No amount of foreknowledge could have prepared Elizabeth for the emptiness in her chest when her father died. Mere days after her visit to Dr. Carter, Mr. Bennet passed away in his sleep.
Mr. Bennet’s death had pulled a shroud over the whole of Longbourn, and even Lydia went about the house quietly. Elizabeth and Jane had seen to the dyeing of their sisters’ dresses and the purchasing of black velvet ribbons to edge their bonnets. Mr. Collins was due to arrive at Longbourn in a few days’ time, and Elizabeth had to be strong. Not only for herself, but also for her sisters and her mother.
Mrs. Bennet had not come out of her room in days, and Jane was run ragged seeing to the younger girls. Elizabeth took her aside to reveal a small piece of her plan.
“I am sorry to do this to you, Jane, but I must leave Longbourn.” Elizabeth gripped her sister’s hands tightly.
“Oh, Lizzie, so soon? Where are you going?”
“I promise you that I am doing this for all of us, Jane. I am going to London, but I will be back within a fortnight. Not long at all. Perhaps sooner.”
Jane did not look convinced, but she merely nodded, trusting that Elizabeth would have a good reason for leaving at such a time.
“I promise that I will tell you everything as soon as I am able,” Elizabeth said. “I am leaving on the mail coach for London tomorrow morning.”
Jane nodded and looked down at their clasped hands. “I am not ready to meet Mr. Collins, Lizzie. I cannot think of how I will receive him without you here beside me.”
Elizabeth smiled as Jane’s eyes filled with tears. “I will not be gone so long.”
Jane pulled her into a tight embrace and Elizabeth did her best to comfort her sister. She would reveal everything as soon as she was able, but it was all entirely dependent on the cooperation of Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, and while Elizabeth knew that her favorite aunt would do everything in her power to assist, she was sure of nothing.
If this first step of her plan did not work, she would return to Longbourn and face Mr. Collins, but she must try.
Elizabeth was heartsick to leave Longbourn, even mores because she could not reveal her plans to her sister. Lydia and Kitty were upset to see her leave, but it was Jane’s farewell that hurt her the most.
While the mail carriage rumbled towards London, Elizabeth began to work out the details of her deception. She would appeal to Mrs. Gardiner for help, and could only hope that her aunt would be supportive. The plan was scandalous, to be sure, and the discovery of her deception could ruin not only her own future, but taint that of her sister’s as well.
It seemed simple enough. She would tell her aunt everything, and then, if all went according to plan, Mrs. Gardiner would speak to her husband about having the proper legal documents drawn up. The only difficulty would be the deception itself, and knowing which members of her family to trust with the secret.
Thankfully, when she arrived in London, Mrs. Gardiner was eagerly awaiting her arrival, and Elizabeth did not have to wait to apprise her aunt of the current situation at Longbourn.
“Your Papa’s death was so sudden. So unexpected,” Mrs. Gardiner said sadly. She and Mr. Gardiner had come to stay and support Mrs. Bennet for almost a week before returning to London. Elizabeth did not correct her aunt, for Mr. Bennet’s death had been neither unexpected nor sudden, but only to herself and Jane. “Mr. Gardiner tells me that there is a relative, a Mr. Collins, coming to Longbourn to assume his ownership of the estate.”
“Yes, Mr. Collins is very likely on his way even now. But that is why I am here.” Elizabeth lowered her voice and leaned closer to her aunt. Mrs. Gardiner loved a mystery, and Elizabeth could see the eagerness in her aunt’s eyes.
“Oh, yes, Lizzie, do tell me what you meant in your letter, I confess I am quite intrigued. Whatever could you need my help with?”
“Before he died, Papa had made mention of a sister who had gone abroad to the colonies. To Canada, I believe, and he never heard from her again. He expected that she had died.”
Mrs. Gardiner gasped at the revelation. “How awful, to never heard from a beloved sister again? How tragic.”
“Yes, indeed,” Elizabeth replied. The story was, of course, a fiction; Mr. Bennet had no sister, and no relations that had ever left England. But Mrs. Gardiner seemed very taken with the story thus far. “Just after Papa’s death a letter arrived from Bath—“
“From Bath! Had she returned from the colonies?”
“Sadly, no, it was from her son, a Mr. Alexander Roberts.” Elizabeth pulled a letter from her reticule, she had written it herself and signed the message with the false name she had created. Mr. Alexander Roberts, son of Norah Roberts.
Mrs. Gardiner gasped, taking the letter from her niece and read it aloud.
Bath, Nov 14th 1811
Dear Mr. Bennet,
It is my most fervent wish that this letter finds you in good health. I take my pen in hand that I might recommend myself to you. My name is Alexander Roberts, the son of your late sister Norah Roberts (formerly Bennet) recently come to England. My mother spoke of you often, and it is my dearest wish to be near family as I make my way in England.
I ask only for your assurance that you will consider this matter and await your further correspondence.
To you and your family, I present my cordial wishes for your continued health and happiness.
Respectfully,
Mr. A. Roberts
“Oh, Lizzie! You must know what this means, that Mr. Roberts is your father’s nephew... Your cousin!”
“Yes, indeed it does.”
“Then he must be closer in relation to your dear papa than this Mr. Collins I have heard spoken of so often.”
“It most certainly does.”
“You must write to Mr. Roberts at once, Lizzie! Bring him to London and Mr. Gardiner will make all of the necessary legal arrangements, how wonderful, what exciting news this will be for your mama!”
“I have not told Mama,” Elizabeth said.
“Lizzie, how could you keep such a secret from her? The relief she would feel at this happy news...”
Elizabeth took a deep breath and plucked the letter from her aunt’s fingers, folding it carefully once more.
“There is only one problem, aunt,” Elizabeth said quietly.
“A problem? Why, whatever could it be?” Mrs. Gardiner was incredulous. This revelation was entirely too serendipitous and she seemed annoyed at her niece’s reluctance to share the good news with everyone. Elizabeth sat silent for a moment, and then met her aunt’s anxious gaze.
“Mr. Alexander Roberts does not exist,” she said.
Mrs. Gardiner was confused. “But you are holding his letter in your hand, did your Papa not mention—“
“Mr. Roberts is a fiction, aunt. I created him in my mind, and I will need your help to make him real.” Mrs. Gardiner’s mouth fell open and she stared at her niece incredulously.
“Do you mean to send a stranger into your home to pose as this long lost cousin?”
Elizabeth shook her head. “No... I mean to take his place myself.”
Mrs. Gardiner’s shocked reaction was not entirely unexpected, but Elizabeth had braced herself for the worst.
“But, Lizzie, how would you do this? How could you even conceive of such a plan?”
“Papa told me that it was my duty to the family to protect my sisters and save Longbourn. I am sure that he meant for me to put aside my pride and marry Mr. Collins and become mistress of Longbourn in that manner... but I cannot do it. I will not submit to such a thing, even for Papa.” Elizabeth paused, gauging her aunt’s reaction carefully. Mrs. Gardiner seemed intrigued, although a hint of her scandalized thoughts danced behind her eyes. “However, my commitment to Longbourn remains... I will not let a stranger take our home away from us and turn us out into the street whenever he feels like it.”
“No, indeed,” Mrs. Gardiner said quietly.
“If you do not agree to help me, I understand, but I must ask you never to speak of it to anyone. If you say no, I will return to Longbourn tomorrow and meet Mr. Collins as Papa intended.”
“I shall think on it, I promise you,” Mrs. Gardiner said. “I will have an answer for you after supper.”
Elizabeth could ask for nothing more than that her aunt would consider the plan. If she failed here, everything could be lost, but there would be no scandal. Longbourn would be safe, but she would be married to a clergyman, something she had never entertained in her life. In all her years of imagining and daydreaming her bridegroom, a clergyman would never have entered her mind.
“Thank you,” Elizabeth said quietly. She kissed her aunt on the cheek and went upstairs to the room that had been laid out for her. She set her valise on the bed and did her very best not to cry. Everything depended on her aunt’s decision.
She spent the hour before supper reading and writing a letter to Jane to let her know that she had arrived safely, and that she would be home sooner than expected.
Elizabeth folded the letter, but did not seal it, for if Mrs. Gardiner agreed; she would be away for much longer than intended.
Mr. Gardiner was late to supper, which left Elizabeth and her aunt alone with a stuffed pheasant. Elizabeth picked at her meal, not wanting to broach the subject of her request or seem ungrateful of her aunt’s hospitality. Mrs. Gardiner, for her part, ate heartily and sipped at her wine, enjoying the meal immensely while Elizabeth watched. Mrs. Gardiner chatted on about life in London, and the affairs of her husband’s clients. Elizabeth did her best to respond with interest, but, in truth, her mind was far away.
All at once, the dining room door flew open and Mr. Gardiner bustled into the room, followed by Mr. Reed, the Gardiners’ butler and valet.
“Oh, Mr. Gardiner, you have arrived just in time!” Mrs. Gardiner cried happily as her husband settled himself in his chair.
“Have I, indeed?” he asked, looking at their full plates and the carved bird. “It appears that I am late, indeed, Mr. Reed informed me of that very fact as I entered the house.”
Mr. Reed’s expression was stern, as ever, but Mr. Gardiner was smiling good-naturedly and Elizabeth could not help but smile in return.
“Late for supper is not a crime, Mr. Gardiner,” his wife said brightly. “Lizzie was just telling me some thrilling news.”
Elizabeth sat up straighter in her chair and eyed her aunt carefully.
“Indeed?” Mr. Gardiner replied, spearing some roast pheasant with his silver fork.
“Oh, yes. It seems that Mr. Bennet had a sister... she was living abroad in the colonies, Canada I believe, and her son has just returned to England!”
“Good gracious,” Mr. Gardiner exclaimed. “A nephew; why that means...”
“Yes! That the entail must be re-considered!” Mrs. Gardiner’s excitement was palpable, and Elizabeth could have cried with joy.
“Well, Lizzie, this is indeed excellent news for your family. Your mama—“
“Oh, no, my dear. Your sister is not aware of Mr. Roberts, for that is the young man’s name, as of yet. Lizzie and I are departing for Bath to meet him tomorrow.”
Elizabeth choked on her potatoes as she realized what this meant. It was all going to happen. Her aunt was in support, keen support at that.
“It is all very exciting, do you not agree?” Mrs. Gardiner beamed at her husband who nodded enthusiastically.
“Yes, of course. I will need to see all of the relevant paperwork, of course, but I will be happy to amend the entailment to mark this young man as the heir to Longbourn.”
“Excellent, my dear, perhaps, while Lizzie and I are in Bath you could bring your exceptional consideration to having the paperwork completed before we arrive in London? I should so like for Lizzie and her sisters to have some peace while they mourn their father.”
“Of course, I will give it my full attention,” Mr. Gardiner smiled reassuringly at his niece, and Elizabeth felt a great weight lifting from her shoulders. Her aunt had made it very clear that she was a strong supporter of her plan, now all that remained, was the execution of it.