“As a boy, I thought that I had to solve everything on my own, that it is what was expected of me. I was wrong for I have seen how father and mother confide in one another, and the same with your mother and father. In my misplaced pride I thought I knew the solution to a problem and that it was the only right one, which was wrong on more than one level because it never was an actual problem except in my own head. What I should have done was ask my parents for advice when I first feared what set me on this wrong path.”
“What ideas?” Lizzy asked innocently. Both the Earl and Countess shook their heads very slightly but enough for William to understand that there were certain things that a seven-year-old did not need to be confronted with yet.
“Your papa and I know what it was, Lizzy,” her mother said gently.“You are a highly intelligent young girl, but there are some things that you will find out as you mature which should not yet concern you and would more concern us if they did. When the time comes, I promise you that we will answer any questions that you may have. I will tell you that we understand what led William to act as he did.” Seeing the hurt on her daughter’s face Elaine clarified,“Understanding is not agreement, Lizzy. William knows full well that none of us at Snowhaven or Pemberley agree with the way he handled things. And as someone who has known him for the whole of his life, I can assure you that his contrition is sincere.” Lizzy looked to her father who nodded in agreement.
“You may not know this, Lizzy, but your brothers wanted to take William out behind the house and beat him to a pulp,” her father teased in an attempt to help her lighten up; his smirk towards his nephew made William blanch at hearing his fears were real. This made her almost smile but she considered what that meant and shook her head.
“I would not have wanted them to do that to Will,” Lizzy said earnestly. None of the three in the study noticed that she used‘Will’for the first time since he had begun to ignore her. She then looked directly at William.“You may again call me Lizzy, but if you ever hurt me like that again, I will not stop my brothers if they want to beat you, maybe even ask them to myself!”
“I will try and make sure that I never repeat my behaviour, Lizzy,” William vowed as a wave of relief passed over him.
“Then you have my forgiveness, Will,” Lizzy said, and William started to grin until she added,“It will take me time to trust you again. You made me feel like you would have preferred that I was never part of your family.”
“Believe me when I tell you that I understand I will have to work to regain your trust, Lizzy, and that I am willing to do whatever it takes,” he promised quietly, his eyes never wavering from hers.
“May I go now, Mama and Papa?” Lizzy asked wanting to return to her pianoforte.
“Yes, sweetling,” her mother said as she hugged and kissed her daughter who then skipped out of the study feeling a lot better than she had before William arrived.
“Before you go, William,” his Uncle Reggie started. William looked at his uncle and saw the serious mien.“If youeverdo anything like this again, dealing with my sons will be the very least of your problems. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, sir. I understand you completely,” William replied solemnly. He looked at his uncle and aunt.“Would you consider returning to Pemberley so that Georgie and the rest of the family do not suffer for my bad choices?” Then he added,“If need be, I will absent myself; my concern is not for myself.”
“We will discuss returning, William, and I will send a note to my sister with our decision,” Aunt Elaine said.“There is no need for you to absent yourself from your home. Lizzy has forgiven you, and if you do leave, the first thing she will think is that you want to be away from her.”
William saw the truth in his aunt’s words and was about to apologise when his uncle stood and put his hand on his nephew’s shoulder.“You are still young William, you will learn.” Leaving the Earl’s study, William felt a lot lighter than when he entered. As he walked out, he received a slap on his arm, and a none too gentle one either.
Anne de Bourgh stood in front of him arms akimbo.“That was for hurting, Lizzy. I know you apologised, but do not do it again! She ismylittle sister!” Anne stalked off before a stunned William could pick up his dropped jaw. His cousin was not a shy and retiring wall flower any longer. It seemed that Elizabeth’s influence had been absorbed by Anne as well.
He heard a guffaw behind him and saw Richard standing against the wall much amused at his cousin’s set down by their willowy cousin.“You are very lucky that my sister forgave you,” Richard said as he accompanied William out to where Zeus was being held by a groom. William felt again how close he had come to a break with his cousin who had always been a best friend and more a brother to him. If Richard had been forced to choose between his sister and his cousin, William had no doubt that it would have been Lizzy no matter how much it would have hurt him to push William away.
The ten miles between Snowhaven and Pemberley seemed to fly by unnoticed, and when a tired but happy William walked into Pemberley, his parents could immediately see that his mission of contrition had borne fruit. An hour later a note arrived from Snowhaven announcing that the family would be arriving two hours after the note. For the first time since the Fitzwilliams had departed, Georgiana spoke to her brother again.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Oscar Bingley was feeling somewhat nervous as he walked into his landlord’s study where, other than the master of Longbourn, both Frank Phillips and Edward Gardiner awaited him. Once greetings were complete and coffee and some fresh pastries had been delivered and consumed, Mr Bingley sat to await the decision to his petition of becoming an investor.
“If I were to consider your family as a factor in my decision, my answer would be an easy no,” Gardiner opened the conversation.“However, I see no reason to penalise you for the behaviour of your wife and daughters in society. I try to keep business and personal separate and see no reason not to do so now.”
Bingley let out a breath that he had been holding.“Does that mean you will accept my investment?” he asked hopefully.
“I will, but on one condition,” Gardiner returned.“I would like you to sell a twenty percent stake in Bingley Carriage Works to Gardiner and Associates.”
This was not something Bingley had expected.“But my annual income will be reduced if I dilute my ownership share any further,” he admitted with trepidation.
“You will receive an infusion of money that, when added to what you have saved, will supplement your income with the dividends that you will earn. I also suggest that you consult your brother and get him to agree to put up some of his shares. He too would receive some funds now and you both would still be the majority shareholders and we would pledge our shares to you so no other shareholder will be able to challenge the Bingley leadership in the company,” Gardiner explained, and Bingley ruminated on what had been proposed.
“If Paul agrees to sell some of his shares so the twenty percent will not come from me alone, I will agree.” Then Bingley got an idea.“I could also see if some of the minor shareholders want to sell their stakes as that would significantly reduce the amount of my shares I would have to part with.”
“You will hear no objection from me. I care not who it is that sells me the twenty percent,” Gardiner said, as the two men shook hands. As Bingley departed, he felt much contented on the three-mile carriage ride back to Netherfield. He would write letters as soon as he arrived home, and hopefully the sale would be closed within a month then he could transfer the funds to invest that he desired.
Chapter 14
April 1799
William was gratified that the family, most specifically Lizzy, had understood that once he had accepted the invitation to his friend’s home for Easter there was no honourable way to rescind his acceptance. As the carriage with him and Bingley entered the drive, his heart was at Rosings where the family was.
William found it hard to credit that he had almost completed his second year at Eton; for after Easter there would be barely a month before the end of the school year. He would be sorry to see Richard leave, though he knew his cousin was looking forward to starting Trinity College, Cambridge the next school year. At least it would only be one year without Richard before he himself started at Cambridge. William’s thoughts were interrupted as the Bingley coach came to a halt at the entrance to the house. Mr and Mrs Bingley and their youngest daughter were awaiting them at the top of the stairs. His friend had told him that his older sister, Louisa, was spending Easter with one of her friends from the seminary so there would at least be one less female fawning over him.
