Page 32 of Great Uncle Henry (Pride & Prejudice Vagary)
“Felix, we are to live on a farm; does this look like a farm to you? Are you barmy?” Dolores, aged seventeen, and called Lola, demanded. “This is London, is it not, Gammy?”
“Although it is not nice to call your younger brother barmy, yes, Lola dear, this is London.” She turned to her youngest grandson.
“That, Felix dear, is part of St Pauls Cathedral.” She addressed all of her family again.
“We will travel to the town of Meryton in Hertfordshire. It is about twenty miles from London,” Felicity explained.
“As nice as it was for my brother to pay for us to travel first class on a ship only for us from New York City, I do not expect he will have someone waiting for us when the ship docks.” Felicity intended to scold her brother.
He always was generous, but it must have cost him a pretty penny to pay for eight of them to sail to London.
It was a few days into the voyage that Felicity realised they were the only passengers on the ship.
“I, for one, am looking forward to meeting my namesake,” Henry Taylor stated. “And Mother, you are correct; there is no need for Lola to call Felix names.”
“Sorry, Pa,” Lola said contritely.
“Now children, remember what Gammy told us; people in England, are far more reserved than you are used to,” Deborah Taylor reminded her offspring. She was Henry’s wife and was called Debby by him, her mother-in-law, and friends.
The other two Taylor daughters, Eleanor, called Elli, was twenty, and Lillian, who was called Lil, was eleven.
The former was standing at the railing holding the latter’s hand as they took in all of the strange, new sights before them.
Elli was thinking of Hank back in the Territory of Mississippi.
Her pa had forbidden her to see him any longer because his father kept slaves, and Hank saw nothing wrong with the practice.
If not for his views on slavery, she would have given her whole heart to him.
The Taylors and Felicity made sure they were not in the way of the crew as they expertly guided the ship to the quay.
Their trunks were in a pile in the centre of the main deck near where they stood.
It was quick work before the sailors, and those on the quay had the ship secured and the gangway was put in place.
The first officer told the passengers they could go ashore.
Felicity led them, on Roger’s arm for support.
When her feet touched English land for the first time in more than fifty years, it was a very moving moment for Felicity.
If only Roger, John, their younger son, and Phoebe, their daughter, had not succumbed to smallpox all those years ago.
Rouse had been sent by his master to wait in London once they had an approximate date that the ship his sister and her family were on would arrive in Town.
Knowing what ship to watch for, he had paid some men to wait on the shore about five miles down the Thames from London.
As soon as the ship had been sighted, the men had ridden to the house in Grosvenor Square to notify Mr Rouse.
Hence, he was there to greet and welcome the Taylors to England. “Are you the Taylors?” the valet asked.
“Indeed. I am Mr Henry Taylor, and you are?” Taylor responded.
“I am Mr Henry Bennet’s valet, Rouse,” he stated as he bowed to the Taylors, which caused amusement with the younger among them.
“Lola, Felix, and Lil, did I not tell you that bowing is a form of greeting in England?” Felicity enquired. The three who had allowed their amusement to show had the decency to look contrite.
“I am Henry’s sister, Mrs Felicity Taylor,” she said.
“Mr Bennet has sent coaches and carts to collect you and your belongings and take you to the estate you will be staying at for the nonce,” Rouse reported.
“Has Henry not done enough for us already?” Felicity wondered. “I know it is not a question you are able to answer, so I will wait until I see my brother and ask him that myself.”
Soon enough, the footmen had the trunks and other baggage loaded in the carts.
The Taylors boarded the conveyances for the ride to their destination.
None of those born in the United States had ever ridden in such a luxurious equipage before.
Between that and the sights as the conveyances were pulled through London, the occupants were quieted for a while.
“Gammy, what is an estate?” Felix asked once they were out of the city.
Roger and Felix were in the carriage with Felicity. Her son, daughter-in-law, and three granddaughters were in the lead equipage .
“It is a farm that a gentleman owns in England. He has tenant farmers who do most of the work and pay him rent, so the owner is not seen to actually work his own land,” Felicity explained.
“When this Longbourn is ours one day, what is to stop me working like I did at our farm in the Territory of Mississippi? I thought there were no slaves here. What you are describing of others working the land for the owner is that, is it not?” Roger queried. “Why should others farm my land for me?”
“I suppose you could, but then you would put families out of work. It is nothing like slavery. That vile practice makes those enslaved the property of the owner. Tenant farmers are free to leave the estates they are on and seek either better situations or other work if they choose; they are free men. Once the tenant farmers pay the rent, what is earned from their farms above that is theirs,” Felicity related.
“Part of being a gentleman is that the man is not seen to work. It is why those who earn their money in trade are looked down on by the gentry in this country.”
“No wonder we fought the War of Independence to get rid of the King of England and his minions!” Felix exclaimed.
“I would recommend you keep that opinion to yourself in this country, Felix, dear,” Felicity advised.
“On our way out of London, we passed not far from one of King George’s palaces.
I have a feeling he would not appreciate your sentiments.
Do not forget; almost everyone you meet in this country will accuse you of being treasonous if you say that aloud.
Especially now as they are at war with France, the United States’s ally. ”
Felix crossed his arms over his chest and stared at the strange sights out of the window.
Felicity thought of something. “Roger, dear, many estate owners, like my late father and my late brother, take an active role in the running of their estates. I remember my late brother, James, working in the fields with some of the tenant farmers at times. I suppose the truth is that it depends on each owner as to what sort of landlord he chooses to be,” she explained to her eldest grandchild.
An hour later the coaches and carts came to a halt at an inn for the travellers to have refreshments and to rest the horses.
An hour plus after the stop, they were on their way again.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
“Mr Bennet!” Fanny exclaimed as she burst into the study without an invitation. “Such good news for Jane and Lydia, even better than your heir having a son for one of them to marry. A man of good fortune from the north has taken a lease on Netherfield Park.”
“How does this affect our daughters, especially Lydia who is immature and uncouth? She is but fourteen years old. Pray tell, what man of good sense will align himself with such a silly flirt?” Bennet demanded.
“How can you be so severe on your own daughter?” Fanny huffed and returned to what she wanted to say. “According to Hattie, he will move in some time before Michaelmas. He will see Jane’s beauty and want to marry her. She could not be so beautiful for nothing.”
“Mrs Bennet, were you not haranguing Jane about her duty to marry the heir presumptive’s son? Now you want her to marry this unnamed man? Can you not make up your mind?”
“Your nephew is nothing to Mr… Hattie knew not his name or income, but she believed it must be good if he could afford the lease.”
“I will not call on the man when he arrives. Pray close the door when you leave my study. Have I not told you not to enter without knocking regardless of how important you think it is? Now begone.”
“You love to vex me! Due to your inaction, I will end up in the hedgerows!” Fanny screeched as she flapped her lace-embroidered muslin square furiously.
With crocodile tears flowing, Fanny stormed out of the study.
She had wanted to have her husband forbid Jane from calling at that hovel called the dower house to see Uncle Henry, but she had forgotten to mention it in her overset state.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
All of the Bennet sisters, except for the youngest, were visiting Uncle Henry when an express was brought in by the cook-housekeeper. She handed it to Miss Lizzy, knowing that was what the master would tell her to do regardless.
Elizabeth read the note from Uncle Henry’s valet. “The ship arrived today. They will be on their way by now,” Elizabeth reported.
“To Purvis Lodge, we will go. You girls came on your horses, so my coachman will drive me in my phaeton,” Henry stated excitedly. He was about to meet Felicity again after more than fifty years!