Page 72 of Master of Netherfield
“Good morning, Louisa, good morning, Caroline,” he replied ignoring her complaint. “There was a dinner engagement where we discussed timber for the Royal Navy. You would not have enjoyed yourself.”
“Business! Charles, the taint of trade will never leave us if you don’t stop these business meetings,” Caroline said. “Mr Hurst never deals with business!”
Ignoring Caroline for the moment, Charles filled a plate and asked the footman for coffee. “Louisa, is everything arranged to your liking for next week?”
“It is Charles, thank you,” the eldest sister said. “Monday will be perfect I know.”
“With everything in blue,” Caroline smirked but her sister and brother ignored her.
“And I have news for you Caroline.”
Turning her head toward Charles, she waited. “I spoke to Lord Fremont Hargrove yesterday at my club and he asked to be introduced to you Friday at the Musgrave Ball. He will attend the wedding breakfast on Monday as well.”
“Lord Hargrove is a fine fellow,” Louisa commented. “His family name is well established.”
“He possesses a house in town, an estate in Wiltshire and only one sister who is married and lives somewhere in Kent,” Charles added. “There’ll be no one to interfere with your married life.”
“What is his income?”
“About four thousand a year,” her brother replied quickly. “He would not run through your dowry but rather use it for improvements on his estate.”
“And his age?”
“Fremont is one and thirty,” Charles replied. “A good match for your three and twenty.”
“I am one and twenty!” Caroline insisted.
“Not for two years,” Louisa retorted. “It is time to take a husband sister!”
“I will not settle for an old fat man such as you are doing!”
Louisa threw down her napkin and stormed out of the room. Charles drank his coffee and watched Caroline pretend to ignore him.
“Hurst is a pleasant fellow Caroline, and he cares for Louisa.”
“He cares for her twenty thousand.”
“Yes, he was pleased at her dowry and I agreed to the match because he will use the monies to improve his estate and make some investments.”
Now Caroline rose from the table and paced the room.
“No one in the first circles deals with investments! We shall never...”
“Caroline, we are not going to reach the first circles of the ton. They are a miserable lot in any case, and I have no wish to be miserable.”
“Mr Darcy is from the first circles.”
“Only when he is forced to attend for politics and business. Mr Darcy spends all of his time with his tenants, secretaries and business associates.”
“The paper reports he is meeting with the Prime Minister–he is to entertain the Prime Minister in his home!”
“For a dinner with a great deal of drinking and smoking cigars to discuss bills before Parliament. Hardly what you would enjoy, sister.”
“I wish to know Mr Darcy better...”
“Lord Hargrove is interested in you Caroline. Mr Darcy will not be.”
“How do you know?”
