Bennet glanced up briefly. ‘I see. I also see that you stipulated that Elizabeth’s dowry is to remain in my daughter’s control. This mentions a sum of two thousand pounds. Who told you that figure?’
Darcy squirmed a little in his chair as he said, ‘Miss Bingley.’
The statement caused Bennet to laugh. ‘That uppity little Cit has no idea.’ He rang the bell. When a servant entered, he asked that Elizabeth and Gardiner should join them.
While they waited, Bennet offered Darcy some port, which the gentleman declined. ‘It is a little early for me.’ Bennet shrugged and poured a small tot.
As soon as a somewhat concerned looking Elizabeth and her uncle entered, Bennet extended the papers to them. ‘I have given permission for you to marry Darcy and he presented me with this. I thought you might want to make some corrections.’
The two took seats and studied the document. When they came to the figure of Elizabeth’s dowry, they glanced at each other with identical smiles.
‘I am afraid that Miss Bingley listened to gossip,’ Elizabeth said while looking at Darcy. ‘Do you know an estate named Willowbrook. I believe it is near Kympton.’
‘Yes of course. It is a beautiful estate. At least it is these days. I was told that there was a time when it was badly run down until it was taken over by the new owners. But that was before I was born. Why do you ask? What has Willowbrook to do with this discussion?’
Elizabeth glanced at Mr Gardiner, who nodded and at her father who smiled blandly and steepled his fingers before turning back to Darcy to answer his question. ‘I chose Willowbrook as my dowry.’
Darcy stared at her wide-eyed with his mouth hanging open just a little. At a challenging smile from his beloved, he closed his mouth with a snap and swallowed hard. ‘I should have accepted that port,’ he murmured when Bennet pushed the untouched glass towards him.
‘I thought that you might need this.’
Darcy took a sip and gathered his scattered wits. ‘How did you come to own that estate?’
‘Remember we told you about my great uncle Henry Carleton?’
Darcy’s brow furrowed. ‘The distant cousin of Robert and Amelia Carleton. Yes, I vaguely recall you mentioning the relationship.’
‘He was an avid collector... He enjoyed collecting estates. Since he and Aunt Mary lost their only son in an accident, my sisters and I are to inherit one estate each… either upon the occasion of our marriage or when we turn five and twenty.’
‘It is an amazing coincidence that you should inherit an estate almost next door to Pemberley.’
‘There is no coincidence involved. There were five estates available for us and we were allowed to choose. For obvious reasons I thought Willowbrook the most appropriate.’
‘I suppose it will be easy enough to administer for any daughters we might have,’ Darcy murmured thoughtfully.
‘Daughters not son?’ queried Elizabeth.
‘Since it is your estate, I thought you would prefer it for a daughter. But as it is your estate it is of course your choice.’
Elizabeth gave him that big happy smile which turned his insides to water and made her completely irresistible while Bennet muttered, ‘Who would have believed it. All my daughters picked honourable men who care more about them than money.’
Another thought occurred to Darcy. ‘Does Richard know that Miss Mary has an estate?’
‘Not yet.’
‘I would love to see his face when he finds out.’
‘Since he did not get to see your jaw dropping to the floor, you will not have the opportunity to enjoy his reaction. That privilege belongs to us,’ replied Bennet, indicating himself and Gardiner.
~T~
As it happened that privilege only applied to Mary, who was having a quiet discussion about their future with her beloved while Elizabeth and Darcy were cloistered in Bennet’s library.
‘You like horses, do you not,’ she asked Richard.
He grinned. ‘I would have made a bad cavalry officer if I did not. Why do you ask?’
‘I wondered if, after we are married, you would like to live on an estate near Newmarket and breed horses?’
