Page 43

--

“You granted me permission to court Miss Lucas only a few weeks ago. With the help of your wife and other daughter, and especially her oldest brother John, we have managed to be in each other’s company almost daily over the last month. Miss Lucas knows that I am here, although I have not yet asked her that most particular question until I receive your blessing. She is of age and does not need your consent but I would wish it nonetheless.”

Charles Bingley took a cleansing breath.

“Sir William, I wish to marry your daughter Charlotte. I am here for your consent and blessing.”

There were no games, his arm was in danger of being wrenched from its socket so hearty was the handshake, but there were no games.

“You have my consent and blessing sir. We will talk shortly but away with you. There is a young lady waiting for you.”

Three minutes later Charlotte Lucas was engaged to Charles Bingley.

“I feel like my face is going to ache for days I am smiling so broadly.”

“You are allowed to express your happiness my dear.”

“Oh, I know. I fill positively giddy. Who would have thought it, me getting married for love?”

“You have talked of this before, were you that vocal on the subject?”

“Not really. My mother had an inkling I am sure but the two people that I talked the most about the subject are no longer in the neighbourhood.”

“They are married?”

“One is. They are sisters, younger than me, but I was good friends with them. The oldest married earlier in the year, to one of the sons of the Warburton banking family, the third I think. She was the oldest Bennet daughter. The next youngest sister lives in London now. I will write to Lizzie and ask her to be my bridesmaid.”

Charles had come to recognise that Charlotte Lucas had a sneaky sly side to her nature.

“I recognise that smile. It normally means I am about to be teased.”

“You are safe this time. I will not tease my fiancé until we are safely married. Then however…”

Charles Bingley laughed in complete happiness. Charlotte had just called him her fiancé for the first time. And there was a lightness to her, a gentleness to her humour that was in marked contrast to that of his own sister. He remembered he should let his sisters know. Eventually. Back to the sly smile of Charlotte.

“Elizabeth has been banished from Longbourn. Now it is all very informal but she was sent to stay with her aunt and uncle in London. Lizzie will enjoy returning to be my bridesmaid, especially as I will ask her to stay here with me at Lucas Lodge. It will cause more disruption to the neighbourhood than that friend of yours did back at Michaelmas.”

Another thought crossed his mind, who was to stand up with him? Six months ago it would have been Darcy without a moment’s thought. Now? Hmmm.

--

Mary had collected the two letters from Paul Philips as usual. Neither Gardiner sister, Martha Philips nor Fanny Bennet, was aware that there was regular communication between Elizabeth and her next two younger sisters. Mary passed Kitty her letter and left to read her own. Kitty tucked her letter under her pillow and went downstairs to check on their mother and Lydia. Mrs. Hill confirmed that they were both out and so she returned to read her letter, knowing that she would not be disturbed.

20 minutes later, having read her letter twice, Kitty leaned back in her chair and considered all the things Elizabeth had suggested. Some were easy, Catherine was her birth name after all and she could see that Mr. Collins patron would like her to use her full name. Inviting Mary to stay would also be easy, although she would have to get Mr. Collins’ agreement. And using Jane as a conduit for continued letters to Lizzie would also be easy to manage.

But it was the last suggestion that was giving her the most pause. One day, she would be the Mistress of Longbourn, wife of the new Master. What was to happen to the old Mistress? Mrs. Bennet never discussed that situation, it was always bewailing the hedgerows and screeching about her nerves. But she, Catherine, was going to be in the Mistress suite. Did Mrs. Bennet think that she would continue to rule the roost, even when she was no longer the Mistress? Lizzie’s suggestion was devilishly clever, an adverb that was not entirely appropriate, especially for the future bride of a parson. But the more she considered it, the more it struck her as the perfect revenge on Mrs. Bennet. Kitty had been ‘sold off’ but rather than have less power, now she had real power. Off in the future maybe, but power nonetheless.

Kitty thought about the last part, the one that puzzled her the most. Elizabeth had also suggested putting their father on the spot. As she thought about it, Kitty realised that Elizabeth no longer had Mr. Bennet on any kind of pedestal. Her sister had been banished, in all but name, because she wanted their parents to treat each of the sisters in a consistent manner. It was hardly the stuff of revolutions but as a result of this reasonable demand she was now in London.

Kitty did not know that within a month of her engagement Charlotte Lucas would be plotting to bring back Elizabeth as a consequence of her own engagement. Their little corner of Hertfordshire was about to get very interesting.

“Papa, may I enquire about the estate please?”

Kitty had been asking questions regularly, ever since taking over from Elizabeth in dealing with the tenants. She noticed her father’s sigh at the imposition.

“If you must Kitty. What do you wish to know?”

“Is there a dower house for the estate?”