Chapter 23 #2
“Robert Darcy was one who never sought a title. Had it not been for my father’s untimely passing, he would not have been forced to assume the earldom[11],” Lady Amelia revealed.
“At least when you take your seat in the Lords, you will not be alone, depending on what party you align with, of course.”
“I think my philosophy would suit the Whigs,” Meryton surmised.
“Good. That is the party both Reggie and Robert support. The same is true for the Earl of Jersey and the Dukes of Bedford and Hertfordshire,” Lady Amelia related.
Fanny shook her head. “Having Lizzy with us was, is, a pleasure. As Thomas said, we did nothing with an eye to possible reward. Now I have to get used to being addressed as Lady Frances.”
“Fanny, you are free to tell people who use your title to call you ‘Lady Fanny’ if that is what you prefer,” Lady Amelia informed her friend.
“I was careful to advise Their Majesties that you never did anything for Bethie with an eye to some sort of future reward, which I am sure was an impetus to His Majesty making Thomas a peer of the realm.”
“Mother, Mamma, and Papa, I must share an epiphany I had this morning, which I suppose is academic now that His Majesty said my name as Lady Bethany. I realised that I cannot shy away from my duty and responsibility by hiding behind the name Lizzy Bennet. I decided that part of accepting the mantle of all of my duties was reclaiming the name the criminals stole from me all those years ago. As much as I would wish myself to be just Lizzy Bennet, that is not who I am. There are so many whose lives are tied to the decisions I will make that I have to be serious about my duties.” Bethany looked at Mamma and Papa.
“No, that changes nothing with the connection between us, and His Majesty acknowledged that fact by appointing you, Papa, my guardian until I turn one and twenty.”
“Are you saying that we are all to call you Bethany or Bethie now?” Fanny verified.
“Except for when we are in private, yes, Mamma,” Bethany confirmed. “I will always be your Lizzy, but in accepting that I am Bethany, I am acknowledging the many duties and responsibilities that will be heaped on my young shoulders.”
“Do not forget that aside from me as your guardian, you have your Uncle Reggie and Uncle Robert as trustees, so you will not be alone in any of this. We and others will be available to help and advise you. Further, Hilldale, Fitzwilliam, and Conyers are all experienced and will assist you if you request it of them. Of course, your mother will be with you every step of the way as you learn your new duties,” Meryton said to assure his Lizzy.
She may be Lady Bethany, a duchess, but she would always be his Lizzy.
“With all of the support, I am sure my tasks will not be so very daunting,” Bethany owned.
“There is my daughter who does not allow anything to intimidate her,” Fanny added.
“How soon will we return to Longbourn, my Lord? Since we arrived from Yorkshire, I have not been away from our home for this length of time.” She saw her daughter’s hurt look.
“Lizzy…Bethie, dear. That will take some getting used to. As the mistress of a large estate, like you do, I have duties as well to which I must return,” she clarified.
“I was told I needed to wait for the patents. It will be a few days. Also, the Lord Chamberlain mentioned a house in London as part of my title. I was going to protest, because it is not needed, but like with my being made the Baron of Meryton, no protest would be appreciated by the Crown.”
“And Mamma, when we are in private, like we are now, Lizzy is a more than acceptable form of address for me,” Bethany assured her mamma.
Fanny took her second daughter’s hand and squeezed it reassuringly. “You see, Papa and I, and do not forget your brother and sisters, will be with you in London for some days longer. Jane and Charlotte will remain with you for the foreseeable future, will they not?”
“For as long as they desire to stay,” Bethany responded. She got an impish smile on her face. “I would wager that as long as the Fitzwilliam brothers remain in the area, they will be happy to remain, regardless of London’s heat.”
“Speaking of the heat, once all of the details are sorted out, we will be for Hornby Castle. On the way, I would like to stop at Kiveton Park so you are able to see the estate where you were born and lived until you were stolen away from us,” Lady Amelia revealed.
“Fanny and Thomas, you know it goes without saying that you are welcome at the estate we are at any time you desire to see Bethie. Seeing that the Fitzwilliams and Darcys will be travelling north with us, I have a feeling you will be fielding a request from Kitty, and possibly Mary, to join the Darcys when they depart London.”
Meryton looked at Fanny, who nodded. “If either or both of the girls are invited, and they desire to go, they will have our permission,” he stated with his wife’s agreement.
“Seeing that Jane will be with you, it will only leave James at home. He needs to be at Cambridge a few days before the tenth day of October when the Michaelmas term will begin.”
“If you are able to spare James, and he wants to come spend some time at Hornby Castle, he is more than welcome,” Bethany insisted. She paused as she cogitated. “Papa, what about Jupiter? Will she remain at Longbourn or with me?”
“She was a gift from us to you, so wherever you go, that is where she belongs,” Meryton assured his second daughter.
Bethany relaxed considerably. She would have hated to be parted from her mare. She was pleased that she did not have to insult Mamma and Papa and ask if she could purchase Jupiter from them. “Please say you will come to Hornby Castle, especially if all us children will be there,” she begged.
Fanny looked at her husband, who nodded. “Once Papa and I make sure everything is as it should be at Longbourn, and we receive the calls once the notice of our elevation has shocked our friends, we will come to you,” Fanny promised.
The arms Fanny loved to feel about her now wrapped around her torso.
“Thank you, Mamma and Papa!” Bethany exclaimed. “I hear that there may be enough chambers at the castle to accommodate all of you.”
“Yes, Bethie, there are just a few suites at the castle,” Lady Amelia responded with a wide smile.
The thought of Bethie at the estates that, until a few weeks ago, Amelia had been concerned she would never see, made her warm all over.
“Some of those who were employed at Kiveton Park when you were taken are still there. They will be extremely happy to see you back at the estate of your birth. Francis, your father, wanted to have the house demolished to remove any memory of what happened there, but that is something we can decide in the future. Besides, the reason for his wanting to do that is no longer valid. You are back with us.”
The carriage ride had been very short, but Biggs and Johns had not opened the doors when they had noticed that those within were deep in conversation. They both cleared their throats when they judged those within had completed their discussion.
“My goodness!” Lady Amelia exclaimed. “We were so intent on speaking that we did not see we were back at Leeds House.”
Bethany nodded to John who was closest to the door, and he opened it. The step had been extended just after they arrived at the house. The other coaches were empty, as everyone riding with them was already inside the mansion.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Bethany explained the decision regarding her name and why, except in private with no servants or others near them, she was to be called Bethany or Bethie.
Those who had attended the ceremony at the palace all understood.
Charlotte and Mary were still at Darcy House, so they would be informed when they returned to Leeds House.
It did not take long before James accepted the invitation to travel north with his sisters.
As his father would be at Hornby Castle as well, he was not concerned about arriving at Cambridge after the date he needed to be at the university.
His father would make sure he arrived before the date he had to be there.
When Lizzy, or Bethie as they called her, begged them to join her as well, Beth and Penelope Bennet agreed to do so.
Charlotte and Mary had heard about the Bennets’ elevation from the Darcys when they returned to Darcy House.
They too understood the need to address Elizabeth as Bethany when not in private.
She did not say anything to the new baron and baroness, but Charlotte would have liked to be at Lucas Lodge when her father read that his friend was a peer, and there would be another Sir William in the neighbourhood.
It was decided that as long as the patents were ready by then, the Bennet parents would depart for Longbourn on Wednesday, and those travelling north would leave the same day.
The Collinses would travel to Hunsford, and the Bingleys, once they collected the Hursts from Hurst House, would make for Scarborough to prepare for Caroline’s wedding. The Collinses would depart for the north from Hunsford on the second Monday in August.