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The harvests were bountiful in Hertfordshire that summer but the Lucas, Rushing, and Goulding families lived frugally as the gentlemen budgeted their collected rents to repay Mr Bennet.

Their neighbour had paid their taxes and church tithes for the first two quarters of the year.

Thomas Bennet never explained the coins given to him by his neighbours, and Mrs Bennet gave her attention to the wedding of a second daughter to a rich gentleman in the same year.

While Frances Bennet purchased too much lace for Lizzy’s wedding gown, the lady found contentment in her present situation and did not pressure Mary to become engaged to John Lucas for another year.

The wedding of the second Bennet daughter was in July after a short engagement of just thirty days.

The only members of the groom’s family to attend the service were his sister, Georgiana, and a favourite cousin, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam.

Mr Darcy paid many of the expenses for the wedding, and Mr and Mrs Bingley hosted the breakfast at Netherfield after the joyful ceremony in the Longbourn chapel.

On her wedding day, Elizabeth learned that her father had bestowed a dowry of four thousand pounds on her.

Mr Bennet waited until Mrs Bennet and the younger daughters left for the chapel to share the news with his daughter.

Elizabeth’s surprise pleased Thomas Bennet.

He grinned when she exclaimed, “Papa! Four thousand pounds? How did you manage this?”

“Jane received her dowry on her wedding day, and each of my daughters will receive the same amount, but they will not know of it until their wedding day.”

“How did you accumulate the funds for dowries?” Elizabeth asked, her face flushed with pleasure to know she brought a dowry to her marriage.

“I am capable of thinking, Lizzy,” Mr Bennet chided his daughter. “And your Uncle Gardiner helped me invest funds from the income that Longbourn generated, which is mine to use as I please. I never shared this news with your mother and do not intend to do so until after our last girls marry.”

“But why Papa?”

Grinning, Mr Bennet said, “I always assumed I needed bribes to entice young men to marry my daughters. I am most pleased that my first daughters have each married gentlemen who are pleased to receive the funds but place more value on the woman herself. When I revealed the dowry to Mr Darcy, he assured me that your value is not measured by the gold you bring to the marriage.”

~~~

As the summer continued, the Darcy newlyweds remained at their Mayfair home in London.

One morning after her husband left the room, Mrs Elizabeth Darcy remained at the breakfast table to read her letters that arrived in the morning post. Fitzwilliam would begin his day of business and politics with many letters and invitations to consider.

After lunch, he would depart in the carriage for meetings at his club in the City of London.

His new wife would remain in their home and continue learning the intricacies and details of maintaining the house and servants.

However, before beginning that busy day, the young wife revelled in the memories of her husband’s touches, kisses, and smiles.

She blushed readily when she thought of their passionate evenings but welcomed the emotion as a sign of anticipation for their next evening.

Elizabeth smiled thinking of the moments of intimacy she’d experienced when Fitzwilliam agreed to her wishes to linger in bed some mornings.

The maids learned to never lay the fire in the master’s bedroom until summoned by Mr Darcy’s valet.

The young bride knew they would speak about the many invitations to social engagements that arrived on his desk – the ladies of London society had not fully accepted the new Mrs Darcy, but Elizabeth was determined to win them over by following their rules concerning calls and fashion.

The newlyweds spoke of many matters concerning the Darcy farms, businesses, and political interests, and after the first month of marriage, the newlyweds accepted the need for separate activities.

~~~

Turning her attention to her mail, Elizabeth found three letters. Her correspondents this morning included her father, new sister Georgiana, and friend Charlotte Collins.

Opening the letter from Georgie first, Elizabeth was pleased to find that the younger sister looked forward to their reunion in another fortnight.

Then the trio would travel north to Pemberley for the balance of the autumn and the whole of the winter.

Fitzwilliam had no interest in returning to London before the end of March next year.

‘The only thing that would interrupt our time in Derbyshire would be a crisis in the government,’ the young wife knew.

Thinking about the packing necessary for her husband to have a suitable wardrobe to meet with the Prime Minister she decided, ‘I must speak to Fitzwilliam’s man about their past trips when rushing back to London from the north.

What clothing remains in London and what is carried north. ’

Turning her attention to the next sealed paper, Elizabeth was pleased to receive a letter from her father.

She smiled while reading that Mr Bennet desired a copy of a new book that had been announced in the newspapers.

He hoped that ‘Lizzy’ could make time in her busy social calendar to look in the London shops for the particular title for her poor father.

‘And I shall send Mama and my sisters some new lace for their dresses when a footman travels to Meryton to deliver the book to Papa,’ Elizabeth decided. Then she reconsidered the extravagance of sending a servant on such a task.

‘I shall ask the bookseller to find me a copy of the book, but I shall wait until we travel north. We can stop in Meryton for a short visit; we shall have tea when I deliver the book books for Papa and the lace for Mama. Yes, that’s what I shall do.

Papa will admire my restraint with spending my husband’s money. ’

~~~

The third letter was from Mrs Charlotte Collins.

Eliza,

I write to share my wonderful news. I have been blessed by the Lord and find myself with child.

There was midwife with a good reputation in Hunsford and after an interview, Mrs Wilkes and I expect my child to be born in December or January.

My mother will travel to Kent and stay for the last two months of my pregnancy and then remain for an equal time after my child was born.

Our home in the parsonage has sufficient foods in the pantry to feed everyone through the winter.

Since the unpleasantness with the New World Tea Company, Mr Collins listens now about budgeting his income and making the appropriate purchases of food stuffs from the mercantile in Hunsford and the farms that surrounded the parsonage.

It was with some interest that Elizabeth read the next lines of the letter.

Mr Collins calls on Lady Catherine at the dower cottage only on Mondays and Thursdays when the weather permits; a schedule mandated by Mr and Mrs Fredericks.

This schedule pleases me greatly because on the other days Mr Collins must remain at the parsonage and aid me with chores.

And he meets with the members of the parish regularly and gives aid to the poor.

After the former Miss de Bourgh married Mr Fredericks and moved into his home, the large house had been rented to a rich merchant who retired to the countryside.

And per her marriage contract with Sir Louis de Bourgh, Lady Catherine moved to the dower cottage with sufficient servants to provide service and comfort.

In an effort to provide companionship for her mother, Mrs Fredericks hired a lady’s companion to live with Lady Catherine.

The companion is none other than Miss Caroline Bingley. Mr Collins reports that the lady’s companion played the pianoforte everyday while Mr Collins took tea with Lady Catherine.

The final line of Charlotte’s letter left Elizabeth feeling appalled.

Mr Collins shared with me that during each tea, the three of them discuss the perfidy and avarice exhibited by George Wickham and his confederates.

~~~