Mary soon discovered that the advice of her mother and sister had been completely accurate. The former proper and pious Miss Mary Bennet, as Lady Mary Rhys-Davies, very much enjoyed that which as little as three years ago she would have found scary, wanton, and sinful.
She was very glad that Lizzy had shared the right kind of books with her over the last three months and that she was finally able to test many of the things that had invaded her dreams since her Hugh had walked into her life.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy and his wife were announced to the Queen and her son, the Regent. After they made a deep bow and curtsy the Regent addressed them. “We thank you for attending us Lady Elizabeth and Darcy. We are loath to disturb your wedding day, yet we want to make this gift to you before you leave on your wedding trip. As you know Mr Darcy, you are now our cousin, one of twountitledones.” Seeing Darcy was about to protest the Regent raised his hand, causing whatever Darcy was about to say die in his throat. “We have spoken to our mother who agrees with us that it will not do. After today, you will be known as Lord Fitzwilliam Darcy, Earl of Pemberley. The secondary title to go to your firstborn, Viscount Rivington, will go with the estate, Rivington, that we are gifting you in Cheshire. As the firstborn male grandchild will become Viscount Meryton, if none of Lady Pemberley’s sisters bear a son before yours, then your second son would inherit the Bennet title. Even though her father was not an Earl your sister will be known as Lady Georgiana from this day forward. Please kneel Lord Pemberley,” he gestured.
The new countess looked on as the Regent tapped her husband on the shoulder with his ceremonial sword and it was done. She knew that for many generations the Darcys had rejected titles as recently as her husband’s father George Darcy. King George III had offered him the title that the son had just bestowed on her William.
The Regent did not give the new Earl any room to argue—he did not make an offer or a suggestion, but presented it as afait accompli. They were handed the patents by the Lord Chamberlain who informed them that their brother Richard, now the only untitled cousin, would be summoned on the morrow to receive a baronetcy. The stunned newly elevated Earl and Countess were soon on their way to Darcy House. Darcy was still not sure exactly how what had just happened had happened. He currently had three minor estates that he had always intended to give to any sons born after the heir, if they were so blessed. Now his heir would have his own estate until he inherited Pemberley.
After Darcy’s father refused the offer of elevation from the now mad King George III, no one in the family ever expected the royals to make a similar offer again. In a sense it still held true as this had not been an offer; the Regent had simply issued a command. He turned to his wife who seemed as stunned as he was by the events that had just taken place.
“As much as I want to take you to our home, we must return to Bennet House to talk to our family and Georgie. I do not want her to find out that she is now Lady Georgiana from anyone but us.” As she was not the daughter of an earl his sister would not have received the honorific, except for the Regent’s decree that it should be so.
“My preference is that we would be alone and much more comfortably attired,” his wife blushed as she gave him a look that promised much to come, “however I agree that we must go see the family. Hopefully most of the invited guests have returned to their homes by now. Tomorrow the papers will carry two royal notices: one for the wedding and another about our elevation. I was just getting used to being the daughter of an Earl and now I am married to one, sister of a Marchioness, and related to the royals.”
“This is all our sister Mary’s fault,” he teased as they pulled up to Bennet House, “she had to go and get married to a cousin of the royals.”
If the footmen were taken aback by the newlyweds returning to the house and not to Darcy House opposite, they were trained well enough not to show it. Darcy and Elizabeth found that their wish had been granted and it was just the extended family in the largest of the drawing rooms. The only non-family were the Lucases, Charlotte and Elliot.
Lady Longbourn was the first to react to the deafening silence that descended on the room when the newlyweds walked in. “Lizzy, William, what are you doing here? Is all well?” The Countess made to stand to take care of whatever had dared to intrude on her daughter’s happiness.
“Yes, Mother Bennet, all is well. As you know, we were summoned to Buckingham House today…” He offered gently, nodding that she could stay seated.
“Y-you are not in trouble are you, William?” Georgie asked with deep concern.
“No Georgie, quite the opposite,” her new sister comforted her with a cryptic smile. “We were caught completely off guard as I suspect that Richard and Jane will be tomorrow,” she said with a wink at her father who settled back in his chair. He was uniquely positioned to see the patent in Darcy’s hand having been forced to take one himself. He wondered briefly if the Queen demanded more cousins of the level of Marchioness or if it was just a boring old Earl and Countess like himself.
“No more hints,” the Duke commanded, “just tell us what happened when you went to go see the cousins.”
Lizzy got a playful glint in her eye when she nodded at Hill to come over to her. He and Mrs Hill had celebrated with them because their devotion to all the girls and the Bennet household could not be rewarded enough. She whispered into his ear and the surprise and wonder playing across the face of the long-time Longbourn butler made her smile specifically at him as she nodded for him to do as she asked, his demeanour immediately at attention and serious as he cleared his throat.
“Your Graces, my Lords and Ladies, and ladies and gentlemen, it is with distinct pleasure that I introduce the Earl and Countess of Pemberley.” Before he was done reciting the title, Hill had a grin on his face that showed a fatherly pride as if all the girls were his daughters. Lizzy had always been the one spending the most time with him and his wife.
“How…” The Countess of Longbourn got no further as she was struck dumb for but a moment.
“When…” Georgiana gasped.
“Oh, good Lord…” Lady Lucas stared at Lizzy with wonder. Then, as can be expected, pandemonium erupted. A shriek of ‘Hill, my salts!’was heard for the first time in many months. Fanny’s exclamation had the desired effect as the room became quiet and all turned to her with concern.
“No, I have no actual need for the salts,” she smiled sweetly at her husband whose laughter erupted in the sitting room.
“I confess, my dear, that I was almost nostalgic. Would you consider fluttering a handkerchief and saying it again with more feeling?” he teased, helping her laugh and roll her eyes.
“I truly just needed to say something to quell the cacophony. Now, William, explain, if you please!” said the satisfied Bennet matron as she settled into her chair next to the Duchess, and saw her serene expression. “Rose, I believe you and I will be having a more private conversation later.”
“I believe that is just exactly when I will be going home,” Rose Rhys-Davies teased back as by then all had taken a breath and focused on the newlyweds.
Darcy obliged by giving a detailed description of all that had occurred during their ordered appearance at Buckingham House. Richard and Jane were astounded that come the morrow he would be Sir Richard, a baronet. At the end of the telling, the Duchess couldn’t hold back her ladylike laugh.
“I confess I suspected that they may do something like this. Your becoming a relative allowed the Regent to correct the perceived slight when your late father turned down the honour of becoming the first Lord Pemberley, which explains why he awarded the honorific ‘Lady’ to Georgie. Your recounting the Regent not allowing any room for objection on your part, leads me to believe that my conjecture is right,” the Duchess admitted.
“Georgie, do you remember when my parents were elevated you made a joke about being the only untitled lady in the room?” Georgie nodded. “Well, that is no longer true, Lady Georgiana Darcy.” Lizzy curtsied to her sister, excited to be the very first to have called her by a name she had long personified. No one could do it more justice than the young ladies of their families. All were amused when Georgiana blinked a number of times as the realisation sunk in.
“I am a Lady? How? I am not the daughter of an earl.” The new countess explained about the Regent’s decree as many in the room nodded, “Lord on high, oh my…” the overcome girl sat surrounded by her sisters, reaching out and gripping Kitty and Tiffany’s hands. Suddenly what the Duchess had said struck her, the Regent was correcting a perceived wrong.
“If you think that you are flabbergasted sweetling, how do you think Lizzy and I felt when the Regent instructed me to kneel but seconds after he told me what he was doing so he could bestow the Earldom on me? Only then did he describe the particulars. I am still asking myself if it is real.” Darcy locked on his sister. The whirlwind of the last months had her as the only part of his life that was unchanged. That was no longer true. She had matured into a stunning and outgoing young lady. Surrounded by her sisters, with self-confidence he never believed she would have the chance to gain, she was now Lady Georgiana Darcy.
