He looked around the room to see if there were more questions; there were not. It was surprising to Bennet that there had not been many more like he had expected there would be. “Your Uncle Frank sent an express to the Gardiners. They may arrive today, but I believe they will be with us on the morrow at the latest,” he stated. “As far as mourning goes, we will observe it for a total of six weeks. That is three weeks of deep and three of half mourning. Please give Mrs Hill two or three of your older dresses, and she will have them dyed for you.”
He knew that he could have chosen three months of mourning, but Bennet did not want his girls to be in the blacks for so long.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The Gardiners arrived the next day before midday. Much to Bennet’s relief, and his daughters’ pleasure, the four young cousins accompanied them. Even though May had just begun to take tentative steps, her Bennet cousins paid her no less attention than her sister and brothers.
The funeral service and interment were two days later. As the Phillipses, in general, and Hattie, in particular, had been very popular, St Alfred’s was almost full with both landedgentry and shopkeepers alike.
That afternoon, Phillips met with his brothers-in-law in Bennet’s study. “My wife did not have a complicated will, but her dowry was left under her control. As you both know it was five thousand pounds. Under Gardiner’s management it had grown to just over twenty thousand pounds. Hattie wanted her money split between her nieces and nephews,” Phillips revealed. “Before you ask, I am quite well off and do not need her money. When Hattie spoke of her intentions for her dowry, I supported her completely.”
“That is a little more than two thousand two hundred pounds to each of the nine children.” Gardiner had made a quick mental calculation in his head.
“My daughters’ portions are already above twenty thousand each. Hence, I think this should be split between the Gardiner four,” Bennet opined. He looked at Phillips. “That is if any changes may be made.”
“As generous of a thought as that is, it is neither yours nor my choice. This is what Hattie wanted, and I am honour bound to execute her wishes as she wrote them. I am sure like you have been, Gardiner is saving for his children’s future, have you not?” Phillips queried as he turned to Gardiner who nodded.
“In that case, all I can do is thank my late sister-in-law.” Bennet poured a measure of port for his brothers and himself. “Let us drink a toast to a good, kind, loving, godly, and generous woman, Hattie Phillips.”
The three men threw the sweet wine back.
Phillips had worn a black armband since the previous day and expressed his intention to mourn for a full year.
When Gardiner also elected six weeks as a mourning period like Bennet had done for himself and his children,Phillips gave their choices his blessing. He was well aware that his Hattie had been loved and would be missed by all.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Scarborough, February 1806
As she approached her seven and twentieth birthday in October of the current year, Louisa Bingley had accepted that she would remain a spinster in her father’s home.
Once or twice after she reached her majority, she had spoken of setting up her own establishment and her father, vigorously supported by Charles, had told her in no uncertain terms that her place was with him. Her brother had assured Louisa that when that day came that he was head of the Bingley family, he would never agree to her leaving his household.
The only one who had been unhappy Louisa had not set up her own establishment was Caroline. But then again, Caroline was always upset about something.
Louisa’s sister had got her wish and been sent to Miss Hathaway’s School for Young Ladies when she was sixteen. The two years at the school had not been happy ones for Caroline. She had discovered two things. Firstly, most members of the gentry and first circles who could afford to, had their daughters educated at home. Her fellow students were daughters of wealthy tradesmen and some impoverished gentry, and even a titled family or two in dire financial straits. Secondly, Caroline had discovered that no matter how many airs and graces she put on like her late mother had taught her, none of the daughters of gentry or higher were fooled and treated her, on a good day, with disdain. That was true regardless of how she tried to hide her family’s roots in trade. The fact that Caroline had flaming red hair and blue eyes which marked her as having family from Ireland did not help at all.
Rather than her younger sister’s pretensions being killed by the way she was treated, she adopted her tormenters’ ways, believing the way they behaved was the way of the high society in which Caroline craved to be part of.
Even though, Father had allowed Caroline to attend the seminary, he had stood firm when his youngest daughter had demanded a London season. Part of that was Caroline’s desire to make her curtsy before Queen Charlotte. She ignored the inconvenient truth that no one would sponsor her, and even if she found someone willing to promote her, unless she was marrying into the gentry, she would not be accepted at court.
Caroline’s biggest complaint was against Charles. In May of the previous year, Charles had graduated from Cambridge. Not a few times over the years, their brother, with Father’s consent, had not come home for term breaks or parts of the end of the year holidays. No matter how much Caroline tried to wheedle information about where and with whom he had been, Charles never told her. One summer, Louisa had also been gone and Caroline was not gratified when she tried to gain information on where her sister was, or if she was with Charles.
He had, however, told his father and Louisa all about his friends, Messrs Fitzwilliam, Darcy, and Medfords. The latter two had a father who owned a medium-sized estate, but the first was the son of an earl and his cousin Darcy was the heir to a great estate and nephew of said earl. Knowing how Caroline would behave if she was ever in his friends’ company, especially young Mr Darcy’s, nothing about any of them had been related to Caroline.
In his final year of school, Charles had shared that his friend Fitzwilliam, who had graduated at the end of the previous school year along with his Darcy cousin, was now a second lieutenant in the Royal Dragoons.
Father, Louisa, and Caroline had attended Charles’s graduation at the end of April 1805. Louisa had worn a veil over her face to cover her birthmark. It was not that she was embarrassed, Why should she be? It was the way God created her, so she had nothing of which to be ashamed. The reason Louisa donned the veil over her hat was simple: she was tired of the gasps and rude comments of others. Caroline’s urging her to wear one had had nothing to do with the decision.
At the ceremony, Caroline met the Medfords. She was not impressed by them, especially not the younger twin who would not inherit anything, but she did wheedle information about her brother’s other friends from the twins.
She had been insufferable in the coach on the way home to Scarborough. Caroline berated Charles, accused him of dishonouring their late mother’s wishes, and anything else she could think of to manipulate Charles. Nothing had worked, and all she had succeeded in doing was have Father order her to hold her piece, or he would send her home by a post coach. Knowing Father did not make idle threats; Caroline had receded with no good cheer.
Louisa’s thoughts were pulled back to the present when Charles entered her chamber after knocking on the door first.
“Come, Lulu, it is time to say goodbye to Father,” Charles told his sister sombrely.
For the last two months, Arthur Bingley had steadily become weaker. When he had finally agreed to see a doctor, the family had learnt it was his heart which was failing.
