With Maria following, the two couples made for the named room. Seated within were the two Lucas sons, the eldest of the four offspring, Franklin, two years older than Charlotte, and Johnny, three years younger than her. Bothstood at the entry of their parents, Charlotte, Maria, and a man unknown to them. They had been away from home when he had been hosted at Lucas Lodge. There was no missing the way the gentleman had Charlotte’s hand on his arm covered with his other hand possessively.
“May I introduce my sons who were not present when you were last with us?” Sir William requested. After Fitzwilliam nodded, the knight made the introductions.
The brothers relaxed when they heard that the man was the one who had been a guest in their home and was now the owner of a great estate. With what they had heard about him, they were sure he had no dishonourable intentions towards Charlotte.
Charlotte decided there was no reason to procrastinate. “Mama, Papa, and siblings, yesterday, Richard asked for my hand in marriage, and I accepted him,” she revealed.
For a few moments, the shock of the announcement kept the Lucases mute. It did not last for long. There was no missing the felicity, and dare she say, love, Lady Lucas saw flowing between her eldest daughter and her betrothed. She stepped forward and pulled Charlotte into her arms. Maria joined them and hugged Charlotte from one side. Meanwhile, Sir William and his sons approached Mr Fitzwilliam with hands extended to shake his.
“Sir William, may I have a moment of your time?” Fitzwilliam requested.
“You do not need my permission. After all, Charlotte is a widow,” Sir William responded.
“I am aware of that, though we would appreciate your blessing,” Fitzwilliam declared.
“You have it; there is no need for a private audience for that. I know you are well able totake care of my daughter, and if she accepted you, she must have deep feelings for you because she is independent now,” Sir William stated.
“More than you know,” Fitzwilliam replied with a grin. Seeing the questioning looks as he shook his future brothers-in-laws’ hands, he indicated it was not his tale to tell.
If the Lucases had been surprised that Charlotte was engaged to Mr Fitzwilliam, when they heard that Miss de Bourgh intended to bequeath Charlotte half of her rather substantial dowry, they were flabbergasted. When Charlotte told them that she would give half of the money over to be used as a dowry for Maria, her family was left unable to speak.
“With a dowry of ten thousand pounds, Maria will be a much better prospect. If she does not find a man who is worthy of her hand, she will be independent, especially as the money will be invested with Mr Gardiner,” Charlotte laid out.
Charlotte slept that night at Lucas Lodge, and although he was with them until after dinner, to observe propriety, Fitzwilliam spent the night in a comfortable suite at the Red Lion Inn in Meryton. After they broke their fasts with the Lucases, Charlotte and Fitzwilliam, accompanied by the maid, departed for Kent.
After Charlotte left, the Lucas parents realised in their excitement over their daughter’s news, they had forgotten to mention Jane Bennet’s engagement.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Later in the afternoon the Gardiners and Bennet sisters had arrived at Snowhaven; an express arrived from Rosings Park.
Lady Matlock was with her husband in the study when the butler delivered the missive. When the butler intruded, they had been speaking of how much they both liked the Bennet sisters even after knowing them only for a few hours.
“It is from Richard,” Lady Matlock stated when she took the epistle off the salver.
Lord Matlock waved the butler away with his thanks. The man bowed and withdrew, pulling the study door closed behind him. “Will you read Richard’s words and then tell me?” Matlock requested.
“Come join me on the sofa.” Lady Matlock patted the seat next to her. “We can read it together.”
Even had he desired it, Matlock would not gainsay his wife. Once he sat, he took the letter from her, broke the Rosings Park seal, and opened the pages. As his arms were longer, he held it so that they could both read it.
13 July 1812
Rosings Park
Mother and Father:
You know me, as I like to get right to the point. I am engaged to be married. No, you do not know her well, but you have met her. I have been attracted to her since Easter past. Unfortunately, at that point, she was married to a sycophantic dullard.
“Richard too! I will be driven to distraction, with both of our sons to be married. Reggie, all of my prayers are being answered,” Lady Matlock enthused. “Go on reading. That way we will know who our other daughter will be.”
Her name is Mrs Charlotte née Lucas (a very good friend to both Miss Jane Bennet and Miss Elizabeth.) The reason I do not use her married name is by her request due to her abhorrence of that name. She was married to Aunt Catherine’s late idiotic, ignorant, obsequious parson.
You willremember meeting her and her parents briefly when you were at Rosings Park after Anne consigned Aunt Cat to the dower house.
She is now out of mourning; she mourned less than three months, which in my opinion was far too long. I respect the fact that she would not be hypocritical to satisfy the unreasonable societal demands that she should mourn a full year for a man she neither liked nor respected.
Her forthright manner is one of the many things which drew me to her even when she was married, and it is one of the reasons why I love her now. When we spoke earlier today, she revealed that she too felt an attraction to me. As neither of us was aware of the feelings we had for one another, you can draw the correct inference that we never acted on our feelings. In fact, we never displayed them for the other to see.
