“Do you have any objections to us purchasing this town home, Tammy?” he asked as soon as he closed the door after he had kissed his wife soundly for the support, her smile proving she knew the house was important so he could be close to their new family.
“It was the library, was it not?” Tammy smiled. After thirteen wonderful years married to her husband, she knew him too well to doubt that was the case.
“Well, yes, I suppose that played asmallpart,” Bennet teased his wife.“I like the house as a whole as it is close to our new family and but ten minutes by carriage to the Gardiners.”
“No, Thomas, I have no objection whatsoever. On the purchase of this house, you and I are of one mind.” Tammy kissed her husband to put an exclamation point on her statement.
“Well then, let us go tell our future son-in-law and see how his mother would like to proceed,” Bennet said, kissing his wife again, the chaos of the last few days not tempering his need of reminding her she was paramount to his happiness.
“Perry, Tammy and I would like to purchase the house,” Bennet announced as they joined the rest in the library. The three Bennet sons present expressed their approbation by laughter.
“Did I not say that once father saw the library, he would not leave this house without purchasing it,” William smirked.
“None of us held a contrary view,” John pointed out.
Jane and Lizzy used the occasion to hug, as they would be living close to one another while they were in town; well until Jane moved into Bedford House on Russell Square. The two were comforted by the fact that it was barely more than one mile from where they now stood. If that was too far, Perry owned a townhouse on St James Square, which was even closer, not to mention the one on Portman Square that had been instrumental in their meeting.
“Before you meet with my mother and me, we require your word of honour on one point, Bennet,” Perry stated cryptically.
“If you tell me what I will be binding my honour to, I will give you an answer,” Bennet responded, trying to divine what Perry was driving at.
“The price that my mother will offer will be at or below market price. Her condition is that you accept the price with no argument,” Perry revealed.
“Well, that is a promise I can make with ease. You have my word as a gentleman,” Bennet responded. When the group descended to the entrance hall, Mrs Annesley was waiting for her charge. After she wished her family good luck for the upcoming meeting with the Dowager Duchess and her goodbye hug to Jane, Elizabeth and her escorts headed back to Matlock House.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
That morning, the same members of the Ton who had placated their jealous feelings with the knowledge that Miss Jane Bennet had no remarkable connections, had to eat their words as they broke their fasts and read that day’s copy of the Times. The recently unknown family had connections that anyone would envy. Not only that, but the royals had placed a congratulatory notice in the broadsheets, which was a clear signal to the Ton that the Rhys-Davies’s royal cousins supported the match fully.
With both pieces of added information, there were none in the Ton who would commit social suicide by denigrating any of the Bennets, much less the Duke’s betrothed. The family went from‘looked down upon’to one whom many wanted to ingratiate themselves to increase their own connections.
The kind of hypocrisy displayed by many in the Ton was the main reason Bennet had kept his family away from London society. Now, in the blink of an eye, hiding away in Hertfordshire had become an impossibility.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Bingley and his son walked into the main Bank of England branch as the doors were opened to the banking public. Oscar requested his personal banker, and within a minute or two he and his son were shown into the man’s office. He handed the man Bennet’s account information and then instructed him to transfer the required amount from his investment account into the one specified.
After verifying Bennets signature on the form, the banker filled out a transfer form, and after he had Mr Bingley’s signature, he went to have the order executed. Not ten minutes later the man returned and handed Oscar the documents with the bank’s official seal attesting the transfer had been made.
As they rode home Charles turned to his father,“Will not the outlay of seventy-five thousand pounds significantly hurt our income?” he asked.
“No son, it will not,” Bingley saw his son’s sceptical look.“Do you know how much Netherfield earns, Charles?” Bingley asked. His son shook his head.“It is just shy of four thousand per annum. So no, we will not suffer. In fact, it will be a few hundred pounds to our good.”
“There will be those that call us‘new money’as we are new to the landed gentry,” Charles pointed out.
“Let them say what they want; it will have no effect on us and those are not the type of people with whom we want to be acquainted!” Oscar reminded his son vehemently. They went directly to Gardiner House where they found Bennet was out with all of his family, save the twins. However, he had signed the deed in anticipation so once Phillips checked the transfer receipt and verified the account number, he had Bingley sign the deed as purchaser and he and Gardiner witnessed the document. The two Bingley men shook the brothers-in-law’s hands vigorously, after which Oscar folded the deed carefully as if it were the most precious of gems.
From Gardiner House, Oscar went to his solicitor who made a copy of the deed for his client’s record and locked the original in his safe until Mr Bingley returned home where he would place it in his own safe in his study.
When they arrived home, Louisa, Harold, and little Jane were present. There was much celebrating on Gracechurch Street that day!
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Bennet, Tammy, and Jane were shown into Bedford House on Russell Square. It looked to be at least twice the size of the townhouse that they had seen earlier in the day. The butler showed them into the mistress’s study, which would be Jane’s in a matter of months. Lady Rose was behind the nice-sized desk with Perry sitting on a settee off to the side. There were two chairs in front of the desk where Bennet and Tammy sat, while Jane joined her fiancé on the settee, sitting as close to him as propriety would allow.
“I understand from my son that my mother’s house meets with your approval,” Lady Rose smiled at her soon to be family.
“Indeed, Lady Rose, there was nought that we found to fault with the home,” Bennet informed her.
