Chapter 41

B ennet sat and stared at the card in his hand after Hill handed it to him. He had no business with the legal firm of Rumpole and Crawley so for the life of him he could not imagine why Messrs Crawley and Rumpole were at Longbourn requesting an audience with him. As they had told Hill that seeing the master of the estate was of the utmost importance, Bennet decided not to refuse seeing them, rather than sending them on their way.

"Please inform Mrs. Bennet I request her presence, and then show them in, Hill," Bennet commanded. The butler bowed to his master and went to carry out the instructions. It was not many minutes before Cilla joined her husband, one eyebrow arched in question.

Bennet handed her the cards. "Did your late father have any dealings with these solicitors?" he asked.

"As far as I know, no, Papa did not," Priscilla averred.

Hill announced the two men and showed them into the study. The men bowed while Cilla curtsied. "Please be seated," Bennet indicated two chairs in front of his desk. His beloved was seated next to him behind, next to where he sat.

"If you need us to wait outside while you and your wife talk…" Crawley began to say but ceased talking when Bennet raised his hand.

"Although most in society would frown upon the way we do things, my wife and I are true partners; Mrs. Bennet is my most trusted advisor," Bennet stated firmly. "Whatever has brought you to our estate can be discussed with my wife present, or not at all."

"As you desire," Crawley agreed. He cogitated for a few seconds contemplating how to approach the subject. He decided some questions were in order. "Mr. Bennet, do you have your family bible available?"

Both Bennets' eyebrows knitted. "I do, but what has that to do with anything?" Bennet replied suspiciously. Surely this was not an attempt by Collins to challenge his ownership of Longbourn. No, he did not believe that was so. Collins had accepted the truth and besides, Charlotte Collins had far too much good sense to allow her husband to embark on a fool's errand which would only waste their money.

"Before we may tell you why, we need to confirm some facts. Please Mr. and Mrs. Bennet if you will indulge us," Crawley requested.

The Bennets looked at one another and both shrugged, neither could see any harm in allowing the men to look at the family bible. Bennet stood and retrieved the heavy, very old bible from a shelf behind his desk. "Please remember this bible is close to three hundred years old," Bennet admonished the two men seated opposite him and Cilla.

"In our practice we have occasion to handle very old documents so we are well versed in how to do so," Crawley assured the Bennets.

Bennet sat back with his wife as they watched the two men open the bible slowly and carefully showing it the reverence they should. Neither he nor Cilla had any more of an inkling why the two men were sitting in Longbourn's study about to pour over the family bible. As far as Bennet knew, there was nothing extraordinary about his family lineage with his ancestor moving to Longbourn before the end of 1536.

Crawley opened the bible to the page which had the Bennets' recorded history on it. He and the younger Rumpole looked through a magnifying glass the latter held over the text. They saw what they were seeking on the first page where the inscriptions had commenced. Both men read the words at the top of the page:

October 1536: Thomas Bennet, son of Henry and the late Elizabeth Bennet, brother of Henry, moves to Longbourn with his wife Charity, Née Carrington (Married from Holder Heights the same month.)

The men looked from entry to entry and confirmed the Bennet line had never been broken or corrupted. "Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, do you object if young Nicholas here makes a copy of the entries which list your family history?" Crawley requested.

Even though Bennet did not understand the reason for their need to do so, there was no rationale to deny the request. He looked at Cilla who nodded her head. "Feel free to; as long as the pages in the bible are not harmed, I have no objection," Bennet allowed.

Nicholas Rumpole set about his task. While his partner's son began to write, Crawley addressed the Bennets. "Mr. Bennet, do you have any history of your family from before 1536?" Crawley asked, seemingly incongruously.

"No, I have discovered nothing more about the first Thomas Bennet or the family members he mentions in the first entry in our family bible," Bennet averred. "I had always thought it meant the Bennets had recently arrived in England or there had been a break in the family and my namesake chose not to write about it." Bennet had a thought. "With your interest in the bible and the question you just asked, am I to assume you know something of the history of which I am unaware?"

"As much as it pains me to do so, I am not allowed to answer your questions at this time," Crawley stated contritely, "Mr. Bennet, I understand my not being permitted to say more at this juncture could be rather frustrating. As much as I comprehend that, I can however, assure you that in the near future, all of your interrogatories will be answered. "

Given how cryptic Mr. Crawley's reply was, the Bennets were as much in the dark regarding the reasons for his and his associate's call as they had been before.

"Would you gentlemen like some tea or coffee and some biscuits while Mr. Rumpole works? Cook bakes the most delectable shortbread and I know she made some this morning," Priscilla offered.

Like her husband, both men requested coffee. Cilla rang the bell and when Hill appeared, she passed on her instructions to the butler. Not ten minutes later, Mrs. Hill knocked on the door and when bidden to enter, she pushed the door open for a maid carrying a tray which Cilla directed to be placed on the low table in front of the settee below the windows.

The two solicitors moved over to where the beverages were and enjoyed their coffee and biscuits. They sent their compliments to the cook stating it was the best shortbread they had ever tasted.

After the maid returned to remove the tray, Cilla left the study, leaving the three men behind. It took another half hour for the copy to be completed.

Once again apologising for not being able to elucidate the reason for the visit and the seemingly incongruent requests, but promising all would be revealed soon, Crawley and the younger Rumpole took their leave. Bennet was left scratching his head as he watched the carriage depart.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

As devastated as Lady Rose was at the loss of her beloved husband, sons, daughter-in-law, and grandson, she did not lose sight of all of the others who had lost their lives in the tragedy. Although The Rose and the two escorts which had been lost did not carry three hundred crew members like a Royal Navy frigate, the numbers were not insignificant, about half as many per ship. That meant with those lost on The Protector, there were more than five hundred souls lost at sea.

Just as she and her family were mourning at that moment, so were many other families and more, perhaps hundreds more, would be once the news became public. The last hope had just been extinguished. The information that the search of the area by the Royal Navy had been fruitless had been received two days after the arrival of the news of the tragedy. The winds for the ship which carried that communique had been far more favourable than the previous packet ship.

As much as she wanted to curl up in a ball and never leave her bed again, Rose knew it was not an option. She was needed to care for her youngest child, Charity, who was walking around as if in a stupor as she tried to understand the news which had shaken her life down to the very foundations. Marie needed her as well. She had Andrew and Robby so at least Rose's eldest surviving child had that which would keep her occupied. In consultation with Adelle's other grandparents who had lost their only daughter, the little mite would remain with her maternal grandparents for the time being.

Her greatest regret was not insisting the children not be allowed to travel with their parents. When she had mentioned her concerns to Sedgewick a few months before the date of sailing, he had assured her, that just like all of their previous voyages, all would be well. He had been wrong; nothing would be well again.

Yester-afternoon her cousins, Elaine and Reggie had arrived. Like her own, their lives had been spared due to Marie being so close to the expected date of birthing her first child. Their presence was a great comfort to all who were mourning but Rose could not help but wonder if they, like herself, felt guilty for still being in the mortal world while so many family members and friends had been lost.

Lady Rose stood and looked at herself in the mirror and at the dyed black gown she was wearing. She stiffened her spine, lifted her head, and reached for the handle on her bedchamber door. Feeling sorry for herself was an indulgence on which she could not waste her time.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

They had just returned from the Peaks, and each day, in fact, every minute of every hour in Elizabeth's company, Darcy saw proof she was not indifferent to him. It seemed Anna, and Charity, before Andrew collected her, had been correct in their assessments.

Darcy would never forget the looks of shock and sadness on the Gardiner parents and Miss Elizabeth's faces when he had broken the horrendous news to them. The Gardiners had been close to many who had been lost on the ship, and at the De Melville ball in January, Elizabeth had met many of those who were no longer alive. As sad as the aforementioned was, there was no familial bond between the Bennets and Gardiners, and those who had been taken, but that did not lessen the sorrow which was felt.

After careful consideration, a more subdued party continued on to the Peaks. With a heightened sense of the warmth of their bonds and the beauty of creation, the visit had been enjoyed.

The lesson which the tragedy forced Darcy to consider was that anything could happen which would break the tenuous cord which kept one tethered to the mortal world of men. In a phrase, Carpe Diem ; Darcy simply did not want to waste any more time. It was time to set aside fear of another refusal if the exchange could be a future with the woman he adored. Before, he had feared what would happen if Elizabeth refused him again, but until he asked he would never know.

To further this aim, he had Carstens supervise the filling of his bath. Once he had bathed and changed, Darcy ordered his coach made ready. He was for Clover Dell to take his future in his own hands.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~ ~

"Mama, what will happen to the dukedom?" a sad Charity asked.

"Unless there is a way for it to continue through the female line, I am afraid your late papa was the final Duke of Bedford," Lady Rose answered as calmly as she was able. She cared not for the title, all she wanted was her lost family members returned to her. Notwithstanding her emotions, Charity's question was a cogent one.

"As far as I know, unlike the Holder line, the Bedford one is dependent on a direct male heir," Lord Matlock informed his cousins. "From what I know, the Hertfordshire dukedom will continue as the late Hertfordshire's brother is alive and, if memory serves, he has sons. When they are ready, the palace will communicate what is to occur." Matlock remembered his late friend and cousin, Bedford, had once explained, as much as he understood it, there was a rather peculiar entailment on the Bedford dukedom and everything owned by it. He just hoped that when, as he suspected it would, everything reverted to the Crown, Rose and Charity would be well taken care of. If that was not the case, he would bring them into his household, the Matlock earldom had more than enough, and then some, for that.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

"Well?" Rumpole asked when Crawley and his son returned from Hertfordshire.

"The line is intact," Crawley confirmed as he nodded for the son to hand the pages to his father. Nicholas did just that and the two waited for the older Rumpole to read the copied information.

"It seems we have found the next Duke of Bedford," Rumpole concluded. "A letter, with the copy of the pages from the Bennet family bible, must be couriered to the Lord Chamberlain forthwith. Once he concurs with our findings, then we will have to inform His Grace of the changes to his life. Is he a poor country squire as we suspected?"

"No to the former and yes to the latter," Crawley responded. He looked at the younger Rumpole who nodded. "From what we could tell, I would say the Bennets are quite wealthy, and I would surmise we will discover their behaviour will be exemplary."

"As they are distantly related to the royals, that is good to hear. We could hear back from the Lord Chamberlain today," Rumpole opined.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

Two hours later the expected reply arrived from the palace. Rumpole and Crawley read the letter together.

30 April 1811

St. James Palace

Messrs. Rumpole and Crawley,

You have done well. We have examined the proof you sent along with our own records and it has been concluded that Thomas Henry Bennet is a direct descendant of the then Earl of Bedford who created the entail to preclude Lord Henry Bennet, the younger, and later when he changed his name to Lord Sedgewick Rhys-Davies, from creating an irrevocable split with his then brother.

The charge is for you to return to Longbourn and inform His Grace of his title. Dispatch a letter to the Dowager Duchess with instructions for her and her remaining family to come to London forthwith. Do not as yet mention a successor has been identified. I prefer that to be done in person when Her Grace arrives in Town.

You are thanked for your service to the Crown.

Lord Hampstead, Lord Chancelor

"From my visit to Longbourn and the fact Mr. Bennet has not a clue he is related to nobility, this will be an epic surprise, and not to mention upheaval, to him and his family," Crawley predicted.

"I dare say you have the right of it," Rumpole agreed.