Charlotte Collins spent much of her time on the tour talking to Mr Elliot. It did not hurt his appreciation of the lady that his daughter and light of his life, Grace, had taken to her like a duck to water and that Charlotte showed genuine affection for his daughter. He watched when they thought they were alone and he was relieved to see that it was not the normal tolerating of children that showed in the attitude of a large number in society. Elliot was unprepared for how quickly his heart had opened up to Mrs Collins as he had been determined to hold his wants at bay, but in seeing her interact with Gracie he felt genuine relief that he may have his wishes granted in this woman. After his Adi, he did not believe that his heart may again be touched with true affection for another woman, which he could see could well lead to love.
Elliot was not the only one who was both excited and dismayed at developing feelings. Charlotte, who had made the now fully discredited statements to her friend that ‘felicity in marriage is a matter of chance’ and ‘it is better not to know one’s groom too well before the wedding…,’ was surprised at the rapidity of the onset of the stirrings in her heart that she felt for Mr Elliot. She was not a romantic, was she?
After time spent in convivial company and afternoon tea had been served, when the Gardiner carriages departed Pemberley Lizzy knew without a shadow of a doubt, she had left her heart behind in Darcy’s care.
Chapter 30
Monday morning found Ladies Rose Rhys-Davies and Longbourn in the family sitting room when Mrs Hill knocked. When given leave to enter, Mrs Hill informed the ladies that a royal courier was waiting with a missive for Her Grace, the Duchess of Bedford. The Duchess had a good idea what the letter was about but chose to verify she was right prior to making her assumptions known to Fanny.
When she accepted the Royal communication, the lady was informed with the utmost respect that the courier had been instructed to await a response. The mistress of the house told her housekeeper to show the man to the kitchens to eat and drink, and that he would be summoned as soon as he was required. While the Duchess broke the Royal seal, Lady Longbourn went to ask her husband and the Duke to join them. After reading the document that was sent by none other than her Royal Majesty, Queen Charlotte, the lady looked up at the expectant faces.
“Before I read you part of what the Queen writes, do you know that I am a second cousin to the Queen?” Seeing the complete dismay on the Bennet’s countenances she smiled serenely and nodded once to confirm her words. She was amused at their surprise, which was one of the reasons that she most loved the company of the Bennets. It was mutual and genuine friendship rather than artifice. “My Aunt, my mother’s sister, was married to Frederick, the Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, who died in ‘52. My Aunt joined him but ten years later.” It took a full minute then the realisation hit Fanny with the power of being struck by a lance during the joust.
Bennet recalled the day that they wrote expresses to notify family of the betrothal. Something suddenly made sense as he thought, ‘So these are the cousins that Hayworth so cryptically referred to when he said he needed to inform the cousins.’
“R-Rose a-a-re you s-s-saying that Mary, that all of us will be related to the Queen and the Royal family?” she stammered.
“That is what I am saying, Fanny,” the Duchess laughed lightly as awe, fear, and disbelief played out in different and sometimes mingled expressions of her friend. The Duke took over for his wife.
“Before you ask, we did not tell you or many of our friends as we do not like to presume on the connection. The letter, or the part of it that Rose is about to read will, I am sure, highlight the need for us to reveal the connection now. This also means that if anyone tried to attack any of you after the wedding, such as that woman,” his voice dripped with disdain, “tried with my goddaughter, it will be treason and they will hang.” He looked warmly at his wife. “Go ahead, my dear.”
“Let me find the relevant section. Ah, here it is,” the Duchess winked at Fanny then read aloud:
“…We offer our congratulations to you and our cousins on the betrothal of your son Hugh to Lady Mary Bennet. We met the lady when we elevated the family and we were very impressed with her and all of her sisters. We think that they both have made a very prudent match and we are pleased that he has earned her esteem.
We and some of our children will attend the wedding, and we suggest that you use our Church, Westminster Abbey. We will hold a wedding ball for the couple three days before the wedding at St James. Our Lady in waiting, the Duchess of Kent, will liaise with you for that event. We understand from your letter that they will marry on the 15th day of August…”
“The rest is not pertinent to the discussion that we must now have. Thomas and Fanny, I want first to apologise to both of you for not informing you of the connection before today,” Lady Rose offered in contrite conclusion. Bennet looked at his wife and saw the look of resignation, so hoped to help by responding first.
“Do not make yourself uneasy Rose, we understand why you kept the connection to yourselves for so long. Who are we to cast aspersion when I hid our wealth for all those years? As we now understand the situation, a ‘suggestion’ made by the Queen is no less than a Royal command. I see that she has invited herself and her family, also an invite that we would not dare to contest,” Bennet stated. There was no choice.
Fanny rang for Hill and asked that the betrothed couple be summoned. They had been walking in the gardens, so it was a full fifteen minutes before they presented themselves in the drawing room, giving Bennet time to decide to have a little sport at their expense since the pleasure had been denied him when they requested to make their betrothal official.
“Lady Rose received a missive from the Queen. The result is that you cannot marry…” he tried not to smile at the immediate anger that flushed his daughter’s cheeks. Her reaction was proof of her fire and intense love for her affianced.
“THE QUEEN DENIED HER PERMISSION FOR US TO MARRY?” the couple yelled together. Seeing that Mary was about to possibly speak treason in a way she could not take back with her determination to have her man, Bennet hastily continued.
“As I was trying to say before you rudely interrupted me, you cannot marry from Longbourn…” Bennet and the Duke and Duchess explained everything to the couple. To the amazement of all, Lady Longbourn stayed conspicuously quiet.
By the end of the recitation Mary had turned decidedly pale as she began to comprehend what was being said, that she wasgoingto be married at Westminster Abbey and that therewould beroyals present at her wedding. It took the couple a little while to be mollified, but in the end, there was no choice to be had in the matter. The Duchess sat at the escritoire and penned her response to her cousin. The Royal courier was handed the missive for delivery to her Royal Majesty. Expresses were then dispatched to Snowhaven, Pemberley, and Dovedale.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Darcy had just recovered from the shock delivered in the express from Lord Longbourn that informed him of the Bedford connection and the Bennets’ soon to be connection with the royals. The day before his beloved and her friend were to arrive at Pemberley, he met with his steward Mr Bruce Stilton, who had been promoted to the position after the death of Mr Wickham. Darcy heard a knock on his door.
“Enter.” he commanded. Stilton seated himself in front of the large oak desk, forewarned that Darcy’s aim was to cover as much ground with his steward as possible so that he would have time on the morrow and over the next fortnight while the woman the master was courting would be at Pemberley. Darcy’s fondest wish was to be available when her scheduled visit commenced. To the master’s relief there was nothing too serious wanting his attention, there were two tenant disputes the steward enumerated for him.
Once Darcy imparted his solutions to his steward and there was no more business to discuss, Stilton was dismissed. Darcy used the time to look through his correspondence. There were a few letters of business that could not be delayed, so he answered them as needed. The more he accomplished now, the more time he would have with his beloved Elizabeth.When he completed his tasks, he repaired to the drawing room just as the dinner gong was rung. He was happy that he would be unencumbered with business in the morning when she arrived with her friend. He was impatient waiting for the pleasure of his dearest, loveliest Elizabeth being at Pemberley and he could imagine guiding her on a tour of the grounds. As always, whenever he had no occupation, his thoughts were of his beloved.
He again considered the changes these last months had brought him. He had gone from thinking only of his own consequence to being a man that considered others in all things. He had believed that he would never find the kind of love that his beloved parents had. He was wrong! He had found that love in his Lizzy and oh so much more.
Darcy would be on heightened alert for any indication that Elizabeth was receptive to him renewing his addresses. This time there would be no insults, no rude and insulting speech. He would get this proposal right! He would have been willing to wait for as long as was needed, but he had seen all of the signs indicating that the time for waiting would be over soon.
For a while after her setdown he had only visualized a bleak, lonely future, now he saw the potential of a rosy wonderful future full of companionship and love. It had all changed when, rather than reject her reproofs and ignore them, he had accepted and addressed them and made the necessary changes.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The day that Elizabeth and Charlotte were to move to Pemberley was the day that the blissful honeymoon of Jane and Richard Fitzwilliam ended at Seaview Cottage. After they returned from a last lovemaking session on the private beach, the besotted couple bathed and dressed, then descended hand in hand to break their fasts. While they ate, their trunks were being packed.
