“You summoned me,” Fanny stated on entering his inner sanctum.
Bennet handed her the paper, “Read this,” he managed.
“What do I care if the man who refused to acknowledge his own parents-in-law is dead?” Fanny demanded nastily once she had read the article.
“You should, with him dead, Lizzy has all of the power now.”
“What nonsense do you speak of?” Fanny screeched.
He pulled open the centre drawer in his desk and withdrew a document, opened it to one of the last few pages, and handed it to his wife.
Fanny began to read:
Addendum to the marriage contract between Lord Archibald Winston Chamberlain, the Duke of Hertfordshire and Marquess of Hertford Heights and Miss Elizabeth Rose Bennet of Longbourn.
The terms hereunder are binding unless both parties jointly agree to dissolve any or all of them. They can be changed by one of the parties, only if that person survives the other.
The entail on the Longbourn Estate in Hertfordshire will only be broken with both the Duke’s and the Duchess’s agreement. If one of them predeceases the other, then the surviving party can decide on his or her own.
His Grace hereby agrees to not approach the Duchess’s sisters in any way without her written permission.
The Duchess will not be forced to give up a connection with her sisters, and is free to write to, and receive letters from them.
The Duke must agree on any non-family connections.
The Duke agrees to sever any connection to or with Mr. Thomas and Mrs. Frances Bennet of Longbourn, Hertfordshire.
Mr. Thomas Bennet is to sign the agreement on the last page revoking his parental rights on Miss Jane Bennet, Miss Mary Bennet, Miss Catherine Bennet, and Miss Lydia Bennet. If both the Duke and Duchess jointly call for the named sisters to live with them, they will be sent without delay. In the event either the Duke or Duchess predecease each other, the surviving party will be the full legal guardian of the four named Bennet sisters.
None of the promised dowries or interest thereon will be permitted to be used by either, or both, Mr. Thomas Bennet or Mrs. Frances Bennet.
