Chapter 27 #4
Then, turning to Mr Bennet, Mrs Bennet continued, “And if you dare to say a single word about Lizzy's birth, I shall tell everyone that she is our daughter and that you invented the whole story because you have always been jealous of your sister and cannot bear the fact that she is richer and more important than you. Besides, I no longer need your miserable pin money because Eleanor has promised to help my daughters and me. And one last thing—if you do not stop tormenting Lizzy, I shall never be able to leave Longbourn. If I must remain shut up here because of the scandal you intend to create, I promise I shall make your life even more miserable than it already is, for I shall become even more unbearable than you can even imagine as I have over twenty years practice!”
Mr Bennet stood there, dumbstruck, his mouth slightly agape, having been confronted, in no uncertain terms, by the one person in his life that he was certain he held perfect control over forever.
His legs crumpled slightly as he eased his way into the nearest chair, his skin pale and moist. He felt faint.
Thomas had nothing left to threaten. He had played all his cards, and he had lost. He had lost nearly everything and, worst of all, it came at the hands of his ridiculous Fanny.
Only Longbourn Hall, with all its responsibilities and headaches, remained his.
And now he would be forced to face those tedious tasks all alone.
No more sitting in his study reading while Elizabeth worked to make sure that the bills were paid and the rents deposited.
Worse, he feared that he had now permanently lost the respect of Elizabeth, the only woman in his life that he had ever truly respected.
In his desperation that day, he had revealed a side of himself that he had hoped always to keep hidden from her by his usual guise of a mild, jovial, and benign nature.
Elizabeth, dumbstruck by an outright threat of blackmail to her face, said, "Father, I mean...
Mr Bennet. I did not want to believe you capable of such treachery!
I thought, surely there must be an explanation or, at least, some excuse for your behaviour to your sister and Marcus those twenty years ago!
But now I can see clearly what I have suspected, but refused to acknowledge all along; that you are a selfish and lazy man, a man who puts his own comfort above the well-being of even his closest loved ones.
I am so ashamed of you!" she cried as she began to walk away.
“I find myself actually glad that I no longer have to call you father.”
"Lizzy!" he called out.
She turned. "You do not get to call me that anymore! You, Mr Bennet, will, from now on, address me by my proper name-Miss Elizabeth Sinclair!" She ran into the other room and fell crying upon a couch.
Mrs Bennet went over to her and tightly embraced Elizabeth and kissed her. “Thank you, Mama,” Elizabeth said just loud enough for Mr Bennet to hear that Mrs Bennet still deserved to be honoured by the title of ‘mother’.
Marcus and Reginald could not help smiling when they saw the look of horror on Mr Bennet's face. It was perfectly plain that he feared neither prison nor public scandal nearly so much as he feared his wife.
“Madam, you shall undoubtedly be my guest of honour, and I shall personally have the pleasure of introducing you to all my friends,” Reginald said to the delighted Mrs Bennet.
“Oh, Lord Rockwell, you make me feel like a princess,” Mrs Bennet replied with a coquettish smile.
Humiliated and defeated, Mr Bennet said not another word. He withdrew to his study and shut himself in—the only place where he believed he could still find a measure of peace. It was his little world in which he could hide from the responsibilities of the world at large.
Marcus and Reginald had decided to spend the night at Netherfield and return to London with Elizabeth the following day.
Elizabeth entrusted her luggage to Mr Hill and, before leaving Longbourn, went to Mr Bennet's study.
“Mr Bennet, I know I spoke sharply with you earlier. I do apologise for my harsh words. They were spoken in anger, and I regret them. But, before I go, I should like to offer you my assistance in managing Longbourn. Many families depend upon the estate.”
“Go away, Lizzy,” was Mr Bennet's only reply.
"It is a shame, Mr Bennet, that you are too embarrassed by your own behaviour just now to accept an offer of peace and kindness from the girl you have considered your daughter these past twenty years," said Elizabeth.
He only grunted to himself because he knew that she was right.
She continued, “Because, of course, I still have love for you. It would be impossible that the love from our twenty years living together as a family could be erased in just one afternoon, no matter how angry or frustrated I have become with you.
She paused, yet still Mr Bennet did not respond. His bruised reputation and pride were poisoning his ability to return the love offered by the girl he considered his daughter.
"Perhaps one day you can ask for my forgiveness, for I know that you are not an entirely bad man. But, I fear, as you sit there brooding and unable to muster any words of kindness for me or any kind of apology, that the day of forgiveness is in our distant future."
She turned and left the room, for she no longer wished to be in the presence of Mr Bennet.
She had reached out to him with genuine love, far more than he deserved at that particular moment, and still he had rejected her.
That, as much as his behaviour a few minutes ago, made Elizabeth realise what a small man her father had always been.
The best people, she was beginning to understand, weren’t perfect, but they did, at least, recognise their own mistakes and were honest about them, like Mr Darcy had eventually done.
Whereas some people she knew never admitted to their own mistakes.
They were constantly denying obvious truths while blaming others for everything while somehow simultaneously maintaining the highest possible opinion of themselves.
They were exhausting, and so Elizabeth was learning to recognise that type of person and to avoid them.
She was realising with regret that Mr Bennet, the man she had called father, was that type of man.
Elizabeth left with a heavy heart, yet hopeful that she would soon be reunited with her mother and begin a new life with the family that had been taken from her so many years before.
◆◆◆
Jane and Matthew rose early, even though they had gone to bed late the previous evening. Matthew did not wish to lose another moment before settling matters with his mother's family. For that reason, he called upon the Marqués de la Pena and his wife at ten o'clock that morning.
“Mateo, you cannot imagine how glad I am to see you,” the Marchioness said, visibly moved. Dona María also greeted Jane, though with considerably less warmth.
“You told me that Don Pedro wished to speak with me, and here I am. I am prepared to hear whatever he has to say, and afterwards I wish to be left in peace,” Matthew said.
He wanted to put the matter behind him and return to the life he had enjoyed before.
“And I want my wife to remain with me. I do not wish to keep any secrets from her.”
Dona María did not like her grandson's insistence on including his wife, a woman of common birth, but Don Pedro had instructed her to accept whatever conditions Matthew imposed in order to secure the meeting.
“Very well. Your wife may remain with you.”
Matthew entered the room with Jane upon his arm.
It had been many years since he had last seen Don Pedro, and he was deeply struck by how pale and frail the old gentleman had become.
The Marquis was overcome with emotion at the sight of his grandson.
Knowing that his life was drawing to a close, he was profoundly grateful for the opportunity to speak with him once more.
Despite everything Matthew believed, Don Pedro and Dona María had always loved him—in a selfish way, perhaps, but it was the only way they had ever known.
“Mateo, qué bueno verte. Estás tan guapo; te pareces tanto a mí cuando era joven. ?Es ella tu esposa? Es realmente muy bonita. No te preocupes, pese a su origen, estamos dispuestos a aceptarla…”
**Mateo, it is so good to see you. You are so handsome. You look so much like me when I was young. Is that your wife? She is truly very beautiful. Do not worry; despite her origin, we are prepared to accept her into our family...
Don Pedro continued speaking, but Matthew was growing increasingly impatient.
“Discúlpeme, Don Pedro, pero esta no es una visita social. Siento mucho que esté enfermo y le deseo sinceramente una pronta recuperación, pero, por favor, dígame qué es tan urgente que necesita hablar conmigo.”
**Excuse me, Don Pedro, but this is not a social call. I am very sorry that you are ill, and I sincerely wish you a speedy recovery. But please tell me what is so urgent that you need to discuss with me.
Seeing his grandson's impatience and fearing that he might leave, Don Pedro decided to explain everything at once. He also chose to speak in English so that Jane would understand and, perhaps, encourage her husband to make the right decision.
“Mateo, when I die, Don Manuel Ruiz will become the next Marqués de la Pena if you refuse to accept what is rightfully yours.”
The Marquis then explained the legacy of the de la Garza family to Jane before adding,
“Matthew, Manuel will sell everything, including the house where your mother grew up. You cannot allow your mother's family legacy to die with me. Por favor, Mateo.”
At that moment, the Marquis was seized by a violent fit of coughing and could not continue.