Page 126 of A Life Diverted
All four parents looked to Elizbeth who nodded emphatically. “We did not doubt you William, we just needed to hear from Lizzy as well.” Bennet teased, “She who is never at a loss for words, seems to have been robbed of the power of speech, however.”
“Papa!” If possible, Elizabeth blushed even deeper than she had before.
“As her birthfather, I bestow my hearty consent and blessing,” the Prince granted.
“And from her adopted father, you have the same,” Bennet stated. “We will enjoy having you as a son, William.”
“For my part, I cannot imagine gaining a better daughter than Lizzy here,” the Duke said as he hugged his soon to be daughter-in-law.
“If my father approves—and I see no reason he will not—I suggest that we plan the wedding near Lizzy’s eighteenth birthday. It is six weeks away, a respectable length of betrothal. That way, anything planned to capture Lizzy and her fortune will be moot.”
“For my part I agree with Freddy, but it is up to you two,” Fanny declared.
Elizabeth and William looked at one another and each gave a slight nod of their head. “Will we be able to marry from Longbourn Church?” Elizabeth asked.
“I am afraid not, Lizzy,” her birthfather averred. “Yours will be a royal wedding, so my mother will want the ceremony performed in her church by none other than the Archbishop of Canterbury.” All those present all understood the reference to Westminster Abbey.
“For my part, as long as I am able to marry Lizzy, I do not care where,” William indicated.
“As much as I would have liked to marry in our church, I understand and accept that, in this, I will have to bend to my grandmother’s will,” Elizabeth qualified.
“In that case, I will send an express to my parents and request an audience with them on Monday coming.” Bennet indicated his desk, and the Prince sat to write a note to be sent to the King and Queen.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
They received an affirmative response from Buckingham House by Saturday evening, so Monday morning found the six on their way to London. The betrothal would become official only after the King’s consent had been bestowed, so no one was to be told before the group returned from Town.
The Lord Chamberlain showed the group into the receiving room at the designated time. After announcing the group, he withdrew and closed the doors after his exit.
“You look well, Frederick,” the Queen said, “Granddaughter, Lords Robert and William, Lord Thomas and Lady Francine, we welcome you all to our home.”
“Father,” the Prince turned to the King after bestowing a kiss on his mother’s cheek. “I am here to request your royal sanction for Princess Beth, my daughter, to marry the Marquess of Derby.”
The King cogitated for a minute. “We assume you approve of young Darcy, Son?”
“Yes, Father, I most certainly do. There is no other man I believe I would willingly give her hand to than William here,” the Prince assured his father.
The King looked to his Queen, who nodded almost imperceptibly. “Lord William, Marquess of Derby, you have our unreserved consent and blessing to marry our granddaughter.” The King granted.
“You have my heartfelt thanks, Grandfather,” Elizabeth approached the King and kissed both his cheeks. The King kissed his granddaughter on the top of her head.
“We will place a royal decree in the newspapers this evening and tomorrow morning,” the King informed them. He looked to William. “We welcome you as our Grandson, Lord William.” William inclined his head in thanks toward the monarch.
“You will marry at our church, will you not?” the Queen asked, though no one present mistook it for a request.
“Of course, my Royal Grandmother, we will be happy to marry in your church,” Elizabeth bowed her head to the Queen.
“Our parson will officiate,” the Queen added. No one misunderstood to whom she referred. “We will hold a betrothal ball befitting a princess at St James.”
“Mother, could we have the ball after Lizzy and William are married?” the Prince requested. He enumerated his fears and the reasons for his request.
“Yes, my Son; we will hold a wedding ball for our granddaughter and new grandson,” the Queen granted easily, appreciating the measures all were going to in order to protect their Princess Beth.
Until that moment, William had not thought about the fact he would be gaining some rather highly placed grandparents, aunts, and uncles. He schooled his features. He had royal sanction to marry his Lizzy and that was all he cared about.
There was a discussion about wedding dates, and, in the end, Elizabeth’s birthday on Saturday, the fifth day of March, was selected.
As much as Fanny would have liked to be the one to organise the events, she was not put out.
Lizzy being a Princess of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the wedding breakfast would be held at Buckingham House.
The Queen, displaying great sensitivity towards her granddaughter’s adoptive mother, invited Fanny to be an active participant in the plans for the wedding and following breakfast.
Not long after, the Bennets, Darcys, and Prince Frederick departed for Hertfordshire.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
There had been much speculation at Netherfield Park about their unscheduled trip to London, so when they arrived home, the six did not make their family and friends wait long before sharing the good news with them.
Prior to informing the others, Elizabeth took her Grandmama Sarah aside and told her of her betrothal, and more importantly of the King’s sanction, so Lady Sarah had no need to worry her granddaughter and William would suffer the same fate as her daughter and Prince Frederick.
No one was surprised by the news, as the families had expected this for some years.
When the reasoning behind not waiting until after Elizabeth came out into society was revealed, besides indignation that any would want to use their Lizzy so ill, there was universal agreement the correct course of action had been taken.
By seven that day, the evening editions of the London papers were delivered, and on the front page was the royal announcement of the betrothal of Princess Elizabeth Priscilla Francine Bennet to Lord William Darcy, Marquess of Derby.
It was not heard in Meryton, but in London there were sounds of gnashing of teeth of many men, those who planned attempt to capture the country-raised Princess for their wife, most of whom were in desperate need of an infusion of cash.
One or two of the more desperate men shifted plans to act at the Princess’ coming out ball as if she were not married at that point—at least that was what they believed.