Page 20 of Gold and Good Sense

His next step was to visit the nearest church to arrange for a marriage license. It was annoying to have to pay nearly a pound for the license as well as give a generous donation to the church to ensure it could be issued without delay, but such was the cost of a rushed wedding.

The next day, Thomas called young Mr. Goulding into his sitting room and presented the contract. At least Mr. Goulding had the good sense to read the entire document. When he got to the amount listed that would be settled on Kitty, however, he shot up from his seat, yelling, “What!!”

Thomas chuckled but said nothing.

“This cannot be!” said Mr. Goulding. “Why did everyone think her dowry was ten thousand when it is nearly sixty? And why in heaven’s name would you split it so unevenly in Kitty’s favor?”

“Now, now, Mr. Goulding,” said Thomas. “Reflect upon your actions, and I am certain the answer to that question will become obvious.”

The young man had at least enough conscience to look abashed, but it was not enough to still his tongue. “This is not a fair settlement,” he said. “I insist on Kitty’s dowry being split in a more equitable manner. I cannot sign this as it is written.”

“If you do not sign it, you will not marry my daughter,” said Thomas. “Not now and not at any point in the future. This document gives you exactly what you expected and more than you deserve after what you have done to my family. Just because you are now discovering that you could have had more if you had waited does not mean it is unfair.”

Mr. Goulding stared at Thomas, anger causing his jaw to clench and grind just a bit. After a few moments of intense staring, Mr. Goulding seemed to deflate, and he sat back down.

“I asked for this, didn’t I?” he said musingly.

Thomas did not answer. He watched as the young man truly contemplated the situation.

Eventually Mr. Goulding said, “Perhaps I really should find a different hobby.”

“I would honestly recommend it,” said Thomas. “Cards are all well and good, but there is no need to bet quite so heavily on a game of chance.”

Mr. Goulding shrugged. “Perhaps not,” he said.

Thomas was not convinced that the young man had truly learned anything from this experience. Still, he was gratified when Mr. Goulding signed the contract without any further delay.

The wedding took place the following morning, and by the end of that day, the three of them were once again at Longbourn.

Chapter 10

After Elizabeth’s father told her of Kitty’s elopement, she returned to the parlor. Lydia was already taking the opportunity of chattering at their new companions. Lady Esther’s face was blank, and Elizabeth could not tell what she was thinking, but Mrs. Jamison seemed genuinely bored.

When there was a break in the conversation, Elizabeth said to Jane, “Would you like to introduce Mrs. Jamison to Mary, since you and Mary will be her primary students?”

“Oh, yes, of course,” said Jane. “Would that be suitable, Mrs. Jamison?”

“Of course,” the older lady replied. She was the companion Papa had hired to teach Latin and Greek to Jane and Mary. She also happened to be quite accomplished on the piano as well, so she would be handling any and all lessons, leaving Lady Esther to be a chaperone, advisor, and companion only.

Mrs. Jamison seemed to be about Mr. Bennet’s age, but she had a spry energy about her that made her seem much younger. “Perhaps you can also show me where such lessons are likely to take place,” she said.

“If you would follow me,” said Jane.

Elizabeth watched as her sister left the room. They hadn’t really discussed where they would be taking their lessons, but there were only two real options. It would either be the old schoolroom next to the nursery, or it would be the music room. Since Mary would be taking music lessons as well as Latin and Greek, the music room made the most sense.

By the time they were gone, Lady Esther had managed to insert herself into Lydia’s flow of chatter. “And what do you like to do with your time, Miss Lydia?” she asked.

“Oh, I do love shopping,” cried Lydia. “My next favorite thing is trimming bonnets or planning ensembles, that sort of thing.”

“And do you do your own handiwork for your clothing?”

Lydia scrunched up her face. “Mama always has our gowns made for us, so at least I don’t have to do that boring work, but she still makes me do my own decorative stitching. I don’t really like doing it, though.”

“The advantage of doing your own decorations is that you can choose exactly what they look like,” said Lady Esther. “Have you ever tried creating your own pictures or designs or even a new stitch?”

Lydia’s eyes opened in wonderment. “You can create a new stitch?”

“Of course,” said the Lady. “I’m sure you’ve learned at least a dozen different stitches for your embroidery, each with their own appearance or texture. Well, each of those stitches was invented by someone. There is no one to say that you could not do the same if you wanted to.”