Jane indicated that she did not believe there would be any imposition, so after they all donned their outerwear, the five walked back to Bennet House. The Darcys were still present and Tiffany immediately joined the three other young girls. Richard applied to his cousin, who he counted as a brother, to stand up with him. Darcy responded in the affirmative without hesitation. Jane applied to Lizzy to be her maid of honour, which was accepted without any delay.
Once her parents had joined them, Lizzy told them that her godmother and Aunt Sarah had sent a note back where they stated that in addition to the other purposes, the ball would, as predicted, serve as an engagement ball for Jane and Richard. Lady Matlock stated that she would contact them and become a third sponsor of the ball as it was her son and his betrothed to be honoured. When the couple shared the date that they wanted to marry, at first Lady Longbourn thought there would not be enough time, but she withdrew her objection when her husband pointed out that cost was not an issue and that they would have the staffs of all three properties to assist with the plans and that as many more as were needed would be employed.
The date of the wedding was set for Monday the fifteenth day of June 1812. As the family wanted to return to Hertfordshire at the end of May, it was decided that Lydia would be collected from school on the final Thursday of May, allowing the Bennets to depart for Longbourn on the final Saturday of the month.
Before Darcy and his sister departed for their house Elizabeth’s path led her to Darcy’s side, though she hoped it was not as directly as it had felt. He tensed and looked down at her, searching her eyes to determine if he should be concerned and was confused by her attempt at being so casual.
“I have been informed that the final set is the waltz, and so far, it is unreserved, Mr Darcy,” she stated with seeming innocence when it was as far from casual or innocent; for him it was water to a man dying of thirst in a desert. His heart was beating like Zeus’s hooves as he galloped, but he cleared his throat and prayed.
“Will you reserve the last for me along with the other two I have previously requested please, Lady Elizabeth?” he asked quietly.
“Yes, Mr Darcy, with pleasure. Before you ask, I am not ready to be asked what my sister was today, but after the ball if one was to request a courtship, one could reasonably expect to receive a positive answer,” she offered boldly as she had made the snap decision that she was willing to take another step with the man who was still improving daily in her estimation.
Darcy thought that he would float home. After they arrived, he sat down in the music room, although it was more that he fell down into a chair. His younger sister marched over to stand in front of him with her hands on her hips and a stern expression in her eyes.
“William is there an understanding between you and Lizzy? Is she to be my sister and you are keeping it from me?” Georgie demanded satisfaction.
“No, sweetling, I have not proposed. But soon after the ball I will request a formal courtship and she indicated just today that her response would be positive to such an application…from me.” Verbalising his thoughts made them more real, resulting in a dimple revealing smile.
“You are so handsome when you smile like that. If I were you, I would allow Lizzy to see it as much as is appropriate,” Georgie teased him. Darcy floated through the rest of that night, dreaming of the woman that he loved and anticipating three sets with her at the ball on the morrow.
Bennet composed an express to Lydia’s school to inform them of the date that she would be collected by her family. As the letters went back and forth between the family in London and Lydia, the positive changes in the youngest Bennet became more and more evident to all of her family. Her father was now certain that she would enjoy Greenlake School for Young Ladies like Kitty, especially given that when the family was in Town, she would reside at the house with them and be transported back and forth to school each day.
His wife was sending her own missives to the three housekeepers, Mrs Hill at Longbourn, Mrs Nichols at Bennet Park, and Mrs Kennedy at Bennet Fields, to have them start to prepare the houses for an onslaught of guests. She instructed the other two that any requests and instructions would flow through Mrs Hill at Longbourn so there would be a minimum of confusion and no doubling up on tasks in preparation for her eldest’s wedding. She wrote to her sister Hattie Phillips to share Jane’s good news. She also wrote to her longest standing friend, Lady Sarah Lucas.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
When Hattie Phillips had received the express from her sister regarding their elevation, she was sure it was a joke until she, along with all of the residents of Meryton, had seen the royal decree in the papers the following day. Suddenly she was sister to an Earl, a Countess and a Baronet.
First finding out the true scope of the Bennets’ wealth had been a shock to her system. When the news her sister had given her in the missive was backed up by the newspaper, and just like her sister had when she heard the news, Hattie Phillips fainted dead away. It was a full ten minutes later before her husband, Frank, could revive her. She was about to go spread the news to one and all until her husband pointed out that it was a waste of time, as by then the whole of Meryton and the surrounding area had either read the paper for themselves, or had been told by one who had.
When Mrs Collins returned home a widow and reported on the town homes belonging to the Gardiners and the Bennets where she had been hosted, Lady Lucas was green with envy. She had tried to dismiss the reports of the Bennets’ wealth, but now she knew it was real. At least she comforted herself that her husband was a knight and she was Lady Lucas, so at least she still hadthaton Fanny Bennet, no matter how rich the lady that was both a friend and rival was, she was not titled. Now Fanny Bennet was Lady Longbourn, the Countess of Longbourn, and married to an Earl! If one could die of envy, Sarah Lucas may have succumbed. Not only were the Bennets one of the wealthiest families in the realm, but now Fanny was a peer of the realm!! There was no justice in the world. She could not bear to think how Fanny would lord her new position over her. She conveniently dismissed the consideration that she was describing her own behaviour.
Lady Lucas and all of Meryton had not understood the change in the former Frances Gardiner since the revelation of their wealth. She did not boast, she did not gossip, and she was much, much calmer. All of her friends and acquaintances were in for a great shock. When Lady Longbourn returned at the end of May, they would see that the old Mrs Bennet was gone and the persona they met before the family hied to Town was her new reality.
When Lady Lucas received the missive about Jane marrying, she was envious but she made herself feel better by telling herself that after all she was only marrying the son of an Earl, and a poor, second son at that.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The day of the most anticipated ball of the season dawned clear, without a cloud in the sky. At the Hurst’s townhouse the hideous burnt orange ball gown that Caroline Bingley planned to wear for hertriumphant returnto the bosom of theTonwas hanging ready for said woman to wear. The unmatched ostrich feathers and bandeau that clashed horribly with her gown sat on the dresser next to the door of the closet where her fashion-do-nots were hanging.
Bingley continued to ignore all warning signs that he should seriously reign in his younger sister and despite serious misgivings from Louisa, he still clung to his delusional belief that all would be well without any effort on his part. Louisa had considered staying home, but she knew that her action would send her sister into a tirade that would end with destruction of her husband’s property in a tantrum of epic proportions. In the end, she did what she had always done before, and even in the face of the warning that her husband had issued, she decided that placating her sister and giving her what she wanted was the path of least resistance.
At the same time that the older Bingley siblings were contemplating the ball and placating their younger sister, a royal page arrived at Bennet House with the invitation to tea at Buckingham House on Monday next at two o’clock in the afternoon for the Bennet ladies. One did not refuse an invitation from Queen Charlotte. The page returned with acceptance for the great honour bestowed on them from all five Bennet ladies. Life for the Bennets had certainly changed, for very few were invited to take tea at the royal’s private residence.
Chapter 17
Finally! It was the night of the ball and theTonwas buzzing about the new Earl and Baronet. Word of the wealth that the families possessed had circulated. The acceptance of theTonwas all but guaranteed as no one wanted to cross families with so much wealth and power. The ball was being held at Bedford House on Portman Square, diagonally across from Gardiner House. The Bennets had arrived at the Gardiner’s house in all of their finery an hour prior to the ball. The Fitzwilliams, Miss de Bourgh, Ashby, and Darcy arrived to join them shortly after, and the group enjoyed an aperitif before making the short walk to Bedford House.
Kitty Bennet, Tiffany Fitzwilliam, and Georgiana Darcy were at Matlock House with their companions. Kitty and Georgiana would pass the night at Tiffany’s house, so they would have to wait until the revellers woke on the morrow to ask the myriad questions that they intended to discover about the ball; and more importantly the fashions. Besides the three companions, the girls had a full complement of servants, which included some footmen who doubled as guards so they would be secure and supervised just as girls not yet out in society ought to be.
The three girls would have loved to be able to attend the ball, both because it was the most sought-after ball of the season, and to see if one Caroline Bingley would behave as they all expected her to. None enjoyed the suffering of others, but this was a situation in which whatever suffering was experienced would solely be due to the actions of the woman herself and the inactions of her siblings.
Darcy had a hard time closing his mouth as he stared at Lady Elizabeth. She was a vision in her green silk ball gown with a magnificent emerald and diamond necklace accompanied by emerald earrings and pins with emerald tips in her hair. The colours that she was wearing made the green in her eyes stand out all the more.
Richard Fitzwilliam was completely entranced by his betrothed. Her silk ball gown was a deep burgundy with her jewellery and pins accented with rubies. She was a vision of beauty, and with the colours that she was wearing, her smooth skin and blond tresses shone like a bright light in the night sky.
The Bedfords had requested that the new Earl and Countess, the Gardiners, and the Matlocks join them and the Jerseys in the receiving line. Lady Matlock was the third sponsor of the ball with the impending announcement of her son’s betrothal, and having the Bennets and the Gardiners in the line would ensure that they would meet the invited guests face to face before entering the crush in the ballroom.
