Page 110 of A Life Diverted
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When the De Melville siblings arrived at Netherfield Park, they were able to drive up to the manor house as the man stationed at the gate had not been instructed to halt carriages and verify they were not the De Melvilles, since the Prince had dispatched the Earl and Countess of Jersey with a major sized flea in their ear.
The Prince and Bennet were playing chess to see who would play against Darcy; Matlock and Holder were playing billiards. The men were in the game room to keep out of the way while the last of the preparations for the betrothal ball were put in place by the ladies of the house.
Nichols cleared his throat to announce his presence. “Master, we have unexpected guests,” the Butler reported.
“Who is it Nichols?” Bennet asked.
“The Marchioness of Birchington and Viscount Westmore,” Nichols reported. The two names caused all of the men present to stop what they were doing. “They desire an audience with Lady Priscilla to beg for her forgiveness.”
“What do you recommend, York?” Bennet asked.
“Let us hear them,” the Prince suggested. “If they are truly here in contrition, then we will do as my Priscilla would have and grant them forgiveness. If they are here to try and save their parents’ place in society or some other selfish reason, I will know how to act.”
“Everyone who will be at the ball is resting so they won’t be able to see Lizzy,” Bennet articulated his thoughts. “Show them into the study in a few minutes, Nichols.” The butler bowed and departed to fulfil his orders.
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When Marie and Wes were shown into the study, they were not sure what to expect, though it was certainly not the group of men waiting for them.
Wes immediately recognised his Highness, the Earls of Matlock and Holder, and Mr. Robert Darcy.
He did not know the man seated behind his sister’s desk, though because he was in the seat of the master of the estate he assumed Priscilla had remarried.
“As I can see you recognise everyone else, I am Mr. Thomas Bennet, the custodial master of Netherfield Park,” Bennet informed the two who looked rather confused.
“Lady Marie, Viscount, what brings you to Netherfield uninvited?” the Prince asked.
“If it is all the same to you, Your Royal Highness,” Wes bowed as he addressed the Prince, “our business is with our sister.”
“We,” the Prince indicated the men with him with a sweep of his arm, “are all protectors of your sister’s interests. You can tell us why you are here, or you may leave now and never return.”
“When you confronted me during the ball at Holder Heights, you asked me a very pertinent question, Your Royal Highness,” Lady Marie stated.
“The truth is, I have been ashamed that I did not ignore the edicts of my father and reach out to Priscilla as soon as I came of age. It was unconscionable, and I—we both are—here to beg my sister’s forgiveness and to make amends in any form she sees fit.
We will, however, truly understand if she chooses not to see us since we obeyed our father for so long. ”
“How is it to be known that you are not here to try and repair your and your parents’ positions in society and not for the reasons you have stated?” Darcy asked.
“As of two days ago, Your Royal Highness, your Lordships, and gentlemen,” Wes replied, “My sister Marie and I broke with our parents. After all of these years, they—my father—could only see the problems they are living with and not that the cruelty towards Priscilla is the root of all of their problems.” The men listening did not notice that Lord Kersey was identified as the one who demanded the break, not Lady Jersey.
“We do not expect any public acknowledgement of our seeking her forgiveness, whether she grants it or not; we are only trying in some small measure to correct a wrong perpetrated on our sister many years ago,” Lady Marie added.
The four men looked to the Prince and each nodded.
The Prince in turn inclined his head to Bennet.
“Please be seated.” Bennet indicated the chairs in front of his desk.
“Priscilla would have liked nothing more than to grant you forgiveness, as all she ever desired was the love of family. Unfortunately, she passed away after giving birth almost seventeen years ago,” Bennet revealed.
Brother and sister reached for one another and held the other’s hand as Lady Marie started to cry quietly. Wes fought and failed to stop some tears running down his cheeks. “But I saw Priscilla at the ball; I am sure of it,” Lady Marie managed once she dried her eyes.
“No, you saw my daughter, your niece,” the Prince elucidated. “Her name is Elizabeth, named after your late grandmother Beth, and she will be seventeen in March.”
“How did we know none of this?” Wes asked.
“Priscilla did not want any of you contacted unless there was a genuine attempt—such as the two of you have made this day—to contact her to repair the rift,” Lord Matlock stated.
“Would we have gone the whole of our lives without knowing our sister was in heaven and we had a niece?” Lady Marie inquired.
“This is what we were instructed to do by your sister…” Bennet and the rest of the men explained what Priscilla had instructed and why. When the recitation was complete, brother and sister understood why Bennet called himself the custodial master of the estate.
“You say you will inform the King and Queen of their granddaughter, a Princess of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, next week?” Wes verified.
“Yes, after the wedding,” the Prince confirmed.
Seeing the quizzical looks from the siblings, they were informed that eldest Bennet daughter would be marrying Viscount Hilldale on Monday coming.
“If you will show our guests to the family sitting room, I will see if my wife and Lizzy would like to meet them,” Bennet asked his friends.
“As you can imagine, she was not happy with your parents for the actions they took against her mother.” Brother and sister were so excited they may meet their late sister’s daughter, they did not correct Mr. Bennet’s statement about the culpability for the break.
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Bennet found his wife and gave her a synopsis of what had occurred in the study.
She agreed with the decision to tell the brother and sister the truth about Priscilla and Lizzy.
Together, they knocked on Lizzy’s bedchamber door, and when summoned to enter they found her in the window seat, her legs curled up under her while she read.
Elizabeth’s immediate reaction was to refuse to meet her aunt and uncle. After some conversation, she understood the two were nothing like their parents and agreed to accompany her adoptive parents to the sitting room.
When the door opened both Lady Marie and Wes stood; they saw Bennet enter with a woman who still held her looks, who they correctly assumed was his wife. As soon as they beheld their niece, both gasped audibly. Elizabeth was an almost exact copy of her late mother.
“Lady Marie, Viscount Westmore, my wife Mrs. Francine—Fanny—Bennet, and my daughter, Her Royal Highness Elizabeth Priscilla Francine Bennet .” Bennet made the introductions.
After her experience—even though at the time she did not understand why—of the way Aunts Anne and Elaine had at stared at her the first time they met her, Elizabeth was prepared for her newly-met aunt and uncle to stare at her given how much she looked like her birthmother.
So prepared, Elizabeth stood and bore the scrutiny with aplomb.
“No wonder I thought I saw my late sister,” Lady Marie stated as the tears began to flow again. “May I hug you, Your Royal Highness?” Elizabeth gave a nod and Marie approached her tentatively until she enfolded Elizabeth in her arms, and the tears flowed in earnest.
When Lady Marie stepped back, she was replaced by her brother who opened his arms for his niece and Elizabeth stepped into his hug.
“On behalf of myself and my birthmother, I forgive both of you,” Elizabeth granted, “but never ask me to forgive your parents.” Elizabeth returned to sit with her parents and birthfather after Wes released her.
“We understand why you do not feel like you can grant my parents forgiveness, and we will never ask you to do that which you do not desire to do,” Wes assured Elizabeth.
“I second my brother’s statement,” Lady Marie said with purpose as she dried her eyes.
“Once there is a Royal decree about Princess Elizabeth…” Wes started to say when he was interrupted.
“Elizabeth or Lizzy, please,” Elizabeth interjected as she looked from brother to sister.
“In that case, about Lizzy , I would suggest posting the letter to my parents then,” Wes completed his suggestion.
“I think that is a good suggestion,” Lady Edith opined, and those present allowed it was so by general agreement.
“As you are Lizzy’s aunt and uncle, you are invited to the ball this night and the wedding on Monday,” Fanny insisted after a nod from her husband.
“It would give me great pleasure to remain for the festivities. Thank you, Mrs. Bennet,” Wes replied.
“I must return to my husband and parents-in-law in Town,” Marie explained. “As much as I would love to be here, there will not be enough time to return from London today. As Long as the Duke and Duchess agree, we will depart London at sunup and will join you on Monday.”
Not long after, Lady Marie started her journey back to Birchington House on Russel Square to inform her husband and the Duke and the Duchess of the outcome of her trip into Hertfordshire, and to share the invitation to the wedding with them.