Chapter 3: Tarnished Gold
In the following weeks, Mary seemed to find Henry in the most common and odd of places.
On Monday, Kitty reported seeing him walking into the tailor's shop and out again within the hour. Mary thought he didn't seem as the type of man to care much about looks.
On Tuesday, Mrs. Lucas told Mrs. Bennet she had seen Mr. Aldridge coming out of the bookseller's shop with quite the large load of books. Mrs. Bennet wondered if he meant to start a library.
"Mary, I think it would be a fine thing for him to dine with us soon," Mrs. Bennet said.
"Oh no, Mama, do not fret over it. I am sure he has business to attend to," Mary said.
"Nonsense, what do these great men do while on holiday? Dine and socialize, especially with a young lady such as yourself," Mrs. Bennet said. "I will send your father over to the Weston's and ask him to dinner on Friday evening."
"If you insist," Mary grimaced. It wasn't Mary did not want to see Mr. Aldridge, she certainly did, but she only knew of where he lived, his family relations in Meryton, and he liked to read.
She did not know how much he made a year, how big Pine Hollow was and how many servants and tenants it had (not that Mary cared much for luxuries) or if it had a library and music room, and he thought her eyes were bright when paired with blue. Why should she pretend to be in close acquaintance or friendship with him when she was not?
After her first introduction to Henry, Mary entertained the idea of their relationship progressing further. He could come by, unannounced, and take her to the pond outside of Longbourn and they could read together. She could get lost on her way home and he would manage to find her in the woods and rescue her. Is that what couples did? Are they supposed to do that?
Mary had never explored the "sea" of men after she and her sisters were out in society. The men of Meryton were dull and only cared for their politics, economics of their estates and social class standings. They cared nothing for the lessons in books or the satisfaction of music, though they pretended to listen. But Henry was different and that scared the dickens out of Mary. She had never met another man like him.
So on Tuesday afternoon, Mrs. Bennet sent Mr. Bennet with an invitation to dinner Friday night to Ivy Grove where the Weston's resided and where Henry was staying. A footman received the invitation, but Mr. Aldridge was not at home. He had traveled to Pine Hollow for the day to attend to business with one of his tenants.
Mary and Mrs. Bennet were disappointed they had not received an immediate response, perhaps Mrs. Bennet more so than Mary. The middle daughter needed some excitement in her life and Mr. Aldridge seemed to open up a side of Mary no one had seen before.
On Wednesday, Kitty and Mary called on a few friends in town. On their way to their third family friends, they saw Louisa walking out of the jeweler's shop. Louisa avoided their gaze and walked away quickly. Kitty, slightly offended, hurried ahead to catch up with Louisa. At the next block, Louisa finally stopped and bobbed a quick curtsy to Kitty.
"I cannot stay long, Mother required me to return home as soon as I finished at the jewelers," Louisa said, clutching a small box in her hands.
"Is Mr. Aldridge at home?" Kitty asked, for she too wanted to know why Mr. Aldridge had not yet returned the invitation.
"No, and he won't be for some time," Louisa said, looking to Mary. "Good day, my friends."
Her answer did not suffice for Kitty.
"Louisa! Is something wrong with Mr. Aldridge?"
Louisa huffed and turned around again to face Kitty, "He had some business that is taking longer than expected and we do not know when he shall return. That is all I know. I am sorry Kitty, Mary."
After Louisa had walked away, Mary asked, "What was that all about?"
"I am not sure, but you know men and their business. Always fretting about making mountains out of molehills," Kitty said. "I am sure he will be back in town soon."
"But what if Louisa is trying to force him away from Meryton?" Mary asked.
"You mean away from you?" Kitty said. Mary's eyes grew wide. "My dear sister, Louisa is not Miss Caroline Bingley. It's not hard to see the same qualities in both you and Mr. Aldridge and the likeness you have for him. I don't think Louisa is trying to force him away from you. It would not be because of your class. You are the equal of him."
"How much per year?" Mary asked.
"3,000, Louisa told me. Not so much more than us, but word is he trying to find ways to improve the efficiency of his estate, I heard from Emma McDonald," Kitty said. "I wish him luck, Lord knows our father tried to improve our estate."
"Papa has five daughters, not sons," Mary said.
They arrived at the Tully's quaint flat near the end of Meryton. Mrs. Cate Tully and her daughter Maria Tully lived above their seamstress shop and were good friends of the Bennets and respected as excellent seamstresses in Meryton.
The Tully's were one of the few families Mary enjoyed conversing with. Maria was well read and just as accomplished as Mary, though she did like to gossip. Over tea, Kitty relayed Louisa's strange behavior to Mrs. Tully and Maria.
"Well, is it any wonder, dear? Mr. Aldridge had to evict one of his tenants," Mrs. Tully said. Mary nearly dropped her teacup. She set it on the table.
"From what I know of his character, he wouldn't do such a thing," Mary defended him.
"Apparently he would. A family of eight is now looking for a new home," Mrs. Tully replied. "According to Mrs. Potter, a very close friend of Mrs. Weston, the Coles were not able to pay their bills because four out of the six children were ill and required a doctor. Mr. Cole was also feeling poorly and could not harvest a good majority of his crops last autumn, decreasing Mr. Aldridge's income and leaving Mr. Cole unable to pay a few months' rent."
"I refuse to believe Mr. Aldridge would do such a thing," Mary said.
"Believe all you want, dear, but these great estate owners conduct their business for themselves, without any regard to the laborers," Mrs. Tully said.
"He also nearly eloped with the daughter," Maria said.
"Oh yes! Mrs. Potter also said Mr. Aldridge was attracted to Anna Cole, the eldest daughter at 17 and after Mr. Aldridge returned home, their plan was to elope, but the Coles left quickly and took Anna with them. Saved her, her father did."
Kitty gasped, "Well, that's certainly more than Louisa let on."
"What will the Weston's do now?" Mary asked.
"Mrs. Potter said Mr. Aldridge was downsizing his estate to pay off his holiday here. He's spent quite a lot on this trip from what I've heard from the shopkeepers. A new hat and coat for certain," Mrs. Tully said. "The Coles are gone and Mr. Aldridge is a scoundrel for turning out a large family. Mr. Weston is trying to locate him now."
"Where'd he go?" Mary asked.
"Most likely to the bank or the land office to sell his land and settle his debts," Mrs. Tully said.
Kitty and Maria agreed. Mary looked down at the braided rug. Perhaps her feelings and impressions of Henry had been wrong. She felt dizzy at the mention and thought of his name now and requested to Kitty they go home.