Page 32

Lydia was out the door screaming for her mother in a flash. Mary watched as Elizabeth smiled and returned to her seat. The ever silent maid poured her a fresh cup of tea.

“Thank you.”

“Lizzie, what are you doing?”

“As Miss Bennet I will be treated with respect.”

“But what about”

She got no further when Mrs. Bennet rushed back into the dining room. She still had not had any breakfast and what was left would be cold at this rate.

“Lizzie, you will come to see your father at once.”

Elizabeth, deliberately and insolently, took another sip of tea before returning the cup to the saucer and standing.

“After you, I do not wish to get hit from behind.”

Even Mrs. Bennet was taken aback at that sally. Her own daughter thought she would hit her when her back was turned? She walked in silence to the study. There was no sign of Lydia. Once in the study the door was closed and she stood in front of her father. His habitual sardonic expression was absent and he looked uncomfortable. She said nothing.

“What do you have to say for yourself, Elizabeth. You were not raised to treat your mother in this manner.”

Elizabeth stood silently in front of him, her mother sitting in a chair off to the side.

“Answer me Elizabeth. I will not stand for your cheek.”

“I am unaware of any charge. You were not present, either last night, or again just now in the dining room. You have believed the words of Mrs. Bennet. You want me to say something, what do you wish me to say?”

Thomas Bennet rocked back in his seat. He did not need this aggravation.

“You have spoken disrespectfully to your mother, and are on very thin ice with me. You will mind your manners.”

Again Elizabeth stood silently.

“You will apologise to your mother at once.”

Elizabeth’s face was sphinx like.

“I apologise for getting upset at being called a liar. I also apologise for asking her to not shriek at me as if I was a scullery maid, not that it is acceptable to treat a servant in such a manner. I also apologise for taking action against a sneak thief and liar outside my door last night.”

Mrs Bennet took a big breath of air in preparation for launching another diatribe at her least favourite daughter. But she was waved to remain silent by her husband.

“Lizzie, sit down. What has happened overnight that you are acting in this way?”

Elizabeth reluctantly sat on the other chair in front of his desk.

“I am at a loss to understand your words and attitude this morning. Are you upset that Jane has married and moved away?”

“I am not upset, a degree of sadness but that is all.”

“Then what on earth is going on?”

“I had a pleasant day yesterday. I spent lots of time with Aunt Gardiner and many of our neighbours. But I also spent time with Mr. Warburton’s widowed aunt, Mrs. Selwyn, as well as his older brother Michael. It was civilised, lots of meaningless chat typical as two families newly joined get to know each other.”

Mr. Bennet had raised his hand several times to Mrs. Bennet, to stop her interruptions. But he breached his own rule.

“What does this have to do with your behaviour?”

“Nothing. I am demonstrating that I am not a hoyden. I never have been a hoyden and I am not going to take the insult without retaliating. In answer to your question, Mary and I were talking in my bedroom but when I opened the door suddenly Lydia fell into the room. She was not standing outside, she had her ear pressed to the keyhole so hard that she fell over. This was an outrage. However it was not to me, but to her. She was squawking that she was going to run and tattle to Mrs. Bennet. As far as I was concerned this was the last straw. I slapped her across the face, not particularly hard, it was more to prove the point. If she was going to tattle to Mrs. Bennet then I gave her something to tattle about.”