“Pa will toy with him for a while but ultimately allow him to look in the house,” Roger reflected.
“I would pay to see my husband’s face when he arrives at Longbourn’s dower house and finds no one but a few servants.” Fanny smiled widely at her husband’s soon-to-be consternation. “Uncle Henry, I had no idea you had built another dower house at Netherfield Park. Of course, I suppose that is so because I had not a clue you owned the estate.”
The previous night Henry had, in broad strokes, revealed that he was far wealthier than many thought. He had related that Netherfield Park was his and that neither Fanny—he had set aside thirty thousand pounds for her since her reformation—nor any of her daughters, married or unmarried, would ever want for anything. Fanny had sworn not to mention anything to Hattie, who was still an inveterate gossip. He had not spoken of the dowries for the Lucas girls, Sherwood Dale, his house in London, or the extent of his wealth. It was the first time Fanny heard that Lizzy was his heir.
Rather than react as she would have in the past, all Fanny said was that Lizzy deserved whatever Uncle Henry left for her.
Charlotte and Maria Lucas joined them an hour or so before dinner. With Uncle Henry’s permission, it was beforedinner that Elizabeth informed Charlotte of her and Maria’s dowries. Her friend was silenced for some time before she began to complain it was far too much. Eventually, she thankfully accepted that it was the way things would be.
The two guests who were residing in Netherfield Park’s manor house joined them for dinner.
Chapter 24
“It is completely unacceptable that Mr Darcy will not travel with us into Hertfordshire,” Miss Bingley screeched. In three days, they were to make for the benighted estate in the wilds of Hertfordshire, and her brother had just broken news to her which she most certainly did not want to hear.
“It will be interesting to see how you will force Darcy to change his travel plans,” Hurst prodded. His florid complexion was lit up with a grin.
“You sot, no one spoke to you!” Miss Bingley spat out, but she considered her brother-in-law’s words. Her aim was to be agreeable to Mr Darcy at all times, so how was she to achieve that? If he heard she was upset with his choice to travel alone, a day or two after them, he would not be pleased. She turned to her brother. “In that case, we will delay and join Mr Darcy when he travels.”
“Caroline, that will not work,” Bingley asserted. He quickly thought of how to articulate what he needed in a way which would appeal to his sister’s desire to impress Darcy. “What will our guests, including Darcy, think if they arrive at the estate with us, and you have not prepared it to receive guests yet?”
As much as she wanted to refute her brother’s words, Miss Bingley could not. “Even though I am positive Mr Darcy will be bereft of my company on the journey into that backwater, I have decided to make the sacrifice and travel as planned so I can be sure the house will be presentable when Mr Darcy and the others arrive.” She was determined that one wayor another she would not return to London as a single woman.
“She is delusional,” Hurst said quietly as he shook his head.
Bingley heard his brother-in-law’s words; he could only pray that Caroline had not. It would invite a tantrum, and Bingley wanted to avoid those at all costs. He tried to push the problem of his younger sister from his consciousness by thinking of meeting possible angels in Hertfordshire.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Having had a good night’s sleep, the first one not in an inn since he had been wrongly ejected from his parsonage in Hunsford, William Collins descended the stairs looking forward to meeting the ladies of the house. He was specifically in anticipation of meeting his betrothed who had been promised to him by his cousin. When they spoke before bed the previous night, Collins had learnt that his intended, Miss Elizabeth, had a house of her own. When he had asked where the ladies were, his cousin had said his wife and daughters had retired as soon as they arrived home. as they were tired, something Collins understood given the frailty—in body and mind—of women compared to virile men like himself.
The smell of comestibles to break his fast drew him to the dining parlour. He puffed out his chest and strutted into the room in an attempt to impress his betrothed with his manliness.
His chest deflated with alacrity when he saw none within but Cousin Bennet. “Where are the ladies, and more importantly, where is my intended?” Collins demanded as he proceeded to fill his plate to overflowing with coddled eggs, sausage, ham, bacon, and some of the roast beef left from the previous night’s dinner.
Bennet’s eyebrows shot up at the display of gluttony from his buffoon of a cousin. It was amusing to see, but he could not appreciate the sport without his wife and daughterspresent to react to it. There was no choice; he would have to order his gelding saddled and ride out to bring his recalcitrant women home. He remembered the dunderhead had addressed him. “My wife and daughters had early calls to make,” he prevaricated, “after the meal I will ride out and escort them home.”
The explanation sounded plausible to Collins, and besides, he was already seated and busy shoving as much food as possible into his mouth. He grunted as he masticated, allowing some of his semi-chewed food to be spat out of his mouth onto the tablecloth.
Seeing how uncouth the man was, gave Bennet pause for a few moments as he reflected that this man would not be a good husband to Lizzy or any other. He pushed the thought from his mind as he reminded himself how his second daughter and his wife needed to be punished for their open defiance of his wishes. He was delighted by the fact that Lizzy had no way of knowing of his plan.
Seeing his cousin shovel food into his mouth, and then masticating with his mouth open was enough to put Bennet off his meal. He stood, his legs pushing his chair back. “I will be gone for an hour or two as I go retrieve my wife and daughters,” he stated as he left the dining parlour as fast as his legs would carry him.
The grunts and sounds of chewing were audible for longer than he had hoped as Bennet almost ran towards his study. He rang for Hill and ordered his gelding saddled. A half hour later, Bennet was on his way to Purvis Lodge.
By the time he arrived, his mood had soured decidedly. How dare Fanny and her daughters make a fool of him in this way? Bennet dismounted Odysseus and threw the reins towards an approaching groom. He stalked up to the front door and banged on it. Some minutes passed before the door was opened, which only added to his pique.
“May I be of service, Sir?” The butler enquired.
“I demand my wife and daughters be brought to me this instant,” Bennet barked.
“As I know not who you are, Sir, I know not who your family members are. I can, however, tell you that other than the master, mistress, the young masters, and young misses, there are none others in the house,” the butler responded unflappably.
“I want to see for myself!” Bennet demanded.
“If you will be so good as to give me your name, I will request permission of the master and mistress for you to enter.” Mr Mercury bowed.
As much as he wanted to berate the man before him, Bennet acknowledged that as he had never called on Purvis Lodge since the Taylors took up residence, the butler had no way of knowing who he was. “The name is Thomas Bennet, your master’s cousin,” he stated begrudgingly.
