When he let her go, he said, “Mary, none of us are suited to these new roles that have been thrust upon us. I am far too lazyto be a duke. Jane has no desire to be a duchess suo jure. When I told Lydia, she was actually grateful that she married a poor man, so she didn’t have to deal with any of this. Why do you think I am waiting until we are in the carriage before I tell your mother about this?
“Nevertheless, we must take what comes our way in life whether we want it or not. Whether you choose to bend under the weight of it all or rise to the challenge is up to you. However, I have done my best to provide an opportunity for us all to learn how to at least sit comfortably in our new roles by hiring Mrs. Rigby. I do hope you will at least give her a chance to help you.”
“I will try, Father. Truly I will,” said Mary. “But please do not laugh at me if I fail.”
Bennet felt a stab in his gut and guilt washed over him. That’s all he had ever done with his younger three daughters, laugh at them for their faults. He had never attempted to correct them except through sardonic mocking, which was inevitably difficult to understand.
“I will not laugh at you,” he promised. Deep down, he hoped he could keep that promise.
“Well, I suppose I should begin packing,” she said. “Kitty and I should also make a short visit to our friends before we leave.” She kissed his cheek and left the room.
~~~~~
Two days later Bennet sighed as he once again stepped into his coach. He truly did hate traveling. He hated being cooped up in a small space for hours on end. He hated the constant movement and jostling of the coach. And he hated stayingat inns which, no matter how elegant they tried to be, were inevitably less comfortable than his own home.
This trip promised to be a particular challenge, since he would have to share his news with his wife at some point during it. He still had not decided whether to tell her as soon as they were off or to wait until the last day.
Once they were out of the general vicinity of Meryton, Mary took the choice out of his hands. “Papa, didn’t you have something you wished to tell us?” she asked.
For a moment, he was irritated at having his hand forced, but after only a moment’s thought he realized it was probably for the best. Left to his own devices, he probably would have delayed saying anything until they were an hour away from Lockwood.
For the, hopefully, last time, he relayed the story of how he learned of his relationship to Duke Derby and how he inherited the title. Mercifully, Mrs. Bennet and Kitty were so shocked that they remained silent until the tale was complete.
By the time he was done speaking, Kitty had a wide grin on her face. Of his five daughters, she was the only one who appeared genuinely happy for their new fortune. Mrs. Bennet, on the other hand, still seemed in shock.
“Does this mean we will have nicer gowns and bigger allowances?” asked Kitty
Bennet smiled. Of all the difficulties that had come with his new position, the ability to purchase nearly anything his daughters wished for was the best part. “Of course,” he said. “In fact, once we have spent a few weeks at Lockwood, I plan to take us all to Manchester for the summer so that you can have as many fine gowns made as your heart desires.”
“Oh, thank you, Papa,” said Kitty. He could tell she wished to jump up and hug him in her excitement, but she wasprevented from doing so because they were in a carriage. “But why Manchester?” she asked. “Why not London?”
“We all need to get used to our new station and learn the new manners that will be expected of us,” he replied. “I do not wish to go to London until we can all present ourselves as we should be, including fine gowns, jewelry, and excellent manners to match.”
“I don’t mind learning better manners if it means I get to shop as much as I like,” said Kitty.
“I am glad to hear it,” said Bennet.
Up until this point, Mrs. Bennet had remained silent, though a myriad of emotions had flitted across her face. She finally spoke. “I don’t think I can do this,” she said softly.
Of all the reactions Bennet had imagined, this was not one of them. Even if she was intimidated, Bennet was certain she would be voluble in expressing it. This soft, insecure voice was not something he had ever heard come out of his wife’s mouth. He didn’t know how to respond or what to say.
Surprisingly, it was Mary who responded first. “Mama, none of us know what we are doing or how to do it,” she said. “None of us were raised for this, nor do we have any experience with the upper classes. At the same time, we can’t simply go back to Longbourn and resume our old lives. Let us take Kitty as our example and focus on the joys we will experience that we couldn’t experience before. As we do so, I am certain we will gradually learn what we need to know.”
Mrs. Bennet looked back and forth between Mary and Kitty. “I suppose you’re right. Whether we can or can’t is immaterial. We must. There is no choice.”
She turned to look at Bennet and asked, “What is our new financial situation? How much is my housekeeping budget andmy pin money? Most importantly, what have you determined for our daughters’ dowries?”
“We have three houses,” he said. “Lockwood is the seat of the duchy, and we own a great deal of agricultural land around it as well as at least half the town of Derby. That is where most of our income comes from. The house is very large and in good repair, but many of the furnishings and fabrics need to be updated. I expect that is a project you can enjoy gradually for many years to come.”
Mrs. Bennet smiled. “I do like decorating,” she said, “even more than I like having a new gown made. It is just such an expensive hobby that I can’t do it often, at least not all at once like you are describing. Are you certain we can afford to refurbish an entire house?”
“I have set aside a budget of ten thousand pounds specifically for that purpose,” he said. “And if you run out, more can be made available.”
Her smile grew wider. “Thank you,” she said. He could tell her mind was already going through the various things that would likely need to be purchased, but she stopped herself and said, “What about the other houses.”
“There is an estate in Cheshire that is usually set aside for the heir’s use,” he said. “So, Jane will be the one to fix whatever needs to be fixed there once she is ready to take over. We also have a house in London. It is currently being rented out for short-term stays, so it has been kept up nicely.”
“And our daughters’ dowries?” asked Mrs. Bennet.
