A Governess for Longbourne Page 4

  Not that the Bennett girls were completely without dowry, but as the daughters of a family whose main source of income was entailed away from the female line, and only a thousand pounds each in the percents, they had little but their charms to recommend them.

  Lucas Lodge was ostentatiously appointed in the rooms Mrs. Young could see or that they passed through, it was all facade though, having been around true wealth all her life, she could tell that the gilt was well worn, and furniture was artfully arranged on rugs to hide wear.

  She prided herself in knowing who everyone was, not by introduction, which were not in any case lacking, but through listening to not only the Bennetts when they spoke of happenings from the village, but from eavesdropping on their servants, who would always clam up when she entered a room, making it necessary to listen when they did not know she was. And then Lydia, she had found was also a fount of information, when not being petulant however.

  She perked up at the mention of a Mr. Bingley, and his friend the self-same Mr. Darcy, who had been staying at the local estate known as Netherfield, but had quit the area on business and had not returned. The rest of their party had gone to Bath where the Gentleman, a Mr. Hurst had family who, according to some, was ill. It was her good stroke of luck that she arrived in town only as the gentlemen were quitting it. The rumor mill said that the self same were not expected back and that Netherfield was to be appropriated as living quarters for the Militia officers for the time being.

  Lydia was working at her embroidery in the light of the window while Mrs. Young applied herself to some little mending, when she asked, "Who was that man?" "What Man?" Mrs. Young feigned ignorance of whom she meant, wanting to fully gauge her measure of curiosity and naivete, for she had taken Lydia's measure as one quick to take offense and to take up the offense of another if she thought the cause worthy of her notice. "The new officer. Black hair, fearful handsome, shiny, new boots." Lydia listed. "That would be Mr. Wickham. A good man, cheerful and generous, despite the wrongs he has endured." She said nonchalantly, knowing full well that Lydia would take the bait. "You know him well then?" "He has had a hard life." "What happened?" Lydia asked, inwardly begging to be the one with the inside knowledge of the handsome newcomer. Oh, what a crow that would be; to once again be first in something. She had not placed first in anything since Father started on this schooling track, she had not the patience to do well in scholarly pursuits, so Kitty and Mary got the approval that were being handed out; Mary! Mary had not done so well growing up, but with this focused attention, and tightly scheduled, in depth teaching, she had thrived; and Lydia resented it. Oh Lord, she at least had this diversion, to learn about this new, intriguing gentleman that no one else would know nearly so much about. What a treat this would be to tell Harriet Foster; when she was allowed out of course.

  "George Wickham was the son of the Steward of a very wealthy man, a Mr. Darcy, of Hertfordshire. He lost his mother as a child, and his father when he was of age to go to school. He grew up with the son of the house, playing together, and eventually He went to Cambridge on sponsorship by old Mr. Darcy. He was a favorite of the gentleman, and entertained Miss Darcy when home from school.

  Mr. Darcy intended him for the church, and left a valuable family living to him in his will. After he died, young Mr. Darcy refused to honor his father's promises, and left him without any means of support. So now he must scramble for every scrap." "Poor Mr. Wickham!" Lydia exclaimed. "That he should be treated so! And a favorite of the father! That spiteful, jealous guttersnipe!" She was playing so well into her hand, Mrs. Young did not reprove her for her language, so unbecoming for a young lady. "Yes, and for added insult, the young Mr. Darcy disproved his pursuit of Miss Darcy, lifelong friends of confidants, though they were. He did not think him worthy of her." This new declaration brought on another round of protestations and swearing from the excitable Lydia, who paced and pranced, dithered and plotted, pursuing how to improve situations for Mr. Wickham, and to get revenge for him on Mr. Darcy.

  ' This is all too easy.' Mrs Young thought as she turned her sole focus on her task, and tuned out the petulant, would-be savior, Miss Lydia Bennett.

  Mr. Bennett was seated in his library as usual when the post arrived. Setting aside Shakespeare's Hamlet, he perused the missives with less than avid interest. There were business letters, as usual. The odd note or invitation, but the letter from his cousin, Mr. Collins, an announcement of impending visitation that gave Mr. Bennett a chuckle or two; was set aside for later reply, in favor of the missive from Mr. Gardiner who informed him not only that his daughters had arrived, but arrived accompanied by two stellar gentleman who had more often than not, been calling on the same. He also enclosed statements of how Mr. Bennett's funds were being spent, and the anticipated return on investment in the shipment of valuable cargo from Spanish and Portuguese sea ports. This letter, he placed in the drawer to the left, with his other papers of import. Concluding this, he set out to Meryton to discuss arrangements he needed to make with his Attorney and brother-in-law, Mr. Phillips.

  "Come in, Come in!" Mr. Phillips welcomed Mr. Bennett, who had arrived without an appointment, but at a fortunate time, as He was quite unoccupied with work for the moment, and had no interest in going in to Mrs. Phillips who, having been making a few calls that morning, was full of the latest gossip, and would undoubtedly be sharing it with him over dinner, and so, Mr. Bennett's unexpected visit saved him from hearing the drivel twice.

  "I hope I am not taking you away from something of importance, Francis." Mr. Bennett apologized, having been shown into Mr. Phillips private office by his law clerk. "Not at all, you are most welcome." Indicating the comfortable, yet formal chairs near the fireplace, Mr. Phillips asked, "What can I do for you today, Francis?" "I am come to discuss arrangements for my daughters and the care of Fanny should I die before they marry and there are others to take care of them." "Ah, most important business then." He said, settling back in his chair. "Yes, I have been remiss, and am not getting any younger." Mr. Phillips pulled the little side table closer, upon which were writing materials and a decanter. After he had poured them each a small glass of sherry, he readied a pen to make notes and said, "Now then, what considerations have you made to that end?" Mr. Bennett leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, and replied, "Mrs. Bennett has the percents on her dowry of five thousand pounds, which would be enough to cover her care and housing, and to provide for any unmarried daughters, but not quite comfortably. I have been saving what I can for some time, and have invested the majority of it with Mr. Gardiner, in hopes of a better return than the percents. However, I have kept back five hundred pounds from that and sent it to London to the bonds, one hundred in the name of each daughter, which would give them each at least four pounds a year for some pin money, and then when this expedition of Mr. Gardiner's is over, half of the total funds is to be divided equally between my daughter's funds in the bonds, and the rest, to be reinvested with Mr. Gardiner. I will also be adding more to the bonds for them and for Mrs. Bennett as I am able, and of course, upon Mrs. Bennett's death, the full balance of her funds shall be divided among our daughters equally, the same as previously arranged." Mr. Bennett ended and sipped from his glass. "These are sound arrangements, Bennett." "An improvement from prior arrangements to be sure." Mr. Bennett sighed and said, "But too little to late, I fear." "Surely you are not ill, Francis?" Mr. Phillips asked with concern. "No, I am not. I am only trying to prepare for the worst possible circumstances." Facing Mrs. Bennett's illness these last few months had made him face a great many things he had put off for far too long. Providing for his daughters in the instance of his death and the inheritance of Mr. Collins through the entail, if he were to die before they marry eligible gentlemen who can provide for them, and housing for Mrs. Bennett; not that the dream sons-in-law would be obliged to provide for Mrs. Bennett, or any of the unmarried sisters; Lord knew that there were some blood brothers who did not adequately provide for their own mothers and u
nmarried sisters in their own inheritance, much less for the widowed mothers, and unmarried sisters of their wives. "I am certain Jane shall marry a generous man who would provide for her family if such a need arose, but as my conscience commands, it is not this imaginary man's responsibility to provide for my family, but mine." He explained to Mr. Phillips, having described a summary of all that he mused on. Mr. Phillips nodded, and sipped his own sherry. It was a little early in the day for him to be drinking alcohol, but this was a very serious matter, and no one ever mused on the inevitability of life over a cup of tea and crumpets.

  "Pardon me, Mr. Phillips." said the clerk, entering with a knock." "What is it Mr. Grove?" "Forgive the intrusion Sir, but this parcel of letters just arrived..." "A parcel of letters! I am sure that is nothing new, Mr. Grove." Mr. Bennett could not help but quip. The young gentleman eyed Mr. Bennett, acknowledging the needle. "They are from your Nieces Bennett in London, one enclosed in another, asking you to deliver it in confidence to Mr. Bennett." Mr. Phillips set down his glass and reached for the letters that Mr. Grove quickly stepped near to give him before, just as quickly, exiting and closing the door behind him.

  Unfolding the opened letter, Mr. Phillips skimmed ahead, then read aloud.

  Gracechurch street, London

  Dear Uncle Phillips,

  Forgive our intrusion and assumptions, but we must be sure the enclosed letter to Father reaches him and remains in strictest confidence. We know we may rely on your secrecy. Please have Father come read the enclosed letter and store it where it may not be found, or destroy it as he sees fit. It is regarding a matter of delicacy, and may require your assistance, but be assured it is nothing to embarrass or bring scandal on the family.

  Thank you.

  With great affection,

  Jane Bennett

  &

  Elizabeth Bennett

  "It must truly be a matter of delicacy for such spy-craft?" Mr. Phillips remarked as he handed Mr. Bennett the sealed letter.

  Gracechurch Street, London

  Dearest Father,

  Please be at ease, do not worry for the mode of delivery of this letter, the reason will soon be explained. Be assured we are well; what we have to say relates to Lydia's new governess, Mrs. Young.

  It has recently been explained by Mr. Darcy and confirmed by a young gentlewoman of the highest caliber; of his acquaintance, that we have been misguided and misinformed in Mrs. Young's character. While given the greatest assurances of her ability to teach and instruct in the social arts and graces, it was told that Mrs. Young was recently in a situation where her moral compass was found wanting. In recent employment as a companion and governess, she did not protect her charge from the marital intentions of a dis-savory character, encouraged the match, and did not notify her charge's guardian of the courtship and impending elopement of the young girl, while having full knowledge of the same. In addition to this, it was told to (Lizzy) that Mrs. Young spied on the family through their correspondence and personal documents, and even stopped a letter from going out from the young lady, that would have notified the guardian of the coming event. The young lady was rescued by the timely, surprise arrival of said guardian, and Mrs. Young and the Beau were both quickly dis-embarked from the area.

  We were given this information to protect Lydia, but in the strictest confidence. Should you require the services of our Uncle Phillips in the matter, they do request the utmost delicacy and care with whom the details are shared.

  Your loving daughters...

  "Most interesting." Mr. Bennett concluded upon reading the letter. "Would you be so good as to make some discrete inquiries for me?" He said after a time of reflection. "Most certainly." said Mr. Phillips, earnestly. "Into whom or what am I to inquire?" "Mrs. Young. It seems she may have given a false letter of reference, and her previous employment was not so happily ended." "Discrete being the operative word I imagine?" Mr. Phillips raised his brow in question. "Yes, I do not want to cause any upset before the truth is revealed. Lydia seems to be doing quite well under her tutelage, and I do not want to impede her progress."

  After making arrangements to settle his account with Mr. Phillips, Mr. Bennett left to settle other accounts in town with various merchants, leaving well wishes and niceties to Mrs. Phillips as society required.

  Quiet days passed in Meryton and in London for the whole of the family; calls being made each day to the house on Gracechurch street in the afternoons. Mornings were spent by the ladies at various vendors and warehouses arranging for the delivery of hot house flowers for the wedding bouquets to Longbourne, just before Christmastide, pending written confirmation. Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley made arrangements with a solicitor to obtain special licenses, should response from Mr. Bennett be delayed too long to read the Banns at Longbourne Church in time for their desired wedding date of Christmas Morning. "Only in readiness, as we hope and anticipate approval by Mr. Bennett," Jane and Lizzy and even Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley would have explained, should it have been necessary, why they were making preparations before receiving reply. Their wedding clothes were planned and being made by tailors and dressmakers, Lizzy and Jane both having planned on purchasing a couple of new dresses each, with their pin money; chose styles they could wear to other formal events, should, in a shocking turn-around, Mr. Bennett not allow them to marry these gentlemen. The fabric for their dresses was a gift from Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner; the styles fashionable, modest and with consideration to practicality and the hour of the intended ceremony, without a train.

  Lizzy continued to call on Georgiana and she in turn often called on Elizabeth and Jane, finding in them the sisters she never had, and in Mrs. Gardiner, a steady and wise influence whom she would be happy to keep acquaintance with, no matter how lowly people in her societally acknowledged circles looked down on trade.

  It was during such a visit with Georgiana that Mr. Bennett's reply arrived at the Gardiner house. "If you please, Ma'am. The post just come!" Hannah said handing Jane and Lizzy each a letter in turn. In Jane's letter, Mr. Bennett hearty approval and blessing was bestowed to her great joy; but in Lizzy's letter, while he gave his permission, it was not without mentioning that if not for Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner's hearty approvals and depictions of the gentleman they had come to know,as ascribed in their letter to him, and Lizzy's own care and devotion described in hers, he would have refused based on the impression the self same gentleman had given in Hertfordshire.

  "My dears, thank you for passing on the warnings of your friends over Mrs. Young. As Lydia is doing well under her tutelage, I have not dismissed the lady for the false reference, but your Uncle Phillips is making discrete inquiries." Elizabeth read aloud for Georgiana, who expressed her delight in the news by hugging Elizabeth, the Darcy shyness having disappeared as the friendship between them grew.

  "He is not ignoring it." Mrs. Gardiner said to allay Jane's fears written on her beautiful face. "Come, we should send those letters on confirmation to the warehouses for the flowers and such." Jane and Elizabeth nodded in agreement before Jane moved to the desk along the wall to retrieve them for the post. The letters would be delivered the next morning, as they would be picked up when the afternoon post was delivered.

  That night after all had gone to bed, Mrs. Young was up and roaming about on silent feet. Mary, Catherine, and Lydia she knew; piety, decorum or lack thereof, she knew the full measure; secret admirations she had deduced through surreptitiously watching each of the girls and knew that while Mary acted unaffected by the officer's red coats and let everyone believe she had intentions of only accepting the suit of a clergy man, she was quite pleased when a certain Captain Saunderson came calling to tea and paid no special attentions, but certain attentions to her when others might forget to even greet her. Catherine, Kitty as she was called, enjoyed flirting with the officers and the attentions they paid, but Mrs. Young had caught her blushing when an unremarkable gentleman, with some little money and a small estate near town had tipped his hat to her as they pas
sed in Meryton.

  She padded to the front of the house, gingerly missing the squeaky points on the stairs, off to investigate the one family member in residence she had not made full evaluation of yet. The door to Mr. Bennett's office was locked, but the well oiled tumbler made only a click as it gave under her skilled hairpin. She had not brought a candle as she had taken measured steps, learning the layout of the house, so she could get about in the dark. She closed the door behind her, checking for others moving about in the hall, although certain she was not followed, only out of habit. The moonlight streamed through the open curtains so helpfully upon Mr. Bennett's desk and the correspondence within. She skimmed through the estate books' recent entries finding nothing of consequence, but confirming her suppositions that while Mr. Bennett was a conscientious records keeper, he was not impressive in business acumen, ,maintaining but not expanding his income from the estate. She sat in the chair and opened and closed the drawers until finding the locked top left drawer. A moment with her hairpin freed it, and she quickly disseminated the information in the letters from Mr. Gardiner. The statements she found most interesting. A thousand pounds invested in Mr. Gardiner's shipping company, that she knew from reputation, news stories and gossip to be the premiere provider of goods from areas known to be plagued with privateers and by the French navy, who hesitated at nothing to take English Merchant ships and hold the crew and cargo for ransom by the owners.

  The anticipated return on investment by Mr. Gardiner's estimation would be five times the invested funds. Smiling to herself, Mrs. Young placed everything back the way she found it, locking the drawer and door by the same method she opened them, and slipped off to bed, the wheels of her mind turning with the plans she made.