Kay - Becoming Elizabeth Bennet

Becoming Elizabeth Bennet

By

Dee Kay

Copyright by the author 2022: Becoming Elizabeth Bennet

This book is a work of fiction. Some names, characters, places, were the products of Jane Austens imagination without whom this work would not be possible. Reimagined events with her characters, new names, characters, circumstances, and places are from the authors addled mind and imagination, and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locals, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Questions or comments:

A special thank you to Cristina Jockin for her willingness to read a very rough first draft.

Chapter One

Fanny Bennet was nervous. The baby was weeks earlier than expected. The day before yesterday, the midwife informed her that it could be any time now, but she need not worry about the early birth. Gazing down at the size of her belly, Fanny was sure it must be a boy. Despite her discomfort, she smiled and gently caressed her stomach. A male child that would break the accursed entail on the estate and free her from the anxiety she endured because of it. She had prayed for a boy since discovering she was with a child a couple of months into the marriage. She had been terribly disappointed that the child was a girl.

Now she was going into labour, and the midwife was not to be found. Probably off birthing some child in the hedgerows, where she always feared she would end up if she did not produce an heir to save the estate. Mr Bennet had all the male household servants and farmhands scouring the countryside. Her sister Philips was on the way but was unsure what good that would do. She was childless, as she had no need to produce an heir to keep an estate. Her husband was merely an assistant solicitor to their father.

Fanny winced in pain at another contraction. There was still plenty of time for the midwife to arrive if it went like her first pregnancy a little over a year ago. If only Jane had been a boy, she would not have had to again ruin her beautiful figure to produce an heir. Her mother instilled the need to provide an heir and a spare once she had become betrothed to the owner of Longbourn. Fanny did not see the need for a spare as she would take good care of a boy.

Edith Philips opened the door and peeked out to find the new maid that had recently married the butler, Mr Hill.

Mr Hill asked me to let you know the midwife has been found and will be here shortly.

Very good, then I think it is time to start boiling water.

It is already being done, maam.

Very good, very good. Is Mr Bennet still in his library?

I believe so, maam. Should I send for him?

Good heavens, no. Keep him in there. A man has no business hanging about when his child is being birthed, heir or not.

Yes, maam. How should I keep him in there?

Tell Mr Hill to suggest a game of backgammon or chess. If you are to have children, he must also learn to stay away as well. It will be good practice for him. Now off with you, Edith said, shutting the door. She turned to her sister, who was sitting up on the bed with pillows all around her.

Mabel is on the way. She proudly announced, as if she had been the one to find the wayward midwife.

Edith! The chair, the chair. You forgot to ask Mrs Hill about the chair. If only mother were here, she would have remembered, Fanny cried.

Mother will be here. It has been less than an hour since the note was sent.

Something must have happened. She should have been here by now.

Nothing happened. You are always worrying about nothing.

Of course I do. You do not have an estate that is entailed away. What shall happen to me if I do not produce an heir?

Edith waved her arm at her younger sister. Bah, you and that entail. There is nothing to worry about as you are young and fit and can have many more babies.

I do not want more babies. Look what they do to my body. I was not so beautiful just to ruin it with scores of children.

Edith rolled her eyes. Her entire life, she had heard how beautiful Fanny was and how it was a shame that she had been born so plain. While it had always bothered her, she was happy that she had yet to have a child, as her figure was still as it was when she was younger. Her beautiful sister had changed. Not that she was still not pretty, but changes had taken away from her once youthful appearance. Needing to get away for a time, she told her sister that she would go see about the chair.

Thomas Bennet sighed as the bell at the front door rang again. Would it never end? It was only a baby. Did the entire neighbourhood have to come and attend the birth? He would wait patiently, sipping his brandy and reading. Hopefully, he would have his heir, and he could stop putting money aside for his wife and daughter and spend it on his true love, books.

Martha Lucas hurried up the stairs. She informed the maid that opened the door that she knew the way and was expected. She did not want to miss the childs birth so she could spread the news around town. Hopefully, the child would be born quickly, so she would have time to make some essential visits before nightfall.

Her competition for being the first to spread the good news of an heir was Edith Phillips, and she would be stuck at Longbourn taking care of her sister. The new maid came hurrying out of Fannys room. The maid gave a small curtsey and greeting as she stood aside so the mayors wife could pass.

There was a knock on the door, followed by a deep male voice. I have the chair. Should I bring it in?

Edith did not recognize the voice and looked at her sister, who was not looking her best at the moment. Martha Lucas was busy fluffing pillows and arranging them around her oldest friend.

Certainly not. Leave it there. I shall bring it in, Edith replied. She waited for the heavy footsteps to fade, then fetched the chair into the room. To Fannys frustration, her sister and friend started arguing over where to put it.

Will you two please cease at once? You are driving me to distraction. Fanny yelled at the two bickering women. Another contraction came on, and her castigation turned to a cry of pain. The two women rushed to her side to comfort and reassure her that all would be well soon.

The door burst open, startling the three women, and Mabel Doula strode in. She tsked when she saw the birthing chair. Putting her bag down, she picked it up, placing it in the exact place it had been when Jane was born.

I told you that was where it went, Martha whispered smugly. Edith harrumphed and rolled her eyes as the chair was barely moved a foot from where it had been.

Mabel grabbed her bag, Walked to the other side of the bed and set it down next to the nightstand. She picked up the cup of tea next to the bed and sniffed it, grunting with satisfaction when she found it was the tea she had told the woman to drink. She was unhappy that most of the tea was still in the cup and held it out, ordering Fanny to finish the rest.

Hearing a carriage coming up the gravel driveway, Mrs Phillips went to the window. Fanny, it is Mama and Papa, she proclaimed.

And none too soon, Fanny cried as another contraction started. It must be a boy, as he is impatient to get out, she said through gritted teeth.

It was only a few minutes before they could hear their mothers voice in the house, which was getting louder as she approached the room. She was going on about her daughter being mistress of Longbourn, which had been the main topic of all her conversations since her youngest daughters wedding.

The new maid must be bringing her up, Edith whispered to Martha, who nodded in agreement. It was not long before Mrs Gardiner came into the room, excited over the event about to take place. It was not every day that an heir was born for a major estate in the county. Glancing at her oldest child, she sighed, sure she would never get any grandchildren from her. After greeting them, she turned her attention to her pride and joy.