Chapter 45

G ossip was rife the newly elevated Duke and Duchess of Bedford were in residence at Bedford House. No matter how many in society desired to call on them, those who had approached the house had turned away as the knocker was not up. One did not call at a duke's house on a whim.

It irked the gossips of the Ton there was not a word about who the new peers of the realm were or where they lived before the names of those elevated was available to them. Mothers of marriageable debutantes, and some who had been out for not a few seasons without having taken, were hoping there were sons in the unknown family. If there were, they would make sure to put their daughters forward as they were certain the unnamed people were not of the Ton , and therefore would be na?ve and easily led.

Knowing the vast wealth tied to the Bedford Dukedom, men, especially those who needed an infusion of funds to save them from their debts of honour, prepared themselves to catch one of the new duke's daughters—hopefully he had daughters—and they cared not how they looked as long as the dowry was as healthy as believed to be.

With the growing cacophony in society demanding any information, true or false, the Wednesday after Elizabeth arrived in London was set as the day the Bennets would be presented to Her Majesty. At Rumpole and Crawley's suggestion to the Lord Chamberlain, the audience would be held at Buckingham House and not at St. James Palace. Those waiting to glean some information about the new Bedfords would have their minions watching that palace as it was the normal venue for presentations and the bestowing of honours. After the audience, the palace would publish a royal notice naming the newly elevated family.

With their new position in society, Cilla and Elizabeth would require a whole new wardrobe. Thankfully, they did not need to go to Bond Street. Hence on Tuesday morning, mother and daughter, accompanied by Lady Elaine, Lady Sarah, Jane, Mary, and Anna, called on one of Gardiner's warehouses to choose bolts of fabric.

One of the paid watchers made an attempt to follow the Bedford coach, but after he was stopped and discouraged by Brian Johns and one of the other guards, the man decided no amount of money was worth the promised punishment if he persisted. Word soon spread the new Duke and his family were extremely well guarded, which sent almost all of the paid watchers scurrying away to find easier victims on whom to spy.

On their return to Bedford House, Madam Chambourg and four of her seamstresses arrived. The ballroom (the largest one any of the Bennet ladies had seen) was converted into a modiste's shop in short order. As much as Elizabeth disliked being poked, prodded, and measured, she preferred the shopping experience without having to go from shop to shop and being close to her suite if she felt like she needed some respite.

While the ladies were busy, Bedford was meeting with the solicitors, the late duke's men of business, Gardiner, Lords Matlock and Jersey, his sons (both by blood and in-laws), Andrew, and Darcy.

It did not take long before the Duke's head was spinning as the beyond vast wealth he now commanded, was revealed to him. He owned a shipping line, myriad of other concerns, seven additional estates, and had more money than he could imagine what to do with. That was all before his duties in the House of Lords would begin. He wondered why anyone wanted all of this and if he could slink away back to his simple life from before his elevation. Bedford knew the answer to that; it was his duty and he would not shirk it, regardless of how daunting it was. At least he had good friends and family to advise him.

The combined income of Longbourn and Netherfield Park had been more than enough for the Bennets, but now his annual income was above one hundred thousand pounds. Thankfully he had been informed good, honest, and reliable stewards were employed at each of his estates.

When Mr. Crawley mentioned the late duke's will and the provisions made for the surviving family members of any men lost at sea while working for the Dennington lines, the new duke heartily approved. With a few million pounds in liquid funds in various banks, Bedford knew the money to be paid out to the wives and children of the lost men would barely put a dent into the balances of his funds. Due to this, he instructed the solicitor to increase the amount paid to each family by fifty percent.

When they discussed Lizzy's new dowry, which shocked Darcy, it had been larger than Anna's before the elevation, the numbers boggled the mind. Her dowry would be above one hundred thousand pounds and the Duke decided the same amount to be added to Lizzy's dowry would be given to Jane and Mary as well.

Although he and his sons would have to tour all of their new holdings in the summer, as long as he found the stewards and managers of the estates and businesses to be as described, Bedford would not make any major changes.

Henry, who would still inherit Longbourn, now owned his own estate which, after one more year at Cambridge, he would begin to manage directly. Tom was not left out. He would of course own Netherfield Park once he turned five and twenty, plus he would own an estate, a little larger than Netherfield Park, which abutted Birchington in Buckinghamshire. It was the estate which would have gone to the late Lord Saul Rhys-Davies. If that was not enough, his legacy was increased by the same amount which had been added to his sisters' dowries.

Andrew was more than pleased when Bedford had not insisted Charity's dowry be reduced from the amount at which her late father had set it, rather it was adjusted up to equal that which the three Bennet sisters were to have. Also his mother-in-law's jointure would not be reduced either—in fact it was increased.

Each day he spent around the Bennets, Andrew became more impressed with them. When Richard and his parents had first told him about the family, he had thought them too good to be true, but he had already seen, if anything, his parents and Richard had understated their qualities. There were not many, if any, he could think of who would be able to maintain their equanimity with grace and kindness if they had been in the Bennets' shoes and been elevated from untitled gentry to the highest non-royal rank possible in the kingdom. He grieved every day for his late father-in-law, brothers-in-law, nephew, and not a few friends who the sea had taken in March past. However, as much as he wished they were all still alive, he had to admit the man sitting behind the desk would make an excellent Duke of Bedford. Andrew was determined to join his father in making sure the Bennets had any and all assistance they required or for which they asked.

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

"I am still worried I will make a faux pas when we meet the Queen later," Elizabeth shared. "What if I say the wrong thing?"

Jane and Wes, and Mary and Richard spent the previous night at Bedford House so the Bennet sisters were meeting in Elizabeth's suite before it was time to make for Buckingham House .

"Lizzy! Where is my sister who claims her courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate her ?" Jane enquired playfully.

"She has never had to stand before the Queen, Prince of Wales, and some of the other princes and princesses. What if we have to back out and I trip over my feet and fall in front of the royals?"

"As we are not being required to wear the hooped monstrosities we would have had to had we attended a Queen's drawing room at St. James Palace, the chances of our falling are nought," Mary assured her older sister. "At least this saves Jane and me from having to be presented as we would have been at the first drawing room after the date we were supposed to return from our wedding trips."

"I am sorry you both had to cut your honeymoons short," Elizabeth stated. "Did you get to explore much of the area where you were before you departed?"

"There was much exploration," Jane blushed, "but we did not see very much of Margate." Mary blushed as much as Jane, if not more so. Elizabeth waited for either of her sisters to expound on what Jane meant, but they remained stubbornly silent on the subject.

Although she knew there was a double meaning in Jane's words, and it more than likely referred to something between a man and wife, Elizabeth did not assuage her curiosity. Monday night she had sat with her married sisters in her private sitting room and they had steadfastly refused to share any information about what happens between a married couple in the marriage bed. The only thing both Jane and Mary had told her was she would have to wait until Mama gave her ‘ the talk ' the night before her own wedding.

Elizabeth decided to change the subject. "At least for you Janey, not very much changes because you gained a title when you married Wes," she stated.

"True, but now I am to be addressed as Lady Jane and not only as Lady Westmore. Wes says if you are the daughter of an earl, marquess, or duke then it is the honorific and your first name. If, like I did before Papa's elevation, you marry a man with a title, you are Lady and the name associated with the title," Jane explained to her sisters. "It is not as great a change as it is for you both, but it is a difference nevertheless."

"Lizzy, are you in love with William yet?" Mary enquired.

"I believe I am rapidly approaching that state," Elizabeth replied dreamily. "I have come to realise he is the best, and only, man for me. If he proposes again, and it is without insults, I know I will answer in the affirmative."

"He is a good match for you," Jane opined. "I always thought you needed someone who could match your intelligence and would see you for the treasure you are. As one who is besotted and is married to a man besotted with her, I can tell you he feels that way for you."

"I have known that for some months now," Elizabeth admitted. "For all of my vaunted intelligence, it took me some time to recognise that fact."

"Do not berate yourself, Lizzy," Mary insisted, "matters of the heart are very different from the intelligence you have in abundance. Love makes fools of all of us, Sister dearest."

There was a knock on the door and Elizabeth's maid stuck her head in. "Excuse me mi'ladies, Her Grace asks that you join the family in the entrance hall," the maid conveyed.

The sisters looked at their reflections in the mirror a final time to make sure there was nothing out of place. Once all was judged it was as it should be, arm in arm, they made their way down the grand marble staircase to their family waiting for them at the base of the stairs. Jane's and Mary's parents-in-law were with those in the entrance hall and would accompany the Bennets to Buckingham House. As it was a private audience, Lady Rose, her daughters, and Andrew would accompany them as well, as the Queen wanted to condole with her cousin.

Mr. Grey and three footmen helped those departing into their light—as it was almost summer—outerwear. Soon enough, four coaches were on the way from Bedford House to Buckingham House.

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

A royal page guided the Bennets and those with them into a parlour—which was far larger than the drawing room in most homes. They would wait there until summoned to enter the drawing room where the Queen and other royals would be seated. While they waited, the Prince of Wales's equerry came and explained the protocols which would be observed.

They would enter the adjoining drawing room by descending rank order. They were to hold their bows and curtsies until Her Majesty acknowledged their courtesies. Only if the Queen or one of the other royals addressed them would they speak. As soon as the equerry completed what he desired to say, he slipped back into the drawing room and was replaced by the major-domo who made sure he had all of the names he was to announce as they should be.

With his staff in his right hand, the major-domo stood before the ornate double doors which led into the drawing room. The doors were swung open by two footmen in royal livery. The major-domo entered just beyond the doors and stood off to one side, as he had said he would. He struck the floor twice with his staff and then announced the Duke and Duchess of Bedford, followed by the Dowager Duchess of Bedford, and the rest of the party as each entered the room and stopped opposite where he stood.

Once inside, as they had been instructed to do, they stood according to their family parties. As one the ladies sank into low curtsies and the men deep bows. The Queen inclined her head almost immediately releasing them to stand again.

"Cousin Rose, we find we do not have the words to express our sorrow at the great tragedy which has befallen you and your family," Queen Charlotte condoled. "We cannot imagine such a massive loss all at once in our family. When we were first informed of the disaster, we hoped against hope the report was erroneous. Unfortunately, His Majesty's Royal Navy's report only confirmed what we had hoped was not a fact. We sympathise with Ladies Marie and Charity greatly and one day when Lady Adelle is old enough to understand, we will tell her how much we liked her grandfather, father, uncle, and brother." The Queen beckoned to Lady Rose to approach her gilded throne with the red velvet covering. She stood and pulled her cousin into a hug and spoke quietly so only Lady Rose could hear.

When Her Majesty sat again, there were tears in both ladies eyes. Lady Rose backed up and stopped where she had been standing before. The Queen looked at the Bennets appraisingly.

"Lord and Lady Bedford, we have heard positive things about you, and we are confident you will bring honour to your line. We can only give thanks to your ancestor who had the foresight to take the precautions he did. Like many others, which we dare say include all of you, we wished it had not been necessary, but now that it has become so, we must all live with things as they are, not how we would want them to be."

The Queen looked at the five Bennet siblings and the husbands of two of them. "It is just as well Ladies Jane and Mary are married to such good men. The feeding frenzy over all five of you would have been something to behold, as it is, there are three eligible…" The Queen stopped as she noticed the single Bennet daughter shake her head. "Lady Elizabeth, is that not correct?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Elizabeth curtsied when the Queen addressed her.

"You disagree with our assessment?" the Queen challenged with raised eyebrows .

"Only insofar as Her Majesty has not been informed that I am being courted by Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley, so I consider myself off the marriage market," Elizabeth averred.

"Upon my word," the Queen smiled, "you give your opinion very decidedly for so young a person. Pray, what is your age?"

"I recently reached my majority, Your Majesty," Elizabeth replied.

"You are witty and brave like our daughter Elizabeth," the Queen stated. "We like that. Your Mr. Darcy will have his hands full with you." She turned to her eldest son. "George, did your father not bestow a title on the Darcys?"

"He tried to, Mother. The current Mr. Darcy's late father respectfully refused the title," the Prince of Wales drawled. He turned to the Bennets. "My father intended to bestow an Earldom on Lord Saul Rhys-Davies. Instead it will be given to Lord Thomas Bennet, the younger. The King's equerry will contact you with the details and date of investiture soon. Now it only remains for your titles to be conveyed officially. Approach Lord Bedford and Lord Birchington."

Father and son knelt before the Prince of Wales who had been handed a ceremonial sword. He tapped first the Duke and then the Marquess on their right shoulders. The two retreated to where their family members stood.

"Rose, we will invite you, your daughters, and new family for tea soon," the Queen stated.

"We are at your disposal, Your Majesty," Lady Rose responded.

The Queen stood, as did the four princes and two princesses. Those who had attended the audience bowed and curtsied. Led by the Queen, the royals exited the room. As soon as the door was closed, the bows and curtsies were completed. The double doors through which they all entered were opened by two footmen. The major-domo guided everyone to the courtyard where their conveyances stood ready.

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

The broadsheets carried the royal notice of all of those who would be elevated to fill the peerages left open by the tragedy at sea. Now the members of society had names, and as they were the only ones who were unknown, members of the Ton set about learning all they could about the Bennets.

To many peoples' chagrin, they noted two daughters were already married. That at least left one daughter and two sons. With the official announcement of the elevations, those hungry to meet, and influence the Bennets were aware the knocker at Bedford House would be up in the next day or two. They could not wait.

"Louisa, read this and tell me I am not addlepated," Caroline Bingley exclaimed after reading that morning's social section of the paper. She handed the page to her sister.

"If you mean the Bennets are the new Duke and Duchess of Bedford, you read correctly," Mrs. Hurst confirmed.

"Can you imagine how Charles would have been salivating had he been here to see this?" Miss Bingley shook her head. "Lulu, do you think if we visit Jane or Lizzy, they will think it an imposition? I do not want them to think I am trying to curry favour now because they are so high in society."

"Caro, we were accepted as their friends before there was ever an inkling of this. I am sure they will not think that. I suggest we wait a few days as there will be a stampede to leave cards at Bedford House," Mrs. Hurst opined.

"Mayhap on the morrow we can call at Westmore House and enquire if Jane is seeing callers?" Miss Bingley suggested.

The sisters agreed to do so the next day. They were both sure the Bennet sisters would need friends who wanted nothing but their friendship and were not looking to get something from them.