Chapter 28

F anny led Mr Williamson and Miss Younge to her comfortable house. She had them seat themselves in the sitting room and then rang for tea. Her cook and housekeeper in one person waited on her mistress promptly as she always did.

If Miss Hermoine Singleton was surprised to see Miss Gardiner entertain guests for the first time, she did not permit herself to show it on her countenance. As efficient as she ever was, she listened to the mistress, looking directly at her, and then made for the kitchen to prepare tea and make up a plate of refreshments.

“Tell me, as one who was maligned by my wilful daughter and all in Meryton, why do you want to discuss anything regarding that hoyden?” Fanny demanded with a raised voice. She always felt her ire increase when thinking of Miss Lizzy.

“Should we not be careful? The servants may hear,” Wickham suggested.

“You have nought over which to worry, Mr Wickham,” Fanny insisted. She ignored the outraged look on the man’s handsome face when she used his name. “Firstly, my servants are supremely loyal to me, secondly the two maids are on half day, and the manservant is working in the garden. If that were not enough, unless Miss Singleton is looking directly at you when you speak, she hears hardly anything.”

“It seems we are safe here. Tell Miss Gardiner what we need to do. I am sure we can ask for some more funds so we will have money to give her as well,” Miss Younge stated.

“What does Miss Younge mean about money? I only have five hundred a year, so anything more would be most welcome,” Fanny responded as she sat forward in her chair in anticipation. Before either of her guests could reply, the tea service was delivered and placed on the low table in front of Fanny.

With the servant’s back to him, Wickham clapped his hands. She did not flinch, but Miss Gardiner was greatly startled. Satisfied the woman was partially deaf as he had been told, Wickham relaxed. “Do you know how wealthy your second daughter is?” Wickham drawled. “She has the second richest dukedom in the realm. How would you like to receive five and twenty thousand pounds from her?”

“Of what do you speak, how can Miss Lizzy be so wealthy when my Jane is not?” Fanny demanded.

“Oh but she is, and we have a plan to relieve her of a good portion of her funds,” Wickham crowed. “You remember how enamoured Miss Lydia was of me when I was in the militia, do you not?”

“I do, what of it? And how would I earn such a sum?” Fanny enquired, fairly drooling at the thought of so much money. There would be no limits on her purchases.

“Do you know that two of your daughters are marrying from Longbourn on the ninth day of November, in but six days?” Miss Younge asked.

“Who are they marrying and which two?” Fanny demanded.

“Miss Bennet and Miss Mary; we are not sure who the husbands are,” Wickham responded.

“Without me to have guided them, I am sure they have not made good matches! And who would want to marry plain Mary before my lively Lydia? It is almost as insupportable as if Miss Lizzy was marrying. No man will ever want that bluestocking hoyden.” Fanny paused. “Are you sure my wilful daughter is so very wealthy?”

Wickham and Miss Younge nodded emphatically.

“It is her fault my marriage was dissolved, and I no longer am able to see my Jane and Lydia. What do you need from me which will leave me with so much money?”

“I always observed how close you were to Miss Lydia. As her sister has been keeping you apart so cruelly, I believe if you send a note to her at Longbourn, she will be happy to meet you. You can then show her how much you miss her. I will approach her and propose an elopement. As soon as she agrees, we will send a note to Her Grace demanding a payment in order for me not to elope. If I did, it would create a scandal and ruin her and her sisters, thus she will pay what we demand to have that not occur. We will increase what we were to ask for with an amount just for you,” Wickham related.

As what the handsome man said about her relationship with Lydia fit with the way she desired it to be, Fanny never corrected him or said anything about the changes in Lydia, which she was sure were not permanent in any event.

What needed to be said to Lydia was discussed, and soon the three came up with the text of the letter to be written to her. All three stood. Fanny led the way to the table where her writing material was kept. With Mr Wickham’s and Miss Younge’s input, Fanny wrote the note.

Once it was sealed, Fanny summoned her manservant and ordered him to deliver it into Miss Lydia’s hands, and into her hands only. She felt well pleased with herself and was already thinking of the ways she would spend all the money she would gain from that disobliging girl. It was only right that Miss Lizzy pay for all of her misdeeds.

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

After spending a sennight at Falconwood, which Darcy had to own was larger than his beloved Pemberley, the group that had been there departed at daybreak on Monday for Longbourn.

The preparations for the weddings which had needed to be made, were in the good hands of Ladies Matlock, Gardiner, and Lucas, assisted by Charlotte and Anne de Bourgh. The Fitzwilliam parents were being hosted at Netherfield Park.

Reports of the proficiency and honesty of the steward had not been exaggerated and together with an excellent butler and housekeeper the estate ran as smoothly as any either Hilldale or Darcy had seen. The latter was impressed all over again at his fiancée’s capacity for learning, and how none of what she had learnt about the estate and its more than fifty tenant farms had cowed her. Her courage did, in fact, rise at every attempt to intimidate her.

For her part, Elizabeth had been most appreciative that William had been there to advise her as needed. Andrew was also very knowledgeable, but his attention was fixed on wherever Jane happened to be. Richard had begun to learn, but with Mary in close proximity, not much else interested him. The estate straddled the border of Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire, with the manor house and home farm on the former shire’s side of the border.

In a little more than two hours, the coaches were guided to a halt by their coachmen in Longbourn’s drive. Elizabeth could not believe it was more than four months since she had seen her father’s beloved estate. So much had happened in the time she had been away from her home. However, it was not really her home anymore. She had houses and estates aplenty, and would soon be married and live with her beloved William. She had left this house as plain Miss Elizabeth Bennet and returned as a duchess. Even in her role as storyteller for her younger cousins, Elizabeth would not have been able to imagine all of the fantastical things which had occurred since then.

At least Jane and Mary had had time to order clothing for their trousseaus in London before their departure to Falconwood. Although shopping for clothing was not her favourite thing, Elizabeth had ordered a new wardrobe as well. Elizabeth smiled when she thought of how many doors her vast wealth opened. Madame Chambourg would not just dispatch two of her seamstresses to supervise the final fittings in two days, but she would attend herself.

Warm greetings were bestowed to those returning home. Darcy was a little jealous of Anna. She and her companion would remain at Longbourn while he and the two grooms would be at Netherfield Park being hosted by the Gardiners.

The last thing with which Darcy needed to concern himself was the safety of either of the two women he loved most in the world. There was no need to leave Thompson or any other Darcy footmen at Longbourn, thanks to the presence of the two former sergeant-majors and the thirty men who made up his fiancée’s protective detail.

Lady Matlock joined her sons and nephew in the coach which would convey them to Netherfield Park while Charlotte remained at Longbourn. For her, it was a short walk back to Lucas Lodge, but for now, she wanted to spend more time with her good friends. Besides, she had another reason to desire to be at Longbourn.

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

As it was the instrument which interested her the most, Lydia was practicing the violin in the music room when Hill told her there was a messenger for her at the kitchen door, and he would not hand the message to any other. “Show him in, Hill,” Lydia allowed. She was on her own as Mrs Poppins was working with Kate while Mrs Annesley was assisting Anna with French lessons.

“I be Miss Gardiner’s manservant, and she commanded I put this ‘ere note in your ‘ands an’ only your ‘ands,” the man, cap in hand, stated as he proffered the missive.

“Thank you for your diligence,” Lydia replied. She looked at the butler who was standing just inside the door. “Hill, please give this man a shilling and ask him to wait in case there is an answer. Thank you.” Hill bowed and showed the man out of the music room. Lydia looked at her mother’s familiar script for some moments before breaking the seal and opening the letter.

4 November 1811

Gardiner House

Hatfield

My dearest lively Lyddie,

How cruel of Miss Lizzy to keep us apart. It hurt my heart to see the way you were forced to behave against your inclination because of her and my former husband. She has cost us so much.

But all is not lost. A particular favourite of yours has made himself known to me. You remember the dashing and charming GW, do you not? Do you know he told me that it was your older sister Miss Lizzy who spread all the lies about him in Meryton and forced him to run to save his skin? Then she saw him in Brighton where he was attempting to reestablish himself and turned everyone against him there as well.

I am sure you feel as I do that the Prince Regent elevated the most undeserving of my daughters. If he was to elevate any of you, it should have been you and Jane, not that brown, dark-haired, ugly hoyden.

But that unfairness is not the main subject of my note to you. Lyddie, GW wants to meet with and marry you. How romantic will it be for you to elope with him. Then you will be able to fulfil your dream of being the first among your sisters to marry! He is so handsome, and I see only honesty in his countenance. That tells you all the lies your sister spread about him, no doubt at the behest of that disagreeable Mr Darcy, were just that. She made it up out of whole cloth.

Walk towards Oakham Mount on the morrow at about 11 o’clock in the morning, and Mr W, his good friend, and I will meet you. My favourite daughter, do not tell anyone about Mr W’s presence here. We do not want him hurt any more than he has been by Miss Lizzy’s lies, do we?

I will make sure you return to your former liveliness once again.

Your cruelly treated mother.

Lydia read the letter again. It described many of her previous hopes and dreams, and yes, she used to think herself in love with George Wickham. She knew how to act, and would take the walk on the morrow as her mother suggested.

She sat down at the escritoire and wrote a reply for her mother.

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

Wickham and Miss Younge had been invited to remain at Gardiner House—to them it was more of a cottage, but Miss Gardiner liked to think it was larger—for the rest of the day. Hence they were still present when the manservant handed his mistress the missive which had been sent back with him.

Fanny broke the familiar Longbourn seal. She scowled when she saw it, as it reminded her of all she had lost. She hungrily began to read her Lydia’s words.

4 November 1811

Longbourn

Mama,

I am so very sorry you think you have been treated so infamously.

You were correct in your assertions; I had to act contrary to my character to make Papa think I was complying with his draconian measures. It has been so hard Mama and I miss you terribly.

La, what a lark that I will be married to the handsome Mr Wickham. I never believed all of the things being said about him. I too cannot believe that a man who shows such honesty in his countenance could do the things like thieving and attempting to kidnap a girl which he has been accused of doing. I am sure Lizzy blamed him because she was not happy he had transferred his affections to me.

Fanny had never heard about accusations of kidnapping a girl made against Mr Wickham. It gave her a momentary feeling of unease, but then she dismissed her doubts, agreeing with Lydia’s opinion of why Miss Lizzy wrongly accused Mr Wickham of the crime. She went back to her favourite’s missive.

I will be at the base of Oakham Mount at 11 o’clock like you asked. There is a stand of trees there, I will be in the clearing within to make sure no one will be able to see me.

Mrs Wickham, how well that will sound.

Until the morrow, your loving daughter,

Lydia

“I knew how it would be,” Fanny crowed triumphantly. She noted the questioning looks on her new friends’ countenances. “Here read for yourself.” She handed the letter to Mr Wickham.

Wickham held the page so Karen would be able to read it as well. “It seems Miss Lydia never lost her affection for me,” he stated as he gave his partner an ‘ I told you so ’ look. Just like he would make sure Karen never received her share of the money, he intended to keep the additional funds they would add to the demand ostensively for Miss Gardiner.

“So it does,” Miss Younge agreed. ‘ I will make sure the men watch this snake in the grass from the moment the ransom demand is sent to Her Grace. Trying to double cross me will be the last mistake he makes in the mortal world, ’ Miss Younge thought gleefully as she began to contemplate all she would be able to do with the vast sum of money she would receive. Thanks to the addition supposedly for Miss Gardiner, even after she paid the men, she would have more than one hundred thousand pounds remaining for herself.

“It is good that Miss Lydia has suggested a place which is secluded,” Wickham opined. “We will rent a gig, as your trap is too small for all of us, so I can get her to accompany me to Gretna Green , but we will return here and send the note to your disobliging daughter. Then we will find an abandoned hunting cabin to hide her in until the money is paid.” Wickham saw the concern on Miss Gardiner’s face. He had made her believe he would marry the chit. “As soon as it is, then we will marry as planned. If they find Miss Lydia before, then there will be no incentive to pay what we are due, and that would mean nothing for you as well.”

Thinking of all the money she would have, pushed any maternal concerns Fanny had briefly had for Lydia’s wellbeing off to the side, and out of her consciousness.

Fanny’s guests remained for dinner and took their leave after arranging to collect her in the rented conveyance in the morning for their ride to the environs of Longbourn.

That night Fanny Gardiner dreamed of all of the clothing and jewellery she would soon be acquiring.