Page 118 of A Life Diverted
“I must to Broadhurst; my father is no more,” Wes reported.
“You have our deepest sympathy, Lord Jersey,” the Prince spoke for them all.
“Marie, her husband, and I depart within the hour. I am sure you will not want to, but I have to ask, Lizzy. Would you like to be with the family?” Wes asked.
“I should have made this plain to you before, my mother did not want to break with my late sister, my father ordered her to do so and had her watched to make sure her letters she tried to write to Priscilla were intercepted.”
Elizabeth looked to her adoptive parents and her birthfather for guidance. “It is your choice, Lizzy,” Fanny informed her.
“It seems I must go, if for no other reason to support my aunt and uncles. It seems I may have judged my maternal grandmother unfairly. I would feel better if we all made the journey together,” Elizabeth stated contemplatively.
“Darcy, may we leave the rest of our children here so Fanny and I may be with Lizzy?” Bennet requested.
“That goes without saying, Bennet. I am sure Gigi will be very happy with the arrangement,” Darcy returned with no hesitation.
“Papa and Mama, may Mary come with me, please? I will feel easier if I have one of my sisters with me.” Elizabeth asked.
“Of course Mary may join us,” Fanny granted.
“I will join you as well,” the Prince stated.
Within the hour, a caravan of coaches departed London for Broadhurst.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
It was dark when the convoy passed the gateposts of Broadhurst, which had been draped with black cloth. The full moon enabled the drivers to press on safely—albeit slowly—which negated the necessity to overnight at an inn.
Marie and Wes were the first to enter the house.
They found their mother sitting with their late father in the largest of the drawing rooms. He was in an open coffin for viewing purposes.
Wes was about to warn his mother about how much Lizzy looked like her late daughter when the dowager countess heard voices in the hall and stood to welcome the guests to her home.
Even in mourning, Lady Sarah’s instincts as a hostess kicked in.
Luckily, Wes was close to his mother when she saw Elizabeth. Lady Sarah fainted at the spectre of her late daughter coming to haunt her for the cruelty she had not been able to mitigate and which her husband had visited on Priscilla all those years ago.
Wes caught his mother before she fell to the marble floor of the hallway.
He carried her to an armchair in the drawing room opposite the room with the coffin, and the housekeeper revived her mistress with salts.
It was all the housekeeper could do not to faint away herself when she saw the young lady who was the image of Lady Priscilla.
When their mother started to revive, Wes and Marie stayed close by so that they could introduce her to her granddaughter. “Priscilla is dead, and she has come to haunt me for my not standing up to your father.” Lady Sarah’s voice quivered.
“Mother, we had hoped to tell you before you saw her, but that is not your daughter’s spectre, but your granddaughter, Princess Elizabeth. You needed to be prepared for the fact Lizzy is an almost exact image of my sister,” Marie informed her mother gently.
“Why does everyone refer to Priscilla as her birth mother rather than as her mother? Her father used the same term in his short note of warning,” Lady Sarah asked.
Wes and Marie informed their mother about the newly elevated Bennets, and the fact they had raised Elizabeth with the Prince’s full approval, so they were acknowledged by all—from the King downward—as her parents.
Once Lady Sarah assimilated this information, she looked from son to daughter.
“I thought I would never see you two again,” she admitted, finally so relieved her tears, held at bay when they arrived, were allowed to flow unchecked at last. “You are the Earl now, my son, and will be a good steward of the earldom; of that I am sure.”
“Mother, I was aware you had to follow father’s edicts.
I am loathe to speak ill of one who has just passed away, but I suspected for some time you had no choice but to obey him once he made the decision to cut Priscilla.
I explained this to Lizzy on our way here, so she has agreed to meet you,” Wes explained.
“Would you like to meet your granddaughter?” Marie asked. Lady Sarah simply nodded, not trusting herself to speak at that moment.
Not many minutes later, Elizabeth, her adoptive parents, Mary, and the Prince entered the drawing room. “Will you introduce us please, Wes,” Elizabeth requested.
“Your Royal Highness, Lord Thomas and Lady Francine Bennet, the Honourable Miss Bennet, my mother, Lady Sarah De Melville, Dowager Countess of Jersey. Mother, your granddaughter Elizabeth, her parents Thomas and Fanny Bennet, and her younger sister Mary,” Wes intoned.
“Your Royal Highness, you look just like my Priscilla,” Lady Sarah marvelled at the vision before her as the young woman’s intelligent green eyes watched her intently.
“I wish I was able to apologise to Priscilla. Even though I knew my late husband’s decision was cruel, I ceased objecting when he commanded it should be so.
He intercepted my letters and had me watched.
I should have…” Whatever Lady Sarah was about to say died on her lips as Elizabeth sat next to her on the settee and placed her hand on her grandmother’s arm.
“I forgive you, grandmother , as I am sure my birthmother would have as well,” Elizabeth granted.
Her statement caused Lady Sarah to break into great wracking sobs as she understood how many years had been wasted by her not standing up to her husband.
“I cannot imagine what it was like for you to be denied contact with your daughter.”
“I am so very sorry,” Lady Sarah managed as her sobs subsided.
The funeral service was held the following day, the day Elizabeth was supposed to have tea with her other grandmother, but the Prince had sent a note requesting it be rescheduled for the following week after they returned to London, and before the Bennets and the rest of their party were to return home to Netherfield Park for Christmastide.
The Prince felt badly about his uncharitable feelings toward his former mother-in-law, but he consoled himself with the knowledge he had no way of knowing. He did know his Cilla was smiling in heaven to know her mother never wanted to abandon her.
It was a small group of men who attended the service and interment. On Monday morning everyone began the journey back to London—including Lady Sarah.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
It did not take long for word to be disseminated that Lady Sarah was accepted as a full member of society once again and that she had reconciled with her children and granddaughter.
Any who had residual doubts were convinced when, two days after returning to London, word was spread abroad that Lady Sarah would have been one of the parties who attended the tea with the Queen at Buckingham House if not for being in deep mourning.
The tea was reported to have been a resounding success.
It was soon known far and wide how impressed her Majesty had been with the musical talents of her granddaughter, her adoptive sisters, Lady Cassandra Carrington, Miss Anne de Bourgh, and Miss Georgiana Darcy.
She was impressed with both their playing, and their singing, especially when they combined for a song and harmonised perfectly.
Lady Sarah was invited to reclaim her position of one of the patronesses of Almack’s to begin after her year of mourning, but she demurred, claiming she would spend her time getting to know her granddaughter and her extended family.
By the time the convoy of carriages departed London that Thursday, the denizens of Meryton and the surrounding area were on tenterhooks waiting to call on their elevated friends and the Princess who had been hidden in their midst for so many years.
Sir William and Lady Lucas finally accepted that the honour Sir William had received from the King was the lowest on the rung of those available.
They decided they should hope to be accepted for who they were rather than for a title they held.
None at Lucas Lodge missed Charlotte’s knowing smile as she waited to meet her friend again now the truth was known.
At Netherfield Park, the four Gardiner children could not wait to see their cousin, the Princess, again.
Their parents pointed out that the same Lizzy they had known the whole of their lives would be arriving.
That did not dim the excitement of the four young Gardiners, who were excited to see Princess Lizzy.