For the final hour of the ride, David guided his horse next to Richard’s, and the cousins spoke of their estates while William rode next to Bingley.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
In the few months since Wickham had joined the militia, he had found it both better and worse than he had expected.
Worse because he could not shirk his duty. Colonel Forster flogged any man who failed to complete his assigned tasks. The threat of flogging was enough to deter Wickham from trying to avoid his duties, even when it meant remaining awake at night.
There were more reasons to be happy. The merchants in Dadlington issued credit to officers without a thought. Thankfully, so far, the tradesmen accepted his excuses for not being able to repay them yet. Another advantage was that he had board and lodging without having to pay for it, and on top of that the militia paid its lieutenants three pounds a month. It was far less than he believed he was worth, but it was better than nothing.
Best of all was how easily silly girls fell over themselves to attract a man wearing the scarlet coat of the militia. This was especially true of the ones of fourteen to fifteen years old. They were particularly receptive to his promises of marriage if they ceded their virtue to him. At the age of one and thirty, Wickham saw nothing wrong with seducing girls who were half his age or less. If there were any consequences to their couplings, they would come to light after the regiment moved to Hertfordshire in a few months. And besides, the chits would be too embarrassed to name him. And even if they did, it washis word against theirs.
That was another advantage of the uniform; what he said to the residents of the area was considered the truth without the facts being verified.
One thing that had been problematic were the debts of honour he was amassing thanks to Lady Luck not smiling on him. He had found a cunning way to solve that particular conundrum. When his debts of honour reached an amount the man owed would not let rest, Wickham would borrow funds from one who could afford it.
A good proportion of the officers were second and third sons from fairly wealthy families. He would pay enough to get the man he owed off his back, and he would use a portion to partially repay the man from whom he had borrowed funds in the first place. As long as he continued making payments as a show of good faith, he would be able to juggle others’ funds and never lay out his own meagre coin.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The estate’s agent, Mr Phillips, was waiting for Bingley and his party when they arrived. Upon alighting from the coach, Bingley introduced himself and his friends.
David thought it somewhat presumptuous of Bingley, as he was not a friend, but this was neither the time nor the place to correct him. From what he could see, the manor house was in very good order. It was perhaps a little smaller than his home at Willowmere, but not significantly so.
Unlike the lighter Derbyshire stone he was used to, the façade of the house was built of beige or a darker brown stone. David guessed it was quarried in Hertfordshire or one of the surrounding counties.
He hung back with his cousin and William while Bingley walked ahead into the house with Mr Phillips. “From what I can see, this house is well maintained. I would guess the landlord is attentive to the upkeep of the estate. That is a goodsign.” David remembered Bingley did not know the landlord’s name, only the agent’s. “I wonder why the owner does not reveal himself, or it could be a herself.”
“It is not unheard of for the landlord to remain anonymous. It is an issue of privacy rather than any nefarious reasons,” Richard opined.
“For once our cousin has the right of it,” Darcy ribbed. As uncomfortable as he was among those he did not know, he was the opposite within the circle of his friends and family. To protect himself from the huntresses in society, he had adopted a mask of disdain which he wielded with great effect at any event of theTon,or wherever he was viewed only for his income and connections.
“Should we join your friend in viewing the interior of the house?” David suggested.
The other two nodded, and they crossed the threshold, handing their hats, gloves, and riding coats to a waiting footman. The butler and housekeeper were introduced to them, a Mr and Mrs Nichols, before the housekeeper conducted a tour of the house.
Nothing the men saw did anything to change their good opinion of the structure. They were guided back to one of the drawing rooms where refreshments awaited them. “Before you ride the estate, I must inform you that the landlord employs all of the staff and servants, that is of course, other than your personal servants. Hence, you or the mistress of the estate, if you choose to rent it, may not sack anyone not employed directly by you. If there is an issue with any of those not in your employ, I am to be notified, and I, after consulting the landlord, will have the final say over the remedy, if any, is to be taken.”
“That will not make Caroline happy,” Bingley responded.
David saw the solicitor was looking at Bingley questioningly. “Hisyounger, unmarried sister will be hishostess,” David elucidated, “and yes, there is an older, married sister.”
Bingley looked chagrined. It was not the first time it had been pointed out to him that Louisa, and not Caroline, should by rights be his hostess. To head off a building tantrum, he had capitulated to his younger sister. Other than Miss Darcy, who was an unassuming and undemanding young lady, the men did not have a sister, and especially not one as demanding as Caroline. Hence, they should not judge him.
“If it is not something with which you or your sister are able to live, do not apply for the lease,” Phillips stated nonchalantly.
There was no decision made yet, so it was one possible confrontation Bingley could defer. “May we see the rest of the estate now?” He asked to change the subject, so he did not have to think of his failure to ever check Caroline.
“I did inform you the lease covers the house, park, and home farm only, did I not?” Phillips verified.
“You did,” Bingley confirmed. “But did you not also write to me that the lessee is free to hunt and ride on the estate’s land as long as the tenants’ work is not disturbed?”
“I did, and yes, that is correct,” Phillips agreed. “The steward is waiting for you in the drive, so he is able to answer any questions while you ride.”
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The six Bennet siblings, escorted by Miss Weasley, who had become Jane and Lizzy’s companion, two footmen, and a groom, rode out from Longbourn’s stables in the general direction of Oakham Mount.
Elizabeth had already been out riding before sunrise. She had sat in her favourite spot, the boulder on the east side of the hill’s summit, and enjoyed the sunrise. She, the footman, and the groom had returned to the manor house before Elizabeth joined the family in breaking their fasts.
