Page 65 of The Next Mrs Bennet

A t supper, which was thoroughly enjoyed by all, Elizabeth had the Duke of Bedford on her left hand side and William to her right.

Uncle Edward, who had not felt comfortable attending the performance without his wife, had said his farewells and left for home directly from the theatre. Thankfully, if the subject of the sale of the shipyards was broached, Uncle Frank was present.

No business had been discussed during the meal and the Duke had taken no offence if his hostess had awarded the young Darcy most of her attention. Being one who had married for love, Bedford recognised the signs in the two.

There was a brief separation of the sexes and when the men rejoined the ladies, Bedford approached Lady Elizabeth who was seated with her older sister, Hilldale, and William Darcy.

“If you will pardon this old man, may I have a few words with the Duchess?” Bedford requested. No one objected. The Duke assisted Lady Elizabeth to stand and led her to a settee which was unoccupied. “As one of your guardians is present, would you object if I ask Mr. Philips to join us?” Bedford enquired.

“Please do. If this is regarding the shipyards, it will be for the best for Uncle Frank to be a party to our discussion,” Elizabeth agreed.

Bedford and Philips returned within a minute to where Elizabeth was seated. “My solicitor received a note from Mr. Marylebone regarding your willingness to sell your shipbuilding interests, is that accurate?” Bedford verified.

“Your information is correct,” Elizabeth confirmed. “My uncles and I discussed the price Mr. Marylebone related, and we think it is a fair price for the three yards.”

Philips nodded his agreement. “If that is still the amount you are offering we see no need for delay,” Philips added.

“If only all negotiation were so easy. Should my solicitor send the proposed agreement to you or the offices of Marylebone and Scrooge?” Bedford enquired as he extended his hand to Philips who shook it.

“I will review the contracts with him, but as Marylebone is more familiar with my niece’s holdings, send the documents to him,” Philips stated.

“It will be so.” Bedford turned to Lady Elizabeth. “May I tell you how happy we are you are free of that blackguard?”

“Please do. Although, no one can possibly feel more relief over his being sent to Satan’s fires than myself,” Elizabeth inclined her head. “The mortal world is a far better place for his not being part of it.”

The Earl and Countess of Jersey were preparing to depart so they approached Lady Elizabeth to make their farewells.

“Lord Jersey you must allow me to thank you for the service you did me, and many others, by dispatching that man,” Elizabeth stood and curtseyed to the Earl.

“As much as I abhor violence, in this instance, it was the right thing to do,” Lord Jersey responded. “You of course know we were prepared for him thanks to Mr. Wickham, do you not?”

“Yes, I am fully aware of George Wickham’s part in all of this. I am well pleased Lady Sarah was never in harm’s way at any point,” Elizabeth stated as she looked at the Countess.

“My daughter, Alicia,” Lady Jersey cocked her head to her daughter who was sitting with Lady Marie Rhys-Davies and her brother, Viscount Westmore, “and I were far from Jersey House when he met his end,” Lady Jersey related. “I had been willing to act as bait in the trap, but my Cyril would hear none of it.” Lady Jersey looked at her husband lovingly. She smiled and turned back to the Duchess. “That Miss Bingley who you encountered this evening has been trying to gain a voucher for Almack’s for some years now. Even before she ruined herself at the Drury Lane tonight she would have never been gratified.”

“It was only a matter of time before Miss Bingley caused her expulsion from society,” Lady Anne added as she arrived with her husband and son to convey thanks and farewells. “Sarah, it surprises me how she kept applying to you and the other patronesses regardless of how many times she had been refused.”

“Her pursuit of my person proves she is unable to take no for an answer when it is stated as clearly as can be,” William opined.

“Are you pained it cost you a friendship with Mr. Bingley?” Elizabeth enquired concernedly. “I understand from your Fitzwilliam cousins it was a friendship of some years.”

Her worrying about others regardless of what was happening to her was one of the many things which attracted William to Lady Elizabeth. “My hope is he will mature and grow a spine. If that occurs, we may be friends again at some point.”

Within a few minutes, all the guests took their leave which left Elizabeth, her sisters and the Philipses to make for their bedchambers.

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

Even though he had volunteered to join them to journey into Hertfordshire, Edward Gardiner had been excused by all of his family members and told to remain in London with his wife and three children as they waited for the fourth to be born.

Rather than make for Longbourn, the coaches arrived at Lucas Lodge. Elizabeth, as did her sisters—all of whom had decided to follow Elizabeth’s lead regarding mourning Mr. Bennet, had no desire to see Mrs. Bennet as she was still living at the former Bennet estate. The four Lucases who were at home—Johnny had returned to Oxford where he was in is first year—were waiting for the travellers to alight.

“Eliza it is so good to see you back in the neighbourhood again,” Sir William enthused as he pulled her into a hug.

“Father,” Franklin chuckled, “do not squeeze all of Her Grace’s air out.”

“Franklin Lucas, you have known me from the time I was born, you will call me Eliza like the rest of your family does, or,” Elizabeth raised her nose with mock haughtier, “I will have you sent to the tower where you will lose your head.”

“Yes, Your Grace,” Franklin teased playfully. “It is good to see you again, Eliza .”

“Sir William, would you object if we invite the new master of Longbourn to join us here?” Elizabeth requested. She had received an affirmative response via her uncle’s offices. “I am sure you know there is an objectionable person residing at Longbourn. One who I choose not to see.”

“Eliza, you are like a third daughter to me, so of course you may,” Sir William averred.

“Lotte where is this mythical suitor of yours?” Franklin jested with his sister who he had been missing.

“Lawrence Portnoy is no spectre,” Jane spoke up. “I would not be surprised if he asks for her hand soon.”

“Our Jane is being courted,” Lydia informed everyone as they entered the manor house. Lydia’s revelation caused her eldest sister to blush a deeper shade of scarlet.

Blessings from Lizzy and the uncles for the courtship had been granted without delay.

“Did Lord Hilldale finally get around to making it official?” Lady Lucas smiled.

“Yes, he did, at the theatre yester-evening,” Elizabeth related gleefully.

“How long do you think it will be before William Darcy has a question for you, sister dearest,” Jane responded with raised eyebrows.

“Jane Bennet!” Now it was Elizabeth’s turn to blush deeply. “May I sit and write a note to be sent to Longbourn? I need to inform the heir we are here.” Elizabeth changed the subject most decidedly. “What is he like?”

“He and his mother, Mrs. Ophelia Collins, who is the new mistress of the estate, much to Mrs. Bennet’s protests, seem like pleasant people,” Lady Lucas revealed. “He is not the most intelligent person you will meet, but his mother mitigates much of his silliness, and even better yet, will tolerate no nonsense from Mrs. Bennet. He also happens to be awed by titles.”

“In that case, I will invite both of them, not just Mr. Collins, to attend us here as soon as may be today, if that is convenient with you and Sir William,” Elizabeth responded.

“We have nothing we must do today,” Sir William confirmed after his wife nodded to him.

Elizabeth sat at Sir William’s desk to write the note. Seeing Charlotte’s father was about to leave the study, Elizabeth requested he remain. It took very little time to scribe the invitation. Sir William rang for the housekeeper and told her to send a groom with the note to Longbourn and that it should only be put into either Mr. Collins or his mother’s hands.

“You asked me to remain?” Sir William pointed out when the housekeeper was on her way to carry out his orders.

“Sir William, since that man’s death, I find I have more wealth than I know with what to do…” Elizabeth shared the essentials without giving specific amounts. “I tell you this not to boast, but so you will understand what I am about to offer will not in any way affect me or the following generations in the least. I have spoken to my uncles and if you agree, they do as well. It is my desire to dower Charlotte and Maria with five and twenty thousand pounds each. In addition, as he is a second son and must shift for himself, I will establish a legacy in the same amount for Johnny. As the heir, Franklin would receive ten thousand pounds.”

The normally garrulous Sir William had been robbed of the power of speech. On the one hand, he did not want Eliza to use her wealth on his family, but how could he refuse such a gift which would give his children choices like they had never had before, even with the small amount he had been earning from Gardiner.

Elizabeth hoped she had not insulted Sir William with her offer. She saw the emotions playing over his face. “Before you make your decision know that this money will not even come from the vast accounts in the banks. I am in the process of selling the ship building yards. After what I am giving to each of my sisters for a dowry, and the total I would like to gift to your children, there will still be a significant portion of the money remaining which I will receive for the sale. In addition, I am sure you know the man who was my husband used his power and wealth to hurt others.” Sir William nodded it was so. “I am determined to do the exact opposite and this is but the beginning.”

After weighing her words and realising he could not rob his children of such a future, Sir William reached a decision. “In that case, Eliza, with my and Lady Lucas’s undying gratitude, we accept your overly generous gift.”

For the second time that day, Sir William pulled Eliza into a warm hug. At his request, Elizabeth sent Lady Lucas in to see her husband in his study.

“Your father accepted my gift,” Elizabeth whispered to Charlotte on sitting next to her in the drawing room.

Having promised to accept her father’s decision, Charlotte said nothing except shared her heartfelt thanks.

To say Lady Lucas was shocked when her husband related what Eliza was gifting her children would have been rather a gross understatement. Like her husband, as soon as she got past the idea of accepting such a thing from Eliza, she saw the choices which would be open to her children.

Lady Lucas smiled to herself as she was fairly sure Charlotte’s dowry would not remain with her for long and would soon be part of her marriage settlement with Lawrence Portnoy.

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

“Where are you and your mother off to, again without me,” Fanny whined.

“We have been invited to Lucas Lodge by the Duchess of Hertfordshire,” Collins preened.

“Then I must accompany you,” Fanny insisted.

“No, Mrs. Bennet, you will not,” Ophelia Collins interjected. She knew the woman may be able to browbeat her son, but she was no wilting flower. “Unless you would like to be arrested for arriving at Lucas Lodge uninvited.” Ophelia challenged and did not miss how the nasty woman blanched. She turned to her son and with a much softer voice asked, “Clem, did Her Grace not write for us not to bother to arrive if we bring Mrs. Bennet with us?”

“Yes Mother, you have the right of it. Come Mother, we must away.” Collins led his mother out of the drawing room and to the waiting carriage.

Ophelia was determined that Mrs. Bennet’s sojourn at their estate would be of short duration. It was still only days since her husband’s death and Ophelia did not want to be heartless and turn the widow out quite yet, regardless of how much Fanny Bennet was disdained in the area.

Fanny was more scared than disappointed she would not be in her high and mighty daughter’s company. If the spiteful girl convinced the Collinses to turn her out into the hedgerows, how would she survive? Her awful husband had died leaving her just over eight hundred pounds of her dowry remaining. She could not live on about thirty pounds per annum.

But she had no one to whom she could turn. Her brother and sister both refused to see her and they were her only family in the world. This was all that damned Lizzy’s fault!

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

Even being warned Mr. Collins was fascinated by people of rank, seeing him genuflect before her as if she was a queen made Elizabeth want to burst into laughter. She had to fight to maintain her equanimity.

“Sir William, will you introduce our distant cousins to us please?” Elizabeth requested.

The Collinses were introduced to Her Grace, the four other Bennet sisters, and the Philipses. “It is such a great honour you bestow on us, Your Grace…” Collins began to bow again.

“Clem dear,” Ophelia placed a restraining hand on her son’s arm before he could bow low repeatedly. “Why do we not allow Her Grace to inform us why she invited us here today.”

“You are so wise, Mother,” Collins agreed. “Please pardon me, Your Grace.”

“Mr. Collins, Mrs. Collins, please be seated,” Elizabeth invited.

Before her son could unleash another speech, Ophelia sat and made sure he sat next to her without a further word.

“We are at your disposal, Your Grace,” Ophelia stated and then waited, a restraining hand remaining on her son’s forearm.

“Mr. Collins, am I correct you were not brought up to manage an estate?” Elizabeth began.

Before Collins could launch into a long soliloquy, his mother spoke first. “That is true, Your Grace.”

“We are family, please address me as Lady Elizabeth.” She paused and looked from mother to son. “In that case, as the entail ended with you, Mr. Collins, I would like to purchase Longbourn. I am willing to pay you sixty thousand pounds, which you will find based on the income having fallen to well below two thousand per annum, and the profit a fraction of that, is a very generous price.”

Before her son could say anything, Ophelia did. “Clem, you have always wanted to study and become a clergyman, have you not?” Collins nodded. “We have never had the funds for you to study at university before. If you agree to sell the estate to Her Grace, not only will you have more than enough money to study, but we will be able to purchase a nice house in Wiltshire near where we used to live in that rented cottage and have a very comfortable life.”

Collins thought about things for a while and the more he did, the more attractive the offer became. He was intimidated by estate management, even with his mother to assist him. He did want to study and take orders, and Mother would never have to worry about money again. Not only that, they would be able to afford servants and so much more. At the estate’s current income, it would take him well over fifty years to earn as much as Her Grace was offering.

“Mother is correct, I will sell Longbourn to you for the amount you offered, Your…Lady Elizabeth,” Collins decided.

“Perfect, my Uncle Philips will have the papers drawn up. As soon as the bill of sale is signed by both of us, you will have your money,” Elizabeth stated happily.

“What of Mrs. Bennet who is still, for now at least, at Longbourn?” Ophelia enquired.

“Uncle Philips will go and see Mrs. Bennet and explain her options for her future to her,” Elizabeth stated without emotion.

She had a plan for Longbourn which did not include Fanny Bennet remaining at the estate.