Chapter 12

Lady Catherine was pleased that she did not seem to need to send her man Dryden to go to Meryton to deal with her wayward clergyman. His first report was gratifying. He had purchased clothing to look the part of a man about town and was with his family at their estate and learning much about the habits of the residents of Netherfield.

In Lady Catherine's twisted mind, her long held desire for Anne to be a duchess was about to be realised and that would both allow her to keep control of Rosings Park and have access to the vast wealth possessed by the Darcys.

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

The subject of Lady Catherine's reverie was trying to decide the best way to contact the Duke. He could not simply approach the man; he knew that given the Duke's enormous bodyguards he had observed that he would not be able to get close to him.

Bingley had no illusions about his mother and youngest sister. They would be useless as they would only look to turn the situation to their advantage. He was not sure about Louisa until he saw her one morning walking with the younger Bennet daughter and another young lady, all arm-in-arm and very friendly with one another. Not only that but Louisa was no longer corpulent. She was by no means skinny, but she looked well.

He believed Louisa would be his best avenue. He was well aware that Elizabeth Bennet was far more intelligent than any of the Bingleys, former or present, and with Louisa seemingly close to that lady, he surmised that his sister would pass the information onto their stepsister.

He decided he would have to keep a close vigil and find a time when he could approach her out of the company of Elizabeth Bennet, who he was sure justifiably abhorred the sight of him after his attempted grabbing of her sister Jane.

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

Elizabeth asked Louisa to take a turn in the park with her when she returned from her ride. When they reached the bench under the ancient oak tree that was distant from the house so no one would hear their conversation, Elizabeth sat still trying to assimilate the meeting with Lady Georgiana, Cousin Gigi, into her consciousness.

"Lizzy, you wanted to talk, yet you sit and do not say a word. What troubles you so?" Louisa asked as she took her friend's hand. The physical contact seemed to spur Elizabeth to focus.

"Lulu, I have to tell you something, but before I do you have to swear that until I tell you otherwise you will not tell another soul!" Elizabeth implored her friend.

"I swear on my life Lizzy, I will not breath a word to a single soul other than you," Louisa promised.

"The story starts when my Mama passed away. What you do not know is that besides Jane and me, we have, possibly had a brother Tommy, who was two at the time…" Elizabeth told Louisa all. Her father's reasoning for Tommy living with their cousins, who the cousins were and their ranks everything.

She explained her father's decision not to reveal the truth after Louisa's mother compromised him. She related about her cousin Marie marrying the Matlock heir. How Jane and Tommy travelled with her cousins to Jamaica, which was why her father had been wracked by guilt after the ship disappeared.

"You lost all of your family except for one cousin who is married to a viscount?" Louisa asked in amazement when Elizabeth took a break in her recitation to catch her breath. "Why did you not go live with them, and how did you get the neighbours to never mention your brother?"

"The neighbours were keen to help us once they heard what your mother did to entrap my father. My late mother was a much loved member of the community which made them all view your mother as a usurper," Elizabeth replied. "I did not go live with my cousins as I will not abandon Longbourn to your mother. As you know. I run the estate; it is a duty I relish. If Tommy and Jane do not return to me in another four years, then Longbourn is mine! I am the mysterious heir," Elizabeth revealed. If Louisa had been surprised before, she was gobsmacked now.

"What of the entail?" Louisa asked.

"There is an entail, but my Papa allowed your mother to erroneously believe the estate would devolve to a male heir. That entail prohibits the estate being broken up or sold to one who is not a Bennet by blood, the same restriction applies to inheriting the estate, but there is no restriction by gender."

"I assume that my mother, Caroline, as well as myself will not longer be welcome when you inherit?" Louisa stated softly. "After I aided mother in the compromise, I would understand your action."

"Lulu, you were a child, and you are now a sister of the heart. You will have a home at Longbourn for as long as you need it. Your mother and Caroline will be gone the day I inherit. I still pray that Jane and Tommy are alive, and he will be the next master of the estate!" Elizabeth stated wistfully. "There is more my friend; connections I only discovered this very morning on my ride."

"This morning while you were riding?" Louisa parroted in confusion.

"I met Gigi, Lady Georgiana, while I was riding. She told me her first cousin is Andrew Fitzwilliam, Viscount Hilldale, my cousin Lady Marie's husband," Elizabeth explained.

Louisa cogitated for a few seconds then it hit her. "You are related to the Duke!"

"Correct Lulu. We are cousins and I am to visit them this afternoon. Miss Jones will accompany me in the carriage. If your mother and Caroline question me about where I am going, I will tell them it is business related," Elizabeth stated.

"Does that mean you will see Mr. Hurst, the Duke's private secretary?" Louisa asked as she blushed becomingly.

"I am not sure, but once I explain that you are a sister of my heart, I am sure that you will be invited to join me next time I visit; that is if I am invited back after being rude to the Duke twice already," Elizabeth reported with embarrassment.

"Twice? I only know of one," Louisa looked at her friend questioningly.

By the time Elizabeth had narrated the happenings in the apple orchard, Louisa was crying from laughing so much. "I am mortified at my behaviour Louisa! You do not have to laugh quite so much!" Elizabeth smacked her friend's arm playfully.

"That is the fearless Lizzy I know and love. I am sure he will forgive you; he is your cousin after all." Luisa dried her eyes.

The two walked arm in arm back towards the manor house, Elizabeth joining in the laughter at herself.

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

"Brother you are not angry at me for revealing our connection Lizzy, are you?" Lady Georgiana confirm nervously. "I know you wanted to give her time, but the moment seemed right."

"No Gigi, I am not upset with you at all. You did well reading the situation, so I am in fact proud of you. You did very well!" Lord William praised his sister who beamed with pleasure as she received his approbation. He did not comment on her use of their cousin's familiar name.

"Our ward is maturing nicely," Richard opined after the lady in question excused herself to practice a piece on the pianoforte.

"She is, but the comfort level she described with our cousin, that Miss Younge too reported to me, I have never seen before. Somehow, Miss Bennet was able to coax Gigi out of her shell faster and further than any new or long-time acquaintance has before. It seems that our cousin has more than a good arm with which to launch apples," Lord William grinned at the remembrance.

The Duke realised had he and his sister been able to attend Andrew's wedding, none of the confusion would have taken place as the Darcys and the Bennets would have met, and not only when the intriguing lady with the green eyes was a mite of four all those years ago. The Duke acknowledged she showed great strength of spirit for one who had experience so much loss in her relatively short life. He and Gigi had lost their parents, but this young lady had lost a huge chunk of her family while being left to manage the family's estate.

When she had hit him with the apple, he had been more amused than aggrieved. He was the one trespassing, albeit unknowingly, and taking her fruit without permission after all. When he had bumped into her in Meryton, he had been deep in thought. For all of his wealth and rank, he still had a hard time conversing with those he did not know well. His only regret was his inability to articulate anything before she had turned and stormed off.

Hurst knocked and when bade to enter, placed some documents needing the Duke's signature before him. Nothing was blindly signed, each document carefully read before affixing his signature and seal.

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

Louisa Bingley walked into Meryton the afternoon Elizabeth was to visit Netherfield, she was to meet Charlotte Lucas at the tearoom. "Louisa!" she heard a familiar voice; one she had not heard in some years call. At first, she thought it may be her imagination, but then she heard her brother's voice again.

Louisa entered the alleyway where he brother was hidden from view. "Charles, why are you in Meryton? You know you are not allowed to set foot onto Longbourn's lands!" Louisa exclaimed. She had no time for her brother, all she remembered was the selfish and vile propensities he brother had from when he lived at Longbourn.

"I will not trespass on Bennet land, I promise you. I need to speak to you in private. I promise you on my life Louisa I am not here to cause trouble, I am trying to stop it," Bingley insisted.

Just then Louisa noticed Charlotte arrive at the tearoom across the street. I must away Charles, my friend awaits me. I will be in Meryton alone three days hence, find me then and I will judge if you are sincere in your desire to help." Louisa turned before her brother was able to respond. She quickly crossed the street and hailed her friend.

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

"Welcome cousin Elizabeth." Lady Georgiana waited at the top of the stone steps leading to Netherfield's front door. Miss Younge stood just behind her while Miss Jones followed Elizabeth.

"I thank you for the warm welcome Cousin Georgiana, it is good to see you again," Elizabeth curtsied to her younger cousin.

"Let us go meet the men," Georgiana invited.

"Is your brother sanguine with my being here?" Elizabeth asked.

"He is," a deep baritone voice answered from behind Georgiana. "I do not hold you responsible for my trespassing on your land or being a clumsy oaf who became tongue tied when he bumped into you," the Duke stated evenly.

"Do not forget to add borrowing apples as well Cousin," Richard added.

"Cousin Richard!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "I have not seen you for so long."

"Could we move to the drawing room?" Georgiana said as she smiled. "I do not believe it is the done thing to have tea served in the entryway!"

The four entered the drawing room where Mr. Hurst and the Major were awaiting them. "Gigi, will you introduce our cousin to us?" the Duke requested.

Lady Georgiana introduced Elizabeth to the men. "You must allow me to apologise your Grace…" Elizabeth started when he interjected.

"William or Cousin William if you please. May I call you Cousin Elizabeth?" the Duke asked.

"I am Elizabeth or Lizzy," Elizabeth allowed. "In that case William please allow me to apologise for my behaviour toward you on the two occasions that we have been in one another's company."

"It is my belief that I am the one who owes you an apology. I was in fact trespassing and as Richard reminded us, eating your apples without permission. In Meryton, I wanted to beg your pardon for my inattentiveness, but you seemed to be in a hurry," William said with a grin.

"There is no excuse for the way I reacted, I made assumptions about your intent, so it is my error not yours," Elizabeth insisted.

"Come let us not argue over who owns the greater fault and agree we both erred and move forward. Please accept my condolences on the loss of your family members and then your father," William offered.

"I thank you for the condolences for my father, but until I know for sure they are no longer living, I must believe that Jane, Tommy, and our cousins yet live," Elizabeth averred.

"It is understandable you feel that way, I believe that Marie also does not accept her parents, brothers, and sisters are no more. She and Andrew manage Holder Heights and the rest of the Holder interests with an eye to the Earl returning to assume the helm once again," Richard stated.

"Richard, Major Wickham, I see you were both wounded. I trust you will both make full and complete recoveries?" Elizabeth had not noticed at first the fact that Richard leaned on a walking stick and had a serious limp. The Major's arm in a sling was noted as soon as they were introduced.

"We are well on our way to being completely hale and healthy Miss Bennet," Major Wickham informed her.

"Major please call me Elizabeth, or at the very least Miss Elizabeth, Jane is still Miss Bennet until I find out otherwise," Elizabeth requested.

"Cousin, I understand that you manage the estate and have to put up with an unwanted stepmother and two awful daughters," William intimated.

"One awful daughter. Over the years Miss Louisa Bingley and I have become as close as real sisters could be. Once she matured and saw her mother and sister for who they are, we became extremely close…" Elizabeth told them how things were at Longbourn and how, if the stepmother and her shrew of a daughter did nothing to evict them beforehand, if she inherited the estate in four years, they would be expelled at that point.

"The day I made your acquaintance in Meryton, I noted that Miss Bingley did not seem at all like I had heard about the three women," Mr. Hurst observed.

"If you were to meet Lulu, that is Louisa Hurst, you would see that she is a genteel and most pleasant sort," Elizabeth informed her hosts.

Georgiana looked to her brother who have a nod. "When we return your call we will be pleased to meet Miss Bingley," Georgiana offered.

"As much as I would like nothing better to have all of you visit me at Longbourn, the other two residents would fawn and fall all over you. My younger stepsister already claims to be the next Duchess of Derbyshire and Countess of Lambton," Elizabeth related with chagrin.

Elizabeth had thought her cousin, the Duke, to be of a staid and somewhat of a taciturn disposition—that was until he roared with laughter as her statement. He wiped his eyes as he brought himself under regulation. "The one that tried to apologise for your rudeness fancies that I would look at her in any way other that disdain? She is not close to tolerable enough to tempt me and we shall not talk about her being handsome, as she is not at all. I know that it is indecorous for me to speak of a lady so, but I have never seen such behaviour as that in public before. I am not sure whose behaviour was worse, the mother or the daughter!" William stated. "I know they are from trade, but do they know nothing of protocol?"

"It was explained to them by me when they wanted to come visit here the day after you took up residence—they must have forgotten," Elizabeth stated with tongue in cheek.

"Will you be attending the assembly this evening Elizabeth?" William asked.

"I will, along with Louisa and the other two. Please accept my apologies ahead of time for the way that those two will behave," Elizabeth replied.

"In that case may I have the second set with you?" William requested. "I never dance the first as it would set tongues wagging."

"Yes, William, I will dance the second with you and I understand your aversion to dancing the first," Elizabeth allowed.

"You meet his aversion to dancing at all!" Major Wickham ribbed his friend. "May I have the third Miss Elizabeth; I am able to dance with one arm creditably." Elizabeth granted the Major's request.

"I would request the first set Cousin, but dancing with one good leg is somewhat harder than with one good arm," Richard quipped.

"May I have your forth set Miss Elizabeth?" Mr. Hurst requested to which Elizabeth responded in the affirmative.

"Lizzy do you play the pianoforte?" Georgiana asked.

"I do Gigi; I enjoy music," Elizabeth responded. Georgiana invited Elizabeth to the music room with her for the time Elizabeth had left before it was time to prepare for the assembly.

"Lizzy has grown much since the last time I saw her before we deployed to the peninsular," Richard opined.

"She is much more than merely tolerable," the Duke said to no one in particular as he sat contemplating the finest eyes he had seen.

After playing a duet with her cousin, Elizabeth and Miss Jones departed Netherfield Park to return to Longbourn.