“Lady Elizabeth Bennet, you are the love of my life, the only one I could ever see accompanying me on my life’s journey. Will you do me the honour of accepting a formal courtship with me?” His thumbs rubbed the tops of her hands as he asked the question that would alter the course of his life forever.
“Yes Mr Darcy,” she answered with a joyful smile, “I happily accept your offer of a courtship.” He squeezed her hands and then rose, informing her that he was going to request her father’s consent and blessing.
As he exited, Lizzy pulled the bell pull and requested that O’Grady find her mother and ask her to join her daughter in the sitting room. A short while later, her mother, the three Fitzwilliam ladies, one Darcy and her sisters joined her just before her father and Darcy entered. Once everyone was seated, excepting the two men, Bennet asked Lizzy to join him.
“William has requested a courtship to which Lizzy replied in the affirmative, and I have given my permission and blessing to the endeavour. I congratulate the now officially courting couple.” Bennet smiled at the happiness he could clearly see on all the assembled ladies, Georgiana’s the brightest and he could understand why. She was the only one that went home alone with her brother. She and Darcy needed his Lizzy and the happiness and laughter that were as much a part of her personality as was reading.
The couple received effusive congratulations from all. Georgie hugged Lizzy tightly and told her how much she had prayed that she would accept William and be her sister. Her brother and Elizabeth both pointed out that they were not betrothed, yet, which was dismissed as a mere technicality and she charged them to fix the issue as soon as was possible which earned her smiles from both. Both families were pleased with the deepening of bonds between them. The Countesses sat together and agreed that if the courtship progressed to the desired end, William and Lizzy would be well suited one to the other.
Thatcher, with the help of a footman, brought in champagne, a small pour, given the time of the morning, so that the newly courting couple could be toasted by all. The Darcys issued an invitation for dinner at Darcy House for two days hence, the day before Lydia would be collected from school to those present and informed them that the Gardiners, Rhys-Davies and De Melvilles would be invited as well.
The younger set did not want to part with their friends, betrothed, or courting counterparts, so they planned to meet and ride in Hyde Park in the afternoon. The irony that Miss Caroline Bingley was a prisoner in the same house where the object of her obsession requested a courtship from the woman that she hated more than any other was not lost on anyone.
Chapter 19
It was the day that the Bennet ladies were to have tea at Buckingham House with the Queen and Princesses. The Queen, who had heard such favourable reports from her son and daughter, who had attended the now infamous ball, was in happy anticipation of meeting the ladies that had impressed Princess Elizabeth especially well.
The Bennets arrived a little early as one did not keep the Queen and her daughters waiting. They were ushered into a grand salon where Queen Charlotte was sitting on a throne like chair flanked by two Princesses on either side. Princess Charlotte sat to the right of her mother with her sister Princess Mary next to her. To the Queen’s left sat Princess Augusta Sophia with Princess Elizabeth next to her. The Lord Chamberlain made the introductions and then left the ladies. There were four ladies in waiting sitting behind the Queen and her daughters. After the five Bennets made deep curtsies to the royals, the Queen opened the conversation, as she was the only one that could do so.
“We invite you to sit. One of our ladies in waiting will pour tea and then we will talk,” she stated, as if it was in invitation and not a command. At the Queen’s nod, an elaborate gold tea service with the finest china that the Bennets had ever seen was brought forth. The teaspoons and cake-forks too were gold or gold plated. Accompanying the tea was a mountain of pastries, finger sandwiches, biscuits, sweetmeats, and an abundance of fresh fruits. As per protocol, no one ate or drank before the Queen commenced. When she was finished with her tea and delights, everyone was also.
“Our daughter Elizabeth tells us that there was an interloper present at the ball. She states that the woman with her vile sense of style and her family were removed from society that same night. It has also come to my attention that the very day after, that same person carried out an unprovoked attack against the person of Lady Elizabeth and as a result that family is to be banished to our former upstart colonies.” The Queen looked directly at Elizabeth as she spoke. The Queen spoke perfect English, albeit with a Germanic accent. Elizabeth waited for three full seconds to ensure that the Queen had finished her inquiry so she would not make the mistake of talking over Queen Charlotte.
“You are well informed, your Royal Majesty. The lady and her family will depart our fair shores in but two days from today; they will not ever be allowed to return. I thank you for your inquiry, and as your Majesty and your Highnesses see, I am quite unharmed from the encounter.” Lady Elizabeth bowed her head slightly in appreciation and acknowledgement then smiled as she wondered how the Queen had known about their day-to-day activities.
The Queen and her daughters asked some general questions about the Bennets and their home shire of Hertfordshire. The Queen remembered her husband, the King, had been to Meryton and was addressed by the mayor upon whom the King then bestowed a knighthood. Lady Longbourn told the Queen that the very grateful recipient of the Monarch’s beneficence, Sir William Lucas, was a friend and neighbour and she was sure that when she informed the knight that the Queen remembered the circumstances of his knighthood that he would be most effusive in his gratitude.
The Queen requested to hear the Bennet sisters play and sing and was not disappointed. In their case, the praise that had preceded their display may have even been downplayed rather than exaggerated. The Queen, Princesses, and Ladies in waiting clapped and genuinely praised the musical and singing talents that were exhibited. After the Queen indicated that she may request an encore performance at some point in the future, the Countess thanked Her Majesty for the honour of the invitation on behalf of herself and her daughters. After all five curtsied to the royals, they backed out of the salon.
The ladies were cognisant of the great honour that the Queen had bestowed on them, but they let out a collective sigh at relief that they had survived the visit without any gaffs or unintentional insults to the royals. After they changed into more comfortable day dresses, Kitty received permission to go see her friend and soon to be sister, Tiffany. Georgie was to be at Matlock House with her cousin. After kissing her Mama thank you, she left, escorted by a footman and Mrs Chandler, Mary’s companion.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The Darcys and all of their invited guests were sitting in the largest Darcy House drawing room. It was one of the biggest gatherings assembled there in many a year and it was likely the most eclectic, but all of the members were very comfortable together. The younger girls not yet out, included Loretta De Melville and Lily Gardiner, who would turn thirteen soon. James, May, and Peter Gardiner were in the nursery. The younger adults included the betrothed couple, the courting couple, the married couple, the Jersey heir Wesley, and the unofficial couple that all of the parents were watching with interest, Mary Bennet and Hugh Rhys-Davies. The two were sitting and talking, oblivious of all others around them.
“It seems that Hugh has taken a fancy to your Mary, Fanny. If they are each other’s choice, I will be very happy for them.” His mother, the Duchess, looked at the other mothers in the group, Ladies Longbourn, Jersey, Matlock, and Madeline, and couldn’t quite hide her smile.
“I agree with you Rose, if that is their choice, then I too will be very happy for them,” Fanny replied. she quietly thought to herself that in the not too far distant past she would have made vulgar and inappropriate remarks about Mary being too plain, and while she responded with decorum and equanimity, she chastised herself for ever having said so. On her own Mary was pretty; when she made an effort, she was beautiful in her own right.
“Have you noticed the way that my Wesley looks at your Tiffany when they are in the same room? I know Elaine, she is not out yet, but she comes out next season and he will be three and twenty next month,” Lady Sarah offered with a contemplative tone. “They both still have time and are both young, so we will see.”
“Do not think that I have not seen the way that Tiffany blushes when your son pays her attention Sarah. But yes, they are young so there is no point in speculating just yet.” Elaine sighed, as she had to admit that her daughter was hoping Wesley would make her season special.
“Thank God that Lily is only about to turn thirteen,” Lady Gardiner admitted wistfully as she looked at her girl who was too fast becoming a young lady. “At least I have another five years before her come out.”
“Bennet, do I have your permission to give Lady Elizabeth a short tour of this level of the house before dinner? Andrew and Marie will chaperone us, and Mrs Killion the housekeeper will be with us as well.” Darcy asked after he approached the group of patriarchs.
“If Lizzy agrees, I see no problem. You may want to ask my wife if she would like to join you.”
After answering Darcy, Bennet returned to his conversation with Bedford, Gardiner, Matlock, and Jersey. The three veterans of the House of Lords were acquainting him with the workings of that House in which the Earl of Longbourn would take his seat as a Whig when parliament came back into session later that year.
Darcy, after inviting Lady Longbourn to join them, led the group to where his housekeeper was waiting for them. The entrance hall was over two stories high and had a shining marble floor in shades of whites and greys. The first stop was Darcy’s very large and comfortable study. Everything was well organised and there were neat piles of separated correspondence on the enormous desk. Behind the desk were floor to ceiling bookshelves full of well-worn books. There were two comfortable chairs facing the desk and a settee on one side underneath a large window that looked out onto the square. On the opposite wall was an enthralling painting above a sideboard that showed the manor house at Pemberley, and it was a very good looking house indeed. Elizabeth knew that her suitor was a fastidious man so nothing about his office surprised her.
They exited the study using a door that was almost invisible hidden in the panelling, which led into the library. Darcy explained that this library was very small compared to the one at Pemberley. The tone was not arrogant or boasting; he was merely stating a fact.
If this library was small, Lady Elizabeth could only imagine, and looked forward to hopefully one day seeing, the one at Pemberley. ‘Yes Mr Darcy, my esteem and respect for you grows each and every day. Who would have thought that my opinion of you would make such a radical shift after Hunsford? You have certainly endeared yourself to me in thoughts and deeds I could have scarcely then imagined.’
Outside of the double library doors was the main staircase, the banisters in rich mahogany and the stairs the same marble as the floors in the entrance hall. Across from the library was the formal dining room where the party would soon eat which could easily seat sixty. Next to it, through a partition that could be opened to add to the dining room size, was the family dining room that could seat twenty, and following that through the same type of partition was the breakfast room that could also seat twenty. Altogether, if needed, one hundred could be seated at a meal.
