Page 73 of Her Favourite Daughter

The good thing is that many of the guards, especially those two enormous brutes, will be escorting those travelling to London, which is why she said that it will be much easier for her to command the men who remain.

Those departing will do so early on Monday morning. I will suggest that she exercise her authority after the wedding on Tuesday, the 22nd March. I know she will take my suggestion because she loves to ramble around the countryside. Add to that, I have heard her say how much more she would enjoy her walks if she had fewer people with her.

She loves to walk to the hill, the one they call Oakham Mount, which, as I am sure you are aware by now, is less than a half mile from the hunting lodge where you are living.

There is a wooded area right near the base of the hill where the path starts up the side. Wait there. Clay will follow her at a distance and you should hide among the trees. The path comes close to the trees, which will allow you to easily capture her. No one will hear her if she screams because it will only be my brother with her.

You will take her to the inn in Hatfield as we planned, and from there we will send out our demand for ransom.

All our patience is about to be rewarded and you, George, will finally get your due. It is only right, seeing that the young duchess is your half-sister. Who better than you to share in her vast fortune?

If there is any change to the plans, I will make sure Clay brings you a note.

Karen

“At long last!” Wickham said to the empty lodge. His patience was about to be rewarded. In his glee, he realised that he had a problem.

He had planned to have the Younges arrested while he escaped towards Gretna Green with his prize. The issue was that he had no funds to rent a carriage, and no one would give him one without payment ahead of time. He had used the little coin he had left to purchase a pistol. He wanted a trump card in the event that the young duchess tried to resist. He had also wanted to tie Younge up at gunpoint.

As much as it irked him, he still needed the Younges to rent a carriage. At the first stop, he would volunteer to watch the girl and drive off as soon as the Younges entered an inn. He would leave word that the criminals who kidnapped the Duchess of Leeds were at whatever the name of the inn was where he would abandon them. Once that was done, he would carry on as he intended.

He cared not at all that the Younges would be sent to the tower and lose their heads. Once he was married to the duchess, that would not be his fate.

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

Fanny and Jane were seated in the latter’s bedchamber, going over what Jane already had and what, if anything, Jane needed to add to her trousseau.

“It is hard to comprehend that you are soon to marry, and you will leave Longbourn, your papa, your sisters, your brother, and me behind,” Fanny said to Jane while they were seated working on the final plans for the wedding.

“Mamma, I am not leaving my family,” Jane insisted. “I would not give up any of you for any reason, and Andrew would never ask it of me.”

“I know that, Jane,” Fanny admitted. “As happy as I am for you, one does feel somewhat forlorn when her daughters begin to leave the house. You are about to be married, and Lizzy…Bethie must concentrate on her duties, so she will not be here very often. After Easter, James will return to Cambridge. That leaves your Papa, me, Mary, and Kitty at home. If only He had seen fit to grant me more children.”

“I understand your feeling, especially with Lizzy leaving, but Mamma, we will see one another often. Bennet House is only two doors away from Hilldale House, and we will stop here every time we journey to or from London. You will come spend time with us at Hilldale as well,” Jane insisted.

“I am so proud of the woman you have become. When I think about you as that little toddler you were when we found Bethie, I could not imagine you would grow up as quickly as you have. I look at you now, and see the poised and wonderful woman you are. Andrew is very fortunate to be marrying a wife like you.” Fanny pulled Jane into a warm hug.

“How could I, in fact, any of us, have not grown up to be anything but good people when we had you and Papa for parents? You were the best of parents to all your children. Based on how you treated her, none of us suspected Lizzy…Bethie was not of your body like we were. You showed us all a deep love, support, and tender care. With Grandmama Beth and Aunt Penelope assisting you, we could not have wished for better adults to guide us,” Jane stated firmly. “I know how much you love all of us, but especially Bethie. And no, you never showed a preference for any of us, but perhaps because you discovered her in that forest, you always had a special bond with her. A bond I did not understand until we were told how Bethie joined our family. It was very impressive that you and Papa did not become overwhelmed at the prospect of losing her.

“That, Mamma, is a long way of telling you how much you, Papa, Grandmamma Beth, and Aunt Penelope are valued by me, by all your children,” Jane clarified. “There is one thing I would like to speak to Aunt Penelope about, but I need to be sure you and Papa are sanguine with this first.”

“What is it, Jane dear?” Fanny enquired.

“Andrew already owns an estate, and one day, I pray a long time in the future, when he becomes the earl, he will have four estates,” Jane related. “I wanted to ask Aunt Penelope if she would make Netherfield Park part of Mary’s dowry, rather than mine?”

“That is very generous of you. I can speak for your father in telling you he, like me, would not object to that arrangement,” Fanny responded. “We can ask Penelope to join us, and you may put the question to her.” Seeing Jane’s nod, Fanny suggested they make their way down to one of the parlours and ask her husband and sister-in-law to join them.

The four met, and it took no time at all for a decision to be reached. “As long as Netherfield Park goes to one of you, I will not insist it must only be Jane,” Penelope said. “You are all my surrogate children who I love very much, so which one of you it is who inherits it, is less important to me. Also, Jane, it is yours, so you may give it to whichever of your siblings you chuse. I understand and appreciate why you wanted to ask me.”

With that decided, the four made for the drawing room.

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

A ball to celebrate the marriage of Jane Bennet to Andrew Fitzwilliam was held in Longbourn’s ball room on the Wednesday before the wedding. As Bethany was seventeen, she was out locally and allowed to attend. However, either her guardian or one of her trustees had to approve of any man who would ask her for a set.

As it was his second daughter’s first ball, Meryton had the privilege of her first dance. Lords Matlock and Holderness took the next two sets, James the following, then Richard. Much to Bethany’s delight, once he had been approved by Papa, Lord William Darcy, Viscount Conyers requested and was granted her supper set. Andrew reserved the set after supper, Sir William Collins the one after, then came Cousin Clem and Sir William Lucas. The only open set was the final one, which Bethany decided she would not dance. She was delighted when William Darcy suggested they might sit and speak during that set. She had agreed without delay.

Before the ball, Bethany had Karen Younge assist her to dress and do her hair up for the night. Her maid had several days off to be with an ailing father, and as Bethany had grown to like Miss Younge; she was happy to have her stand in for her maid for a few days.