“After she gave up Netherfield to be sold to increase her sibling’s portions, I knew that I wanted to gift her the townhouse and Mother agreed wholeheartedly. When I discussed it with her, she refused, and that is when I considered the neighbourhood and had the idea to offer it to your family. Mother seconded the idea, and only then did I tell Jane, as I did not want her to think that I was going behind her back. She too added her approval to the scheme,” Perry related.
Noting that the young duke had not mentioned the plan to ensure he agreed not to fight the price, Bennet made an educated guess.“It was Jane, was it not?”
“What was Jane, Bennet?” Perry chuckled.
“Do not be so obtuse with me, Perry, you know what I mean. Jane suggested the ruse so that I would not object, as she knew that I would never accept such a gift without having no option,” Bennet surmised, fairly certain he was accurate in his assessment.
“Please do not censure her for it.” Perry did not think that Bennet would, but he wanted to be sure.“Even though it was her suggestion, it was I who executed the plan.”
“Make yourself easy, Perry. I know how generous my daughter’s heart is. Unless, of course, you ever make the mistake of running afoul of her. It is then one discovers that she can be quite strident when pushed to it. Jane would take the gown off her back and give it to someone whose gown was soiled if she could find a way to do it and still maintain propriety. That is why I guessed that it was her suggestion.” Perry relaxed as Bennet assured him Jane would not know that her father was aware it was her idea to make sure he could not refuse.
When the men returned to the drawing room, they arrived at the tail end of the ladies making plans to visit the modiste.“Thank you, Mama,” Georgiana said as she kissed her mother on the cheek.“This is the first time that I will go to the modiste,” she effused.
“Do not forget, Georgie, that it will only be two dresses, a day dress and gown for Perry and Jane’s wedding. In a year or two, you will have more dresses made by Madam Chambourg,” Anne told her daughter.
“Andrew, while you were out, we were talking. What think you of the De Melvilles and Ashbys being informed as to the true nature of the Bennet’s relationship to us? We do expect Ian Ashby to be calling after he returns from Surry. I do hope the problem that called him to his estate was not serious,” Elaine hoped.
“I have no objection as long as Uncle Thomas has none,” Andrew replied. The relationship to both families was explained to Bennet.
“There is no objection from either of us,” Bennet responded after a quick glance with his Tammy. The benefits of such an intuitive wife were innumerable.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
It was a few days later when George Wickham found out why his employer had thrown the London papers down in disgust and stormed off to her chambers. As if they did not have enough connections already, now some long-lost relations of the Fitzwilliam and Darcys had been discovered; of course, they were wealthy too, and their daughter was marrying the Duke of Bedford! Life was just not fair!
He had hoped that at least Hodges would do some good and make both families suffer after the Earl’s murder, but it seemed that they were living well again while he was stuck in this nowhere town under the thumb of Mrs Fitzpatrick. They just kept on getting more while he had nothing; less than nothing.
He had thought that the old lady would have an apoplexy when the news about the triumphant coming out of Miss Anne de Bourgh as the ward of the Earl of Matlock had been reported. What made George Wickham want to throw caution to the wind and ride to London to dispatch his half-sister, was when he read that it looked like she was being courted by an‘IA’. He did not know or care who that was, but he did know enough that if she married, any chance he had of claiming Rosings would be dead.
There was but one thing that held him back; how would he be able to prove that he was the son of Sir Louis de Bourgh? He acknowledged that without that information he would have no claim whether his half-sister lived or died. He even considered snatching her and whisking her off to Gretna Green, then making her disappear as soon as Rosings Park was his, but he quickly eliminated that as a viable plan. If he showed his face, married or not, he would end up at the end of a hangman’s noose.
He did not know how he would achieve his aims of gaining Rosings or dispatching the mongrel, but he would keep trying to determine a way to achieve all his goals while ruining all of their plans.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Martha Bingley had to pinch herself from time to time to remind herself that she was not dreaming. They were landowners. It hit her while she was savouring the thought that she had achieved all the things that she used to aspire to and pretend that she had, all without having to climb over anyone to get there.
Her darling granddaughter had just turned two and was the apple of her grandmother’s eye. Louisa was increasing again, the Hursts hoping for a son to continue the line and inherit Winsdale after her son-in-law, hopefully, many years from now.
Martha had written to Sarah Lucas, Cheryl Long, and Jenny Goulding to inform them that they would never be leaving the neighbourhood as they were now the owners of Netherfield. Tammy Bennet, Hattie Phillips, and Maddie Gardiner had accepted invitations to tea for that morning, and Martha was looking forward to seeing her friends.
Once Charles had admitted to himself that he was not really in love with Jane Bennet, it helped him to become far more introspective. He finally realised that he had been in love with her beauty, not the person Jane had grown into. He promised himself that he would start looking at character and compatibility first, and then after he would consider the looks of the young lady. He needed to be sure when she looked at him, she saw him as the man that he would be with her at his side. He was nothing compared to Darcy or Perry in looks, but the woman who looked at him to fill her dreams was the one he would be able to make happy without regret.
Oscar Bingley was sitting in his study going over the numbers for the three Bingley Carriage works, for they had added the third some two years previously in Liverpool. He suddenly felt a sharp pain in his left arm and tried to ignore it; then it hit him a second time and this time it was in his chest too. He felt like his heart was about to explode and then Oscar Bingley’s world went black, and he slumped forward onto his desk.
Chapter5
Martha could not understand what was keeping her husband. By the hour of ten, at the latest, he was in bed with her every night since the day they were married. He had asked not to be disturbed in his study that evening, but now Martha was concerned. She rang for her maid, asking her to send her husband’s man to the study to make sure that the master was well.
Fifteen minutes later, her maid returned, and Martha knew that something was very wrong by her maid’s pallor. Before the maid could speak, her son burst through the door, tears rolling down his cheek.“F-father has passed,” he managed, as he went to comfort his anguished mother, who had started to wail.“I have sent for the doctor, Mama. Should I send a note to Louisa and Harold?” he asked gently.
“No, Charles,” his mother managed through her crying.“Louisa needs to sleep in her condition, and it will accomplish nothing tonight,” she blew her nose and wiped her eyes, then thought of her pregnant daughter, and realised that she had to be strong at this moment to honour her husband the way he deserved; later there would be time for grieving.“We will notify them and our friends on the morrow. You are the head of the family now, Charles. I know that you are not yet three and twenty, but there is no choice, and you know I will guide you as I have been part of your father’s considerations in these last years.”
“I know, Mama, but I cannot think about that now. He is still warm in his study,” Charles lamented.
“He was the love of my life, my son. After I changed my course those years ago, we became as close, if not closer, than we were when we married. I will mourn your father for the rest of my days, but I do know that he would want us to carry on and not stop living. Yes, once these initial things are done, you are right, there is time to grieve. Let me dress and I will meet you in the drawing room.” Martha gave her son a kiss on his cheek and asked him to send her maid back in, as she had left the room when Master Charles had entered it.
Charles was sitting with his head between his knees when his mother entered the drawing room some twenty minutes later. The physician arrived and was taken to examine the body. About ten minutes later, MrMorrison entered the drawing room.“My condolences to both of you,” he said with a bow.“There was nothing that could be done for Mr Bingley by either myself or you.”
