I am thoroughly enjoying your comments.
Since some readers asked why they did not read the banns, Lord Matlock mentioned that by getting the license they could keep things a bit more quiet – after all, Bennet just died.
~O~
Chapter 16
Elizabeth was back at Longbourn, in her father's study, to pack up the final major item to be moved to their new house. It was too precious to have been moved in the rush of the previous week.
Her father's chess cabinet.
It was three drawers wide and ten shallow drawers high, making it about the same size as a tallboy. While each drawer contained a small chess board, not all of them were in use. The games in use all had a label on the outside, and were a testament to her father's humour, as none of them gave the title of the player, only their family names.
Elizabeth allowed herself a small smile as she thought of Miss Bingley's consternation or fawning if she had known of Mr Bennet's illustrious opponents.
Each of the chessboards had recessed squares and the chess pieces were flat circles like checkers pieces, but with the symbol of the various pieces engraved on both sides. This meant they could not be knocked over or be accidentally moved to a different square. As an added precaution they could be fitted with a lid, but, since the cabinet was not normally moved, the lids were stored separately.
Elizabeth had come to secure those lids and then supervise the very careful relocation of the cabinet into the study of the new house.
As she opened each drawer, she saw the correspondence for each of the games being played by Mr Bennet's various opponents, as well as a summary sheet which listed all the moves from each player.
The first time she saw her father's handwriting for moves he had recorded while she was at Rosings or London, the grief of his loss unexpectedly hit her.
Suddenly it was real. Her beloved father was gone and would never return. The man who had taught her… everything it seemed. Her father, her mentor, her teacher, her guide. Her rock had turned to sand and been washed away.
Clutching that sheet to her chest, she collapsed onto a chair, doubling over in the pain of her loss as tears streamed down her face. A kaleidoscope of memories flashed across her mind. Her father teaching her to read, teaching her to play chess, explaining passages in books which made no sense, his proud and fond smile when he said, 'Well done, Lizzy.'
She was so caught up in the overwhelming grief she did not realise that she vocalised the scream in her mind.
After a what seemed a pain-filled eternity later, she noticed that someone had gathered her in their arms and was gently wiping her face with a cloth.
Managing to open her swollen eyes a crack, she recognised Mrs Hill.
'Why did he have to leave me?' Elizabeth sobbed.
'Because he did not have a choice. It was his time. And he held on long enough to see you safely and happily engaged.'
'I wanted him to walk me down the aisle,' she wailed.
'I'm sure nothing would have made him happier. But we can't always get what we want, no matter how much we want it.' Mrs Hill handed the cloth to Elizabeth so she could blow her nose. 'But you heard him at the end. He wanted you to get on with your life and be happy.'
Elizabeth suddenly had a horrific thought. 'I was going to leave him,' she cried in alarm. 'Do you think that was why…'
'No, Miss Lizzy. You mustn't say or even think such things. Parents know that their children will leave home. It is the natural order of things. And remember, he was happy for you to have found such a good man who loves you as much as you love him.'
Elizabeth's shoulders slumped again, and she nodded miserably.
Mrs Hill patted her hand and said. 'How about a nice cup of camomile tea? And I still have some of cook's lemon biscuits. And I'll bring you a cool cloth to soothe your eyes.'
'Thank you, Mrs Hill,' Elizabeth answered in a subdued voice. She would drink the tea, eat the biscuits, wash her face and hope she would start to feel better. But she doubted it.
Eventually Elizabeth finished the tea as well as her task and returned to The Hedgerows with the cabinet.
Mrs Hill and several maids stayed behind cleaning and reorganising Longbourn. While the manor might not be as well furnished as in the Bennets' time, Elizabeth was determined that Charlotte would have a clean and comfortable home.
~O~
Elizabeth was feeling marginally better, at least she could function again, and the chess cabinet was installed in pride of place in the new study.
Her sisters were bustling about the house, unearthing treasures from the boxes in the drawing room and finding places to store or display them.
She was just considering joining her sisters when visitors arrived.
Due to their status of being in mourning, the knocker had been removed from the door, but family and the residents of Netherfield were always welcome, and Elizabeth was only too pleased that Richard was amongst the visitors.
The only one missing was the Earl. When she asked about him, Richard told her, 'Father received a rather large packet of mail this morning, but he will join us when he has caught up on his correspondence.'
Noticing her red eyes, he suggested a walk in the garden.
Once outside, he offered his arm to Elizabeth, which she gratefully accepted, and perhaps held it tighter and was closer to him than strictly proper. That caused Fitzwilliam to ask, 'Now tell me the truth, how are you really feeling?'
Elizabeth rested her head against his shoulder and said, 'I feel lost. Papa was such an important part in my life, and now he is gone.'
'You know that I will always be here for you, whenever you need me.'
'I know. But I have known you for only a few months, yet my father was always there. Now I feel like a piece of me is missing.'
'It does get easier in time, I know.' He covered the hand on his arm with his own. 'I am fortunate that my father is still alive, but I have lost many good friends in battle.'
'But you knew there was a chance they would die.'
'That does not make losing them any easier,' Richard said gently, thinking that since no one was immortal, there was always a chance that a loved one could pass away at any time, even in their sleep.
Trying to distract Elizabeth from her pain, Richard started to speculate about Lady Catherine's reaction to being deposed as the mistress of Rosings later in the week.
He achieved his end as Elizabeth said with a weak chuckle, 'I suspect we will hear her cries of outrage all the way from Kent.'
~O~
'So, this is Bennet's famous chess cabinet,' said Lord Matlock a couple of hours later, soon after arriving at The Hedgerows and requesting to see it.
Elizabeth had been happy to show off this treasure, and she opened the drawer which held the board with the Earl's current game.
'Very organised,' Matlock commented and after a slight hesitation he said, 'I received a most curious letter today… from your father.'
'My father? How can that be? He…'
'My apologies, my dear, I should have explained immediately. This letter was written by him a couple of years ago and was obviously meant to be sent after his death. It implies something…'
He trailed off and held the letter out to her.
Dear Matlock
Since you are reading this letter, it means that I have passed away, shuffled off this mortal coil, gone to my reward… such as it may be.
If you are still enjoying your games of chess, you can continue playing them with my daughter Elizabeth.
It has been a pleasure knowing you.
Best Regards
Thomas Bennet
Elizabeth's blush as she finished reading the letter, solidified his suspicions. 'How long have you been playing your father's games?' he asked bluntly, but without rancour.
Elizabeth sighed but answered readily enough, 'Three years.'
'So, instead of losing to a grand master of long standing, I have been losing against a slip of a girl.'
'I am afraid so.'
Matlock cocked his head and pursed his lips. 'I wonder how many others received such a letter?'
'Perhaps seven or eight others. I only hope he has not sent this letter to all twenty.'
'I gather you only played some of the games?'
'Indeed. Although there was one game which he never played.'
'Mrs George.'
'You are correct. She was my special friend and he would never have interfered.'
Matlock stared at the board for a while before he looked at Elizabeth and asked with a slight smile, 'Sheall we take this out and finish the game?'
Glancing momentarily towards the dining room where the matrons had gathered for a planning session, Elizabeth was only too happy to agree.
~O~
In Hunsford on the same day, Mrs Collins insisted that it was only good manners to make their farewells to everyone.
Mr Collins protested, 'But that will take days, and I wish to return to Longbourn as soon as possible. I have no wish to risk those artful Bennets removing items to which they are not entitled out of spite for having to vacate our home. In addition, the longer we delay, the more we inconvenience Lady Catherine in appointing my replacement.'
As that was the secondary reason for Charlotte to delay their departure until Miss de Bourgh's birthday, she eventually put the matter before Lady Catherine.
When Mrs Collins explained their delay in leaving to Lady Catherine in the most careful language, the great lady was in full agreement.
Even though they were leaving, and Collins was giving up the living, he could never go against the wishes of his most beneficent patroness.
It was therefore Thursday before Mr and Mrs Collins were ready to leave.
~O~
Darcy had just heard about a house in Margate which would suit his requirements for the summer when he received a letter from Rosings.
Anne de Bourgh wrote about all the latest news, but one section burned into Darcy's consciousness.
It seems that we will need to look for another parson to take over the living at Hunsford. I only hope that you will be able to come and help me select a better candidate. Mother will not be pleased, but since I will reach my majority as specified by father next week, Rosings and the advowson will be mine.
Mr Collins, the current incumbent, has just returned from Hertfordshire and has informed mother that his cousin has passed away and he has just inherited his estate.
I confess that I feel sorry for the family, as I found Miss Bennet a charming young lady during her visit. From a comment which I was not supposed to hear, I gather that Mr Collins holds a grudge towards her, and is determined to evict the whole family immediately upon his return to Longbourn.
The rest of letter became meaningless as he struggled with conflicting emotions.
The protectiveness bred into him by generations of Darcy's wanted him to rush to Elizabeth's side and carry her away to safety.
The sensible part of him objected that she was unsuitable. Poor, no connections, a badly behaved family…
Yet the visceral need to protect the woman he loved was fighting for dominance. He at last admitted to himself that he loved Elizabeth Bennet and would do what was in his power to protect and safeguard her.
He locked himself away in his study and considered all the options. He thought of his family. He thought of society. He thought of his beloved Elizabeth.
Would it be possible?
Late that night he came to a decision. In the morning, he would travel to Longbourn and rescue his lady from the hedgerows.
Having made his decision, he sought his bed and slept well for the first time in weeks.
~O~
~O~
Checkmate (working title) by Sydney Salier, Copyright © 2024