“Before I reply, there are some things I must reveal. I did not dissemble when I said we are to visit my house; I just did not mention said house is the manor house on an estate, a rather large estate…” Henry told her all about Sherwood Dale and how he had added the other, smaller estate to it, ending with what the income was.
“You own an estate with an income of fourteen thousand per annum!”
“There is more. I own Netherfield Park and a home in London. It is in Mayfair on Grosvenor Square.”
“You purchased all of these properties after you returned from India, did you not?” Elizabeth watched Uncle Henry nod. “But that means you must have had a substantial fortune to make those purchases, redo the dower house,pay for our education, including the masters, pay those you employed to watch over me, and more I am sure I so not know about.”
“Very astute, Lizzy; you have thought beyond the obvious. Now I need to tell you the story of Longbourn East.”
“Longbourn East? I never heard of such an estate?”
“That is because it is not an estate in England. It was my farm in India. When I arrived there in 1765…” Henry told the whole of his story in India. When he reached the part about the discovery of the gold and on from there, Lizzy’s big emerald-green eyes got bigger and bigger as he revealed the scope of his wealth. He explained why his fortune was kept secret, especially from her parents. “Now we come to why you are my heir and why Jane is not. Why it is you is very easy to explain. You are exactly the one who will do the most good with what you will inherit one day. You are the least mercenary person I know. You are protected; I will explain how soon. As to why not Jane, although I think you would prefer not to, you are too intelligent not to know why I could never trust Jane with all I own. Before you start to worry, she will have a dowry of thirty thousand pounds. That would have been true of Lydia as well, but the more I have seen her, the more I saw that giving her access to wealth like that would be disastrous, at least not until she is much older, if at all. Mary and Kitty will have one hundred thousand pounds each.” Henry paused. “Now ask yourself, why not Jane?”
Elizabeth cogitated for some minutes. She loved her older sister but had to look at the reality of the situation. “Janey does not see the world as it is but as she wants it to be. Hence, she will be too easily led and cheated. She would allow Mama free rein. She has a bad blind spot where Mama is concerned.”
“Correct.” Henry agreed. “No matter what, if I am no longer in the mortal world, you would never allow your mother to live in poverty, would you?”
“No, of course not. What if, heaven forfend, you go to your eternal reward before I reach my majority? Before that age, my parents could lay claim to all that is mine. They are both selfish and would only think of what advantaged themselves.”
“And that is another reason it is you. You do not have a selfish bone in your body. To that, I mentioned protections…” Henry explained all the things which had been designed to stop her parents, or any fortune hunter, from attempting to lay claim to the fortune. He also enumerated the safeguards in place for her sisters as well. “Your parents will not have a legal leg to stand on to try and lay claim to any of my money after I am gone. It is why Jane’s dowry will only be released, and even then carefully, when she is about to marry or after she is thirty, and then only when she goes to live in her own establishment. If she attempts to turn any, or all, of it over to her mother, she will forfeit the money.”
“I do not want it known that I am heiress to all of what you have mentioned. I am still having a hard time comprehending the scope of your wealth. That any one person could be so rich stretches incredulity. When I make friends, like I have with Charlotte, or one day meet a man, I want to be liked for who I am, not my fortune.”
“Speaking of Charlotte, she and Maria have ten thousand pounds each.” Henry saw the way his great-niece looked at him. “Do not look at me so; it is a pittance compared to what I have. You do not disapprove, do you?” He watched as emotions played over Lizzy’s face.
“Disapprove? Of course not. If anyone deserves it, it is Charlotte. I was wondering how to give more to Charlotte and Maria without offending Sir William and Lady Lucas.”
“Lizzy dear, one day, you will be able to add what you choose; just remember that until you are thirty or married, my solicitor, Mr Crawley, and Gardiner will have to agree to releaseamounts over one thousand pounds. They will not stop you unless they see someone trying to take advantage of you. And you did mention the important point; Sir William will have to approve and not be offended.”
Elizabeth sat quietly for a little while as she assimilated this earth-shattering news. “I do see why you decided against Janey, no matter how much I love her as a sister. When Mama and Papa realise it was not some small, inconsequential bequest, they will attempt to profit from it.”
“They will,” Henry agreed, “but thanks to the trust we have set up, there is nought they can do. You would not have to remain with them, even before your majority, if I am gone before then.”
She arched her eyebrow and tilted her head to one side in question.
“Your father signed…” Henry explained what had been agreed to, which would allow Lizzy to leave her parents and move to wherever she chose. After all, at that point she would own two estates and a house in London.
“Thank you for allowing me that possibility. I still hope and pray you will be with us for many more years.” Elizabeth paused when she remembered part of the tale. “Even with one ship being taken by pirates and another lost in a storm, you still have so much wealth! If I had not heard it directly from you, I would have thought it a fiction.”
“That day that little Deepak—well, he was little then, he is a man full grown now—when he called me, and I saw the gold vein just at the surface, I was convinced it was a dream. It was not.”
A tinkling laugh was loosed by Elizabeth. When her uncle looked at her quizzically, she explained. “I have heard you tell Papa and others you went to India to seek your fortune, and you found it. Though you were being honest, they assumed it was nothing much; you simply did not correct theimpression. You make nabobs look poor.”
“Again, Lizzy, my dear great-niece, you show the depth of your intelligence and wit. Now I think it is time for us to make for our beds; you will see Snowhaven and Anna on the morrow.”
Elizabeth did not protest. She stood, kissed Uncle Henry on his cheek, before exiting via the door which led to her bedchamber.
With all of the revelations, sleep did not come easily to Elizabeth.
Chapter 12
“Anna!” Elizabeth exclaimed as she pulled her friend into the circle of her arms.
“It is so good to see you, Lizzy,” Georgiana said as her friend released her. “It has been far too long. At least, I had letters from you, Mary, and Kitty.”
On their arrival at Snowhaven, as soon as it came into view, Elizabeth had been fascinated by the remaining parts of the castle still standing and the way the manor house had been incorporated into the original parts of the structure without overwhelming or overshadowing it.
She had been thinking much on everything she had learnt the previous evening, but as soon as Elizabeth saw Anna, thoughts of her future inheritance flew from her head as the two ran towards one another the instant Elizabeth alighted from the coach. Anna was twelve now, but she was as tall, if not a little taller, than Elizabeth. It was not so very surprising because Elizabeth was on the petite side.
