Still in Pemberley with the Darcys, Bennet, Gardiners and Bingleys.
Life goes on and some have taken decisions...

Chapter 18: Pemberley plans

The same friday of August

"Funny how life is sometimes" said Mrs. Gardiner. "Never would I have believed that we would meet again with Charles Bingley's children. It's fifteen years, dear."

"Would he not have died, we would have met them already. But his wife didn't like us, you remember?"

"I do, and I do believe Caroline is the perfect match for her. Arrogant, manipulative and full of contempt. I'm quite glad Elizabeth destroyed this romp's prospects on Mr. Darcy. How she must suffer to see them so happy. If I'd have a choice, I'd just chosen just that sort of revenge..."

"Charles Bingley was my master and my friend..."

"And his wife was a shrew and a very unlikable person. It was good riddance when she died and I'm quite pleased that Mr. Darcy choose Elizabeth and not Caroline Bingley."

She looked up from her dressing table.

"And you should have heard the joyous comments of the staff when they learned that Caroline Bingley was definitively out of the race. They would have danced a jig and they probably have in the concealment of their quarters."

"You're quite definitively unkind this morning. Why did you sent me after young Charles if you despise his family so?"

"I despise the women of the family! They are petty and manipulative and full of spite. He, on the other side, is a charming young man who would have made a perfect husband to Jane. Now I suppose it's too late..."

"Who knows, dear? She's coming in the next days here. I'm quite sure she is still in love with him. If he finds the courage to apologize, he still has his chances..."

"His sisters will not have him do it..."

Mr. Gardiner let himself smile with an air of intense satisfaction.

"I doubt his sisters will have their say with him in the future. He's quite angry with them. He learned this morning from Fitzwilliam that Jane was in Town and that she called twice at his Town House. He's quite unhappy with what he considers a betrayal. I do believe he has some prospects for them... And they won't be happy with them..."

Charles took a deep, deep breath and knocked at Caroline's door.

Since Darcy's engagement she was 'ill' and took to her chambers.

Louisa was, of course, with her. Mr. Hurst, as usual would be in one of the parlors beginning, continuing or ending a bottle of something with alcohol in it.

"Come in..."

It was Louisa's voice but he was sure the other sister had agreed.

He went in.

His conversation with Mr. Gardiner had made him worlds of good. So much he had never known about his father. So much he had still to learn. And he had, in the end, fathomed that he was losing his time in idle unworthy tasks. Mr. Gardiner was a man of great culture but he was a man who loved what he was doing and who spoke of it with passion and force.

Yes, he had agreed, a man was not meant to spend his life doing nothing and since the army was not what attracted him he should, perhaps, try the same career his father excelled in.

And with the invasion, everything was different. It was an excellent time to change one's life.

He opened the door and went in.

He bowed and then went to kiss them. He would have preferred not to but he was not quite sure if he really wanted to cut all bridges with them. It would depend on the way they reacted.

"I have some news for you, sisters, I have not yet been able to inform you about..."

"News?" asked Louisa. "About the war?"

"No" said he. "Private news, financial news, personal news..."

Caroline puffed.

"You know we despise financial news, Charles. Let our managers handle that sort of things. They are trained to have such worldly occupations..."

"I know," said Charles, "but this time it interferes in your private lives."

"Does it?"

"Yes it does and it will have rather drastic consequences to the way we used to live!"

Both sisters looked at each other with frowning faces.

"As you know, I went to Derby with Darcy. We went to the Lord Lieutenant to speak about the war but, since we were in Derby, I went, on Darcy's advice, to Derby's greatest Real Estate Broker --who is also a friend of the Darcy family --to see what I could find on the Estate Market. There were quite a few demesnes to sell and we found that two of them were quite interesting and I bought them."

Both sisters could not conceal their surprise.

"You bought both? But why?"

"A s an investment" answered Charles. "With the war we are probably going to lose most of our cash and a great deal of father's businesses. With the war, these two demesnes will very soon grow in value and we will be able to sell the one we do not use for a hefty profit. Or we could keep them. Real Estate will never lose all his worth..."

"How much of our reserves did you spend?"

It was Louise, the eldest, who had, in her youth helped her mother, who would ask those questions.

"Three quarter of what we possess and ninety percent of what we had at the Bank of England. Our accounts on the Farinese's are untouched. Since they are on the Venetian bank where even Napoleon has his loot, we believe those sums will be safe."

"And where are those Demesnes?"

That was Caroline asking. Would one of those be at her taste?

"One here in Derbyshire, just to the North of the Peaks and one in Lancastershire, east of the town of Lancaster. Both have the same amount of property around and a Manor of, all in all, the same dimensions."

He looked at his sisters and his eyes were not smiling.

"I'd like you to take our carriage and look at both of them. Since one of them will be our future home, please be careful to chose with care. It will, after all, be what will be called the Bingley Estate..."

Caroline could only look at him with disbelieving eyes.

"Must we? It's only an investment. Why should we chose one as our home. We could stay here. I'm sure Mr. Darcy will have nothing against harboring us for the next few weeks."

"I'm sure of it" said he. "But I'm not so sure I'm still wanting to live under the same roof as the man who, knowingly, had concealed the fact that Jane Bennet has called twice at our Town House."

His remark brought astonishment in the faces of his sisters. And annoyance, and fear.

Not the least trace of guilt.

His eyes lost all friendliness.

"Sisters, I cannot cease to be your brother and I will continue, in the future, to treat you as it is seemly to such a one. But since, now, I know that my happiness is not something you deem important, I feel myself released of such petty obligations as showing you everlasting respect and treating you as loved ones. We are family, and I will do what my duty commands me to do. But, since I'm only a pawn in your petty little games, I'll let you play as much as you want... at our new Estate where I, for my part, will not reside."

He looked a last time at them. They still thought only of themselves. If they had regrets, it was only because of the consequences it brought to them.

"Last thing, I will be returning to Town as soon as possible. With luck I'll be able to save a little more of father's fortune. Good luck to both of you..."

He bowed, turned around and went out.

Both sisters could only look, open mouthes and dumbfounded at the closed door.

"What's the matter, husband?"

Mr. Gardiner looked up from his books and tried a smile at his wife.

It did not came up very smoothly.

"Nothing important. I was looking at our accounts..."

"And the situation is critical, is it not?"

"Critical, I would not say, but we are about to lose quite a part of our fortune. Fortunately, most of our warehouses are only half full and most of our money is invested in cargoes who went out of England to other parts of the world. With a bit of luck my captains will be able to sell and know that there are no more free English ports where to come to. We could, with luck, lose less than fifty percent of what we own."

Mrs. Gardiner came to her husband.

"We are safe, dear. And soon the children will be at our side. What we have that is most precious is, or soon will be, in safety. We have built a business in the past, we can do it again, can't we?"

Mr. Gardiner breathed heavily.

"I'm no more the young ambitious businessman I once was. I have bad habits. I like to be at home in the evening, I like to speak and play with my children. I'm no more able to work twelve hours a day and still be able to spend time with my loved ones. I'm not yet an old man but I'm nearer to it than ever before."

He looked at her.

"When the children have arrived, I won't stay, you know it, don't you?"

She nodded.

"I knew it all along. When you heard the news I sensed that you wanted to go back and save what could be saved..."

"I have dozens of Workers, dear. I cannot stay away for too long. They will probably have problems feeding their families and I have corn and wheat in my warehouses. I prefer giving it to them than letting it be stolen by the French."

He stood up and went at her side.

"Darcy has seen it too. He asked me to take letters for his agents. He hopes to be able to clear a few of his accounts before everything crashes. But the greatest part he has been able to do from here where most of his fortune is invested."

He went to the window and called his wife to join him.

He showed her a distant house.

"He proposed a bargain. A part in our business against this little Estate there. It was the house of one of his great uncles who died without an heir. It has been maintained and is approximatively the same size as our London Town House... We could take it immediately..."

Mrs. Gardiner looked at the little house.

"He's doing us a favor, isn't he?"

"If I save my business, he'll be richer than before and he will have parts in shipping and trade with far east India..."

"And if you do not save our business?"

"We will have an estate where our children will be able to live in safety and comfort. It has approximatively the same income than Longbourn. Not much but much more than I could guarantee with what will be left of our business..."

She nodded.

"And this man we suspected of being arrogant and haughty..." She went into the embrace of her husband. "I do believe our Lizzy has just got the last Shining English Knight..."

Mr. Gardiner pouted...

"Let's not give him to much credit. He has after all just secured the most smart, witty, lovable and passionate woman of all the Empire. At the end, it's probably him who is on the winning side..."

She smiled at his words. He hugged her with energy.

"And, even if he is a Shining White Knight, he is also a man who never loses its wits..."

"How so?"

"He put a last condition to the bargain".

Mrs. Gardiner frowned.

"What condition?"

"We are to invite my sister as often as possible" said her husband. "And as he said, more often would be more better..."

This time she laughed and his own heart rejoiced.

Next chapter : Pemberley spring