Perry saw the concern on his betrothed’s face.“Not too long, Jane, your father requires that we wait until you are eighteen.” He had a wide grin on his face as he saw Jane relax with relief.
“Well then, how about on the fifteenth? No wait, if memory serves, my birthday falls on the Sabbath this year, so the sixteenth?” Perry nodded his agreement and Bennet reluctantly added his agreement.
“As we are all due at Matlock House to watch a young lady of fifteen school you in chess, Bennet, what say you that we make the announcement there? I will send a notification to the papers; I happen to have one ready.” Perry sheepishly handed over the prepared notice to Bennet.
“Rather confident were we not?” Bennet quipped as he returned it to Perry. While getting ready, Perry asked Mr Gardiner if he could have one of his grooms deliver the note to the Times.
Bennet valued his life, so he told his wife right away; she happily exclaimed:“Oh I knew how it would be. Our daughter will be happy and loved.”
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Elizabeth’s maid was fixing her hair when she heard the commotion of arriving guests. She took her cross and put it on and then started down to the drawing room. She heard the congratulations being given. She assumed that her brother-in-law Perry had proposed to Miss Bennet and been accepted.
As the congratulations were flowing, Bennet turned and noticed the same portrait that had caught Jane’s attention when she was in the same room. As if in a trance, he walked toward the portrait while his wife and children watched him. He stopped in front of the painting and stared. He was looking at his mother. The girl in the painting could have been her twin in the portrait that was painted when his late mother was but fourteen. He felt like he was dreaming.
“Who is this girl?” he asked.
“Why, that is me.” He turned around and it seemed like time stood still. There in the doorway was his mother, and she was wearing her cross. At first, he thought he was in a dream as he watched Jane walk to where the apparition stood. Jane lifted the cross and turned it while Elizabeth stood unmoving as everyone else watched in fascination, not sure what was happening. There was silence until Jane read:
For my Elizabeth
She looked at the young woman still standing perfectly still in front of her as she raised her hand to her face.“It is you, Lizzy!” With tears streaming down her cheeks, Jane threw her arms around her long-lost sister who was still standing open mouthed in shock as pandemonium broke out.
The End of Book 2
