Chapter 1
It is a truth universally acknowledged… no wait that’s not where this story begins…
The hem of her dress was muddy again! She would have to change before joining her family for breakfast. It was an annoyance, but the only alternative was to remain in doors until the ground had completely dried. Elizabeth could never have borne the hours indoors that would require. She started, the clang of carriage wheels over the rough ground, quite making her forget her ruined hems. Her eyes went wide, and her mouth dropped open at the sight. She closed it quickly, remembering one of the few lessons mother had taught her. She didn’t wish to catch flies. She stood still her eyes wide in wonder. Four carriages ground to a halt at the entrance to Longbourn. The door of the lead carriage swung open, and a finely dressed footman stepped out. She was unsurprised at the liveries, as the coat of arms on the carriages marked its providence clearly.
The shield, depicting the union of Great Britian and Ireland. Three gold lions representing England, held their place on the coat of arms. The red lion representing Scotland, its red rich even in the grey autumn morning. The gold harp representing Ireland with its silver string. The depiction could not be mistaken. These were carriages of the royal household, here at Longbourn.
Lizzy shook her head, coming to her senses. She turned back and ran to the kitchen door. She must alert her family. She need not have hurried. The kitchen was abandoned, so she climbed the stairs to the hallway. The staff were lined up in front of her, blocking her path to the front of the house.
“Excuse me,” she said, her voice unusually soft. The staff, on high alert, reacted immediately and made way for her. She saw that her family had already abandoned their activities and stood ready to exit the house. She reached her mother’s side. She was pale and rigid, clutching Jane’s hand. Lizzy spotted her father; he was scarcely less pale than her mother. Elizabeth reached her sister Jane’s other side, slotting in between her and her next younger sister Mary. Taking the hands of each. Jane clutched her hand so tightly it was nearly painful. Her father drew in a deep breath and in a shaky tone, said “open the door Hill’.
Hill, a motherly looking woman, her brown hair starting to turn white, stepped forward. She opened the door and the family streamed out. Hill turned back towards the kitchen leading her staff out the rear exit. The family took their place to the front, with the staff taking their places at each side of the door.
The footman Lizzy had seen before re-entering the house was opening the door, of the second carriage. A lady her dark hair turning grey, dressed in the very finest travelling pelisse, in the darkest green, stepped down. She was a few years her mother’s senior but looked even older than her years, her face contorted in worry. Elizabeth recognised her immediately. She did not glance away and therefore was unable to note when the rest of her family and the staff recognised the lady. But, she felt when Jane’s hand started to shake. Her own shock subsiding, she finally looked to her parents. She had no time to note their reactions as the footman was helping a second occupantfrom the carriage. It took only a glimpse for everyone present to recognise him and all immediately bowed and curtsied. All remained with their heads bowed until, the lady spoke.
“The Prince Regent is in need of immediate aid,” Mrs Fitzherbert said, her voice steady but soft. These words released everyone from their positions.
Mrs. Bennet finding her voice first said, “of course, please be well,”. Reaching out a hand to the lady who took it at once. Another gentleman no less finely dressed than Mrs Fitzherbert and the Prince Regent spoke next.
The Prince Regent was deadly pale and unable to walk unassisted. His image had been depicted in missals her family received from town. But he was much aged from the images Elizabeth had seen of him.
“I am James Montgomery, the Prince Regent’s physician. He has taken suddenly ill.” Elizabeth was relieved that his physician was on hand. She was sure that her parents were even more so. Dr Montgomery was, unlike the Prince Regent, the picture of health. He was a fine tall man, of trim figure, a similar age to her father’s five and forty. But unlike her father, who was losing his, he still had a mop of mostly brown hair.
Mr Bennet, introduced himself, and Elizabeth heard her mother instruct Hill to ready the master’s and mistresses’ chambers. Hill bowed slightly and with her two hands guided the staff around to the rear of the house. Mr Bennet directed the two footmen, who were holding up the Prince Regent, to the house. Mrs Bennet walked beside Mrs Fitzherbert with another lady, a few years her junior, who had not been introduced, holding her hand. They followed the Prince and his doctor into the house.
Elizabeth remained outside, she looked down at her petticoats, still covered in mud. Jane, Mary, Kitty and Lydia, had also not dared re-enter their home without expresspermission. So they remained as they were for above one half hour. No one called for them. Elizabeth hoped that their parents would remember them before nightfall. Her humour reasserting itself, she thought what a fine joke it would be if they should all catch their death of cold outside their own home. Lizzy assumed her sisters were equally unsure as to what they should do. Jane turned to Elizabeth, expecting her to come up with a plan. Elizabeth had no idea, but she was thankfully saved by her father’s return to the garden.
He looked at them all, his face stern and his voice grave. “Kitty, Lydia,” he said, looking at them, his eyes intense. “Go now to your Aunt Phillips. Tell her nothing but that we have unexpected guests.” He halted and looked each of them in the eye. “Do you hear me?” he asked. They both nodded. “If one word of our visitors is uttered from either of your lips, you will be sent to a reformatory school until you are one and twenty,” he said. “Do you understand me?”. They both nodded again. “Tell your Uncle Phillips I will visit him as soon as I may. But you are not to return home until I recall you. Do you understand,” he asked again. They nodded again in unison. “Good,” he said, “go now”. Lydia and Kitty ran faster than Lizzy had ever seen them before.
Their father than turned to herself, Jane and Mary. “You three go immediately and help Hill re-arrange the family accommodation,” he said. “Your mother and I will take one room,” he said with a sigh. “I trust you girls will sort out rooms for yourselves and everyone else who needs remain here”, he added.
“We will see to it Papa,”, Elizabeth assured him, seeing Jane and Mary nodding their agreement. Elizabeth, released her sisters’ hands and took her father’s for a moment, giving a squeeze in comfort.
“Good girls,” he said, as she let him go and guided her remaining sisters inside the house, by way of the garden door.
“Misses Bennet,” Hill said, walking briskly towards them as she called out her greeting. She bobbed a small curtsy. “I have done as the Mistress instructed and cleared out the master and mistresses chambers. The linens are changed to the best ones. The rooms are as ready as we can make them for royal guests. But the Master and Mistresses’ belongings are relocated to the nursery. I know not what to do?” she said, finally taking a breath.
