Page 24 of The Sole Love

“Yes, of course, and their children…you know Jane and the young Mr Haskett are becoming increasingly attached…”

She wanted to say more when a troubled sigh came from the sofa.

“Sister, brother, what is happening?” She signalled for the maid to leave, but Mr Bennet stopped her.

“I need a brandy, please—a large one!”

Fortunately, as they tried to recover their composure, they heard Mr Gardiner in the hall. He entered the parlour with his usual joviality but froze mid-step at the strange scene before him.

“Is something wrong with the children?” he cried.

“No, the children are fine. Come and sit beside me,” his wife replied in haste.

“Then what is it?” He addressed the question to everyone, though, in fact, he watched only his wife and saw her shake her head, indicating that she did not know.

“My dears,” Mr Bennet finally said with great pain and difficulty, “we need your help with a prodigious family crisis.”

He paused, hoping his wife would continue, but it was clear she had no intention of doing so. Her eyes were closed, and her earlier paleness gave way to violent blushing.

“We received your letter with the news about Jane and that young gentleman—”

“Yes, Mr David Haskett.”

Mr Bennet breathed with difficulty; surely, his in-laws worried that he might also faint. He simply did not know how to announce the news. When he looked at his wife and saw that she had no intention of speaking, his remaining patience deserted him. He decided to tell them the truth without further introduction.

“It may be that Jane is not my child, but Mr Haskett’s, and in that horrible case, young Haskett would be Jane’s half-brother.”

An immense silence engulfed the room.

Mr Gardiner looked at his sister as though he wanted to kill her. “This cannot be true!”

“Yet, it is,” said Mr Bennet, suddenly calmer, as if that confession before her family represented a sort of alleviation.

“But how—?” Then Mr Gardiner remembered that summer and the intense feeling of freedom they had all experienced.

Mr Bennet answered in haste. He did not want to hear his wife’s explanation or to initiate any discussion of the past. “None of that can be mended. My only concern is the present effect on our family. We have to manage this situation with great care.”

“What we discuss in this room stays in this room,” Mr Gardiner stated with great intensity.

“I know, and that is not my concern. You are our best friends as well as close relatives. And I know how much you love our daughters. We have to terminate the relationship between Jane and that gentleman without letting her know the truth. I think she is the only one who should never find out about this!”

Mr Gardiner looked at his brother-in-law with admiration and gratitude. He had a variety of feelings: rage mixed with worry and shame that his sister could inflict such a burden on a person he had always held in high esteem. He avoided looking at her.

Again, that summer’s memories assaulted him—an odd period of six weeks when they went to Bath every day to enjoy the society of young people who wanted only to party. As they were from a small village, their attitudes and behaviour must have seemed guileless. He was some years younger than they were, but he was not the only one of that age participating in such amusements. He went along with them in Bath but never really joined the general merriment that seemed to affect them all. His sister, on the other hand, could not resist the wild tendencies.

“What can be done?” asked Mr Gardiner.

But no one had any idea. How could they force Jane to renounce a relationship she enjoyed—one that offered such bright prospects?

“We need to find Mr Bingley,” Mrs Gardiner proposed, and all of them looked at her with new hope. Even Mrs Bennet seemed a bit better.

“A good idea. However, Mr Bingley has not crossed our path in seven months now and has probably forgotten her. Anyway, it is a good idea.” Mr Bennet spoke with great effort. The situation was so strange and painful that Mr Gardiner looked at him with compassion.

“Perhaps Elizabeth can ask Mr Darcy—who is a close friend of Mr Bingley—to facilitate a meeting,” said Mr Gardiner.

“No!” Mrs Bennet was herself again. “We are not going to involve any of the girls.”

But despite other suggestions, they could not think of a better idea.