A Father's Sins: A Pride and Prejudice Variation

by J Dawn King

  Mr. Philips then cleared his throat, “Upon Mr. Bennet dismissing Elizabeth from his home five years ago, he did write a letter asking Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, Elizabeth’s aunt and uncle, to care for her. This letter was not witnessed by anyone, nor did it state that there was a transfer of guardianship. It was merely a polite letter signed by Mr. Bennet, asking his relatives to look after her care. Therefore, it is not to be tendered as a legal transfer of guardianship and should be considered null and void. Since my niece has not yet reached her majority, and will not until the 20th day of June of the year 1812, she cannot legally possess assets such as shares in a publicly owned company. The letter that Mr. Bennet is holding indicates that Elizabeth is the recipient of a dividend from shares in the Honorable East India Company. The amount of the dividend gives us to understand that the number of shares is sizeable. Since Mr. Bennet retains guardianship of my niece, the shares, in actual fact, belong to him.”

  Silence filled the room. Mr. Bennet appeared to be gloating with this affirmation.

  “Father, since this is new information for me, may I please read the letter? I am certain that there is a mistake and that this missive was posted to me in error. Mr. Haggerston is my Uncle Gardiner’s solicitor, but I truly know nothing of this. I do know that Uncle Gardiner had an appointment with Mr. Haggerston to determine if the letter that was given me when I left Longbourn, from your own hand, released you from any authority over me. I have heard nothing from Uncle, as of yet.” Elizabeth reached out her hand in silent request. After a long pause, Mr. Bennet handed over the letter. Elizabeth read it aloud.

  November 18, 1811

  Haggerston & Smyth, Solicitors

  Broad Street

  London

  Miss Elizabeth Bennet,

  We hope this letter finds you in good health.

  This correspondence is notification that the quarterly dividend for your shares in the Honorable East India Company amount to __________£. If we do not hear from you within the fortnight, we shall deposit the above stated dividend amount in the account held in your name by the Bank of England. The account currently carries a balance of __________£.

  Sincerest wishes for your best regards,

  Mr. Samuel P. Haggerston, Attorney at Law

  “Father, again, I must insist that this is a mistake. I know nothing of this.”

  “Mr. Bennet, Miss Elizabeth,” Mr. Darcy interjected, “It just so happens that Mr. Haggerston is the solicitor for my family and has been for many years. He has a reputation of being meticulous with his letters and the documents that he prepares in service to others. I cannot say that I recognize his signature, as it has been some time since I received correspondence from him.” However,” turning the letter over to the direction noted on the front, “there is a disparity of the script contained in the information to Miss Elizabeth with the script of the directions. I do wonder if it was inappropriately addressed.” Darcy longed to take her father and shake him by his lapels until his figurative vision cleared enough to see his daughter accurately. It was obvious to Darcy that she was agitated and it was heartbreaking to see the final ray of hope that they might mend the relationship fade away. He continued with his line of reasoning, “Might it be that a letter explaining the issue of Miss Elizabeth’s guardianship as requested by Mr. Gardiner had been started and placed aside for later completion, only to be taken up again by mistake to have the issue about shares to the East India Company completed on the wrong piece of paper? It causes me to wonder if there is not a shareholder who, as equally confused as we are, is in receipt of a letter addressed to him with an explanation of guardianship instead of dividends.”

  “Be that as it may, Mr. Darcy, you have no business interfering in a matter so wholly unrelated to you.” Mr. Bennet lost whatever control he had left. “When you arrived in Meryton, you chose to distance yourself from myself and my neighbors and were generally viewed to be arrogant and proud. Why, for the love of God, are you putting yourself forward in this manner for someone who is of no concern to you. No concern whatsoever!”

  Before Mr. Darcy could respond, Lord Matlock stepped between the two men. “Enough!” He reached back for the letter that Elizabeth was still holding. “Let us set aside the issue of who has the right to protect and control Miss Elizabeth’s interests.” He realized that neither Mr. Bennet nor Darcy were listening to him. “Richard! Hand me the sword from over the fireplace. I believe we need to get their attention.” Richard obeyed immediately.

  Darcy and his cousins were aware of what a terrible swordsman Lord Matlock was. He was not allowed in any of the fencing halls and no person at his club in London would consent to practice with him. However, he looked fierce holding the sword firmly in his left hand. Lord Matlock was right-handed.

  “Gentlemen, might I remind you that we shall get to the bottom of this without further threats or arguments.” Forgetting he had the weapon in his hand, he reached his left hand over to pat Elizabeth’s hand still tucked in his right arm. He almost removed the tip of his own nose. Wisely, deciding to hand the sword back to his son, Lord Matlock realized the only person’s attention he had gotten was his own. He continued, “Miss Elizabeth, we were talking about that original letter. Do you recall the contents that you read just a fortnight past?”

  Suddenly, it occurred to Elizabeth that she had nothing to fear from her father. With the betrothal of Charlotte Lucas to Mr. Collins, her father could no longer use whatever legal authority he might possess to force her to accept the parson as a husband. As to the shares, she cared not for wealth. In her heart, she was aware that even a large dowry could not make up for the damage to her reputation for being cast out of her home. She still carried the Bennet name, which was now mired in the ruin and neglect of Longbourn. Mr. Darcy, who she knew was the only man that she could ever love, would never offer for her. There was no future there. And Elizabeth valued the freedoms she had been allowed by the Gardiners. But, could she return to Longbourn until she gained her majority? No. That would not happen.

  “The letter was dated November 11, 1806. My father wrote that as of that date he no longer had a daughter, Elizabeth Anne Bennet, and that he cared not what her future was or even if she had a future. It was addressed to whom it may concern and he closed it with his signature.”

  “Mr. Bennet,” Darcy was aghast that a father could treat a child in such a manner. “You do not deserve such a woman as a daughter.” His disgust was apparent. He looked at the man and saw a red flush cover his face. It could only be shame and embarrassment at being found out for misrepresenting what he had written.

  “You, young man,” Mr. Bennet regained his composure and again directed his anger at Darcy. “You need to remove yourself from this situation and this room. This is my daughter and those are my shares. The only way Elizabeth can gain control is to have reached one and twenty or to be married, at which time the shares are owned by her husband. She is not in her majority and she does not have a husband, so they are mine!”

  “Mr. Philips, what do you say to this?” Lord Matlock asked.

  “There appears to be a great disparity between what I have been told by both my brother-in-law and my niece. I shall need to read the original letter written five years ago for myself. Typically, in situations where custody or guardianship is questioned, the courts generally rule in favor of the father, unless there is a husband involved. If there were a husband to Elizabeth, there would be no question of custodial care. However, since Elizabeth is unwed, I fully expect that a judge would assign any authority to her father, which would include any assets she may have in her possession.”

  Elizabeth was angry and weary. Weary of the argument. Weary of being the center of attention. Weary of having good men exposed to such an unpalatable family discussion. “Please …“

  Mr. Darcy interrupted her. “Then we shall marry.”

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Netherfield Park, Hertfordshire

  A hush fell over the room. Colonel Fitz
william recovered first. “Ah, Darce, would you repeat that? I do not believe that I heard you correctly.” The Colonel, who had clearly heard his cousin, was delighted, but refused to show such emotions to this crowd. He would not have minded pursuing Miss Elizabeth himself, but his position as second son and his income from his regiment did not permit taking a wife without a substantial dowry. Now that she might have wealth at her disposal, it changed the attractiveness of her situation dramatically. However, Darcy was closer than his own brother and he read his cousin’s affections clearly. He would not interfere on his own behalf, but he would never promise not to interfere to help his pitiable, socially inept cousin.

  “If your daughter is agreeable, Georgiana, Miss Elizabeth, and I will return to London tomorrow where I will apply for a special license and we will marry as soon as it is granted and a marriage settlement can be signed.”

  To say that Elizabeth was stunned would be a vast understatement. What could he possibly mean by this?

  Her father was quick to reply. “You will NOT! I would never give permission to a man who stole the birthright from another and saw to this same man’s death. You will not marry my daughter! Those stock certificates will be mine! What do you need of more wealth, Mr. Darcy? You are greedy beyond belief. I, who have every right to this money am the only person in this room who is deserving of it. This will never make up for the loss that Elizabeth caused me, but it will help with a future that was left unsecured by my son’s death. You, sir, deserve NOTHING!”

  Lord Matlock and his two sons came to Darcy’s defense, trying to explain his past history with George Wickham. It was to no avail. Mr. Bingley and Mr. Hurst watched in amazement as events were starting to unfold rapidly. Mr. Hurst chuckled to himself at how this conversation would impact his sister-in-law. It certainly would not be her heart that would break from Darcy wanting to marry another; it would be her unfulfilled, insufferable desire to be Mistress of Pemberley and accepted into the first circles that would distress her. A grand firework explosion would be nothing compared to what would come.

  Into this melee, Mr. Bennet commanded, “Elizabeth Anne, pack your bags. We are returning to Longbourn.”

  Elizabeth stood, appalled at this display. It reminded her of stallions pushing and shoving against one another, seeking control of the mares. In this case, she was the only mare in the room. She looked at her father and wondered that she ever thought she knew him. Pride in her ability to determine a person’s character had blinded her to his true nature. Like a flame going out on a candle, all hope and affection died at that moment. Then she looked at Mr. Darcy. His offer of marriage was a shock. What could his motive possibly be? Was her father correct in his accusation? Was it the money? It was convenient that he offered only after he heard of the stock certificates with the Honorable East India Company. Even though Elizabeth was not familiar with her uncle’s business matters, she knew from reading the newspapers that those stocks were for a company that was a power in the global import and export market. Would that be such a temptation to him that he was willing to overlook that she was far below him in class distinction? Her heart ached to the point that tears started streaming down her cheeks. Her father and the gentlemen were so intent on winning their point that they failed to notice her distress. She may not have the wisdom of the world, but she knew one thing for certain. She would not be returning to Longbourn. With a heartfelt cry of distress, she left the library; running up the stairs to her room.

  Good manners demanded the women in the drawing room not acknowledge the shouts of the men, even though many of the words could be clearly heard. They also heard Elizabeth’s outcry. Yet, Georgiana could not help but react. She quickly moved to the doorway, where she watched Elizabeth run from the library. Georgiana could not fail to notice Elizabeth’s distress. She tried to stop her to inquire if there could be any assistance provided to her dear friend, but Elizabeth passed her by, going into her room and firmly closing the door.

  Georgiana turned back to find that Mr. Bingley’s sisters were filled with glee at the outcome for Elizabeth. Their self-satisfied, smug grins were out of place, jarring the young girl to feelings of such dislike that she turned from them toward her Aunt Elaine, falling into her open arms. “What is the meaning of this?” She said through her tears.

  “I believe, dear girl, that your brother proposed marriage to Miss Elizabeth; very poorly done I must say.” Lady Matlock shook her head in frustration at her nephew, as she tried to be of comfort to her niece. The girl’s world had turned upside down the past two weeks and Elizabeth was her friend; two reasons for Georgiana to be upset. The nasty attitudes of Miss Bingley and her sister, Mrs. Hurst, were an affront to decency. Lady Matlock was grateful that Lady Catherine was not witness to this whole afternoon’s display. That would truly be unbearable. In a low tone, so the Bingley sisters could not hear, she told her niece, “Georgie, please keep your chin up, dear. I have reason to believe that your brother and Miss Elizabeth are very much in love with each other, though neither one knows that of the other. Your brother is used to taking control and making decisions without consulting anyone else. I do believe that Miss Elizabeth has been allowed freedoms that most young ladies are not and it undoubtedly does not sit well with her that he made the decision to marry without asking her first. She might see it as high-handed, when it really was an expression of his deep feelings for her. It has been said that love is blind and I do believe that you and I have been first-hand witnesses to that very truth.” She hugged her niece again, being reminded of how truly young and protected this girl had been. “Dry your eyes, now, and we will see how these events unfold.”

  Elizabeth’s departure left the men stunned. It had been a day for that, it seemed. Finally, Mr. Bennet told Mr. Bingley that he and his brother-in-law would wait in the hallway for Elizabeth to return downstairs with her valise and case. They left the room.

  “Darcy,” his uncle exclaimed to get the young man’s attention. “I believe that you may have been a bit premature, son. Did you even think to discuss this with Miss Elizabeth before you blurted out your intentions for everyone to hear? That was a very upset young lady that ran out of this room. I am thinking that you had best think of how you are going to make this right.”

  Darcy’s eldest cousin, Henry, mumbled that he was glad that he was not in Darcy’s shoes and the other men in the room tacitly agreed.

  “What else am I to do, Uncle? Please tell me, because I am without experience in dealing with the fairer sex, except for my sister, and look how poorly I did with that. I was completely unaware of George’s intent until it was almost too late. I have shared with you my feelings for Miss Elizabeth and would be proud and happy to call her my wife.” He sat in a vacant chair and hung his head, frustrated with himself at his actions. It had become his persona to remain calm and unaffected, though firm, during confrontation and he usually took the time to think before he spoke or made a decision. Hearing Mr. Bennet’s accusations and demands of Elizabeth enraged him, inciting him to act like a male lion protecting his pride. How dare a father abuse a child so, especially a child as lovely and kind as Elizabeth. It was unfathomable. “Please, Uncle, what am I to do?”

  “Darcy, I imagine that the best way to start is to allow her time to process all that has happened today. I do believe that she is inclined toward you, but she has been independent, Darcy, and has been permitted to decide her own way. If the situation with the shares is accurate, you may have a much larger problem than her anger and confusion at your plans. She will attract a broader candidate for her hand as there are many, even in the first circles, who need to marry a woman with a large dowry. You had best proceed with caution.”

  “My cousin, the innocent lamb, in amongst wolves.”

  “Shut up, Richard. You are not helping.” At his father’s stern reprimand, the Colonel sat and watched Darcy. “What we do know for sure is that your Aunt Catherine is planning to hurry to London on the morrow to try to get you married to Anne
. You are planning to take Miss Elizabeth to town for the same purpose. I imagine that her father will also be hurrying to London to contact this Mr. Gardiner to get possession of that letter he wrote five years ago. It would not surprise me if the solicitor, Mr. Philips, accompanied him to try to protect the family’s perceived rights. Since you are going to leave, we will also be traveling to Matlock House. That will leave just the Bingley family to have peace and quiet at last. It appears that there will be a mass exodus heading south. We had best prepare for travel. I shall inform your Aunt Elaine.”

  Mr. Bingley spoke up. “We, too, shall be leaving Netherfield Park. Estate ownership, or at least the leasing of a country estate, in an area where I am completely unknown to my neighbors has lost its appeal. I am grateful for introductions to some wonderful people, but I think I have much more to learn about life before I make this attempt again to be a landed gentleman. To London we shall go as well. Hurst, shall we head to town tomorrow?”

  “Aye, we shall.” Mr. Hurst replied. “Let us inform the ladies.” Mr. Bingley, Mr. Hurst, and Lord Matlock left for the drawing room to do just that, leaving Darcy and his cousins in the library.