Page 33 of Great Uncle Henry (Pride & Prejudice Vagary)

H enry and his great-nieces arrived at Purvis Lodge before the family from one of the territories of the United States did.

Jane and Elizabeth went over the preparations with the housekeeper and butler and reminded them that other than Mrs Felicity Taylor, none of those who would reside in the home were used to the customs those living in England took for granted.

Mr Mercury and Mrs Austin, the butler and housekeeper, said they were prepared and would not take offence when there was a clash of cultures.

The manor at Purvis Lodge was smaller than Longbourn, which was why Henry intended to ask his sister if she would like to live at the dower house with him.

It would give the Taylors at this estate more space, and it would allow Henry time to come to know his older sister again.

He had made sure that everything his sister and her family would need was available to them.

To that end, being certain that his family members all rode, Henry had made sure that the stables were well stocked with riding horses.

He knew not if Felicity still rode, but he remembered that she used to love the sport before her wedding and departure from England.

He was aware that some females, especially those who grew up out of the main large cities, rode astride.

He wondered how soon it would take for some in the area to be scandalised by his newly arrived great-nieces.

“Everything is prepared for the Taylors,” Elizabeth reported. She found Uncle Henry in the drawing room .

“I did not doubt you would make sure all was done before they arrived,” Henry praised. “I hope Janey will not close herself off to the possibility of liking Roger just because your mother wants to push them together.”

“You have not heard?” Elizabeth smiled widely.

“What has Fanny done now?” Henry shook his head.

“She has given Jane a choice. Either she catches Cousin Roger or the new tenant of Netherfield Park. Aunt Hattie knows the estate has been leased, but she knows not the name or anything else about the man; hence, Mama knows nothing about him either. They assumed he was wealthy enough since he was able to afford the lease for a year,” Elizabeth revealed.

“His name is Bingley. Poor man. It is sad,” Henry stated, “that my new tenant cannot come to a house which he has legally leased without raising all this speculation! My hope is that your father will make sure Fanny leaves him be.”

“In Mama’s mind, the interest on her dowry would not be enough for herself, so any unmarried daughters are a threat to her future comfort,” Elizabeth opined.

“I wish I could refute your words, but I have never before seen the abject selfishness I have in your parents. It is a sorry thing that they are unable to put the needs of their children ahead of their own,” Henry said sorrowfully.

“But today is not a day for maudlin thoughts. I am to see the sister I thought I would never meet on the mortal coil again. I am sorry now I did not ask your Uncle Gardiner to have his men seek them years before I did.”

“There is nought you can do to change the past, so I recommend you look forward to the pleasure of seeing your sister and meeting her son and the rest of her family,” Elizabeth suggested.

“You are always a wise one, Lizzy,” Henry responded. “I will concentrate on that thought.”

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~ ~

“Why did you lease an estate that is not in Derbyshire?” Miss Bingley screeched after her brother told her and the Hursts of the estate he had leased in Hertfordshire.

“Caro, did you not hear Charles say that he did exactly what Messrs Fitzwilliam and Darcy recommended?” Mrs Hurst asked.

Miss Bingley opened her mouth to yell at her older sister for interrupting her venting of her spleen directed at their brother.

Before she did so, she remembered Charles’s words, and he had indeed said that he had acted on a recommendation by Mr Darcy.

Mr Fitzwilliam was a good second choice, but she was determined to become Mrs Darcy because he was far wealthier than his cousin, even if the latter was the son of an earl, albeit only the second son, and besides, Mr Fitzwilliam did not own a house in town.

What would Mr Darcy think if he heard that she had disagreed with him? She could not have that. “I was only teasing you, Charles,” Miss Bingley dissembled. “Of course, Mr Darcy is correct.”

“There are some particular clauses in the lease, all of which Darcy and Fitzwilliam said were good things,” Bingley pressed.

“And what, pray tell, would they be?” Miss Bingley demanded.

Bingley related the special terms, and when he mentioned no abusing or sacking servants, his sister almost lost her temper. What pushed her over the edge was the no redecorating or changing of furniture stipulation.

“How am I to show Mr Darcy what a perfect mistress I will be of his homes if I am not allowed to decorate in the fashion to which he is accustomed? How could you agree to such a thing? It is insupportable; I will make the rooms fashionable!” Miss Bingley insisted.

“What will Mr Darcy think seeing rooms which were decorated, if it can be called that, by some country bumpkin?”

“Caroline, Fitzwilliam and Darcy toured the house and the estate with me. Both of them mentioned that the way Netherfield Park’s house is decorated is the same style theirs are, and they found it very appealing,” Bingley shared.

Caroline Bingley was horrified! How was it that one as high in society and wealthy as Mr Darcy approved of country décor and had his houses in the same style?

She would have much work to do once he offered for her.

For now, she could not say anything against his tastes.

Once they were married, then she would be free to express her true opinions.

“In that case, I suppose I will agree to leave the décor of the house as it is,” Miss Bingley condescended.

Neither her sister nor her brother pointed out it was not her choice.

They preferred the relative calm, as it seemed that they had headed off a tantrum.

“You may be interested to know that Fitzwilliam and Darcy have agreed to be hosted at Netherfield Park for a month or so, in order to assist me in learning how to manage an estate,” Bingley related.

“We will take residence on the seventeenth day of September.”

“How wonderful that Mr Darcy will be with his dear friends. I must go order a new wardrobe. I cannot have him see me in something I have worn before, or worse, is out of fashion,” Miss Bingley gushed, her former pique forgotten.

Even the fact his sister had renewed her wardrobe but two months ago did not prompt Bingley to speak. It was worth the cost to have Caroline happy—for now.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

When the coach she was in entered Meryton, Felicity recognised a few of the shops, although most she did not.

It was to be expected, as the last time she had been in the town was well over fifty years in the past. The coach turned onto the road she was sure led to Longbourn, but then almost immediately she felt the equipage lean to one side as the driver guided it onto a different lane.

Felicity was not sure if her memory was faulty, but she believed it was the way to Purvis Lodge.

Felicity could not imagine why they were headed to another estate and not Longbourn. All she could do was hope her brother would reveal the reason soon enough.

The conveyances passed gate posts and rolled down a relatively short gravel-covered drive.

They came to a halt, and those within saw the old man; they all assumed it was Uncle Henry with four younger ladies, each one very pretty.

The younger Taylors waited for the step to be placed and a footman—footmen were something novel to them— to open the door.

Felix waited to assist Gammy down. As soon as Felicity’s feet reached the ground, she opened her arms for her younger brother, an old man now, and pulled him into a hug. Those who had arrived and the four sisters waiting with their uncle had their hearts warmed by the tenderness of the reunion.

“This must be a dream! Is the ancient man I see before me my young scamp of a brother?” Felicity asked as tears of joy coursed down her wizened cheeks.

“Fee, I too did not believe I would live to see the day you returned to England. After our father ordered our mother to cease writing to you, I believed it was the end of all contact between us. So many wasted years,” Henry lamented.

“Besides my late Roger, you are the only other one to call me Fee. It is good to hear that form of my name used again. As to the years, from the perspective of my Bennet family, I agree. However, I cannot repine leaving with Roger or being blessed with the family who travelled to England with me.” Felicity looked at her son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren lovingly.

“Are these your granddaughters?” She inclined her head towards the four beauties.

“They are not. However, what say you we repair inside, and then we can make introductions?” Henry suggested. With Felicity on his arm, Lizzy holding his other arm, he allowed his great-niece to lead them into the house.

The Taylors, who had never been in England, were a little taken aback that the butler, a wholly new concept to them, and a footman took their outerwear when they entered the house.

Where they used to live, when they entered or exited the farmhouse they would take care of those items themselves.

Henry Taylor, having heard his mother and late father speak of the customs in England, was not as surprised as his wife and children were.