Rosings Park
Kent
To my dear Uncle and Aunt,
It is with great pleasure that I inform you that Mr Ian Ashby proposed marriage to me this morning and as it was my absolute desire to accept him, I did. Your niece is now betrothed to the man she loves above all others in the world.
On behalf of my affianced and myself, I thank you, Uncle Reggie, for bestowing your consent and blessing before my Ian left London. I feel no equivocation; he is the only man that I could ever be happy with, and I pray that you, my dear Aunt and Uncle who have now become as dear to me as parents, will, along with the rest of the family, wish me and my betrothed joy.
We have set the date for the wedding to be the first Friday of August. Richard and Jane talked about a wedding trip of a fortnight or three weeks duration. As our wedding will be almost two months after theirs, it is my most profound wish that they and all of our family and friends will be able to join us at Rosings Park to help us celebrate the day I look forward to with such anticipation with my soon to be husband.
With a heart full of love and optimism for the future, I am your devoted niece,
Anne
The Earl felt a single tear of joy for his niece roll down his cheek. Her life could have been so very different. She had a future with a man that he and all of the family approved of and liked. After all, Andrew never befriended anyone unless they were of the highest morals and character. He stood up from his desk and strode toward the sitting room where the family along with Jane, Kitty, and Lydia Bennet were seated. The conversations stopped as he entered the sitting room, and all heads turned toward him as they noticed the letter in his hand.
“Anne just notified us that she is captivated by Ashby and has accepted his offer for her hand in marriage.” The Earl teased his wife because they both had long known where the hearts of the couple resided.
“It is about time that our dear niece had some delirious joy in her life. She told me of her devotion to our soon to be nephew before she returned to Rosings Park,” her aunt gushed in her delight for Anne. “Reggie, do you know his father from the Lords?”
“I do, Elaine. The Earl of Ashbury and I have worked together a number of times; not a bad fellow for a Tory,” the Earl winked at his wife. “The brother and heir, Timothy, is married. I understand that Lord and Lady Amberleigh are a much-contented couple. There is a sister, Lady Sarah Ashby, who I believe is nineteen or twenty. A very pleasant sort of girl. She has had two seasons with many suitors but she showed no interest in any of them. The countess is Lady Gillian, a namesake of our sweet young granddaughter.”
“My husband, you have more news about them than the Tatler!” Lady Elaine noted playfully with a broad smile.
“I, for one, cannot conceive of a better man for our cousin,” Andrew stated with confidence as he changed the subject back to his friend. “We have been friends since our days at Eton and he is one of the most loyal and constant friends anyone could have. He will protect Anne with his life if need be, and he will make her life one filled with felicity, love, and absolute devotion.”
“Those are sage words, brother. From the first time the family and I met the man when he came to Snowhaven the summer after you two completed the first year at Cambridge I have liked and respected him. Yes, Anne’s future is in extremely good hands,” Richard agreed as he gave the glowing beauty sitting next to him on the settee, a smouldering look full of love and desire. He loved his Jane to distraction.
“I really appreciate that your cousin has allowed more than enough time between our wedding and hers so that we may attend her at Rosings Park.” Jane blushed at his overt display of desire but squeezed his hands. Just because she hid it better than Richard did, it did not mean she did not return his sentiments. “Lizzy will be traveling with the Gardiners to Dovedale after our nuptials,” she blushed a deeper shade of crimson as she mentioned her upcoming wedding. “However, the date that they have chosen will give her plenty of time in Derbyshire before they will need to travel into Kent.” She looked at her betrothed lovingly. “Richard, have you decided where you would like to take me for our wedding trip?”
“Were you not considering the Lake District Brother?” his young sister Tiffany asked.
“That I was, Tiff, but I wanted to ask Jane something first,” he turned back to the outwardly serene Lady Jane. “Have you ever been to the seaside before?”
“No Richard, I have not. Does it not sound strange that my family owns a shipping line and shipyards and I have never been near the sea? If you have a place in mind on the coast, that would be perfect for me.” She smiled brightly.
“You are thinking of Seaview Cottage, are you not Richard?” asked Marie as she remembered very pleasant times spent at the ‘cottage,’ which was really more the size of a manor house on an estate.
“Are you a mind reader, Marie?” he said as he grinned. “Yes, that is what I am thinking of.”
“Seaview Cottage?” Jane asked, trying to think if she had ever heard mention of that name before.
“It belongs to Darcy. Uncle George purchased it for Aunt Anne after she fell in love with it when they rented it for their wedding trip,” Richard explained.
“Yes, my brother could never deny my sister anything that was within his power to grant her,” the Earl informed them wistfully as he remembered his dearest sister and the husband that loved her above all and anything else.
“The Darcys use it but seldom, I think there are too many memories of Uncle George and Aunt Anne there,” Richard continued, “so any time that members of the family or close friends have wanted to stay there, Darcy has always indulged us with a positive answer as long as there is no one else planning to be there at the requested time.”
As the excitement built within her, Jane felt a frisson throughout her body, especially ‘down there’ as she thought about her weddingandher wedding night with the man that she loved. “Where is it located?” Jane asked, hopefully concealing her thoughts from everyone else in the room. It was becoming increasingly harder the deeper she was starting to ache to become his wife in all ways.
“It sits on a bluff with a nice view of Brighton,” her betrothed answered. “It is the perfect location with views of the sea on one side that will take your breath away, and of Brighton on the other side. The bluff creates a private beach that cannot be seen from the sea and the only access is from William’s property. It is situated at a distance that if one wants to visit Brighton or its environs it is less than an hour ride in a carriage, while at the same time far enough away to remain undisturbed if one chooses not to seek society.” As he said the last, his betrothed blushed as they separately came to the same conclusion that they would not be seeking society for the first sennight or more of their first trip together as man and wife.
There was stifled laughter from the older adults in the room while the three young girls viewed the scene quizzically, not understanding what the others found so amusing.
Chapter 22
The convoy of carriages arrived at Bennet Park. The housekeeper and butler had graciously exchanged places with the Hills for the period that the family was to be in residence. Mrs Nichols was available should Mrs Hill have any questions. The Bennets, usually with five daughters in tow, now had three additional girls in their charge. Kitty and Lydia had contrived invitations for Georgie, Tiffany, and Loretta. There would soon be a fourth for as part of a surprise for Lydia, Lord Longbourn had secretly communicated with Mr Jacobson, father of her best friend Helen, who had agreed to a summer with the Bennets. Not only that, but Helen would be joining Lydia and Kitty at the Greenlake School for the first term of the new school year.
