“Do not forget Will is married so you will gain two sisters,” Connie corrected.
“Welcome to the family, Thomas,” Mrs Devon enthused. “And before you use my title or attempt to ‘your grace’ me, as you call Beth mother, use Mother Anna for me. I know you two will be very happy together. I only ask you two that when in company with those of us who do not speak Greek or Latin, that you would please keep to English.” She paused as she thought of something. “After you disclose what you learnt today, please make sure you tell Beth that I am still Anna to her.”
“I will do so, Your…Mother Anna,” Bennet jested. “I do have a favour to request.” Bennet looked at his soon-to-be in-laws. “May I have Becca accompany me to Longbourn so that we may share the news with Mother together?”
“As long as her maid accompanies her, she may go,” Devon allowed.
“Please invite Beth to return with you so we may have a celebratory meal as we join our families one to the other,” Mrs Devon invited.
“I am sure Mother and I have no prior engagements tonight,” Bennet stated.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
“I knew how it would be,” Beth enthused after she hugged first Becca and then her son. “You two could not be so compatible for no reason.” She had been somewhat shocked, but not as much as Thomas had been when he had learnt about the Cavendishes. Beth had always suspected there was more to them than met the eye. She turned to her soon to be daughter. “You call the Duchess…Anna, Mama, do you not?”
“I do, Mrs Bennet,” Becca confirmed.
“In that case, please address me as Mother,” Beth requested. “I have waited for so long for Thomas to bring a wife, and for me a daughter, into our home.”
Becca fully understood that her mother-in-law to be never counted Jane’s birth mother as a daughter. Even though she was to be the next Mrs Bennet, in Becca’s mind she would be Thomas’s first wife. “May we go and see Jane in the nursery?” she asked. Mayhap it was her imagination, but Becca believed Jane recognised her as she took every opportunity to hold her whenever she visited Longbourn.
“Of course we can,” Bennet stated and offered his fiancée his arm.
They knocked on the nursery door. Nurse requested they wait a few minutes as the wetnurse was at the end of a feeding for Miss Bennet. Not many minutes later, the nurse opened the door with an awake Jane being held with her head resting on the nurse’s shoulder.
Once inside, Becca sat in the rocker, and Nurse placed Jane into her waiting arms. She kissed each of Jane’s soft cheeks. “I am your mama, and you are my daughter,” Becca told Jane as she looked directly into her deep blue orbs. “Look Thomas, she smiled at me. I have never seen her do that before.”
“Of course she did. She knows you are her mama,” Bennet said softly. He was already positive Becca would be an excellent mother to Jane. What he was seeing only reinforced that opinion. He had not mentioned to his mother the financial arrangements Devon had laid out. He would tell her later when they returned home from the dinner.
The engaged couple sat cooing at Jane until she gave a great yawn and began to fall asleep.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
At Netherfield Park, Anna sat down to write to Elaine. She was aware that her sister, and Becca’s godmother, had despaired that Becca would ever find someone worthy of her. Anna stressed that her daughter’s fiancé was perfect for Becca in every way.
William had shared his idea of Becca marrying Thomas from Hardwick Hall. Anna approved wholeheartedly. The estate was of similar size to Netherfield Park and very close to Snowhaven, Elaine’s and Reggie’s estate. Thinking of the estate they were at reminded Anna of the wedding present they would give to Becca and Thomas; she approved wholeheartedly.
Once the letter was written, sanded, dried, and the direction added, Anna sent it with one of the couriers. With that done, she went to see Mrs Nichols and Cook to discuss that evening’s menu for the meal to celebrate the engagement.
Chapter 5
Elaine Fitzwilliam, Countess of Matlock, let out an uncharacteristic squeal, which caused her sons and husband to look at her curiously.
“Such good news,” she gushed.
“What news, Mama?” Andrew, who would be nine soon, asked with his deep blue eyes wide open at seeing his mother’s reaction.
“Your cousin, Becca, is to be married,” Lady Elaine enthused. She handed the letter to her husband. “Read Anna’s letter for yourself, Reggie. Her joy is palpable in her words.”
Lord Matlock took the letter from his wife and seated himself in a comfortable wingback chair. He unfolded the paper and began to read.
30 June 1789
Netherfield Park
Hertfordshire
My dearest sister,
