As soon as they had done so, Becca continued. “The reason…” She laid out what had been discussed. “If you two prefer to wait until March, that is what you will do. In that case, Lizzy and Liam will wait, or they will marry on their own.”
Glee was an understatement of the looks on their faces when Mary and Richard looked at one another. Both nodded at the same time. “Thank you, Mama and Papa, Richard and I do not object at all to advancing the wedding by two months. In fact, we are extremely grateful to you for allowing it.”
“Do not thank us,” Bennet grinned, “if you want to thank anyone, it is your sister and future brother. Had they not suggested this, you two would have married in March as planned. Unless either of you thought to request an earlier date?”
“No, Bennet, we did not,” Richard returned happily. “In that case, we owe Lizzy and Liam a great debt of gratitude.”
“After I suggested we would only marry in March, I did not think I could come to you and ask for a change of the date,” Mary explained. “After all, you allowed us to become engaged sooner than you had wanted.”
“Mary dear, like any of our children, you may always speak to us about anything you feel you need to,” Becca told her third daughter. “If you had not promised to wait until March to marry, it would not have changed the reply we would have given you if you had come to us about advancing the date for Richard to declare himself.”
“Now you tell me that,” Mary huffed in an overly dramatic manner, causing smiles all around.
“Come,” Bennet grunted as he stood up and offered Becca a hand to assist her up from the settee. “We need to make some announcements for the family. I dare say the one about Lizzy and Darcy will be superfluous; everyone saw the dreamy look in Lizzy’s eyes when she came to collect us.”
Both mother and her second daughter had held their breath, thinking he was going to jest about the state of Lizzy’s lips when she entered the sitting room. Both exhaled the breaths they were keeping in when Bennet said what he said.
The two announcements were met with happiness and approbation by all. A nod from Devonshire to the butler initiated some footmen entering, each with a tray of flutes of champagne. Once everyone had a glass, Devonshire proposed the toast to the newly engaged couple.
Beth, Lady Anna, and Lady Elaine sat together on a settee as they watched the celebration still continuing around them. “I recommended that Mary speak to Becca and Thomas about advancing the date of the wedding, but my granddaughter said she could not as she had volunteered to wait until then,” Beth related to her best friends. “It seems she and Richard are indebted to Lizzy for gaining two months of married life.”
“I know Richard will not be sorry,” Lady Elaine stated. “Did you know he was going to seek a profession before he became the master of Rosings Park? He hated the thought of being idle. Thankfully, since his resignation became final, he has not had time to sit and brood, what with spending time with Mary and making plans for his estate.”
“Is there any word on Catherine’s fate yet?” Lady Anna enquired.
“Reggie heard earlier today,” Lady Elaine revealed. “She is to be tried for murder. If she had shown a shred of remorse for what she did, Reggie and William would have had hertransported.” She shook her head. “As sad as it is to say, I do not think Catherine knows what remorse is; she certainly has no empathy for any other. At least with William’s influence and a word in the Regent’s ear, knowledge of the trial will be kept away from society at large. If, or when, the ultimate punishment is carried out, her name will not be reported in the broadsheets.”
“We have much happier things to hold our attention,” Beth pointed out. She had never had the displeasure of meeting Catherine de Bourgh, and for that she was not sorry.
The three matrons noticed Liam slipping out of the room. Lizzy passed their position shortly thereafter. “Lizzy dear, where is Liam going?” Lady Anna asked.
“He is using Grandpapa’s study to write an announcement for the papers,” Elizabeth related. “He said that he wants everyone to know of our engagement as soon as may be. That way, in his words, no one will think I am available to them.” She smiled dreamily when she spoke of her fiancé. Fiancé, how well that sounded. “By the by, Mary suggested that her ball double as an engagement ball for us as well. I could not agree to that. It is Mary’s night.”
“Lizzy has the right of it,” Lady Elaine agreed. She had a glint in her eye as an idea struck her. “We will hold an engagement ball at Matlock House a fortnight after Mary’s coming out. It is right that I give one as Richard’s mother, and as Liam is a surrogate son, it will be perfect.”
“And Lizzy dear, Janey and Andrew will have returned from their wedding trip, so they will be able to attend the engagement ball,” Beth enthused.
“As long as it does not detract from Mary’s coming out, and Mama agrees, I have no objection. And yes, Grandmama, it will be very good to have Janey in London again,” Elizabeth agreed. She was sure that Mama would not disagree, so it wasalmost certain there would be a ball at Matlock House. Now if only she and Liam would be allowed to dance more than three sets…
Darcy wrote out the notice, and once Bennet agreed to the wording, it was sent to the respectable newspapers to be published as soon as possible. On their return to the family sitting room, the two were informed of the engagement ball.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
On Friday morning, the London papers carried the announcement of the engagement of the master of Pemberley to Miss Elizabeth Bennet, granddaughter of the Duke of Devonshire. Any of those who gnashed their teeth in private were very careful not to speak against anyone connected to such powerful families. The memory of Miss Bingley’s ruin and expulsion from society was still fresh in their minds.
Four days later, thanks to the sabbath in-between, the London papers bearing the announcement of the engagement of Fitzwilliam Darcy to Miss Elizabeth Bennet arrived in Scarborough.
Caroline Bingley had a tantrum for the ages. The difference was that her brother was not present to witness it.
Bingley had left England’s shores as soon as he had sold the last of his holdings. Knowing that his sister would be her own worst enemy if she had access to the principal of her remaining dowry, he made it ironclad that she was only to receive the interest and not a penny more.
Miss Bingley had written letters to her sister and brother-in-law begging them to take her in, but no replies had arrived. She still did not understand why things had gone so badly for her and blamed the damned Bennets, especially Miss Eliza.
Chapter 31
Jane and Andrew arrived in London two days before Mary’s coming out. Both were glowing with love and happiness. They stopped at Devonshire House first to be able to greet all of the family who were there.
Because they had been travelling for two days from Campton Place in Eastbourne, Jane and Andrew excused themselves after greeting their family members. Their plan was to make for Hilldale House on Portman Square, wash, change, andresta little. After that they would return to hear all of the news.
