The two matriarchs spent much time together, and Lady Lucas had been greatly relieved when Lady Edith agreed that Charlotte should marry from Lucas Lodge, and there was no need for a big society wedding to be solemnised at St George’s or St Paul’s in London. The countess had agreed that St Alfred’s Church in Meryton had more than enough space, and she had volunteered Netherfield Park for the wedding breakfast. Rather than allow her pride to rule, Lady Lucas had agreed, as she was well aware of the limits for entertaining guests at her home due to the size of Lucas Lodge’s manor house.
When it was time for Jamey to travel north to Hadlock to supervise spring planting, Charlotte had joined him so she would be able to see her future home. Her mother and younger sister had accompanied them to act as chaperones and to see the estate for themselves. If that was not enough, Lizzy and Mary travelled from Holder Heights to join them at their brother’s estate. Jane and Mother remained at Father’s estate.
Charlotte had seen a comfortable and well-appointed house, about the same size as, or possibly a little larger than, Netherfield Park’s manor. Lady Lucas had, for the first time, seen a graphic display of the Carringtons’ wealth. Her daughter would be the mistress of an estate with an income above six thousand pounds, roughly six times that produced by Lucas Lodge.
While at Hadlock, Charlotte met some of their neighbours at a dinner at which her mother had the honour of acting as hostess. She found almost all the people pleasant and welcoming except for one family who had wanted their daughter to be the next Viscountess Hadlock. When said mother and disappointed daughter saw how friendly Ladies Elizabeth and Mary were with their sister-to-be, they decided that discretion was the better part of valour.
When they departed Hadlock, they made the less than thirty-mile journey to Holder Heights to return Elizabeth and Mary home. If Lady Lucas had been awed when she saw Hadlock, that was nothing to her first view of Holder Heights. The house was two to three times larger, and it seemed the estate was also far bigger. She would have loved to have known the income, but she was aware one did not ask something like that.
For the balance of their engagement, Jamey remained at Netherfield Park in Charlotte’s company every day.
The rest of the Carringtons, the Darcys, and the Fitzwilliams arrived at Netherfield Park on the final Monday of April, a few days before Jamey’s birthday. To celebrate his birthday on the final day of the month, a huge family dinner was planned. In addition to those resident at Netherfield Park and the Lucases, the Gardiners, Phillipses, Longs, and Gouldings attended.
The Purvises would have been invited, except they had sold their small estate and moved to Upper Canada. Lizzy was very sorry that Penny Purvis was no longer in the area.
It was not widely known, but Agatha and Frank Phillips had purchased Purvis Lodge with some of the capital they had received from the sale of Netherfield Park. It was a sound investment, and it ensured that if neither Kitty nor Lydia ever married, they would always have a home, especially when someone of Bennet blood claimed Longbourn in the future.
Guests from London began to arrive on the Tuesday before the wedding, as there would be a pre-wedding ball on Wednesday. It was being hosted by Edith, and she had planned it with two full days before the wedding to make sure everyone was rested by Saturday morning.
With the number of guests, Jane, Lizzy, Mary, and Anna decided to accept Aunt Agatha’s invitation to be hosted at Longbourn. They moved there the Monday prior to the wedding.
Kitty and Lydia, fifteen and twelve, respectively, were very excited that their sisters and honorary sister, Anna, would be residing at Longbourn. Lawrence, who would be ten later that year, was not so enamoured with so many girls in the house. He liked all of them a lot; he was just not used to the large number of them at once.
For the Carrington-Bennet sisters, that first night was the first time they slept in the home of their birth since the night before their birth mother took them to London all those years ago.
Edith and Holder had been worried that being back in the house would cause their daughters some negative feelings, but the worry was for nought. To their daughters, it was just another house to sleep in and did not hold any special, and certainly no negative, significance to them. They were fully aware it was the house where they were born, but that was the only thing of note to them.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The day before the ball, Fitzwilliam was readying himself to ride to Longbourn when William joined him in the stables. He did not miss that while one groom led Invictus out of his box, another was doing the same with Zeus.
“Are you riding up to that Oakham Mount all of the locals go on about?” Fitzwilliam ribbed. He was certain William was also on his way to Longbourn.
“Quip as much as you like; I am sure you are aware that Lizzy is out locally and will be attending the ball,” William retorted with put on hauteur. “As Aunt Edith and Holder have allowed her to attend the whole ball, I intend to request two sets from her.”
“Two sets?” Fitzwilliam’s eyebrows shot up.
“Her parents have granted their permission for me to request them from her,” William replied. He paused as he thought of something. “You know Lizzy as well as I do. She will not accept two, or any sets, with me unless it is what she wants to do.” William saw his cousin nod his agreement. “Did I not hear you request permission to secure three important sets with Jane? I believe that is your purpose in riding thither this morning, is it not?”
“Guilty as charged,” Fitzwilliam owned with a wide grin. “Do not forget, I am courting Jane, and I intend to propose soon.”
“Now the only question is whether we reach Longbourn before the sisters and Anna go riding,” William stated as they exited the paddock via a gate a groom had opened for the two riders.
As soon as they were in the field, both men applied pressure with their knees, and their stallions instantly surged forward into a full gallop. Neither man believed they needed a whip or riding crop. Their horses were well trained and responded to verbal commands and pressure without any violence needed; men and beasts trusted one another.
Both mounts thundered towards the fence demarcating the border between the two estates. Being experienced riders who knew their horses could clear the fence with ease, both men made sure their steeds could see the fence. The stallions jumped at almost the same moment and sailed over the obstacle with more than a foot to spare. Not long after arriving on Longbourn’s land, the cousins saw a riding party in the distance. They were easily identifiable thanks to the massive bulks of Biggs and Johns among the other escorts with them. Each man turned their mounts towards the group of riders at the other end of the field.
Biggs and Johns identified the two men approaching their group of charges and signalled that there was no danger to the other two men with them.
“Look, Jane! Richard is pursuing you,” Elizabeth teased as she sat atop Snowdrop.
“And William is not charging towards us to see Anna,” Jane jested back.
Elizabeth had been hoping William would ask her for a set at the ball on the morrow. She had attended two assemblies in Holder since Mamma and Papa had allowed her to come out locally, but this would be her first private ball and certainly the first one at which William would be present.
The cousins had their horses at a slow canter to match the riding party by the time they joined it.
“Good morning, ladies,” Fitzwilliam said, but his eyes were firmly locked on Jane. “By the direction, I assume you are headed for the famous Oakham Mount, of which we have been told?”
