Page 11 of The Next Mrs Bennet
J ane sat at the writing desk in her chamber. The page was ready, her quill was suspended over the inkpot, but she could not think of the words just yet; she was too excited.
A letter from Andrew had arrived that day; it was almost seven months’ old. Suddenly Jane realised that her reply would never reach Andrew before he embarked on the ship to bring him back to her and England. She admitted that his words had left her slightly addlepated. Jane picked up the missive she had read five times already and began to read it again.
10 September 1810
Fitzwilliam Diamond Mine
Madhya Pradesh, India
My dearest, most beloved Jane,
I am returning to England! I am to depart before Christmastide this year, so I am guessing that by the time you read this I will be on my way back to you, or close to it.
I would have loved to be on board a ship sailing back to you now, but it is monsoon season here. There is no reason to take a chance trying to sail, especially as there is a good chance of cyclones until the end of November.
The situations Father charged me to correct have all been made right, and the mine, which is on the Panna diamond belt, is once more back at full production, and the workers are satisfied with the accommodations we have made for them.
The above is nothing without knowing you are waiting for my return. Jane, as much as I told myself I was being noble by not proposing to you before I departed England’s fair shores, I realised now what I should have done. Based on the letters I have received, I can tell your feelings are still as strong, if not stronger, than they were before I sailed. Hence, one of the first things I intend to do is correct that oversight, that is, if you will have me.
As I am sure you understand, there will be no more letters from me unless my sailing is delayed. I do not see why that would happen, and, for obvious reasons, I pray that does not occur. After almost 2 years, He would not be so cruel as to keep me from you and the rest of the family.
Fair warning: as I have been in the sun far more than I am in England, my arms and face are rather tanned. On second thought, most of that should fade with the months aboard the ship on the voyage back.
If you remember, I told you that there were some severe storms in and around the area of the Cape of Good Hope on the way to India, and we had to put into the harbour there for a fortnight. My hope is that there is no repeat of the same sort on the way home. That being said, I cannot fault the captain for making sure all souls aboard his ship were safe, rather than being cavalier with our lives and forging on through the storms. It is enough that I will be on a ship for six to seven months without further delays.
I will close by reiterating my undying, deep, and ardent love for you. You hold my heart.
Until I see you again,
Andrew
Jane hugged the letter to herself, imagining that it was Andrew she was holding onto. The time could not pass fast enough for her.
At least all of the Cavendishes would be with the Bennets for Christmastide. That included Aunt Connie, Uncle Harry, and their three children. Of course, Henry and Tommy would be home from school, arriving on the morrow from Cambridge and Eton, respectively. If Jane remembered correctly, Grandmama and Grandpapa were to arrive two days after her brothers. The rest would reach Longbourn within a day or two of that.
She placed the letter into her memory box with the rest, smoothed out her dress, and went to find Grandmama Beth and her sisters.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
1811
“Fitz, how could you employ that companion for Giana without either consulting me or, even more importantly, without checking her characters?” Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam demanded as he stood in his cousin’s study across the desk from him at Darcy House. “Do you not know the meaning of co-guardian?”
“Mrs Younge is ideal for my sister. It is done and done for the best,” Darcy dismissed his cousin’s concerns haughtily. “I saw truth in her looks, and no one would forge characters from such illustrious families. I was lucky to find her.”
“There is no dispute she is your sister, but that does not change the fact your own father made us equal guardians. Show me one place in his will where it states you can make decisions without me because Giana lives in your house?” Richard asserted. “Did you discover her through some acquaintances, or did she come and seek the position?”
Darcy looked away from his cousin. “She responded to an advert in the papers,” he admitted.
“You are an arrogant arse, you know that?” Richard barked. “You claim you do not like Aunt Cat and know her claims of a cradle betrothal are false, yet you are so very much like her at times, and no, I do not mean noble because, as you well know, our aunt is anything but noble.”
Feeling stung by his cousin’s rebuke, which Darcy knew was justified but could not admit that out loud, he did not tell Richard he was to accompany Bingley into Hertfordshire to inspect an estate for lease. In the back of his mind, Darcy remembered something about cousins in that shire, but as he had never met them, he pushed the thought from his mind. He assumed they were, at best, impecunious coattail relatives.
“And if that was not enough, you allow this woman to take Giana to Ramsgate without one of us there. What are you thinking, Fitz?” Richard insisted on knowing.
“I will be escorting Giana in early June, and she will only be there alone with Mrs Younge for about four weeks. My intention is to remain for a sennight to make sure all is in order before I return to London. Also, I will join them for the last week they will be there in July. What can happen to Giana in a few weeks?”
“For an intelligent man, you are not very clever at times.” Richard turned on his heel and stormed out of his cousin’s study. There were times like this when he had the urge to thrash Fitz, something he was physically able to do, which is why he departed Darcy House before he gave in to the urge. He could not wait until Andy returned home; it had been far too long, and he was missing his brother.
Damn the storms around the Cape of Good Hope.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Thanks to Andrew writing to her from Cape Town when his ship had sought shelter from the storms at the southern end of Africa on his way to India, it was with mixed feelings that Jane opened the missive in Andrew’s hand from that colony. On the one hand, it meant he was safe; on the other, he was delayed.
She took the letter and made for the private sitting room she shared with Lizzy. As soon as she threw herself onto the settee, Jane broke the seal.
18 March 1811
Governor’s Residence
Cape Town
My dearest, beloved Jane,
We were to stop in this colony to take on fresh water and supplies, but between Cape Agulhas and the Cape of Good Hope, we were struck by a sudden and violent storm.
There were no serious injuries or loss of life; however, some of the mast spars were damaged. The mainmast was sheared off about a third of the way from the top and many crosstrees were snapped. If that were not enough, the foremast is cracked.
Thankfully, the Royal Navy employs a large contingent of shipwrights here. They estimate the repairs will take 1 to 2 months. That means that rather than arrive in July, with the 3 to 4 month passage to England, I estimate we will arrive in September or October. It is my bad luck that none of the naval vessels stationed here need to return to England before then. As the Governor knows both my father and Uncle William, he would have made sure I would have been able to receive a berth aboard.
By that time of the year, Mother and Father will be in London, so I will of course go to see them at Matlock House. As soon as I have visited them and informed my father of the situation in India, I will be on my way to Longbourn. Wild horses would not be able to keep me away from you for any longer.
Once (if) you accept me, unless you object, I would like us to marry as soon as may be so that we will never need to be parted again.
With all of my love, and more,
Andrew
As much as Jane wanted her beloved home sooner rather than later, she was well aware the repairs were needed to make the ship seaworthy again. Yes, she wanted Andrew back soon, but more than that, she wanted him to remain safe. Just as she completed reading this latest letter and was beginning to fold it, Lizzy entered their sitting room.
It took seconds to determine that Jane was distressed. “Janey, what is it? Is Andrew safe and well?” Elizabeth asked concernedly as she sat next to Jane and pulled her into a tight hug.
“He is, praise be to God, well. But it will be an additional one to two months before he arrives in England,” Jane revealed as she thrust the letter into Lizzy’s hands. “Read it, Lizzy. You know you and I have no secrets between us.”
Lizzy took the missive from Jane and read it quickly. “All that is important is that Andrew is safe,” Elizabeth opined.
“I am dreading Andrew’s return. I will have to tell him about my birthmother and what type of person she was. I hope that does not make him reconsider aligning himself with me,” Jane related sadly, as a single tear fell from one of her eyes.
“Jane, you can be such a silly goose at times,” Elizabeth smiled.
“How can you find my pain amusing?” Jane demanded indignantly as she pulled away from Lizzy.
“All of the Cavendishes and the Fitzwilliams know about the woman who compromised Papa,” Elizabeth clarified. “Before he ever fell in love with you, Andrew was fully aware of who, and what, your birth mother was. Even had he not been, I am sure he would not have cared. He loves you far too much to give you up because of something over which you had no control. Also, how many times has Mama told us how she fell in love with you the instant she saw you? And more than that, how all of the family loved you as soon as they met you?” Elizabeth squeezed Jane’s hand. Her older sister was looking decidedly happier.
“I was a goose, was I not?” Jane acknowledged.
“Think about it, Janey. Have Mama or Papa ever treated you differently from any of the rest of us?” Jane shook her head emphatically. “Our grandmothers, grandfather, aunts, uncles, or cousins?” Again, Jane shook her head. “That is because you are Mama’s daughter as much as Mary, Ellie, and me. Mama fell in love with you even before her heart belonged to Papa.”
After wiping her eyes and putting herself to rights, Jane was ready to accompany Lizzy downstairs.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Darcy returned to London during the second week of June. He had been completely satisfied everything was in order in Ramsgate. It would do Giana good, and help her grow, to be on her own and not under his constant supervision.
Knowing his sister was perfectly safe and happy, Darcy could accompany Bingley into Hertfordshire with a clear conscience. The only thing he regretted was his agreement to be hosted with Bingley for a few months to assist him in learning about estate management. His friend had told him that his younger sister would be his hostess. As much as he liked Bingley, Darcy detested the social climbing, fortune-hunting shrew who was his younger sister, Miss Caroline Bingley.
He was well aware how desperate Miss Bingley was becoming, so he would have to make sure he was protected at all times in case she attempted to entrap him. Even though he would not gratify a woman who attempted to force him into an unwanted marriage, he would prefer not to be in that situation.
After two days of business meetings, Darcy was ready to join his friend in journeying into Hertfordshire.
Try as he might not to, he did feel guilty about his last interaction with Richard. Richard had stated fact; they were equal co-guardians, just as his late father had stipulated in his will. As one who always claimed any form of disguise was abhorrent to him, Darcy had to admit that part of his highhandedness with employing the companion was his resentment that his father had not made him the sole guardian of his sister.
That admission notwithstanding, Darcy still felt he had made the right decision regarding Mrs Younge.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
As much as he hated questioning Fitz’s judgement, there was something about employing this companion which was gnawing at Richard’s gut. One thing he had learnt in his years in the Dragoons was not to ignore his gut feelings.
He had duties at the training grounds, which would not allow him to get away for a sennight, but on the first day he was able to do so, Richard jumped onto Invictus and rode for Grosvenor Square. He stopped at Darcy House, right across the green from Matlock House. A Darcy stable boy appeared and took his horse. Richard climbed the stone steps two at a time and banged on the door with his gloved hand.
Mr Killion, the butler, opened it a crack, and then all the way when he saw the master’s cousin without. “Is my cousin home?” Richard enquired urgently.
“No, Colonel, he is not here. I believe Mr Darcy is travelling into Hertfordshire with Mr Bingley to inspect an estate, the name of which I do not know,” the Butler informed the Colonel.
Richard had a good idea what the name of the estate was, but he had other concerns now. “I need to find something in the study,” he stated.
The butler stood back, knowing full well Colonel Fitzwilliam was allowed anywhere in the house he chose to go.
Once in the study, Richard thanked goodness that Fitz was so fastidious. He opened the drawer where his cousin kept information on those he employed. It was not too many minutes before he discovered the pages with Mrs Younge’s past employment listed, as well as three ladies who would stand character for her. He made a note of the family names and returned the papers—minus the characters—to where Fitz had placed them. Thankfully, two of the names listed did not leave London until the end of June.
In front of Jersey House on Berkeley Square, Richard handed the reins to a groom and used the knocker on the front door. The butler, knowing the caller was always welcome, showed him into the drawing room.
“Lady Jersey, I thank you for seeing me. A Mrs Younge has applied to be my ward’s companion, and she listed you as a character. In fact, she used this one, ostensibly from you,” Richard stated after he bowed. He had no time for niceties as he handed the character to the lady.
“I never employed any Mrs Younge,” Lady Jersey stated after cogitating for some moments. “There was a Miss Karen Younge who was employed briefly. As soon as she arrived, items started to disappear. She was never caught, but once we dismissed her, nothing more was taken.” She looked at the page she was supposed to have written. “I never wrote this fiction.”
“I suspected you did not write it. The woman calls herself Mrs Karen Younge now, one of many of her lies.” Richard had his answer in a matter of minutes, something Fitz would have known had his improper pride not gotten in the way. After thanking the Countess, he bowed and left the house.
It was already past eleven in the morning, and Richard had more than seventy miles to ride. Given how hard he had pushed his stallion to Darcy House, and then to Jersey House, he knew he needed to keep to a pace not above a canter. With rest stops every hour or so, he planned to take longer breaks if needed. Thanks to the full moon, he would ride through the night and arrive at his destination at a reasonable hour in the morning on the morrow, unless he needed to rest his stallion for longer.
Sensing his horse was tired, Richard stopped for about six hours at an inn. With his horse well rested, he was off at four in the morning. He would arrive a little later, but it had to be done.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Darcy was not surprised, given that his friend never thought about things for long; Bingley had wanted to sign the lease on Netherfield Park without further consideration. What did shock him was the landlord’s agent when Bingley was told he would have an answer within a fortnight as the owner had to give his approval before any lease was signed. Mr Phillips had assured Bingley that until there was a negative answer—if there was one—from the landlord, no other candidate for the lease would be considered.
The house and estate were impressive. Everything spoke of care, and even though the lease covered only the manse and home farm, the tenant dwellings they saw were all sturdy structures and very well maintained. If Bingley was granted the lease, he would be free to hunt anywhere on the estate’s land.
Mr Phillips informed them there were several unique clauses in the lease, which could be studied if Mr Bingley was chosen as a tenant. One he told them of was that the tenant could not dismiss any existing servants. However, they were free to bring their personal servants and had full control over them. Bingley was aware Caroline would not be happy about that, but it was what it was.
Just before Mr Phillips took his leave, Bingley had a question. “Is Netherfield Park the largest estate in the area?” Bingley queried. He knew Caroline would want that information.
“It is not. It is second to the largest estate,” Phillips replied. He was on his way to his gig before Bingley could ask which was the largest estate.