Monday at the required time the Bennets and the Gardiners accompanied by their Graces the Duke and Duchess of Bedford, Lord and Lady Matlock, and Lord and Lady Jersey were shown into a large receiving room by the Lord Chamberlain. Their non-titled names were used as the prince had not made the official presentation and awarded them their patents.
First Mr Bennet kneeled in front of the prince after his wife had curtsied to the queen. The prince tapped his right shoulder with a ceremonial sword and told Lord Thomas Bennet, Earl of Longbourn to arise. The Lord Chamberlain presented the newly minted Lord Longbourn with the patents and congratulated him and the new Countess. The same process was followed by the Gardiners and soon Sir Edward stood with Lady Gardiner alongside as his patents were presented.
Following the elevation ceremony, the four Bennet daughters made a curtsey before the Queen. Lady Catherine would have to repeat the curtsy when she came out and was presented at St James palace. Once the ladies had been acknowledged, the Queen beckoned for Jane to approach her.
“Lady Jane, we heard that you are five daughters, where is your other sister?” she asked, her eyes on Jane alone.
“She is at school, Your Royal Majesty, and there was no way to bring her home in time as yesterday was the Sabbath.”
“We have heard that you and your sister Lady Elizabeth have the voices of angels. We invite you to return to sing for us. We will have our Lord Chamberlain send an invitation.” With that the Queen dismissed Jane with a wave of her regal hand. Everyone left the chamber and entered their carriages to return to their various homes.
When the Bennets returned home at first, they looked around to see who was there when the butler welcomed his Ladyship and Lordship home. After a moment, the Bennets realised he was referring to themselves. Charlotte took great pleasure in using her friends’ titles no matter how much they asked her to cease.
A little while after returning home, while the new Earl was in his study writing a letter to the headmistress at the Dark Hallow School and the Countess was resting, Georgiana Darcy and Lady Tiffany were shown into the family sitting room.
“I am the only non-titled lady in the room, not fair,” Georgiana said with a fake pout and a twinkle in her eye.
“We are as we always were, Georgie; we will always be Jane, Lizzy, Mary, and Kitty to our good friends, and you and Tiffany are very good friends.” Jane smiled at her, representing the sentiments of all four Bennet daughters.
“How was it when you met the royals?” asked Tiffany. “I will take my curtsey next year when I have my come out.”
“Perhaps we can do it together,” Kitty said. “I will be having my come out next year as well. Georgie will be the next as she is a year older than Lydia.”
“Unless my mama objects, I would love that Kitty. You talk to your mama and I will talk to mine, and if they agree, as they surely will, then we can start to plan. We will commission Madame Chambourg to design us the perfect gowns for the coming out ball.” No one was sure whether the dreamy look that Tiffany sported was for the coming out ball or the as yet undesigned gowns from Madame Chambourg.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Anne de Bourgh, escorted by Ian Ashby and chaperoned by her maid and companion, arrived at Matlock House that afternoon. Once he had greeted the Fitzwilliams, Ashby entered his carriage for the short trip to Ashbury House. Before departing, he requested an audience with the Earl on the morrow and was formally invited to the family dinner that would be held the following day.
After Anne was shown to her room and helped by her maid to change out of her travelling attire, she joined the family in their private sitting room. She was informed about the elevation of the Bennets to the peerage and the baronetcy bestowed on Edward Gardiner. Unexpectedly Anne began to laugh, not in a ladylike giggle, but a full belly laugh. Once she calmed down, she was asked what amused her.
“This is so rich. If Lady Catherine was not in Falconwood already, this would have surely sent her there. Could you imagine how she would react to the woman that she hates for attracting William now being Lady Elizabeth, daughter of an Earl? She always denigrated tradesmen, and now Sir Edward is the same rank as my papa was and his wife the same rank as she. She is lucky that she is safe in Cumbria, as news such as this would have ended her with an apoplexy.” She smiled at all.
Tiffany who had just returned from Bennet House with Georgie after the two girls greeted their cousin, thought of something. “I believe that we will hear the explosion on the morrow when that vile Miss Bingley reads about the elevations. You think that your mother would have reacted badly Anne, but that is nothing to the way that the shrew will behave when she reads the papers on the morrow, if she reads anything other than gossip.” Tiffany smiled mischievously.
“You have the right of it, Tiffany. I would not mind being a fly on the wall when the harridan finds out,” the Countess agreed with her daughter.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Luckily for Bingley and his sister Louisa Hurst the aforementioned Caroline Bingley did not deem to bestow her company on them to break her fast. She liked to sleep late and then have a tray delivered to her room. This morning Hurst had joined his wife and brother to break his fast. He was reading the newspaper when he saw the full-page announcement on the second page of the Times.
“This is rich, I cannot wait to see how your sister reacts when she sees this.” Hurst guffawed as he amused himself.
“Let me read that, Mr Hurst,” Louisa requested the paper from her husband who happily handed it to her opened to the second page. While she held the paper, her brother read over her shoulder.
Louisa gasped as she dropped the paper when the full impact of what she read hit her. Bingley just stared at the spot the newspaper had been as if he was suspended in time.
“We have to get rid of all copies and we cannot allow her out of the house until the ball,” Louisa babbled. “She will explode if she sees this; we cannot have that at any cost. It would be the tantrum to end all tantrums.” Her brother, who still wanted to follow the path of least resistance and did not see the sense of having it over with in private, nodded his agreement. Louisa summoned the butler and ordered him to remove any of that day’s papers from the house, or better still, to burn them each day until further notice. The butler acknowledged the incomprehensible command and with a bow left the breakfast room.
“Are the two of you mad, delusional, or both?” Hurst looked at the siblings, though he usually kept out of anything to do with Caroline.
“Hold on Hurst, how can you ask that?” Bingley asked with no little indignation.
“The question is easy. We have been expelled from Boodle’s and White’s, we are not allowed in any store of note, and we are universally snubbed. Have either of you asked why this is and when it started? I do know. After that delusional harridan of a sister of yours spewed her vitriol about Miss Elizabeth, now Lady Elizabeth, all of this started. But what do the two of you do? You placate the woman, making things worse. In your quest for peace and quiet you are going to ruin your family and I will tell you here and now if you allow that thing to ruin your family, it will be without me!” Hurst warned.
“What are you saying, husband?” Louisa asked, suddenly very worried and nervous about all that implied.
“Simply that if you both sit back and allow her to ruin your family, I will bar you from my house and I will use what is left of your dowry to divorce you. If the two of you do not check her, then what I do will not come as a surprise!” Hurst did not allow either dazed sibling a chance to respond as he stormed out of the room, and a minute later they heard his study door slam.
