Vol 2, Chapter 9
The Bennets and Lady Rose arrived at Bedford House in the afternoon of Thursday, the eighteenth day of April.
They were met by John and Maude Cox, the butler and housekeeper, who had all of the servants lined up in the entrance hall to welcome the new Duke, Duchess, and their family to Bedford House.
The Dowager Duchess was welcomed warmly, but the senior staff were too well trained to look to her for instructions any longer.
The master suite had been made over per the instructions Lady Priscilla had left the first time she had visited the house.
The three sisters had chosen chambers on their first and only visit when they met the late Duke.
Elizabeth and Esther shared a suite, each with her own set of chambers on either side of the sitting room, while Jane had chosen the suite next to them.
Elizabeth would have shared a suite with Jane, but given the latter’s impending nuptials, the arrangement made the most sense to all of them.
Each also had her own French lady’s maid who had their mistress' trunks unpacked, and their dresses and gowns hanging in the large walk-in closets before the sisters even reached their chambers.
Mark was in the nursery down the hall from the rest of the family.
Lady Rose had a large two bedchamber suite which she had chosen before they had departed London. The Bennets had offered her the choice to remain in the master suite, but she had declined, citing that she could not reside in those chambers without her beloved Sed.
The knocker was down and would remain so as the ladies would depart for Hertfordshire on the coming Tuesday.
The Duke intended to follow on Thursday, the day after his induction into the Lords.
The butler had been instructed the family was not at home to any visitors except family and a few friends who were on a selective list provided.
An hour later, the butler announced the Earl and Countess of Matlock, Viscount Hilldale, and the Honourable Mr. Richard Fitzwilliam. They joined the family in the family sitting room and were followed shortly by the Earl and Countess of Jersey.
“We need to discuss some safety measures with you for not only yourself but all of your family, Bennet,” Lord Jersey began.
He very carefully laid out the conversation they had the day his daughters had seen Miss Bingley watching Madame Chambourg’s modiste shop like a cat expecting fresh cream. He then ceded the floor to Richard.
Richard reported he had more than thirty men to choose from, and if Bennet needed to see more it could easily be arranged.
“The two who, in my opinion, should be hired regardless of who else you choose are Biggs and Johns.” Richard followed this pronouncement with his reasoning for his suggestion of those two particular men.
Bennet looked at his wife who nodded, he was to act immediately.
“What time will they be here on the morrow, Richard?” he asked.
“As for the two huge men, tell them they are hired. Jane must be at Madame Chambourg’s in the afternoon, and I would prefer at least the two of them were with the ladies when they accompany Jane. ”
“What about livery?” Lady Sarah asked.
“If we do not have anything that fits their size, Mama, we will order some fabric and have it made up in a matter of days,” Priscilla responded.
“There is no need to wait, my dear,” Lady Rose informed them. “There is ample fabric here for the livery and we have a seamstress on staff. If Richard can have them here this evening, they will have a set of uniforms waiting for them in the morning.”
“If that meets with your approval, Lady Priscilla, I will send a message and have them here in the next hour, two at most,” Richard stated.
“That is perfect, Richard, thank you,” Priscilla averred. Richard moved to the escritoire, wrote his note and had it dispatched.
“Do you really think Miss Bingley is insane enough to cause Jane physical harm?” Elizabeth asked.
“Possibly not, but there will be more threats than just her, and I would rather have too much protection than not enough,” Bennet told his daughter.
“Once word of your dowries is leaked, you will be targets for any and all fortune hunters. Your mother and I have decided to add to each of your dowries an additional two hundred thousand pounds.”
“Papa, that is too much!” both Jane and Elizabeth chorused while everyone else was shocked into silence.
“It is but a small portion of the wealth we now possess,” Priscilla clarified.
“Mama and Papa, there are so many that are in need,” Esther spoke up.
“I would like my original dowry donated to charity. I do not want to speak for my sisters, but even without what I want to donate, I think there will be more than enough of a dowry.” She noted dryly, a small smile proving it was rhetoric and Elizabeth smiled as she took her sister’s hand.
“I agree with Esther,” Elizabeth stated.
“As do I. If you agree and allow us to designate where the funds go, I want mine to go to Haven House,” Jane decided.
Bennet looked at his wife and they communicated wordlessly. “It shall be as you girls desire, and yes, Jane, you each may choose which charity or charities are to receive the largess.”
“I have always been proud of you three,” Lady Sarah said as she hugged each granddaughter in turn, “but never more so than now.”
“Your donation will fund Haven House for twenty years, Jane!” Lady Elaine exclaimed with tears in her eyes.
She was the chairwoman of the committee that ran the home for young girls who had been used and abused both physically and sexually.
“Thank you, Jane; I cannot wait to tell the committee to whom we are indebted.”
“It must be anonymous, Mother Elaine,” Jane used the new title that Lady Elaine had recently asked her to use.
“Then anonymous it will be,” Lady Elaine agreed.
“Aunt Elaine,” Elizabeth called. “Did I not hear talk that you wanted to open some houses like Haven House in other locations in the country?”
“We recently were discussing just that, Lizzy,” Lady Elaine nodded.
“In that case, I would like my donation to be used for that purpose,” Elizabeth stipulated.
“And mine!” Esther added.
“Thomas and I will match the contributions of our daughters,” Priscilla pledged.
Lady Elaine was speechless, for in a matter of minutes her committee had just received three hundred thousand pounds so they would be able to fund many, if not all the houses they had dreamed of.
“As much as I hate to return us to reality, we need to continue our discussion on the safety measures for not just the young ladies and your sons, but all of you, Bennet. Your wealth could make any of you targets for unscrupulous men,” Richard stated when the conversation had lagged for a moment.
“Richard, I trust you implicitly, so tell us what you suggest.” Bennet nodded his leave.
“If it were me, I would hire a cadre of footmen-guards and outriders. When all or some of you move from place to place, you want your carriages to be the least attractive target to any brigand who fancies himself a highwayman. I would suggest the assistant drivers and postillions all be guards as well.” Richard paused as his words sunk in.
“When any of you are out and about in Town, the two men I just wrote to should be with you, as well as two to four more. The size of the party would determine the number. If any of you go for a ride or ramble on her own,” Richard looked pointedly at Elizabeth given her habit of solitary walks at Rosings Park, “then Biggs, Johns, and two more footmen-guards should be your escorts.”
“It will be as you suggest, Richard, so I believe we may need to see more than thirty men,” Bennet opined.
“There is no shortage of good men who would love the work after they have completed their service to King and country. With such a large force, you will need a commander,” Richard added.
“I take it you have one in mind?” Bennet surmised.
“In fact I do. He was a Captain and was injured when he fought alongside me at Corunna. His injuries have healed, but they were bad enough for the army to place him on half pension. His name is David Burnett, and I would, and in fact did on more than one occasion, trust him with my life,” Richard informed them.
“If he is in London, will I be able to meet with him on the morrow?” Bennet asked with the intention to offer him the position on that recommendation alone.
“He is, and I believe so,” Richard confirmed.
As the rest of the Bennets listened to the conversation about the security measures being put in place to ensure their safety, it was brought home to them once again just how much their lives had changed.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Lady Catherine de Bourgh hardly recognised Rosings Park’s manor house as the same one she used to rule over with an iron fist only weeks before.
Gardiner’s men had returned, catalogued all her daughter wished removed, and had promptly taken all of the items and artwork Lady Catherine had been so proud of, certain they were a testament to their wealth and status.
Now that she had been jarred back to reality, she was able to see it all through her daughter’s eyes and was forced to admit the way she used to decorate was instead classless.
According to Anne, they would attend Andrew’s wedding at the end of the month, and then they would use the funds from the sales of the items that had thus far been removed to place an order with Chippendale’s for new furniture.
As the new pieces arrived, the remainder of the pieces to be replaced would be carted to Gardiner and Associates for sale also.
The most difficult of her dreams to give up had been the union between Anne and Fitzwilliam. As hard as it had been for her to give up her dream, she now had no doubt neither of the principals would ever unite. Lady Catherine had at last accepted that Anne’s decision was to never marry.