Page 95 of New World Tea Company
Then she prayed fervently,‘Lord, do not allow these things to happen to Eliza…Maria…any young women I know.’
She went to the tea caddy and selected fresh leaves for the evening tea. Justifying using new leaves tonight, she decided,‘I need the fortifying flavour of strong tea tonight.’
From the front of the house, there were the familiar sounds of Mr Collins entering the parsonage and calling for his wife’s attention. Charlotte viciously crushed the fresh leaves, shredding them before stuffing them into the teapot. She took a deep breath, used the cloth to lift the kettle from the fire, and poured hot water over the leaves before attending to her husband.
“My dear, Lady Catherine and I spent many hours in prayer this afternoon concerning her purchase of shares in the New World Tea Company.”
“Did her ladyship pray for guidance from the Lord, Mr Collins?”
“No, she instructed me to pray that the Lord bless Mr Wickham with great fortune and his ships with good winds.”
“And did she feed you supper after many prayers?” Charlotte asked, hopeful of not having to feed her husband this evening.
“She did indeed,” Collins replied very happily.
“A sign of her ladyship’s favour for certain, Mr Collins. She prays for gold and feeds her parson,” the woman replied to her husband’s last comment. “Do you wish for a cup of tea before retiring?”
“Yes, my dear. That will be the perfect ending to the perfect day.”
As the couple shared a pot of fresh tea, Mr Collins recited several prayers he had shared with Lady Catherine while Charlotte prayed silently for guidance. Resolved, she decided,‘I do not need Eliza’s head to deal with today’s events. No one would ever believe me. I shall pray for strength and deal with it myself.’
Bitterly she mourned,‘I have no choice but to deal with it.’
~~~
Chapter 43.Mr Darcy in London
Following his early return from Kent, Darcy spent several days dealing with letters from stewards in Derbyshire, Derby, and his personal holdings in Kent. The man who managed Darcy’s farms in that county had heard of the man’s sudden departure and sought confirmation that nothing was amiss with the management of the Darcy holdings.
At meals, Fitzwilliam spoke freely with his sister, and during the hours for work, he focused on letters and inventories with his secretary. Together with his trusted secretary, Darcy visited the three banks where his family deposited gold and kept some valuables in strong boxes in various vaults. Finally, a vital appointment was arranged with the attorneys who handled the legal affairs for Rosings Park. For this meeting, Fitzwilliam Darcy dressed smartly in a dark suit of clothes when he and his secretary climbed into his carriage pulled by a pair of dapple greys; seated comfortably out of the rain, Darcy waited while the coachman navigated the team through the busy streets of London, avoiding other horses, carriages, carts and the occasional pedestrian attempting to cross the street.
Stopping momentarily at the firm that represented the Darcy businesses and concerns, a trusted attorney entered the carriage, and the three men rode further into London to another legal firm. This second group of lawyers managed the affairs for Rosings Park; five years earlier when he became executor of Sir Louis de Bourgh’s estate, Mr Darcy had considered consolidating the estate’s matters for Rosings Park with his own, but after a single season dealing with his aunt’s demands, he refused to give the notion any additional consideration.
Today Fitzwilliam Darcy spoke with Mr Gilbert Hastings, the lead attorney for his late uncle’s estate. In the conversation, Hastings learned that Mr Darcy relinquished all responsibilities and authority over his cousin’s estate and banking concerns. He also denied any future responsibilities for the taxes due on the estate, or tithes to the church. After the two groups of attorneys agreed on the appropriate wording, Fitzwilliam Darcy signed several papers and concluded, “My cousin Anne de Bourgh turns five-and-twenty shortly. She can deal with her mother after today.”
Mr Hastings did not attempt to hide his growing concern when he asked, “Can Miss de Bourgh manage Lady Catherine?”
Refusing to answer the question directly, Darcy replied, “If my cousin marries, her husband will address Lady Catherine’s demands.”
~~~
As a passenger in a crowded stagecoach, George Wickham returned to London after his venture into Kent. Upon his return to the Sleeping Dog, he revised his plans to sell stocks to Miss Bingley and Lady Catherine. The older noblewoman would be in London in three days, and he would complete the trap to obtain the funds from Miss de Bourgh’s estate. With the funds from Rosings in hand, he would press Miss Bingley to hand over the majority of her dowry.
In the afternoon of the same day that he arrived in the city, Edith Young appeared at the Sleeping Dog and made certain that George understood that Miss Bingley had grown anxious without any word from Lord Campbell in four weeks. She pressed forward her argument, “The woman has no patience, George. For you to be gone for ten days on business while Mr Bounty is absent for a month complete, she imagines Lord Campbell lying dead in a ditch along some Irish road.”
Grimacing in frustration, George admitted, “I have several worn parchments I can use to compose a letter and bring around tomorrow. When did Phillip say he would return from Bath?”
Edith frowned, “Bath? You told me that Mr Bounty went to York on some errand for you. He never mentioned the reason or duration of this absence to me. The tale Miss Bingley heard was the Lord Campbell was to survey the Earl of Argyl’s properties in Ireland in April. The month of May is upon us without Phillip’s return.”
~~~
There was a revealing conversation in the Mayfair home of the Darcy siblings one afternoon. Georgiana was summoned to her brother’s office near the front door for a discussion with Fitzwilliam without his secretary, her lady’s companion, or the servants listening. Walking into the office and hearing the footman close the door behind her, the young girl was nervous; from this room her brother commanded men across Britain to complete tasks that increased the wealth of the Darcy family.
However today Georgiana relaxed when she found herself joining him on a comfortable sofa. While seated together, Fitzwilliam Darcy explained to his younger sister that he hoped to propose and marry a young woman he had met before the summer ended. He confessed that he had been unpleasant with the young woman when they first met, but she had forgiven his past behaviour, and he planned to court her.
Concentrating for a moment, Georgiana revised her conversations and correspondence with her brother from the last twelve months and asked, “Is this young woman the Miss Elizabeth Bennet of whom you write?”
Revealing his surprise at his sister’s perceptive question, Darcy admitted that he did plan to pursue Miss Elizabeth and make her is bride.
