The Last to Know

by Rebecca Hartford

  She shook her head, about to protest again when the air was sucked out of her lungs and she recalled a week in summer many years before.

  ‘My goodness,’ she whispered. ‘What was his brother’s name?’

  The lawyer frowned and looked at her sharply as if he believed she was mocking him but could not quite see how.

  ‘Please, just tell me. The brother was older, was he not?’

  His irritation turned to curiosity. ‘Yes, he was. His name was Philip.’

  ‘Ah,’ she said quietly, as she recalled how she had become fast friends with Philip. His younger brother had not been quite so friendly to her, but she had sensed his gratitude on several occasions as they all played on the beach and took turns to push Philip’s barrow. ‘I know who he is now.’

  ‘Pray tell me who?’ her father cried. ‘I made the error of assuming the fortune had come from a distant relation of mine and not a stranger.’

  But she was not listening. She had not thought of either boy in several years, for she had never seen them again after they left Southend that summer. Philip, she could understand—he had been weak and in poor health even as a boy. ‘What happened to him; to Arch… to the Earl?’

  ‘He went to war, despite assurances that there was no need. He had inherited his father’s title, but he insisted on leading his men.’

  ‘I cannot understand it. I knew them briefly when we were all children. Why would he see fit to do a thing like this?’

  The man looked blank. ‘I do not know and there is no indication in his papers.’ He cleared his throat and smiled officiously. ‘Now, we must move on to other matters. You will no doubt be greatly interested in hearing what you have inherited. Of course, it shall take some time for the smaller interests and ownerships to be valued, but the principal fortune is twenty thousand pounds and a very grandly appointed townhouse on Mount Street.’

  Elizabeth gasped. From her father’s lips, the sums had sounded somehow fantastical. Hearing them from this officious man, she began to realise that this was no joke.

  ‘You are serious. It is true then.’

  ‘Of course it is,’ he said, casting a worried look towards her father.

  Mr. Bennet simply shrugged. ‘How might you react on being told you are now the owner of a considerable fortune?’

  The man cleared his throat and smiled. ‘Yes, I suppose it is rather a lot to take in. Now,’ he said, standing. ‘I must take my leave of you.’

  Panic rose in Elizabeth. ‘But surely there is more I must know before you go.’

  ‘On the contrary,’ he said gaily. ‘That is about the height of it. The housekeeper at the Mount Street house has been informed and you shall have your own dedicated clerk at my offices to oversee your affairs. All you must worry yourself about is the latest fashions and dances!’

  And with that, he sauntered from the room leaving father and daughter speechless with disbelief and wonder.

  Chapter Three

  As soon as the lawyer’s carriage drew away, Elizabeth wasted no time in hurrying upstairs to tell Jane the fortunate news. She found all her sisters together and Longbourn House was soon cast into such a frenzied state of activity that a passerby would have been forgiven for assuming that the Regent himself had declared his intention to visit.

  The sisters were still bursting with questions when they moved downstairs for tea. By this point, Mrs. Bennet had joined them and she soon reached a state of excitement that surpassed that of her daughters.

  ‘Oh Lizzy, how did you manage it?’ Lydia asked when they had settled themselves in the drawing-room. ‘It is not like you are charming.’

  Elizabeth coloured. ‘It is not as if I planned it. How could I have?’

  ‘You must have known. Wealthy men do not leave vast fortunes to strangers without some provocation.’

  ‘And what would you know of it? You are not yet sixteen!’

  Lydia pouted. ‘It seems I know more than you do, Lizzy. Do you really expect us to believe that it simply happened?’

  ‘Well, yes.’

  This time it was Kitty who objected. ‘But how? I cannot understand it. How is it possible that you knew an Earl and we knew nothing about it? Did you keep it from us in case we tried to win his favour?’

  By now, Elizabeth did not know whether to laugh or cry. ‘No, of course not. I did not even recall the man’s name at first.’

  Even now, she struggled to summon up an image of Archie’s face. The whole period was something of a faded memory for her, though she could still recall his elder brother’s gleeful face when it became clear to him that the little group had no intention of mocking him for his physical limitations.

  Lydia leant forward, her face the very picture of glee. ‘Were you lovers?’ she asked with a giggle.

  ‘Good heavens, Lydia,’ Elizabeth cried. ‘I was a child of eleven or twelve. And as for how you have come to know of such…’ she stopped. There was no sense in chastising Lydia on such matters. Their mother was present and gave no indication of having heard her youngest daughter’s impertinent question—let alone any intention of rebuking her for it.

  She took a breath to calm herself. ‘I have already told you everything I know. You must believe me when I tell you I am as surprised as you are. I do not know why a man I have not seen since we were children would leave me such a vast sum. Perhaps he despised the cousin on whom the estate is entailed.’ She sighed and shook her head. ‘We shall never know.’

  ‘How could one despise a relation so strongly that one could be willing to leave a fortune to a stranger?’ Mary’s voice was, as usual, awash with disapproval.

  ‘Perhaps the cousin carried on like you do, Mary,’ Lydia said with a giggle. ‘Which would explain it all.’

  Mary stood and made her way noisily to the door, which she slammed behind her as she went out. They were silent for a time. Mrs. Bennet made disapproving noises but she was too overcome with delight to protest Lydia’s behaviour too strongly.

  ‘You ought to have married him, Jane. Then you might have inherited the grand estate too.’

  ‘She was not more than twelve,’ Lizzy said with a sigh. She leant forward and aimed an embroidered cushion at her youngest sister’s head. ‘In any case, he has died. Would you wish a dead husband on your poor sister?’

  Lydia’s eyes gleamed. ‘Rather a dead one than a dull one.’

  Elizabeth tried to hold back her frustration but found it impossible. This was supposed to be a time of great joy, but her sisters appeared intent on making foolish remarks. She stood and moved towards the door. Before she could leave, though, Kitty had leapt to her feet and thrown herself in her elder sister’s path. ‘No, Lizzy. Do not listen to her. You must stay and tell us everything you know. What good fortune it is that you charmed that young man. Imagine it! We shall live in London and go to the best of parties. Just think…’

  Elizabeth frowned. She had been daydreaming since learning of her great fortune, and now she wondered at how it would work in reality. Would they all move to London—is that what her parents expected? It was not as if she could simply move there alone regardless of what her parents thought—to do so would be scandalous while she remained unmarried.

  She pushed past her sister and slipped out the door. The cool silence of the hall felt like a relief. She leant against the wall and closed her eyes. Her head was still throbbing despite her surroundings being more peaceful. And yet she could not relax—not when there was such uncertainty about how this generous inheritance would change her life. She pushed away from the wall and made her way to her father’s library.

  * * *

  He smiled up at her. ‘I see you have survived their questioning.’

  ‘Yes,’ she said, too distracted to think of anything further to say. ‘Papa, I must speak to you about this news.’

  He steepled his fingers. ‘I imagine it shall take some time to sink in.’

  ‘Yes, it does not seem at all real, it…’ She stopped and looked at him,
realising there was no easy way to approach the topic other than just tackling it directly. ‘Papa, I have inherited a house in London and the means to keep not just that house but myself and all of my sisters.’

  He smiled. ‘Yes, that fact has not escaped me.’ His expression was inscrutable and it did little to calm her.

  It had only been a matter of hours since she learned of the development that would secure her future and that of her descendants, but already she had become rather attached to the idea of the London townhouse. She was loath to have to wait until she was married to live there.

  ‘Father I must take up residence there. That is to say, we must. Surely the whole intention of this generous gift was to provide me with a place to live, not a house to sit empty as I remained at Longbourn.’

  He smiled weakly. ‘Of course you must, my dear. It would be a rather odd state of affairs if the place was left to go empty, though I expect if I said anything different your mother would not rest until she had convinced me you should go.’

  Elizabeth leapt to her feet, relieved beyond measure. ‘Oh Papa, I do not know how to thank you!’

  ‘Well, I can think of one way in which you might express your gratitude.’

  ‘Anything to thank you for so readily agreeing to allow me to go there.’

  He laughed. ‘Ah, but you had not heard my request yet, Lizzy! You may go to London as long as you take your sisters with you. If I am to lose my Lizzy, then I shall have no patience at all for the rest of them. Does that sound agreeable?’

  ‘Oh, Papa, you are wicked! Of course they shall come—I can hardly go off and leave them here. It would not be fair.’

  ‘Then it is settled!’

  Chapter Four

  ‘Louisa,’ Miss Caroline Bingley shrieked at such a volume that even her good-natured brother winced and poked a finger in his ear. ‘Louisa I must speak to you at once. Where are you?’

  ‘She is not here, sister,’ Charles Bingley said patiently. ‘She and Hurst have returned to their own house. Perhaps you ought to go after her and find her there.’

  The young lady huffed, shoulders slumping as if she had just heard the most terrible news. ‘Well that is no use,’ she said with a pout.

  ‘You may take the carriage if you wish. As I have told you before, it is yours to use as you see fit. I doubt the groom has had a chance to stable the horses since you have only just returned.’

  His sister considered this for a moment. She was loath to participate in physical activity unless it was absolutely necessary, but this was rather interesting news. She had just come from the home of Miss Mary Holmes and she could still scarcely believe what she had just heard.

  She considered relaying the news to her brother but soon dismissed that thought. Charles was such a dear that he would no doubt get it into his head to help Miss Bennet. And that would not do! No, knowing Caroline’s luck, he would fall in love with her and what would she do then?

  No, Caroline had her plans for Miss Bennet and for her brother, and those plans did not overlap in any way. No matter how much money the young lady from Hertfordshire had inherited, she would not do for Charles. He would marry a young woman of pedigree and breeding; a young woman with a powerful brother—she would insist upon it.

  ‘What has got you into such a state, Caroline?’

  She considered telling him about her wonderful plan without mentioning names, but decided against it. He would not understand. Men simply could not comprehend the subtleties and nuances of society. He would no doubt judge her harshly and think her wicked when all she was doing was getting by.

  She smiled to herself. What a stroke of luck that Miss Holmes was rather simple—if the fool had any sense, she might have kept the information to herself and done what Caroline now intended to do.

  She frowned. Of course, the same thing could not be said for all of the other young ladies in London. Some ladies of her acquaintance were positively wicked and they would no doubt hear of the new arrival too.

  Caroline turned and walked back towards the hall without uttering another word. She snapped her fingers at the maid—she forgot the girl’s name—signalling that her bonnet and shawl should be brought at once.

  Louisa had become rather indolent since her marriage, but Miss Bingley had no doubt that her sister’s scheming mind was as sharp as ever.

  With any luck, Caroline would have a new friend before the afternoon was out. The thought brought a tear of triumph to her eye. Who could deny her goodness and virtue when they heard of the lengths she had gone to to befriend the naïve young Miss Bennet and protect her from those who would seek to exploit her new-found wealth?

  Yes, she thought with a smile as she hurried down the steps to the waiting carriage, even the most hard-hearted gentleman would no doubt be impressed by her ladylike virtue when he heard what she had done. Men were simple creatures sometimes. And what a blessing that was—she would use it against them and ensure her position in society was enriched beyond anything she could have hoped for. Why, even her brother’s friend Mr. Darcy, whom she had so far failed to charm, would no doubt be impressed by her sweet, charitable nature!

  Chapter Five

  Elizabeth Bennet clasped her hands together and sent a desperate look to Jane, who unfortunately was not paying her any heed at that moment.

  She had gotten the measure of Miss Caroline Bingley rather early on in their meeting. She was no fool. It was clear that the young lady who so desperately wished to make her acquaintance did so not out of a sense of kindness but from a keen awareness of Elizabeth’s new fortune.

  She sighed inwardly. It was not some superior sense of intuition that had helped her to this conclusion. On the contrary, she had grown up in the countryside surrounded by family and was therefore lacking in the sort of guile that a more seasoned young lady might possess.

  But then this was not her first lady caller of the day. It was not even her second. And she had only been a day in London—how had they come to know of her arrival so quickly?

  She smiled and shook her head, telling herself to stop thinking so cynically. She had so many reasons to be thankful for her great fortune, not least the fact that she was no fool and would not be manipulated by these enthusiastic young ladies.

  For one thing, the house was magnificent. It was located on one of the grandest streets in the most elegant part of the city, and it was clear that no expense had been spared in decorating it. She had not known the Earl well enough to feel any great sense of sorrow at his passing, so she was able to appreciate the place for what it was without any sentiment getting in the way.

  She and her sisters had spent the better part of the first day running from room to room and marvelling over the size and splendour of the place.

  She still could not quite believe that it was hers! The only cloud on the situation was the fact that her father had decided to remain at Longbourn for the foreseeable future, but even that was hardly catastrophic—he had promised to visit often and Lizzy now had a carriage at her disposal so there was nothing preventing her from going to Hertfordshire as she desired.

  ‘I adore your gown, Miss Elizabeth. It is very becoming.’

  The other young ladies who had called before Miss Bingley had been similarly effusive in their praise of her. There was nothing at all spectacular about her gown: since she had not been expecting visitors, she had not spent much time at all on her toilette that morning.

  She smiled—it took her a great deal of effort despite her joy, as she despised such meaningless compliments. ‘Thank you very much, Miss Bingley. It is so kind of you to say.’

  Miss Bingley had variously complimented her gown, the ribbon in her hair, Jane’s gown, Lydia’s needlework, Kitty’s bonnet and Mary’s choice of volume. They were all now thoroughly charmed by the young lady, who was mostly silent between compliments and showed no sign of leaving anytime soon.

  In contrast to her siblings, Lizzy found she could not warm to the young lady, no matter how much she t
ried to look favourably on her.

  I must change the subject of conversation, she thought now, lest she compliment my slippers and I find myself exclaiming from the sheer inanity of it!

  She soon regretted thinking so cruelly. Perhaps I am tired. After all, this is rather a change from what I am used to.

  She relaxed back into her comfortable chair. ‘How long have you been in London, Miss Bingley?’

  ‘Oh please,’ the young lady replied with a sweet smile. ‘You must call me Caroline. All my friends do.’

  Secretly she railed against this stubborn insistence on them being fast friends on their first meeting, but she succeeded in pushing those feelings aside. What was the harm in playing along? It would cost her nothing, after all. ‘Of course… Caroline. And the same goes for you. Please. There is no need for my friends to call me Miss Elizabeth.’

  Perhaps, a small voice in the back of her mind suggested, Miss Bingley’s intentions are purely noble and she simply wishes to make my move to London more pleasant. Perhaps it is her manner that is lacking, and not the sentiment behind her actions.

  Nonsense, the larger part shouted back.

  ‘Eliza, of course.’ Miss Bingley smiled sweetly and cocked her head to one side. ‘I have been in London since the beginning of April.’

  ‘Ah, that is not even a month! Now I see you are as new to town as I am.’

  ‘Oh my dear, I do not think you understand. You see, I came down for the season.’ She leant forward and she seemed to be positively bursting with sympathy and concern. ‘You see Eliza, that is the done thing among those of a certain rank in society. No one remains in London after August, so of course I left late last summer and went to a friend’s country house.’

  Elizabeth frowned. Now that Miss Bingley had mentioned it, she was dimly aware of having been told about this habit of the wealthy. She had not retained the information because quite frankly it had never been of much use to her until now and she was not one to dwell on matters that did not directly concern her.