Page 55 of The Cheapside Runners
“I imagine you do better than that.”
“I do. He very reasonably pointed out that the return on Georgiana’s dowry alone, just in the time since her rescue, made me more than that. From that standpoint, the course is free—or evenprofitable. In fact, he could reasonably charge even more, because if he can keep her from doing anything stupid, I can expect to gain double or treble that amount just by keeping her single for another year or two. I make money on it every year, while the amount of the dowry remains constant.”
The colonel whistled long and low. “I am impressed with his reasoning. I suspect his income is far greater than his address suggests.”
“Most likely. Had we entered his home that first night you would have thought yourself on Park Street. That said, he only keeps a small portion of that fee. The course is overseen by a woman named Mrs Black. She invented it, developed the curriculum, and teaches it. He says the course is of the nature that she takes considerable reputational risk managing it, and she is entitled to charge what it is worth. That is the reason for the huge differential between what a modest man pays and a wealthy one.”
“The man sounds like a radical, though someone in myposition should take note.”
Just at that moment, Darcy got an excellent idea as if struck by lightning. At least one of his objectives in life had foundered on men’s pride, both his and others. He suspected Miss Elizabeth would more likely call it pig-headed stubbornness, and he could not necessarily argue. He thought he may as well seize the moment.
“Speaking of that, the discussion made me think of something that seems obvious in retrospect.”
“Do tell?”
“You bear half the responsibility for Georgiana but are not compensated. Basic fairness suggests you should get at least half the benefit from her dowry, or all, since it is her money, not mine.”
“Is this yet another scheme to throw money at someone you feel is in need without injuring his pride?”
“Not really, but would it be so terrible if it were? I have yet to see a first son complain that he did not earn his father’s largess.”
The colonel turned pensive, so Darcy continued his assault.
“You know I am right. If you got an inheritance from a distant uncle, you would take it without a second thought.”
“I suppose so. Does it matter if I accept gracefully, reluctantly, or not at all?”
“The bit is in my teeth.”
The colonel boomed out in laughter. “I shall say it again, Darcy. You have it bad.”
Darcy did not have the heart to argue the point, especially since he was not at all convinced the colonel was mistaken.
~~~~~
“Gentlemen, welcome,” Gardiner said jovially the next evening when the men came to dinner. “Alas, I have not a single niece for your company today, but I suppose you can make dowith my wife and daughters.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you at last, Mr and Mrs Gardiner,” the colonel replied with matching humour.
The Gardiner children were allowed to visit with the company as long as they were well behaved, and Fitzwilliam had to laugh that the eldest Miss Gardiner was, as his cousin had mentioned, around twelve. Still, he found the child precocious, and as he may have expected, intelligent and well-read. He wondered how much of that might be because of the phantom elder Miss Gardiner.
The dinner they sat down to was pleasant. Darcy had not managed to spend much time with Mrs Gardiner in his previous visits, so he was pleasantly surprised to find her hailing from Lambton. She was a decade older, and they ran in different circles, but they still had enough connexions in common to pleasantly discuss the happenings about the neighbourhood. Darcy wondered if his cousin’s second victim was from Lambton, but he was not about to bring it up. Perhaps, he might do so with Mr Gardiner, but he certainly was not comfortable enough to do it with the lady of the house.
After dinner, they separated the sexes for the remainder of the afternoon as Mrs Gardiner had things to do with the children and the governess, and she suspected they had some tedious business to discuss anyway.
When the men got down to business, Darcy began. “I told my cousin about your course, and our ward’s participation in it.”
The colonel weighed in. “That is actually a damn-fine idea, if you ask me Mr Gardiner.”
“Just Gardiner will do, gentlemen.”
They nodded, and offered the same privilege, then Fitzwilliam continued. “It seems rather basic when you get right down to it.”
“How so?” Gardiner asked.
“When most men think about protecting our charges, we all seem to do the same things. Surround them with footmen, governesses, and companions—then just hope one of them teaches them how to avoid doing stupid things. It makes no sense when you step back and think about it.”
“Like going into battle without training your men, I suppose,” Gardiner replied.
