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E lizabeth smiled impishly as William came to the door, looking astonished. He glanced up, seeing the duke sitting inside the coach.

“Father has brought me here, William, so I might be in company with Jane while you are busy on the settlement.”

The consternation in his voice was heart-warming. “We cannot leave you here unguarded.”

“I know,” she laughed. “So we have come to you. Father is certain your library is big enough.”

Now, she and Jane walked happily in the grounds. Mr. Bingley had settled himself in the drawing room with the newspapers, and William and Father, with the lawyer, were tucked away in the library.

“How does it feel, Lizzy? It all seems such a cold arrangement for someone who does like to do things impulsively.”

Elizabeth nodded dispiritedly. “I wish I was allowed to be in there. I am sure they are wanting to be so deeply in control of things; they probably cannot imagine I am capable of managing anything at all.”

“What are you going to do about it?” Her sister whispered. “I mean, wouldn’t it be wrong to fail to express how you feel?”

Elizabeth shrugged. “I don’t know. If it is to protect me from an abduction or blackmail, then I suppose it is necessary. But I don’t like it.”

“And I’m afraid you won’t like this, either,” Jane squeezed her arm, and Elizabeth turned.

“Don’t tell me you are leaving here?” She knew her dismay was in her voice. “I need you.”

“I'm sorry, Lizzy. I must. Papa needs me. There's nobody to visit tenants while Mama is indisposed.”

Elizabeth huffed a laugh. “Oh, yes. How is Mama?”

“Well,” Jane said. “You know Mama, all she can think about is whether this child will be a boy and what to name him. I dread for the welfare of the poor child if it's a girl. I suppose she will be able to stay with us. And there is no problem with it affecting the rest of our dowries, of course.”

She shook her head and sighed. “But with Lydia and Kitty away at school, and Mary busy with her masters, there's just nobody visiting tenants at Longbourn now we are not there. And Netherfield has so many tenants, too. I'm finding it very difficult.”

Elizabeth bit her lip. “I'm so sorry that you've had all this trouble to bear alone, Jane.” She thought.

“But both estates have very competent stewards, and their wives are good women. Perhaps it can be arranged that they do the main part of the visits and bring the neediest to you for your attention.”

Jane brightened. “You always have such good ideas, Lizzy. I will write to you to solve things for me.” Then she made a face. “The difficulty is that there will be so much to do the moment we are home, that I will not have the time to put this in place.”

“You can, you know.” Elizabeth leaned closer.

“You have at least three days in a coach on the way home, and several evenings at your night stops with just Mr. Bingley. Talk about it with him, and make some notes of what to say. Then he can tell the steward, and you can then visit the steward’s wife and tell her how good she’d be at assisting the estate to be well-managed, and you need her help to make it prosperous so everyone can have a better life!

Then Mr. Bingley can go with you to Papa and ensure he does the same for the Longbourn steward. ”

Jane brightened. “You make it sound so easy. Now let’s hurry indoors; I want to write down the way you said it, so I can phrase it the same as you did.”

An hour later, William came to her in the drawing room. “Elizabeth, I wonder if you would be prepared to come to the library and join us? We wish to ask your opinion of the decisions we think best for you before the settlement is formally written out.”

Jane smiled knowingly at her, and Elizabeth felt the warmth of a blush.

He smiled. “I thought you would probably wish to have your say.”

Elizabeth rose to her feet and took his arm. “I hope Father is not too disturbed by it.”

“I wouldn’t say he is happy, but I think resigned is the better word — after all, he knows your opinions quite well,” his murmur was just for her.

She sat beside him in the library and listened to the lawyer explaining what had been decided. After he had concluded, she sat in some thought for a few minutes.

“Elizabeth?” Father sounded quite uneasy, and she turned to him.

“Thank you for giving me the opportunity to hear what you have all been discussing, Father, William. I am grateful for your generosity and care for my future security.”

She drew a deep breath, and glanced out the window. “It’s a beautiful day to be spending this time cooped up in here,” she said inconsequentially. “But I would like to tell you what I think.”

She took her father’s hand. “I think it is a good idea of Mr. Mordaunt to leave the inheritance of the Lancaster estate out of the settlement for now. You are not old, and I hope you will be master of the estate of many years yet. While I know your determination to honour Mother’s memory; I am only the heir presumptive, of course, and I do feel it would be presumptuous to include the Lancaster estates in the settlement.

” She squeezed his hand. “By the time it becomes necessary to reconsider if you wish to change your current Will, we will likely know the shape of our family.” She hurried on, determined not to blush.

“And I trust that William and you will advise me well, knowing what the circumstances of the times will be then.”

She turned to her husband-to-be. “Thank you, William. Your settlement is very generous, and with my exceptionally generous dowry,” she smiled over at Father, “I will be safe.”

She got to her feet. “I do not want to appear to disparage the work you have done to protect me, but that, you know, invested in Trust in the four per cents will be quite enough, I am sure. There must be very many widows of good wealth, and I have never read of one being slung over a saddle and galloped off to Gretna.”

The lawyer chuckled, and she turned to him. “Sir, if the settlement leaves it as it is written now, and at the time it may come to the point and I felt myself in some danger, I would be able to put the money out of reach then, would I not?”

The man bowed his head. “Indeed you would, Lady Elizabeth. I will be able to write in the settlement that you must take the advice of the senior members of the Osborne and Darcy families, but that the decision would ultimately be yours.” It seemed that he knew Father’s temper regarding this, and she smiled at him.

“I believe that is a good idea,” and she turned to Father. “Perhaps the Earl of Cheddleton — the head of the Bailey family, could be added to the list. I know you do not have any Osborne relations you are inclined to trust.”

Father was not inclined to give up easily, and Elizabeth was happy that William was remaining silent and permitting her to reason with him.

“But we have seen the danger you have been exposed to — twice!” Father’s anger seemed to be near the surface. She reached for his hand again.

“Father, you have done wonders with protecting me, and allowing me to have some say in my future felicity. But I think what happened was because I am new to society, and the obvious wealth of the duchy has turned a number of heads of those in financial difficulty. But by the time I inherit, events will have moved on, and memories will have faded. I will not be the subject of so much interest in society.”

There was a short silence, and Elizabeth decided she had disturbed them enough. She rose to her feet. “I will leave you to discuss the matter, if I may. Jane has told me that she and Mr. Bingley will be leaving here later, and I wish to spend as much time as I can with her.”