Chapter 9 #2
“I think I still remember some of the protocols from England,” the Earl jested.
“My wife Lady Amelia Bennet, Countess of Holder, my oldest son James Bennet Junior, Viscount Glenmeade, my daughters Ladies Casandra and Alicia and my youngest son, the Honourable Phillip Bennet.” Each made a curtsy or bow when their name was mentioned.
“This young lady is Miss Jane Bennet of Longbourn in Hertfordshire, and her brother Thomas Bennet Junior; they are my cousins. Lastly, Smith and Jones, the last two remaining crewmembers of the ship.”
“I will wager after three years stranded here you wish to be away?” the Lieutenant-Commander noted dryly. “Is there anything you wish to bring with you?”
“Only Parrot,” Tommy spoke up.
“A parrot?” the officer asked.
“Yes, he, we think it is a male bird, but his name is Parrot,” the Countess explained.
“To the boats,” the Lieutenant-Commander ordered.
Soon, all were seated in the boats, and some of the seamen pushed them into the lagoon and then jumped on board themselves.
The men rowed efficiently, and soon they were alongside the hull of the frigate.
Bosun’s chairs were lowered for the ladies, and once they were all safely standing on the deck above, the men climbed up the netting.
At the Earl’s request, the executive officer introduced his Captain and fellow officers. When the Captain heard who they had just rescued, he was speechless. “My Lord, I think you are familiar with my father. I grew up on Falconwood and being a third son I chose the navy,” Captain Sandiford stated.
“Yes, of course, your father is Mr. Cedric Sandiford. Falconwood is but twenty miles south of Holder Heights!” the Earl confirmed.
“We have a few more days of patrol left and then we will return to Nassau. Unless it is a dire emergency, I do not have the authority to leave my patrol, my Lord,” the Captain explained.
“You will hear no argument from any of us, Captain, after more than three years on New England, we are overjoyed to be leaving our island home behind us.” Seeing the Captain’s quizzical look, the Earl explained they had dubbed the island with a name that tied them to the home country for which they longed.
“Captain,” Jamey called the commander’s attention to himself. “Do you carry a clergyman on board?” he asked hopefully as Jane blushed becomingly.
“We do happen to have one with us on this patrol; may I ask why?” The Captain inquired, though he had a fairly good idea the reason the Viscount was asking.
The couple explained how they had been betrothed for over eighteen months, and as much as Miss Bennet wanted her father and sister present, they did not want to wait any longer.
They decided that they would have a celebration after their return home, and if her father desired, Jane stated they would renew their vows, to which Jamey had no objections.
The parson was called to meet the ‘castaways.’ He confirmed that, as the bride was of age, he would issue a common license.
So, the wedding was set for the morrow, the seven and twentieth day of February 1809.
Parrot loudly told everyone he wanted some fruit as if he also wanted to celebrate the upcoming nuptials, which led to much laughter.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
“I need money for Caroline’s new dress; she must impress the Duke at the upcoming assembly!” Martha demanded, as she stood across the desk from her stepdaughter in the master’s study.
“Are you telling me, madam, you have frittered away your widow’s portion, have no more of your monthly allowance, and due to your inability to manage your money you now expect the estate to pay for your profligate ways?” Elizabeth asked, amazed at the hubris of the woman.
“Listen to me, Cinder-Liza, I am the mistress of this estate, and you will provide me the funds I need!” Trying to intimidate Elizabeth, the woman leaned over the desk with her arm raised as if she were about to strike her.
“Go ahead, stepmother dear!” Elizabeth challenged. “Strike me, and you and your daughter will be gone before the sun sets in the west this very day!”
Martha shrank back. How she hated the chit, but there was no option. If she did something to be removed from Longbourn now, they would be destitute. She again missed that her stepdaughter had used the singular connotation rather than the plural when she referred to her daughters.
“Did you again forget what Mr. Philips told you the day he read my father’s will?
All the funds are kept in trust for the heir and Mr. Philips disburses funds, not I!
Even if I wanted to, and I do not, he would not give you a penny to reward you for wasting your money on nothing of value,” Elizabeth stated firmly.
She had no doubt the woman hated her, but the woman’s fear of being cast out with nothing was stronger even than the hatred.
The woman straightened up and flounced out of the study, leaving the door open as was her wont.
After Elizabeth closed the door, she sat back in her father’s comfortable armchair.
Next to Utopia it was the thing that made her feel closest to her late father; she could almost feel his presence in the chair.
‘Oh Papa, why did you ride when you were so deep in your cups? Even though you locked yourself in this study, you were still here and now you are gone!’ Elizabeth dashed away the tears that had collected in the corners of her eyes as her memory drifted back to the fateful day.
‘I have hoped for so long that Jane and Tommy will return, but after three years, is it not time for me to accept it is a dream that will never be? Jane and Tommy, how I ache for you; I will try and keep hope alive, but it becomes harder with each passing month! I am sorry Janey, I only write to you once a month, I pray you will forgive me. ’
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
“Will you attend the assembly, your Grace?” Mr. Harold Hurst, the Duke’s private secretary asked. Hurst had joined the current duke some two years ago. He was the fourth son of a gentleman who owned a small estate, Winsglade, in Yorkshire.
“I think I must. Miss Younge will remain here with Lady Georgiana as she is not out yet. I know sometimes in the country girls are out locally earlier than in Town but given my sister’s shyness and the amount of fawning I will have to endure, it is not a situation to which I would expose her,” the Duke replied.
“At least it seems the residents are aware of protocol, as none have called on you at Netherfield, your Grace,” Hurst informed his employer.
“So it seems, Hurst, so it seems. Where is Lady Georgiana currently?” the Duke inquired.
“Your sister is in a lesson with Signore da Funti. As you requested, Miss Younge and a maid attend her at all times,” Hurst reported.
“Did we receive the report on the populace of the neighbourhood that I commissioned?” the Duke wanted to know.
“We did, your Grace. There is nothing exceptional, rather like the population of Lambton. That is, except for the Bennets,” Hurst related.
“What about the Bennets? Did you find a connection between them and the Holder Bennets, who were lost at sea?” Lord William asked with interest. In the recesses of his memory, he remembered the impertinent slip of a girl with green eyes, the likes of which he had never seen before or since.
“It is easiest to answer the second part of your question first, your Grace. If there is a connection between these Bennets and the unfortunate family from Staffordshire, for some reason it has been well hidden, as the investigator found no trace of such a connection.” Hurst then proceeded to relate that there were three Bennet children, only one remained at home, and there was no clue as to the location of the other two.
He related the story of the compromise, the marriage in name only, how Mr. Bennet refused to allow his stepchildren to use his name, and how the town’s folk disdained the new Mrs. Bennet and her three children, named Bingley.
“Bingley you say? I remember in my final year at Eton, there was a Charles Bingley who attempted to ingratiate himself with those of high birth. As far as I know he never succeeded and there was talk about him lacking character. I wonder if it is the same family?” the Duke mused.
“I believe so, your Grace, for the former Mrs. Bingley’s children are Charles, Louisa, and Caroline.
The son is not allowed to return to Longbourn.
From what I am reading here, the son was not seen again after the compromise and before the Bingleys arrived at the estate.
The older Bennet girl left at the same time the Bingley boy was banned from ever setting foot on Bennet lands again.
In my estimation, the only ones you need to be wary of are Mrs. Bennet and her youngest, Caroline Bingley.
” Hurst placed the report on the Duke’s desk as he concluded his report.
“I will have Biggs and Johns near at all times. Have we stationed some men around Meryton to keep their eyes and ears open?”
“Per your wishes, your Grace.” Hurst was dismissed soon after.
Lord William sat in his study cogitating. If the Bennets were related to his uncle’s and aunt’s daughter-in-law and Lady Marie’s family, why would they hide the connection? The obvious answer must be that there was no connection.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
“Well, that is not very friendly of William not to be home to receive us!” the hobbling Colonel jested as he leaned on his crutch in the entrance hall at Darcy House in London.
“To be fair, Richard, we did not inform William of our coming. You did want to surprise your cousins after all!” Wickham grinned at his brother-in-arms.
“You used to allow me to have more fun, George,” Richard gave a chuckle. “How was I to know that my parents would depart London before the end of the season to assist Marie and Andrew with the running of the Holder estates?” Richard got an idea. “Killion, where is my cousin?”
This was information the butler would give only to a select few, the Colonel being one of them, the Major another. “His Grace and Lady Georgiana are at his estate, Netherfield Park, near the town of Meryton in Hertfordshire,” Killion shared.
“What does my cousin need with another estate? Never you mind! What say you, George? I feel like a travelling to this Meryton; it is early, and we will arrive this afternoon,” Richard said, with a mischievous glint in his eye. “We will still be able to shock my staid cousin.”
A half hour later, the two officers and their batmen were in a Darcy coach headed for the estate in Hertfordshire, where they arrived in just over four hours.
When Mr. Nichols answered the door, he saw two officers he did not know and looked to Biggs, who nodded his head.
The officers asked not to be announced and were pointed to the music room where they could hear sweet sounds from the pianoforte.
Lord William looked up when the door opened, as he wondered if he was needed. Through the door, supporting himself on a crutch, hobbled his cousin, and behind him, his friend George, his arm in a sling. Both were grinning from ear to ear.
Before he could say a word, the playing stopped. “RICHARD! Mr. Wickham!” Lady Georgiana shouted with glee. In an unladylike but understandable display, Lady Georgiana Darcy launched herself at her cousin but pulled up short when she noticed his crutch.
“Do not worry, Gigi; I am on the mend, as is my friend George here. In a few more months we should be back to full strength.” By the time Richard had finished speaking his cousin was before him and both brother and sister hugged Richard.
Lady Georgiana curtsied to Wickham, and he, too, received a bear hug from Darcy, who was careful not to go near his injured shoulder.
Mrs. Nichols was summoned and asked to prepare rooms in the family wing and have hot baths readied for both men.