“I could not be more in agreement with you, Reggie. What you say, Fanny and I feel as well, and we could not be happier. To gain an honourable son such as Richard would make any father happy. We know he will always treat our Mary well, and there can be no doubt in the shared love and respect they have for each other.” Bennet chuckled. “I will advise him when she takes one to task it is for good cause, but he will not recover quickly. She inherited that from…” he paused when Fanny cleared her throat, “my mother.” Fanny’s laugh filled the room with Elaine’s lower one mixing in perfectly.
“Thomas, it is good that you and Fanny have decided you will no longer hide from theTon,” Lady Elaine stated with a sly smile to Fanny. “Once this engagement is announced following so closely on the heels of William’s marriage and Bingley’s betrothal all to Bennet girls, the excitement to associate with you that you saw when we were in town will grow a hundred-fold. Your connections and wealth are no longer a secret, but we will have a larger force at work to keep the fortune hunters away from both Kitty and Georgie when they come out.”
“You know what I was thinking, Elaine? As Kitty and Georgie are so close in age, what say you to our bringing them out together once they are both eighteen?” Fanny suggested, liking it even more now it was said aloud.
“That is an excellent Idea, Fanny. And I think the girls would love the scheme. Even before they were to become sisters through marriage, they were already as close as real sisters could be,” Elaine agreed immediately.
“Thomas, did I understand from Richard correctly that you and Fanny are gifting Netherfield Park to him and Mary after they marry?” Reggie asked seriously.
“That you did, Reggie. Fanny and I decided to do that even before their formal courtship was requested. It will give them a home without Richard having to use his funds he has built up so well over the years, and neither will there be a need to touch Mary’s dowry.
“With the close to six thousand a year from Netherfield Park, and more than four thousand from their combined fortunes, they will not want for anything. At least I hope they will be able to scrape by on ten thousand a year.” Bennet smirked as all three laughed at his joke. “As we told Richard,” he nodded when they settled, “selfishly we will ensure that at least one daughter will be settled close to our home as the other two will already be closer to yours.”
“I will smother them enough to be mildly annoying at times,” Elaine promised, winning a laugh from the others.
For a moment, Fanny considered what she may have been like before her sons were born with a daughter settled so well close by and had to admit Mary and Richard were very lucky she was not the same person she had been prior to the birth of the twins.
That Fanny would have been at Netherfield Park every day, trying to direct their lives and giving them no space to grow as husband and wife. Fanny would now visit when invited, give advice where asked, and make sure the couple had all the space they needed to live their lives as they saw fit. She would not be a cause should they ever choose to move for their own reasons.
“I was elated when Richard informed us that he had already sent an express to General Atherton resigning from the army and asking the General to make inquiries to see if someone would like to buy his Colonel’s commission,” the Countess admitted with a supreme look of relief.
“You have no idea how it makes a mother’s heart sing to know her baby son will not be sent into battle again. After the battles he was in, Richard was altered. He was not physically changed, but I could see he was haunted. It is only now his future is secure that I have seen my Richy return fully. Thank you, Fanny and Thomas for granting his most favourite wish, and my most ardent one as well, that he will be safe from war and for making sure he has an occupation and a purpose.”
“What do you think about us all returning to London after Lizzy and William wed?” Bennet suggested as he watched Fanny share in Elaine’s relief and pleasure, grateful she was his wife and as compassionate a woman as he could ever hope to find. They had long feared for Richard as well, so they were almost as relieved. Their Mary would not have recovered had he been lost to war.
“Yes, Thomas,” answered his wife, “we need to shop for a trousseau for both Jane and Mary, and I am sure Elaine would like to be with us as we set up our daughters. We will let their desires guide us, and you do not have to say it, Thomas, I promise not to push for too much lace.” Fanny winked lovingly at her husband.
“I am sure Anne will want to come to Town with us to purchase a new wardrobe, she hates the horrid fashions Lady Catherine used to force on her,” Lady Matlock opined. “She has ordered a number of dresses and other items of clothing from Lambton, but she needs to visit Madame Chambourg as well.”
“My niece Anne is always welcome, Elaine,” Fanny arched a brow and Elaine laughed brightly as she nodded in concession.
“I have to get the boys to Cambridge right after Lizzy’s wedding, so I will join all of you in London as soon as I return. We will bring them home for Jane and Mary’s wedding. None of the family would be happy if Tom and James missed their sister’s weddings, least of all the boys.” Bennet chuckled; the separate warnings he had received from both were still diverting.
With many decisions of the following weeks made, two very happy sets of parents wished each other a good night and Thomas and Fanny retired to their suite.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
On the short ride back to Pemberley, the soon to be former Colonel, rode in the coach with Darcy, Georgiana, and Bingley while the second carriage transported Tom and James Bennet, Anne de Bourgh and the Hursts. Seeing her cousin was not able to stop smiling, Georgiana let out a contented sigh.
All was right with their world again. Darcy and Bingley could not help smiling as they watched the soon to bethe Honourable Mr. Richard Fitzwilliam. They were engaged to a Bennet daughter each, and understood the feelings of deep, ardent, and requited love that Richard was feeling.
“You are to become a landed gentleman like me, Richard,” Darcy grinned.
“Yes William, I could not believe it when the Bennets told us what our wedding present was to be. Netherfield Park! I tried to beg off, but they were adamant. And once Bennet had explained it would not have any adverse effects on either his sons’ future fortunes or his income needs, Mary and I had no choice but to accept,” Richard admitted, “and I do not doubt it was also true they will be glad to have one of their daughters settled so close to Longbourn.”
“So that means I will be evicted after your wedding?” Bingley frowned dramatically.
“I forgot you had a yearlong lease, Bingley. We will make other plans until you are ready to quit the place,” Richard stated with the finality of his military position, showing off his decision-making skills in a way that made Georgiana grin.
“Fitzwilliam, I am jesting!” Bingley laughed, winking at her when Georgiana did as well. “You forget I have been seeking an estate in the area, and I think I have found one I would be very comfortable in, thanks to Chalmers’s assistance.” At the questioning looks from the other occupants of the luxurious Darcy coach, he elaborated. “The Longfield estate, Longfield Meadows, has been on the market for more than six months. The old Mr. Longfield died with no issue.
“A distant cousin, his heir, has a large and prosperous estate of his own south of London so he wants to sell Longfield Meadows as he has no interest in managing two estates so far apart from each other. He had been asking more than the estate’s current worth, but I happened to see the property quite soon after he had instructed his agent to significantly lower the price. I made an offer; it was accepted, and it is in the hands of our solicitors now.
“Pending Jane’s approval, I will sign the sale and conveyance documents tomorrow. I was waiting until then to announce my purchase to our whole party. As such, you and Mary will not be displacing your brother.” Bingley tested the new moniker out for both of them. Never had they imagined being brothers before they met the Bennet daughters, and now they would be marrying sisters in the same ceremony.
“The Meadows is but ten miles to the west of Pemberley!” Darcy grinned at the thought of how comforting that would be for his Lizzy.
“Yes, Darce, that was one of my considerations when seeking an estate to purchase. I know Jane and Lizzy will love being so close to one another. It is under one and one half hours by carriage, and even less on horseback. The estate clears close to four thousand per annum, but I could see with some effort it could be significantly higher. The place has been neglected since Longfield took ill over two years ago, and more so since he passed. I am most fortunate, however, to know someone in the neighbourhood who will be able to advise me when I need it,” Bingley ribbed Darcy.
