The sisters had been at Pemberley for over a month and what a happy month it was. The estate was amazing and they had never seen its equal. Elizabeth healed and slowly came alive in the magical environment. And she also fell madly in love with the Duke of Devonshire. She had also never met his equal. He was a kind, caring, generous man who always went out of his way to see to their comfort.

They spent most of their time together getting to know each other and falling in love. They could be found in the library reading together, walking the grounds arm in arm debating about any and everything, in the conservatory in companionable conversation, and even in his study tending to estate business. Where one was, the other was soon to follow.

The duke always knew she would be the perfect duchess and now he could not live without her. About three weeks after their arrival, when he could bear to wait no longer he had proposed to her and she made him the happiest man in the world.

He had taken her ring out of his pocket where he had kept it since the first night after they arrived at Pemberley. It was huge emerald surrounded by small diamonds that looked like petals. It looked like a green flower. The center stone was big but the design made it look dainty, and delicate. It was perfect for his duchess and she loved it

He thought back to their family's reaction to the engagement.

A squealing Georgiana threw herself into her brother's arms.

"Oh brother! Congratulations!" she cried before hugging Elizabeth and a quietly happy Mary.

"Oh Mary we are to be sisters! I knew it would be so!"

"As did I" said Mary, surprising no one.

"Oh Elizabeth did you know my brother wanted you to be my sister since the first day we found you?"

"What? Fitzwilliam?" asked a pleasantly surprised Elizabeth.

"Tis true! I think it was love at first sight!" Georgiana said dreamily.

"Impossible! I was wretched!"

"You were a beautiful wretch, my love. As soon as our eyes met I was lost" confirmed the duke as Elizabeth shook her head in disbelief.

"He did! And when the doctor asked about your family he said 'We are her family' and of course I agreed. Then he said we needed to take you home when it was safe for you to travel," Georgiana was very excited and talking really fast as the duke was trying not to blush in embarrassment as she was revealing his feelings to the room.

'What is she thinking? Is she trying to embarrass me?' the duke thought as she continued.

"And I thought he was talking about Longbourn but he said 'No to Pemberley. That is her home now.' Oh it was so romantic, Elizabeth."

"I knew within a few minutes of talking to him that he was lost, Elizabeth. I predicted that he would be your salvation" Mary agreed with a brilliant smile on her face.

'What are these wretched sisters up to? Did they plan this humiliation?' he thought as he looked to gauge Elizabeth's reaction to the babbling duo.

She had a huge smile on her face and her eyes were bright with tears.

'Maybe they are on to something. My Elizabeth seems to be loving it. Continue sisters.'

"You had only been at the inn for about three nights by the time I arrived and I could tell he was already half in love" the colonel chimed in. He loved the red tint on his cousin's cheeks.

'It had been a good day' thought the duke as he came out of his woolgathering.

Now he wanted to marry her as soon as possible and had a plan to do just that. He called everyone together to finalize it. As soon as they were all gathered he began.

"Elizabeth, dearest when shall we marry?"

"I would love to marry you soon, Fitzwilliam but of course we have to wait until my family returns or papa recovers to give us his blessing and there is so much to do. I need to get those people away from my father and off of our estate. Charlotte said Mr. Collins has yet to return but I am sure he will any day now and although the safeguards we put in place to make sure the estate is not mismanaged are working, I still worry that they will harm my father.

"As long as they think that toad is the heir they will always be plotting and scheming. Charlotte says the whole neighborhood is talking about the way the Lewises have being going around trying to browbeat the merchants into allowing them to make purchases on Longbourn's accounts ever since we had them frozen. They are getting desperate and desperate are dangerous."

"Calm yourself, beloved. I have already come up with a plan to handle everything. Firstly, there will be no problem removing Mr. Collins if or when he returns since he has never had any claim to the estate. The problem is removing Mrs. Bennet and her daughters since legally they have a right to be there until Mr. Bennet is able to say otherwise.

"I can help your father attain a divorce if he desires one once he is well, but until then we need leverage to remove them so they cannot bring him or the estate any further harm and I have figured out a way. Once we are married you will become a part of the royal family, Elizabeth" he explained, causing both Bennet sisters to gasp in shock.

"The things they did to you are considered attempted murder, and even as a commoner they could be, at the least, transported for it. But as a member of the royal family it could be considered treason which automatically means they would hang. We can demand that they leave the estate and never come back or we will have them arrested and tried."

"That is capital, Devonshire!" exclaimed the colonel. "They would have no choice but to leave on their own without the legal wrangling. Tis no way they would risk being tried."

"Those were my thoughts as well. I could offer them passages to the Americas and provide them with funds to leave the country."

"No" said Elizabeth.

"No?!" cried the duke and the colonel simultaneously.

"No I do not want you giving them any funds. I think your plan to make them leave the estate is very wise and well thought out but we will not provide them with any assistance. They have family that could take them in or they can find somewhere on their own. Mrs. Bennet has 5000 pounds from her settlement and my father gave her daughters a 1200 pound dowry.

"They can easily live off of 8600 pounds until they find other unsuspecting souls to take advantage of. Although, if I have any say in it they will not get a chance to fool anyone else because I am going to take back my father's name, which they never had the right or permission to use, and ruin them to all polite society. I have not a care what happens to them afterwards" Elizabeth said venomously.

Those harpies will pay and no one would ever be allowed to abuse or disrespect her or her family again.

'Wow' thought the colonel. 'Georgie was right. The ton shan't know what hit them when they meet the Duchess of Devonshire'

"Yes, dearest" said a very impressed duke.

"I agree with you. We will not do anything for them, but I do not want you anywhere near them or that neighborhood until after we have wed. I know they have no legal authority over you but I do not want to take any risk while your guardian is out of the country."

"But I am not of age, Fitzwilliam."

"I am aware of that, Elizabeth but we do have an estate in Scotland. It shan't be an elopement. The Duke of Devonshire does not elope. We will be married in a church with our family and friends surrounding us. We can invite your godmother and even Miss Lucas if you would like. I can have my aunt and uncle Matlock, Richard's parents, come."

"I am not so sure…"

"I thought you said you wanted to marry me soon as well."

"I do, but my family."

"They are not expected back for months, dearest and we do not have that much time. We need to secure your father and his estate. We can have a bigger ceremony or a ball when your family returns. We will find a way to celebrate with them."

"I agree, Elizabeth. I do not think you should wait and grandpapa would not want you to either. Aunt Sarah will be seriously displeased if she is not present but everyone else will understand. Stop thinking of everyone else for once and secure your own happiness."

"Oh Mary," she said with a sigh.

"You are correct, you both are, and I truly want to marry you soon, Fitzwilliam. As soon as we, your relatives, and my godmother can get to Scotland we shall marry. I do not think Charlotte can get away without a reasonable excuse so we can celebrate with her later, but Mary is right, Aunt Sarah, Lady Jersey will not be happy if she misses it and I do want her by my side."

"Thank you, my love. Let us send our letters out. I think a fortnight is enough time for travel and planning. I have to inform the royals. I am sure they will want an audience with us as soon as possible but we will not make an official announcement until after we have removed the Lewises."

"Tis a good idea and I am sure as soon as it is announced, mother will send out invitations to your first ball. You know you shan't be able to stop her. You are about to astound the ton and she is going to love it. She will probably coordinate your whole come out with your godmother before the ceremony even starts, Miss Elizabeth" said the colonel, looking forward the stir this will cause.

"Unfortunately he is right, dearest. My aunt Matlock has being trying to marry me off for years and I know she is going to love you. She will not let us rest until we have been paraded in front of all and sundry."

"She shall have to get through Aunt Sarah first, Your Grace. If Aunt Martha were here it would be even worse!"

"Mary, we are family now. Will you not call me Fitzwilliam or brother as Georgiana does?"

"Yes, your, fitz, brother" she flubbed as everyone laughed.

"Thank you dear sister. Elizabeth about your settlement. Maybe your godmother or even you could sign it yourself until your father recovers or your grandfather returns. You know that it will be honored."

"My dowry," she exclaimed.

"Mary brought father's will and financial papers with her so you can easily verify the amount, but I shall have no access to my dowry. I can write Mr. Harvey and I am sure he will sign it over to you once we are married but you shall have to wait until my grandfather returns to access my trust."

"Elizabeth that is not important right now. In fact that is the least important part of our marriage. I would marry you even if you had no dowry so please do not let that concern you."

"No, Fitzwilliam. I have to bring something to this marriage."

"And you will it is just not anything to worry about. You can tell me the amount so I can include it in the settlement papers if you like."

"Yes, thank you. My dowry is 30000 pounds and I had 45000 pounds in my trust the last time I checked with grandfather. There may be more there because he adds to it regularly, although I have asked him not to, but I know there is definitely at least 45000 pounds in it. If father inherits the earldom there will be another 25000 pounds added to my dowry but for now its 30000, which of course I can prove."

Everyone except Mary was stunned. No one expected those amounts.

'Wow, with their trusts their dowries almost matches Georgie's. With the 450,000 pounds I planned to settle on her, Elizabeth will be one of the richest women in England in her own rights' thought the duke.

'That lucky devil' thought the colonel again. 'Although that money is nothing to the duke, most men could only dream of finding wives with that much money to bring to the marriage.'

"You do not need to prove anything, Elizabeth. I trust you. Now, trousseau?"

"Oh dear. Aunt Sarah will kill me if I go anywhere but Madame Dupree's or shop without her. And I would rather she be with me. Her or Aunt Martha always shopped with me and made sure I got the latest fashions when I went to town, but I do not care much for shopping nor keep up with trends. I want to make sure I look my best for you. I want to do you credit."

"Elizabeth you will be a credit to me no matter what you wear."

'She really has no idea how beautiful she is. I will be the envy of every man and all the women will hate her' thought the duke.

"If you want to wait to shop when we are in town then that is what we shall do. In fact, we can make a quick stop in London before we go to Longbourn to make sure you are dressed like the duchess you are when you confront them."

"But we are not making an announcement until afterwards."

"We can sneak into town or call as little attention to ourselves as we can. We will keep our knocker down and when you go shopping it will only be you, your sisters, and your godmother. They have seen you shopping with her before and no one else will pay attention to the little country nobody no one has ever heard of" he teased.

"Actually, Darce, I think you should be seen together as much as possible. Of course no one will know that you are married, but it would be best if you are seen possibly courting or engaged. It would be easier on Elizabeth than just announcing your marriage out of nowhere. No rumors of compromising or an early child will circulate if it seems like this is a relationship of some duration."

"You are right, and if your mother shops with them they will know the family sanctions the match. The presence of Lady Jersey will send the sign that Elizabeth is someone of importance, which is what really matters to the vultures. We can have outings to the theatre, concerts, and maybe even a ball, and as much as I hate it, be seen walking or riding together during the fashionable hour"

"So what, a fortnight in London?" asked the colonel.

"Yes, we do not want any news reaching Longbourn before we arrive. I want it to be a complete surprise."

"The assembly!" cried Mary "The monthly assembly! We can surprise them there. Elizabeth wants to publicly shame them, tis no better place than the assembly."

"Elizabeth are you sure you want to let everyone know what happened to you?" asked a worried duke.

"I would prefer my ordeal not to be fodder for gossip, but if they find out it would not really matter. I did not do anything wrong and I will not let the actions of others be used against me as if it is a blight on my reputation. I think the assembly is a great idea. I would like to see them try to cover up their lies in public. The neighborhood deserves to know what type of people they are. Charlotte said our friends and neighbors are growing increasingly worried about us."

"Where do they think you are?" asked the colonel.

"We were called away by family" said Mary with a snort.

"I cannot wait to kick them out of Longbourn" Elizabeth declared while coming to a new decision.

"Fitzwilliam, can we be married in a sen'night?"

"If that is what you would like but what about our friends and family?"

"I think they would understand. I know my godmother will. We can have a ball for everyone who wants to celebrate with us. It will only be a simple ceremony."

"Are you sure that is what you prefer? You do not want a big, fancy society wedding?"

"Elizabeth? No, brother. My sister hates pretenses. That is why she never really had a come out" said Mary.

"If that is the case we can leave at first light in two days and be married by the end of the week" decided an excited duke.

He would have his duchess sooner than he thought.