Lord Sebastian was a serious young man. When he was barely five, his mother died, but he was fortunate to have an excellent relationship with his father—one based on affection and respect, which was rare in the circles of the nobility.
Since childhood, his father has instilled in him good manners and the importance of fidelity in marriage. Therefore, his surprise was great when his father informed him that he had had an affair with a married woman. Even more so when he revealed who the lady had been and the strong possibility that Georgiana Darcy was his sister.
After taking a few days to process such transcendental information, he decided to get to know his 'sister' better. Since the Darcys would stay in Hertfordshire for a few months, he decided to travel there for a few weeks.
Coincidentally, his uncle - his mother's older brother - owned Netherfield Park, and his cousin was the priest; his other uncle owned a small property only two miles away where he could stay.
It had been a long time since he had seen Edward Barton. Having been in Ireland, he had missed his cousin's wedding to a young lady from a nearby estate. However, they have had a good relationship since childhood and look forward to seeing him again.
After writing to Darcy, whom he knew from University, and another to his cousin, he left for 'the Firs' the first week of October and planned to stay for at least two weeks. Making the half-day trip from London, an excited Lord Sebastian arrived in Hertfordshire. He knew that as a future marquess, his presence would not go unnoticed, but he wanted to attract as little attention as possible. The plan was simple; he would simulate a chance meeting with the Darcys not to arouse suspicion and then invite him, the Bingleys and Georgiana to a dinner party.
But that afternoon, he would first visit his cousin and meet Mrs. Barton.
PPP
After the assembly, Jane Smith wrote a letter to the Gardiners, asking them to return to London. The Gardiners agreed to her request, and her visit to Hertfordshire, which was to last several months, was reduced to only one week. The next day, Mr. Gardiner would send a servant to accompany Jane to London.
During the entire week at Purvis Lodge, her mother spent most of the time in her room, either with Mr. Stevens or alone. She constantly complained of an upset stomach and morning sickness. The few times she saw her during the day, she only talked about her future child; she was sure it would be a boy. Kitty and Lydia went to Meryton every day to visit their aunt and flirt with the officers. Jane gently tried to persuade them to be more discreet, so they stopped inviting her to go with them again. Sadly, she realized that she was no longer a part of her younger sisters' lives and that her mother was no longer interested in her.
The only people who genuinely cared for her well-being were her sister Mary and, to a lesser extent, Elizabeth. Their mother was still resentful of them, especially Mary, whom she considered ungrateful, and would not allow them to visit Purvis Lodge. Therefore, she had only seen them at the assembly, and that day—her last day in Hertfordshire—Mary had invited her to tea at the parsonage. Jane made her way there, sad and thoughtful.
She knew that as the daughter of a soldier with no money or connections, her social status was inferior to that of her sisters, who were the daughters of a gentleman, and her sisters were below Elizabeth since Elizabeth's mother was also the daughter of a gentleman. She acknowledged that she also had no dowry, and most men could not marry a woman without money. Yet, until last night, she had never thought about how other people would look down on her for something that was not her fault.
Miss Bingley's cruel words helped her understand that she would need to be more realistic and not aspire to marry above her social circle. Indeed that would not happen, and she would only end up disappointed.
With these depressing thoughts, she arrived at the parsonage with tears in her eyes, where Elizabeth and Mary were waiting for her.
"Jane, are you well? Did something bad happen to you?" They were very concerned, and they asked in unison.
Embarrassed, she shook her head and replied, "No, nothing bad has happened to me; I just have a little cold. But nothing of importance. I am sure I will be fine in a few days, with rest. I am delighted to see you again and that we can talk as we used to do several years ago. I miss those old days so much."
Not very convinced, Elizabeth and Mary nodded and began to chat pleasantly on various topics. Almost an hour later, Mr. Barton arrived with a handsome gentleman of about 27 years.
Three pairs of eyes looked curiously at the gentleman, who should be a wealthy man by the clothes he was wearing.
Mr. Barton smiled and made the introductions: "Mary, Miss Bennet, Miss Smith, allow me to introduce my cousin, Lord Sebastian."
"Lord Sebastian, this is my wife, Mary Barton, and her sisters, Miss Elizabeth Bennet and Miss Jane Smith."
Of the three ladies, Jane was the only one in awe of Mr. Barton's excellent connections. With a smile, Mary welcomed him, saying, "My Lord, it is an honour to meet you finally. My husband has told me many stories about you. Please take a seat. Would you like tea and sandwiches?"
Lord Sebastian smiled and said, "Thank you, no. I just wanted to meet you and invite you to dinner at The Firs in two days." Looking at the other two pretty ladies, he added, "It would be my pleasure if you, Miss Bennet and Miss Smith, would also come to dinner."
Mary and Elizabeth gladly accepted the invitation; Jane hesitated but finally declined the invitation with regret. There was no point in staying; a future marquess would never notice her. Lord Sebastian left a few minutes later.
Jane was quiet during the gentleman's brief visit but was the first to speak: "Mary, why did you never tell us that Mr. Barton has such close connections with the nobility? You realize that this connection changes your situation, your life, and our family. Can you imagine when our mother finds out?"
"I do not see what is going to change. I did not marry Mr. Barton because of his connections to the nobility. I married him because I loved and respected him. Besides, Mr. Barton's situation is the same; he is still the same vicar that our mother despises."
Jane shook her head and insisted, "But I am sure that when our mother finds out that he is the Marquess of Hertford's nephew, she will understand why you preferred to marry him and not Mr. Collins."
Elizabeth looked at Jane in amazement, and an annoyed Mary replied, "Why did you not marry Mr. Collins? A few years ago, Mr. Collins was interested in you and wanted to marry you. You ran away, Jane; you did not want the 'honour' of being his wife. 'Why did I have to do what you were unwilling to do? After all, you are the eldest and our mother's favourite daughter. Back then, you did not even have a suitor and were already of marriageable age."
"It was not like that," Jane protested weakly. "Mother married Mr. Collins Sr., so there was no need for me to marry Mr. Collins Jr. I do not know what I would have done if Mama had not sacrificed herself for us."
Seeing that the discussion was escalating, Elizabeth decided to change the subject: "I did not know that The Firs belonged to the marquess's family; I thought it belonged to Mr. Adams."
Mary nodded. "Yes, Mr. Edward Adams is the youngest brother of Lord Sebastian's mother. He is a Judge in London. His older brother, Mr. Peter Adams, owns Netherfield Park, but as he has another estate in Kent where he lives all the year, he usually leases Netherfield. Peter Adams's sons are still too young to administer an estate. The eldest is at University, and the youngest is at Eton. My husband's mother was the youngest sister. My husband, as well as being a vicar, inherited over £10,000 and is saving for our children's future."
Elizabeth nodded and smiled. "If I liked your husband before, I like him better now. I am happy that you have married a gentleman who, in addition to loving and respecting you, is saving for the future."
"I wish I had been that lucky!" commented Jane with teary eyes.
"Jane, please tell us what is really happening to you. You are acting very strangely." Mary asked worriedly.
Jane sighed, hesitating to tell them about her disappointment with Mr. Bingley and what Miss Bingley said, but she decided against it. She did not want to see the pitying faces of Mary and Elizabeth. Mary married a man who loved and respected her, and Elizabeth had a large dowry. She was the only one who depended on the charity of others and on marriage to secure her future. "It is nothing important; it is just that I feel out of place in Meryton. I do not belong here anymore."
"I feel the same way," Elizabeth said to comfort Jane, "the only reason I came to Hertfordshire was to visit Mary for a few weeks." She paused and added, "Since my father died, this is no longer my home."
PPP
After visiting his cousin, Lord Sebastian sent a note to Netherfield Park to let Darcy know he had arrived. The plan was to meet him 'by chance' the next day.