Chapter 19 #5
In the large attic that spanned both the original house and the added west wing, there were ample servant quarters, with the female and male quarters separated by a space for storage. There were separate stairs that led to each of the three sections of the attic.
After the tour, Bingley requested the agent wait in the public sitting room for them.
As the door to the master suite sitting room closed Bingley turned to the Bennets, their opinion, and especially Jane’s, were extremely important to him.
“What did you think Janey, Mr. and Mrs. Bennet?” he walked over to Jane and took her hand, trying to contain his excitement.
“Now Charles, in six weeks you will be my son, so please call me Mother or Mother Bennet, and I am sure Thomas will be more than happy if you address him as Father Bennet or Bennet.” Her proclamation was seconded by a nod from Bennet, and with that most pressing requirement covered, she then addressed his question.
“I think you two can be very happy here, but make no mistake there is work to be done. The whole house needs to be painted, papered, and decorated. Almost all of the furniture is in disrepair and needs to be replaced. You will need to redo the whole kitchen with all new equipment and find a good cook and a baker. But all that being said, I think you should take the place as it has good bones.”
“My Fanny has the right of it,” Bennet agreed.
“I have had my man of business check, and you have been asked a more than fair purchase price.
I would recommend that you tell the agent you want to reduce the price by five thousand pounds to cover the cost of some of the repairs to the house and the tenant cottages.
“I am almost positive he has that flexibility from the heir. In fact, I would tell him you want to reduce by seven thousand five hundred, then let him negotiate down to no less than five thousand, that way he can feel like he did not give you as much as you wanted.”
“Just the proximity to Lizzy and William and the Fitzwilliams would be enough for me Charles, but I do like the house and the estate feels like a place that we and our future children can and will be very happy. So yes, Charles. I agree we should purchase it. If we need more space in the future, there is more than enough room to add another wing or more,” Jane blushed with pleasure at the thought of having so large a family.
Once he had the recommendations, and most importantly Jane’s agreement, Bingley went down to the sitting room to meet with Mr. Brown, the agent.
After almost an hour of back and forth, the agent agreed to reduce the sale price by six thousand pounds toward the needed refurbishments and the sale agreement was signed.
It would take a week to be finalised after solicitor review and for the deed to be issued in Bingley’s name on the transfer of the funds to the heir. In a week, Charles Bingley would be the first in his line to be a landed gentleman.
After the documents were signed and the three Bennets joined him in the sitting room, Bingley told the lone footman to summon all of the servants and to bring them into the sitting room.
The current staff and servants were all asked if they would like to work for the new master and mistress of Longfield Meadows.
All of them agreed with pleasure they had not imagined they would feel that morning, and Barrow was overjoyed at being restored to full time employment as the head gardener once more.
The servants were dismissed and thereafter the senior staff members were asked to come in one by one to discuss the needs for each of their respective areas of responsibility.
Jane sat with Mrs. Pattinson, a widow of five and forty years, and took an instant liking to the woman.
The housekeeper told Jane what she believed the number of upper and lower maids and kitchen staff they would need.
“May I have your thoughts on those we could employ for a cook and a baker?” Jane asked the most important question for the whole house’s ability to thrive.
“I am so glad you asked,” Mrs. Pattinson smiled brightly.
“The former cook, who is very good at her craft and very pleasant, a Mrs. Loretta McKean, and her daughter Fran who in my opinion is the best baker in the county outside the ones at Pemberley and Snowhaven, are now employed at an inn not five miles away. They would be most grateful to be considered for their former positions at the Meadows and both will be most pleased to return here and also to be away from there.”
“Then let us bring them home. Today, if it can be arranged. We will have funds released so we can have all the stores replenished and you all deserve a feast of your own for taking as good a care of my future home as you have. There will be a lot of work in the days to come, so consider it a bribe.” Jane smiled as Mrs. Pattinson laughed delightedly.
Fanny watched with pride as her sweetest daughter won over her entire house in under five minutes even before she officially was its mistress.
Jane gave the housekeeper leave to employ four more maids and three more for the kitchens than had been requested. Jane had her own lady’s maid, so the housekeeper did not need to worry about filling that position.
Bingley had a similar meeting with the butler, Mr. Haverson, a man of one and fifty years whose wife, Bingley was told, was a very good seamstress. He informed Bingley how many footmen he thought he needed in addition to the one existing man.
He was authorised to employ the nine he had asked for, plus five more.
They discussed the empty wine cellar and library.
Bingley informed his butler that both would be stocked before he took residence.
Before Haverson was dismissed, he was told to have his wife contact the housekeeper, as the new master knew that his fiancée would be very happy with a seamstress on staff.
Next Bingley met with Barrow, the head gardener.
“Mother Bennet? Would you mind verifying I am on the right path?” Bingley asked Fanny to join him. Bingley told Barrow to work with the steward to hire as many under gardeners as he needed to restore the gardens to their former glory.
The herculean task would be to affect as much repair as possible to the gardens before the Bingleys took up residence. Fanny’s opinion was canvassed regarding her thoughts on how to restore the gardens.
Lastly, Bingley met with the steward, Mr. Anthony Timmons. He had been the steward at the Meadows for over ten years and was three and forty years old. He, his wife and three children lived in the steward’s house a little under a half mile from the manor house.
Bingley authorised the steward to start repairs on the existing tenant houses and the six empty ones as soon as the sale was final, and the deed was in his hands. At the same time, he told Timmons to give Barrow whatever he needed in men and resources to fix the gardens.
Bingley laid out his plan to attract tenants to fill the empty tenant farms, and the improvements he intended to make on the estate. The steward agreed the scope of all equalled the aim to raise the income by two to three thousand pounds per annum and was very realistic.
Once everything Jane and Bingley needed to impart to their new household staff was completed, they left a very happy group of servants and senior staff behind who saw the new master and mistress of the Meadows were very good people who cared about their estate, and with the relief of now knowing it would be very pleasant to work for the Bingleys.
The fortnight flew by with lots of activities; soon they were all on the way to Hertfordshire to prepare for Lizzy and Darcy’s wedding.