“Do not dare say that!” Elizabeth remonstrated more forcefully than she meant to. “If one of us had to be sacrificed, given my refusal to be intimidated, it is better it was me.” The last was stated in a much more conciliatory tone of voice.
“Will you ever tell me why you changed your mind when he spoke to you without our pare…Mr. and Mrs. Bennet present?”
“Certainly not now, all I will commit to is to consider it one day in the future if and when this living hell is behind me.”
“Knowing how stubborn you are, I will have to be happy with that reply.” Jane hugged her sister. “You really must get some sleep, Lizzy. It will do you no good to make yourself sick.”
Elizabeth knew what Jane said was nothing but the truth. In order to protect her sisters like she had vowed to do, she needed to be hale and healthy. She reminded herself although she detested the man who had forced her to engage herself to him, she was doing it for the deepest love.
“I will attempt to sleep, Janey, I promise you,” she assured.
The two eldest Bennet sisters removed their robes and slid under the covers of the bed. It did not take long before Elizabeth heard Jane’s breathing change as she succumbed to sleep.
Elizabeth remained awake for a few more hours, many thoughts running through her mind, although she eventually allowed herself to drift off to sleep.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Fanny Bennet was much discontented the morning of her wilful, disobedient daughter’s wedding.
She had been so sure the Duke would welcome her, his soon-to-be mother-in-law, into his company with an invitation to his wedding. That, Fanny was sure, would rescue her from the social purgatory she found herself in all because of that ungrateful Miss Lizzy!
Her husband had refused to do his duty and write to their daughter’s fiancé, so she had taken the task upon herself. The day after the brat left and her brother stole her other daughters, Fanny sent an express to Hertfordshire House in London.
So sure had she been of being invited to Town, she had packed all of her best gowns and any jewellery she owned in anticipation.
Soon all of those who disrespected her in the neighbourhood would be begging for her condescension. Knowing what a busy man he was, She had not been perturbed when there had been no immediate reply from the Duke.
Then yester-morning a letter had been delivered by none other than one of the Duke’s couriers! Fanny had felt the compliment keenly, right up until she opened, and read the letter.
The offending missive was lying next to her chair, so she picked it up and read it again, hoping the words on the page would change.
28 April 1806
Hertfordshire House
Berkeley Square, London
Madam:
Do not send any further letters to me atanyof my houses or estates! Any more from you will be consigned to the fire without being read. This applies to your husband as well, as he was told when he wrote to me for assistance!
Until such time as my fiancée, the future Her Grace, Lady Elizabeth Chamberlain, Duchess of Hertfordshire and Marchioness of Hertford Heights, agrees, you will not be welcome in my or her company.
There is nothing I will do to assist you in order to regain your daughters from your brother.
I send you no regards and no compliments.
M Jackson, secretary to His Grace the Duke of Hertfordshire, Marquess of Hertford Heights
How was it that daughter of hers had caused the Duke to acquiesce to her demand they would never be in company together again? On reading the note yesterday Fanny had gone directly to her husband’s study.
As was his wont, he had been no help. The only thing he asked was what had she expected. He had shared—only because the letter had alluded to it—he too had written to His Grace and had been told to desist.
Now she would not be able to gain her re-entry to local society. Not only that, it would be worse. Thanks to that plain Charlotte Lucas corresponding with her wilful daughter, it would be known by everyone she had been excluded from the wedding as soon as Miss Lucas shared that nugget with her parents.
At least the entail would be broken as soon as that cursed girl bore her husband a son.
Fanny saw no contradiction between her insistence Elizabeth had been the reason she never bore a son and the fact she was counting on the self-same girl delivering one.
