Chapter 25
Mr Bennet opened the letter which John had handed him. Elizabeth knew it must be a personal letter, or else John would have delivered it to her father’s study rather than the breakfast table.
“Your brother Gardiner is coming to visit my dear,” he said, and he had a twinkle in his eye which Elizabeth could not account for. They were all exceedingly fond of Uncle Gardiner, but it must be something particular to have such a look appearing on her father’s face.
“Whatever for?” Mrs Bennet enquired, as they all knew that their uncle Gardiner did not normally visit at this time of year, especially so close to Christmas time, when all the family would normally arrive at Longbourn.
“He is bringing some good news to all our family,” Mr Bennet explained, and their mother gasped.
“Truly, Mr Bennet,” she enquired, and her father nodded; he appeared to be trying unsuccessfully to keep his face serious. Their mother must have understood something from this that the rest of the family did not, as a smile expanded to fill her whole face, even her eyes.
“What is it, Papa?” Elizabeth asked.
Her father shook his head, “We must await your uncle’s arrival, after that all will become clear.”
Her mother asked when he would be arriving, but her question was near drowned out by Lydia’s asking if the children were to come with him. Lydia, now fifteen, was no longer interested in playing with her toys in the nursery, but she was still the favourite of her young cousins.
“It will just be your uncle this time, Lydia, but it will not be long until they are all with us for Christmas,” Mr Bennet said, replying to Lydia first before confirming to Mrs Bennet that he would arrive on the overmorrow.
Mr Gardiner arrived to cheerful welcomes from all his Bennet family.
His sister gave him a hug and kissed his cheek on his arrival, and his nieces did likewise.
His brother, Mr Bennet shook his hand vigorously and patted his back two or three times.
Elizabeth was in high anticipation as to the news he was bringing, but she had learnt her manners and therefore refrained from asking any questions.
She was surprised that Lydia did not ask him anything as she was the most inquisitive of her sisters.
Elizabeth later realised she had quite put out of her head the reason for his coming.
It was not until he had refreshed himself and had a light repast supplied by Mrs Bennet that he went with their father to his study.
Elizabeth was most confused when their father asked their mother to join them.
When they all returned to the parlour, Elizabeth waited with excitement for all to be revealed.
Seeing them all so happy, she had great expectations of it being something of real interest. Elizabeth caught her father’s eye, hoping to hurry him along, and ended up with a feeling of exasperation on realising he was deliberately drawing it out, to his own evident amusement.
“Some of you are too young to remember what your mother and I were like when you were younger, before Miss Farnsworth joined us,” he finally said.
“I was most given to spending the majority of my time in my study to the neglect of my family and our estate.”
Lydia and Kitty looked confused because, although Kitty had been eleven years old, she had not overly concerned herself with her father’s comings and goings at the time, and Lydia had only been nine when their father had changed.
But Mary, although she had been only twelve, had noticed, as had Elizabeth at fourteen, and Jane most of all.
“Your mother also, in wanting the best of everything for you girls, had not been considering the future, and was spending more than needed on clothing and fripperies. But we realised that we could not go on as such if we wanted to ensure you all had the best future we could give you.” He paused, ostensibly to await all comments, but his daughters all remained silent, waiting to hear what he had to tell them.
Elizabeth was aware that not many fathers would discuss finances so openly with their daughters.
But the other change that had occurred after that event at Netherfield was that their father had begun to teach all his daughters about money and the management of same.
This began with the awarding of pin money to them and leaving them to the management of it.
Elizabeth recalled that at the time, he had said that none of his daughters were silly, and they had proven him right.
But even with their unorthodox education in financial matters, Elizabeth could not understand just how much money their father was talking about.
“But what does this mean, Papa?” she asked.
“Security,” her father replied. “First and foremost, security for you all, for your mother should I predecease her, and a permanent home for you all, no matter what.”
“But Longbourn,” Jane said, and her father held up his hand to forestall her.
“Longbourn is entailed on your cousin, which will not change.”
They all nodded at this. They all loved Longbourn, but having now met Mr Collins, they were no longer angry at his inheriting the property when their father died.
“The funds are such that we shall be able to purchase a home large enough to house you all should there be need, but I will not discuss this further at this time. I have plans in action that I am not yet ready to disclose. Apart from that, it also means that you girls will have dowries which will be most generous given your station.”
“Dowries,” Jane said, she as the eldest at one-and-twenty, knew most of all what that meant for her likely future marriage.
Elizabeth did not think that Jane had ever concerned herself with it before, but the disappointment of Mr Bingley’s desertion must have made her wonder if her small dowry had impacted his decision.
If it had, then Elizabeth was even more glad that he had gone.
“Yes, my dear,” her father smiled at her.
“Dowries. I will discuss with you, Elizabeth, and Mary the amounts in your dowries but,” their father paused seeing the look of disappointment on his youngest daughter’s face, “I will not reveal the amounts to you, Lydia, nor you, Kitty. These are matters to be revealed when you are older and ready to start thinking of courtships, and not before.”
“There is one other matter,” Mr Bennet said. “Your mother and I intend to take a house in town next season.”
“A house in town...” Lydia said, her voice dreamy.
“Yes, and we will all be going to town, even you, Lydia, and Miss Farnsworth will be accompanying us, of course. But Jane, you and Elizabeth will be having a London season.”
Jane grabbed Elizabeth’s hand; she had never thought to have a London season. Elizabeth knew that she had sometimes speculated that their chances of marrying well were materially lessened by the limited society available in Meryton.
Elizabeth thought she heard Lydia whisper the words “a London season”, and it brought a smile to her face. Lydia seemed unable to fully absorb everything their father was telling them, and Elizabeth thought her repeating everything was her way of doing so.
“And one day, Lydia,” their father said, seeming as if he too had heard her whisper, “you will have your own London season.”
And with that pronouncement, Lydia broke into delighted giggles, in which she was soon joined by all her sisters, including Mary. Elizabeth also saw that her mother was laughing with happiness, and she even heard a chuckle escaping from her father.