Mrs. Bennet Has Her Say

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Book: Mrs. Bennet Has Her Say Read Free
Author: Jane Juska
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and promised the sons who would, I was certain, resemble myself in appearance and temperament; that is, they would have my broad forehead and strong jaw; they would have my love for the animals of the field and the birds of the air. They would grow into manhood appreciative of their rights as gentlemen and landholders of this most agreeable property which I have spent much time contemplating from the windows of my library. It would not be long now, given my unceasing efforts, until fruitfulness would show itself in the person of a son. I would perhaps have to cease and desist in the delights of matrimonial concupiscence, at least until nature had done its duty, but, and here I sighed, ’twas a small price to pay for so rewarding a return. After that, back to business. I smoothed my trouser flap at the thought.

    A Summer Evening at Longbourn
    Dear Jane,
    It is hands off for Mr. Bennet now that I have informed him of my condition. He was at once so happy and so proud I could not but help myself in smiling at this man who has done so much to make himself loathsome to me. He is like a boy in his delight and at the same time, for the first moment since our marriage, solicitous of me and my comfort. Nothing will do but that I sit instead of stand, that I leave off any thought of the kitchen or of the housekeeping; and under no circumstances am I to ride in the carriage. He has even hired an upstairs maid and a housekeeper who will take over the management of this house. I will admit coming to this marriage ill-equipped to direct the two servants who reside here, but now, with the addition of Mrs. Rummidge, who appears good-natured and capable, I can attend more closely to my burgeoning self.
    I find, dear Jane, that I am enjoying this pregnancy. It is a relief not to be pursued but attended to. It is pleasurable to have time to wander about this glorious countryside. Against Mr. Bennet’s advice—he fears I will stumble andfall so is happiest when I am still—I stroll along what I have come to call the Wood Walk bordered by copsewood and timber, beneath its shelter primroses, anemones, and wild hyacinths. It is so lovely and untouched. The other day I found a bird’s nest upon the ground and quickly returned it to a low-lying branch of an alder. When I mentioned having done so to Mr. Bennet he scolded me that I had contaminated the nest. Then he warned that I must never be so careless of my own nest, and he made me sit down in the parlour all alone for what seemed like an hour “to contemplate the seriousness of your behaviour, my dear.” Pfah, it is my nest, not his. I will wander where I like until such time as my condition prevents my doing so. I am after all about to turn sixteen.
    Do you have news of Colonel Millar’s regiment?

    The Frustrations of Married Life
    Humani a se nihil alienum putet.
    â€œLet him not think himself exempt from that which is incidental to other men.”
    â€”TERENCE
    Bored with the interminable wait for the birth of my son, I contemplated taking on a few students. One or two might provide me with companionship and serve to enliven my mind, dulled by the banality of my wife’s pregnancy and by her constant good cheer. To my dismay, she has refused my advice on comportment during her gestation and will walk about the countryside at will, eat puddings doused with treacle, ingest great quantities of beef roast, and even wild blackberries picked during her peregrinations. She lumbers about the house clutching a wedge of Cheddar, and on one occasion I discovered her sipping from a glass of brandy taken from my very own cellar where I have forbidden her to go! She grows ever larger in the belly. The encroachment of her cheeks over the entirety of her face obscures what had been a twinkle in the eye and remains barely a glint. She speaks rarely to me although I detected a small smile over some amusement kept entirely to herself. She appears to be living a life far

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