“Well?” Miss Bingley asked expectantly, ignoring the signs of failure before her eyes.
“I am so sorry, Caro; no matter how much I begged on your behalf, our aunt was not moved to intercede with Uncle John. She says it is what Papa wanted, and they will not go against his wishes,” Louisa explained.
“What use are you to me if you cannot do anything I want!” Miss Bingley screeched.
“Caroline! Stop behaving like a little child and go pack. We leave for our house in an hour, and whatever is not packed will be left here,” Hildebrand commanded. “Before you think wewill purchase new clothing for you because you did not pack what you need, think again. We will not! Now go.”
As her aunt and uncle were the only two people Caroline feared, she left without another word. She would make sure everything was packed because one thing she was certain of was that Aunt Hildebrand never said anything she did not mean.
“I hope living with you will show her the error of her ways,” Louisa stated as she watched her sister stomp her way out of the room. “However, I fear, at her age, she is too set in her ways to change now.”
“John and I will try to replace your late mother’s inculcation with good sense and decorum, but I think Caroline may be beyond our help,” Hildebrand lamented. “It is just as well that Harold warned his friends away from coming to condole. Can you imagine how Caroline would have behaved had some of them been here? Especially towards Mr Darcy who, with no encouragement, she has decided, will marry her.”
“Yes, Harold could not countenance his friends being fawned over when she is supposed to be in mourning,” Louisa agreed. “I think you have the right of it. Caroline will not be able to change; it has become too much a part of her character. I am afraid she cannot see or hear anything that does not fit with that desire of hers.”
“Enough about that recalcitrant child. When do you and Harold plan to return to London?” Hildebrand enquired.
“Unless there is a reason to remain longer, we will leave on Tuesday, the final day of January,” Louisa revealed. “Harold needs to meet with his father regarding the estate and their investments, although Father Hurst gave us leave to remain herefor as long as needed.” Louisa paused. “I feel bad that you will be left to live with Caroline and her temper tantrums.”
“It will be nothing to us. It will not be long before Caroline discovers that we will not indulge her,” Hildebrand stated. She looked at her nephew, who looked lost. “My late brother-in-law knew what he was about when he made sure Charles had such limited authority. Arthur recognised how easily led his son is, and that, at least at this stage of his life, how irresolute and even capricious Charles is. That is why, even when he reaches his majority, there will be restrictions.
“Arthur told John that as much as he wanted to leave the carriage works to Charles, he could not do so in good conscience. Now that John is in charge, he will make sure to continue his brother’s work and grow the company. With the thirty percent of the business Charles will own when he is thirty, he will have a good income, not even counting the interest from the fortune he will have one day.” Hildebrand thought of something which made her look uneasy. “I mean no disrespect, but with Harold’s indolence and preference for drink…”
“You need not be concerned, Aunt Hildebrand. He will not do anything without consulting me,” Louisa assured her aunt. She was certain her aunt and Uncle John could be trusted with the truth about Harold, but she could not share that information without Father Hurst's permission.
With Louisa’s assurance, Hildebrand relaxed.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
With Caroline Bingley’s departure from 148 Princess Street, the house was much calmer.
Bingley departed to return to his studies at Cambridge a day after his younger sister left. He had displayed enough wisdom as to not question his late father’s decisions as laid out in the will. At this point, he had more than enough money to live on so all of his needs would be met, leaving him nothing to repine—for now.
In the last week he was in Scarborough before their departure to London, Harold designated Mr Potter the agent to lease out the house on Princess Street. When Charles reached the age of five and twenty, the house would be his.
On the final day of January, Louisa and Harold Hurst, along with their personal servants and footmen, began the journey to London.
Chapter 11
Wednesday, the first day of August 1804, was the day Louisa began labouring just after two o’clock in the morning.
Ever since Edward Gardiner had agreed to become a source for the secret organisation run by the senior Hurst, the families had become much closer. Hence, while Leticia Hurst and Maddie Gardiner were in the birthing chamber with the midwife and housekeeper, Hurst, Gardiner, and Harold were in the study of the house on Curzon Street.
The two older men had to practically restrain the younger every time he heard his wife cry out in pain. When it was suggested that he should have some brandy or the like, Harold had refused. “I want to have all my faculties about me when I meet the newest Hurst,” he insisted.
Hurst and Gardiner raised their hands in surrender. Like the younger man, they did not agree with the convention that the father could not be in the birthing chamber.
Harold had only withdrawn when Louisa had asked him to because the midwife was very uncomfortable with a man present during the birthing process, and she did not want the woman to be nervous when delivering her babe. To placate Harold, Louisa had whispered that if they were blessed with any subsequent children, they would find a midwife who would not turn into a bag of nerves at the prospect of a man being present.
Before half after four in the morning, when the sun had already risen above the horizon, the sounds of Louisa’s labouring could still be heard in the house. While he had heard her screams, Harold had still felt that she was with him; hence, at just after seven, when there was silence for some minutes, hewas prepared to bolt up the stairs and burst into the chamber. The mewling of a newborn babe calmed him somewhat. He still needed to know that the other half of his heart was healthy. This time when he headed for the door of the study and flung it open, neither his father nor Gardiner attempted to stop him.
As Harold reached the birthing chamber, his mother was exiting, a swaddled babe in her arms. The ear-to-ear smile on her face told him his Louisa was well, but he would not be completely easy until he saw her for himself.
“Come meet your son, Harold,” Leticia cooed. “Louisa told me you agreed that if you had a son, he would be named Arthur Ignatius Hurst. Is that correct?”
“Indeed, it is. I see my son is bald, but I understand that is common in newborns. Louisa is truly well?” Harold asked. “May I enter and see her now? I will hold little Arthur as soon as I see his mother is hale and healthy.”
“The midwife was just finishing up, but I am sure it will be but a short wait before you may enter. And yes, Louisa is as well as any mother can be after the travails of childbirth. Be easy, Son. She is a strong, healthy woman, who I am sure, will be a wonderful mother to my grandson,” Leticia reassured her son. “How overjoyed I am to be a grandmamma. I will take little Arthur down to meet his Grandpapa Ignatius.”
