This ride was a rarity for Elizabeth. Usually sheforgotto have Sarah, the maid she and Jane shared, put her hair up. With that not done, of course, she could not add her hat or, worse, a bonnet. Today however, her hair was up, and she was wearing her riding hat.
Mary, who had turned twelve this April past, rode on the other side of Jane. James, home from the end of his first year at Eton and recently fifteen, rode between the twins, who were soon to be nine. Lydia was the strongest-willed of the twins, but she could never convince Henry to do something he did not want to do. Her main complaint of late was that it was unfair she and Henry had a year after their birthday in July before they left the nursery. Her complaints had gained her nothing.
The companion, footmen, and groom brought up the rear.
From Oakham Mount, they rode west until they reached the fence which marked the border between the two Bennet estates. As they rode towards the south, in the general direction of the manor house, they saw a riding party approaching the fence from the Netherfield Park side.
“It must be the man looking at the estate to see if he would like to lease it,” Jane said close to Lizzy’s ear. For once, as rare an occasion as Elizabeth wearing her bonnet or hat was, Jane was not wearing one. As the men approached the fence, the Bennets wheeled to the east and began the ride back to the stables. Until Papa met with the man, if and when he took up residence at Netherfield Park, it would be improper to be introduced to him or the men with him.
As they approached the fence between the two estates, Darcy could not but notice the way Richard and Bingley looked at the blonde woman who was riding away from them. He had been too busy watching their reactions to notice any details about the party from the neighbouring estate.
David had seen the blonde, but the petite young lady next to her caught his eye for some reason. He did not see her face, only some of her raven-coloured hair which protruded from below her riding hat. He felt a cold shiver as he looked at her retreating back. Suddenly the image of his long-dead sister came to the fore. ‘Come now, David. You have more sense than that. To think of Ellie just because that lady has similar hair to Mother and Aunt Elaine is not logical,’ he admonished himself silently. ‘Ellie has been dead these seventeen years. Could you imagine how you would hurt Mother if you told her what you had thought? Put that nonsense out of your mind!’
He dropped back from riding next to William and brought his mount next to Mr Sinclair, the steward. “I assume those are some of this estate’s neighbours,” David said as calmly as he could.
“Indeed, Mr Wendell. Those are the Bennet six. The only ones missing were the parents and grandmother, although if memory serves, the older Mrs Bennet does not ride any longer.” Sinclair said nothing about Miss Lizzy being a foundling. He was not supposed to know the Bennets well, and besides, he had not been asked.
Hearing that they were all siblings calmed David’s thoughts about his late sister. “Thank you,” he stated before he urged his horse forward to ride next to the other three.
In true Bingley precipitative behaviour, as none of the others found anything wrong with the estate, he told Mr Phillips he was willing to sign a lease.
Bingley was a little taken aback when they went to the law office, and he was told it was an application, not the lease. He would hear back within a month, and if accepted, he would be able to move in around Michaelmas.
“Well, I never,” Bingley huffed as they left Meryton on the road to London. “It is as if they are doing me a favour by taking my money.”
“Actually, Bingley, I am impressed that the agent is doing his due diligence before blindly accepting you,” Darcy responded. “That tells me the landlord is very conscientious, which bodes well if, or when, any problems arise. Mr Phillips gave you a copy of the lease; I suggest you read it well.”
“Well, as long as you think it is as it should be,” Bingley replied.
Richard and David looked at one another. The latter mouthed ‘puppy’, and the former nodded his head.
Chapter 8
Less than a fortnight after Mr Bingley and the other men viewed Netherfield Park, Frank Phillips delivered the investigator’s report received from Gardiner to Bennet.
The brothers-in-law were seated in Bennet’s expanded study. Being a bibliophile, every spare space along the walls of the study used to be covered with bookcases, each shelf groaning under the weight of the tomes thereon. Fanny and Bennet had decided to expand the house using the additional funds available. The extra was generated by the income from the added land, meaning more tenants, which had increased Longbourn’s income significantly. That was before Netherfield Park’s earnings was added. Their savings, Fanny’s dowry, and Bennet’s legacy were growing apace thanks to Gardiner’s investment skills. The money was over and above that which had been set aside for the Bennet sisters’ dowries.
Hence, the study only had a few bookshelves in it, and a formal library had been built. There was a new door in the study which led into the added space. It was not only Bennet who appreciated that there was four or five times the room to store books. Fanny and all of his children had a deep appreciation for the written word. Taking that into consideration, the library was one of the most used rooms in the house.
While Phillips sipped a cup of tea, Bennet perused the report. “Do we want one as mercurial as this says Mr Bingley is?” Bennet looked above his reading spectacles at his brother-in-law. “I am not sure I like this part about how he chases aftergirls who look like Janie, and then, when his honour should be engaged, he loses interest.” Bennet paused and read further. “Based on what they could find, the investigators concluded he is not a rake, just immature. I am not sure which is worse. Is he that selfish that he does not understand how his actions affect others? I suppose he is.”
“That he was not his own man yet was my opinion of Mr Bingley when I met with him at Netherfield Park,” Phillips agreed. “I understand that of the three men who were with him, Messrs Fitzwilliam and Darcy will join him at Netherfield Park if you award Mr Bingley the lease. I gather that Mr Wendell tolerates Bingley but only in small doses. All three men seemed to be responsible and intelligent men. Both men who will accompany him are older than him; the former has a large estate in Kent and the latter, a larger one in Derbyshire. They are to teach him how to manage an estate. As far as Jane goes, you and Fanny have more than educated her and the rest of your offspring to see the truth of someone. Jane may look serene, but as you well know, she has a backbone of steel, intensely dislikes being judged on her looks only, and will not allow anyone to pull the wool over her eyes. Besides, Lizzy would run any man who hurt her sister out of the county. With five thousand a year, he can certainly afford the cost of the lease.”
After nodding his agreement to Phillips’s last statement, Bennet raised his eyebrows when he read what had been reported about the sisters. “The younger sister thinks she is a duchess when she is merely the daughter of a tradesman, and the older one, like the brother, will not check her. She rules the roost. Not to mention she has rather violent tantrums when she does not get her own way and is an inveterate social climber and fortune hunter,” Bennet summarised. “Let us not mention how vulgar she is, as she always finds ways to mention the amount of her dowry, her brother’s income and fortune, and the income of his friends. What a harpy!”
“When will you make a decision?” Phillips enquired.
“I will not be missish regarding a possible tenant. After all, for what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbours, and laugh at them in our turn? Hence, I am leaning towards allowing Mr Bingley to have a one year lease, but no longer than that. In fact, if Fanny agrees, offer him a six month term as well as an option for one year. It will be amusing to see if they are as badly behaved as reported. However, I am sure I will tire of them rather soon.” Bennet removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I will let you know by the morrow.”
Phillips drained the last of his tea, replaced the cup on the saucer, and stood. He extended his hand to his brother-in-law. Once they had shaken, Phillips took his leave.
“You rang, Master,” Hill intoned as he bowed.
“Yes, Hill, please have Mrs Bennet, Miss Bennet, and Miss Lizzy join me,” Bennet requested.
Hill bowed again and left the study.
Not many minutes later, Fanny and their two eldest daughters entered the room. Except by blood, Lizzy was as much his daughter as any of her three sisters. She had been a pretty little girl when she had been found in the carriage, but as she had matured, she had turned into a beauty.
