It was just three hours later that the three entered Meryton and took the turn that would lead them to Bennet Fields. The Matlocks, Bedfords, and Jerseys would be staying at Bennet Park, but as the ladies were there, propriety dictated that the men stay at a different house.
As they approached his betrothed’s estate, Fitzwilliam himself was lost in thought. ‘In less than a fortnight no one will ever again be able to keep me from sleeping in the same house, nay, the same bedchamber as my Jane!’ Jane’s innate passion and depth of emotions sparked erotic dreams and thoughts that sometimes were hard to endure, but as surely as he was alive, he knew that he would never do anything to cause her to cross the line and anticipate their vows so that he would dishonour the only woman that he had ever loved. He loved her more than life itself. He had never permitted himself to be vulnerable in front of any woman before Jane. It was only Jane, and it would always be only her.
Mrs Kennedy the housekeeper and Mr Hart the butler, were waiting to welcome them as grooms led their horses to the stables to be cooled down and pampered after their exercise and having been pushed hard for the duration of the ride. As the men were led up to their chambers, they were informed that a riding party would arrive at eleven in the morning to escort them back to Bennet Park. The men hoped that the party would consist of three very specific young ladies.
Gratefully, each man found a steaming bath ready for him to soak into after the exertion that left some aches and pains, even if all three would have adamantly denied it. They each had a change of clothing in their saddle bags, but by the time the men had finished soaking for over an hour and making a number of requests to the footmen for additional heated water, their carriages, trunks, and valets had arrived.
Horace Regis had been a corporal in the army and had served as batman for the former Colonel since he had been a Captain. He was happy to follow the Colonel out of the army to become his valet. No one shot at a valet, well not under regular circumstances they did not, but devil take it, getting used to tying a cravat had almost made the man that would accept any challenge quit! Luckily, while his master stayed at Darcy House, Carstens, Mr Darcy’s valet befriended him and took him under his wing, educating on the finer points of being a gentleman’s valet. The man had been at his employer’s side through thick and thin, through battles, and the horrific conditions on the continent. He was about to accompany his master on this new adventure—matrimony.
The gentlemen were dressed and drinking coffee, having a small snack in one of the drawing rooms when they heard the whinny of a horse. The three men rose as one to look out of the windows that faced the oval drive that curved around under the portico. The sight that met them made their collective hearts soar, for riding up the drive was the object of each man’s dreams and desires. Jane was wearing a sky-blue riding habit; Lizzy’s was hunter green, and Mary’s was a deep burgundy. Endearingly, each man thought that his lady was the most beautiful in the land if not the civilised world. Luckily none of them knew that the other had the same thought about his lady as they had been struck mute by the vision before them so duels were averted.
Darcy, who had the longest legs of the three, led the charge out of the house to welcome the ladies. Seeing Elizabeth after the separation, no matter how brief, he felt like he imagined a man crawling through the desert felt when he spied an oasis just before he would have given into despair. His lady was for him the water his soul needed, as the man himself needed air and his thirst for her was unquenchable.
As she saw the men burst from the house, Lizzy looked with admiration at Darcy. ‘That is one handsome man!’ she thought to herself. ‘I can only imagine what he looks like without…oh my, where did that inappropriate thought come from? I am not a wanton, am I?’ Her thoughts made her lose her equanimity as she blushed vigorously as she turned a darkest shade of red, almost scarlet. As he approached, she tried to look anywhere but at him.
‘Is she happy to see me, or do I discomfort her?’ Darcy frowned when he noticed her aversion as he approached Mercury to take his reigns. Had he known the truth of her thoughts, he would have gotten down on one knee and renewed his addresses, right there and then, though with better articulation! As he could not, he hoped she would not keep her eyes from his for long.
“Good morning, Elizabeth. You are looking very well today and I noticed from the window that you have a very good seat,” he offered, praying she would look at him and relieve his panic that she no longer wanted his company. Referring to how she looked set off another round of tumultuous feelings and blushing for the lady but she managed to regulate her emotions.
“Thank you for the compliment, William.” He almost sagged with relief at the informal address, which meant that she did not regret the connection. “I know you are not one to make empty compliments so it means all the more from you. I am very well, thank you. I trust that your ride into Hertfordshire was uneventful.”
“We rode hard and it was very enjoyable exercise with no complications, thank you for asking.” He smiled warmly up at her.
Once the greetings between the six were offered and the men’s horses had been brought around, the three men joined the ladies, two grooms, and two of the Bennet’s huge footmen for the five-mile ride to Bennet Park. The riders rode past Longbourn on the way back, and when Darcy remarked on the seeming increase in the size of Longbourn’s park, it was Jane who explained that the Purvis family had recently left the area for Boston in the former colonies to join family there and had sold Purvis Lodge to the Bennets. Once the entail was broken, the old manor house was torn down and the land was annexed to Longbourn, substantially increasing the park and adding more arable land and additional tenants. From the brief look, the men could see that once complete, Longbourn’s manor house would rival, perhaps even exceed, the size of the house where they were currently being hosted.
When they arrived at Bennet Park, six girls were sitting in the shade in front of the house sipping lemonade. As soon as the six riders dismounted, Tiffany, and Georgie flew into their brothers’ arms, giving them hugs and kisses as if they had not seen them for years, not merely days. The other four girls were excessively diverted by the scene of familial warmth in front of them. After greeting the Bennet parents within the house, the courting couples joined the girls to relax and enjoy some refreshing lemonade in the shade. The early summer warmth was countered by a light, pleasant breeze from the East.
“I have the finalised wedding settlement here with four copies, one for each of us and one for each of our solicitors. Could we look them over and, assuming there are no more changes, we can sign them? If you have no opposition Bennet, may Mother Bennet and Jane join us in the study?” Richard looked from his betrothed to her parents in the drawing room.
“I have no aversion to the ladies joining us. In fact, I would have insisted, but I am very comforted that you requested their presence without my saying a word.” He beamed with fatherly pride though Richard would not be his son for another eleven days.
The four sat comfortably in the study and each reviewed one copy of the document. After she had read it through once, the normally serene Jane was somewhat agitated. Richard noticed that his betrothed looked flushed and disquieted, and turned to her.
“Jane, what has disturbed you?” Richard asked with deep concern.
“This is too much, Richard. You are leaving my dowry and the stake I own in Gardiner and Associates under my control, and then you settle such a large amount of pin money and fifty thousand pounds on me?!” Jane explained with an edge to her normally level voice. He chuckled as he took her hands in his to quiet her down, shaking his head at his soon to be father-in-law to not interrupt.
“My love, regardless of the wealth that a bride brings to the marriage, it is a point of honour that a future husband makes a settlement on his wife. If only I were able to give you more.” He squeezed her hand gently to indicate that she should not interrupt though it was clear she intended to. “Jane, your dowry is being left to make sure that our daughters will have good dowries. The dividends we decide not to re-invest from your dowry will go into our bank account to be used as we need for our family. Your stake in Gardiner and Associates will be yours unless and until you decide to gift any of our future children with the percentages you own.
“Our estate is not Pemberley, but it earns a clear profit in excess of eight thousand pounds a year. Even after some of Bennet Field’s lands are annexed to Longbourn,yourestate will still earn over twelve thousand pounds a year. If one were to just count our estates, we will have an income of twenty thousand pounds per annum. In addition, we will have dividends from my investments, dividends from your dowry which is fully invested, or the dividends from your stake in the company at our disposal.” As he talked, he noticed her relax and was glad that his betrothed was happier about the settlement. “I do hope it consoles you that although under your control, there is nothing to stop you designating funds to be used for us as a family,” he teased her into a light laugh.
“Thank you for explaining all to me, Richard. I find it endearing that your focus is not on my money, but on my, our felicity.” She blushed as she thought about the family they may start soon.
Fanny squeezed her daughter’s hand when she could reclaim it from Richard, thanking God for delivering such a man to Jane. It was not his intention at the time and his assumptions were wholly wrong, but Darcy’s officious interference had worked out for the best.
“If there are no further objections,” Bennet waited to see if anyone would have one and was answered with silence, “then Richard and I will sign each copy.” The documents were signed and sanded, and after a pause to ensure that the ink had well and truly dried, Bennet took two copies and handed two to Richard. After a moment’s pause, they both chuckled and each set one copy in a pile that would be delivered to London on the morrow by Bennet’s courier. Bennet’s copy would be delivered to the chambers of Sir Randolph Norman and Richard’s copies delivered to his solicitor.
“Well, son, you have just given up your final chance to withdraw from the betrothal with no penalty,” said Bennet as he smirked at Richard while he winked at Jane.
“To your great dismay, the chance of my ever withdrawing from Jane is less than nought! You are welcome to add a penalty of a full million pounds should I withdraw now.” Richard laughed when Jane gasped at the sum. “The promise of two million, or for that matteranyamount of money, would not convince me to let you go.” He vowed to Jane.
“Two million? I might consider throwing you over for that. I could buy an island and have supplies brought in by one of the ships I partially own,” she countered saucily, his eyes belying his mock shock and concern as Bennet laughed.
“Oh, Fanny. I will dearly miss the humour of our eldest three daughters when they abandon us for greener pastures.” Bennet grinned at his wife.
“Yes, we will reside in a huge house and only two daughters to fill it. I suppose I will just have to throw house parties for theTononce a month so we put all of Longbourn to use rather than allow the dust to gather,” Fanny said with a smile. The look of horror on Bennet’s face made all in his study laugh.
“Thank you for reminding me our daughters get their wit from you and not I, my dear.” Thomas chuckled, grateful the Fanny he fell in love with was reemerging in the woman he had spent too many years distanced from.
