Page 129 of New World Tea Company
Kitty was in awe of her future brother-in-law and realized proper behaviour was required to win his approval. Mary was pleased by the engagement because this meant she would have future conversations with Miss Darcy who loved music as much as she did.
For a few days, Mr Bennet enjoyed his wife’s discomposure to have their second daughter engaged to one of the richest men in the kingdoms. Jane and Charles were both pleased to learn of the engagement upon their return to Netherfield, and they were pleased that the good news meant that no one was too interested in their news from London.
Over the next week, Thomas also took pleasure in the looks of wonder on the faces of neighbours when his wife shared the news. But then the gentleman grew concerned at the idea his favourite child would leave his home and only return in the future as the wife of this other gentleman. He would never againhave an afternoon in his library with his little girl curled up with a new book while she asked him a hundred questions.
Mrs Jane Bingley rejoiced for her sister’s happiness to be engaged to a man she truly loved. And Mr and Mrs Bingley were pleased that Mr and Mrs Darcy would be located in Derbyshire – the county where they hoped to relocate when the lease on Netherfield ended in two more years.
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When Charles and Jane acted as chaperones for the couple during a walk in the gardens around Netherfield, there was an uncomfortable conversation that involved all four. Charles began by stopping Jane’s progress along the path and that halted Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth behind them.
“Miss Elizabeth, Jane and I want to provide you with sad news,” began Charles. Glancing at her fiancé with his suddenly stoic expression and her sister’s sad face, Elizabeth tightened her fingers on Darcy’s arm. In response, his free hand came around to caress her hand gently.
“The troubles in London have been settled to everyone’s satisfaction except for my sister Caroline. In the months she was alone in London she fell into company with disreputable persons – Mr George Wickham and his confederates. They convinced my sister that she would marry a gentlemen known as Lord John Campbell and someday become the Countess of Argyle. To achieve this title, Caroline invested fifteen thousand pounds from her dowery in Wickham’s New World Tea Company. Then everyone and Caroline’s money vanished.”
Elizabeth exclaimed, “Vanished? What is to be done?”
“Nothing can be done,” Charles admitted. “Wickham killed his confederates and disappeared. He took passage to somewhere in the colonies.”
Suddenly concerned for Jane’s felicity, Elizabeth insisted, “But what of Miss Bingley? Will she live with Mr and Mrs Hurst? Or with you and Jane?”
Jane replied, “No, Caroline will not live with Louisa and Geoffrey or with us. She has become a lady’s companion to provide her with a roof over her head, food, and heat. She has an income from the remainder of her dowry, but she must work.”
Elizabeth knew of a disaster with Miss Bingley’s dowry but until this moment had not known the outcome. Relieved that Miss Bingley would not be present in her sister’s home, Elizabeth was unwilling to express any sentiment aloud.
“There is a serendipitous connection between Miss Bingley’s situation and my aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh,” Fitzwilliam stated.
Elizabeth paused and looked up at Fitzwilliam for explanation. Darcy grimaced and said, “I am certain you remember when my aunt imposed herself on Mrs Bingley that afternoon at Netherfield. Like Miss Bingley, my aunt had given Mr Wickham fifteen thousand pounds to purchase shares in the New World Tea Company.”
Shaking her head in disbelief, Elizabeth asked, “Fitzwilliam, what is the connection between Miss Bingley and Lady Catherine now?”
“Miss Caroline Bingley is become Lady Catherine’s lady’s companion. They share the dower house at Rosings Park.”
~~~
Chapter 62.Fox Hunt at Pemberley
The next afternoon, the Bennet family travelled to Netherfield to join the Bingley couple and Darcy siblings for tea. Gathered in the parlour of the neighbouring manor house, Mrs Bennet was gracious with her praise of Miss Darcy’s performance on the piano in the Netherfield parlour. Frances decided that Mary would have a new frock and alterations to others immediately because her third daughter appeared to be the particular friend of Mr Darcy’s sister. After the honeymoon, Frances would write Lizzy and suggest that Mary come to visit with the Darcy family. This would throw Mary into the company of young men from suitable families with money.
While Lydia chaffed under her mother’s restrictions to behave like a young lady in this social setting, Kitty directed the youngest sister to a table in the parlour with a collection of the papers that Jane brought back from London. They spent most of the visit searching through the gossip columns for scandalous stories about elopements and mysterious disappearances of young women.
Mr Bennet remained with Charles in a far corner of the parlour for most of the visit, drinking Bingley’s fine port rather than tea while keeping his eye on Lizzy and her tall fiancé who sat alone on a settee near a large window. The couple were removed from the others so no one could eavesdrop on their conversation.
Thomas Bennet found himself frowning when he observed the gentleman take his daughter’s hand and not relinquish it. Fortunately, Charles observed the frowns and intervened with conversation interesting enough to distract his father-in-law;they spoke of the names of books that Bingley should purchase to begin to build a library of his own.
Separated from their family and hosts as much as possible in the large room, Darcy and Elizabeth spent their time discussing the rituals of life in the country – the rituals observed at Pemberley, the Darcy manor house in the north of England.
“Our social lives will be guided by the calendar and our obligations,” Fitzwilliam explained to his fiancée.
“What obligations will we have?” Elizabeth asked with honest interest.
“The largest obligations at Pemberley will include fox hunts for gentry and aristocracy in our circle of influence. We must host at least one major hunt each autumn. We are the most prominent family without a noble title in Derbyshire, and everyone looks to the Darcys to lead the county.”
“What sort of hunt does Pemberley host?”
“Some years we host a week of deer and pheasants hunt for the gentry. But on other years – such as this year – we shall host a fox hunt.”
“What is required for a successful fox hunt at Pemberley?”
