Chapter 32 #5
“You will find out soon enough Lizzy, as Richard shared that William wrote to him telling him that he intends for the two of you to spend a month there each year, was it three weeks he said, maybe four?” she blushed prettily and Lizzy tried to hide her anticipation.
“Now, ask me the questions you truly want to ask or we can return to the others,” Jane challenged.
Neither of the ladies before her were wilting flowers, and this was not the time for that.
Perhaps if it were after they retired and were having a sisterly talk, but it was midday and they would soon be expected for tea.
“You are right, Jane. It is foolish to act like we are not all of age, but Charlotte is with us because she too has no idea what is about to happen. In reality, she is unsure that she had even truly consummated the marriage, and certainly any occurrences were not pleasurable,” Mary stated.
“I am glad you are here as I planned to seek you out. If you are not sure, then it is likely true. If he had managed to consummate as he should have, there would have been no doubt, Charlotte. It will be a most wonderful experience when you marry your Mr Elliot, even with your previous marriage it will be a first for you and with one that you love and who loves you in return.” Jane reached out and took Charlotte’s hand.
“First, I want to assure you, sisters, that mother’s talk is most comforting and soothing,” she nodded at their relief.
“I will not usurp her pleasure at sharing this with you. But I will caution you all this, you most especially, Charlotte.” When Elizabeth and Mary looked pensively from Jane to Charlotte, Jane laughed softly.
“I believe Charlotte would agree with me that you, Lizzy, will love your husband and are naturally romantic so would find your way with your husband, talk or no.” She winked at Charlotte when Lizzy blushed.
“I also think she knows you, Mary, are going to probably shock your husband with your demanding that he reminds you that he loves you and the where and when will not matter.” She laughed brightly when Mary nodded with hardly a blush.
“He is mine to love for all of my lifetime. I will not shrink from the pleasures nor hide from the pain,” Mary stated brazenly.
“It is that you need to remember, Charlotte. It is not the time of day nor the location so long as you have privacy. It is about the chance to be reminded that he loves you, and surprise him by reminding him that you love him and want him in return. It is that pleasure that will make you partners in a physical sense. It extends to a much deeper connection. I do not want you to shy away from the depth of your love, Charlotte, any of you. It will help gain such pleasures for you, even more than we will ever find as you know what a gift it is.” She again squeezed Charlotte’s hand then scanned all three ladies before her.
“Thank you, Jane,” Charlotte blushed.
“There is another point I want to stress, just in case your mother does not remind you,” Jane again nodded at Charlotte, knowing it was unlikely Lady Lucas had.
“Trust yourself enough to be open to what pleases him, trust him to care for what matters to you. Be honest about what you enjoy, and be as honest about what you do not. Do not stay silent on either. Demand the same from him so you know you are becoming the wife you want to be,” Jane arched a brow as she looked at Mary.
“I plan on not letting Hugh out of bed until he begs for mercy,” Mary teased with a huge smirk.
“It can be a most satisfying situation,” Jane agreed, laughing when Lizzy and Charlotte gaped at the two of them. Lizzy then turned to her long-time friend.
“Just when did I become the least bold sister? This is quite unacceptable!” Lizzy scowled playfully and the four of them laughed together.
“Mary was never shy; she just had no reason to show it.” Jane took Mary’s hand in her other and squeezed it.
“Oh Jane, how I have missed your sweet way of turning people into saints,” Mary said as she laughed, kissing her sister’s hand.
As Jane was getting ready to answer her sisters, Richard was facing an inquisition of his own.
He faced some lecherous jokes, but nothing too off colour as his wife’s father was present keeping a weather eye on the younger men along with the Duke of Bedford, Sir Edward and the Earl of Jersey.
All that he would share was that he had never been happier, had never understood what happiness was before marrying Jane.
Seeing that it was not the best time to tease him, conversation soon switched to the progress being made at his estate.
On this subject, Richard waxed eloquently as he was much pleased at the positive improvements being achieved.
All the men were very interested in Richard’s new horse breeding programme that he was building.
He was reminded that with Pemberley less than an hour away by horseback, his cousin, soon to be his brother, would always assist as needed.
The older men were suitably impressed at how quickly Richard had made the transition from military to civilian life.
Bennet was happy to see that his son was a hands-on landowner, though given his leadership skills he could see how he could easily transition to the tasks of a landowner.
“‘Tis the season for double weddings,” Richard opined. “I am very happy Anne has found love and felicity. It is still hard for me to accept what that insane harridan of an aunt of ours was willing to do to her own daughter.” Richard’s face darkened, wishing he could call his aunt out as what she had perpetrated was unacceptable treatment of any human being.
Even prisoners of war were treated better.
“Do not forget that there will be a third wedding when Charlotte marries Elliot, and remember, all of you that she does not want to be called Mrs Collins if it can be helped,” Darcy informed all men present.
“In addition, I have verified with Elliot that he sees no disrespect, only respect for the wishes of a woman, like Anne, who has suffered far more harshly than we would endure. I had heard some of Charlotte’s miseries when she visited Pemberley.
When Lizzy happened to be out walking, I would see her sitting and crying thinking that she was alone.
When I noticed her suffering, I would not intrude.
Please, respect her wishes to call her Charlotte if it is not absolutely necessary to call her by his surname.
What I saw horrified me enough to consider offering to pay to get her marriage annulled or at least legally return her name.
I almost contacted my cousin Archie, but I have learnt my lesson about interfering in other’s lives. ”
The men winced as they considered what would cause Darcy to react so strongly and it was fortunate for the parson that he was reaping what he sowed in hell, or they would have made him wish he was.
“At least none of you behaved as I did,” Darcy was still mortified when he remembered that he had acted in any way similar to his disgraced aunt.
“I cannot imagine you behaving badly?” Birchington said with a frown.
“You do not know the half of it…” Darcy winced then recounted an abbreviated version of his past hypocrisy and behaviour for Hugh.
“The main thing is that you corrected your course, William. Mary has told me that Lizzy will not do that which is abhorrent to her, so the fact that she has accepted you tells me all I need to know,” Birchington nodded at his friend.
“Like your Lizzy says, let the past remain where it should, in the past. All any of us can do is regulate ourselves today and make sure that we behave as we should in the future.”
“Elizabeth has shared similar words with me and I have moved on, but every now and again I get maudlin when something reminds me of my past idiocy,” Darcy shared
“Just remember to always make my girls happy, you three, and if I may offer a free piece of advice?” Bennet glanced around and they were all focused on him, even the one who had already claimed his bride.
“If circumstances change, for good or bad, be honest with your wives.
As some of you know the woman my Fanny was, she changed the day I admitted she was never going to the hedgerows regardless of the entail.
It was my fault alone that caused her anxiety every day.
“Son, you were long forgiven for a few months of less than favourable behaviour. My shame lasted years, far too long but Fanny has forgiven me. If I could not forgive myself, I could not have become the husband she deserves. You need to do so, get over it, as they say in our former colonies, and just be the man she deserves. Crying over spilled milk cleaned up days before does no one any good unless it is, of course, done in front of the Queen.” He charged his son and his soon to be sons.
“Yessir!” was heard from all, and with that they went back to asking the bachelors not yet relieved of the title if they needed any advice.
In their sitting room, Jane was asked about her estate and how she was adjusting to life there.
The four of them were excited that when they were resident at their estates, they would not be far from one another.
The parsonage was the closest to Lizzy followed by Jane at Brookfield, Mary’s new home, the estate of Birchington, was only a little over five and twenty miles east of Pemberley in Nottinghamshire.
They hoped that, for their parent’s sake, the three younger sisters, when they married, would live closer to Longbourn.
Jane and Lizzy told Mary that with their parents’ permission, the income from both Bennet Park and Fields would be pooled and used to fund more projects like the school, orphanage, and hospital that had been funded by the Bennet’s foundation near Meryton.
Neither of the Bennet girls nor their partners needed the income, so by mutual agreement the clause in Jane’s marriage contract had been changed to reflect that fact.
Both estates’ income had nearly been cut in half as big swaths of the land of each had been annexed to Longbourn after the entail had been broken.
Longbourn’s income now exceeded five and twenty thousand pounds a year after the adjustment with all of the added land.
Longbourn would be inherited by the first-born grandson, who would have the title Viscount Meryton.
The other two estates would go to the first two sons born who did not inherit an estate from his father.
Unless the Darcy’s had five sons, none of theirs would have the need as besides Pemberley Darcy owned three other estates.
In preparation for an assault on Bond Street on the morrow, and visits to Madame Chambourg’s which would be closed for two to three days to the general public, the ladies of all of the related houses were in bed relatively early that night after a musical performance of works by Beethoven’s, including Für Elise and Moonlight Sonata.
It still took some getting used to for Jane to be so close to Bennet House but not staying there, though she could not repine either the activity in their bed or the man that shared it with her.