During his search of the late parson’s study, the solicitor discovered a ledger. Due to the fact that Mr Collins had been very miserly he spent very little. In addition, he had taken the money he had received when he sold his late father’s farm and added it to what he managed to save, which was most of the money he earned. According to the ledger, there was a balance of just under eight thousand pounds in the bank. In addition there was an account which held his wife’s dowry, the interest from which had paid her allowance. The solicitor discovered the settlement in the drawer of the desk. He took that with him as well.
He returned to Rosings Park and reported to the residents in the drawing room—which was already devoid of Lady Catherine’sthrone. The numbers had swelled by two as Lord and Lady Matlock had arrived the day after Lady Catherine had been deposed. When Thomson asked if Mrs Collins was sanguine with her business being discussed beforeall present, Charlotte had told him to proceed; she had no secrets from anyone present.
“As the late Mr William Collins went to meet his maker intestate, all of his worldly goods belong to Mrs Collins, who was his closest relative at the time of his death. Also, that occurrence was covered in the marriage settlement,” Mr Thomson informed the widow.
“He never spoke of anything other than my dowry, which is small. Was there anything else?” Charlotte enquired. If there was any additional funds, she would be most grateful to Mr Phillips for adding that clause.
“Indeed, there is, Mrs Collins. Your husband had two accounts. One was for your dowry, which, according to your settlement, was seven hundred pounds, from which your allowance was paid. The second was for his savings. From what I discovered, the late Mr Clem Collins owned a farm, and when he was called home, the son sold it. That, coupled with his propensity to save, leaves a balance of seven thousand, nine hundred and ninety-three pounds as of the last entry in the ledger. From what I could see, all interest was added back into the principal,” Thomson reported.
As she had not expected anything other than the return of her dowry, Charlotte was greatly shocked. Mr Collins had always insisted there was no money to spend on anything she wanted, such as when Charlotte had wanted to refurbish her back parlour with its threadbare upholstery. Now, she was grateful he had refused her because she had more money for her future. She would never be a burden on her family again even if the money only remained in the four percents.
“Charlotte, you must allow Gardiner to manage your money,” Sir William asserted.
“As most in my family invest with Gardiner, I must second Sir William’s suggestion,” Lord Matlock agreed. “I ama long-time investor, as are my sons, and Gardiner routinely achieves ten percent per annum or better.”
After a quick mental calculation, Charlotte realised that when the money was combined with her dowry, she would have an annual income of between eight and nine hundred pounds, which was not very much less than her father’s income from Lucas Lodge. After her mourning period was over, she could rent a cottage and hire a cook and several servants if she so chose. Charlotte would never be a burden on her family again.
“I will take my father and Lord Matlock’s advice and invest my money with Mr Gardiner,” Charlotte decided.
“Charlotte, please know that you are free to remain here with me for as long as you desire,” Anne offered. “After all, who else will I laugh with at my mother’s inept attempts to escape the dower house? Was she not most vexed that John Biggs, Brian Johns, and their men were immune to her attempts to bribe them to her side?”
“That younger son of mine found you very good men,” Lady Matlock opined.
The next day, armed with the certification of her husband’s death, Charlotte went to the bank in Westerham where her late husband’s two accounts were held, accompanied by her father, Lord Matlock, and Mr Thomson.
The manager had been reluctant to release so much money to a mere woman but quickly changed his tune when faced with an earl, a knight, and a solicitor.
One day later, the three Lucases departed Rosings Park for Lucas Lodge.
Two days after arriving at Lucas Lodge, Sir William and his sons travelled to London to see Gardiner. The latter accepted the investment on behalf ofCharlotte Collins, and her investment account was created.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Given the reason for travelling to Pemberley, Darcy had his coachman travel for as many hours each day as possible. As much as he preferred not to swap his horses, due to the urgency of the situation, that is what was done every hour and a half to two hours. The frequent switching of the teams allowed for much faster travel than normal. A groom and one outrider had been left at the first inn so that they could bring the two matched sets of bays back to Pemberley at a slow pace once the horses had rested for a minimum of four hours.
Due to the speed of travel, the Darcy travelling coach passed the gateposts at Pemberley at just after six in the afternoon of the second day of travel.
When he was not discussing something with Gigi, for once, not every moment was taken by Darcy’s thoughts of the lady he loved. He still thought about her and his desire to make her his wife, and his dreams at night were filled with her presence. However, not knowing what to expect when he went to survey the damage at Pemberley for himself, most of Darcy’s thoughts were for the wellbeing of the three tenant families who had been affected by the fire.
Not long after passing the gatehouse, Darcy heard the shot fired by the gatekeeper, which was a signal for a lad posted about halfway between the gates and the house to gallop towards the manor house to announce the imminent arrival of the master.
“Once you have surveyed the damage and confirmed that there was no loss of life, I intend to write to Lizzy,” Gigi informed her brother as the horses pulled the coach up the final rise before the house would be visible. “From what I know of her; Lizzy would love walking here at Pemberley.”
“Based on her habits in both Hertfordshire and Kent, I would have to agree with you.” As worried as he was about his dependents at the estate, the image evoked by Gigi mentioning Miss Elizabeth walking the paths at Pemberley caused Darcy to smile contentedly. He had to trust that Mrs Reynolds and Richard—he had discussed his worries with his cousin who had expressed similar opinions to Mrs Reynolds—had the right of it, and Miss Elizabeth would not hold Wickham’s seduction of Miss Lydia against him. As his thoughts returned to the fire, Darcy’s mien became serious once again.
Before either sibling could speak again, the coachman steered the team below theporte cochèreand into the internal courtyard. Mr Douglas, Mrs Reynolds, and Mr Chalmers, the butler, housekeeper, and steward, were all waiting for the conveyance to stop.
After brief greetings with the three senior staff, Gigi and Mrs Annesley made for the former’s suite, while Darcy asked Chalmers to join him in his study. While he and the steward made their way indoors, the coach was unloaded by the footmen.
As soon as the door was closed, before he sat at his desk, Darcy turned to his steward. “How bad is it? Was there loss of life?” Only then did he sit in his chair.
“As I told you in the missive, the Havershams’, Johnstones’, and Samuelsons’ farms were affected. At first, we thought there had been no loss of life, but just this morning, old Mrs Haversham succumbed. That she was approaching the age of eighty does not make it easier on her family. Harrison opined that she had breathed in too much smoke, and at her age, her lungs could not cope.”
Jackson Harrison was the physician who served Pemberley and some of the surrounding area.
“While I grieve the loss of asingle life, I am pleased it was no more than that. How did the fire begin? It is not like the structures on each farm are close to one another,” Darcy wondered.
“A most unexpected storm descended on us that night. As you know, the Havershams’ farm is the farthest south of the three.” Chalmers saw the master nod. “Lightning struck the barn on that farm, and unfortunately the wind was blowing from south to north. Before anyone knew what was happening, embers had been blown onto the thatch of the cottage’s roof; from there, more and more embers were blown north. Before anything could be done, the buildings on all three farms were burning. Only one horse was lost on the Johnstones’ farm; other than that and poor old Mrs Haversham, both the people and livestock are well. As can be expected, the three families have lost all the possessions they owned.”
