Page 30 of Miss Gardiner
“What do you mean?”
Lydia explained, “Papa grabbed Jane by the arm and drug her to the door. Then he pushed her outside. Then he announced that this was no longer Jane’s home, and she was no longer his daughter.”
“No,” the young woman said to deny the words.
“Yes, Jane is no longer my daughter,” announced Thomas Bennet who appeared in the hallway. He stared at his youngest daughter and said, “Lydia, you were ordered to your room for the day.”
“I went into the parlour for my mending,” the youngest daughter replied coolly.
“Do not test me today,” Mr Bennet said. “Unless the house is on fire, do not come below stairs again today. Mr Hill cut branches that I shall use to beat my daughters as needed after today.”
Suddenly fearful, Lydia climbed the stairs quickly and did not look back. They heard the door of her room slam as Mrs Bennet began to wail once more.
“My house will never know peace again,” Mr Bennet told his long-absent daughter. “Why have you come today?”
“I came to see my sister, Jane,” she replied.
“There is no one by that name living in my home,” Mr Bennet insisted.
Elizabeth stepped back, shaking her head and said, “Papa, you do not mean that.”
“I do. Jane surrendered her virtue to that man before their wedding day. She dishonoured her family and now the entire neighbourhood knows.”
“How does…”
“Sir William and Lady Lucas walked up just as your Mamma wailed the news for the entire world to hear. Sir William was shocked, and Lady Lucas pretended to console with your mother, but I am certain she spent the time gathering every bit of gossip to spread among the neighbours.”
“When Mrs Bennet finally ceased her howling, I ordered your sisters to their rooms for the rest of the day, told Mrs Bennet to retire, and as quickly as possible sent Sir William and Lady Lucas on their way.” Mr Bennet sighed and said, “Now you have appeared.”
“I shall not stay,” Elizabeth said. “I came to see Jane and you say she is gone.”
“She is compromised and disowned,” Mr Bennet repeated. “That is the end of the matter.”
“But Mr Bingley…he promised to marry Jane. They were to become engaged the morning after the ball.”
Mr Bennet snorted with a sour look on his face, “He left for London and did not call. She sat in the parlour for two days and insisted that he would come for her. He is a cad and rake as bad as any I have ever met. But she…”
Elizabeth interrupted her father and pointedly said, “…was not properly chaperoned if he was able to take advantage of her.”
“Do not think you can speak to me in such a manner,” Mr Bennet told his daughter.
With a nod her head, the young woman said, “I shall leave and not trouble you again, sir.”
“How are you moving about?” he asked.
“I have a carriage,” she replied, turned and left Longbourn.
Mr Bennet followed and seeing his brother-in-law’s carriage, he shouted, “Tell Gardiner that I have disowned Jane Bennet! You may join her in exile if you wish but do not darken my door again.”
Leaving Longbourn and her father was easier than Elizabeth could have imagined–her thoughts were only to find Jane and reassure her sister of her love. They would face the next days together.
“Get to the road and then stop again,” Elizabeth told the footman as he helped her inside. “Jane is somewhere along the road.”
Once the carriage was away from Longbourn, it came to a stop and Elizabeth spoke to the two men. The coachman asked, “Which way would she have walked, Miss Elizabeth?”
‘Would she have gone to Netherfield?’ Elizabeth wondered for a moment but then shook her head.
“Jane would walk to Meryton, to our aunt’s home for shelter before coming to London.”
