Page 7 of Great Uncle Henry (Pride & Prejudice Vagary)

A s much as Bennet preferred not to bestir himself from his study where his books and port awaited him, he did leave his sanctuary to find and employ a wet nurse and three nursemaids like his uncle had charged him to do.

Thanks to his uncle not requesting it of him, Bennet did not trouble himself attempting to find additional staff and servants Uncle Henry would need to have at Netherfield Park.

It had taken a few days to find the wet nurse.

As soon as he brought Mrs Veronica Bellamy—she was a widow of a minor gentleman who had left her impoverished with a son, whom she was feeding—to Longbourn, Fanny had been very pleased.

No sooner did Mrs Bellamy take over the duty of feeding Lizzy than his wife bound her breasts to have the milk cease.

Fanny had initially doubted Uncle Henry would do as he said, and she had resigned herself to feeding the girl—who, thanks to her colouring, would never be pretty like Jane—until she could be weaned from her mother’s milk.

Hence, when Mrs Bellamy arrived, Fanny had felt warm feelings—very slight ones—and gratitude to her husband’s uncle that he had relieved her of the burden of feeding her second daughter.

Fanny still believed that Uncle Henry would throw her from Longbourn as soon as her husband passed away, which tempered her feelings of gratitude.

She was still not sanguine that Miss Lizzy would be cared for at Netherfield Park, but she was willing to live with that as long as it was not her responsibility to care for the girl.

Less than a sennight after their uncle had departed from Longbourn, Hattie Phillips bustled into her younger sister’s bedchamber fairly bursting to tell her the latest gossip she had gleaned by examining a contract on her husband’s desk.

“Sister, you know that Netherfield Park was sold, do you not?” Hattie did not wait for Fanny to reply.

“Sir Hugh decided to move to the Canadas because his wife had cuckolded him.” It was an unsubstantiated rumour, but that did nothing to deter Hattie from repeating it as if it were gospel.

“I am vexed that Frank did not act as the agent for either Sir Hugh or the buyer; otherwise, I would know the new owner’s name.

That is neither here nor there. Through Edward, Frank is the agent of the new owner, so he will deal with all of those wishing to lease the estate, and you will not believe… ”

“Thomas’s uncle is the one leasing Netherfield Park,” Fanny interpolated. How she loved stealing Hattie’s thunder when her older sister thought she knew something first.

“Yes, but how would you know that?” Hattie enquired. She sported a sour look at not being the one to tell Fanny. “You are weeks away from being churched.”

“The uncle took the estate so that Miss Lizzy can be cared for there for a few years. Is it not good of him that he is spending some of his small fortune on the lease so that my nerves will not suffer so much from a squalling babe in the house?” Fanny revealed.

“Did you know the lease is for three years?” Hattie queried.

“Thomas told me it would be for a few years. How pleasant it will be not to have to have another girl babe in the house. I am sure my next one will be a son. How easily I fall with child,” Fanny remarked.

Hattie looked away. She hated when Fanny made comments about her own fecundity, which starkly reminded Hattie of her inability to be in the family way.

She and Frank had been married for over ten years, and nothing.

Not one month’s missed courses. “Do not forget you claimed that first Jane and then Lizzy would be the son who would break the entail,” she reminded her smug sister.

Hattie was pleased that her words wiped the smirk from her sister’s face.

Fanny sniffed and then feigned falling asleep. How dare her sister remind her of not bearing a son yet? At least she could become enceinte, something Hattie was unable to do.

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

Henry departed London a day short of a fortnight.

All the business he had needed to transact was complete, as was the final transfer of the ownership of Netherfield Park.

It amused him that he had needed to employ subterfuge to hide his ownership of his new estate from the residents of Meryton and the surrounding area.

He knew that Darcy and Matlock were soon to arrive at their houses in Grosvenor Square, but he preferred to be on his way before they arrived, as he did not feel like explaining to his good friends that he was leasing the house rather than being its owner.

Thankfully, Phillips had been efficient and had sent the lease to Gardiner’s office a day after the estate was Henry’s, where he had signed it.

For a fee, of course, Phillips had undertaken the task of finding suitable staff and servants to be employed at Netherfield Park. Many of those who had worked for the Morris family had either retired or found other positions when the writing was on the wall about Sir Hugh selling the estate.

Rather than the gossip circulating, the true reason for the sale was that Lady Morris was sick with a cancer which affected her breathing.

They were not on their way to the Canadas but the Tuscan region of Italy.

Lady Morris needed a warmer and drier climate to give her the best chance of living as long as it would be possible for her given the illness she had.

It was the reason Henry had insisted on paying full value for the estate, quite a bit more than Sir Hugh had asked.

Even though he had never found a woman who tempted him into marriage, Henry was a romantic at heart, and if the additional funds could make the Morris’ lives any easier, he had been glad to spend the money.

By the time Henry and his faithful valet arrived at Netherfield Park, Phillips had a full complement of possible staff and servants for Henry to choose from.

For his butler and housekeeper, the choice was easy.

He selected Mr and Mrs Nichols. The latter was sister to Mrs Hill, Longbourn’s housekeeper, who had always, since the first call on his nephew after returning to England, impressed Henry with her character and work ethic.

Selecting a steward was much easier for Henry now after his experience at Sherwood Dale.

He looked for a man who displayed the attributes Matlock and Darcy had told him were important in a good and honest steward.

He was able to assure those he employed that he had it on good authority that the landlord would not discharge them whenever his lease ended.

Once he had the three senior staff members employed, he allowed them to choose those who would work under them. As long as he did not detect anything objectionable in those selected by the steward, the butler, and the housekeeper, they were employed.

With his staff and servants in place, Henry ordered his carriage and made for Longbourn.

Once Mr Hill relieved him of his outerwear, Henry was ushered into his nephew’s study.

It was no surprise that Thomas had a book in one hand and a glass of port in the other.

“I see that knowing a Collins may never be the master of this estate has not inspired you to take a more active role in the running of it.” He shook his head at his pathetic nephew.

“I have done as you instructed. I told Fanny the truth of the entail, which did not change much. Now she is only concerned about you ejecting her from her home when I meet my imminent death,” Bennet reported, ignoring his uncle’s words about the running, or lack thereof, of his estate.

“I employed a wet nurse and nursemaids per your requirements. Fanny is well pleased and takes your actions as a personal compliment to herself. You may have Lizzy removed to the nursery at your leased estate when you desire.”

“In that case, now would be good. Please have Elizabeth, the wet nurse, and nursemaids come downstairs,” Henry requested. “I will wait here while they are conveyed to Netherfield Park.”

Bennet rang for Hill and issued the orders. “Before I forget to mention it, Mrs Bellamy, the wet nurse, has a son of six months. For obvious reasons, she will bring the boy with her. It was a condition of her employment, and she was the only woman available in the area,” he told his uncle.

“The manor house at my leased estate is so large that it will be no hardship for Mrs Bellamy to have her son with her. Besides which,” Henry added a bit sarcastically, “ I would never expect a mother to be separated from her babe. How does my great-niece, Jane?”

“As serene as ever. That girl is very calm and well-behaved.”

“Master, Mr Bennet, Miss Lizzy and her nurses have departed in Mr Bennet’s carriage. The coachman will return as soon as the ladies and babe have alighted,” Hill related after being bade to enter the study.

Henry was pleased. Longbourn under his niece and nephew was not a welcoming house, so the sooner his man returned for him, the better.

Less than a fortnight later, Elizabeth Rose Bennet was christened in St Hugh’s, the Longbourn Village Church. Fanny was churched at the same time. Henry was pleased Lizzy’s mortal soul was now acceptable to God if, heaven forfend, she was called home prematurely.

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

Now that he lived most of the year at Netherfield Park, Henry did not see his friends very often.

He did travel to Sherwood Dale, but he only spent time there when absolutely needed.

Wickham had things well in hand. When Matlock and Darcy asked where he was for the bulk of the year, he simply told them he was assisting his family.