Chapter 11 #2
“As Anne has requested our help, we will wait for my sister to arrive. I am sure Collins wrote from here, so when she does not find either William or me in town I believe we can expect another uninvited guest tomorrow.” The Earl said the last apologetically, looking at Fanny and Bennet.
“I just remembered, Anne said she would travel to us once her mother departed Rosings Park. Thomas and Fanny? Would you object if we send the courier back with an invitation for Anne to join us so she knows it is not an imposition?”
“Please do not give it a thought, Reggie.
We have heard of her from all of you for so many years we know what to expect.
And unless you want her to, your sister will not be invited to stay here.
Like Collins, she is welcome to visit the inn in Meryton if it is too late for her to return to London when she gets here.
“And of course, your niece Anne is more than welcome. If the horse the courier rode here is not rested, please feel free to tell him to take one of ours. Send an invitation from all of us that she is expected and most welcome,” Fanny replied for all her family.
The Earl quickly penned the note to his niece with the confirmation she was welcome to join them, reassuring her that her coming would be no imposition to the Bennets of Hertfordshire.
After being supplied with a fresh horse from the Longbourn stables, Anne’s courier was on his way back toward Rosings knowing his mistress would be leaving, so he would watch for her along the road to deliver the Earl’s missive.
Anne de Bourgh arrived in the evening and was most profuse in her thanks, as she had set off without an invitation. She was reassured she was most welcome and had retired soon after being introduced to all for a short rest.
At dinner that night, she was delighted to see how happy William was with his intended and was initially caught off guard when Fanny hugged her in welcome and asked her about her gardens. She was even more surprised when Mrs. Bennet’s was followed by Elaine’s and Georgiana’s hugs.
“We have missed too many opportunities to show we love you, Anne. Fanny has taken me to task.” Aunt Elaine winked at Fanny who laughed as she held Georgiana’s and Kitty’s hands while they showed her their drawings they had done that day.
Anne sat and watched, realising she had never been with such an open and happy group. She was sure she would enjoy getting to know her soon-to-be cousins, and they would all be the best of friends.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
‘This is a backward little town,’ George Wickham thought as he swaggered down the main street of Meryton. ‘I see some nice little treats here; I wonder how many of them I will be able to bed before the shopkeepers expect me to pay my debts?’ he asked himself.
George Wickham liked his girls young. Young girls were easier for him to manipulate with his practised lies and required little true attention.
A promise of a wedding and the old if you love me, you will not make me wait for the wedding night.
.. hint and he was more often than not able to get what he wanted from girls in towns such as this.
Occasionally a little drama followed, and he shuddered as he thought about how close the brother of one of his conquests had got to him in London.
That, and the debt collectors on his trail, was one of the reasons why he used most of the funds he had left to buy an ensign’s commission in the infernal militia.
As he was walking past Captain Carter, he overheard a part of a conversation where Carter was telling Lieutenant Denny about four daughters, all beauties, who had more than forty thousand each for a dowry.
His attention was firmly engaged, forty thousand was much better than the thirty thousand he had tried to claim as his own before that prig Darcy had spoiled his plans. Wickham needed to know all he could about these heiresses.
He had let that insipid sister of his nemesis, Georgiana Darcy, slip through his fingers, but here was his chance to make an easy and far greater fortune. This time he would not fail, and there was no Darcy here to spoil his plans. Nor was there a Fitzwilliam to put the fear of God into him.
He heard the name Bennet of Longbourn, and that was enough for him.
Unfortunately for Wickham, drooling at the thought of acquiring such a fortune, he left before he was able to hear about the restrictions the girl’s father had put in place to protect them against one such as him.
He decided he would make some, in his opinion, subtle enquiries about these Bennets.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Bennet was in his study with Darcy as they had just reviewed the marriage settlement that Darcy’s solicitor had personally delivered an hour previously.
It was as Darcy said it would be, Elizabeth’s fortune would remain at her discretion, and he had settled a further one hundred thousand pounds on her with very generous pin money of five thousand per annum.
Each son, up to four, would inherit an estate, and the daughters would currently have fifty thousand for their dowries, with the expectation that these would increase as their holdings were well managed by the parents.
Bennet asked for Lizzy to be called to join them since both men wanted her approval before signing.
They knew her well enough to be sure she would not like things being decided for her without her input.
After she joined the men and sat down and read the document, she looked at William and voiced her protest. “William, this is far too much! I have my own fortune; I do not need all of this money,” She stated emphatically.
“Your quarterly allowance and portion of the interest that your father releases to you is used for charity. He informed me you assist two causes alternately, the soldiers who come home wounded and need things like crutches or even a leg, and anonymous grants for scientific studies.
“Please do not stop either, and I will match your donation so we may do twice the good. I will leave you to determine which are the top three grants you would like to bestow, but would like to be there with you as you decide. I cannot wait to see how you pick.” He winked at her, and Bennet laughed.
“With our Richard at war, I could not but help those returning who may have helped save his life, even unwittingly,” Elizabeth said. “As to the grants; I just pick whatever sounds most important and deserving. You cannot expect a poor country nobody to understand the sciences,” she teased both men.
“You are also free to use your fortune for whatever pleases you, my love. As Mrs. Darcy, I could not do less, so please do not ask it of me.” He kissed her hand and held it, pretending not to notice Bennet’s arched brow.
“In that case William, my fortune will be used for any sons we have beyond four, or to enhance the dowries of our daughters.” Lizzy looked at both of the men in her life and smiled when they nodded, so she too nodded her agreement to the settlement.
Four copies were signed. One was given to Darcy’s solicitor to keep on file in his law office, one would go to Philips, Bennet’s local solicitor, one would be kept in Bennet’s safe, and the last would be kept in the safe at Darcy house.
Just as Darcy’s solicitor left, Hill knocked on the study door and informed Bennet that two messengers had arrived from two of the merchants in Meryton with urgent information for the Master. Bennet bade Hill show them in.
What Wickham had not been aware of was Bennet rewarded anyone who informed him when there were inquiries made about his family by a stranger and especially about their dowries.
The two boys each handed him a note. They were almost identical, and Bennet immediately passed them onto Darcy whose smiling face changed to a countenance that looked like a dark storm.
His whole body tensed as he read the name of who was seeking information about the Bennet daughters, and bile rose in the back of his throat when he saw it was the last man he ever wanted to be around again.
Bennet rewarded each lad with half a crown and told them to have their employers quietly make it known no credit should be extended to any of the militia officers.
He added the request to spread it through the community the man in question was not to be allowed near any of their daughters or servants, and should be watched at all times when he was around the village.
To one of the boys he gave a short note for Colonel Forster, requesting his and his wife’s presence for dinner that night. He told Hill to reward any more messengers with a half crown each, as he expected more, and to thank them.
“I cannot believe that dissolute wastrel is here of all towns in the kingdom,” Darcy growled, feeling tension build with every passing second.
“If you think about it calmly, Son, this may be most fortuitous,” Bennet offered to calm Darcy, much like Richard and his Uncle would do.
“How so?” Darcy asked, bewildered.
“We have the advantage. We know he is here, but he does not know we are aware of his presence. In addition, I am sure he has no clue the Fitzwilliams are in the area, from what I have been told he is terrified of Richard.
“We have warned the merchants so they can protect themselves and their families.
If you will help me write notes to all of the families in the area, we will warn them of his propensities.
We can then plan to give him enough rope to hang himself, similar to how we handled Caroline Bingley.
If by some miracle he is reformed and does not act as we expect he will, then we will leave him be.