Chapter 21
Mr. Harrison was a third son of a gentleman of little means and a distant cousin to Lady Greystone.
The man was good-looking and could be as flattering as the occasion required.
He had thus made a very favourable impression on his cousin after several ‘accidental’ meetings, all of them carefully arranged.
It was due to her that Lord Greystone had appointed him the steward of Briarwood.
The estate brought in some three thousand pounds and was of a similar scale to Willowmere.
Lady Greystone had brought it with her as her dowry and her husband could not be bothered to visit.
In Harrison’s opinion, he had the best situation imaginable.
He was even living in the main house where one wing was made available for his use.
The tenants and villagers had begun treating him with something very like the deference normally reserved for the master rather than a steward, much to his delight.
Harrison was well aware of his situation in life and, though shrewd in his dealings, was nonetheless honest with the estate accounts.
But too much deference, when not justly earned, could inflate any man’s sense of his own consequence.
Soon he began to have ideas above his station, and dreamt of having a gentleman’s life and of being a master of his own destiny.
When he heard about Willowmere being entailed onto Mr. Darcy, he sought to capitalise the opportunity.
He had assumed that a man with a great estate in the north and a prominent member of the ton would not trouble himself about Willowmere.
He had first meant to convince the gentleman to appoint him as steward.
Once hired, he would persuade him that the estate was not worth the trouble of maintaining.
Lady Greystone could then be convinced to work on her doting husband to buy the property at a much lesser price and settle it on him.
The plan was perfect, but overconfidence proved his undoing, for Darcy had been unmoved in his resolve to maintain the estate.
His premature boasting with the locals had not helped either, but Harrison was in no mood to quit the field.
In his quest to learn more of the entail he took young Harper, the solicitor’s clerk, to the tavern one evening.
Harper was a young lad just out of university, and had been working for Mr. Davis for the past few months.
He was a shy fellow, from a village a few miles away, and did not have many friends in the area.
Thus he was quite happy to accompany Mr. Harrison to the tavern.
A free meal, some ale, and a little conversation were a godsend to him and he did not question the gentleman’s motives.
It was later in the evening, when Harper had consumed one glass too many, that Harrison found the perfect opportunity to question the man.
Though Mr. Davis had been handling all the paperwork for Willowmere himself, Harper had been curious and knew much more than he let on.
Harrison was soon aware of the five thousand pounds Mr. Darcy had decided to settle on the widow and then the five hundred a year that Miss Hardwicke was to receive.
This presented him with a much simpler alternative to convince Mr. Darcy to part with the estate.
Mrs. Hardwicke was still young and comely, and Harrison thought she could be convinced to take on another husband especially if she found herself in need of a protector.
Mr. Darcy would surely agree to give up the property if Mrs. Hardwicke would remain its mistress.
Mrs. Hardwicke had at last recovered enough to come downstairs and had resumed receiving callers only two days earlier when the Briarwood steward came to call.
She had not had much occasion to interact with the man as her husband had always managed the estate affairs himself, but she had never heard anything untoward about him and thus decided to speak to him.
She was by herself as Elizabeth was upstairs helping Margaret with her studies and Mrs. Ashcombe was completely occupied with the renovation of the dower house.
She welcomed the gentleman, and after he had expressed his condolence for her loss, she called for refreshments. Once the tea was served Harrison decided to put his plan into motion.
“Mrs. Hardwicke, I was surprised to see the drainage work being done on the estate. Especially as the swamp was quite out of anyone’s way,” Harrison said, trying to gauge the lady’s reaction to Mr. Darcy.
“You have me at a disadvantage, sir, for I am unaware of any work being done. But then Mr. Darcy is now master here and may do as he pleases.”
Harrison could not believe his luck; it seemed the lady already did not have a high opinion of the heir. Deciding to press the point, he continued, “Of course, I do not expect you to interfere, but such work would have required the estate maps and documents.”
“I was indisposed for a few weeks; my niece had the running of the household. She also has a prior acquaintance with Mr. Darcy. It could be that she may have provided the gentleman with the required documents.”
“Quite convenient for Mr. Darcy, I should think, to have the opportunity of speaking to a young lady with not much knowledge of estate affairs.”
“You do not seem very fond of Mr. Darcy, sir.”
“I do not have anything against him, but he does think very highly of himself and his opinions. I know that Mr. Grant also advised against the drainage, but Mr. Darcy was determined. You must consider, madam, that even your good husband had refrained from that activity. Mr. Darcy seems determined to leave his mark upon the area.”
Mrs. Hardwicke put her cup down deliberately and spoke, “Mr. Harrison, I would entreat you to speak plainly.”
“Since you have asked me to speak freely, I will say that I am worried for you and your daughter. The estate improvements suggest that Mr. Darcy may be inclined to sell the property. The drainage serves no other purpose than to make the property more appealing. He will need you and your daughter to leave the main house before he can sell the estate, and hence all the renovations to the dower house.”
“The entail allows me a year of residence at this house,” Mrs. Hardwicke answered, though she did not counter his claim about Mr. Darcy’s motives.
“Men of Mr. Darcy’s position are seldom denied anything they truly want. The gentleman does not seem inclined to wait a year. I understand that his aunt has already taken residence at this house.”
“I thank you for the concern, sir,” Mrs. Hardwicke answered, as she got up, ending the conversation and forcing Mr. Harrison to take his leave.
Once the gentleman had departed the lady went to her husband’s study and sat there deep in thought.
She had been uneasy with the camaraderie between Elizabeth and Darcy, and with Mrs. Ashcombe’s arrival, Harrison had just succeeded in giving her a credible reason for her uneasiness.
She was in a painful uncertainty, for her husband had always had the greatest respect for the Darcys, and she did not want to believe the man so unfeeling.
“Oh Frederick, why did you have to go so suddenly, leaving me all alone,” she whispered as she closed her eyes.