Hi, I'm back.
A few weeks ago, I posted a one-shot – Turnabout. It is a one-shot no more.
I hope you will enjoy it.
As always, constructive (polite) criticism is very welcome.
On a very different note – has anyone checked out Gracechurch Street via the street view on Google maps? There are some newer buildings to replace the ones which were bombed during WWII but others are from an earlier period which looks to me to be from about 1800. Those buildings would not be out of place in some of the posher suburbs. To me it looks like the tradesmen who lived there had some serious wealth. Which makes me wonder about JA's intention when she placed the Gardiners in this street. And of course, Caroline's snide remarks.
Cheers
Sydney
~~DGH~~
Once upon a time…
The lonely rider on his way to London was lost in thought.
How could it happen that the people of an inconsequential village like Meryton would oust one of the most sought-after members of London society?
Fitzwilliam Darcy would have been surprised to know that it had all started with the daughter of a country solicitor.
~~DGH~~
1795
In 1748 Miss Mary Gardiner, the daughter of a country solicitor married Mr Henry Carlton with whom she spent nearly fifty years until his death in in 1795. After her husband's funeral, Mrs Mary Carlton thought that she had been fortunate and had a good life.
Henry Carlton had been the second son of a prominent family who had expected him to make the church his career, but he was disinclined to that life. Since he had a flair for business, he had gone into trade, a choice to which his family objected. As a result, Henry Carlton's family ignored what they considered to be the black sheep.
Due to his exceptional business acumen, and the fact that due to his upbringing he knew almost everyone in society, over the years Henry had amassed a significant fortune. He used some of it to tweak the noses of his estranged family, by buying a large house at the south end of North Audley Street. Although to avoid confusion, he named the house after his wife's family – Gardiner House. Even though he, together with his wife and son moved into the new residence, he kept their previous home in Gracechurch Street as it was conveniently located to his warehouses and perfectly suited to conduct business meetings.
Henry Carlton had also used his fortune to send their one son to the best schools and provided him with all the advantages of a gentleman's education. All was well until at the age of four and twenty Andrew Carlton met with an accident which cost him his life.
As they could not have any more children, Mrs Carlton started to take a greater interest in the children of her much younger brother Robert Gardiner, who had followed in their father's footsteps and become a solicitor. He had two daughters and a son. The boy Edward was the youngest of the siblings and had been born only two years before Andrew Carlton's death.
When her older niece Martha Gardiner was nineteen, she married Henry Phillips, a clerk who was training to be a solicitor in her brother's office since Robert Gardiner had taken over after their father's death. Two years later, the younger niece Frances married Thomas Bennet, a gentleman with a modest estate while Edward expressed a desire to become a businessman rather than follow in his father's footsteps.
To Mr Carlton it was an obvious choice to take the young man under his wing. While he insisted that his nephew attain a gentleman's education just like his son, during the school holidays, he taught him the basics of his business which included introductions of his nephew to all of his friends and acquaintances.
Once Edward finished school, he joined the business full time. Within a year, Edward Gardiner was made a full partner, at which point Mr Carlton installed his nephew in his old house.
As Edward took on more responsibility for the business, Henry Carlton decided to retire, and to give his wife the opportunity to spend more time with her nieces, he bought an estate in their neighbourhood. Providence was against them and before they had a chance to move to their new home in the country, Henry Carlton was struck down by an apoplexy.
Her husband's death changed the situation for Mrs Carlton. She decided that she had no wish to manage an estate at her time in life, although she did keep it and arranged to put it up for lease. Instead of living at Netherfield Park, she bought a comfortable cottage near her older niece and divided her time between her new country home and the house which she had shared with her husband for three decades.
~~DGH~~
1796
It had been a year since her husband's death, when her younger niece gave birth to her fifth child.
Instead of rejoicing that she had yet another healthy daughter, Fanny Bennet was distraught. The birth had been a difficult one and she was informed that she would not be able to have any more children.
'Aunt Mary,' she sobbed on the lady's shoulder, 'what are we to do? If anything happens to Mr Bennet, that horrible Mr Collins, to whom the estate is entailed, will surely throw us out into the hedgerows to starve.'
Mrs Carlton patted her niece's back and soothed, 'There is no need to worry yourself. I have my very nice cottage and there will be plenty of room for you and your girls.'
'You would take us in?' Fanny gave a tremulous smile.
'Naturally. After all, you are family. I want you not to worry. Save your energy for looking after your beautiful girls.'
That reassurance did much to calm the new mother.
~~DGH~~
A few days later, Mrs Carlton met with her brother in his offices to arrange matters.
'Mary, it is good to see you, but Martha and I would have been happy to call on you if you wanted company,' Mr Gardiner greeted his sister.
'I know you would, but I have come to see you in your professional capacity, and it requires discretion.'
Mr Gardiner gave her a puzzled look but agreed.
'Do you trust Mr Phillips both professionally and personally?'
'Yes, to both. He is a most honourable man. Martha was lucky to marry him.'
'Excellent. In that case, please ask him to attend so that I do not have to explain the situation twice.'
Soon Mr Phillips was sitting with his father-in-law and Mrs Carlton, who explained her husband's background and the level of wealth he had achieved.
Both men were awed at hearing how great a fortune their unassuming relative possessed.
'Why did you never mention this before?' asked Robert Gardiner.
'Because it was not relevant. I confess that Edward has been aware of it for a few years, but my husband had insisted on him not divulging the information.' Mary Carlton gave a smile which was a mixture of wistful and mischievous. 'We did not wish to be importuned for financial assistance. Henry and I both believed that everyone should make their own way… if they can.'
She shrugged and continued, 'Another reason is that since I have no other family, everything will go to my nephew, nieces, and their children. While Edward is sensible and shows a commendable level of discretion, the same cannot be said for Martha and Fanny.'
Her brother smirked. 'I believe I can see where this is going. Is that why you did not invite Bennet to this meeting?'
'I confess that I do not trust his sense of humour. Not being constrained by professional ethics, he might find it amusing to let it slip that his daughters will be heiresses.'
Phillips sighed. 'I am afraid that I have to agree with you. I also have to agree with your assessment of my wife and sister.'
'You should know that I told Fanny that if anything happens to her husband, she will have use of my cottage, although on consideration, I believe I will make it conditional upon her hiring a governess to educate her girls.' Mary gave her brother an apologetic look. 'I have no wish to offend you, but I am afraid that your wife did not have the knowledge to teach her daughters to act like ladies.'
Robert Gardiner shrugged and patted his sister's hand. 'I know, Mary. She was a good and kind woman and a good wife, but she was not raised to be a gentlewoman. Perhaps that governess could also improve Fanny's manners.'
'That is my hope too. I also want you two and Edward to be the trustees of their inheritance, which is to be held in trust until the girls marry or they turn five and twenty. Fanny's portion will remain in trust even after her husband's death to ensure she will always be comfortable, and she cannot squander it.'
'And to ensure that Bennet cannot squander it on books.'
'I said no such thing,' protested Mary primly, as she raised her eyes to the ceiling and folded her hands in her lap.
Gardiner grinned at this display. 'Very well. What else do you have in mind?'
'Once I am gone, the townhouse can be rented out until it is needed to house the girls if they wish to participate in a London season. I will leave it up to you to decide. The estate will also continue to be leased. You might want to use it for one of the girls as a dowry. Of course, the dowries will only go to the girls if the trustees approve of the husband and the circumstances of their wedding.'
'That is a sensible precaution. I am guessing you were also trying to protect them from fortune hunters by keeping quiet about your wealth.'
'Precisely. But that brings me to Martha. Since you do not have children and she told me that she will never be able to have any, I decided that a simple bequest will be best to ensure that she will be comfortably settled if you should pass before her,' Mrs Carlton told Phillips who coloured and squirmed in his seat.
'I trust that I will be quite capable of providing for my wife,' he protested.
'I believe that is the case, but there is no harm in having some extra funds available… just in case.'
'What about Edward? You have not mentioned any bequest for him,' asked Phillips to change the subject.
'He already received his share of the inheritance directly from my husband,' his aunt replied. 'Please do not concern yourself, he is well taken care of.'
The trio continued their discussion for another hour to work out the details. After Phillips left the room to draw up the documents, Robert Gardiner turned to his sister. 'Henry left his business to Edward, did he not?'
'If you are curious, I suggest you ask your son.'
Robert Gardiner grinned. 'You would have made an excellent solicitor.'
~~DGH~~
Over the next several years, Mary Carlton had the pleasure of watching her great-nieces grow and learn the manners and accomplishments of gentlewomen, after she helped Mrs Bennet to hire Mrs Taylor to be their governess.
Between the guidance provided by Mrs Taylor and Mrs Carlton, the girls prospered. Even her niece, who calmed at being reassured about her and her daughters' future, paid some slight attention to the lessons the governess provided for the girls.
During those years the family started the tradition to have Edward Gardiner spend Christmas at Longbourn. He thoroughly enjoyed getting to know his nieces and having an opportunity to spend the holidays surrounded by family.
Early in the new century, Mrs Carlton was pleased to attend Edward's wedding to Miss Madeline Brooks, a lovely and intelligent young gentlewoman from Lambton in Derbyshire. After their wedding, the girls frequently visited the couple at their home in Gracechurch Street, although Christmas continued to be celebrated at Longbourn with the whole family. It also pleased Mary Carlton no end to hear about the birth of Andrew Gardiner a few days before she succumbed to her final sleep.
~~DGH~~
The reading of the will caused Mrs Bennet great effusions of joy when she was informed that for each of her daughters Aunt Mary had set aside a dowry of two thousand pounds, which had been invested with Mr Gardiner until the marriage of each girl or when she reached the age of five and twenty.
In addition, Mrs Bennet was officially told that Mrs Carlton had granted her and her daughters a lifetime tenancy in her cottage, and money had been set aside to cover maintenance, taxes, and basic running costs. The will also provided for the situation that when Mrs Bennet passed away and once all her daughters were married, the cottage was to be sold and the proceeds distributed to the girls.
Some weeks later after a heated discussion with his wife, Mr Bennet was chagrined when he heard the lady mutter, 'Some gentleman you are. At least my family, even though they are tradesmen, had the decency to provide for me and our daughters when you do nothing for us.'
That slur hurt Mr Bennet's pride but at the time did little to spur him to greater involvement with his family.
~~DGH~~
~~DGH~~
Turnabout (working title) by Sydney Salier, Copyright © 2022