Chapter 18

Richard arrived at Longbourn a few minutes earlier than the time he had been told to come meet with Miss Bennet. The nervous energy was flowing through him like a torrent. He was well aware the course of his future felicity—or lack thereof—could be charted depending on the result of the conversation upcoming.

As such, he did not notice the manor house was well maintained and did not fit with the rumours that the Bennets’ estate only produced an income of about two thousand pounds per annum. A groom was on hand to take Invictus’s reins from him and lead the horse in the direction, of what Richard assumed, were the stables.

He took a deep breath knowing procrastination would change nothing. As he was about to lift the knocker, the door was opened.

Thanks to Miss Jane informing Hill she expected a gentleman to call on her this morning at eleven, the butler had been near the windows which looked out onto the drive. He waited until the gentleman had dismounted and opened the door as soon as he heard the man’s boots on the stone step.

“I am here to see Miss Bennet,” Richard stated as he handed one of his cards to the butler.

“Miss Bennet is expecting your call, she is waiting for you in the summer parlour,” Hill intoned. He relieved the gentleman of his hat and gloves once he had closed the door. “Please follow me, Sir.”

Richard felt his anticipation building as he trailed the butler to discover what his fate would be. He hoped Miss Bennet was as understanding as he suspected she was. He had prayed that once he explained all, she would forgive him, and allow them to move forward. At least it seemed Miss Bennet was still unattached. He was certain had she an understanding with another man she would not have danced a second set with him at the assembly, and neither would she have agreed to meet him.

They turned left from the entrance hall and walked down a hall. Richard was far too preoccupied to notice there were portraits on the walls he was passing, never mind take the time to look at any of them.

Mr. Hill announced the caller and then stood back and allowed the gentleman entry into the parlour. His breath hitched. Before him Richard saw Miss Bennet standing, looking as well as she ever had. Next to her was an older lady he did not recognise. He knew it was not her mother, whom he had met at the assembly.

“Good morning Miss Bennet,” Richard bowed and the two ladies curtsied. “I thank you for agreeing to allow me to speak with you today. Would you introduce your friend to me please?”

“This lady is Mrs. Joanne Frost, our governess who will act as my companion today. I assume you were not seeking a private interview,” Jane challenged. “As my father is still indisposed, he is not able to sanction such a…”

“Miss Bennet,” Richard interjected, “Mrs. Frost’s company is proper and right, and no I had not expected to have our talk be in private.”

“In that case allow me to ring for tea and thereafter we may discuss what you desire,” Jane stated. Richard nodded, so she rang the bell. It did not take too long before Mrs. Hill brought in the tray with the tea service and a plate of lemon biscuits.

After ascertaining how Mr. Fitzwilliam preferred his tea—no milk, lemon, and one sugar—Jane poured the beverage and handed it to him. She then poured a cup for the governess and another for herself. Next she proffered him the plate with the biscuits on it. Richard took two. There was no mistaking the look of pleasure when he bit into and tasted one of them. It was obvious to Jane he enjoyed lemon biscuits. It was no surprise he was pleased with them, especially the way Longbourn’s cook made them, they were delicious and one of the favourites of the family.

“That was the best lemon biscuit I have tasted,” Richard confirmed Jane’s suspicions. “This treat is one of the indulgences I very much enjoy, but my cook at Rosings Park does not make them nearly as well. I do not suppose Longbourn’s cook would be willing to share the receipt, would he or she?”

“It is a she, and I will ask Mrs. Pool if she will share her secret with you,” Jane smiled.

Soon enough the tea had been drunk and after Richard accepted two more of the delectable baked goods, the bell was rung and the housekeeper returned to remove the tray. Before Mrs. Hill left the room, Jane whispered something to her which caused the housekeeper to smile and nod.

The governess went to sit in a chair near the corner as far from her charge as the room allowed. Mrs. Frost picked up her work basket and was soon darning a dress she had removed from within.

“Mr. Fitzwilliam, the floor is yours as you requested this meeting,” Jane indicated after waiting a little once the tray had been cleared.

“Miss Bennet, I find I owe you a sincere apology,” Richard began. “I thought I was protecting you, but with the passage of time and some more maturity, I realise that I erred greatly. Did you feel I was trifling with you with the attentions I paid you at my mother’s ball only to disappear without a word?” Richard saw Miss Bennet hesitating, more than likely feeling restricted by the constraints of propriety and the rules of polite discourse. “Please speak plainly. I will not wilt if you are frank with me.”

“In that case, yes. I was confused and upset that you danced two sets with me, one of them the supper set, and then you disappeared without so much as a by your leave,” Jane admitted.

“I should have called on you at the Gardiners’ house and explained my situation, so you would not have felt I was not serious in my attentions to you. As much as I now see I made the wrong choice, I thought I was protecting you at the time.”

“Explain how not telling me anything protected me,” Jane demanded.

“It did not, I know that now, but please allow me to explain what my situation was and what drove me to make an incorrect choice,” Richard requested.

Jane inclined her head for him to proceed.

“I believe you are aware I am a second son.” Jane nodded it was true. “All of the properties associated with the Matlock earldom are entailed and may not be separated to provide for a second son. From a young age I had determined I would make my profession the army and become an officer in the regulars. That all changed when my late uncle, Sir Lewis de Bourgh, rewrote his will after his late wife’s neglect led to the death of their only child. He made me his heir. He passed away a few years later. His will stipulated that when I reached the age of five and twenty I would become the owner of his estate and all of his holdings. I made a pledge that until I reached that age and had learnt how to manage my windfall, I would not think of a future with any lady.

“When I met you and we danced in ‘06, I was three and twenty and in the middle of the process of learning how to manage all which would be mine in the next two years. As soon as I discovered you were so much more than a pretty face, my resolve almost crumbled. I have never sought a woman to be an ornament on my arm, but rather a true partner. Although we did not know one another well, at the time I felt you were the exact type of woman who would best suit me. There was nothing I desired more than to call on you. However, I knew if I did, my resolve would not hold, and I had made a vow to myself, and considered it a matter of honour to keep to my decision.

“In my thinking at the time, I could not ask you to wait for me for two years. I felt that would be completely selfish on my part. What if you met someone who suited you better and you felt honour bound to wait for me? Now, before you say it, yes, I should have spoken to you and allowed you to decide what you desired rather than making assumptions.”

“As I have not met anyone who has attracted me like…” Jane stopped before she said something which could be construed as rather forward. She cogitated for a minute or two. “You have owned that you erred at that time and I find your explanation cogent and logical. It would have been, from my perspective, far better had you called on me and explained then what you explained now. It would have allowed me to make an informed choice, rather than have all of the questions and endured the sadness I had when I thought you were not the man I had believed you to be.

“That being said, now that you have laid the facts bare before me, it would be rather missish of me to deny you my pardon. Whether I agree with your decision or not, I do understand it and accept that you never intended to trifle with my emotions.” Jane paused and looked at Mr. Fitzwilliam searchingly. “How do you want to proceed, if you do, that is?”

“My hope is that we can take the time to get to know one another and see if the genuine feelings I believe will form, will indeed flourish. I would very much like to call on you, or court you. It is your choice if you are not ready for a formal courtship yet.”

“A courtship would be acceptable. I am of age, so I do not need my father’s consent, but I want it nonetheless. As you were informed at the assembly, Father is recovering from a cold. As soon as he is accepting callers again, I will make sure you are made aware of that fact.

Richard’s countenance lit up with pleasure at Miss Bennet’s response. Waiting until her father was healthy would not be a hardship given how long he had already waited to see her again. “In that case our courtship will remain unofficial until I have an interview with your father and he gives his permission.”

If Mrs. Frost had not been in the parlour Richard would have bestowed lingering kisses on the back of her wrists. He would have to wait until the courtship became official.

“Where is Rosings Park?” Jane enquired of the grinning man opposite her.

“It is in southwestern Kent, near Westerham and the border with Surrey.” Richard paused and changed the subject. “I saw a large rose garden on my arrival at your father’s estate. Is it tended by your mother?” he enquired.

“My mother began the planting and over the years I have taken over the care of the roses, with the aid of a gardener, of course. Why do you ask?” Jane responded.

“Because my estate is named for the very extensive rose gardens found there, which contain among others, not a few varieties of damask roses,” Richard revealed. “There is a conservatory attached to the house which allows us to have roses, among other plants and fruits, year round.”

As they spoke of various subjects Jane felt the hurt she had experienced at Mr. Fitzwilliam’s apparent abandonment fade away. When one did not know the facts the mind tended to fill in the narrative. Just like she oft time warned Lizzy not to do, Jane owned she had made assumptions in the absence of knowledge and none of them had been close to the truth. It was time to forget about the past, except those remembrances which were pleasureful, and move forward.

Before Richard departed, he spent a few minutes with the ladies of the house where he met Miss Bennet’s grandmama. Looking around the room, it was obvious Miss Elizabeth bore no resemblance to any of the Bennets present. He had wondered if she took after her father in looks. He was about to leave when he froze.

The youngest Bennet, Miss Lydia, was wearing a summer dress appropriate for one of her age, which had shorter sleeves. He could have sworn that when she was gesticulating while in conversation with Miss Cathy, and lifted her right arm, he saw a birthmark on her arm which he had seen before. It was only for an instant so he told himself his eyes were playing tricks on him, or it had been because of the light. He was not ready to contemplate what the meaning could be if his eyes had not deceived him.

He farewelled the Bennets leaving wishes for the patriarch’s recovery, mounted Invictus, and took his leave. As he rode, his state of happiness failed to distract him from the many questions which were running through his head.

The chief among them was whether or not he should tell his cousins what he thought he had seen. Knowing what upheaval could be caused if he did, Richard decided to keep the possible information to himself until he could be sure of what he saw.

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

“Janey! I am so happy for you,” Elizabeth exclaimed when Jane, who had asked her younger sister to walk in the park with her, shared her news. “At least you know you did not imagine the connection between you when you danced with him at Lady Matlock’s ball.” Elizabeth paused. “Janey what do you think it means that I look like Lady Matlock and her sisters, while two of Mr. Fitzwilliam’s cousins look like a younger version of Papa? We were all born at the same inn on the same night.”

“It may not be more than coincidence, and do not forget we were told they also look like their late maternal grandfather,” Jane pointed out.

“I suppose,” Elizabeth returned. “Have you told Mama yet?” she changed the subject.

“I must tell my mother; I am sure Papa will forgive me even though Richard…Mr. Fitzwilliam has not made his application to him yet.”

“Janey you are of age so you need no permission from anyone.” Elizabeth held up her hand to stem the protest she saw forming on Jane’s lips. “Yes, you want his consent. He will of course grant it as long as Papa knows it is what you desire.”

“I do Lizzy, I do very much. Since the time I returned from London I have been trying to convince myself I did not truly feel anything for him, but I most certainly do.”

“Your courtship will allow you to discover if it is a shallow kind of infatuation, or what we all want to find, a love stout, true, and rooted in respect. I take it you are not interested in knowing Mr. Bingley better?”

“You have the right of it,” Jane confirmed. “You know how I feel about men who notice only my outward appearance.”

“Did not that report Uncle Frank allowed Mama and Papa to read state he has a tendency to fall in and out of love very quickly?” Jane nodded her head. “It did make clear he is not a rake; it seems he is just immature.”

“You remember I told you that was my impression of him,” Jane pointed out.

The sisters walked and talked a little while longer before they headed back indoors. Elizabeth was pleased that what Mr. Fitzwilliam had told her earlier that morning had been borne out by his actions when he spoke to Janey. She was very happy he had proved that he had never intended to hurt her.

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

There was no mistaking Richard’s ebullience when he returned to Netherfield Park. After a quick wash, he met all of his cousins in the sitting room between William’s and Giana’s bedchambers. Johns was in the hallway to make sure a certain lady was not attempting to eavesdrop again.

“Things must have gone well if the stupid grin on your countenance is anything to go by,” Jamey observed.

“Far better than I could have hoped for…” Richard related the gist of his conversation with Miss Bennet. “It culminated in her accepting a formal courtship with me. I require her father’s permission before it can be acknowledged in public.”

There were warm effusions of congratulations from his family who were with him, including sincere wishes of happy from William.

“It is my turn to beg forgiveness of everyone here,” William articulated. “I am only sorry I did not become aware of my selfish and prideful behaviour much sooner, but I am endeavouring to make changes and address the reproofs which have been levelled at me. It may take me time to correct all, but I will continue to endeavour to do so.”

“I assume your epiphany is connected to your dances with Miss Elizabeth at the assembly?” Jamey ribbed.

“It was my almost insult.” William saw Giana’s eyes grow big in surprise. “As I have been told more than once, your big brother can be an arrogant horses ar…posterior at times. I was about to slight her, but I stopped myself before most of the words escaped. I apologised to her profusely, and Miss Elizabeth forgave me.”

“We all love you regardless William,” Saul stated with a grin, “and I am sure we all forgive you too.” He looked at Philip and Giana who both nodded.

Just then there was a knock on the door which led to the hallway. William opened it and the huge footman handed him an express addressed to all of them. He identified Aunt Elaine as the writer. He thanked the footmen, closed the door, and handed the express to Jamey.

Jamey broke the seal and read. “It is from Hilldale. Belle delivered a daughter. We have another niece, Rose Elaine Fitzwilliam, who was born on Saturday. Belle and Rosie, as our niece is being called, are both well,” Jamey reported.

Those in the sitting room had another reason to celebrate.

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

Caroline Bingley’s frustrations were reaching a critical level. Even when the men from whom she wanted attention were at home, unless it was for a meal or time in the drawing room after dinner, she hardly ever saw them.

Her scheming was interrupted when her brother drew her attention to himself. “Caroline, I would like for you to invite Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth to call on us at Netherfield Park,” Bingley requested.

“Why would I invite that insipid Miss Bennet and her hoydenish sister to my home?” Miss Bingley sneered.

“Because if you do, I will actively assist you to garner a proposal from one of my friends, and if it comes to that, I will bear witness to a compromise. If I am successful with Miss Bennet then I will give you an additional quarter’s allowance with which to purchase more clothing.” Bingley sat back and watched as the cogs turned in his sister’s head.

“I will invite her for Monday, but why the second sister?” Miss Bingley asked.

“According to what I have heard, they are the closest of sisters,” Bingley explained, “so Miss Bennet may not come without her.”

His sister agreed, sat down at the escritoire, and scribed the invitation. She made one adjustment, she omitted to invite Miss Eliza.