Chapter 37: Country Life 31: Throwing Money to Slap Someone in the Face

Mrs. Bennet went downstairs reluctantly, unwilling to be humiliated by her long-time rival. The last time Mrs. Brooke had ridiculed her with Mr. Collins, she had been able to retaliate with Mr. Bingley. This time, she couldn't find another good card in her impoverished brain, and she simply couldn't face it.

But if she refused to see him, Mrs. Brooke would surely spread the story of the Bennett family being shamed into disgrace because their prospective son-in-law had fled. Thinking of this, she finally took a deep breath, steeled herself, and walked into the living room with her head held high.

As soon as Mrs. Bennett disappeared, her four healthy daughters and her sister emerged neatly from behind the handrail of the first-floor stairs.

"Oh, poor mother, she will definitely be defeated by Mrs. Brooke this time, and I will definitely be laughed at by Anne Brooke next time." Kitty lay on the railing, twirling her hair weakly.

"That's exactly what happened." Lydia, occupying the seat closest to the living room, was able to hear every word clearly. "After a few brief pleasantries, Mrs. Brooke and her allies began to express their apologies for Jane's misfortune, and with great foresight, they guessed that she was ill in bed."

"What did Mom say?"

Lydia listened for a while and then relayed, "Mom said they probably heard the wrong news. Mr. Bingley didn't abscond. He just had something urgent to deal with and he will be back once it's done."

Kitty: "Then I guess Mrs. Brooke won't believe it. She'll just think Mom is just putting on airs."

Lydia: "That's right. Mrs. Brooke made Mom upset, so she said it out loud. They've known each other for so many years, don't they understand each other? She also said that it wasn't Jane's fault at all, but after being abandoned by Mr. Bingley, it would be difficult for her to be pursued by a gentleman of good condition again, and it would also be difficult for her sisters to find partners."

Lydia paused indignantly at this. She turned to look at her sisters, pouting unhappily. "What's the point? With the exception of Mary, every one of us sisters is a renowned beauty at Longbourn. Mrs. Brooke really thinks too little of us. If there's no Bingley, there's always Darley. I don't think Jane will become an old maid. Oh, and even Mary's taste has improved quite a bit these days."

Mary rolled her eyes at her. "Thank you. But Mrs. Brooke obviously didn't mean beauty, she meant wealth and fame. After all, we only have a dowry of one thousand pounds."

Elizabeth motioned for the three of them to be quiet. She walked down the stairs a few steps, squeezed in front of Lydia, and listened carefully for a long time.

"No." She tugged at the hem of her skirt and adjusted her hair. "I need to go in and help Mom. She's no match for those ladies. If this goes on, she'll have to confess everything, and Jane's reputation will be affected."

Lydia asked her, "What are you going to say when you go in?"

Elizabeth stuttered and said, "I just reasoned with them. First, judging a woman by her marriage value is backward thinking. Second, an upright, well-educated, respectable lady should not confuse the facts and exaggerate them."

Mary: "Oh, that's definitely not possible. What you're saying is the consensus held by all the ladies at Longbourn for decades. They won't listen at all. Why don't I go in and explain to them that if you plan your investment plan well, you can double your money with a thousand pounds."

Mary quickly gave in to the disapproving looks of her sisters. They argued for a long time but could not come up with an argument that would make her stand out.

Seeing that the battle in the living room was already decided, Heather made a quick decision to suspend the debate.

"Okay, I have a way. Just wait and see." She had just sent Lena upstairs to get a necklace made up of twenty huge oriental pearls. She put it on quickly and without giving her nieces a chance to ask questions, she put on a noble and cold expression and walked towards the living room.

"Uh, can my aunt do it?" Elizabeth looked at her sisters hesitantly.

Mary: "No! I want to go down and take a look too!" Her action received widespread response.

Here, the living room fell silent for a few seconds as Heather entered. Perhaps it was because she was always aloof around strangers like Mrs. Brooke, or perhaps it was because the large pearls on her housecoat were too conspicuous.

"Good day, ladies. What are you talking about? I hope I'm not interrupting the conversation." She asked with a professional fake smile.

Mrs. Brooke was a little frightened and didn't speak immediately. Mrs. King, who was standing beside her, spoke first, "You're still worried about Miss Jane's marriage. If Jane can get in touch with Mr. Bingley, she might as well write a letter and ask for reconciliation. If she can please Mr. Bingley, she'll have a stable home and won't bring trouble to her younger sister."

Mrs. Bennett's face turned green with rage. She decided to kick them out immediately, even if they would tell everyone afterwards that she had broken her defenses.

Heather's lips curled up slightly, her eyes flickered slightly, and she said nonchalantly: "Why try to please Mr. Bingley? He's not a check that everyone likes. Can he buy the whole of Longbourn?"

Mrs. Brooke spoke cautiously, "Mrs. Lawrence, perhaps you don't quite understand all this. You know, there's definite information indicating that the estate Mr. Bingley inherited from his father has an annual income plus interest of 4,500 pounds. The Netherfield Manor he rents alone costs 600 pounds a year in rent. With such conditions, I'd say any girl from Longbourn would be out of her league. So I didn't expect Anne to dream of such a piece of cake."

Mrs. Bennet's heart ached for a moment when she heard again the amount of Mr. Bingley's fortune.

"So that's how it is." Hazel tilted her head slightly and gave Mrs. Bennet a sly smile. "So, it seems that my wealth is exactly the same as Mr. Bingley's. Jane doesn't like that Mr. Bingley, so why not let her please me? I'm not that difficult to please. If she recites a few poems in her gentle and delicate voice, I'm willing to give her a dowry."

Mrs. Bennet was stunned, and then she thought it was her sister's trick to deal with the annoying Mrs. Brooke, so she imitated her and said with confidence.

"Oh, Mrs. Brooke, I didn't want to say this because I was afraid it would make everyone uncomfortable. But my sister is so kind. She has no children, so she always treats her nieces as her own children wholeheartedly."

Mrs. Brooke's carefully groomed eyebrows twitched, and the smile on her lips froze. She said suspiciously, "Why would Mrs. Lawrence lie just to save face? Your sister said it herself that your ex-husband's property was taken away by the French."

Mrs. Bennet once again regretted her outspokenness. She secretly prayed to God to help her get through this difficult time and secretly promised herself that she would never talk nonsense again.

Heather, however, remained unfazed. She casually touched the pearls on her lapel with her fingertips. "What does she know? You know my sister is always kind-hearted. She tells the neighbors whatever they want to know. I dare not tell her the whole story. To be honest, my late husband was truly foresighted. He didn't own many properties in France, but he left behind a considerable fortune in England. I truly miss the kind Earl Laurence."

Mrs. Brooke opened her mouth in surprise. She wanted to refute but couldn't find any loophole.

Heather waved to Lena who was waiting at the door to come over, and Mary and the others quickly withdrew their exposed half bodies and pretended nothing had happened.

Lena came in and handed something in her hand to Heather.

"Mrs. Brooke, you're right. Even if Jane had nothing to do with that gentleman, it's really pitiful that she's been criticized by her neighbors and relatives for no reason. As for me, after all, I'm not a top-tier wealthy person. I don't think someone like me who earns four or five thousand yuan in interest every year can be considered wealthy. But I can still give a little money to comfort my injured niece."

Heather pulled a piece of paper out of the envelope in her hand and showed it to the ladies.

"I am neither rich nor generous. Here is £15,000 in Bank of England notes, of which I have determined to exchange £3,000, and add £1,000 worth of East India Company bonds, to give to Jane as a dowry. Together with the dowry my sister has already prepared, it will make a total of £5,000. But this figure is not large, and I doubt it will be as much as what Mrs. Brooke has prepared for her daughter."

Mrs. Brooke stared at the bank certificate in Heather's hand in disbelief, her tongue glued shut. While £5,000 wasn't enough to shock the whole village, it was still a significant sum. It was at least more than the £3,000 she had given Anne and her sisters, and it was considered upper-middle-class in Longbourn and even Meryton.

Besides, she was not a fool. She knew that Mrs. Lawrence would not favor one over the other and give only Jane a dowry. She specially took out a certificate for 15,000 pounds, probably taking the shares of the five girls in the Bennet family into consideration.

Mrs. Brooke felt deeply offended. The fact that she could so readily hand out such a large sum of money without blinking an eye showed just how wealthy she was. And she was a childless widow, so the money was hers to spend. If she could use this wealth to marry a good man, the Bennett family would be in great fortune.

Mrs. King, who was standing next to her, was still trying to reach out and take the paper for a closer look when Mrs. Brooke suddenly stood up.

She squeezed out a sentence from between her teeth, "It's getting late. I should go home and prepare lunch." Without waiting for Mrs. Bennet's response, she walked out quickly without looking back.

The four sisters who were eavesdropping at the door had no time to disperse. They could only give her a polite smile as if nothing had happened and wish her a safe journey.

Mrs. Brooke's face was as colorful as an overturned palette. Her chest rose and fell several times before she went out without saying a word.

After the other ladies who had come to see the joke had gotten into their carriages and left in shame, Elizabeth and the others finally laughed out loud without restraint, pushed and shoved their way into the house, and threw themselves beside Hazel and Mrs. Bennet.