“Take a cruise on the family ship as soon as you are able. The rocking of the sea enhances all activities if timed with the waves. Also, if you have a tub the two of you…” she stopped when Jane nodded.
“I believe that Richard saw William’s and had one purchased the first time he met his steward in London,” Jane shared as both sisters laughed and blushed brightly.
The conversation moved to more mundane topics. The sisters discussed their houses and estates and Jane informed her sister that she and Richard had decided to use some of the income from her dowry to add another wing to Brookfield which would increase their capacity to host guests. In addition, an adjacent small estate that had an income of almost two thousand pounds per annum had come on the market and they had made an offer that had been accepted. The estate would be annexed to Brookfield and the house would be refurbished and enlarged, and would be designated the dower house. Guests would be able to stay there for privacy or if additional space was required when the manor house was at capacity.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
During their ride, Darcy was impressed by what he saw of the estate. Richard pointed out the improvements to the tenant housing, additional land and other changes he had instituted. Darcy saw the new shearing shed that rivalled the size of one of the three that he had at Broadmoor in Scotland, but was somewhat smaller than the two at Pemberley. The size fit the needs of this estate, however, as Pemberley had more than three times the sheep.
They then rode over to the estate that Jane and Richard had recently purchased. It was clear to see that the tenants were very happy about the change, as the previous owner had been less able to attend to their needs.
As soon as the sale was closed and final, Richard and Lefroy had met with their new tenants and made note of their needs and wants. Lefroy had explained that sometimes wants were actually needs, but the tenant could survive without them, though life could be harder. A master that occasionally added wants into the gifts to his tenants had tenants that were willing to go the extra mile when harvests and planting came around.
Sir Richard had requested to see a list of needs and wants by house and thanked Lefroy for the idea. He saw flour was on a list, as was a larger bucket to collect water for a house since the original was more than twelve years old and leaked, so the family had to make multiple trips to the well. Richard authorised all of the items as gifts from the master and mistress.
As for the new estate, repairs and upgrades started quickly as the last of the tenant houses had been refurbished and the families had moved back in this past weekend. With the added estate, the improvements, and better farming techniques, the enlarged estate’s income would surpass twelve thousand clear per annum within this first year.
The manor house was not large, but the work that had already started indicated that the house would increase by an additional one half of its size. It would be smaller than Pemberley’s dower house, but it was more than adequate for the mothers that one day may claim them. Neither wanted to consider the loss of any of the patriarchs, but their widows would have many places to call their own or choose to travel between all of the family estates. Darcy was thinking about telling Mother Bennet that she would be most welcome to redecorate Pemberley’s dower house when she came to visit, Richard mentioned that Jane was redecorating the new dower house with their mothers in mind.
“If you were not my brother, we would be fighting over who would get to care for Mother Bennet,” Darcy said with a big smile.
“I know that you are enjoying having a mother in your life, and I am not sure there is a better one as she gave me my Jane and you your Elizabeth, but if I get to have her on my estate and at my table with my own mother I would be a very contented man,” Richard informed Darcy. “You might as well just move in now so we can share them.” He diffused the melancholy thoughts and they laughed as Darcy nodded, telling Richard he would keep that in mind.
“The construction for the wing that we are adding to the manor house will start in the next number of days. As Jane is in a delicate way…” Richard started to make a request as they were trotting back to the manor house.
“Are you trying to tell me that Jane is increasing?” Darcy grinned, happy for his cousin who had had to spend so many years too far away.
“Actually, I am trying to make a request because my Jane is with child,” Richard smirked. “I feel that it will be better for her to not be here with all the dust and noise from the construction, so I wanted to know if we can be hosted at Pemberley until we leave for Hertfordshire? As you know, from there we all go to town. By the time we return, most, if not all, of the work will be complete.”
“Richard, since when have you ever had to ask me to be at Pemberley?” Darcy frowned.
“You are married now, Brother, and Georgie is not with you yet so I did not know if you still wanted privacy and the house just to yourselves until we leave for Elliot’s wedding,” Richard answered with a frown.
“If we require peace and quiet, Pemberley is large enough that you can be placed on a separate floor and we will not see one another except for meals. It is not an issue this time, and Richard it never will be. We have had a good time with just the two of us, but hosting you and Jane would never be an imposition. Besides, if I even thought of refusing, my wife would take me to task and we all know that I would prefer not to be on the receiving end of her sharp tongue again.” Darcy grimaced as he spoke.
Fitzwilliam guffawed. He never imagined that his reserved, fastidious cousin and brother was afraid of his petite slip of a wife.
“Laugh all you want, Richard,” Darcy gave him a gimlet eye, “but woe betide if you are ever on the receiving end of her displeasure, you will understand how I feel.” Both men grinned as Richard acknowledged the truth of Darcy’s statement, telling him that he would rather face a battalion of the little Tyrant’s Imperial Guard than one riled up Bennet sister, present or former.
Galloping back to the manor house, they were both laughing about how their women could inspire such fear in men of the world. On the way back Sir Richard showed his brother the new stables and facilities being constructed to house his horse breeding programme. The Earl was impressed and offered his help in any way that Richard required it.
When they returned to the manor house, they first washed off the smell of sweat and horseflesh and changed. The men found their wives in the family sitting room where Jane rang for tea. After tea was consumed and they had their fill of the delectable pastries that the baker had produced that day, Richard commanded the floor. He informed his wife that due to the construction scheduled to commence on the Monday coming, the day the Darcys were planning to return home, that unless she objected, they would be hosted at Pemberley until they were all to travel south. He asked his wife if she agreed with his plan.
“Of course, you are coming home with us!” Lizzy scowled at the question of it being otherwise before Jane could answer. Her sister simply nodded her agreement.
The men then reported on the progress of the added land with the now designated dower house and the improvements that Lefroy was overseeing to the tenant houses on the annexed estate.
With a saucy wink at Jane out of view of their husbands, Elizabeth suggested they retire to ‘rest’ until dinner.
The two days flew by as the brothers had long enjoyed a camaraderie, and the sisters shared a bond that meant all hours they shared felt too few. On Monday morning, the carriages and a wagon departed Brookfield for Pemberley. They would have a sennight prior to the departure to Longbourn on Tuesday, the eighth day of September. Mary and Hugh would join them at Pemberley two days before the departure. The rest of the Fitzwilliams would join the caravan south at Snowhaven.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Mrs Reynolds had been very happy to welcome ‘her boys’ back to Pemberley, even if one was an Earl and the other a Baronet. She could not help but think how very proud Mr George and Lady Anne Darcy would have been if they had still been on the mortal coil. She raised her eyes to the heavens and knew that the parents were watching over their ever-expanding family. It was not often that the housekeeper suffered from maudlin thoughts, but seeing the master walk in with his bride glowing with such love for him and seeing master Richard and his wife deep in a love of their own warmed her heart. The only thing that saddened her was that she could not share a smile with the departed Darcy parents.
As scheduled, the Rhys-Davies arrived on Saturday’s eve. The three couples went to services at the Pemberley Church officiated by the substitute deacon, who did a very credible job in Elliot’s absence. After services, the couples strolled back to the house for a leisurely Sunday dinner.
Darcy continued to be worried as his Elizabeth had been nauseous every morning since that first morning they had travelled to Brookfield. She had tried to keep the knowledge from him, knowing that he was overprotective and did not want him to overreact. The morning after Mary and Hugh arrived was the worst yet and he ran to her and held her hair as she retched into the chamber pot. When she was done and he had helped her clean her mouth, he decided that it was time to be assertive and if need be, deal with the fallout if she disagreed with him.
