2. Chapter 2

Author's note:

For those of you who read and enjoyed Given Good Principles, I have good news. Volume 1 of Given Good Principles: Darcy's Decision will be released for publication soon. The published version has had hundreds of hours of editing and is not identical to the version here. (I think it is vastly improved!) You can read the prologue and keep up with the latest news on publication dates and availability (and maybe even some coupon specials!) on my Face Book author's page. FFN will not allow links posted, but just search 'Maria Grace' on Face Book and you will find it!

Looking forward to see you there. Drop a note on my wall saying you found the page from FFN and I'll put your name in a drawing for a free book when it comes out!

Now back to your originally scheduled reading...

If Only I had Learnt

I tried to go in and fix all the italics problems on this chapter, hopefully the fixes will stick-if not please let me know!

Chapter 2

"Really, Charles, just because we are living in the country, there is no need to follow all the customs here. I will not become accustomed to eating dinner so wretchedly early!" Caroline grumbled as her brother seated her at the dinner table. "I imagine I will be expected to rise with the livestock next. Surely you do not keep such ridiculous mealtimes when you are in residence at your estate, do you, Mr. Darcy?" She smiled and batted her eyes.

"As a matter of fact I do, Miss Bingley, and I have risen with the livestock, as you say, since I was a boy." Darcy dipped his head toward her as he settled into his chair.

Caroline blushed fiercely.

"I find country manners quite charming," Bingley declared as he flipped a napkin into his lap. "I do say, the cook here is marvelous." He carved the joint and served Caroline a slice. "Hurst, you must admit that your cook in London…"

"Never produced something like this!" Hurst grinned as he received the meat platter from Bingley. "And the pudding is truly spectacular."

"The victuals may be superior here at Netherfield, but you must admit to me," Caroline countered shrewishly, "that the company here is something savage."

"Savage you say!" Hurst challenged. "How ever can you claim that?"

"Do tell," Bingley agreed. "You have had few callers by which to reach that opinion. How could you call the company dreadful?"

"Well," Louisa sniffed, "there was that gossip, Lady Lucas, who came around here simply to see for herself if we matched up with the descriptions her servants had given her. She does still have one unmarried daughter, and such a woman always has one eye open for a potential husband for her daughter."

"But did you not tell me that your first visitors in any location are always the town's biggest gossips?" Hurst laughed agreeably. "Surely you would have expected that here as well?"

"I did not expect that you would understand," Louisa muttered and rolled her eyes as she looked at her sister.

"Well, look at the callers we have had today," Caroline sneered, "the cripple and his harpy of a daughter." She delicately dabbed at her lips with her napkin as if wiping away a bad taste.

"His name is Mr. Bennet, and he is a gentleman," Darcy snapped, causing both women to start. "His estate is the nearest neighbor to Netherfield. Referring to him as 'the cripple' is both disrespectful and rude. You will quickly forfeit the opportunity to make friends among your new neighbors if you continue to refer to him that way. He and his family are well respected in this community." He looked sternly at Caroline. I fear you shall never be so.

"I grant you, he is in remarkably good spirits for one so cruelly affected," Louisa tried to soothe. "But his daughter…"

"You must grant that she is not the sort of woman you would want your sister to be acquainted with," Caroline interrupted. Gritting her teeth, she sawed awkwardly at her meat.

I am certain her table manners would be better than yours. Who taught you to hold a knife, a swordsman?Darcy frowned. "How do you come to that conclusion?" He laid down his utensils to give her his full attention.

"Did you see her, covered in road dust like a common servant, driving her father about in an open gig ?"

"A gig is not inappropriate for a gentlewoman to drive," Bingley argued. "It is admirable that she and her sisters would be so attentive to his needs that he has not withdrawn from society due to his afflictions."

"With a face disfigured like that," Caroline's face contorted, "he should be a shut-in! Really, he should have some consideration for those of us who have to look upon him! He belongs locked in his study, where he will not offend delicate sensibilities!" Caroline tilted her head and rolled her eyes.

"He did not come to call upon you." Darcy's face hardened into an angry mask. He looked down, focusing on the plate in front of him, balling his fist under the table.

"That is simply cruel, Caroline." Bingley tried to manage a glare in her direction, but did little more than crease his brow.

"I think it admirable that a man could come back from such devastating injuries." Hurst said through a mouthful of pudding.

"With the help of his daughters," Louisa declared. "Why, that man has no steward; it seems he encourages his daughter to do the work instead!"

"Indeed!" Caroline sputtered, trying to quickly swallow her mouthful. She pointed at her sister, forgetting that her fork remained in her hand. "That is exactly what I mean! They have relations in trade, and it seems he would have his daughters sully their hands as well."

"He has reduced his daughters to laborers!" Louisa threw up her hands.

"They plow the fields for him, do they?" Hurst chuckled as he lifted his glass.

"I would not put it past them, as she certainly seemed to know enough about planting them! She is reading some treatise on crop rotation, of all things!" Caroline's silverware clinked on her plate.

"I suppose it is better than animal husbandry, eh?" Hurst's bushy eyebrows lifted. He glanced over at Bingley with a small wink.

"Oh, she has already read that—apparently she is searching for new cross breeds of sheep to increase their wool production!" Louisa quickly countered.

"How can a young woman retain her delicacy with such reading material? Clearly she cannot! She is certainly as indelicate as any common washer woman." Caroline waved her napkin.

"I am quite convinced this notion of delicacy is highly overdone," Bingley tried to cut in. "Do you wish for more potatoes, Caroline?" Without waiting for her answer, he piled several on her plate.

"Whatever you may think of it, Charles, even though you may find no fault, society has a very different idea. Delicacy must be guarded as closely as one's virtue."

"You do not appear convinced, Darcy," Hurst declared as he reached for the peas and lettuce.

What would they say of Georgiana if they were to know of Ramsgate? He looked straight at Hurst. "I know the value of a good understanding of the land and how to manage it. A wise man does not leave another to manage his estate without close direction."

"But surely you would not wish your sister…" Caroline gasped.

"If something were to happen to me, then Pemberley would become hers. Although I employ a most capable steward, I would have no wish for her to remain ignorant of what she would need to manage. In fact," he turned to Caroline, "this entire discussion has caused me to rethink the course of my sister's education." He pushed his chair back and nodded at Charles. "Bingley, if you will excuse me?" I have quite lost my appetite.He rose and with a slight bow, removed himself from the dining room.

"…Amen," Mr. Bennet finished pronouncing his blessing over their meal.

"Mutton, papa?" Jane asked.

"Peas?" Lizzy offered.

"Both, please." He smiled as his daughters carefully served portions on their specific places on the plate. "Is that an oat pudding I smell? I think I will pass on that; the smell does not agree with me tonight."

"Do you care for potatoes instead?" Jane passed a serving dish to Mary and reached for another.

"Yes, dear. So tell me, how went your errand of peacemaking this afternoon?"

"The king should send Jane to France, Papa," Kitty giggled, "for she would surely have Bonaparte begging for forgiveness!"

Jane blushed prettily as she served her own plate.

"Though perhaps she overstates it," Mary frowned slightly, "Kitty is quite correct. Jane does have a natural talent for mediation."

"So what has become of the goat and the fence? Is it to be roasted over the fence posts tonight?" Mr. Bennet chuckled gently.

"I think that would have been equally disagreeable to all," Jane protested, smiling.

"Especially the goat!" Mary tittered.

"So then tell us of your Solomon-like wisdom." He turned toward her. "I am all ears, and yes, I can hear you blushing!" They all laughed heartily. "Instruct us now, so that we, too, may be able to work these wonders." He waved his hand.

"Well, we sat down to tea with Cook's bread and jam…" Jane began.

"Take note, girls, the first step to brokering a peace is to fill their bellies so they are too sleepy to argue with whatever you may suggest." He ticked off the point on his finger.

Jane looked at him with good-natured sourness. "Then I let each of them make her case, encouraging the other to listen carefully."

"The second step is to encourage all involved to complain vociferously." He ticked off a second point.

Jane huffed and crossed her arms. "When each had had her say, it was clear that both arguments had some merit."

"Third," Mr. Bennet cocked his head knowingly, "we declare that everyone is correct and allow them to gloat in their righteousness."

"So we went outside to survey the fence and the goat pen."

"And you distract them from their complaints with a long walk in the hot sun..."

Lizzy giggled through the hand she had placed over her mouth. Jane scowled playfully at her. "Once there, I pointed out that the fence was indeed in need of repair, and the goat was not properly penned."

"Whereby you render them insensible from overexertion, such that they will agree to anything to be allowed to rest from their exercise." Mr. Bennet extended his open hands.

Kitty and Lydia exploded in laughter. Even Mary grinned. With warmth in her eyes, Jane reached to squeeze her father's hand. "Mr. Hampton will go by there tomorrow to repair the garden fence. They agreed to move the goat pen so that it straddles both their plots. They will both throw their scraps to feed it, and Mrs. White will receive a third share of the milk." Jane nodded triumphantly at her younger sisters.

Mr. Bennet applauded softly, "Truly a triumph of diplomacy, my dear." He squeezed her hand again. "I am indeed grateful for your gentle interventions with our tenants. It is to your credit that we have so few disputes among them."

"You never cease to amaze me, Jane," Lizzy said, looking at her sister with admiration in her eyes. "You truly should be advising the House of Lords. How you manage to find such agreeable solutions is a wonder."

"How she gets everyone to agree to them is the true wonder!" Kitty added, helping herself to more pudding.

"How was your visit to Netherfield?" Jane asked, cutting her potatoes.

"There are three gentlemen and two ladies in residence. Two of the gentlemen and one of the ladies are unmarried," Mr. Bennet replied. "I found the gentlemen quite agreeable. Two of them actually play chess, and one reads extensively."

"Now, Lizzy, you must tell us about them!" Lydia squealed, clapping softly in anticipation. "What creatures have we living next door? A goose, a fox or a weasel…"

"Or perhaps a crow and a toad!" Kitty grinned.

"I think it wise to be careful not to speak such things too loudly," Mary warned, "lest our neighbors take offense at our irreverent portrayal of them."

"You are quite right, Mary," Lizzy agreed, a smile lighting her face, "so I shall only say this once, and quietly; you must listen carefully the first time." She laughed. "The gentlemen are a good sort, I think. We have a spaniel puppy and a bulldog…"

"Which plays chess?" Kitty demanded, giggling.

"The bulldog." Lizzy's brows lifted teasingly. "Can you imagine a spaniel puppy sitting still long enough to do so?"

"No, but I can see the bulldog chewing on the king by the fireplace," Kitty teased.

Mr. Bennet sputtered and choked over his glass. "Have a care, Lizzy! Do not say such things whilst I am drinking!"

"So then the spaniel puppy reads?" Lydia asked. "I cannot fathom that any more than I can imagine him playing chess."

"Oh no, our neighbor, the spaniel, is a friendly sort of fellow who relishes company and is kind and pleasant to all."

"And fancies a scratch behind the ears?" Mr. Bennet teased.

"You spent far more time with him, father. You would be in a better position to know that than I," Lizzy countered quickly.

"So tell us of the third gentleman!" Kitty demanded, leaning forward on her elbows.

Lizzy became quiet for a moment. "He is different from his friend; he is a black stallion, one that only the master can ride, for he frightens the grooms too much."

"Ooooh!" Lydia and Kitty squealed together.

So he has caught her attention.Mr. Bennet smiled quietly to himself.

"He is the reader and the other, the chess player then?" Mary asked quietly.

"Yes," Mr. Bennet answered while Lizzy's eyes took on a faraway look.

"What of the ladies?" Jane asked, studying her sister's face.

"They were of another breed entirely!" Lizzy laughed, snapping out of her reverie. "The sisters favor one another, though one is much taller than the other. The shorter one is a bittern, and the other a heron. Both with sharp bills and sharper tongues!"

"Oh, Lizzy!" Jane admonished. "Did you try to speak to them of crop rotation and wool production?" Lizzy shrugged. "You know that you cannot expect ladies from town to find such things acceptable topics of conversation."

"Well, if they are going to occupy an estate, they should! What good is it for them to know nothing of the land?" Lizzy argued.

"Ladies from town have no need for such information. Their accomplishments are of a much more refined…"

"You mean useless ," Lizzy muttered under her breath.

Jane frowned, "…a more refined variety. I fear they have less regard for the accomplishments of…"

"A more useful sort of person," Lizzy huffed.

Mr. Bennet cleared his throat. "So, Mary, my dear, what news from the kitchen and the back stairs?"

Mary started and quickly swallowed her mouthful. "Well, the prices of tea and sugar have gone up. We are watching the prices to buy again when they are most favorable. I have also written Uncle Gardiner to see what prices he is able to find for such things in town. We hope to replenish the pantry before winter weather fouls the roads."

Mr. Bennet nodded. "Very good. He turned toward Lizzy, "The road to Netherfield is not the only one at risk from these storms."

"Oh, Papa," she groaned, "will you simply not forgive me for running over that rut in the road?"

He chuckled and reached out for her to take his hand. She twined her fingers in his. With a smile, he squeezed her hand.

"Oh, the young scullery maid we hired a fortnight ago just ran off with the blacksmith's son." Mary shook her head and snorted. "Seems she was gifted some money that completed her dowry, and she no longer needed employment."

"Well, that is a bother," Jane sighed. "I had hoped she would stay on; she seemed to get on so well with Hill."

"Apparently, she got on better with the blacksmith's son!" Lydia tittered.

"Lydia!" Lizzy rebuked sharply. "Such joking is coarse and decidedly inappropriate for a young lady."

"And crop rotations are?" Lydia scoffed. "Oh, tosh, Lizzy, it is only our family here; do calm down." She waved her sister off.

"A true lady is a lady at all times," Mary cut in, wagging her finger.

"Oh, well, fine then!" Lydia huffed. "I did hear the most delicious piece of news today in town…"

"No gossip now," Mr. Bennet warned as he reached for his glass.

"I know, I know, but this is not gossip. The militia is coming to Meryton. It is a Colonel Forester's regiment. Soon the town will be brimming with red coats and officers…" She smiled dreamily.

"No!" Mr. Bennet slammed his hands down on the table, rattling the china. All five sisters jumped. "Let me make this quite clear to all of you, and be quite certain, there is no jest in what I am about to say. None of you, including Jane and Lizzy, are permitted to socialize with any man in regimentals. They are not welcome in this house, nor are their wives. You are not to keep company with anyone remotely related to the regiment. Do I make myself understood?"

For a long moment, the girls just stared at him. Finally Jane spoke, "Yes, Papa," her voice hardly above a whisper.

I should not have been so harsh. He sighed. "Perhaps I have overdone it a bit today. I think I shall retire now." He pushed back from the table shakily and stood. "Goodnight, girls." He slowly made his way upstairs.

"What is wrong with Papa?" Mary whispered hoarsely, missing the knowing looks Lizzy and Jane exchanged.

"How can he be so cruel?" Lydia moaned. "We are never allowed any amusement like other girls! It is so unfair…"

"You will do as he says," Lizzy firmly admonished. "Do not even think about trying to do otherwise."

"You know Papa is only concerned for our welfare. If he requires this of us, it is because he has a good reason," Jane added. A very good reason. Poor Papa.

"So, Mary," Lizzy settled back into her seat, "have we any prospects to replace our maid?"

"Maria told me that their maid's sister had just turned old enough for a position," Kitty offered enthusiastically.

With Wallace's help, Mr. Bennet prepared to retire. "Will there be anything else, sir?" Wallace asked somberly, noticing the uncharacteristic heaviness surrounding his master. "Are you feeling well? Should I send for Mr. Palmer?"

"No, no, I have no need for his potions tonight, despite the fact he is always wont to give me one or another. There is nothing wrong that a good night's sleep will not cure. You can go now; I will ring for you in the morning." He waited until he heard the door shut, and sank down on to the bed. He dropped his face into his hands for a long moment. Finally, he reached down to the drawer of the bedside table and withdrew a mob cap and lace shawl. With a heavy sigh, he pressed them into his face and breathed deeply.

Oh,Fanny,I have never stopped missing you. But now is one of those times when I feel your absence all the more. What am I to tell them? I know you spoke to Lizzy and Jane of Margaret's fall. A painful lump formed in his throat. My dear little sister… how could father turn her out like that? We had relatives in Scotland to whom she could have been sent. He pressed the lace against his cheek. I could never turn one of my girls out that way… Please, dear Lord, let me not face that choice! I must protect them.

He leaned back and swung his legs onto the bed. Reverently, he fingered the lace and pressed it to his heart. I have been told that it is wrong to ruin their delicacy and warn them of the seductions such men might attempt, but how can I protect them from such things if they do not even know what dangers lurk? Oh Fanny, you should be here now to speak to your younger ones of this. I do not know how I am to do it. But if I do not, then who will? Jane or Lizzy? They should not even know of such things themselves, much less be warning their sisters!

He pulled aside the counterpane and slid beneath. Five daughters! Fanny, five daughters you left me to care for, all of them as strong and clever as you. I would not trade one of them for a son…though Lizzy would have made a fine heir to Longbourn. Certainly, she would have been better than that fool cousin of mine! I just always thought you would be here to guide them with me. I could not survive without them, I am sure, but I fear that I may be ruining them in the eyes of society. What proper gentleman will desire a wife who knows more about how to run an estate than he does? What have I done, Fanny? What am I to do?Covering his face with his hands, he began to pray. Finally, his heart eased. He rolled over, tucking the cap and shawl beneath his cheek and slept.