Page 7 of Master of Netherfield
“Where is the coachman?” Darcy asked inspecting the dust on the old carriage and the harness for a carriage team.
“He left when the last master departed sir,” the boy explained. “He’d never allow us boys to touch the carriage or harness sir. But we keep the plough horses well-groomed, and their harness is cleaned every week.”
“Are you taking care of the horses yourself? Who decides how much feed and water they get?” Darcy asked as he continued his examination of the stable.
“The tenant farmers talk to me and Mr Taylor from Meryton has come out a couple times to talk to all three of us and check all of the farm horses.”
“Very good,” William said. “The blacksmith is named Taylor?”
“Yes sir, he is the only blacksmith in Meryton.”
“My carriage and a wagon will arrive shortly,” Darcy told the boy. “There will be six new horses here tonight so all these stalls must be cleaned with fresh straw spread about. Mr Smyth is my coachman, and he will give you orders beginning this afternoon.”
The boy swallowed nervously, and William grinned to reassure the stable boy, “Smyth is a fair man, no one who works for me will be anything but fair.”
Turning to Harris, he said, “Shall we surprise the cook and tour the house?”
“As you wish ‘Mr Darcy’,” the valet replied, catching his employer off guardfor a moment.
**++**
Chapter 3.Mr Bennet’s Family
Elizabeth Bennet, with her long legs and boundless energy of a young girl of fourteen years, walked ahead of her mother and sisters on the road to Meryton. At twelve years, Mary was often petulant, and Mrs Bennet was short-tempered with her middle child today. Ever the peacemaker, Jane with sixteen years intervened. Fortunately, Kitty and Lydia had been left at home in the care of the housekeeper.
“Mamma, walk ahead with Lizzy,” offered Jane. “I shall walk with Mary, and we shall join you at the Lucas Emporium when we reach Meryton.”
“Are you certain Jane?” Mrs Bennet asked but she had already given Mary’s hand to her eldest daughter. Jane slowed to Mary’s pace and encouraged her sister to talk of the reason for the trip to Meryton–to purchase cloth to make new dresses for all five of the Bennet sisters.
But the purpose of the trip to Meryton for their mother was for new ribbons for her cap–she must look her best. Worried that she was losing her husband’s attention–he had not visited her bed in many months–Mrs Bennet planned a special supper for her husband tonight with their daughters. Perhaps he would come to her again if he was pleased with her skills of managing their home, their daughters and his supper table.
When she reached Meryton, the road grew slightly wider with houses and shops lining the street and some shops were connected by a raised sidewalk of wood that reduced the amount of muck and dirt that was carried into the shops on the feet of the shoppers.
As she reached the corner of Lucas Emporium, a wooden shop that was frequently the source of Bennet purchases, Elizabeth heard a small child crying and she immediately turned from the street and hurried toward the cries. When she stepped around a stack of barrels beside the shop, Elizabeth found Charlie Lucas, son of the proprietor threatening a much younger boy, the son of a tenant farmer.
“Give me the shilling!” Charlie demanded of the boy.
Recognizing Davie Hall from Netherfield near Longbourn, Elizabeth stepped forward. Davie was only eight years to Charlie’s twelve years.
“Th’ gent’man give me th’ shilling! It be mine!”
“No gentleman would give a farm rat like you a penny let alone a shilling! You stole it from someone!” Charlie growled. “Hand it over or I’ll call the magistrate, and he’ll lock you in the livery stable for a month!”
Seeing Charlie raise his hand to strike the smaller boy, Elizabeth did not hesitate but jumped in, knocking Charlie into the barrels and then remained standing between the smaller boy and his tormentor.
“What gives?” Charlie Lucas demanded as he struggled to return to his feet. When he saw the angry older girl, he said, “This don’t concern you, Eliza Bennet!”
“What is going on out here?” asked a young woman’s voice, behind them all. When she turned her head, Elizabeth was pleased to find Charlotte Lucas, Charlie’s older sister, come out of the back of the shop with the commotion reaching the inside of the store. “Charlie! What are you doing?”
“It is nothing!” he declared but the crying child and angry girl did not satisfy Charlotte who summoned her father.
Mr Lucas, an amiable man and successful tradesman, was a good father and he quickly assessed the situation with a couple questions to the child and Elizabeth. Then he turned to his daughter and said, “Charlotte, see the Miss Elizabeth and the boy are escorted within our establishment and that the boy makes his purchase in peace. Give him a stick of candy for his troubles.”
Now, Mr Lucas turned to his son and said, “We have talked about this bullying behaviour, Charles. I have reached the end of my patience with you.”
“Pa, the farm rat must have stolen that shilling from a gentleman!”
“If so, why should you have it then?” Mr Lucas demanded before taking his son by the ear and marching him to the stable behind the shop.
