While her cousin sat with his mouth open and no sound issuing forth, Anne turned to the Duchess. “Your Grace…” She stopped when the beauty raised her hand.
“We are to be cousins, please call me Elizabeth or Lizzy, and I will call you Anne,” Elizabeth interjected.
“Lizzy, please accept my contrition for my mother’s…” Anne held what she was about to say as Elizabeth raised her hand again.
“I do not hold you as responsible for the actions of a clearly insane woman as I would not for the weather being bad, or any other thing you are unable to control,” Elizabeth stated firmly. “You only control your own actions, not those of your mother. You bear no fault for her behaviour.”
“I think I will like having you as a cousin, your sister as well,” Anne smiled.
“There are three more…” Elizabeth introduced the three youngest Bennets.
“The papers had much to report about your late husband, are you well?” Anne queried.
“As you can see, I am. He was sent to hell before he could physically hurt me or any of those I love. If it is all the same to you, it is not a subject I desire to speak about,” Elizabeth requested.
After what she had read about the things attributed to the man, Anne could understand why Lizzy would not want to canvass that subject.
“Anne, what do you mean I should come to learn how to run your estate?” Richard finally managed.
“Richard, I am not someone who wants to manage an estate,” Anne responded. “Unlike my mother, I know my limitations. As such, the day the estate becomes mine, I will have documents drawn up transferring the estate to you once you are ready. In the meanwhile, I will need help to undo all of my mother’s mismanagement.”
When Elizabeth had proposed gifting him one of her estates, Richard had refused and allowed his pride to rule. Anne and Rosings Park were different. Anne said she would never marry so it would be his duty to keep it in the family. That meant he had to learn how to manage it, and make the estate thrive again.”
Lord and Lady Matlock were holding their breath as they waited for Richard’s decision. They both hated seeing him go off to the war and had worried about him each day he was away. If the Matlock Earldom did not have such an ironclad entail, theywould have made one of the estates Richard’s long before he went into the army.
“In that case, I will see Lieutenant-Colonel Atherton on the morrow and begin the process of resigning from the army,” Richard decided.
There were many effusions of joy from those present. Mary Bennet said a silent prayer Richard would never return to war again. Contrary to her previous feelings on the matter, she had begun to wish the two to three years until she came out would speed by quickly.
Chapter 36
Shortly after Lady Catherine had begun her journey north which would take her to her new home in Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides, Uncles Philips and Gardiner had informed Elizabeth all the transfers of the deeds for her estates had been completed, as well as the sale of the shipbuilding yards to the Duke of Bedford. By that time the number of estates included Longbourn and Netherfield Park and Elizabeth had issued orders for the latter two estates to be merged.
The two manor houses would remain as they were and any servants who desired to, would keep their jobs. All the servants at both estates elected to keep their current employment. One day, when Mary took possession of the much-enlarged Longbourn, she would decide which would be the main house and which the dower house.
Although his regimental commander had been sorry to lose Richard, he had accepted his resignation. As soon as he had sold out, Richard made his way to Rosings Park, where he would meet Mr. Lucas Wickham who had been spared from his duties at Pemberley for as long as he was needed in Kent. With Mr. Wickham’s vast experience and his excellent teaching ability, Richard would rapidly learn the duties of estate master and management. In Mr. Wickham’s absence, two excellent under-stewards would fulfil his duties at Pemberley while he was away.
As soon as all business was concluded, the residents of Hertfordshire, Darcy House, and Matlock House travelled away from London.
One of the motivations to depart London had been the fact rumours of her vast wealth had begun to spread among theTon. The number being bandied about was a fraction of the reality, but it was still far more than any woman in polite society had. Hence, the line of men who wanted to call on Elizabeth was endless.
In an attempt to discourage these men, with the Queen’s hearty blessing, a notice of the official courtship between the Duchess of Hertfordshire and the Darcy heir had been placed in the papers.
It had slowed the stream of callers, but many still called deciding they had a chance until the Duchess was married. Any man who may have considered a compromise was discouraged as soon as he entered the drawing room where the callers were received. A little behind but right next to the seat where Her Grace was seated, was one giant man who would give a fearsome scowl to any man who attempted to approach beyond where he had been told to sit. If that was not enough, there was another almost as big and intimidating, just behind where the callers were to sit. It did not help there were two rather fearsome men posted in the hallway at the entry to the drawing room—one on either side of the door.
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Much to Lydia’s delight she and her sisters were residing at the estate with the fascinating castle—she had no knowledge Castlemere would be hers one day. Given Elizabeth and William were courting, she could not be hosted at Pemberley, so the sisters and their escorts were at Elizabeth’s Derbyshire estate.
Andrew had accepted an invitation to Pemberley so he would be able to visit his fiancée each day—he had proposed to Jane and been accepted the day before the departure from London. There was only a short distance between the estates making it a quick ride to reach Castlemere. He was of course accompanied by William. Jane and Andrew had decided to marry on the penultimate day of May, a Saturday.
They would marry from Castlemere with Jane’s Uncle Adam performing the marriage rite in the chapel at her sister’s estate. Elizabeth was seeking a clergyman to take the estate’s living.
The Queen had spoken to hervicarand all the livings which had been stripped from the late duke’s gift would be returned. The final switch of each preferment would occur when the incumbent at each left or retired. To start with, Elizabeth would begin to offer livings at each of her larger estates which had a church or chapel without a rector.
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The third couple was ensconced in Hertfordshire. Lawrence Portnoy was being hosted at Longbourn. He had proposed to Charlotte the day he had arrived in the neighbourhood and been promptly accepted. They would marry on the eighteenth day of June from St. Albert’s in Meryton.
