PROLOGUE
London - May, 1811
Elizabeth Bennet stoodon the pavement in London and read the sign on the brick wall behind the man selling tickets on the street in Cheapside. “The Third and Last Grand City Lottery of Freehold Houses.What is a lottery of freehold houses, Uncle?”
“It is a way for architects and home builders to make a great deal more profit than they would by selling a new house on the market,” Uncle Gardiner explained. “A freehold house means that you own not only the entire building, but also the land the building sits on. Ownership will never revert back to a landlord. Most freehold houses in London sell either at auction or by lottery. Think of it this way, Lizzy; you might never be able to buy a house, but perhaps you could afford to risk four pounds, yes? And even if you did not win the grand prize, which for this lottery is a brand new house and a sum of money, you might win something. There are many people willing to risk four pounds on such a chance. They will draw many prizes, because they will sell tens of thousands of tickets. Perhaps hundreds of thousands.If you won the smallest prize, it is still five hundred pounds. That is not a house, but it is still an incredible sum of money to many people. It does not say how much money comes with the house if you won the grand prize. What is the sum in question, sir?”
“‘Tis not fixed,” said the businessman behind the table. “‘Twill depend upon the number of tickets sold, a percentage of the profit. Not less than five thousand certainly. Perhaps as high as twenty or thirty, but there are no guarantees.”
“And is there a charitable endeavour attached?” asked Uncle Gardiner. Then he said to Elizabeth, “There is often a promise for a donation to a charity, to soothe the worries of those who feel that gambling is wicked.”
“Five percent of the profit will go to the parish schools in the east end, sir,” came the man’s reply.
“Do you think gambling is wrong, Uncle?” Elizabeth asked curiously.
“Well, Lizzy, there are different kinds of gambling, and in my opinion, they are each quite different in terms of good or wicked. Take the parish game night when you all purchase a game card and play housey-housey?1. You might win a prize, or you might not, but you had fun, and what was important was that funds were raised for the parish. That is not particularly wicked, in my opinion. Then there are my sister’s little card parties. People who are not poor or in need, betting a few pennies on a night of entertainment is also of little danger, though I do believe ladies should exert caution, particularly girls like Lydia and Kitty, who have limited pin money, and in my opinion, ought to be playing for buttons.”
Her uncle continued. “Then there are the rich or worse, not so rich men who go to gambling clubs or taverns, and wager large sums of money that they cannot afford to lose, some taking food from their childrens’ very mouths, others losing their daughters’ or wives’ dowries, some so bad they lose their estates, the veryhomes and lands their families have held for generations. That is certainly very wicked. This here is relatively innocuous in my opinion, as long as one is not spending funds they cannot afford to lose, or taking food from their children. When I sit down at a table to play cards with other men, I view it as an amusement rather than a way to win money. I decide before I begin how much I am willing to spend on that night’s entertainment, and when or if I lose that much, I stop. The key to everything is moderation, Lizzy. This is my opinion, though there are those who are very pious, who believe that all gambling is evil.”
“Well I certainly cannot afford to lose four pounds. Papa gave me funds to spend on clothes while I was here. He would not be pleased if I returned with a lottery ticket instead,” said Elizabeth.
“How much can you afford to spend?” her uncle asked curiously.
“Well…” Elizabeth said uncertainly. “Perhaps a pound? But that is not enough to buy a ticket.”
“You could buy a share of a ticket, and the prize would be split between you and another after you won, but instead, let us do this. If there was anyone who would benefit from owning a home and receiving a large cash prize, it would be you, Lizzy. You spend your pound, and I will pay for the rest of your ticket. It can be your birthday present.”
“Uncle, ‘tis too much!” Elizabeth objected as her uncle ignored her and purchased the ticket.
“Not at all, my dear. Now, here, keep this ticket safe in your reticule, and hide it when you get home. Then you may spend the next few weeks thinking about what you will do if you win. That is the best part of a lottery ticket.”
1 Housey-housey was the form of BINGO that was played in England as far back as 1700. It was invented in 16th century Italy.
CHAPTER 1
“Colonel Fitzwilliam, sir,” Darcy’s butler Ferguson said as he announced Darcy’s cousin to the study in his London house.
“Richard!” Darcy exclaimed, getting to his feet, and clapping his cousin on the back. “You were not expected again for months!”
“There has been a delay with the departure of my regiment. The ship that we are to depart on needs significant repairs, and there is no other that can accommodate us at this time,” Fitzwilliam explained. “What have you been doing with yourself in Georgie’s absence?”
“It has been dismal in the extreme,” drawled Darcy. “I am to visit her monthly, and in this stinking unseasonably early heat, town is nearly unbearable. All of the nobility have abandoned London for their estates.”
“Well, let us make it bearable, shall we not? I rarely have leave that I am not expected to spend dancing attendance upon my mother, my aunt, or my cousin,” said Richard, slapping his knees. “No one knows I am at leisure besides you; my parents are at Matlock, and Aunt Catherine does not expect us until Easter, which is months and months away, if I am even on these shores come spring, which is doubtful. None but the unlanded and very debauched remain in thecity in this heat. Let us take advantage of it, and enjoy what London has to offer a bachelor at leisure for a time. When does Georgiana expect you again?”
“Not for three weeks,” said Darcy suspiciously. “Your idea of bearable sounds distinctly unenjoyable, to my way of thinking. You will gamble far more than you ought.”
“But you will humour an old soldier, will you not?” Richard cajoled. “After all, who knows when I may have the opportunity again! I promise that if it even appears that I am beginning to lose, I will call it a night. I am not dependent upon the game, as so many men are. And if I have not been called to return to my unit by the time you leave for Ramsgate, I shall join you, and give my young cousin a surprise. What say you, Darcy?”
“I suppose I cannot deny you. As you say, you could be recalled any time, and your leave is rarely your own, with the demands of the ladies in our family.”
“Where’s that fellow you gad about with… Bingley? He’s an amenable fellow, probably first rate at kicking up a lark. Shall we invite him?”
“Very well, but we will go to the quality clubs, not the copper hells full of haymarket ware that you frequent on your own. I do not know why I keep my subscription to Sedgewick’s. I only go whenyouwish to, or occasionally with Bingley for billiards. I inherited it from my father, and who knows whyhekept it, he probably inherited it from my grandfather. Lord knows, after the trouble my grandfather caused the family in that place, it ought to have been cancelled. Perhaps, after this outing, I will do it.”
“That would be a shame for me, though safer for your heirs perhaps,” said Richard. “You cannot hope that they will all have your moral compass.”
Two hours later,Bingley arrived for dinner, in answer to a note penned by Darcy’s valet. This was a system that the two men hadworked out. When Darcy wished to send a message to Bingley it was penned by his valet, ensuring that Miss Bingley did not recognise the writing, resulting in Miss Bingley missing many opportunities to tag along on invitations not meant for her.
