The Greens will continue to live rent free in the cottage I placed them in and until the three sons are earning at or above the wages my murdered coachman used to earn, the quarterly payment of £300 will continue.
Those who are named heirs of the above mentioned estates will honour these bequests.
I leave the estate of Oak Hollow in Bedfordshire to my friend Mr. Thomas Bennet. As it is about the same size and income (the true income) of Longbourn, if Bennet chooses to, he has my permission to have the heir presumptive of his entailed estate take Oak Hollow in return for ending the entail.
In that case, Bennet would offer Mrs. Jenkinson a cottage at Longbourn as a second option in case she chooses not to reside at Rosings Park.
There were collective gasps from the Bennet sisters who had no idea of the contents of Uncle Lewis’s will. As his uncle, Reggie, had prepared him for surprises, Darcy only raised hiseyebrow when the disposition of Oak Hollow was mentioned.
That leaves Rosings Park, de Bourgh House in London, the house at 12 Littlefield Street in Bath, the de Bourgh jewels, and the de Bourgh fortune. Although I can hear her protesting at this moment, which is even more reason to know she is the most deserving one to be bequeathed all of the above, all of the named properties and items of value listed in this clause are bequeathed to Miss Elizabeth Rose Bennet.
“No!” Elizabeth interjected, “This cannot be. What have I done to deserve all of this?”
“You mean besides saving their lives and being the reason Anne lived years longer than any of us expected she would?” Lord Matlock stated.
“But you are all family by blood, it should have gone to one of you.” She turned to Mr. Darcy sure she would have an ally who would agree with her.
Darcy had been impressed with her before, now after seeing her trying to refuse a fortune others would kill for, his estimation of her was to the skies and beyond. “I am afraid Miss Bennet that I, like my Fitzwilliam family, have more than enough already, and as my uncle stated, there is none more deserving than you.”
Mr. Rumpole cleared his throat indicating he was not done reading yet. A shocked Elizabeth sat back down.
I wonder if Lizzy protested as much as I believe she has.
There was a ripple of soft laughter from some in the room.
Yes, Lizzy, you do deserve all of this. Who should I leave it to? My wife from whose murderous scheme you saved us? I would sooner see my properties burned to the ground than her gain one penny from her plotting and manipulations.
Mr. Thomas Bennet and Lord Reginald Fitzwilliam will administer a trust for all of Miss Elizabeth Rose Bennet’s propertywhich she has just inherited until:
She reaches the age of 25; or
She marries
Lastly, now that the will has been read, notification of Anne’s and my passing is to be sent to my widow at Rosings Park in the fashion I laid out.
Mr. Rumpole read some final legal clauses and then he was done.
Elizabeth was in shock. How could this be? Yet it was. She was an heiress, regardless of how much she desired not to be.
“Lizzy I have your letter with me, would you like to read it?” Bennet enquired.
Elizabeth’s first inclination was to refuse as she was still attempting to come to grips with the changes to her life and fortune. Then she remembered Jenki’s words. She also realised this was one of the letters Uncle Lewis had wanted her to take when she had refused to do so. “Yes, Papa. I will go sit in the parlour and read it if I may,” Elizabeth averred. She took the letter from her father’s hand.
She made her way into the small parlour, not the one where the now sealed coffins still rested. Elizabeth recognised Jenki’s hand. She broke the seal, smoothed the sheets out, and began to read.
5 October 1810
Oak Hollow
Lizzy, my best friend and sister,
