Chapter 31 #3
The next subject of discussion was the extensive new stables to be built and the horse breeding programme that the master wanted to initiate at Brookfield.
Fitzwilliam had practically been born in the saddle, and his love for horses had only grown when more than one mount had saved his life on the battlefield.
As he laid out the scope of the programme he intended, Lefroy realised that once fully implemented, even after hiring an extremely experienced stable master and additional grooms, the ambitious programme Mr Fitzwilliam was planning would add an additional two to three, or more, thousand pounds a year to the estate’s income.
The next morning Lady Jane Fitzwilliam was busy meeting applicants that the housekeeper favoured for the additional servant positions the mistress had authorised, one being Mrs Durand who was happy at the opportunity to use her skills as a seamstress again.
The Honourable Mr Richard Fitzwilliam would ride their estate with his steward to see the proposed site for the new stables, paddocks, and other buildings needed for the scope of his vision.
He planned to meet all of the existing tenants and view the progress of the construction, repairs, and improvements for himself.
Although he was no longer a colonel, he saw that he would need to bring his strategic abilities and precision management to bear as he ran his estate just as he had in his military days.
While there was no enemy charging the ramparts, he was starting to understand the difference between his Cousin William, who took a very active role in the management of his estates, and the majority of landowners who left the running of their estates to stewards and overseers.
Those owners did not care what was done in their name so long as the funds to pay for their dissolute lifestyles kept rolling in.
After his military career, he knew he could not be like them and decided to emulate the men in his family, taking an active role in the day to day running and management of his estate.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
On the third day after the departure from Derbyshire, the convoy of coaches arrived at Bennet Fields and were enthusiastically welcomed by the Bennet and Rhys-Davies families.
For propriety’s sake, Darcy would stay at Longbourn, but again would not be alone.
Since his betrothal to Mary, Lord Birchington had been a resident of said house, riding the three miles between the two estates each morning before he broke his fast and returning when his Mary retired for the night.
Longbourn was much closer to completion than was scheduled so it would be no hardship for the gentlemen to reside there.
Their lonely nights would be at Longbourn, the rest of the day they would be with their betrotheds.
This arrangement would work very well for Darcy as it would not curtail time with the woman that he loved and whose company he craved, even when she was across the room and watching him.
Zeus had been left at home so he would ride to Longbourn later that night on one of the Bennet’s thoroughbreds.
The arriving travellers repaired to their chambers to wash and change.
Carstens had given a set of clothing to the butler for Darcy before he departed for Longbourn to put all in order there, as he was assured his master would be assisted by one of the manservants who regularly attended gentleman guests as necessary.
After completing their ablutions, Darcy requested an interview with Lord Longbourn. The two entered the study and after Bennet had seated himself behind his desk, he decided it was high time to have a little sport with his soon to be son.
“Are you here to beg off? Do you regret your choice of bride and are you looking for a way out with your honour intact before the Banns are read?” Bennet could barely hold himself in check at the look of horrified surprise that Darcy reacted with.
“N-NO SIR! N-Nothing could be further from the truth!” the very discomposed Darcy eventually managed to spit out.
Bennet regretted his words as, unlike his other son and soon to be son, this one had the hardest road to travel.
Darcy’s whole body tensed up, ready to go to battle and fight for his beloved should it prove necessary.
‘Perhaps not the best jest to this man at this time after all he has gone through to earn her hand,’ Lord Thomas Bennet admitted to himself.
“Peace, Darcy, it was a jest. An ill-considered one, but a jest none the less. A blind man could see the unbreakable bond between yourself and our Lizzy, and only a father that is willing to completely lose his daughter would try to test or harm it. What is it that you wish to discuss, son?”
Darcy took a breath. He had been warned by Richard and Birchington that Bennet had tested their mettle in much the same way, yet he had almost yelled at his soon to be father-in-law.
Darcy needed to remember that his new family loved to laugh, that not every sentence was a challenge to his abilities or intents.
It would take some getting used to, but it had been months he had observed Bennet tease and be amused by the folly of others.
He relaxed and sat down, facing the father of his most beloved betrothed.
“Although consent and blessing were bestowed on your behalf by your brother, I still wanted to ask you directly for the hand of your second daughter, Lady Elizabeth.” Darcy held his breath.
Impressed that Darcy had cut off an avenue of teasing by being specific in identifying the daughter who was his object, Bennet chuckled and settled into his own chair.
“You have it, William, without any reservation or doubts that you are the man most suited for my Lizzy. Rather than run for the hills to lick your wounds after my daughter flayed you with her tongue, you remained constant and corrected the defects that you acknowledged, which if I am not mistaken included more than just those she highlighted. The strength of character that you displayed is more than I have ever seen from anyone before. I know that you will always strive to make her happy, and in return you will receive the same effort she knows is necessary to keep a marriage loving, strong, vibrant, and healthy. Heaven help you if you ever hurt her, son!”
“I would never…” Darcy growled, biting back the rest of his words when Bennet lifted a hand to stay them.
“I am not talking about just physical abuse; I do not believe any of my sons that kind of man or I would never have allowed the attachments to grow. No, I am talking about something that can be even worse than that. My Lizzy is joy and happiness, William. You will have to restrain your inclination to keep her all to yourself when others are around. It would slowly destroy her to be forced to keep herself from those she cares about or to have her natural ability to put others at ease and draw them out, as she did to you, stifled or curtailed for unnecessary jealousy. As you proved to her you were willing to become the man she needs as times change, so she proved to you that she was constant and would stand by you at all costs. Do not dampen my daughter’s spirit just because you won the rights to her hand,” Bennet warned.
Because of what Lizzy had put Darcy through; she would be willing to do whatever he asked in restitution.
“I…” Darcy frowned, impressing Bennet even more by not just offering a placation but was considering his words seriously.
“You have my solemn vow to you, My Lord, that I would rather die than ever do anything to hurt the woman that I love above all others; the only woman that I have loved as a man loves the woman, that he knows completes him and without whom he could not live. Your words challenge me to change in a far greater way than any of hers have so far. She is joy and light and that is exactly why I fell in love with her. To stifle her would be more destructive than physical abuse, which, you are right, all of us abhor.” Darcy took a breath to stem the revulsion even the thought of someone harming his Lizzy in such a way brought on.
“I will make it my mission in life to support her in any way she chooses to share herself with the world.”
“I am sorry to have to ask so much of you, son. To my shame I believe you have paid for some of my sins. For years Lizzy begged me to be honest with Fanny about our circumstances, to change the way I behaved toward her and my younger daughters, but in my folly, I did not heed her words. Even though my wife too often made a spectacle of herself because of her fears I knew were unnecessary, I did nothing to alleviate them. Now you know why I see this as the only really possible avenue in which your love could turn against you both, and if you want her to be the woman you fell in love with, you need to allow her to be.” Bennet nodded when Darcy exhaled slowly.
“My other two sons will be eaten alive,” he offered honestly.
Darcy’s laugh filled the study and while Bennet had meant for it to, it was the truth.
Jane and Mary were far different women than was their Lizzy.
It was not lost on him that Lizzy had chosen a man who was more like Jane and Mary, and Jane and Mary had chosen men more like Lizzy.
“Then with your permission,” Darcy chuckled again to himself as he thought of Richard being upbraided by Jane and his begging her forgiveness amusing. “I will contact my solicitor, and ask him to draft a settlement for your perusal.”
“I could not have parted with her to anyone less worthy, William. Look after my girl and welcome to the family as a son rather than a cousin. No more Lord and Lady, I am Bennet or Father, and I am sure Fanny would have you call her by her name or Mother Bennet.” He stood and extended his hand to the man standing across the desk.