Page 28

As much as Elizabeth wanted to lay all of the blame at her birth mother’s feet, the Duke’s words about freewill, and making choices, resonated with her.

Jane was nineteen, no longer some impressionable schoolgirl with her hair in pigtails.

She shook off the unpleasant thoughts of her sister, but could not shake the feeling she was being watched.

Since His Grace had been riding out to meet Miss Bennet each morning, both Biggs and Johns had been accompanying him.

Not a few mornings in the last sennight, they had spotted Miss Millar hidden and watching her sister closely.

She thought she was being very discreet, but almost nothing escaped the big men’s notice.

They had reported the sightings to their master, and added that a few mornings an older lady had been seen as well.

On this morning, the Duke turned and looked at Johns questioningly.

He had not yet said anything to Miss Bennet about it, as he did not want to disturb her equanimity.

However, of one thing Hertfordshire was certain, she would not appreciate pertinent information being hidden in the name of protection.

Depending on his man’s reaction, he would tell her when they arrived at their destination.

Johns gave a tight nod and a brief incline of his head towards the treeline.

Without turning, the Duke looked to the side and saw the flash of colour.

The brazen chit was wearing easily spottable bright colours.

He could not delay sharing the information with the young lady who had managed to steal his heart.

He looked across at her, intelligence shining from her incredible emerald-green eyes.

Miss Mary was riding on Miss Bennet’s other side, sitting comfortably on Aphrodite.

The Duke had permission from Gardiner to address Miss Bennet about a courtship when they arrived atop Oakham Mount.

Gardiner had made it clear that he would not push his niece to accept any understanding with Lord Hertfordshire unless she was willing to grant it of her own accord.

He had been well pleased when the Duke had stated that he was willing to wait until Elizabeth was eighteen before they married.

At first, Gardiner had raised the issue of the close to thirty-year age difference between them.

After Hertfordshire had laid out his thoughts, all of which rang true with both Gardiner and his wife, the former had granted his permission for his niece to be addressed.

He had explained that if it progressed to the point there was a proposal of marriage that Elizabeth accepted before she reached her majority, the Duke would also have to approach Bennet for his permission.

Behind the three, Anthony Barrington and Charlotte Lucas were riding as close to one another as they could without their horses’ flanks touching.

It had been a sennight since the dinner at Netherfield Park, and Charlotte had been well pleased to be accepted without reservation by her suitor’s parents.

After not being sure if she could ever love again since losing Samuel, she knew the answer to that question without any shadow of a doubt.

She was deeply in love with Anthony. Samuel had been her first love, and she had been barely seventeen when she met him.

What she felt now was a much more mature love; not that she had not loved Samuel; she had, and a part of her always would, but this was different, deeper.

Anthony leaned over towards Charlotte. “Charlotte, even though you are of age, should I see your father to request a private audience with you?” Anthony enquired.

Charlotte felt waves of pleasure traverse her body.

It was not only his nearness but the anticipation of the question he wanted to ask her.

There was no doubt that her reply would be a positive one.

She cared not that there was little chance she would be a duchess—something her parents mourned but she did not—as long as she was Anthony’s wife.

For the rest of her life, she would be thankful for Eliza inviting her to travel north with them and, of course, the Gardiners for agreeing she may join them.

“In the strictest sense, you need not ask my father. As you pointed out, I am of age. However, I know he would appreciate your respecting his position as patriarch of the Lucas family by requesting permission to address me.” Charlotte looked at her suitor from lowered eyelids.

“For my part, I am happy to hear anything you wish to ask me.”

Anthony had a face-splitting grin on his countenance thanks to her response.

Soon enough they arrived at the base of the hill; Hertfordshire helped Elizabeth from her saddle while Biggs assisted Miss Mary. At the same time, Charlotte was assisted by Anthony.

Biggs was to remain with the groom and horses while Johns made his way up the slowly rising path ahead of the riding party.

As soon as he confirmed they were alone, he stood to the side, and the five behind him stepped onto the summit.

By prior agreement with his uncle, Anthony offered one arm to Charlotte and the other to Miss Mary.

The Duke proffered his arm to Miss Bennet.

Rather than lead Elizabeth to the boulder everyone would sit on to watch the rising of the sun, Hertfordshire led her to one of the benches below the oak trees. He handed her onto the wooden seat and sat across from her, with more than enough space between them to satisfy propriety.

“Miss Bennet, you are too observant not to have noted my interest in you, and I do not mean just as one with whom to debate,” Hertfordshire began.

“It has not escaped my attention, Your Grace,” Elizabeth allowed.

“Given the difference in our ages…” Hertfordshire stopped when impertinence reared its head, and she interjected.

“Just how old are you?” Elizabeth asked directly.

“Four and forty this past January.”

“So a few years younger than my birth father. Carry on, Your Grace, you were about to say.”

“By your leave,” Hertfordshire grinned. He loved that she did not fear him or his position in the least. “With anyone else, that age difference would be significant, but not with you. That being said, I gained your guardian’s permission to address you.

” He saw the moment she shot an angry look as she misunderstood what he had said.

“I did not ask him what I intended to ask you. All I requested was permission to address you in relative privacy.”

Elizabeth chastised herself for not listening properly before jumping to a conclusion, just as she had done when Aunt Maddie and Uncle Edward had first mentioned seeing Mr Bennet. She smiled brightly in contrition. “I understand; please proceed.”

“I believe we fit like hand in glove, and I am well on my way to loving you, but I do not want to rush you, so my request is for an official courtship.” Hertfordshire waited for her to decide his fate.

As she cogitated, Elizabeth thought about all of their interactions since they had bumped into one another in Lambton about a year past. He respected her and her opinions and never condescended to her.

His Grace treated her as an intellectual equal, and never did she feel like a much older man was speaking to a very young lady.

He was not pushing her to accept a proposal, only offering a courtship, so they may come to know one another better.

There was only one answer Elizabeth could, or wanted to, give him.

“I accept a courtship. Please call me Elizabeth or Lizzy when we are in private,” Elizabeth decided.

“I would love to call you Lizzy. Will you call me Archy when we are alone? It is so much easier than Archibald,” the Duke responded.

“You have made me very happy, especially when I never thought I would find a woman who would make me want to follow this path.” He paused as he reached a decision.

“Did you know I was previously married? My first wife, who was not my choice, has been gone these dozen years…” He told her a brief history of his past.

“That is a sad tale, but now you are able to make your own choices. I am flattered that choice is me,” Elizabeth stated.

“Before we join the others, allow me to tell you that I am more than willing to wait until you are eighteen to marry, if you agree to join your life with mine, that is. I will give you as much time as you need.”

“Thank you for telling me that. I appreciate knowing I will not be pressured into marriage before I feel prepared for it.”

“Unless you object, I will return to Purvis Lodge with you to see your uncle.”

Elizabeth did not object and told him he would be more than welcome. As they walked to the boulder to join the others, the happiness she was feeling made it seem like she could take wing like the birds singing in the oak trees.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

While the Duke and the two Bennet sisters rode for Purvis Lodge with Biggs and the groom, the other couple, escorted by Brian Johns, made for Lucas Lodge.

As Charlotte predicted, Sir William was well pleased to be asked to allow his daughter’s suitor to address her privately. He sent them to his study, with all the proprieties observed, of course.

About ten minutes later, a beaming Charlotte with somewhat swollen lips requested her father join her fiancé in the study.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

Assured that it was Lizzy’s choice, Gardiner blessed the courtship without delay.

He remarked to his Maddie that they were fortunate to be so far from his younger sister when she discovered the girl she claimed would never marry was to be a duchess.