Chapter 24 #2
The moment Mr Bennet saw them approaching, he came outside to receive his guests.
He was looking forward to speaking with Eleanor and making Mr Andrews's acquaintance.
More than anything, however, he knew Elizabeth would be travelling in his sister's carriage.
He had missed her greatly and looked forward to once again enjoying the intelligent conversations she alone could provide.
Besides, there were many matters concerning Longbourn that only Elizabeth knew how to manage.
Matthew's carriage arrived first, giving him the opportunity to introduce his father to his future father-in-law.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr Andrews. I have long hoped for the opportunity to speak with you about your latest book,” Mr Bennet said pleasantly.
“The pleasure is mine, Mr Bennet,” James replied cordially. “It will be an honour to discuss my latest work with you.”
At that moment, Mrs Bennet hurried outside to welcome Mr Andrews and Matthew with great enthusiasm, and the three of them entered the house together.
A few moments later, the second carriage drew up before the house.
Mr Bennet intended to welcome his daughters, find an opportunity to speak with Eleanor, and arrange a private meeting later in the day. Instead, he stopped short in astonishment when he saw General Marcus Sinclair step down from the carriage, followed by Elizabeth and Kitty.
“Good morning, Bennet. Do you remember me? I was Captain Sinclair, your sister's betrothed.”
Marcus had to summon every ounce of self-control not to say what he truly thought of the man standing before him.
“Of course I remember you,” Mr Bennet replied curtly.
Without sparing Marcus another glance, Mr Bennet walked straight towards his daughters.
“My dear Lizzy,” he said warmly, opening his arms. “How much I have missed you.”
Elizabeth allowed her father to embrace her, though she could not forget how coldly he had treated the general only moments before.
“I hope you have been well, Father,” she replied politely.
“Longbourn has not been the same without you,” Mr Bennet said with genuine affection. “I have had no one with whom to discuss the estate, my books, or anything sensible.”
Elizabeth managed a faint smile, though she could not shake the discomfort she felt. Knowing everything Marcus and Eleanor had suffered, her father's indifference towards the general troubled her deeply.
Mr Bennet then turned briefly to Kitty.
“Good morning, Kitty.”
“Good morning, Father,” Kitty replied with a small curtsy.
Without another word, he placed a hand beneath Elizabeth's arm.
“Come along, my dear. I have been looking forward to talking with you.”
Elizabeth and Kitty decided to go inside and greet their mother. As Mr Bennet was about to follow them inside, Marcus caught him firmly by the arm.
“After your daughter's wedding, you and I shall have a long conversation about my daughter, you damned coward.”
Mr Bennet flushed with anger, but once again he held his tongue. Without another word, he entered the house and ignored Marcus throughout the remainder of the visit.
When Mrs Bennet caught sight of the general, she too became almost speechless, which, for once, allowed the gathering to proceed in relative peace.
Marcus remained only half an hour before taking his leave. It broke his heart to leave his daughter behind in that house.
Just as he had promised, Mr Andrews kept Mr and Mrs Bennet thoroughly occupied, though he had to admit the task proved far easier than he had expected, for both of them were unusually quiet.
“Did you miss me, my love?” Matthew asked, raising Jane's hand gently to his lips.
“Yes, my dear Matthew. Indeed, I missed you very much, even though we have been apart for only two days,” Jane replied.
As she looked at her betrothed, however, she studied him with growing concern.
Matthew was usually cheerful and quick to smile.
In that respect, he reminded her very much of Elizabeth.
Yet that morning he appeared tense and exhausted, with dark circles beneath his eyes, as though he had scarcely slept.
The truth was that Matthew had hardly slept at all.
He dreaded falling asleep in an unfamiliar place, fearing that he would once again wake in terror, crying out as he had done on more than one occasion.
He knew that, once he became accustomed to his room at Netherfield, the fear would gradually disappear.
For the present, however, he could not risk Jane's family discovering his secret and drawing the worst possible conclusions.
“Are you quite well, Matthew?” Jane asked gently, noticing how nervous and restless he seemed.
“There is nothing the matter with me,” Matthew replied rather more sharply than he had intended.
Immediately regretting his tone, he took her hand.
“I beg your pardon, my dear. I did not sleep well last night, and I am rather tired.”
“Do not concern yourself. I understand perfectly,” Jane replied, gently stroking his hand. “I, too, have been feeling rather nervous and impatient as the wedding approaches.”
“Yes, that must be it,” Matthew said with a hopeful smile. “Once we are married, all this anxiety will be behind us.”
After spending almost two hours at Longbourn, Matthew and his father took their leave, promising to return for dinner that evening.
Just before Matthew stepped into the carriage, Mr Bennet approached him.
“Mr Andrews de la Garza, may I ask a favour of you?”
“Certainly, Mr Bennet.”
“Would you kindly give this message to Eleanor? Please place it in her hands personally. I wish to speak with her about my daughter's future, and I should prefer not to do so in the presence of her new husband, as I scarcely know him.”
Matthew found the request rather unusual, but he agreed to deliver the message.
Mr Bennet had no wish to wait another day before settling matters with his sister.
◆◆◆
For the past three days, Elizabeth had been occupied from morning until evening resolving various matters concerning the tenants and the tradesmen of Meryton.
She had willingly taken those responsibilities upon herself so that Jane might devote all her attention to the wedding she deserved.
Unfortunately, that had left her with scarcely any opportunity to visit the Sinclairs, and she missed them very much.
Marcus, for his part, had been tempted more than once to ride to Longbourn in search of his daughter, but Eleanor had gently persuaded him that creating a scandal would solve nothing.
Eleanor had said nothing to her husband about the note her brother had sent through Matthew a few days earlier. She was convinced that Thomas was planning something, though she could not imagine what.
On the third day, Elizabeth sent a note apologising for not having found time to visit them.
That same afternoon, Eleanor agreed to meet her brother and sent word asking him to come to the very place where they had spoken a few months before.
She knew that, if she wished to uncover the whole truth, she had to confront Thomas alone, without Marcus.
Reluctantly, she accepted that it was the only way.
When Mr Bennet received the message, he read it carefully. Certain that he had no further use for it, he tossed it into the fire before taking up his hat and walking stick and setting out for the appointed place.
The note, however, missed the flames and fell unnoticed beside the hearth. Believing he had destroyed it, Mr Bennet left the room without so much as a backward glance.
A few minutes later, Elizabeth entered the study in search of some papers. As she crossed the room, she noticed a folded note lying on the floor beside the hearth. Thinking that her father must have dropped it by accident, she picked it up.
The moment she read its contents, a feeling of uneasiness settled over her. Why had her father asked her aunt to meet him in such a secluded place? She no longer trusted him. Unable to dismiss her suspicions, she quietly set out to follow him.
When she arrived, she found her father and her aunt already deep in conversation. Before either of them noticed her, she slipped behind the broad trunk of an old tree, close enough to hear every word they exchanged.
“I shall not allow you to make Elizabeth your slave as Father made me,” Eleanor declared, her voice trembling with emotion. “She has the right to live a full and happy life, and my husband and I shall devote the rest of our lives to making certain that she does.”
“Elizabeth has been a clever girl ever since she was a child. She enjoys helping me with everything connected with Longbourn,” Mr Bennet replied with a mocking smile. “But what can you possibly know about my daughter when you have known her for only a few months?”
“If I have known her for only a few months, it is because you and Father lied to Marcus and me. You made us believe that our daughter had died. Marcus and I love our daughter, and we shall never allow you to harm her.”
Unable to continue, Eleanor broke down in tears.
“Well then, Ella, the choice is yours,” Mr Bennet said coldly.
“Tell Elizabeth the truth, and I shall make certain the whole of society learns that Lady Campbell bore a child out of wedlock.
You will become a fallen woman in everyone's eyes, and your daughter will be branded a bastard. Is that truly the future you wish for the child you claim to love so dearly?”
Eleanor stared at him in horror.
“I refuse to believe you can be so cruel.”
“Do not underestimate me,” Mr Bennet replied icily. “I mean every word. In any event, I care very little what becomes of you. Lizzy will always have a place in my house, whatever society may choose to say about her.”