An Unexpected Legacy Read online

  “I believe that since I have been keeping the secret from her for so long, it is incumbent upon me to tell her.” Mr. Bennet turned to Elizabeth, who was sitting beside Lady Monttard, and said, “There is no easy way to tell you this Elizabeth, therefore I believe I should just come right out and say it. You are not our natural child. You are sitting beside your grandmother, and you are the child of her daughter Antoinette.”

  Elizabeth could not move or speak, staring in disbelief at him whom she had called her father all of her life. Flashing through her mind were her differences between her and her sisters, her life at Longbourn, and the events of last couple of weeks, particularly as related to the Lord and Lady Monttard. And she did not know what to say.

  Finally she said, “Why have you taken so long to tell me this?”

  “Because I had never intended to tell you if I did not think it was necessary. When you were given to us, your mother told us she could not raise you and did not want to put the burden of raising you on her parents. If you had not met Lord and Lady Monttard, this probably would have never come up, and I may not have chosen to ever tell you, or at least not until much later in your life. However, as soon as I heard you had met Lord and Lady Monttard and that they had taken great interest in you, I knew it had to be done. I had promised your mother you would only be told if it was, in my judgment, absolutely necessary. And now, it is clearly necessary. But I believe you need to hear the entire history of what happened, the beginning of which even I do not know, and the end of which, that is, the details of your birth, Lord and Lady Monttard do not know. So perhaps, Lord Monttard, you should explain the circumstances surrounding her mother’s pregnancy.”

  Nodding his head, Lord Monttard began, “I need to give you a little background. My family is an old French family that has had a shipping line for several generations. I am in fact the sixth generation of Dumonts to own and run the shipping line. My ancestors were quite successful and became one of the wealthiest families in France which was not in the royal line. Because of our wealth, we were favorites of the court, because we were a source of loans for them in hard times. My father, a very astute businessman and student of human nature, was very distressed with the political conditions in France in the early 1780s, and in 1784 started moving the family fortune out of France and into England, all the time warning the peerage of France that dangerous times were coming. Finally in the final months of 1784, my father packed up our family and moved us to an estate he had purchased in Devonshire in England. This estate was near the ancestral home of the Earl of Denby, and in a few minutes you will understand why I tell you that. My family at that time consisted of my wife Marie, who is the youngest daughter of a count of France and of Royal lineage, although far down the line, a 14-year-old daughter Antoinette, and an 8-year-old son Michael. I had no other living siblings, because my only sister had died in childbirth and her child had not lived. My mother had died in 1781, so it was just my father and my family. We made England our home and were very pleased with the change until the early summer of 1785. Antoinette, much like you Elizabeth, was fond of walking and often walked the paths of the woods near our state. One day in mid-June in her fifteenth year she went out for a walk early and did not return for hours, which was unlike her. When she had not returned by noon, we began a search for her and found her near the path with a battered face, hugging her knees to her chest, and moaning. We could not get her to say anything or to even acknowledge that we were there. When we finally took her home and the doctor examined her, he said she had been brutally raped. We of course were devastated, and wanted to find the man who had done this to her, but she did not come out her catatonic state for over a week. When she finally did, she named the youngest son of the Earl of Denby as her attacker.”

  At this point the memory of what had happened was clearly upsetting him, and he arose from his chair and paced back and forth a little while trying to decide how to continue.

  “I, of course, went to the Earl of Denby with my daughter’s accusation, and to my surprise, he accepted it as true. He told me that his son, who had been a very promising student at Cambridge, had been injured severely and had found opium to be the substance that relieved his pain the best. But apparently he was like the man who when taking one drink, becomes an alcoholic. Once he had tasted opium, he did not have the willpower to resist and in six months he went from a brilliant student to a man addicted to opium who often did not know what he was doing or what he had done in the past several hours. He had shown some tendency to be violent in his opium-crazed state, and the Earl was willing to admit he might have attacked my daughter. At the time I went to see the Earl, his son had been admitted to a sanitarium where he was undergoing treatment for his addiction. We both agreed that forcing a marriage in such a situation would not be in the best interest of my daughter and if nothing further came of the incident, we would try to keep it quiet.“

  “Unfortunately a little over two months after the attack, we discovered that Antoinette was pregnant. Once again I went to the Earl, who by this time I now considered a friend, to discuss what to do and discovered that his son, whose name was William, had escaped from the sanitarium more than once and had taken opium he had apparently hidden somewhere on the Earl of Denby’s estate. At the time we discovered Antoinette’s pregnancy, he was dying, with only occasional periods of lucidity. The Earl and I decided to obtain a special license and have William and Antoinette married so that the baby she bore, if it lived, would be legitimate. If by some miracle William should live, he and Antoinette would never live together. Antoinette told us she never wanted to have a man touch her again and intended to not raise the child, but to take orders and be a nun, hopefully in Italy. Given her mental state, we decided that was probably a wise choice for her.”

  “It was then that the meeting at Netherfield Park was set up. She wanted to go far away from our estates to bear and have the baby, and thus, I contacted my good friend Adm. Blythe and asked him if she could stay with him and his wife until the baby was born. As you know Adm. Blythe had retired and owned Netherfield Park. The intention was that Antoinette would have the baby, that we would raise it, and that she would go off to Italy to be a nun. We delivered her to Netherfield Park, and, at her request, did not visit her until after the baby was born. We were told the child was born on March 4th, but had died at birth. I have to admit, at the time, we were somewhat relieved, thinking it was for the best. We brought her home, gave her time to recover, and then escorted her to Italy where she took her orders as a nun, and where she is to this day.”

  Having finished his narrative, he looked at Mr. Bennet, opened his arms with the palms up as if to say, “and now it is your turn.”

  With little hesitation, Mr. Bennet continued the narrative. “When Antoinette came to Netherfield Park, Mrs. Bennet and I met her occasionally, but not often. We were friendly with the admiral and his wife, but did not socialize with them often. They were back and forth to town quite often, leaving Antoinette in the care of an elderly midwife named Mrs. Redford, whom Lord and Lady Monttard had hired to be both Antoinette’s companion and the midwife at her birthing. Toward the end of the seventh month of both Antoinette’s pregnancy and that of Mrs. Bennet, there was a major fire at Longbourn which made it unlivable for several weeks. Adm. and Mrs. Blythe were kind enough to let us use a suite of rooms at Netherfield Park until repairs to Longbourn were completed. Perhaps it was the stress of the fire, but shortly after we moved into Netherfield Park, Mrs. Bennet started having major problems with her pregnancy and had to stay in bed, where she was regularly treated by the apothecary, Mr. Jones.

  “On March 3 two weeks prior to the date that she was expected to give birth, Mrs. Bennet began her labor. It was a long and very painful labor, lasting more than 14 hours, and when the baby was actually born, only Mrs. Redford and Mrs. Blythe were there to help the delivery. Mr. Jones had been called away, and did not return for some time. Mrs. Redford, we were assured, was a highly respected
mid-wife, and she did everything that she could do to save the baby, but in the end, it was stillborn. However, Mrs. Bennet never saw the baby because the pain was so great that in the final push to deliver the baby, she passed out and did not awaken until several hours later.”

  “Meanwhile, not long after Mrs. Bennet gave birth and before she awakened, and also before Mr. Jones returned, Antoinette went into labor. By now it was March 4, which was actually after the date it was expected she would deliver. In contrast to Mrs. Bennet’s delivery, hers was quite easy and within an hour, still before Mr. Jones had returned, she had delivered a beautiful little baby girl. She had heard about the birth of our stillborn son and decided that the coincidence that her delivery had been so easy and closely after Mrs. Bennet had given birth was a sign from God. As I told you earlier, she had not wanted to raise her child, and she was afraid her child, because of the way it was conceived, would be a constant reminder to her parents of what had happened and would not be given the love it deserved. She was convinced us it was God’s plan that her little girl be raised in a loving family and that she claim the stillborn child as hers. So she begged us to give her daughter to Mrs. Bennet before she awakened and before Mr. Jones reappeared, so that when Mrs. Bennet awakened and Mr. Jones attended her, she would have this beautiful baby beside her and would not feel the pain and hurt of having lost her own child. And then also Antoinette could know that her child would be raised in a loving home.”

  He paused his narrative for a moment to let everyone digest what he had said, and then continued, “Needless to say, we at first did not agree with this plan, but somehow, in the end, this young, very devout girl convinced us older, more experienced adults that what she wanted was best for the child. Thus for twenty years Elizabeth has been raised as our daughter and loved as our daughter.” Taking his wife’s hand and looking at her, he continued, “Of course, Mrs. Bennet has known for some years Elizabeth was not hers, but Antoinette’s, but, for my sake, she has maintained the deception. But I think we knew the day would come when the truth would have to come out. As I said, Antoinette wanted us to tell Elizabeth only if it became necessary, and it is now necessary, for I believe, like Antoinette, that God gave us Elizabeth, when we needed her, and now it is time for her to be with her rightful family. We dearly love Elizabeth, but we have four others who are our own, and, besides, it is possible she could marry soon and change her name and leave us anyway. We know that you, Lord and Lady Monttard, do not have any family, and we regretfully, but happily, give her over to your care. I have affidavits with me signed by your daughter, Adm. Blythe, Mrs. Redford, and me that state what I have told you is true.”

  Everyone was silent for several moments, trying to comprehend all that they had heard, and Lady Monttard, with tears in her eyes turned and hugged her granddaughter, who also had tears in her eyes. “You cannot imagine how we have looked forward to this day and to the joy you have already brought into our lives.”

  As this was happening, there was a knock on the door and the butler announced, “The Earl and Countess of Denby and Miss Margaret Farnsworth,” and he stood aside to let them enter the room.

  “I am sorry we could not get here earlier,” said the Earl. “I was in a meeting I could not leave until less than an hour ago.” He paused to look around the room and at Lady Monttard, who was just releasing Elizabeth. “By the looks on everybody’s faces, I am guessing that Miss Elizabeth has been told,” and he looked directly at Elizabeth for confirmation. When she nodded her head, he continued, “and then you know that you are our granddaughter also and a cousin to Margaret?”

  She stared at him for a moment, as if not comprehending what he said, and then responded, “Oh, goodness, I had not stopped to think that far ahead. I am still stunned and overwhelmed by what I have just heard. Somehow I knew when I met Lord and Lady Monttard that my life would be changed, but this is far beyond anything I could have imagined. I am at a loss for words.”

  Margaret walked over to Elizabeth, stood in front of her, and took her hands. “Well, I, for one, am thrilled and am greatly looking forward to having a new cousin who is both a girl and of my age. And I know this my grandparents are thrilled also.”

  As everybody watched this interchange, two more gentlemen, the Hon. Judge Sir Roger Huntington and Mr. Nolan Carter, the Monttard’s solicitor, were introduced and ushered into the room. Sir Roger asked, “Are we here at a good time?”

  Lord Monttard arose and walked over to the gentleman and shook their hands. “Your timing was impeccable. The story is been told and now the legal work to acknowledge Miss Elizabeth as my granddaughter and the granddaughter of the Earl of Denby needs to be completed and signed. Mr. Bennet has acknowledged that Miss Elizabeth is our granddaughter and says he has affidavits supporting that claim. Therefore, I assume that all you have to do is produce all the necessary documents which will legally acknowledge that Elizabeth is the legitimate granddaughter of both my wife and me and the Earl and his wife and direct us where to sign them.”

  Mr. Carter answered, “All have been prepared according to the guidance provided by Sir Roger and once you and the Earl and Mr. Bennet sign these papers, the judge will witness it and put on the seal of the Royal court. Have you discussed yet with Miss Elizabeth the choice of family name?”

  “No, we have not. Denby, perhaps you should talk about this.”

  The Earl stepped over to Elizabeth. “I am not sure you have yet grasped the full implications of the story you have just heard. You are the legitimate offspring of my son William and the Dumont’s daughter Antoinette. Because they were married, your legal name right now is Elizabeth Carlson, which makes me your legal guardian, since my son is dead and you are not yet twenty-one. However, as you know, if you marry, I can give you away, authorizing your family name to be changed to that of your spouse. This case is really not much different. Lord and Lady Monttard would like you to take their family name. It is an action which is mine to approve or deny, as the senior member the father’s family into which you were born. However, I have conferred with Lord Monttard and have agreed to let you take their name if you so desire. And, in case you are worried about offending either of us, be assured that we can understand reasons for you choosing either name and have agreed that having you as a granddaughter is enough for either of us. However, we have also decided, that whichever family name you choose, you should live with Lord and Lady Monttard. So, before we can continue with this, you must decide which family name you prefer. Legally, it is only important until you reach your majority, at which time you have control of all aspects of your life, but until then, whichever family name you take, that grandfather will have the authority, for instance, to accept or deny a man as your intended husband.”

  Elizabeth had certainly not thought about that aspect of this change of family and thought a moment before answering. “Although I can see I will love both sets of grandparents, I must confess that I feel an inexplicable connection to Lord and Lady Monttard. I am sure I will also feel a connection with my Carlson family once I know them better, and I cannot deny that being known as the granddaughter of an Earl and having the associated family name is very attractive. But at this instant in time, my greatest desire is to be a part of the Dumont family and to know that in some sense I am keeping their family legacy alive. So my answer is that I would like to become Elizabeth Dumont.”

  “Just the kind of thoughtful answer we thought you would give, and so it shall be. Shall we sign the necessary documents, gentlemen?”

  The solicitor produced the documents and took them over to a table under the window. Pen and ink were provided. The Earl signed the documents acknowledging Elizabeth as his son’s daughter and the document authorizing her to take the name Dumont. Lord Monttard signed the documents relating to his family, and Mr. Bennet signed documents acknowledging he no longer had any paternal rights related to Elizabeth. The judge then witnessed the signatures and put the seal of the Royal court on each document using a seal stamp h
e had brought with him. He then handed copies of the appropriate documents to reach gentleman, and said, “I will enter these documents into the records this afternoon.” Then, shaking the hands of Lord Monttard and the Earl, he assured them, “As of this instant, Miss Elizabeth Bennet has been officially and legally recognized by the court as being the granddaughter of the Earl of Denby and Baron Dumont, and will hereafter be known as Miss Elizabeth Dumont.

  Having said that, he walked over to Elizabeth, who by this time had dried her tears and was standing between Lady Monttard and Margaret, bowed to her and said, “Welcome to the peerage of England, Miss Dumont. I am most happy for my friends, Baron and Baroness Monttard and the Earl and Countess of Denby. It is not often the results of my judicial duties are so pleasing to me.” After she curtsied and thanked him for his welcome, he walked back to the table, put his seal stamp and the documents into the satchel he had brought with him and left the room.

  “And now, Lord Monttard,” said Mr. Carter. “These are the other documents you asked me to prepare which specify Miss Dumont is your legal heir.”

  “Good. I am going to sign this document and the Earl is going to be a witness. I would also like you to witness this document, Mr. Bennet, if you do not mind.” Given no objection by either the Earl or Mr. Bennet, Lord Monttard signed the document and the Earl and Mr. Bennet affixed their signatures as witnesses. And then Mr. Carter excused himself.

  Margaret turned to Elizabeth, hugged her, and said, “Welcome to the family, Miss Dumont. I hope we can become great friends, and I would like you to call me Peggy. May I call you Lizzie?”

  Elizabeth happily returned her hug and said, “I wish you would, Peggy, and I want you to know that I am going to depend on you to help me navigate all the social hurdles I can see in front of me. But I need to know two things. Did you know when I came to the dinner at your home that I was potentially a cousin of yours? And if not, when did you find out?”