Henry’s chance to speak to Thomas was presented to him when, two days later, he received an invitation to partake of a dinner at Longbourn. Once in a while, Fanny invited him for a meal. When he was there, it was not hard for Henry to see that she, nevertheless, greatly objected to his presence. That told him that when he attended a family meal, it was not of Fanny’s own volition, and she had been forced to issue the invitation by her husband who was amused by his wife’s reactions to himself.
Whichever way it occurred, Henry was pleased to be at Longbourn. After the meal and the thinly veiled comments from Fanny, Thomas stood to return to his study as they normally eschewed separation of the sexes, seeing that it was only Henry and his nephew.
The ladies left the table for the drawing room. “Thomas, I would enjoy some port. What say you we retire to your study?” Henry suggested when they were alone.
Bennet had no way to refuse his uncle. All he could hope was that Uncle Henry was not about to lecture him on his perceived shortcomings. Deep down Bennet knew that Uncle Henry had the right of it, which made it worse. Bennet hated to look in the mirror and examine his faults. He stood, nodded, and led the way to his study.
As soon as Uncle Henry seated himself near the fire, Bennet poured two glasses of port, handed one to his uncle, and then sat opposite him as he nursed his drink, determined not to say anything.
“Thomas, I would like to request something,” Henry said after a sip of the sweet libation. He placed the glass on a low table between them.
‘At least he does not intend to harangue me about something,’ Bennet thought. “Go ahead,” he allowed.
“I am to travel north to visit my home, the one I used to live in before taking up residence in the dower house, and I would very much like Lizzy to accompany me. You know of my failing eyesight and how much of a help she is to me. As the house will be hers one day, should she not see it?” Henry knew he was shading the facts, but there was nothing he had said which was not true. If he felt he could trust Thomas, Henry would not have withheld the full truth of his wealth from his nephew.
Her intelligence was far more than he had hoped, and Bennet revelled in the debates they would have, which more often than not resulted in Lizzy winning most of them. Add to that it was very seldom that Bennet bested her in chess, only when she was distracted by something else. As much as he enjoyed his time with Lizzy each day, Bennet was aware that Lizzy would love to see the north.
If he refused, would she rebel against him and stop spending time with him for his entertainment? “Where will you be?” Bennet enquired.
“She will spend some time in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. We will be in and around the town of Lambton,” Henry replied. “You remember that ever since Maddie told Lizzy all about her youth in Lambton, and my house being close by, we have both heard Lizzy say how much she would love to visit the town where her aunt grew up, have we not?”
“In that case, I bestow my consent for Lizzy to travel with you. What of Mary and Kitty?”
“They have lessons. I am sure they will have anopportunity to travel as well once they are out, like Lizzy.” Henry paused when he saw Thomas about to launch a complaint. “I am fully aware of Fanny’s caterwauling when you would not allow her to put Mary out into society when she turned fifteen, and when Kitty reaches that age, I am sure it will be more of the same. I thank you for not giving in to her tantrum and standing by your word.”
He was not used to being complimented by Uncle Henry; Bennet simply cleared his throat. “When will you depart? And what if Lizzy wants Jane to accompany her?”
“To the first, we will depart on the twelfth day of April, the day after Mary turns sixteen. To the next, Jane would be welcome, but you well know she would not travel with me thanks to Fanny’s poisoning her against me.” Henry held up his hand. “No, Thomas, I do not want you to order her. Do not forget she is of age, and none of us would enjoy the journey if she were forced to come against her will. It will be Lizzy and me, her maid, my valet, and footmen.”
Bennet was sure that his uncle had seen through his intention to have sport at his wife and daughter’s expense by threatening to order Jane to travel with them. His uncle’s words had taken the fun out of that exercise.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
“We are to stop at Snowhaven! I will see Anna,” Elizabeth exclaimed excitedly on the second day of their journey when she and Uncle Henry had discussed where they would take breaks along the way. “Will we see Pemberley where she grew up?”
“No, Lizzy, we will not be calling at Pemberley. I understand from my friend that the master of the estate is in Surrey with his cousin. From what the Earl told me in his letter, they all visited Rivington for Easter. While Matlock, Lady Elaine, and Anna travelled north the Monday after Easter, Richard’s older brother, Andrew, Viscount Hilldale, and theircousin, William Darcy, the master of Pemberley, remained in Surrey for a while longer.”
“Will we arrive at Snowhaven on the morrow? And I will see what remains standing of the castle?”
“Correct.” Henry sometimes forgot that no matter how much Lizzy had matured, she had always been excited about new experiences. Not only would she see her friend on the morrow, but she would see the way the manor house at Snowhaven had been built in a way to use, and connect to, the remains of the castle.
“How come you have not told me more about your house which we are visiting? What town is it in? Does it have a nice large garden?”
Although Rouse was aware of Henry’s true situation, he preferred not to discuss it with Lizzy’s maid present. “Hold your questions until we stop for the night. You and I will have a detailed conversation then, I promise.”
Knowing that Uncle Henry would never say something he did not mean, Elizabeth stopped asking about his house and went back to enjoying the changing scenery. She was fascinated by the way the topography changed and became wilder as they travelled farther north. Uncle Henry had told her she would see the Peak District, something which excited Elizabeth greatly. It was a pity Aphrodite had been left at Longbourn; how she would enjoy riding among the rocks and crags she was already seeing.
When they reached the inn where they would sleep that night, they enjoyed a tasty meal of mutton stew with vegetables and potatoes. After the meal, Elizabeth made for her bedchamber on the other side of the shared sitting room where they had just eaten.
There her maid assisted her to prepare for the night, and once washed and changed, Elizabeth released her, and Janet made her way to the quarters reserved for personal femaleservants. She was dressed in a warm nightgown with a heavy robe over it. Her maid had plaited her raven tresses, which hung down her back. She knocked on the door leading to the sitting room.
“Come,” Henry called out. Rouse had assisted Henry in changing. He was in a long nightshirt, and it was covered by a thick dressing gown. “Sit, Lizzy,” he inclined his head to a chair close to him. He took a deep breath as Henry ordered his thoughts. “Part of my intention on this journey was not only to show you where I was living when not at Netherfield Park and before the dower house but also to reveal the truth of my situation to you.”
“You are much wealthier than Mama and Papa believe, are you not?”
Henry nodded that she was correct. “I always knew that you would see through the façade I presented. Why did you not ask before?”
“It was not my place to ask, and until Papa mentioned that I was your heir, I did not think about your wealth. Why me, Uncle Henry? Janey is the eldest; why is she not your heir?”
