Author's Note: Please let me know if you see any inconsistencies or errors. I am trying to fix them as I go through, but I know I have missed a couple. Thanks so much, and I hope you enjoy!
Also, posting chapters will begin to slow down from this point as I will be not merely editing what was previously written before.
Chapter 18
The next day, Darcy and Elliott met again with the solicitors. Darcy had spent significant time that morning persuading his uncle to take on this position despite the brevity of the role since it would end when he and Elizabeth married. Legal documents were signed to transfer the trust to Matlock. While Gardiner could have assumed this role, Elliott believed that having a peer like Matlock would lend more weight to his approval of the match once it took place.
Once the discussions during the transfer revealed the extent of Miss Tomlinson's holdings, Matlock became far more amenable to the match. In fact, he was now leaning toward actively supporting it, recognising that it was in Darcy's best interest—and perhaps even his. Privately, Matlock entertained the idea that, by incorporating these significant assets into Darcy's responsibilities through the marriage, he might be better positioned to petition the Regent for a title on his nephew's behalf.
Ever since George Darcy married his sister all those years ago, the earl harboured the hope of securing a title for Pemberley. His nephew was an upright and moral man, and Matlock had long aspired to persuade him to serve in Parliament in some capacity. He privately hoped this match might just be the means to make that aspiration a reality.
"Now, what is this about an elopement?" Matlock demanded once the necessary papers were signed, making him Miss Tomlinson's second trustee. "As I understand it, once Mr Elliott and I approve the match, the lady and my nephew might wed immediately or as soon as a license can be obtained."
The solicitor spoke up. "Miss Tomlinson is underage, and until she reaches her majority in August, she must have her trustees consent to marry, since her parents are no longer alive. According to the courts, a trustee cannot provide such consent unless he is also her guardian, despite it being stipulated in Mr Tomlinson's will. Having said that, however, I must bring a matter to your attention, gentlemen." At the earl's nod, he continued. "When we looked into the matter, we discovered that Mr. Bennet was never appointed to act as her guardian, and, in fact, she did not actually have one. Her mother never made a will, and she passed away before the child's first birthday. Mr. Bennet assumed the care of his niece when her grandparents passed away, though Mr Tomlinson's will had made George Darcy her guardian, but when he passed, she never had a legal guardian after that point."
All of the gentlemen eyed the solicitor warily, but it was Darcy who finally spoke. "So what does this mean exactly?"
"Well, Mr Elliott has petitioned the Chancery Court to be appointed Miss Tomlinson's legal guardian, which was granted yesterday afternoon. Mr Bennet could object, claiming he has acted on her behalf since her grandfather passed away and that it is inappropriate to change guardianship now. However, it is unlikely he would be successful. You have already accumulated evidence to prove that Mr Bennet has misused Miss Tomlinson's funds, neglected her care, and misrepresented his actions to the trustee. With the earl's backing, I believe it would be a simple enough matter for the court to deny any such claims."
"Will Mr Bennet need to be notified of any of this?" the earl asked.
"No, he is not mentioned in any legal paperwork regarding Miss Tomlinson's care, so he has no right to any information concerning her. When he arrives in London to discuss anything, Lord Matlock and Mr Elliott can inform him of the guardianship and inform him that he will no longer receive any funds for her care. They can also begin to address the lies he has told."
"Will Mr Bennet have any recourse? Does he have any right to demand Elizabeth return to Longbourn?" the earl again asked.
The solicitor thought for only a moment before replying. "No, he should not. He can attempt to tie up matters, but if Miss Tomlinson were at her estate or somewhere else away from town, Mr Bennet would have a difficult time tracking her and would not be able to do anything to prevent her from marrying someone her guardian granted her permission to marry. I would still recommend a special license, given that there may be a need to marry without waiting several weeks, but I would suggest Miss Tomlinson not be in London, and certainly not at the Gardiner's home when Mr. Bennet arrives in Town."
Elliott spoke then. "I can bring Lord Matlock to meet with Mr Bennet and ask directly for information about the companion and governess, among other things he claims to have spent his niece's funds on. We can state there is some matter related to the inheritance that we need to confirm. When we meet with Bennet again, we will be prepared to act and inform him of our intention to file a suit on Miss Tomlinson's behalf for his misuse of her funds. I think we can all agree that Miss Tomlinson's safety is a concern, and ending Mr Bennet's involvement is of utmost importance."
"What about Mr Collins?" Darcy asked. "Is there any way that Bennet could still force Elizabeth to marry that fool? He cannot, of course, actually exchange Longbourn for Briarwood, but since he has signed these marriage articles with Mr Collins, does that obligate her in her anyway?"
"The contract is not valid as it is written. It violates Mr Tomlinson's will in several regards, which I realise were strange, but nonetheless, ensuring the contract is written as specified is a necessity for Miss Tomlinson to receive her inheritance. Also, as Mr Bennet is not her guardian, any contract he signed would be null and void as he has no authority to enter into the contract. As the court has appointed Mr Elliott as her guardian, he is the only one who can consent to Miss Tomlinson marrying before she reaches her majority. If there is a problem, well, there is always Scotland," the solicitor responded.
"We have considered such an option but would prefer to marry in England if at all possible to avoid any possibility of a scandal," Darcy replied.
Turning to the solicitor, Elliott asked, "What will we need to proceed?"
As the solicitor explained the steps for obtaining a special license, Darcy considered other things—mostly Elizabeth and his worry that she needed to be removed from London if at all possible. He had a nagging feeling that removing Elizabeth from London was for the best, though he was uncertain how to put that thought into words. However, the solicitor finished, and after a few more questions, the gentlemen began to leave the office and head in separate directions. They would meet again at Darcy House that night for dinner.
"I learned something yesterday," Gardiner said as he and Elliott made their way to the latter's carriage, which would take them toward Cheapside. "As you know, I sent an investigator into Kent to learn more about Mr Collins while Darcy's investigator was learning more of his history. Collins has apparently spent quite a bit of time lately with a solicitor who is advising him on what to do in this situation and supposedly helping him make plans once he comes into his inheritance. My man followed this so-called solicitor and has learned he is not at all what he claims. We knew Collins to be a fool and easily led, and this has proven true since it appears this solicitor is using Collins."
"Do you know the pretender's name?"
"Yes, his surname is Wickham, and he claims a connection to the Darcys. He is not particularly careful with what he says, especially when he is in his cups, and he claims George Darcy was his godfather. His father was Pemberley's steward before he passed, and the elder Darcy assisted him by providing an education for his son."
"Wickham, you say? I vaguely recall him. Mayhap George Darcy mentioned him a time or two. You say he is not a solicitor but is merely pretending to be one?"
"Yes, and he has run up substantial debts in the area on the basis that he will come into an inheritance soon that will enable him to pay them all. Not only with the merchants but debts of honour from gambling as well."
Elliott considered this for a moment. "We should keep an eye on him. Has he run up enough yet to be thrown into debtors' prison?"
"His debt to the local merchants is already more than twenty pounds and he only only been there a short time. I do not know about his debts of honour, but that is someone else's concern—I am less concerned if someone with a penchant for gambling is not paid. But the merchants he owes could be ruined if he never pays those bills."
"I will send a note to the magistrate in the area asking them to purchase his debt on my behalf and then, when he cannot pay, to throw him into the local gaol. Once we have this situation with Bennet handled, we can turn our attention to him to see if we can figure out his intentions. We do not need one more person attempting to take advantage of the poor girl. He can remain in the gaol until after the new year. I will be in no hurry to deal with someone like him." Elliott had no time to worry about someone so inconsequential.
"You assume he is untrustworthy then?"
"To have run up such debts in such a short time? And to pretend to be a solicitor when he is not? He claims he is awaiting an inheritance—is he intending to lay some claim to the Tomlinson estate? As far as I know, he has no right to it or any other inheritance, so surely he has some nefarious plot in mind," Elliott retorted. "I prefer to have him safely locked up where we can deal with him in our own time than running free to wreak havoc."
"That is probably for the best. If there is a connection to the Darcys, we should likely mention it over dinner. Perhaps Darcy will know how to best deal with the man," Gardiner said before the two went their separate ways.
In Hertfordshire, things were as they suspected. Almost as soon as Bennet returned to his home from visiting with Mr Bingley, he wrote a letter to Collins informing him of the potential delay in the marriage plans. He asked the gentlemen to continue with his planned visit at Christmas, as he had several thoughts about ensuring the marriage happened sooner than the trustees believed it would.
Bennet informed his wife of their visitor for dinner that evening and encouraged her to push their eldest, Jane, toward their guest. "I believe he is interested in our girl, and surely, once he realises Jane will inherit Longbourn, he will be even more interested in her. There may be a delay in the wedding, but I hope that by telling all and sundry of her engagement to Mr Collins, I will be able to force Mr Elliott and Mr Darcy to agree to match far more willingly," Bennet said to his wife.
"Mr Darcy?" she asked, suddenly concerned. "What has he to do with Lizzy?"
Bennet scowled. "I did not realise when he came to ask me for permission to convey Lizzy to London that he is her second trustee. I have only dealt with Elliott all these years and had forgotten the name of the second gentleman. This Darcy is the son of the original trustee, as the elder Mr Darcy died a number of years ago. I supposed I was informed, but I do not remember, not that it matters. What do you know of Mr Darcy?"
Mrs Bennet shook her head. "He is very wealthy, far more so than Mr Bingley, but he was haughty and proud and never spoke much to anyone outside his party. I only saw him twice, and he never danced a single dance, not even with Mr Bingley's sisters. I found it odd, and then he departed suddenly. Mr Bingley never mentioned his departure, and Miss Bingley left for London shortly after. Mrs Hurst would not give a reason but seemed to imply that Miss Bingley had acted in a way that she disapproved of."
"Or their guest did," Bennet replied darkly before sharing a portion of Bingley's story about his friend's behaviour.
"And you allowed Lizzy to travel with that man? What if he compromised her? All of our plans would be for nought. If she were forced to marry Mr Darcy, then Mr Collins would still take control of this estate instead of Lizzy's. Perhaps, though, we could persuade him to marry Mary instead," Mrs Bennet said in a rush of words.
"Mr Darcy will not marry Lizzy, and our plans are still in place. In fact, I have encouraged Mr Collins to visit at Christmas, and we will ensure that Lizzy is forced to marry him. I do not care how he does it, but we will ensure Collins compromises Lizzy if I have to lock the two of them in a bedchamber myself," Bennet declared. "I will not let all my careful planning go to waste. I must go to London in a week or two and meet with the trustees. You are to focus on getting Jane married to our neighbour, and I will worry about Lizzy's marriage."
With a huff, Mrs Bennet departed the study and began scheming.
Jane and Mary had stood just outside the opened study door and had heard everything their parents said. Some of it was confusing, as there had been a mention of Lizzy having her own estate, and there had been talk of trustees. While neither girl was particularly wise in the ways of the world, they had noted how Lizzy had been treated by their parents. Jane recalled the stories Elizabeth had told when they met at Longbourn all those years ago, including the surname she claimed and stories of an estate somewhere in the north.
"We need to write to Lizzy," Mary said after a moment.
"Hush," Jane hissed. "Not here." She thought for a moment, pulled her sister into the music room, and shut the door behind her. "Hill packed a few of Lizzy's things and placed them in the carriage with Mr Darcy when he visited yesterday. Do you think she might know something of the matter?"
"Perhaps," Mary replied quietly. "Do you think she would tell us what she knows?"
"I do not know, but we can ask her. When?"
"Shall we go into the kitchens to see her for a minute? Perhaps she can at least give us a hint?" Mary suggested.
When the two girls found Mrs Hill, they convinced them of their sincerity and desire to warn Lizzy about what their parents were plotting. That news persuaded Mrs Hill to share the letter she received yesterday explaining some of what Elizabeth had learned in the last weeks, although it did not tell of their plans since many were only formed after the gentlemen departed. Jane and Mary were shocked to learn that Lizzy was not a natural-born child of their uncle as had always been implied but rather was the daughter of Mr Bennet's sister and her husband. Together with Mrs Hill, they pieced together a small piece of what their parents had done.
"We must write to her, but for her sake, I hope she is not in London for long," Jane said.