A Plethora of Peers Chapter 1 - It all started, a pride and prejudice fanfic

Here we go again.

Since my last story was rather serious, I needed a bit of fluff.

As the title suggests (at least to me), Darcy and Elizabeth are peers. They are both the grandchildren of an Earl… different Earls, of course.

While that may seem like a boring concept, you never know what might happen… 😊

I hope you enjoy.

As always, constructive (polite) criticism is welcome.

~~PoP~~

It all started…

Thomas Bennet thoroughly enjoyed his years at Oxford for several reasons.

First and foremost, he loved knowledge and studying. The Bodleian library was his idea of heaven.

Another reason why Bennet enjoyed being at Oxford was that he and his older brother had had a serious falling out over what Thomas considered Henry's libertine lifestyle. Since their father's attitude of 'boys will be boys' supported his older son and heir, who also had the advantage of loving Longbourn, at the age of eighteen Thomas had been encouraged to remove himself from his home, never to return. Mr Henry Bennet Senior had even forbidden contact between mother and son.

Thomas Bennet had been fortunate that an uncle on his mother's side had agreed with Mrs Bennet's approval of Thomas' attitudes. That uncle provided his nephew with a legacy of five and twenty thousand pounds which Bennet very sensibly invested and lived on the interest, rather than squandering the capital. While one thousand pounds per annum was not a great deal of money for some of his fellow students, Thomas thought the sum gave him a very comfortable independence.

While many of the students were only at Oxford to sow their wild oats and make connections, some shared his love of learning and became his friends. In particular, Patrick Ashmore, Viscount Markwell was a young man whose inclinations matched Bennet's. They were of an age and attended the same classes. As a consequence, they spent many evenings discussing their lessons and helped each other with their studies.

When it was time for the young Viscount to go home to Gloucestershire for the first Christmas holidays, he invited Thomas to accompany him, claiming that his parents, Lord James and Lady Mary Ashmore, the Earl and Countess of Ashcroft were looking forward to meeting Bennet.

On their arrival they were greeted by a gangly whirlwind who squealed, 'Patrick,' before flinging herself at Bennet's friend, who smiled indulgently and returned her embrace briefly, before pushing her towards the stairs. 'Back to the schoolroom with you,' he said and turned back to Thomas. 'Pay her no mind, Bennet, that is only my younger sister,' advised Ashmore.

'To you she might be only your younger sister. To me she is a young lady,' Thomas said with a straight face, despite the grimace the young lady was pulling towards the back of her brother, belying his polite words.

His comment resulted in a startled look from the Lady combined with a raised eyebrow.

'Do you think the lady would allow an introduction?' Bennet continued, enjoying the astonishment he created in the girl, who he judged could not be more than thirteen.

'Henrietta, this is my friend from school, Mr Thomas Bennet. Bennet, may I introduce my much younger sister, Lady Henrietta Ashmore.'

Bennet bowed with exaggerated civility. 'It is an honour to make your acquaintance, My Lady.'

'I am most pleased to meet you, Mr Bennet. You must be the exception which proves the rule. A friend of my brother's, who is a young man of discernment and exquisite manners,' Lady Henrietta answered with curtsy and a smile which was a hairsbreadth from being mischievous.

Bennet discovered that like her brother, Henrietta had a love for learning, and she often joined their discussions. After their first game of chess, Bennet eagerly waited for Lady Henrietta to grow up.

While he waited, Bennet finished his studies and became a lecturer at Oxford. He carefully saved as much of his income as he could to buy a house without touching the principal of his funds.

At the end of Lady Henrietta Ashmore's first London season in June 1789 at the age of eighteen, Bennet could wait no longer. He proposed and was ecstatic when his proposal was not only accepted by the lady but approved by her father.

Three months later the happy couple were married without a single person from Bennet's family being aware of the wedding.

~PoP~

Thomas and his wife were ecstatically happy when in November 1790 fourteen months into their marriage, Henrietta was delivered of twins, James and Elizabeth.

It was hard to say who was happier, the parents of the twins or their grandparents and uncle since Patrick was still unmarried and the Earl of Ashcroft had become concerned about the next generation of heirs. Thomas Bennet was shocked to learn that for the present, James Bennet was second in line to the Earldom.

But that was a concern for the future. In the meantime, Thomas continued teaching history and literature to his students at Oxford and enjoying the company of his wife and children.

Almost exactly to the day four years after Bennet proposed to his beloved Henrietta, in June 1793, Mary Bennet joined the small but growing family. While James and Elizabeth had inherited their dark curls and dark eyes from their mother, Mary promised to be a prettier version of her father with fair hair and blue eyes.

~PoP~

Henrietta's family doted on the children and urged the family to visit their estate often, especially during the summer and Christmas holidays.

All was well until Christmas of 1794 when disaster struck the family.

A fever cut a swathe through the country and decimated the population. The Ashmore and Bennet families were badly affected as the fever claimed both Viscount Markwell and Lady Henrietta Bennet.

In one fell swoop, the Earl lost his son and his daughter.

Bennet was devastated by the loss of his beloved Henrietta, but at least his children came through the epidemic unscathed. He was still reeling from the loss when he received a letter from his mother.

Dearest son

I must convey grievous news.

In recent weeks several of the inhabitants of Meryton have sickened with a fever and some have died. Two of those who passed away are your father and your brother. The only ones spared in our family are obviously myself but also your brother's new wife, Fanny.

The reason for my writing, apart from there being no more restriction on such communication, is that I must beg for your help.

Fanny is in the family way and may be carrying the heir to Longbourn. But your father's cousin, William Collins has arrived trying to lay claim to the estate on the grounds that he is the oldest male in the Bennet family.

Fanny's father, Mr Gardiner, is trying to help as much as he can, but he is not a direct relation to your father and until Fanny is delivered of her child, we do not know who the heir apparent is. If the child is female, then you are the heir, in the meantime, you are the heir presumptive and not that dreadful man Collins.

I would beg you to come and send that obnoxious man packing. He is becoming more insistent every day and the stress is not good for my daughter-in-law, especially in her condition. If it were not unchristian of me to suggest it, I would wonder if Collins is hoping… but I would not put it past that man.

Please come soonest.

Your loving mother

Elizabeth Bennet

~PoP~

Bennet, on the urging of Henrietta's parents, who promised to look after his three children, rushed to Longbourn.

When his carriage, which had been a wedding present from Henrietta's parents, pulled up in the driveway of the estate, a gig was blocking its access to the front door.

While one of the two footmen was quick to lower the step to allow Bennet to exit, the two outriders the Earl had sent along secured their horses and joined Bennet and the footmen as they approached the house where a large, ill-kempt man was pounding on the front door.

'William Collins, I presume?' Bennet asked politely but with a definite edge to his voice.

'That's right. What's it to you?' the man growled, temporarily distracted from his efforts to gain entry into the house.

Bennet thought a frontal attack, even if only verbal, would be best to deal with the situation. 'I am Thomas Bennet, the Master of Longbourn and I must insist that you cease making such an uproar. People here are grieving and do not wish to be disturbed.'

'Thomas Bennet, eh? Everyone knows your father disinherited you,' sneered Collins.

'My father and brother may have objected to me… but being an honest and honourable man was not grounds to disqualify me from the entail. Therefore, I am still eligible and ahead of you in the line of succession.'

'I can easily change that,' snarled Collins as he pulled a knife.

Before anyone else could react, one of the outriders used the riding crop he still carried to hit Collins' wrist with the shaft… hard. Collins cried out, dropping the knife.

Bennet advised, 'I suggest you remove yourself and go back to wherever you came from. Leave my family in peace. If you ever set foot on Longbourn lands again, I will have you arrested for trespassing.'

The footmen assisted Collins into the gig and escorted him off the property.

~PoP~

Once the gig had left the grounds, Bennet was startled by applause coming from the side of the house.

'Capital. Capital. You handled that well, Bennet,' William Lucas called out as he approached his old friend. 'It is good to see you back.'

'Lucas, it is good to see you too, but I hope you will excuse me, I had better speak to my mother first.'

'Of course. Come and see me later and we can go and see Frank Goulding together. He is the magistrate these days, and I think it would be advisable to make a complaint against that… blackguard… just to be sure… in case he does not stay away.'

Bennet had just enough time to agree before the door was thrown open and he was engulfed in an embrace by his mother.

~PoP~

The first emotional storm of welcome was over and after a quick wash Bennet joined his mother in her private sitting room.

'I am sure you want to know what has been happening. I can tell you while you eat,' Mrs Bennet said and indicated the tea and sandwiches which were waiting for Bennet.

'About six weeks ago your brother went to town since Henry was trying to avoid Gardiner… you remember… our local solicitor, who was after him for seducing his younger daughter Fanny. Henry claimed and from what I know of the girl I tended to believe him, that in this case he was the one being seduced since she was on the hunt for a husband from the gentry.'

'I gather Henry still was not married.'

'No, he was not, even though he was already three and thirty.' Mrs Bennet sighed and shook her head. 'I could never understand why he would not find a woman to take his fancy and settle down.'

Mrs Bennet took a sip of her own tea to compose herself. 'Be that as it may, a couple of months ago Gardiner and his daughter made a fuss because the girl had a bun in the oven and no husband; and even though she was probably the one who initiated it, Henry was the only candidate. So he went to town, thinking that Gardiner would send the girl away before her condition showed. At which point, he planned to come home.'

Bennet helped himself to another sandwich while he waited for his mother to continue.

'Three weeks later he came home, sick with the fever. Your father brought him into the house, after he had found Henry collapsed at the gate. Mr Bennet recognised the symptoms and immediately stripped him and had his clothes burnt, as well as his own, but it was of no avail.'

'But what happened that Henry ended up married?'

'I do not know why Henry hated you so much, but when it looked like he was not going to survive, he sent for Gardiner and Fanny as well as the parson who brought a common licence. Henry even had himself carried to the chapel to make sure no one could quibble about the legality of the ceremony. They married on Tuesday. On Wednesday Fanny was a widow.'

'Henry wanted to ensure that I would not inherit Longbourn,' murmured Bennet. He shook himself and asked, 'What happened with father?'

'A few days later my husband was sick as well and within two weeks he died,' Mrs Bennet said quietly as she stared into her teacups as if seeking answers in its depths.

'Why did you not send for me sooner?'

'Your father would not hear of it. He was convinced that Fanny is carrying a boy, her being so big already. It did not seem right to send for you when within six months you might be ousted by the birth of Henry's son.'

She gave a tremulous smile. 'But then Collins showed up and wanted to take over. He was so… intimidating. I did not know what to do.'

Bennet took his mother's hand which seemed tiny in his own much larger hand. She had always seemed so imposing, larger than life but when he looked at her with adult eyes, he realised that she was quite petite. It was no wonder that she had been afraid of that man, possibly even in fear of her life.

'I am glad that you sent for me. It has been too long since I have seen you.' He gave the hand a gentle squeeze. 'I too have news… some good… some sad.'

'Forgive me for being so caught up in my own troubles that I did not ask, what of you? What has been happening in your life?'

'Five and a half years ago, I married a wonderful young lady who gave me the most delightful children, but she too succumbed to the fever only a few weeks ago.'

'I have grandchildren?' Mrs Bennet's face lit up. 'Please, Thomas, tell me about them.'

Her son gladly obliged her. Speaking about his children had a soothing effect on both of them. While the loss of their family members still hurt, Bennet felt eased by the joy he was able to give his mother with stories about her namesake.

~PoP~

~~PoP~~