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“I am sorry that your role will not be known. I feel as if I am stealing your glory.”

“Do not worry about that uncle. In this instance, I am much less concerned. The idea came about from talking to a Colonel who I met at two balls. He had been wounded twice and it got me to thinking. You had that officer from the King’s German Legion to dinner and he too had been wounded, it was why he was back in the country. I was not able to do anything at that time whereas with your elevation, and our supply of brandy, there was a chance. I compared their stories to those of the heirs, the first born, or the financially independent that I had met at the same balls. I thought it needed to be more explicitly recognised. Thus the tournament.”

“Well the latest news means that you should get the chance to observe the duels.”

“Really? How?”

“The amount of interest in the tournament far exceeds Angelo’s capacity. There is talk of creating several salles in the grounds of Royal Hospital at Chelsea. There would be seating for spectators to allow as many people as possible to see the individual duels at the tournament, culminating in the final. There is some concern about inclement weather but as long as it does not rain then it should be acceptable.”

“They will allow ladies to attend?”

“That is the plan. The participants want to show off, display their martial prowess, to impress the ladies present. What it will do is provide an easy topic of conversation for the rest of the season.”

“Anything will be better than talking about the winter weather!”

Chapter 22

Mary Bennet savoured the quiet and calm. It was not silence, there was the low murmur of voices as well as the sounds of the piano. It allowed her time to think and to come to understand everything that had happened.

Mary had been used to Elizabeth’s absence. But she loved the trips to London with the ledgers every quarter as it allowed her to have two precious weeks with her sister. It was as Elizabeth has said, they had become the closest of friends. Elizabeth’s return had been such a tumultuous three months what with Mr. Bingley’s party at Netherfield Park and Mr. Collins, but it had been wonderful to have Elizabeth back at Longbourn. Now she was gone, permanently this time, and Mary missed her terribly. What was the phrase? You do not miss what you do not have? Her teenage years had been without Elizabeth at Longbourn but her three month return made Mary realise how much she enjoyed her sister’s company.

What was noticeable was how the removal of Elizabeth did not change the atmosphere at Longbourn. She had left on the morning of the 6th, as soon as Twelfth Night had passed. What Mary had not been aware of that morning, she had been fighting her tears and did not notice, was that their Uncle Gardiner had sent papers for the permanent guardianship over Elizabeth. Her father had signed it and severed control over his second daughter. She was gone forever.

This action was supposed to appease or make happy every person at Longbourn, herself excluded. And for four days the chaos of the house gradually started to lessen, there were longer periods of calm, less screeching about ‘nerves’, less bickering from her youngest two sisters. But then the newspaper arrived, an item without fault, yet the messenger was always blamed. There in bold print was the notice.

Whitehall, January 8, 1812

The Prince Regent, in the name of the King, has been pleased to grant the Dignity of a Baronet of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland unto the following Gentleman and the Heirs Male of his body, lawfully begotten,

Edward George Gardiner of Bridge in the City of London.

So much for a reduction in the chaos! Within a day Mary decided to spend longer on her tenant visits just to escape the house. Her absences were added to when returning to Longbourn one day she met the Reverend Ferry as he locked up the vestry. One short conversation later and Mary joined the local ladies who volunteered to assist the poor of the parish. It was another day filled in her week and it was perfect for Mary. In addition to the actual work, one of the volunteers would quietly play songs, often hymns. But the minister and the other ladies were happy for Mary to practice her music there. They accepted that her performance was not perfect at first but they were encouraging to her, commenting on her improvement and happy to hear something new and contemporary. As a result she practiced less at Longbourn, saving herself from snide comments from her mother and Lydia. And the contrast of attitude between the two venues was stark.

By escaping from Longbourn for at least three days a week she mostly missed the two-faced-ness and hypocrisy of her parents. They were inundated with visitors congratulating Mrs. Bennet on her brother’s good fortune. Even Mrs. Bennet was struggling to maintain a happy façade when the family had found out at the same time as everyone else. It had made her uncharacteristically serious.

“Mr. Bennet, we must talk about my brother.”

For once she was not treated with a sardonic retort, just a nod in agreement.

“Has he responded to your letter yet?”

She shook her head.

“No, I have heard nothing from him since his Christmas letter.”

Thomas Bennet pursed his lips.

“Your thoughts as to how we should proceed?”

Fanny Bennet was surprised at the gentle tone. It more than anything else confirmed to her that this was a serious issue. But she could not help being herself.

“I blame his new wife, this Agatha.”

Her husband’s silence encouraged her.

“We were not even invited to their wedding, neither Martha or myself.”

“She has no children from her first marriage.”