Grandma Bennet

Chapter Eleven – Heiress

Mayfair, 1794

The last crate had been broken down and hauled away. The last piece of furniture, trinket, and article of clothing had been put into their new and proper places. All that remained now was the Gardiner family and a much larger cadre of servants.

"Well, Lizzy," Madeline sighed expressively as she took a seat in her reading chair, "What do you think?"

Elizabeth Bennet collapsed dramatically on the fainting couch and replied, "It is finished, dear Aunt. Now all that is left is to check us all into an asylum lest we run around gibbering maniacs from exhaustion."

Madeline laughed softly, too tired to give a more energetic response. For their first eight years of marriage the Gardiners had been perfectly content to reside at their Gracechurch Street home. It was close to the docks where Mr. Gardiner's ships unloaded and also close to the warehouses where his goods were stocked and sold.

They might have continued there still had a friend at the Admiralty not informed them that they would soon be Sir Edward and Lady Gardiner due to Edward's very significant logistical support to the long running naval war and the ever-escalating problems on the continent. The fact that Elizabeth was ready to come out at eighteen had also helped in the to the decision to purchase a town home in the very fashionable neighborhood of Mayfair.

In truth Gardiner and Company had prospered so greatly in the past eight years that even a house in Mayfair was not a hardship. They might have easily purchased an estate yielding from five to eight thousand per annum, but Edward was proud of his company and, with the support of his beloved wife and family, saw no need to change.

Just then the sitting room door flew open and two balls of energy ran into the room. One headed towards Madeline and the other veered towards Elizabeth. The cannonball which joined the younger woman shouted, "Lizzy! Lizzy! We ran all over the park and chased the ducks and got candies from the cart man!"

"Is that right, Matthew?" his older cousin/sister responded with a raised eyebrow, "And did you save any for your mother and me?"

Matthew, one of the twins who were the Gardiner's youngest at five, looked suddenly crestfallen, "I'm sorry, Lizzy. Honest, I forgot." Mark, in his mother's lap, looked just as worried and ashamed.

Luckily, Edward Gardiner followed the pair into the room with his eldest daughter by blood, eight year old Angelina. Like her name, Angelina had the blond hair and cerulean blue eyes of her cousin Jane, making her look like an angel from illustrations. She had Jane's sweet personality with a little of Lizzy's impertinence. "Have no fear, brothers. Your father and I made certain that there was extra for Mother, Lizzy, and even Brigitta when she returns from visiting." Seven year old Brigitta, the second Gardiner child, was visiting her best friend at the home next door to their old residence. She was the least enthusiastic about their new and fashionable home since it would place her so far away from her best friend Laura.

While Angelina passed over her little hoard of sweets, Edward Gardiner strolled directly to Elizabeth and extended a letter. The young woman's eyes brightened as she gratefully took the post, though she pocketed it to read later.

Elizabeth had lost almost all contact with the Longbourn Bennet family with the exception of her cousin Jane. Jane, in a heretofore uncharacteristic act of defiance to her mother had begun a secret correspondence with Elizabeth within a month of her departure. Charlotte Lucas, with the consent of her mother, had facilitated the communications, though it was Mr. Gardiner who insisted upon franking both sides of the exchange. Until that point Elizabeth had not known how Jane truly felt about her family, since their mother seemed determined to keep the cousins apart as much as possible.

Through regular correspondence Elizabeth came to know Jane to be as kind as she was beautiful, as gentle as she was soft-spoken, and as true to herself as Elizabeth. Jane's problem was and had always been the opposite of Elizabeth's. Whereas Fanny Bennet wanted little or nothing to do with her niece Elizabeth, she treated Jane as almost an attachment; a favorite piece of jewelry to carry around with her at all times.

Yet somehow Jane had retained all her genuine goodness despite her mother's cloying attentions. Through their letters Jane and Elizabeth... and of course Charlotte, had developed the deepest of friendships and respect.

As soon as Elizabeth could make a genteel exit from her family, she escaped to her new room and broke the seal on her letter:

Dear Lizzy,

Mother rattles on endlessly to all of the four and twenty gentle families in the area about Uncle's new home, though of course you are not mentioned. She also does not mention that she is unwelcome at Gardiner House until she is ready to apologize to you and speak to you properly. I applaud Uncle Edward and Aunt Madeline for their strong stance after our last visit. I only wish that Father would adopt the same. He remains in his study most of the time now and we only see him at dinner.

Thankfully you were wearing the locket under your dress when Lydia snuck into your room and went through your belongings. She may only be thirteen, but she is obsessed with men in uniform thanks to Mother's oft-repeated tales about "Major Fitzwilliam" and the other officers of her youth. I fear for Lydia if any Army or militia are ever stationed nearby. She does not seem to understand how to behave like a lady and does not understand that some men are not good, no matter how pleasing they may be in appearance.

Elizabeth had to grimace. Gentle, trusting Jane had been put in a very dangerous situation with the son of a baron. Had Edward Gardiner not been visiting with the Phillips at the time the situation might have been very bad indeed. Fanny had decried his interference, stating that the man would have been made to marry Jane, but Edward was quite certain that marriage was never on the young man's mind.

Thank you again for the sheet music and drawing materials. Because Mother has little attention to spare for either Mary or Kitty, she has not noticed that Mary is playing new songs... nor that Kitty disappears regularly to practice her drawing. Charlotte and I have turned Rose Cottage into a place to practice our accomplishments and now Kitty's drawing supplies hold a place of importance beside our sewing baskets.

I do not wish to break Uncle's franking purse, so I will end with this one page and only add that I wish we could see each other more.

Your loving sister,

Jane

Elizabeth was pleased with what she read. Oddly enough, she was much closer to her cousins... at least three of the four, then she had ever been allowed to be while she lived at Longbourn or Rose Cottage. She was also pleased to know that her grandmother's beloved home was being well-tended and well-utilized.

After dinner that night Elizabeth and Madeline provided music for the family. Each played and then they performed duets with one singing and the other playing. They shared the same music master and both had improved dramatically under the man's strict but kind instructions. Angelina even played a simple piece that her cousin had taught her.

When it was time for the others to retire, Aunt Madeline gestured for Elizabeth to remain behind. It was not unusual for her or one of the children to be pulled aside for a private word, so Elizabeth thought nothing of it when she was led into her uncle's new office. Uncle Edward was already seated behind his desk, but he stood as his wife and dear niece entered. This formality was different than usual, so Elizabeth could not resist quirking an eyebrow. "Please be seated, Elizabeth. We have quite a bit of information to impart."

After she complied, Edward began by sliding a sealed letter and a leather-covered box toward her. Elizabeth's eyes moistened when she recognized the handwriting, "Please wait to read the letter until you are alone, Elizabeth. I have safeguarded both for the past six years until I felt that the time was right. In one week you will be eighteen and I intended to wait until then, but I will be making my bow before the throne tomorrow. Madeline will be there, of course, but so will you. Because of that your Aunt and I decided not to wait."

Elizabeth knew immediately what was in the closed box and her hand trembled as she reached for it. With bated breath she opened the box and beheld the missing garnet cross. Her eyes teared as she caressed the deep red jewels. Then her eyes went back and forth between her beloved adopted parents, "I don't understand?"

"Which part? Why I had the cross? Why I gave it to you? Or why you will be attending my investment ceremony?" Uncle Edward teased.

"Both. Each of them. Everything," Elizabeth replied as she lifted the stunning little cross out of the case.

"Elizabeth, how much do you know about who your grandmother was before she came to live on your father's estate?"

"I know that she married Thomas Henry Bennet, my grandfather, and that they lived in the colonies... what is now the United States of America. I know that they chose to side with the colonies in the revolution. I know that Grandfather Bennet died there, but not how.

"Grandmother remained in Boston until the war was over. I was told that Uncle Henry and Father moved back to England even earlier than that to live with their grandfather at Longbourn, but not why."

Edward Gardiner nodded, "You have a remarkable memory, considering how many years it has been since you learned those details. Your father and uncle returned to England when it looked as if war would erupt. Your father because he was now the heir of Longbourn and your uncle because he wanted to attend university and wanted no part of the hostilities. Neither of them had shown any great interest in their father's ship-building enterprise. Your father was drawn to farming while Henry was always only interested in books.

"Your grandparents did not know how the situation would end, so they transferred the large bulk of their wealth into an account here in England. It was managed by my father, who was a solicitor of some note."

"Is that how Father met Mother, and Uncle met my Aunt, then?"

"Yes, though it had never been my father's intention to push forward such any matches. Thomas and Henry, your father and uncle, came to my father to secure the monies set aside for both brothers so that they could more easily make their way here in England. Your father invested in the estate and eventually established a dowry for you. Henry spent his money I know not how, though I have noted a number of extremely rare books on his shelves at Longbourn.

"My sister Edith was engaged to Frank Phillips when the brothers presented themselves to my father. Fanny, who was only sixteen, had wanted to be the first one married and the wealthiest. She also wanted to be landed gentry. Somehow she misunderstood about who was the heir and she staged a deliberate compromise. The problem was that she compromised the wrong brother.

"Rose, your mother, was so mortified by her younger sister's behavior that she could not stop apologizing. Your father was enchanted by her and became determined to pursue her, despite her embarrassment. As a result, six months after Henry and Fanny married so also did Thomas and Rose. When Fanny learned that her elder sister would have that which she had schemed for, she was almost mad with jealousy."

"Is that why she seemed to hate me so much?" The bruises on young Lizzy's arms had taken a month to clear up after she relocated to London.

"I believe so. Had I known that Fanny would be obsessed with securing the cross, I would not have allowed her to come anywhere near you...

"But we have diverged too far afield from my purpose for speaking to you this evening. Let us return to your grandmother's tale. You see, other than the monies set aside for her sons, the bulk of her and your grandfather's fortune was still being managed by my father. Neither Henry nor Thomas ever knew how large a sum that was, but in my father's diligent hands the amount had already grown. As you know, I was just graduating from Cambridge. My father had enough set aside for me to purchase an estate and become a landed gentleman, yet I was much more interested in the excitement of trade. Your grandmother took a liking to me and encouraged me..."

Edward leaned forward at this point and held his niece's eyes, "She not only encouraged me, Lizzy, but she also invested in me and helped to put me in contact with the men who supplied your grandfather. In fact, I would not be where I am today without her rather large investments and those contacts. You see, she became my silent half-partner in Gardiner and Company, Imports and Exports."

Elizabeth was surprised at this. She had heard her aunt and uncle comment on how quickly Uncle Gardiner's fortune had risen, but had never given much thought to the matter. She had known that they were actually wealthier than a majority of the lesser nobles and upper gentry, even though the family still lived on Gracechurch Street until recently so that Edward could be close to his warehouses and his shipyards. "I never suspected, Uncle. And I am certain that neither Aunt nor Uncle have ever had any inkling of the truth. All that I can say is that Grandma Bennet could not have invested in a better man."

Edward smiled, pleased at his niece's genuine compliment. Yet it was clear that she had not made the next logical jump. As he watched her ponder the matter, he saw her brilliant young mind assemble the pieces of the puzzle. "Does this mean that Uncle is now your partner? Is the family better off than they knew?"

Her uncle shook his head sadly, "No, Lizzy. Your uncle was carelessly cold towards his mother when she showed returned and he allowed his wife, your aunt, to be even more cruel. Much worse, in her own mind, they were cruel to you, her beloved granddaughter. Over the years she watched as he spent all of the monies she gave him on enriching his library rather than improving his property. She also watched as he sat indolently by and allowed his wife to pamper two daughters, ignore two more, and treat a niece, her beloved granddaughter, like a pariah. Had things been different, she would have made him her heir."

"Who, then?" Elizabeth asked, even as the answer became obvious to her.

"You, my dear niece. Other than two-thousand pounds set aside as dowries for each of the other Bennet girls, now grown considerably, you are the sole heir of her entire fortune, and my silent partner in business."

To say that Elizabeth was shocked would have been an understatement. In fact, she was so bewildered that her uncle and aunt wisely suggested that she retire to her room, read her grandmother's letter, and sleep on the matter.

Elizabeth numbly paced her new room for a long while. Along with being trained in all of the usual accomplishments since removing to the Gardiners, her uncle had also been subtly teaching her to understand his business. She had learned how business was conducted, the importance of both short-term and long-term ventures in providing stability, and how to gauge when to stock items. She knew how to invest and who to accept as an investor. In this she had even been given control of her own dowry to invest as she chose, with guidance, of course. She had engaged in countless discussions concerning how to determine future markets and stay ahead of the competition.

She had studied Uncle Edwards bookkeeping, which is how she knew that half of Gardiner and Company represented a profit of over seven-thousand per annum. And she knew that between his ships, ship-building, and warehouses Gardiner and Company represented more actual wealth than most grand estates in England. Elizabeth could hardly fathom it, so she finally decided to distract herself with Grandma Bennet's letter.

My dear Elizabeth,

As a little girl you loved to look at the cross on my neck. It came to me from my grandmother, who received it from her aunt. As I have had no contact with either my father's family or my mother's for decades, I will not bother you with those names. What is important is that the garnet cross is yours, just as I have always intended it to be almost since the day we first met. It has always been passed down to a young woman of strong will, intellect, and character.

This letter and the cross will be sent to your uncle now that it is clear to me that I will not recover, along with your mother's jewels and some of your father's personal items that dear Mrs. Hill hid away for your sake upon the death of your parents. Sir William Lucas, a good man in whom you can place your trust, will see to the matter for me.

I am assuming as I write this that Edward has either informed you of your inheritance or is preparing to. It may be frightening at first, but I am absolutely confident that you will be up to the responsibility which comes with great wealth. Trust your dear uncle for advice, but also train yourself to know what it means to handle such matters yourself.

Your cousins have not been forgotten either. I left two-thousand for each of them as a dowry with three provisos: First, that your uncle, their father, must approve of their marriages in order for the dowries to be released. Second, neither their father or mother shall have any access to those funds. I created the dowries when I first made these decisions, so all of the interest will be folded back into the dowries to compound. I am confident that Edward has taught you about compound interest, so you can well understand the importance of this provision. And third, if they do not marry before five and twenty the funds will be released to them. As for you, I have placed the disposition of your wealth entirely into Edward's hands until you are one and twenty. You may trust him completely.

Because I do not trust your Aunt Bennet with a farthing, or truthfully your Uncle Henry, your Uncle Gardiner will continue to oversee your cousins' dowries until your uncle approves each match. In his hands those accounts will see much better than four-percent each year. I am quite pleased not to be nearby to hear your aunt's complaints when she learns the truth.

You have been the dearest part of my final years and I have loved you dearly,

Love, Grandma Elizabeth Georgiana Bennet

Elizabeth managed to sleep after reading the letter, so she was somewhat-rested when she, her uncle and aunt presented themselves at St. James Court for Edward's investiture. King George was unfortunately not in any condition to be there, so the proceedings was performed in the presence of Queen Charlotte and the Crown Prince in a ceremony honoring several men who were also being elevated.

Sir Edward Gardiner, Baronet, and his Lady danced the first dance together, while Elizabeth was escorted to the dance floor by no less than a marquess. Her beauty and lively conversation ensured that she was seldom left standing for more than a few minutes for the remainder of the evening.

The rumor circulated that Elizabeth Bennet was also an heiress of no small fortune.