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“Lizzie’s connections?”

“How long before the dinner was the accident Lizzie, do you remember the timing?”

“The accident was long before, early summer, whereas the dinner was right at the start of advent. More than five months between the events.”

“There was an accident on Piccadilly. Part of a building that was being demolished collapsed suddenly. Fortunately no one was killed but it was scary for a while. Between parts of the fallen building, the dust and most dangerously, the stampeding horses it was not safe at all.”

Edward Gardiner swallowed, the memory of this event stirring up emotions from before.

“A child was separated from her family and was stranded in the middle of the road, terrified and frozen in fear. Lizzie saw that she was in danger of suffering the same fate as Madeline and dashed over and pulled her clear. Moments later the load was shed from the cart, the child was rescued in the nick of time.”

Agatha Gardiner knew what had happened to Madeline Gardiner, she saw the impact on her husband every day. She pulled Elizabeth into a fierce hug.

“That was incredibly brave Lizzie.”

Elizabeth demurred and they settled back down.

“What Elizabeth did not know was that she had rescued one of the daughters of the Duke of Richwood.”

Another gasp from his wife.

“Elizabeth slipped away in all the confusion. But right before Christmas one of the ladies in the Duchess’ party recognised Lizzie. She was one of the Duke’s sisters, so the Duchess’ sister-in-law. You were in Hatchard’s, yes?”

“I was.”

“The lady recognised her, and also that the family was in her debt. Lizzie explained about my being in trade, thinking that would be the end of the connection. Normally repaying a debt with someone like Lizzie would involve introducing her to their society. But there was no point, the gap in rank was too much and I was still in trade. However, Lady Maria maintained a correspondence with Lizzie. Every two weeks, regular as clockwork. And Lady Maria’s youngest sister is married to the President of the Board of Trade. So guess what Lizzie asked as a favour of Lady Maria?”

“No! Really?”

“Yes, I was granted an interview with the Earl of Bathurst where I had the chance to explain my plan. Six months later my ship Hatfield Palace dropped anchor in the Pool of London. There had been excise officers on the ship while docked at A Coruna, and on the journey home. The cargo was unloaded and I paid the duty on the brandy. I then sold it at enormous profit as it was the first legitimate cargo of brandy since the Peace of Amiens.

“What was key at the time, and when discussing my baronetcy, was that it was one of the few things that the Whigs and the Tories could agree on. Apparently, all the gentleman’s clubs running out of brandy was a national disaster so everyone could agree on it. The Spanish were shooting the French to acquire it, the Exchequer received the customs duty, and the clubs of London once again had fine brandy available to their members. It quickly sold out, I have a few cases left for special gifts, as does Lizzie. In fact, you might have more than I do. The largest unsold stock of brandy in Britain.”

“You know that you can sell that stock uncle.”

“Elizabeth, there would be no stock to sell without your two interventions. I put aside 200 cases for my own use, as gifts, special presentations as well as to drink myself. You have one eighth of the business so 25 cases are yours. How many have you gifted?”

“Just one case uncle. The one I took back to Hertfordshire with me, the rest are still in your warehouse.”

“In the last year I have sold or gifted close to 150 cases to various people. We probably have close to the same. Regardless, that is the business part of the honour. If it was straightforward then I could have received this award a year ago. But it is not that simple. Because I am in trade, and tradesmen do not receive honours, or rather they did not. Change is slowly coming to the awarding of honours. It was discussed back and forth but I was granted the baronetcy. My understanding is that there are several other people with ties to trade also being recognised, East India Company men, West India Company men, men with ties to trade who are Members of Parliament. The shipments of grain and cattle to Spain had brought me to the attention of those that matter, but the ‘blood brandy’ was the event that convinced them. It has been approved, and this notice will be in the London Gazette. There will be an investiture ceremony at some point this winter.”

“Can you explain the title please my dear.”

“We reside in the City of London which is not part of any ceremonial county. Let us use Lizzie’s father as an example. He would be Sir Thomas Bennet of Meryton in the County of Hertfordshire. He could also use Longbourn rather than Meryton. But it anchors him in a specific town and county. The City of London is different. It is both a city and a county. And it is part of a larger city. I could hardly be Sir Edward Gardiner of The City of London in The City of London. So the electoral ward within the City was used as the distinguishing identifier. We are in the Bridge ward so that is why it is in my title.”

The couple smiled at each other but noticed that Elizabeth was sitting quietly, a contemplative look on her face.

“Are you okay Lizzie, you are quiet?”

“No uncle, I am very well. I was just thinking back over all these little forks in the path of our lives. Even before the accident or the dinner with Captain Jensen there were so many little things, going all the way back to when I first came to stay in Gracechurch Street.”

It was her aunt who asked the question.

“Can you share some examples?”

“Six months after I came here, so right around four years ago exactly, Uncle Edward asked me to be even more involved in his business. And probably the key way was in gathering information, reading endless newspapers and magazines, looking for snippets of information that could help his business. We followed General Moore’s retreat and so I knew about Galicia. And from a casual glance at a map you can see that A Coruna is a much closer port than Lisbon. Then there is the accident on Piccadilly, the instinctive decision to grab the child. But then the sheer coincidence of one of the party recognising me nearly six months later. The dinner party and Captain Jensen’s comment, the fact that Lady Maria did not sever the connection despite the chasm between us. Then following through on her pledge to help if possible. And these are the few moments I have been involved in the tale. Uncle Edward’s list is probably ten times as long, more even.”

Elizabeth retired to her room, sat in the chair at her desk but gazed out of the window, her mind racing. This new status of her uncle Gardiner. She stopped and giggled. How was she going to fit Sir into that? Laughing at herself she focused again. Sir Edward Gardiner Bt. was now a person of significance, not a member of the peerage but a hereditary knight. Elizabeth could hardly still her mind, so many things flitted through it. Respect and happiness for her uncle; this was not political patronage, it was an achievement through hard work. The impact on his family going forward; the change that would happen. Would he want to move? The reaction back in Hertfordshire; she had no idea how that would play out. It would not change anything, or so she thought. Elizabeth indulged herself for several minutes contemplating Miss Bingley’s reaction to the news. The uncle in trade, living on Gracechurch Street near the River Thames, now a Baronet. Elizabeth guessed that Miss Bingley would still find a reason to sneer. She stopped wasting time on that person and threw her from her mind. Lastly Elizabeth wondered whether there would be an impact on her own life. The niece of a newly appointed Baronet had no significance, it was young Edward that would be most impacted. His eligibility would rise substantially.