April 1797
“Why, Mamma, why must Jamey go to Eton with Wills, just like first Andy did, and then Rich did as well? It is not fair that I will not see them as much as I want,” Elizabeth, who was now six, stamped her slippered foot.
“Lizzy, do not forget we will still see Anna whenever we see Aunt Anne and Uncle Robert. And remember, Papa told us that all boys go to school and then uni-ver-sity,” Jane sounded out the last word. She would be eight in August, but at times she still had difficulty with big words.
“I will miss my brother as well, Lizzy,” Mary, who had turned five in January, chirped.
Paul had conveyed Jamey to Eton, where he and William would commence their studies at the venerable institution of learning.
They would join Richard, who was about to start his second year at the school, but the two would be without Andrew, who at almost seventeen was about to begin his studies at Cambridge.
Edith looked at her three daughters; they were, as she predicted, all very beautiful.
Jane was on her way to being the kind of beauty that members of the Ton called ideal, with her golden-blonde hair, light, almost milky-white complexion, deep cerulean-blue eyes, and the classic shape of her face.
In addition, Jane could be very serene. Lizzy was no less pretty, but her complexion was darker, she was petite, had fascinating emerald-green eyes, a rounder face, and was very active.
Mary’s blonde hair was still a lighter shade of blonde than Jane’s.
However, it had turned somewhat darker than it had been as a babe.
A little before she had turned six months of age, her eyes had changed from dark blue to hazel, with flecks of green and gold in them.
Even though she was almost a year younger than Lizzy, Mary was the same height, or a tiny bit taller.
Like her two older sisters, she was a beauty as well.
The Carringtons were at their house in London waiting for their husband and father to return after conveying Jamey to his school.
For the last few years, the family had come to London for a month or two.
Holder had needed to be present the whole season to serve in the Lords, but Edith and the children would travel back to Holder Heights without him.
How she loved how protective of them her Paul was.
To make sure his family was safe when travelling, with or without him, Paul had employed a cadre of footmen-guards.
Recently he had taken on two young men who were mountains with legs.
They were the sons—who had been determined to join the army as soldiers in the Royal Dragoons—of two tenants at Holder Heights.
Paul had offered John Biggs and Brian Johns far more money than they would earn in the army.
From the age of thirteen, the two had learnt to shoot, use knives, and fence with sabres.
As Lord Holder’s employment had the promise of action without having to go over the seas, the two had accepted, much to the pleasure of their respective parents.
Edith thought of the man Paul invested with and with whom he had placed the girls’ dowries.
Following Reggie’s and Robert’s recommendation, Paul had met with one Edward Gardiner during the season of 1793 when he had come to Town without her and their children.
He was as impressed as his friends were with Mr Gardiner and had made a sizable investment which included the five and seventy thousand pounds which represented the combined amount with which their daughters had been dowered.
There had been no reason to mention the names of the girls or the fact that they were foundlings.
The Carringtons had never seen their girls as foundlings.
Now, thanks to Mr Gardiner, Paul was in talks with a Mr Phillips in the town of Meryton about purchasing an estate in Hertfordshire.
It was only about four hours from London, and it would allow her and the girls, and Jamey when he was home from school, to enjoy country air and not be far away from her beloved husband.
“Mamma,” Lizzy called.
Hearing her middle daughter snapped Edith out of her thoughts. “Yes, Lizzy dear,” she responded.
“Will you take us to walk in Hyde Park? If you are busy, John and Brian will come with us, and Mrs Healy too,” Elizabeth asked expectantly. “Please, Mamma, please. Our ponies are not here, so we must walk for some exercise.” She gave a little huff.
The first time they had walked in Hyde Park, almost three years past, Edith had worried that the location would somehow bring back bad memories, at least for Jane.
However, even when they walked in Rotten Row on the way to the Serpentine and passed the spot where they had been abandoned, none of her daughters had paid it any heed and had not shown even a tiny sign that the spot held some significance to them.
Since then, they had been able to go into the park freely.
“I am waiting for your Aunts Elaine and Anne, who will of course bring Anna. If you promise not to go for long, and two other men aside from John and Brian are available, and Mrs Healy is too, then you may go for a short walk in the park,” Edith allowed.
All three girls clapped. They were soon dressed for outdoors, and with the governess and four men escorting them, they set off towards the Grosvenor Gate.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Mavis Bingley was the wife of Mr Arthur Bingley, a man involved in trade, based in Scarborough, Yorkshire. They had come to London for her husband to meet with a Mr Gardiner who, according to Arthur, was one of the best at spotting good investments.
While her husband met with Mr Gardiner, she had taken her three children, Louisa, Charles, and Caroline, to walk in Hyde Park. They were fifteen, twelve, and eight, respectively.
Her older two were affable and easy-going, not at all interested in society outside of the sphere the Bingleys inhabited. Unfortunately, that was not true of her youngest daughter, Caroline.
“Mamma, Lulu, Charley. Look at those elegant girls!” Caroline exclaimed. “They must be very important to have four men and a maid escorting them. Come, we should go meet them…”
“No, Caroline, you cannot approach people you do not know and introduce yourself. More than likely they are much higher than people tied to trade,” Mavis interjected.
As was her wont when she was reprimanded, Caroline crossed her arms over her chest, stamped one foot and pouted. ‘It is just not fair!’ she thought. ‘I am sure that those girls would want to know me!’
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
“What think you, Agatha? This Lord Holder is very serious about purchasing Netherfield Park. Now that you are with child, do we want to sell the estate? That will mean we will remain here with our children,” Phillips stated.
“We have a tenant at the estate, do we not?” Agatha reminded her husband.
“Indeed, the Macfadyens recently began a three-year lease which does not end until January 1800.” It was then Phillips realised at what his wife was hinting.
“We promised them that if we still chuse to sell, it would not be before the end of their lease, and we will not go back on our word.” He saw a smug nod from his beloved wife.
“I will inform Lord Holder that until then we have nothing to discuss. If he is still interested, at that time we will discuss the sale towards the end of 1799. By then, we will have a better idea what we want for ourselves.”
So agreed, Phillips scribed a letter to Gardiner’s client.