***
When the Philips departed, Mr. Gardiner cornered Mr. Bennet in his library. “This will not do, Thomas.”
“I do not understand.” Mr. Bennet avoided Mr. Gardiner’s steady gaze.
“Are you trying to starve yourself to death? Is that your plan?”
Mr. Bennet shook his head. “I may as well do so, for I have already failed everyone, Henry.”
“And you are continuing to do so, Thomas.” Mr. Gardiner’s tone was severe.
“How very comforting you are, brother!” Mr. Bennet scoffed.
“I am not here to comfort you, though I fully sympathize with your losses. Your girls need you more than ever, and you are hiding – still! – in this thrice-damned library of yours.” His expression was thunderous.
Mr. Bennet covered his face with his hands for a long minute. When he finally dropped them, he said, “I cannot face them, Henry.”
“The girls?”
“Yes; I have let them down in every possible way, and they blame me for it.”
“So you plan to hide away forever?”
“Yes, exactly. Henry, I am utterly defeated. Look at me! I have not managed the estate well, I have failed to provide dowries for my daughters, I allowed my youngest, most foolish daughter to ruin her life entirely. I am fit for nothing but sitting here and contemplating my many failings.” His voice was replete with sorrow, self-recrimination, and defeat.
“May I make an alternate suggestion?” Mr. Gardiner’s voice was not kind.
Mr. Bennet looked at Mr. Gardiner warily.
“You will not like it,” Mr. Gardiner assured him. “But I beg you, most sincerely, to consider it.”
“Very well; what is it?”
“Mend your ways entirely. Apologise to the girls, tell them that you intend to do better starting now, and – heavens, man, get a bath and some fresh clothes! You are the patriarch of the family, and you must take the role on with every ounce of your intelligence, your courage, and the love you bear your daughters. Thomas, you must, youmuststep into your role at once. They have no one else; they rely on you entirely. You must put aside your feelings, your sense of failure and sorrow, and become the father that they need.” That they hadalwaysneeded, he thought to himself.
The two men stared at one another. Finally, Mr. Bennet said, “You should have been a politician, Henry; that was a fine speech.”
“I was, actually, thinking of running for office. I understand George Scholey is not doing well, so perhaps I can become Mayor of London.”
Mr. Bennet’s eyes opened wide; when Mr. Gardiner began to chuckle, Mr. Bennet could not help but join in. When their mirth subsided, Mr. Gardiner put out his hand. “Will you do it, Thomas?”
“I suppose I must, Henry,” Mr. Bennet replied, grasping his brother’s hand firmly.
“Excellent! Now let me tell you what story we have agreed upon,” Mr. Gardiner said, and proceeded to tell Mr. Bennet that Lydia was in Brighton, quite ill and unable to come home. Mr. Bennet raised his eyebrows, but said that the tale would do for now. “Shecannot be ill in Brighton forever, Henry; at some point, there will have to be another story.”
“We will worry about that when the time comes. For now, I hope your family can find peace.”
***
Mr. Bennet presented himself in the drawing room at tea time. He had eaten, bathed, shaved, and put on clean clothes.
“Papa! You look – well, you look much better,” Elizabeth said, her relief evident in her voice.
“I wish I could say that I felt better, Lizzy, but it has been pointed out to me that my own feelings must be put aside for now.”
Mr. Bennet saw his girls exchange puzzled glances. It was Elizabeth, of course, who pressed him. “And what, precisely, does that mean, Papa?”
“It means I must refrain from retreating into my library and instead become the leader of the family.”
