“Yes.”
“What sort of gift?”
Lord Matlock glanced briefly at his wife, and Elizabeth had the distinct impression that this question had been expected. “Money, property, an annuity, possibly some form of official recognition—though I am told you have no particular desire to be made a public curiosity.”
“No,” Elizabeth said at once, then flushed at her own speed. “No, my lord. I would not like that at all.”
Lady Matlock’s eyes warmed.
Lord Matlock nodded. “Then we shall avoid it if we can. But as to the gift itself, I should like to know what you would ask for, were the choice yours.”
Elizabeth looked to Mr. Philips. He gave her a small encouraging nod.
Her first thought came before caution could restrain it. “My lord, is it possible to remove an entail?”
Both Lord and Lady Matlock looked surprised.
Elizabeth clasped her hands before her to keep them from twisting together. “Longbourn—my father’s estate in Hertfordshire—is entailed away from the female line. It has beenin the Bennet family for several generations, and when my father dies, it will pass to a cousin we scarcely know. My mother and sisters will have no home there. If the Crown could somehow alter that—”
She stopped when Lord Matlock’s expression shifted gently.
“I am afraid the Crown cannot simply dissolve such a settlement at will,” he said. “Not without legal cause, agreement from interested parties, and a great deal more complication than even royalty would wish to invite.”
Elizabeth felt foolishly disappointed. She had not truly expected it to be possible, but for one bright moment she had imagined Longbourn safe, her mother settled, Jane protected, Mary comfortable, Kitty and Lydia secure. “I understand.”
“What else?” Lady Matlock asked softly.
Elizabeth hesitated. “Perhaps… a little money, then. Something that might help my mother and sisters when Papa dies.”
Lord Matlock’s manner remained kind. “Have you a sum in mind?”
Elizabeth swallowed. “A few hundred pounds?” she ventured. When Lady Matlock’s brows rose, Elizabeth immediately felt her cheeks burn. “Forgive me. I did not mean to ask for too much.”
For a moment, there was silence.
Then Lord Matlock smiled. “Miss Bennet, you misunderstand our surprise. Most persons invited to ask something of royalty begin considerably higher than a few hundred pounds.”
“Oh.” Elizabeth looked down at her hands. “I only thought… I should not be given a fortune merely because I found one.”
Lady Matlock gave a soft laugh, and even Mr. Philips’s mouth twitched.
Lord Matlock’s expression changed then into something more deliberate. “Mr. Philips has told me a little of your family circumstances, and I took the liberty of making inquiriesregarding Hertfordshire. With his assistance, I have put forward a proposal. You may refuse it, of course, or ask for alterations if you wish.”
Elizabeth nodded, suddenly wary.
“While Longbourn’s entail cannot be altered, there is another property nearby. Netherfield Park.”
Elizabeth’s breath caught. “Netherfield?”
“It has stood empty for some time, I believe. Due to a rather tedious history of unpaid taxes, lapsed obligations, and legal negligence, the property has recently reverted to Crown ownership. It can therefore be granted without purchase. The recommendation is that Netherfield be settled upon you in your name alone, free and clear, protected so that it cannot be taken by a future husband, father, creditor, or anyone else.”
Elizabeth stared.
She could not have heard him correctly.
Netherfield Park.
An estate.
