Chapter 27
Netherfield Park was full of those attending the wedding of Charlotte Lucas and Viscount Hadlock.
What none of them were aware of, and would not have cared if they had been, was the reaction of one Caroline Bingley when she read the London papers which contained the engagement notice.
Even though her brother had told her Viscount Hadlock was courting someone, she had ignored that as nonsense.
It had been true, and that had precipitated a tantrum for the ages.
All that was left to break in her chamber was the mirror on the dresser.
All too late, she realised Uncle John would not replace it, and she would have to clean up the shards of glass and other mess herself.
She decided that as the viscount was out of reach, she would honour the earl’s son, Mr Fitzwilliam, with her hand.
Even though he was only a second son, he did own a large estate in Kent, so he would do as an entrée to the first circles.
If Miss Lucas could have Viscount Hadlock; she would marry her own earl’s son.
A long engagement had been decided on in an abundance of caution.
Given Charlotte’s much lower social status, the families did not want anyone to be able to say that they married in haste because she was with child.
An almost five-month engagement made that speculation a non-issue.
Lady Lucas had been as pleased as could be at the length of the betrothal because it allowed her more time to crow to those in the neighbourhood about her soon-to-be viscountess daughter’s stupendous match.
Seeing that Charlotte was a popular and respected member of the local society, even those who wished that Viscount Hadlock’s eye had fallen on them did not begrudge Charlotte her happiness.
The day Charlotte and her affianced selected for the wedding was Saturday, the fourteenth of May 1808.
Even though the wedding was months away, Hadlock had the wedding contracts drawn up soon after Charlotte accepted him.
When he took them to Sir William to review, his father-in-law-to-be spluttered when he saw that Hadlock was settling five and thirty thousand pounds on his daughter.
Her dowry was five hundred pounds, and it had been gently suggested to Sir William that he should add that amount to Maria’s dowry, as Charlotte had no need for it.
Sir William had followed said advice. When his affianced had been asked to join them in her father’s study so she could read the contract, she had tried to argue that it was far too much.
That was until her betrothed explained that when—hopefully many decades in the future—they inherited the earldom, like it had for his mother, the amount settled would practically double.
A few days after the settlement had been signed, the rest of the Carrington family arrived at Netherfield Park.
The two matriarchs spent much time together, and Lady Lucas had been greatly relieved when Lady Edith agreed that Charlotte should marry from Lucas Lodge, and there was no need for a big society wedding to be solemnised at St George’s or St Paul’s in London.
The countess had agreed that St Alfred’s Church in Meryton had more than enough space, and she had volunteered Netherfield Park for the wedding breakfast. Rather than allow her pride to rule, Lady Lucas had agreed, as she was well aware of the limits for entertaining guests at her home due to the size of Lucas Lodge’s manor house.
When it was time for Jamey to travel north to Hadlock to supervise spring planting, Charlotte had joined him so she would be able to see her future home.
Her mother and younger sister had accompanied them to act as chaperones and to see the estate for themselves.
If that was not enough, Lizzy and Mary travelled from Holder Heights to join them at their brother’s estate.
Jane and Mother remained at Father’s estate.
Charlotte had seen a comfortable and well-appointed house, about the same size as, or possibly a little larger than, Netherfield Park’s manor.
Lady Lucas had, for the first time, seen a graphic display of the Carringtons’ wealth.
Her daughter would be the mistress of an estate with an income above six thousand pounds, roughly six times that produced by Lucas Lodge.
While at Hadlock, Charlotte met some of their neighbours at a dinner at which her mother had the honour of acting as hostess.
She found almost all the people pleasant and welcoming except for one family who had wanted their daughter to be the next Viscountess Hadlock.
When said mother and disappointed daughter saw how friendly Ladies Elizabeth and Mary were with their sister-to-be, they decided that discretion was the better part of valour.
When they departed Hadlock, they made the less than thirty-mile journey to Holder Heights to return Elizabeth and Mary home.
If Lady Lucas had been awed when she saw Hadlock, that was nothing to her first view of Holder Heights.
The house was two to three times larger, and it seemed the estate was also far bigger.
She would have loved to have known the income, but she was aware one did not ask something like that.
For the balance of their engagement, Jamey remained at Netherfield Park in Charlotte’s company every day.
The rest of the Carringtons, the Darcys, and the Fitzwilliams arrived at Netherfield Park on the final Monday of April, a few days before Jamey’s birthday.
To celebrate his birthday on the final day of the month, a huge family dinner was planned.
In addition to those resident at Netherfield Park and the Lucases, the Gardiners, Phillipses, Longs, and Gouldings attended.
The Purvises would have been invited, except they had sold their small estate and moved to Upper Canada. Lizzy was very sorry that Penny Purvis was no longer in the area.
It was not widely known, but Agatha and Frank Phillips had purchased Purvis Lodge with some of the capital they had received from the sale of Netherfield Park.
It was a sound investment, and it ensured that if neither Kitty nor Lydia ever married, they would always have a home, especially when someone of Bennet blood claimed Longbourn in the future.
Guests from London began to arrive on the Tuesday before the wedding, as there would be a pre-wedding ball on Wednesday. It was being hosted by Edith, and she had planned it with two full days before the wedding to make sure everyone was rested by Saturday morning.
With the number of guests, Jane, Lizzy, Mary, and Anna decided to accept Aunt Agatha’s invitation to be hosted at Longbourn. They moved there the Monday prior to the wedding.
Kitty and Lydia, fifteen and twelve, respectively, were very excited that their sisters and honorary sister, Anna, would be residing at Longbourn.
Lawrence, who would be ten later that year, was not so enamoured with so many girls in the house.
He liked all of them a lot; he was just not used to the large number of them at once.
For the Carrington-Bennet sisters, that first night was the first time they slept in the home of their birth since the night before their birth mother took them to London all those years ago.
Edith and Holder had been worried that being back in the house would cause their daughters some negative feelings, but the worry was for nought.
To their daughters, it was just another house to sleep in and did not hold any special, and certainly no negative, significance to them.
They were fully aware it was the house where they were born, but that was the only thing of note to them.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The day before the ball, Fitzwilliam was readying himself to ride to Longbourn when William joined him in the stables. He did not miss that while one groom led Invictus out of his box, another was doing the same with Zeus.
“Are you riding up to that Oakham Mount all of the locals go on about?” Fitzwilliam ribbed. He was certain William was also on his way to Longbourn.
“Quip as much as you like; I am sure you are aware that Lizzy is out locally and will be attending the ball,” William retorted with put on hauteur. “As Aunt Edith and Holder have allowed her to attend the whole ball, I intend to request two sets from her.”
“Two sets?” Fitzwilliam’s eyebrows shot up.
“Her parents have granted their permission for me to request them from her,” William replied.
He paused as he thought of something. “You know Lizzy as well as I do. She will not accept two, or any sets, with me unless it is what she wants to do.” William saw his cousin nod his agreement.
“Did I not hear you request permission to secure three important sets with Jane? I believe that is your purpose in riding thither this morning, is it not?”
“Guilty as charged,” Fitzwilliam owned with a wide grin. “Do not forget, I am courting Jane, and I intend to propose soon.”
“Now the only question is whether we reach Longbourn before the sisters and Anna go riding,” William stated as they exited the paddock via a gate a groom had opened for the two riders.
As soon as they were in the field, both men applied pressure with their knees, and their stallions instantly surged forward into a full gallop.
Neither man believed they needed a whip or riding crop.
Their horses were well trained and responded to verbal commands and pressure without any violence needed; men and beasts trusted one another.