~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Not long after the train of carriages, wagons, and their attendant outriders had left Meryton heading toward the Great North road, an express rider arrived at the Fields after being redirected from the Park. The express contained the good news that Bennet had been waiting for. Mrs Ponsonby, the headmistress of Greenlake School for Young Ladies, informed Lord Longbourn that there was a place for his ward Miss Helen Jacobson at the commencement of the new school year and that she would be happy to reserve the spot for her.
Not long after the express arrived, the remaining three Bennets, the Rhys-Davies’ and their son moved into Bennet Park after farewelling the De Melvilles. Besides the two mothers, Mary’s companion, Henrietta Chandler, would be with the couple at all times for propriety’s sake. Even sans a companion, Mary was not one to flaunt the rules of society. Her strong moral centre was one of the many things that Hugh loved about the woman to whom he had decided to offer his hand.
Bennet sat in his study staring off into the distance at nothing in particular and remembered the conversation that he had with his oldest unmarried daughter, at least that would be the case in the short term, that prompted him to give his brother Gardiner leave to act in his stead if needed.
Hill had summoned Lizzy to his study and he had asked her to sit.
“How may I be of assistance Papa?” she had asked. He tackled the issue directly rather than beating around the bush.
“Lizzy, I have noticed a significant change in the way that you look at William. Have you come to a decision whether you will accept him when he offers for you again? I know as sure as we are sitting here that it is when, not if.” He watched her.
“I have fallen in love with him Papa,” she said with a very dreamy look in her eyes, which would have answered the question even had she not.
“Are you sure Lizzy? You used to hate the man. I would not see you marry a man that you do not consider an equal, one that you cannot respect, that you thought a hypocrite,” her father stated with concern. “Are you truly in love with him, or has he just worn down your resistance by his constant attention and obvious love for you?”
“Papa, you of all people should know I will never be pushed to do that which I do not want to do,” she frowned. “Yes, before Hunsford I did hate him, but it was based on wounded vanity, prejudice, and false information that I was susceptible to after his insult at the assembly. An insult, by the way, that we now know was not aimed at me. The looks that he gave me were wilfully misinterpreted by me as looking for fault when I now know that as far back as my sojourn at this house when I nursed Jane that he was in love with me and his looks were looks of adoration, not censure.
“I, who pride myself on sketching characters, got it all wrong with both William and that profligate, Wickham. I rightly rejected that abominable and insulting proposal he made to me at Hunsford. I followed that up by a setdown for the ages after I read his letter, where numerous times I accused him of being a hypocrite. Rather than galloping away as fast as Zeus would carry him, he started to address the reproofs that I laid at his door.
“How many men are so resolute, consistent and have the strength of character that they are willing to humble themselves before friends and family and ask forgiveness the way that he did?” She paused to gather and order her thoughts about her feelings for the man and the reasons for said feelings. Once Elizabeth completed thinking she picked up where she had left off.
“None of what I have mentioned on its own are good reasons to accept a man. I fought against falling in love with him, even being hypocritical myself by ignoring my own advice to look upon the past only as it gives you pleasure. I tried to convince myself that despite all of the evidence, he was putting on a show worthy of Drury Lane—that he had not really changed. Watching him when he did not know that I was doing so gave lie to my claims. He is good, generous, and loyal to a fault. Loyalty motivated his interference between Bingley and Jane. What he did, he did in service of a friend, not to hurt Jane, as I asserted at the time. When all was said and done, he did us a great favour by exposing Bingley’s true character.
“Papa, recently I came to realise that contrary to what I told him at Hunsford, he is in fact the only man that I could be prevailed upon to marry. Yes, he is more stoic than I, but as I am much more outgoing there will be a balance between us, we are equally matched in intelligence, and he has a dry, keen sense of humour when he chooses to display it. I mentioned his loyalty, but in addition he is generous and he treats his servants like people worthy of respect that are not to be demeaned because of their station.
“I know that I love him irrevocably, Papa. The last thing I selfishly want is to see him at home, at Pemberley. I believe there I will see the true man relaxed in an environment that he loves. When I see what I know that I will, I will give him a sign that I am open to his renewing his addresses, though I prefer it without insults this time,” she joked with her eyebrow arched. “The truth is, that perhaps I should have ended his wait already, but this is an irrevocable decision, so a little more time will not hurt either of us,” she concluded with a wry smile.
“If that be the case, my Lizzy, and if you accept him, he will have my consent and blessing. I will inform Edward of this so if you accept William in Derbyshire your Uncle will be able to make the betrothal official. I could not part with you to anyone less worthy my Lizzy.”
Bennet kissed his daughter on her forehead and sent her on her way. He had then summoned his brother and partner in business and gave him authority in writing, to consent in his place, if needed before they all arrived in Kent for the Ashby–de Bourgh wedding.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
After their final stop and change of horses, the newlyweds arrived at Seaview Cottage. Jane understood why her husband had teased William about the misnomer of a ‘cottage’ at the time. On seeing it, Jane was amazed. The house was beautiful and so well situated.
“This is no cottage Richard. Why, it is almost as large as Longbourn was before Papa started to enlarge and add wings to the house. Cottage indeed! Our Cousin Darcy named it very deceptively.”
“In his defence, Jane, the name ‘Seaview Cottage’ was given by his mother Lady Anne when my Uncle George purchased it for her. You remember that at the time that we decided to ask our cousin, I pointed out that calling it ‘the cottage’was in fact misleading regarding the size of the house. That is what it has been called ever since the first time I heard Aunt Anne talk about it.”
Lined up in front of the entrance were the cottage’s servants led by Mrs Agatha Spencer, the housekeeper. She introduced Cook and the small contingent of servants. The footmen and outriders who had accompanied the carriage would assist the two Seaview footmen while they were at the house. Their trunks were already in the master suite as Carstens and de Chambé had arrived before dinner the previous evening and had unpacked their clothing and personal items with quiet efficiency so that all would be ready for the master and mistress when they arrived. After Lady Jane met with Cook to go over the couple’s likes and dislikes, the Fitzwilliams retired to their suite for some undisturbed ‘rest.’
The property was situated on a bluff that separated a small inlet from the English Channel. It was distant enough from Brighton and Prinny’s Pavilion that they would not have society unless they chose, but close enough to visit if and when they desired to do so. The master and other suites and bed chambers were on the first floor. There was space for forty people as the house extended back farther than Jane had initially seen. Their horses, her Mars and his Prometheus, had been led by two of the outriders if they wanted to ride. The best feature was that there was a private beach that was protected from prying eyes as the little inlet had a narrow mouth that opened up to the nice sized beach that was all but invisible from the seaside protected by the bluff. The only way to access it was via the land that belonged to the Cottage.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The following morning, LordHarold Smythe, Earl of Granville, knocked on the door of Ashbury House smartly at eleven o’clock in the morning. He was announced to the Countess and her daughter who were sitting in a front facing drawing room that presented a very nice view of Russell Square. He was informed that the Countess’s younger son and his betrothed were taking a walk around the square. After the normal pleasantries, Granville asked if Lord Ashbury was home and was informed that he was in his study.
When he was shown in, the two peers shook hands. They did not know each other well, but each respected the abilities of the other. When the visitor requested a private interview with his daughter, Ashbury asked if a proposal was not precipitous given the length of their acquaintance. His visitor was amused and agreed that he and Lady Sarah did not know each other well enough for such a step which was why he wanted to request a courtship, so that they could discover if they both in fact wanted to take that next step.
Lord Ashbury had no objection to the man, but he asked for an informal courtship for at least three weeks and then if they both desired it, a formal courtship would be announced. Ashbury knew that Granville was not known to toy with any ladies. He could not remember hearing that Lord Smythe had ever been known to pay even the slightest attention toanyone. That he preferred his daughter above all was not a surprise as her father knew that his Sarah was a rare gem. The informal courtship would ensure that if either side decided to end the relationship, then neither would be bound by a formalised courtship, nor would there be any embarrassment given that they met less than two weeks previously.
Lord Granville agreed to the request without reservation and was granted the interview with his host’s daughter. The caller was accompanied to the drawing room by the master of the house who informed his only daughter that Lord Granville had requested a private interview with her and after ascertaining that Lady Sarah did not object, the lady’s parents withdrew leaving the door open.
“Lady Sarah, when I was told about you by my and your brother Ian’s common friend, Lord Hilldale, I was afraid that I would be meeting another debutant with no substance who would only be interested in bettering her position in society. Instead in you; I met a true lady of consequence. Not because of wealth, connections, or title, although you have all, but because of the person I am learning that you are.” He looked at her for confirmation that she wanted him to proceed and she gave a slight nod to encourage him. “I am sure that you have heard that I never pay any marked attention to any lady, never dance the first, and until the ball when I danced with you, outside of a relative, I had never danced more than one set. If I had not feared moving too fast for your preferences, I would have applied for the final set as well.
“I am sure that we will always challenge each other and that you will never defer to me simply to be agreeable. I had initially come here today to request a formal courtship. I believe in us; we would make a future, which I had not believed possible for myself. It is something that I have always craved and envied in our friends and family we just parted with. However, your father asked that if you agree to anything today, that it be an informal courtship of a three-week duration at the end of which,ifwe both agree, we would make the courtship formal.” He took a deep breath and leapt, as his future was in the balance and no one had ever gained true happiness by being passive. “If getting to know me is not something you desire, then I will respect your wishes and not importune you on the subject as your happiness is of utmost import to me. Lady Sarah, would you like to get to know me better with the possible outcome being a formal courtship?”
