Where we see that life goes on and sisters will be joining in time.
Chapter 43: London Farewell
London, Thursday the thirteenth August. Ninth day
"Miss Bennet, today you're even more beautiful than yesterday..."
Jane could not help but blush.
She knew that Colonel Mayfayr was a incurable flirt and that he used these words without attaching a real significance to them but it could be that –this peculiar morning– they were the truth.
She felt more beautiful, more lively, more full of every thing essential.
Perhaps outsider could see it too...
She raised her head and smiled at the young Colonel who made every effort to sweeten her captivity.
"You should take 'no' at its more basic signification Colonel. How many times did I explain that all your efforts are in vain..."
He sat beside her and took her hand before kissing it.
"Not enough to discourage me, Miss Bennet."
She was tempted to singsong "no" for the next minutes but she knew she would burst out in laugh at the third or the fourth.
"And there are no efforts, Miss Bennet. You're one of the most beautiful women in London and I could not not flirt with you..." He sat up. "I have a reputation to maintain. One could say it's my obligation..."
She frowned at him but her eyes were still sparkling.
"One should say that your obligation is to defend England..."
She saw that he had got the message but that he wasn't hurt.
"That's exactly what I'm doing! I'm doing my utmost to please you, to wheedle you and to maintain your good humor. Don't you know that there are rumors running all over the town that d'Arcy's sweetheart is held prisoner in the Palace?"
She looked at him with surprise in her eyes.
"How should I? I'm contained within these walls, you remember? And my numerous maids don't even speak with me more than two words at a time..."
A bright smile lighted up Mayfayr's face.
"Well, then I have another reason to be at your side: to give you the last news of what is happening in Town and Kingdom..."
He smiled at her. A crooked smile, full of mischief and perkiness.
"And that's not all the rumors, Miss Bennet. The best one says that it's because d'Arcy listened to your demands that London is not invaded, destroyed and sacked by Napoleon's mad dog Duroc!"
She had problems to believe him. Was it one of the shams he was so fond of?
But his eyes were serious.
"You are the last defender of London, Miss Bennet." He insisted. "It's really my duty to ensure your happiness..."
Jane shook her head.
"Please stop laughing at me and be so kind to tell me what's happening in the Kingdom."
"Apart the war we're losing?"
"Are we really losing it?"
Mayfayr's smile disappeared.
"I fear very much so, Miss Bennet. As my favorite general pleases to say to my favorite Prince Regent: 'we're out gunned, out manned and out maneuvered...' It does not seem very encouraging. The only reason we are not already crushed is because your monsieur d'Arcy takes great pains not to destroy anything."
He chuckled.
"We tried to destroy bridges but it seems all important bridges of England were under the protection of French Special Forces within hours after their landing. Our men were easily repelled by forces who had buried themselves trenches and bastions. Those who tried to fulfill their orders were just slaughtered. Thanks to God, most of the lieutenants realized that they couldn't do what they came for... We didn't lose too much people on that one..."
Jane could only nod.
"Yes, it seems that he thinks a lot in advance..."
He looked at her.
"And that he is a master in improvising, too. He could not have known that you would be in his path. And still he did what he had to do to make sure you were safe..."
Jane's blush was immediately back. Did everybody already know that he, that they...
"The Prince Regent was quite upset this morning after his visit..." Mayfayr went on without seeming to realize that Jane's blush has deepened. "Seems they chatted a part of the night. Nothing happened but he was upset all the same that he could be reached without any one of the guard noticing anything... They had quite a lively discussion the general and him..."
His smile reached unknown proportions.
"I like our new boss. Never the last to shout back. And he was right, this Palace cannot be protected against one decided man. Too much openings. The general had asked the Prince numerous times to quit the Palace to live at the Tower but the Prince had always refused... Knows also perfectly well why..."
Jane frowned and let her face show her lack of understanding.
What was the meaning of Mayfayr's last sentence?
He understood her question and was only too eager to explain.
"Never would the Prince Regent accept to live in the Tower. Too much stairs and too much 'normal' doors. He would have to live in a tent in the courtyard and surrounded by tall walls he would feel like in a cell..."
He leaned toward her.
"But that's not the real reason he won't go..."
He whispered the rest of the information.
"The Tower is too easy to besiege by angry mobsters. Too central in the city. They learn he's there they'll be surrounding him within the hour. And once in there, there's no way to get him out without slaughtering the besieging people. Or be slaughtered by them..."
"But there's that rumor that the tower has underground passageways to outside the town..."
"I'm sure that they exist," approved Mayfayr. "That was how they built castles in ancient times, but just think a minute... You and I we could flee using them... Who could probably not?"
Indeed...
"So he was here last night?"
Mayfayr looked at her and she was sure his eyes were laughing at her desperate attempt to seem surprised.
"Indeed, he was. Went directly to the Regent's bedroom and had a little chat with him. I don't know what was the topic of their conversation but the Prince was more upset by his coming into his room than by what they spoke of."
Jane could not hide her doubts.
"He's probably doing his best not to show his real feelings..."
Mayfayr shook his head.
"George is a good diplomat and he is able to stand his ground in every conference but at home he's just unable not to show his feelings. And he seems more satisfied than worried. I would say they came to an understanding..."
"What could such a one be?"
Mayfayr pouted before making a face.
"I suppose he got a way out of Great Britain for himself, his family, his followers and probably what's left of his army... Survive to fight another day, and so on... It wouldn't surprise me very much if we would be ordered to move today or tomorrow. I just hope we won't have to take the ships. That would mean letting the horses behind. And I fear some idiotic order to make sure that the French don't get their hands on them..."
He frowned.
"I won't do it... I'd prefer him to be mounted by a French officer than being slaughtered by my own sword..."
"They have all of England's horses to chose from. As it is, they have probably all the horses they will ever need. There will be no such order, I'm sure..."
His eyes were immediately full of revived mischief.
"Let's hope, I would hate it to have to kill my general to save my beloved mount..." He winked at her. "Because, of course I would have to choose the one I'm sure that knows its job..."
They both laughed.
"Miss Bennet," said the Prince Regent with a slight bow. "Please take a seat... A roll or a pie? Please enjoy!"
She sat and smiled at the maid who served her a cup of chocolate.
The Prince looked rather satisfied and was showing a great appetite.
"You have probably heard that we had a visit last night?" continued the Prince of Wales after swallowing a big chunk of an applepie.
Jane was very satisfied not to blush too heavily. She felt a slight heating of her cheeks but the chat with Mayfayr seemed to have given her the means to suffer allusions without going immediately on fire.
"I heard, Your Highness, I heard."
"I thought so. And you've probably heard the rumors that he and I had come to an understanding."
There, Jane choose to frown.
"I wouldn't call them rumors, Your Highness. Speculations would be a better word."
"No matter how it is named, the fact is that we spoke and that he made a certain number of propositions I'm thinking about since then."
He made a gesture and a servant appeared at her side.
"Do you know a way to have him get official correspondence without loosing too much time?"
Jane took a few seconds to think.
She hated the idea that she could be responsible for the death of people who, even if enemies, had been protective and kind.
The Prince seemed to guess her scruples.
"Don't be afraid. I have not enough resources to launch a spy hunt. I need a way to send a few letters with all the speed possible. Nothing else."
Jane nodded.
There were moments in everyone's life where responsibilities must be accepted and no longer shunned.
"I believe my family, and especially my father, could provide you with means of letting this correspondence arrive to him within the day. I don't know the details but it seems that he has taken measures to insure the safety of my family. I'm quite sure there are agents working for him within my uncle's household..."
The Prince accepted the information with a gracious nod.
"I thought so much..."
He gestured to his servant and a bunch of letters was handed her.
"Please make sure those letters are sent on their way as soon as possible. Each hour gained could mean a few less dead soldiers or civilians."
She took the letters and put them into her purse.
"Does this mean that I'm free to go?"
"Your father's waiting just outside my study. We already spoke and he is awaiting you. As it seems, you are leaving London this very day to attend to your sister's wedding."
He made another sign and a manservant carrying a velvet cushion with two boxes appeared at his side. He pointed at the blue box.
"Please convey my congratulations to your future brother in law and to your sister. And hand the blue box to them with my greetings. In the hope that it will further the links between the Darcys and the Crown..."
His finger moved.
"The other one is for you with my thanks for your kindness and my apologies for your treatment. It was necessary but it was ungentlemanly and as such a mistake. I won't deny that I hope it will give us the opportunity to create a first link between the d'Arcys and the Crown of Great Britain."
He looked at her.
"The man who is courting you, Miss Bennet, is about to play a great role in Britain's history. It could be that the wife he'll choose could be even more important for these islands' people. I know it is a great burden we hand you over but it's the truth: we count on you..."
Jane closed her eyes and gave herself a few seconds to think.
In her heart she had already known the truth of every word the Prince Regent has just uttered.
Hearing it from him had just gave it a real consistency.
She would have to live with it.
But she wouldn't be alone and it would be easier with him at her side.
"I'll do my best, Your Highness, but you have to know that I didn't yet give an answer to his proposal. It could be that we never..." she hesitated.
"Marry?" completed the Prince Regent with a smile. "I have no such fear Miss Bennet. I've seen you and I've seen him. I'm not the best in the art of knowing my fellow humans but I'm good enough to recognize when two people belong to each other."
"That won't guarantee my marrying him, Your Highness. He gave me the freedom to refuse him, I could still take it..."
The Prince Regent smiled.
"Indeed you could, Miss Bennet. Indeed, you could..."
"Papa..."
Mr. Bennet looked up from the book he was perusing through and smiled at his daughter while standing up.
She smiled back but the smile soon disappeared.
"Papa... I..."
He loved her guilty air. He had feared that she would try to hush what had happened last night. But that would not have been like her.
Of course, his Jane would feel guilty. That was her personnality. Too late to change her. And why change her? She seemed quite well loved as she was.
"Should it be that you want to confess something, Jane, dear?"
She frowned and seemed embarassed.
"It could be, Päpa... I just don't know how..."
He closed the distance between himself and his daughter and hugged her.
"Then let me help you..." He looked her in the eyes and she saw laughter in them. "Would it be that you had a visitor last night?"
She looked at her feet and he could see her biting on her lips. She finally nodded.
"He came..."
"Oh... He!"
He had problems not to smile but he tried very hard to look the serious father he had always had difficulties to believe himself being.
"He proposed..." whispered she.
"I know!" said he. And she raised her questionning eyes.
"He came this morning asking for your hand..."
There was a lull while she waited for more...
"I confirmed him that it was your choice and nobody else's. You want him, I'll accept him..."
She was immediately in his arms.
"Oh... I..."
He hushed her.
"You must know that he tried very hard to convince me to refuse him..."
She laughed and cried at the same time.
"I know," sniffed she. "He did the same last night. He really believes I should marry someone else..."
Her father kissed and huggged her.
"That's what his mind says, dear. His heart and his eyes say just the contrary. It seems he really wants you. Are you ready to such a one as him?"
"Probably not, Papa, but then, I'm probably not ready for any other. So if I have to choose, I'll choose him!"
"With my blessing, dear, with my blessing..."
"Jane dear, your trunks are already in the carriage..."
She looked at her father with astonished eyes.
"My trunks? If I remember well, we came here with nothing but borrowed uniforms!"
He smiled at his daughter.
"It seems that you've got a new and very cumbersome wardrobe while staying in the Palace. As your father I can only approve. For once, one of my daughters having found another source of funding to pay her bills, I'm quite satisfied."
He embraced her.
"They made them for you after all, you're the best one to wear them..."
She shook her head.
"But Papa, never have I had so much clothes..."
"It's a common curse with beautiful rich women, dear. They need an extra carriage just for their clothes. And another one for their maids and another one for their pets, and ano..."
She hit him lightly with her purse.
"Stop it immediately, I'm no such woman..."
He sighed and took her in his arms.
"I wasn't aware of it," whispered he, "till I saw this mountain of trunks, dear. It's when I saw them that I really understood what happened to you. They need you to be beautiful and fashionable and famous. They have begun to use you and I will not be able to protect you much longer..."
She hugged him back.
"They won't use me, Papa. I won't let them... We could let all these trunks here..."
He paced back and looked at her mock indignation in his eyes.
"And oblige me to pay for your next new wardrobe?"
She smiled at him and he became very serious.
"Of course we could, but what would it tell to the Prince? What would we leave him as a message?"
He shook his head.
"We can't. We are already prisoners to the politics of two countries. I just hope we are strong enough to survive that kind of pressure..."
She hugged him again.
"We Bennets are strong Papa. Much stronger than everybody believes. We'll show them..."
He laughed silently.
Yes, we will show them, dear. We will show to the whole world that the Bennets are people who count.
He took her by the arm and pulled her to the carriage where her sisters where waiting.
"No doubt, dear, we will show them all" said he while helping her climb into the carriage. "And I think we have already begun."
Next chapter: Pemberley explorations