Page 47 of Her Favourite Daughter

For the next hour or so, Fanny and Bennet told Amelia about Lizzy’s childhood and how they had discovered that she forgot nothing. They told of her intelligence and thirst for knowledge.

Fanny articulated her belief that once God had led her to Lizzy, being able to carry and birth two more babes without any further disappointments was connected to Lizzy joining the family. It was then that Amelia was able to see how deeply Bethie was esteemed and loved by the Bennets. Further, Amelia learnt of her love of laughter and her stubborn streak.

As much as she wanted to ask if they realised who Bethie was before Francis had passed on the final day of January 1799, Amelia held her peace. She would wait and listen. If her question was not answered during the recitation, then she intended to directly ask about the subject.

“To be completely honest with you, I must relate an instance of extreme selfishness on my part. I did admit this to Fanny, my mother, and the rest of my family after Caroline recognised Lizzy and Collins told us what he knew.” Bennet took a deep breath. “In early February 1799, a day after we had celebrated Lizzy’s eighth birthday, I read an article in The Times of London about your husband’s passing, and how there were now fourteen years to discover the suo jure duchess, if she lived, before the extinction of the Leeds Dukedom. On reading the piece in the newspaper, I began to suspect that our Lizzy could be Lady Bethany Osborne, now a duchess.”

“Did you suspect who Bethie was or anything about her family at any time before you saw the notice of my husband’s death?” Lady Amelia interjected. For her own peace of mind, she had to gain clarity on this point.

“Not at all. Until I saw what I did in the broadsheet, I had never had a reason to question the conclusions which had led to us protecting Lizzy. I decided my suspicion was not true; I suppose it placated my conscience,” Bennet revealed.

“The first time serious questions arose for me was when Caroline and Charles reacted as they did on seeing Lizzy and when Cousin Clem identified the writer of the instructions to murder Lizzy as that of the late Mrs de Bourgh. That was when I learnt how wrong we had been,” Fanny stated. “Thomas told me of his suspicions from eight years past, but as he related, that was after the late Duke of Leeds went to his final reward.”

“All I can do is throw myself on your mercy that my selfishness may have cost you an additional eight years of not knowing whether your daughter lived or not,” Bennet said contritely. “I suppose part of my logic was that I knew for sure that it would have been too painful to Fanny to consider losing one as dear to her as any of the children of her body. For myself, it would have been equally as painful, as Lizzy is no less dear to me.”

Amelia cogitated deeply about Thomas’s words. If he had made enquiries, she might have learnt where Bethie was eight years sooner. However, at that age, would Bethie have been able to understand the intricacies of the situation? Or would any attempt to separate her from the only parents she knew have harmed a girl without enough maturity to comprehend the situation? Yes, it would have made Amelia far happier to be reunited eight years earlier with Bethie. It may have made Francis’s death easier to endure.

The last thought stopped her. If she were completely truthful with herself, she would have to admit that the loss of her husband may have been taken out on the innocent girl, no matter how much she did not deserve it.

“In my opinion, it was by God’s will that I only found Bethie now…” Lady Amelia told Fanny and Thomas what she had concluded when she had considered everything. “I suppose I could have tried to be an aunt to Bethie until she got older, but I know myself well enough to know I would not have been satisfied to be her aunt. The timing was by His design, and it was for the best.”

Bennet felt a profound weight lift from his shoulders. He was fully aware that, had she chosen to, Amelia could have been very bitter and sought retribution. Phillips had assured him that there had been no crime committed by the Bennets. At the same time, Bennet was well aware that these people held much political power and Amelia had Their Majesties’ ears.

For a while longer Fanny and Bennet told Amelia about the last eight years as Lizzy went from young girl to young lady to young woman.

“Thomas, if you do not object, I need to write a letter to Their Majesties to inform them that Bethie is found and identified beyond any doubt, and the Leeds Dukedom will live on through her,” Amelia requested.

“Use anything you desire from my desk.” Bennet held out his hand, palm up towards his desk. “You will find everything you need for letters there.”

Once she was alone, Amelia again considered everything she had been told. The Bennets had done nothing wrong. In fact, she very seriously doubted that Bethie would be alive today had it not been for Fanny discovering her. No, they deserved no punishment; rather, they were due the highest reward for saving Bethie and, with her, the Leeds Dukedom.

Amelia stood and walked around the desk. She took a seat in the big, comfortable leather chair and pulled a sheet of paper from the pile in one corner of the desktop. She selected a quill from the five she discovered, dipped the sharpened point in the inkwell, allowed some drops to drip onto the blotter, and then began to write.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

It took Amelia three or four drafts before she arrived at a version of the letter with which she was pleased. Once she had scribed it in her neat, flowing script, she read it one more time to be sure it was worded as she wanted it to be.

7 July 1807

Longbourn

Near Meryton

Hertfordshire

Your Majesty, George the Third, by the Grace of God, King of Great Britain and Ireland, Defender of the Faith.

Per your royal command that I write to His Majesty if there is definitive proof that Lady Bethany Anne Elaine Osborne, the Suo Jure Duchess of Leeds, is either alive or dead, I write this epistle to His Majesty.

To my everlasting joy, my daughter lives and has been located. There are two things which confirm her identity beyond all doubt. Her looks are an exact facsimile of mine as I was when I came into society. That is secondary to the irrefutable proof of the Osborne birth mark in the shape of a crescent moon behind her left ear.

As such, the Leeds Dukedom will live on through her, and I pray through her future children. She is now 16 years of age.

Lady Bethany has, these last almost 16 years, lived at the above-mentioned estate with a family by the name of Bennet. Aside from me, the Earls of Matlock and Holderness are completely sure that the Bennets saved Lady Bethany from certain death and bear no blame in the treasonous actions of those who paid the ultimate penalty for their disgusting scheme. Even though the Bennets’ estate is but 20 miles from London, other than for occasional matters of business on Mr Bennet’s part, the family does not come to town, so there was no chance of someone recognising me in my daughter before now.

Mr and Miss Bingley of Scarborough met me in the summer of 1806 at Rosings Park, and when they met Lady Bethany at Longbourn some days past, they saw the close likeness. At the same time, Mr Clem Collins, a cousin to the Bennets and the rector of St Hugh’s Church in Hunsford, the one in Rosings Park’s advowson, was also visiting Longbourn. He wrote to the Earl of Matlock about the potential discovery, and thus, my daughter has been found.

On receipt of the express, out of an abundance of caution and to protect my heart if the young lady was not my daughter, the Fitzwilliams and Darcys hied directly to Longbourn, where they confirmed Lady Bethany’s identity.