Chapter 6
Since his father was busy at Somerset House, Harold had to keep an appointment without his sire to meet Edward Gardiner to go over their investments—after a little more than a year of seeing the stellar returns produced, Ignatius Hurst had moved the bulk of his money in the funds to be managed by Gardiner.
He was not alone; Louisa sat next to him in the coach as it wended its way over London’s cobblestone streets on its way to Cheapside where Gardiner and Associates’ offices were located.
“My mother and Caroline would not be sanguine that the family’s wealth is managed by a tradesman, all the while conveniently forgetting that everything the Bingleys have is the fruit of trade.
I am afraid the hypocrisy of their opinions is lost on them,” Louisa mused as they neared their destination.
“Looking for reason in your mother and sister when none exists is, I am afraid, a waste of good time,” Harold opined. He noticed they were arriving. “Come, my love, we are here; let us leave unpleasant thoughts behind us.”
As soon as he extracted the step, Johns opened the door and stood back. Harold climbed down and handed his wife out of the conveyance.
The younger Hursts walked into the warehouse and climbed the stairs to the offices.
There was a man, a gentleman by his dress, seated on the sofa to one side of the outer office, and seated behind the desk was a girl with raven locks and emerald-green eyes.
A memory stirred from Harold’s first visit to the offices.
The girl had been a little younger at the time and had been seated at the desk with an older, blonde, cherubic-looking girl. Sisters, Gardiner’s nieces!
“Mr Hurst, are you here to see Uncle Edward? Who is the pretty lady with you? She did not accompany you the first time I met you,” Elizabeth enquired.
“Lizzy, it is impolite to question people in that way!” Bennet admonished lightly. Thomas Bennet was father to five Bennet sisters and the master of Longbourn in Hertfordshire, which was close to the market town of Meryton.
“But, Papa, I remember Mr Hurst,” Elizabeth insisted.
“You remember everything,” Bennet grumbled. By now, he had stood. “As you have obviously previously met my impertinent second eldest daughter, I am Thomas Bennet of Longbourn, and from what Lizzy said, you are a Mr Hurst?”
“I am Harold Hurst, and this, as your daughter correctly stated, pretty lady, is my wife, Mrs Louisa Hurst,” Harold responded.
“When I met this imp, Gardiner made mention of the fact that Miss Elizabeth remembers anything she has seen or read. If memory serves, your eldest can add columns of numbers in the time most of us mortals can add a few numbers.”
“Yes, indeed. You speak of Jane. She can look at a column of numbers and find an error in minutes,” Bennet confirmed.
“I will be thirteen in March next year. I am not an imp,” Elizabeth insisted.
“My husband used that as a term of endearment, Miss Elizabeth,” Louisa assured the petite girl. “He meant no offence.” On seeing the girl’s size, Louisa had initially guessed the mite was younger than she had now said she was.
“As long as Mr Hurst was not slighting me.” Elizabeth smiled.
“That, Mi’lady, I was most certainly not doing. I forgot your age from when I met you.” Harold bowed to the little pixie who loosed a tinkling giggle.
“It is good that it was cleared up,” Bennet stated.
“As clever as my Lizzy is, once she takes a person’s measure, she is slow to change her mind.
On the other hand, Jane, her older sister, who will be fifteen in January, is the most forgiving creature and only wants to see the good in people and the world. ”
Elizabeth lost interest in the conversation and returned to the ledger she had been examining as they waited for Uncle Edward to complete his work.
“We were married at the end of August, so we do not have the blessing of children yet,” Louisa stated.
“Or the curse,” Bennet jested. “The truth is the gifts He gives us in the form of children are some of His best, but a saint’s patience could be tried if he were the only man living in a house with six females.
It seems your wife is involved in your business, unlike my own.
I feel like I cannot tell mine that I am saving for the future. ”
“Surely if your wife has concerns for the future, her knowing what you are planning would ease her worries?” Harold challenged.
Before Bennet could respond, the door to Gardiner’s office opened.
“And you, Bennet, are no saint,” Gardiner said as he exited his office.
“Mr Hurst, I see you have met my brother-in-law.” He was glad that the younger Hurst had posed the question he did.
Gardiner had tried to tell Bennet the same and had been ignored.
Perhaps it coming from another would make his brother-in-law think about the suggestion seriously.
“That is correct. May I present my wife to you?” Upon seeing Gardiner’s nod, Harold did the honours. “If you need to see Mr Bennet first, we are in no hurry, and we will be more than happy to wait in the company of this very pretty young lady.”
“No need to wait; I will see you now,” Gardiner assured his investor’s son.
“As soon as Lizzy finishes her review of the ledger, we will go to the teahouse to acquire some iced buns and return to Maddie and the children at your house,” Bennet related.
As Gardiner showed the Hursts into his office, he noted the questioning look from the younger Mr Hurst. “I mentioned I was married when we first met, but I do not think I spoke of any children.” Gardiner saw a nod.
“My Maddie is from Lambton in Derbyshire. We have been twice blessed so far. Lillian, who we call Lilly, is three, and Eddy is all of three months of age.”
“Congratulations on the birth of your two children,” Louisa wished, all the while longing for the day she would be able to tell Harold she was with child.
“Papa, may I challenge Mr or Mrs Hurst to a game of chess?” Elizabeth wondered.
“We do not have time now, Miss Elizabeth. However, as both my wife and I play chess, we would be willing to school you the next time we meet,” Harold promised.
Bennet shook his head. “She will never forget that.” He grinned.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The second Tuesday of November, Louisa and Harold were preparing for a visit to Montague House, the home of the British Museum, when the butler showed Fitzwilliam in.
Harold did not miss the sadness in his friend’s look. “What is it, Fitzwilliam?”
“My uncle, Robert Darcy, was called home to God on Sunday past. My father’s courier arrived before midnight yester-night with the notice,” Fitzwilliam shared.
“I intend to ask for leave, and if you want to join me, I know my cousin will need as much support as possible. To have all of the responsibilities of the estate and all that entails fall to him at such a young age will be difficult for him. He is only one and twenty! He will be two and twenty in a few months, but that is not any better.”
“You know my father will grant you as much time as you need, do you not?” Harold assured his friend. He did not miss the raised eyebrows and the way Fitzwilliam’s eyes moved to Louisa. “Like my father, I keep no secrets from my wife; she knows what we do.”
“Captain, we are very sorry for the loss of your uncle. We stopped at Pemberley a few weeks past, and it was not difficult to see that the late Mr Darcy was not in a good way,” Louisa recalled.
“We have known this day was coming, but we all hoped that at the very least, it would not be for a year or two.” Fitzwilliam inclined his head to Mrs Hurst.
“Unless my father objects, Louisa and I will travel north and offer you a seat in the coach,” Harold said after seeing a nod from his wife.
“Come, let us away to Somerset House. My mother is with Father today so we will be able to tell them both together.” He turned to his wife.
“Louisa dear, will you have the trunks packed while I am away with Fitzwilliam?”
“Of course. I will have them ready by the time you two return. Will you collect the Captain’s trunk on your return?” Louisa queried.
“We will.” Hurst kissed his wife on the forehead and then the two men left.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
As had been predicted, the Hurst patriarch granted Fitzwilliam all the leave he needed and had no objection to Louisa and Harold travelling north to offer succour to the new Mr Darcy.
They travelled fast, but with some inclement weather and shorter days, it took the rest of Tuesday plus three full days to reach Pemberley. Like they had when they travelled from Winsdale, a second carriage followed the coach carrying their personal servants and some of the footmen-guards.
The tall gateposts had black fabric draped over them.
The shot the gatekeeper fired was heard after they passed the gatehouse.
Louisa and Harold had heard that before.
The late Mr Darcy had explained it was how it was known someone was approaching the house.
It was a sombre group who traversed the last few miles of the long, gravel-covered drive.
When they crested the hill, none of them took the time to appreciate the view which was before them. The coachman guided his team under the porte cochère and into the enclosed courtyard rather than continuing on to halt next to the broad set of stone steps which led to the tall double front doors.
As Fitzwilliam had sent an express to tell his cousin he and the younger Hursts were on the way; hence, when the coach was brought to a halt, their arrival was expected.
Seeing his Cousin William approaching the conveyance, Fitzwilliam fairly jumped out as soon as a footman swung the door open.
He pulled William into a hug as he nodded greetings to his father and brother.
He was very grateful they had been at Snowhaven and Hilldale respectively and had been here to comfort William and Gigi as Uncle Robert left the mortal world.