Page 3 of Saving Jane
“The children have milk, and the goats do not eat as much as cows,” Elizabeth replied. “I think our dairyman fears we will do away with some of the cows now.”
Mr Bennet shook his head. “He and his wife can make more butter and cheese–we shall all eat well this winter and have some butter and cheese to sell.”
Elizabeth nodded. “I have thought we could provide some cheese to our tenants as well.”
Mr Bennet smiled, “Always thinking of the tenants Lizzy? Longbourn has a good name among the tenants in the county already. Sir William is too tight fisted with his tenants–several of them have roofs that leak.”
“Mary spoke to Mr Lucas about the roofs last night. He promised to look into the situation today,” Elizabeth told her father.
His eyebrows rising, Thomas Bennet looked at his dependable daughter with surprise. “Mary?”
“Yes, Mary spoke to Mr Lucas last night.”
“But he did not ask her to dance?”
“No.”
“Does your mother know this?”
Elizabeth shrugged and Mr Bennet grinned. “I had thought Mr Lucas might do for you Lizzy. It would be nice to keep you close by.”
“Mamma knows that Mary has a high regard for Mr Lucas,” Elizabeth informed her father.
Now he remembered the conversation at the dining table that morning. “Your Mamma is going to dress Mary in a new gown to catch Mr Lucas’s eye.”
“And Jane and I shall style her hair in a different manner.”
Mr Bennet grinned again, “Now if I can find some reason to make Lydia and Kitty remain at home, Mary can work her magic upon Mr Lucas after the fox hunt and be engaged before Christmas.”
“Papa! I think she does admire him. Would there be anything wrong with her attachment to him?”
“No, but I believe Sir William is not ready to make the match yet. Young men cannot bring young wives into households where there is limited room and a large number of brothers and sisters. Lucas Lodge is not as large as Longbourn.”
“Now take your notes and write my business letters,” he told his daughter. “I shall sign them at tea and post them this afternoon.”
~~}{~~
Dismissed, Elizabeth found her way into the parlour where Jane sewed a hem for Lydia while Kitty and Lydia pretended to refresh a bonnet while talking of the young menfrom the assembly.
“Where are Mamma and Mary?” she asked as she opened the writing desk for paper, pen and ink.
“They took the carriage into Meryton to shop for material to sew a new gown for Mary,” Jane informed her sisters.
Hearing her eldest sister speak of their mother’s attention to the middle sister, Lydia complained, “A new gown on Mary? That will be like hanging curtains in the stable!”
“Lydia!” Elizabeth exclaimed. Putting down her writing materials, she walked over to the table and took Lydia by the shoulders. “Mary is your sister. She gave you that green ribbon you wear in your hair today! Why would you say something so unkind?”
“It is true enough,” Lydia said. “A new dress is not going to make John Lucas notice plain Mary Bennet. She will not smile or flirt with any of the men.”
“Where you and Maria Lucas flirt with every man and kiss them when you think no one is watching,” Jane said from the other side of the room.
“Kiss?” Elizabeth asked with great astonishment. She released Lydia and saw her youngest sister grin.
“What is the concern if I kiss some boys? Maria and I think it is fun.”
“Are you engaged?” Elizabeth asked but Lydia only laughed.
“Oh engaged! La! I want to have fun and kissing boys is a great deal of fun!” Lydia replied. “And Kitty, if you would drink more punch, you would kiss the boys too, but you are always worried about what others think. That is why I have become such good friends with Maria–she enjoys the punch, and we think a party without you would be great fun.”
