Summer, 1811
Elizabeth Bennet could not have been happier; her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner had asked her to join them on their trip to Ramsgate. Their youngest daughter, Susan, aged four, had a cough that had persisted, so their doctor suggested that sea air would be beneficial for her. At the least, they should take her away from the smoggy air of London until she was better.
Mr. Gardiner rented a house in Ramsgate for the month of August, and they decided that they might invite one of their nieces to accompany them as it was quite a large house and their oldest nieces were very helpful with their four children. As Jane had stayed with them in town just after the New Year, it was Elizabeth's turn to be with them. The youngest three Bennet girls were considered to be too young to go with them.
Elizabeth had gone to London from Hertfordshire so she could ride with them to Ramsgate. Before they left London, her aunt insisted on buying her niece some nice clothes as Elizabeth was notorious for not paying much attention to what she chose to put on and for muddying whatever she was wearing if it happened to rain. Her Aunt Gardiner knew that Ramsgate was a popular spot for some of the upper classes to spend the summer, so she wanted her niece to look her best, just in case they met someone interesting. She was well aware of Mrs. Bennet's frantic desire to see all five of her daughters married.
Elizabeth and her aunt had spent several days in different shops, picking out her new wardrobe. Shopping was not Elizabeth's favourite pastime, but she tolerated their excursions to satisfy her aunt. She did have to admit to herself that she looked better in her new clothes than in what she normally wore, even though her normal wear was appropriate for the daughter of a modest landed country gentleman.
Elizabeth was pleased when their shopping was finished sooner than her aunt had expected, so she had a day free before they were to leave for Ramsgate. As all her time for the past several days had been spent going from shop to shop, she wanted nothing more than to be able to walk somewhere in the out-of-doors, somewhere where she could enjoy the beautiful sunshine they were being blessed with. So far, the summer weather had been marvelous.
When she rose from her bed and saw how bright the day was, she decided she just had to get out of the house. "Aunt, since the day is so sunny, do you mind if I go for a walk in a park?"
Her aunt knew her niece and was not surprised at this request. "Lizzy, I am only pleased that you managed to shop with me for these past few days without your normal exercise. Yes, you may go, but I must insist that you be accompanied by a maid and a footman. Robert likes to walk, so he will go with you. Where would you like to go?"
"I have heard that Hyde Park is quite large, so there must be some good walking trails there. Is it very far from here?"
"Not too far, and the carriage is available to take you there. I hope you do not find it very crowded as it is popular with the upper classes. The area around the lake will be busy as many people like to feed the ducks and swans that live there."
Elizabeth made sure to wear her favourite walking boots and one of her new day-dresses, and off she went, with the maid inside with her and Robert riding on the back of the carriage.
It did not take them long to reach the park and she arranged for the carriage to pick them up later. She began to walk at a fast pace to burn off some of the energy she had built up, so fast that the maid had trouble keeping up with her. Robert trailed behind them at a respectable distance, but on the alert for any potential trouble. Elizabeth could not help but smile at the joy of finally being able to walk at her own pace, which was not slow or the proper speed for a lady. There were quite a number of other people in the park, but not so many as to impede her progress. She noticed that most people were walking slowly, greeting each other and stopping to talk whenever they met acquaintances they wanted to impress. She doubted they were here only for the exercise.
She also noticed that several young gentlemen paid close attention to her when they passed by, which pleased her in spite of her having no interest in meeting any of them. She tried to maintain a ladylike demeanor, even if their regard made her blush with pride. Elizabeth, not used to city ways, did not realize that this only made her appear to be young and innocent. She automatically walked taller and smiled more. With her normally cheerful disposition, the day could not have been better. She could not have been happier. It was fortunate that none of the usual rakes and scoundrels that could often be found in the city's parks encountered her that day or Robert's intervention might have been required.
She returned to Gracechurch Street in a good mood and made sure that she was ready for their departure the next morning. After her own clothes were packed, she helped her aunt with packing for her four cousins. The trip required two carriages as they were taking several footmen, maids, and nurses with them. Mr. Gardiner managed to borrow a second carriage from one of his more prosperous friends, so everything was ready and they departed on time.
Their trip took two days so they stopped at a decent inn for the night at a small town in Kent. When they arrived in Ramsgate, they found the house that her uncle had rented. They were impressed that it was close to the ocean and in a good neighbourhood. It took them a while to settle in, so there was no time that first day to explore the town.
The next morning, to burn off some of the children's energy (and some of Elizabeth's as well), they all went out for a walk along the shore, accompanied by the children's nurses and the footman, Robert. When they came upon a large pier that jutted out into the ocean, they gave in to the children's pleas and walked out on it so they could watch the flocks of birds that were flying overhead and ships that were passing by in stately procession going either to or from the estuary of the Thames that was just to the north of where they were. For some reason there were no ships tied alongside, making it perfect for a leisurely stroll.
Elizabeth's spirits were soaring with the birds and the clouds overhead; she was happy to be alive and in the company of her beloved extended family. She had to force herself not to run out on the pier and twirl around to absorb more of this perfect day. Nothing could be better than this.
There were other people on the pier, obviously there for the same reason—just to enjoy this perfect day. Mrs. Gardiner kept telling her children to stay away from the edge as there were no guardrails to keep them safe. At the end of the pier, they saw another group of well-dressed people, apparently headed by a very tall blond gentleman who was holding the hand of a young girl who appeared to be about the same age as the oldest Gardiner child, Elaine, who was ten. Elizabeth noticed that the other girl was dressed in very fine clothes, even though she was so young.
Elizabeth saw that the tall gentleman was also dressed in fine clothes that were obviously even more expensive than the young girl's. As she had been asked to look after her two male cousins, James and Henry, from venturing too close to the edge, she could not watch the other group as closely as she wanted. Being naturally curious, the boys wanted nothing more than to look over the edge to see what might be down there in the water.
They were nearing the other group when she heard a scream and Elizabeth looked up to see that the young girl was being mobbed by seagulls who were trying to take the bread she was holding in her hands. As she ducked away from them, she let go of the man's hand and was waving her arms above her head to ward off the birds. She was not watching where she was going and suddenly toppled over the edge and into the water with a splash. Her scream was cut off when she disappeared under the water. Her head popped back up and she was flailing in desperation.
This caused panic among her group and the ladies all began to scream. The tall gentleman was yelling and was reaching over the edge to try to grab the girl. He was not successful as she was floating away from the pier with the waves. No one seemed to be doing anything useful to save her. It seemed as if they were all waiting for someone else to do something.
Without thinking, Elizabeth went to the edge and jumped into the water. It was cold, but she knew how to swim as she had learned in the ponds at Longbourn. Even though she was severely impeded by the weight of her dress, she managed to swim out to the girl and took her arm just before her head went under the waves from the weight of her water-logged clothes.
"I have you! Just relax. Do not fight me." She managed to keep the girl's head mainly above the water, although waves kept covering both of them. She managed to drag them both close to the pier where the tall gentleman reached down to grab the girl. He lifted her onto the pier with some difficulty and immediately held her close to him.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth was trying to decide what she should do, either swim to the shore or hope that someone strong could pull her up. The cold water was beginning to numb her limbs, making this decision critical. Then her uncle's footman, Robert, leaned down and grabbed her hand. She was too heavy for him to lift up, but one man from the other group came and grabbed her other arm. Together they managed to lift her onto the pier where she began to shake from the wind and her drenched clothes. Robert took off his coat and draped it around her shoulders, which helped keep the wind off her.
Her aunt, who was holding her two daughters, said, "We have to get Lizzy home before she catches a chill. Come, everyone, hurry."
Just before they began to leave, the tall gentleman, who was still holding the girl, came up to them. "Before you go, I have to say how brave this lady was. She saved my daughter." He was obviously quite upset as he turned to Elizabeth, "Madam, I am in your debt. If it were not for you, my daughter would have drowned for sure. I can never thank you enough."
She replied, "I did not think but just jumped in to save her when I saw that no one else was doing anything. I know how to swim, so I was not worried." She did not have time to wonder why no one else thought to jump into the water before she did.
The gentleman turned to Mr. Gardiner, "Are you the lady's father?"
"Her uncle. These four are our children."
"What is your name, sir?"
"Edward Gardiner, from London. This is my niece, Miss Elizabeth Bennet." His use of the term 'miss' indicated her status as a gently-born lady.
"I have to take my daughter home right away. Come to see me in the morning. Here is my card." His peremptory attitude and orders did not sit well with Mr. Gardiner, but he decided to be polite.
Without looking at the card, Mr. Gardiner put it in his pocket and said, "That is not really necessary, but if you insist, I will go. Where will I find you?"
"Come to Mount Albion House." Automatically assuming that everyone would know where this was, he turned and began to lead his group to the shore. Mrs. Gardiner also began to herd her group off the pier as well.
Fortunately it did not take them long to return to their house, where Elizabeth was quickly stripped of her wet clothes and put into a tub of warm water. She lay there until she her body felt back to normal. Then she dressed and went down to the drawing room where everyone was gathered around tea. A hot sweet cup was greatly appreciated by her.
Her uncle was shaking his head. "Lizzy, do you know who that was?"
He handed her the card that he had been given. She read, 'Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex.' "A Prince! That was a Prince? One of King George's sons? So, his daughter is the King's granddaughter. Is that why he seemed so abrupt when he spoke to you? Do you think that he will be angry that we did not recognize him and greet him properly?"
"I hope not. Lizzy, do you know what this means? He told me to go see him tomorrow. I would not be surprised to learn that he will want to reward you."
"I do not want a reward. I did not even think. I just did what had to be done."
"Nevertheless, if the Prince decides to reward you, you cannot offend him by refusing whatever he offers. I have no idea how generous he will be, but we will find out tomorrow."
Elizabeth was shocked when she thought what she had done, and especially who the little girl was. She had never dreamt that she might meet a real prince. Did that mean that she saved a princess? She had to ask. "So, is the little girl a princess?"
Her uncle was thoughtful. "No, I do not believe so. If I remember correctly, Prince Augustus Frederick married without first receiving permission from the King, which caused quite a scandal. According to the Royal Marriages Act, that permission has to be received for all descendants of King George II or their marriage would be null and void. Without that permission, Prince Augustus was not officially married. That means that any children of the marriage are not even considered to be legitimate. She is not really a princess, even though she is a prince's daughter." Even though he clearly explained the legality of the Prince's situation, it was difficult for Elizabeth to understand.
"However, from how the Prince was treating her and reacting to her rescue, he still loves her as his daughter. I wonder what he is doing here in Ramsgate? I do not recall what happened to his wife, but I believe that she does not live in London. I imagine I will find out more tomorrow.
"Just think! Here I am going to meet with a prince. I am not sure how to act with royalty; I have never met one before."
His wife took his hand. "Edward, just be polite and apologetic. He seemed to be a reasonable person, even if he is a prince. You will be fine."
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Prince Augustus Frederick and his daughter Emma were real people and he was very tall for the time (at 6 foot 3), blond, and handsome. As he had not received the King's permission before he married Lady Augusta Murray, the marriage was declared to be invalid, even though it produced a son and a daughter. However, in late December 1800, several months before Emma's birth (either August 9 or 11, 1801), the Prince gave in to Royal pressure and permanently separated from Lady Augusta, so this scene in Ramsgate could not have happened. As I needed this situation for my story, I used my artistic license and rewrote history. Forgive me.
Lady Augusta did live in Ramsgate at Mount Albion House after her separation from the Prince. She never remarried. The Prince married again only after Lady Augusta's death, indicating (in my mind) that he never really accepted the court's annulment of their marriage as to remarry while she was still alive would have been bigamy to him. To read more about this tragic tale of love and loss, I recommend Forbidden Wife: The Life and Trials of Lady Augusta Murray, by Julia Abel Smith.