Chapter 6 #2
Elizabeth picked up the blanket with reverence. On the return to the drawing room, Elizabeth asked her maid to place the blanket on her pillows. From that night on, she would sleep with a little piece of her previous life at Longbourn with her.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The Lucases, Longs, and Gouldings had dinner at Longmeadow the evening that the Bingleys and Bennets arrived home. They would all be to Netherfield Park on the morrow, but they did not want to descend on the mourning family the same day that they arrived home.
As much as they wanted to condole with their friends to support, they also could not wait to see Lady Elizabeth Fitzwilliam. “I have a feeling that she will be at Netherfield on the morrow,” Cheryl Long opined. “She has known the Bingleys for a number of years.”
“It is capital that Bennet has been reunited with his Lizzy,” Sir William added in his affable manner.
“From what Tammy wrote, he did not exert his rights to demand that she return to live at Longbourn, nor does he intend to, and I, for one, applaud that decision,” Lady Lucas shared.
“The Fitzwilliams are the only family she has known. She was but one when that insane Fanny had her taken!” Jenny Goulding added stridently.
“Just remember not to mention that woman’s name in front of any of the Bennets or their family,” Spencer Goulding reminded his wife.
“You are correct husband. That person does not deserve her name mentioned by any of us; I apologise to all for my slip,” answered Mrs Goulding contritely.
“Her ladyship is older than I am, is she not?” asked Mandy who was fourteen.
“I believe that she will soon be sixteen, Mandy,” Cheryl informed her daughter. Both had been shining lights in her life since their parents were tragically murdered in France some eight years earlier. Cara, like Mariah Lucas with whom she was best of friends, was twelve.
“Do you think that she will treat us as if we are socially below her?” Cara asked softly.
“From what Tammy has described as Lady Elizabeth’s character, I do not believe so,” Lady Lucas smiled gently at the girl. “Add to that what the Bingleys have said of her over the years, I imagine she is a little like Jane, very pleasant as long as you do not anger her.”
“Our Janey is going to be a Duchess!” Mandy added dreamily.
“Yes, that good news was almost lost in the revelation of finding Elizabeth and poor Mr Bingley’s death,” Jenny Goulding pointed out.
“Will the Bingleys be able to attend her wedding?” Mandy asked.
“Attending the church ceremony will be perfectly acceptable, but they will not attend the wedding breakfast.” Her mother explained.
Franklin Lucas was sitting off in the corner scheming.
He had lost his prize; for that is how he saw Jane and her dowry, and exactly the cause of why she would have never accepted him.
Now, however, there was another Bennet daughter—not only rich, but rich and titled too.
Yes, he deserved such a wife. He knew that she was not yet sixteen, but as far as he was concerned, she was old enough—even if he had to compromise her.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
On turning off the road toward Netherfield, the black banner on the gatepost was flapping in the breeze as the convoy from Longbourn made its way to the house.
The doors were adorned with black wreathes, and all male servants wore black armbands.
When the estate was sold, the servants were given the option to remain with the Bingleys or take a post at one of the Bennet estates, and in a singular voice, every single one had elected to stay as Bingley employees.
Once a certain daughter—who was nevermore mentioned—had left the house, it had been as pleasant as could be working for the Bingleys.
The ladies had come without the men, except of course Biggs, Johns, four footmen guards, and four outriders.
With the exceptions of Georgiana and Kitty, all of the women residing at Longbourn had come, and Charlotte Pierce had accompanied them for the journey.
Elizabeth liked the older woman instantly, and it seemed the admiration was mutual so by the time they arrived at their destination they were using each other’s familiar name, though for some reason Charlotte called Elizabeth ‘Eliza’, to which she did not object.
It felt exactly right when Mrs Pierce used that appellation.
Jane, Charlotte, and Elizabeth went to the parlour where Louisa was sitting with her daughter, Mary.
The rest of the ladies were shown into the drawing room where they joined ladies from the neighbourhood who had come to express their sympathies.
The only three neighbourhood ladies who knew the true connection to Lady Elizabeth had honoured the request to not share the information.
They were disappointed that the very lady in question did not join them but understood that she, Jane, and Charlotte were sitting with Mrs Hurst as they were friends of long-standing.
William had ridden to Netherfield earlier to be with Charles, and they were in the study, going over records.
“I am his sole heir, Darcy,” Bingley frowned as he stared at the copy of his father’s will he had removed from the safe.
“How am I to do this? I know what I do not know, and I currently do not know anything about managing an estate.”
“Well then you are in luck, my friend, because I do,” Will told him.
It was not a boast, just the truth. “My father has been training me since I was out of leading strings, and not only that but Uncle Bennet is your neighbour who, until your father purchased Netherfield, successfully managed this and two larger estates!”
“I know that you know how; how does it help me learn how to do this in a few days’ time? It is impossible for anyone, except possibly Lizzy to learn all of it so fast.” Charles smiled thinly when Will guffawed.
“On the supposition that you would need some help, I have permission from my father to stay for as long as you need me after the funeral. I will teach you like my father taught me,” Will stated with a grin.
“As long as you teach me and not just do it. In the past, I have deferred to you and others, and I know that is not the way one should live their life. If I am to learn, I must make the decisions. Advice will be good and appreciated, as would helping me see more options or parts of something difficult, but not more than that,” Charles insisted.
“That is the only way you will learn, my friend,” Will agreed.
Just as tea was being served, the four ladies left the parlour and entered the drawing room.
The three ladies who knew who Elizabeth was, had to fight to keep from rushing her to hug her and proclaim to all who she was.
They and the rest of the ladies thought that Jane Bennet was the prettiest young lady that they had ever seen, until the raven-haired beauty with her shining hazel eyes with the flecks of green and gold walked into the room.
Elaine then introduced her daughter to the ladies. Some of them remarked how similar her colouring was to that of young Kitty Bennet except for the eyes, for Kitty had her mother’s eyes. The ladies had been talking and condoling for a while when the men arrived, and with them came Franklin Lucas.
He congratulated himself on his choice once he saw the most beautiful woman that his eyes had ever beheld.
He watched her subtlety, or at least he thought that he was being subtle.
Four men took note of his inappropriate interest in Elizabeth, four men who one did not want to run afoul of, and a fifth, more dangerous than the others would be arriving in a few days.
It was not only her relatives that noticed the interest from the Lucas heir, but Elizabeth herself.
She felt a chill run down her spine and moved to be as far away from the man as possible.
He would have made a move to get closer to her, but she sat between Andrew and Will.
When Franklin looked at his chosen target again, he was met by a stare from Will Darcy that left him no doubt that his interest had been detected and was not welcome.
He noticed too that the Earl was looking at him in the same way, as was Mr Bennet and the man he now knew was Mr Darcy.
He turned away, deciding that he would have to be a lot more careful until he had affected the compromise.
When Sir William was preparing to depart, he was asked to join Bennet in Bingley’s study. When he entered, he was met by not only Bennet, but Mr Darcy, his heir, and the Earl of Matlock. “How may I be of service?” the ebullient man asked.
“Lucas, I hate to raise this with you but all of us here,” Bennet indicated the three men standing with him, “noticed Franklin paying Lady Elizabeth a lot of inappropriate attention, so much so that it made her feel very uncomfortable.”
“Franklin is a good boy, he would never harm Lady Elizabeth or anyone else,” Sir William defended his heir.
“Be that as it may,” Andrew said, “my sister is not yet out and will not be for another two years. Please make sure that your son knows that he is to keep his distance from her.”
“Bennet, she is your daughter, you know my son would never…” he started, but Bennet cut him off.
“I would hope that too, Lucas, but I saw the way that your son was leering at Elizabeth today. The Earl here is her legal guardian, but were he not, I would be asking you the same thing. If Franklin has no intentions toward her then he will have no objection to maintaining his distance,” Bennet stated reasonably.
“I will talk to him,” the now sullen man acquiesced, gave a curt bow, and left the office.
“In all of the years I have known him, I have never seen him vexed before,” Bennet told the others.
“When she walks or rides, I will make sure that Aggie is always with her and that Biggs and Johns are aware of this potential threat,” Andrew stated.
“Good,” Will added, “the father may not want to believe it, but I know what I saw and there was nothing benevolent in that man’s assessment of our Lizzy.”
“I hope that he has more good sense than that, son,” George vocalised what they were all hoping.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
When they got back to Lucas Lodge, Sir William summoned his oldest. “Sit, Franklin,” he commanded. “Why were you watching Lady Elizabeth at Netherfield, so much so that it was noted by a number of her relatives.”
“I-it was so many years since she had been taken, I just was fascinated thinking of how it came about that she was reunited with her father and his family,” he lied as smoothly as he could.
“That confirms what I told her brother and the others before I left Netherfield.” Sir William needed to believe his son. He, too, had seen behaviours since Jane Bennet had rejected his son that had bothered him, but he ignored them and hoped for the best.
“The Earl spoke to you about me, father?” Franklin asked angrily. His father did not know that he held a grudge against members of the Ton for the treatment he had suffered from some at Oxford, due to his ties to trade and that his father, although a knight, was poor.
“Yes, the Earl, Bennet, and the two Darcy men.” He proceeded to relay the gist of the conversation.
Once he had related all he added, “As I am sure that you are an honourable man and have no intentions towards a young lady not yet out, it should be no hardship for you to keep your distance from Lady Elizabeth.”
“No trouble at all,” Franklin prevaricated. He schooled his countenance and left the study, but once in his chambers, he gave vent to his fury. “They will see,” he told the wall that he had just hit, “she will be mine!”