love with you at once.”
“Do we know anything about him, Mama?” Jane asked. “Just because he has leased Netherfield Park does not mean that he is eligible.”
Kitty finished her bite of toast in time to add, “He might be married, Mama.”
“Or a hundred years old, like Papa!” Lydia added, clapping her hands together with glee.
Mr. Bennet lowered his paper and stared at his youngest daughter over his glasses. “Is that how old you think I am, Lydia?” His tone was mild, but his daughters knew that to be often deceptive.
“Of course not, Papa,” Lydia said, quickly. “I was just funning.”
“Hmph.” With that, Mr. Bennet returned to his paper.
Mrs. Bennet said, “None of that is the case. He is young and single, and I know this because my brother Philips handled the lease, and gave me quite a description of the man. He is everything perfect for Jane, I am convinced of it! Mr. Bennet, you must visit him the moment he arrives!”
“I shall do nothing of the sort,” Mr. Bennet replied from behind his paper.
Mrs. Bennet began to scold him, but Elizabeth and Jane merely shrugged. Mr. Bennet was certain to visit the newcomer when he eventually arrived. It was only August, and the new tenant of Netherfield Park was not due to arrive until shortly before Michaelmas.
Mr. Bennet had not always performed his duties as head of the household, but Elizabeth had unwittingly taught him a lesson he had never forgotten.
Elizabeth had been twelve years old when she heard her mother lament that they were all destined to live in the hedgerows after Mr. Bennet’s passing.
Upon enquiring why that was to be their fate, Elizabeth was told by her mother that the family would have to leave Longbourn, and then live on four percent of four thousand pounds per year.
Elizabeth understood percents quite well and she had worked out that four percent of four thousand pounds was one hundred and sixty pounds every year.
She then decided to learn how much things cost and see how they would manage on that amount.
She had spent a good deal of time with Cook, who seemed quite knowledgeable about prices, and had done a number of sums in her copybook before running to her mother to tell her that she had figured it out.
There, in her neat handwriting, was a list of household supplies: meat, sugar, flour, vegetables, candles, lead, coal, and so on.
Next to each item, she had listed the annual cost of that item.
“It is easy, Mama,” she announced. “If we abstain from meat and new clothing, and manage without servants, it would be fine! We need not worry at all!”
But to her surprise, Mama, rather than being happy at this news, had burst into tears.
Mr. Bennet, hearing the commotion in the drawing room, came out to enquire as to the situation, and was met by a tearful Mrs. Bennet pushing Elizabeth towards him, saying, “Show your Papa! He must be made to understand!”
Elizabeth, completely confused, repeated her words and showed her Papa her little copybook. He had taken one look at it, gone into his study, and slammed the door shut in her face when she ran after him.
He had evidently done a good deal of soul-searching behind that closed door, for the next day, he hand-carried a few of his most precious volumes to Hatchards in London to sell them and then took the money to his brother by marriage, Edward Gardiner, to invest.
Finally applying his sharp intellect to managing the estate properly, he was able to add to the investment fund every quarter.
His savings, coupled with Edward Gardiner’s financial acumen, had accumulated enough to gift Jane with a dowry of five thousand pounds; Elizabeth’s was just behind it at four thousand.
The younger girls had lesser amounts, but there was more time for the capital to grow before they would need it. Jane and Elizabeth had priority.
But while Elizabeth’s innocent actions had had a positive impact on the future of the Bennet ladies, it had had the unfortunate side effect of altering Elizabeth’s relationship with her father.
For a time, Mr. Bennet had rather blamed Elizabeth for having so directly and publicly shamed him.
He had deliberately ignored her for several months, and he made frequent unhappy references in her presence to the diminution of his book collection.
Once he had calmed down, he understood quite well that her actions had been completely innocent and not in any way intended to hurt him, but by then she had become understandably angry and she had pulled away from him. She had been her father’s favourite child; now she avoided him.
Mr. Bennet felt a knife in his heart when his Lizzy, so bright and beautiful, turned her face away when he came into the room.
He understood the cause, but was at a loss as to how to repair it.
The years had passed without either of them directly addressing the matter, and both were certain it was too late to mend it.
As a result of Elizabeth’s success in having her father understand the situation faced by his wife and daughters after his death, there had been yet another change in the family relationships.
It had made Mrs. Bennet come face-to-face with the fact that she had no influence whatever with her husband; it had taken their young daughter to recall Mr. Bennet to his duty.
She had known it in her heart for many years, but now she could not avoid the truth of it: he truly did not care what became of her.
Mrs. Bennet had married Mr. Bennet because he had an estate, true enough; but also because she loved him. His ready wit and intellect awed her; he was quite obviously a man of deep understanding. Truly, who would not love such a man?
It was, she thought, a heartless irony that those same qualities that had made her fall in love with him had eventually made her an unequal partner in their marriage.
It was a situation she could hardly have anticipated.
That he was disappointed in his choice of her could hardly be made more obvious, as he was fond of making comments to her that sounded amusing but were actually insulting.
Doubtless the fact that she had failed in her most important duty, that of providing a son, added to his dislike of her.
They had not shared a bed since she had fallen with child the fifth time; now it was unlikely that they would ever do so again. She was only forty, and it was not impossible that she could bear another child, but it seemed her husband had lost any interest in making the required effort.
Having very little satisfaction in her marriage, she fixed her attention upon her daughters.
It was every mother’s duty to steer daughters properly toward an acceptable marriage; it was Mrs. Bennet’s particular duty to make certain that those marriages were with equal partners.
She did not want any of her girls to find themselves in her own position.
And while she had once dreaded losing her position as mistress of Longbourn, the truth was that the idea of living with one of her daughters once Mr. Bennet had passed on was very pleasing.
She would no longer be someone of importance, but she would be spared his endless sly comments and small cruelties.
Yes, once at least one of the girls was well-married, Mr. Bennet could drop off anytime he pleased, and she would be content.