13. Royal Involvement

Our Lady of Longbourn

Chapter Thirteen – Royal Involvement

Baron Stafford threw down his final card with glee. The others at the table groaned as he swept his winnings from the center of the table into his arms.

He needed this after the death of his plans. For three years he had watched as the Duke of Carlisle deteriorated. When he had been younger, a lad, he had gravitated to the man and reveled in their shared debauchery. As he grew older he realized that the Duke's fortune allowed for such extravagance, while his own was dwindling quickly.

Stafford had known about his very distant relationship with the Duke, so when he became friends with the Prince, he decided to exploit it. He and the Prince were two of a kind. The Prince was just waiting for the House of Lords to cart Daddy off to the loony-bin so that he could assume the throne. Stafford was beginning to anticipate the same for the Duke… and with the Prince on the throne, it would be easy to ensure that he became the next Duke of Carlisle.

Until that bloody, dull Darcy came along! Word on high was that a thorough investigation had revealed that his old classmate was actually one step closer to the throne than the baron. After all of that time spent bending Prinny's ear, it was all for naught! And reports from home said that the man who would steal his rightful place was right there on his home ground… or at least nearby. He was in the same neighborhood as that tasty morsel from Longbourn.

As the players at his table began to disburse, Baron Stafford looked over to the next table and recognized someone he also knew well. A quick look at the situation at that table told him that his old drinking and sinning buddy was in trouble again.

A thought came to his drink addled brain. He hates Fitzwilliam Darcy even more than I do. As he continued to watch and George Wickham continued to lose, a plan began to form.

oOoOOoOo

The Royal carriage delivered them to Buckingham House instead of to St. James Palace. So this isn't a ceremonial meeting, Lord Stephen Archer thought. So what else can it be?

The major domo met them at the entry stairs and greeted them in the manner appropriate for their rank. "Her Majesty is waiting for you, my Lord and Lady. Right this way."

Jane's hand tensed around Stephen's arm, but her face remained placid. Stephen felt proud of her and confident that she would make an outstanding countess. He laid his free hand on her hand as reassurance and they followed the bewigged man.

"Your Majesty, the Earl and Countess of Kirby," the man bowed himself out of the room, leaving the three alone. There were, of course, three ladies in waiting and four guards, but they were as alone with the Queen as they ever would be. The dowager countess had drilled them for two hours on the appropriate protocol. They followed that now, making their bow and curtsy and then waiting.

Queen Charlotte gave them the slightest smile. "Welcome. Please accept my condolences for your losses. We've spent a fortune out of our own treasury for doctors to find cures, but all that they ever do is check the color…" She waved her hand as if swatting away her words. "Although the manner of your elevation is tragic, the title couldn't have fallen on a more deserving man."

Jane smiled at this and the Queen was quite struck by the young lady's beauty. Stephen seemed nonplussed, not knowing what had garnered such praise. The Queen answered his silent question, "I have been made aware of your efforts to clean up the fleet,s supply problems. His Majesty has ordered the roundup of several prominent figures who supported and profited from the… mishandling of our supplies. But that is not the issue that has earned my praise.

"Lord Archer, the Crown has become aware of your part in the receiving and honest distribution of the medicines which returned the fleet to service. Two years ago we knighted the gentleman who made the delivery. Now we have become aware that others might have played a greater part."

The Queen turned her eyes on Jane, "One of these others, perhaps the greatest contributor, Lady Archer, was your sister… is that correct?"

Jane was aware that Elizabeth neither sought nor wanted recognition, but she certainly wasn't in a position to lie to the Queen of England. She nodded, "Yes, Your Majesty. My sister Elizabeth was the one who had the idea and organized the community to gather and prepare the plants."

"Then a great travesty was committed when William Lucas and his wife took the credit."

"Please, Your Majesty," Jane intervened, her heart racing in fear as she spoke her mind. When the Queen nodded for her to continue, Jane explained, "Elizabeth did not seek recognition and she does not begrudge it to Sir Lucas and his wife. They and their children gathered the plants with the rest. It was the Lucas wagons that transported the medicine and those medicines travelled safely mostly in barrels from Sir Lucas' store. Elizabeth was certainly the person who set the idea in motion, but many hands made her idea possible... She would be most distraught if any harm came to the Lucas family because of this."

Queen Charlotte regarded the beautiful young lady for a long time before nodding. "No harm shall come to Sir Lucas or his lady. But what shall we do for your sister?"

Jane finally relaxed, "When the fleet left harbor, and returned to their stations, that was her reward. She neither needs nor expects anything more."

Again there was a long pregnant moment, and then the Queen nodded. She had made some sort of decision, but she obviously had no intention to tell her guests. "There is another matter we wish to discuss with you. Lord Archer, what do you know of Fitzwilliam Darcy?" She noticed that Lady Archer's eyes showed recognition of the name.

The Commodore pondered this and then replied, "I believe that I met him once at a ball thrown at Kirby House. He was either a friend or close acquaintance of my brother. He seemed a good and intelligent man, though not inclined to dance."

"What I am about to tell you is a closely held secret at this time. The Duke of Carlisle has taken to his sickbed and will most likely never leave it." She saw recognition and unconcern on Lord Archer's face. "I can see from your expression that you knew of him and his habits. Those habits have caught up with him and now it will be left for God to judge." The saddened expression on Lady Archer's face seemed genuine. The Ton wouldn't even bother with a fake expression. They would be calculating how to use this knowledge for their own advantage. These Bennets are interesting.

"You are aware of the heightened political climate at the moment." The new Earl only nodded. He knew that she referred to her husband's worsening madness and the struggle for power among the nobility to position themselves around the Prince. "We need a few good men in positions of power; men of integrity and industry, not debauchery. There are two possible candidates: Baron Stafford and Mr. Darcy.

"Mr. Darcy has the stronger claim by one generation. We have conducted an investigation of both men and he is also the only one of the two we are willing to have assume the title."

After a long pause, Lord Archer took the bait and asked, "Your Majesty, if I may ask: what connection does this have with us? I do not know him well enough to offer an opinion and you have already concluded your investigation; so how can I be of assistance?"

The Queen saw Lady Archer putting the pieces of the puzzle together and she addressed her, "Lady Archer, did you have something to add?"

"Yes Your Majesty: Mr. Darcy is in Meryton at this moment. He is staying at Netherfield Park."

The Earl startled at this and then his eyes narrowed in a silent question, "Netherfield Park is currently being leased by his friend, a Mr. Charles Bingley."

Queen Charlotte saw the Earl's shoulders relax and her sharp mind put the pieces of the puzzle together. "Countess, who owns this Netherfield?"

Jane had no choice but to answer. Taking a deep breath, she replied, "My sister Elizabeth owns it, Your Majesty. It was sold to her by Lady Adele… I'm sorry, but I never knew her family name... but we have kept it a secret until Elizabeth reaches the age of twenty-one."

Remarkable, I must meet this young woman. "As I understand it, your sister has the management of your family's estate… how did this come about?"

Jane was shocked that the Queen of Great Britain would know so much about Elizabeth, but she dared not inquire as to the reasons. It was not in her nature to criticize, yet she felt that she must provide an honest answer to the Queen, "Your Majesty, my father is indolent and indifferent. His only love is his books and he takes little interest in anything else. My mother is… my mother is fond of spending, of gossip, and of matchmaking; but of little else. Elizabeth is…" She glanced over at Stephen and he grinned at her in return, "well my husband describes her as a precocious knight errant. She is smarter than anyone else I know and kind. She cannot see a problem and turn away. If it can be corrected, then she will do so. That is how the medicine delivery came about, Your Majesty… and that is what happened with Longbourn.

"The tenant houses were in disrepair, so she bartered for people to trade skills for materials or food. The farms were not yielding what they could, so she instituted crop rotation. She invested the profits and put money into further improvements. She purchased a grist mill and built a textile mill. She became partners in a dress shop and ran sheep on Oakham Mount. She…" Jane realized that she was bragging about her beloved sister to the Queen. She flushed and said, "I apologize for running on, Your Majesty."

"Not at all, Countess. You should be proud of your sister… and she is not yet twenty one?"

"No, Your Majesty. She will turn twenty one in March of next year."

The Queen pondered this and returned her attention to the Earl, "Lord Archer, what we wish you to do is to approach Mr. Darcy as our emissary. You have heard our wishes and our reasoning. We wish for you to communicate those to him. We could simply summon him, and we will soon, but we ask you to prepare the ground first. There is urgency in this matter, but not immediacy. Enjoy a week with your family and then go to Meryton."

Lord Archer looked over at his beloved, then turned his eyes back to his Queen, "It will be done as you wish, Your Majesty."

oOoOOoOo

It had been a difficult two days as Elizabeth fought Kitty's fever and tried to keep her comfortable. The fever finally abated in the early dawn and Elizabeth finally allowed herself to sleep. When she woke again, she refreshed herself and then checked on her sister. She seemed better, though not well, so she Elizabeth decided to send a note to her parents.

Mother arrived with Lydia that same afternoon. She appeared quite concerned for her daughter, but after she assured herself of the Kitty's recovery, she adjourned to the drawing room to continue her campaign. When Bingley solicitously asked after the patient, she replied, "Oh, Mr. Bingley, she is improving, but she will certainly not be moved before tomorrow week. We are so grateful for your care for our sweet girl. She is much beloved in this community and knows everyone. Not only is she beautiful, but she would make such a talented hostess… or mistress of a great estate."

Lydia rolled her eyes, not liking to hear praise for any of her sisters. Elizabeth blushed, wishing that her mercenary mother would not be so vulgar and obvious. Mrs. Bennet continued, "She is greatly missed by her friends though. She is such a flower in our society."

Darcy, in an effort to forestall any further hints, said, "She would probably enjoy London, since society here must needs be limited in scope."

"Limited!" Mrs. Bennet misunderstood and took offense, "Why we dine regularly with four and twenty families, Mister Darcy!" She turned her attention pointedly away from Mr. Darcy and spoke to Mr. Bingley, "My daughters, and Kitty especially, are the belles of the ball. Why just last year a man, the second son of an earl, was quite taken with her. We expected an offer, but then he was recalled home and had to leave the area. He even wrote her poetry!"

Elizabeth tried to intervene, "And thus ended the romance. I wonder who first discovered the efficacy in poetry to drive away love."

Darcy took the bait, "I have always considered that poetry was the food of love."

"Oh, a fine, stout, healthy sort of love, certainly; everything nurses that which is already strong. But a thin, scraggly sort of feeling, feed it one sonnet and it will starve the thing entirely."

"Oh, Lizzy, how you do go on!" Mrs. Bennet proclaimed sharply, "You must excuse her, gentleman, for running on so ridiculously. She thinks entirely too well of herself and should learn to mind her manners."

The room was stunned at this vulgar verbal assault by a mother on her own daughter. Mr. Bingley was speechless. Mr. and Mrs. Hurst looked at each other in silent shock. Miss Caroline Bingley was secretly pleased to see her rival humiliated. Fitzwilliam Darcy was disgusted at the mother and furious for the daughter. Still, he could see Elizabeth trying to hold her feelings back and so decided to restrain his own impulse to toss Mrs. Bennet out of the house.

The visit lasted for another interminable ten minutes wherein Lydia managed to extort a promise of a ball at Netherfield and her mother extolled the virtues of her bedridden daughter. When they finally left, Elizabeth quickly excused herself and fled upstairs.

Kitty was still awake, so she was able to offer comfort to Elizabeth while the older sister silently sobbed at her humiliation. The medicines finally took effect and Kitty drifted off to sleep.

Elizabeth wiped her face and resolved to bury herself in work for the remainder of the afternoon. Slipping down the back stairwell, she stepped out, checked to see if anyone was looking through the many windows, and then slipped into the rose garden. The hidden door was built to appear like a slight jog in the straight line of the building where a new addition did not quite match the old design. With pressure on both the top and bottom, a seam appeared. Pushing in, the door exposed a room the size of the master's study above. In fact, there was a ladder leading from that room to this, but that portion of the floor was hidden by a carpet.

The true Mistress of Netherfield sat down now and pulled out her ledger. Soon she was absorbed in recording the harvest yields, wages, and expenditures. That completed, she reviewed Mr. Matthew's list of necessary repairs and suggested improvements. Based on these she wrote several letters commissioning work. Finally she considered investments with the year's profits.

Her anger at her mother had reached a new level. Her own humiliation was, unfortunately, all too familiar. It hurt, but she had become accustomed to it. But after spending two days trying to keep Kitty's condition from worsening, she lost the last vestige of care and concern for her mother.

For the past two years Elizabeth had avoided thinking about what to do with her mother after her father passed away. She had supposed that she would have her mother live with her at Netherfield. Now, after watching the woman greedily examining every detail of Netherfield while she dreamed of living here, Elizabeth could not stomach the idea.

No! She will never live in my home! She will not prance around Meryton pretending to be mistress here and bossing my beloved staff around! Elizabeth looked at the profit figures again and reached a resolution.

Distracted as she was, Elizabeth did not think to check as carefully when she left her secret office. Someone was just rounding the corner of the decorative garden when she stepped out.

Mr. Darcy's peripheral vision saw the seemingly solid wall open. From any other angle the lilac bushes would have hidden the opening, but he was a just the right vantage point. He was surprised by the scene and then shocked to see Elizabeth Bennet step out.

The head gardener was weeding in a flower bed when she stepped out and he simply nodded at her. Darcy turned around and walked the other direction, not wanting to alert Miss Bennet that he had seen her. He had much to ponder. He knew about the secret door and he wasn't surprised to see Eliza… Miss Bennet. She knows all of the servants by name… they sometimes slip and call her "my Lady"… and she knows this house as if it were her own… … as if it were her own? Of course! Why didn't I see it before? But how is this possible?

While Darcy pondered these things, Elizabeth had a stable hand saddle Epona while she went up and changed into her riding habit. A half hour's ride brought her to the property that she had been thinking about. It sat on the opposite end of Meryton and would make a nice residential location. Mr. Edwards put it up for sale last week, so he may not have had any offers yet. I could build three houses in this space, each with enough land to have both a flower and subsistence garden. Yes, this will do.

When Elizabeth returned to Netherfield Park she checked on Kitty and then wrote a letter to her solicitor. If her father passed away first, Mrs. Bennet would have a nice little home in town. This would preclude her needing a carriage for travelling, which might also reduce the number of unwelcome visits she could make to Netherfield Park.

At dinner that night she noticed Mr. Darcy's repeated glances in her direction. She should have become more used to this, but the man had the ability to fluster her like no other. I will be happy when Kitty finally recovers and I can get some distance from this man.

She tried not to wonder if she was being completely honest with herself.

oOoOOoOo

George Wickham woke with a groan and clawed for something to cover his eyes against the light. He curled into a ball as his head pounded and every part of his body hurt. Fool! I should have known not to drink. I know not to get drunk at the card table! How much will I owe this time?

The gurgle of liquid leaving a bottle and filling a glass was partnered with the strong smell of whiskey... and not cheep whiskey. A deep, familiar voice chuckled. "Rise, George, it's a new day and opportunity awaits. I've taken care of your debts of honor... and I have an offer that I think you'll really like."