The two walked back to the Bingley travelling carriage where father and son shook hands and the son stood and watched until the vehicle was no longer visible after turning a corner. Before he walked back into the house, a most impressive carriage was stopped by the driver in front of the house. It was one of the largest and most luxurious carriage that Charles had seen, even counting those under construction on those occasions when he visited his father at work before they moved from Yorkshire. There were two footmen riding on the rear bench and he counted four outriders. The door with the crest on it swung open and a man around his father’s age, just a lot fitter looking, stepped down. Charles assumed he was followed by the son who was as tall as the father and looked to be built just as solidly.
The one who had been identified as the house captain exited the house and clapped the young man on his back.“William and Uncle George, welcome.” Richard Fitzwilliam said jovially.“I told you that you should have come with me,” Richard said as he punched his cousin on the arm in jest,“we arrived yesterday. Father is already half way back to Snowhaven by now.”
“I am not sorry that we had an additional day at home,” William stated,“Alex was none too happy that Anne, Lizzy, and Georgie all departed for Snowhaven the same day,” he said, grinning as he remembered the snit that his brother had thrown.
“Soon enough,” Mr Darcy said,“Alex will be visiting without us like the rest of you do.”
As Richard turned, he saw Bingley standing looking a little nonplussed as he watched the scene outside his house.“You are Bingley, are you not?” he asked the lad who seemed startled to be addressed by his house captain. Richard had seen the lad with his father and heard the name.
“Er, yes sir, I am Charles Bingley,” Charles responded, not sure what the protocol for addressing his house captain was.
“I am not a sir, Master Bingley,” Richard informed him with a slight chuckle at the lad’s behalf.“You call me Captain or Fitzwilliam.” Richard extended his hand and was glad the shake was firm, even if Charles seemed nervous.
“This tall fellow here,” Richard pointed towards William,“is your chamber mate Fitzwilliam Darcy, and the gentleman,” he indicated his uncle,“is my reprobate of a cousin’s honoured father and my uncle, Mr George Darcy of Pemberley in Derbyshire.” Bingley gave a crisp bow to each as he was introduced.
“That makes you a first year,” William stated.“Well met, Master Bingley.” William extended his hand to the scrawny lad.
“Please call me Bingley,” Charles requested as he extended his hand.
“What is your father’s estate?” Mr Darcy asked, trying to determine whether or not he knew the lad’s father as the Bingley name was known to him in some way he could not quite place.
“We do not have an estate, sir,” Bingley said awkwardly.“My father owns the Bingley Carriage Works in Scarborough.” He expected to be derided and was surprised that was not the reaction he received.
“Your family’s business makes good carriages,” Mr Darcy said as he considered his equipages.“I have a landau and barouche that were built there, and they are very well-made vehicles.”
“I will be sure to tell my father that I met a satisfied customer,” Bingley said as he gained a modicum of confidence because the members of the Ton before him seemed to accept him regardless of his roots. The four moved indoors as William’s trunks were carried into their chambers.
There were two men available in each house of underclassmen to help them with their needs; only upperclassmen like Richard who had their own chambers were allowed to have a personal valet to attend them. Mr Darcy had just hired a man for William, Carstens, who would train under his valet until William returned home for term breaks and other times when there was no school.
Mr Darcy took his leave after bidding his son and nephew a good term and wished the Bingley lad good luck. It did not take long for the three young men to become comfortable in one another’s company. Unfortunately for Charles Bingley, however, word soon spread that a tradesman’s son was in the incoming class that year.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
At Snowhaven the three cousins seemed to grow closer by the day. Even though Anne de Bourgh was approaching her twelfth birthday, she often deferred to Elizabeth who took a leadership role among the three. She did not seek or demand it; it had just happened due to her ability to see things from multiple sides of an issue or task.
Contrary to her mother’s prediction that Anne would never master a musical instrument like she herself had failed to do, Anne was progressing very nicely. Anne had joined Lizzy and Georgie when the voice master worked with them, but by mutual agreement she soon put her energies into the harp and pianoforte as her singing voice was rather weak and would never be able to carry a tune far into an audience. The three missed their older brothers and cousins but knew that in a month they would be going to London. They would see the three in school a number of times while they were in Town, also they would be at Pemberley for the Christmas term break for close to a month’s duration.
While the mothers made sure that everything was in order for the almost three months they would be in Town, the masters of Pemberley and Snowhaven were working closely with their stewards to make sure that the autumn harvests were proceeding apace.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
William Bennet felt very grown up, the family had just celebrated his tenth birthday and he could not have felt happier, or more loved; he felt a member of the family in every way. He was keen to see Charles Bingley when his friend returned to Netherfield from Eton for the Christmas break as he was very keen to quiz his older friend about what it was like at school. True, it was still more than three years before he would attend, but he was an inquisitive lad and had many questions stored up.
Bennet and his two older sons had worked hard with the stewards of all three estates to make sure that the harvest that year was a bountiful one. Thanks to having implemented some of the modern farming methods like crop rotation, Bennet calculated that there would be an increase of around a combined thousand pounds from the estates over the previous year.
After consulting with his wife, it was decided that more than half of the increase would be used to give the servants at all three estates substantial Christmas bonuses and the rest would be placed into the fund they maintained to assist any of their tenants who had genuine and unforeseen problems that taxed their income. The way that his tenants were treated was one of the reasons his tenants did not leave and there was a waiting list of applications in the event that one of the coveted spots ever opened up.
In July of that year, the master and mistress of Longbourn had decided that they wanted to do something to give back to the community that had been so good to them. After a long discussion, they decided to fund a school for any that wanted their children to learn their letters and numbers, as well as some of the more advanced subjects such as basic environmental sciences. The discussions also included idea sessions to brainstorm ways to make things better for all ages and genders, and those who assisted in the implementation of said ideas would receive notable bonuses. In addition, they contacted Mr Jones to ask if he were interested in their funding of a clinic so he could offer medical services to those who could not afford it. Jones did as much free work as he could afford to do, which was not much, so the Bennet’s offer was a godsend to the man.
A charitable foundation was started, and Tammy Bennet was joined on the board by Mrs Phillips, Lady Lucas, Mrs Goulding, and Mrs Long. The latter found a lot more fulfilment with the charitable work and the care of her nieces than she ever did when her stock to trade was gossip, made up or true. After her sincere apology to Mrs Bennet, she had been readily forgiven and the two ladies had become close; not best of friends, but much more than indifferent acquaintances.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
One afternoon Mr Long and his wife were sitting in their small park indulgently watching their nieces, Mandy and Cara at play with Jane Bennet and Mariah Lucas, who was but four like their Cara. Mr Long watched with interest as an express rider made his way at speed up his drive and vaulted off his horse before it had come to a complete stop.
A servant directed the rider to the master of the small estate where he handed his missive over in return for some coin. With trepidation, Long opened the letter which was written in a hand he did not recognise. His worst fears were soon confirmed.
22 August 1798
