Master of Longbourn Chapter 6 - Pastoral Pursuits, a pride and prejudice fanfic

~MoL~

Pastoral Pursuits

Rosings Park – 1792 – 1797

Sir Lewis was as good as his word. Within days of the dramatic rescue of his daughter, William Collins was installed at the Hunsford parsonage.

The resident rector, Mr Parkhurst, and his wife were a middle-aged couple, who were beloved by all the parishioners. To their sorrow they had only had one son, but he did not survive past infancy.

When Sir Lewis approached them, explaining William's actions and circumstances, they were only too happy to provide him with a loving home. Horace Collins on the other hand was equally as pleased not having to provide for William and receiving the sum of five pounds instead.

~MoL~

William was welcomed warmly at the parsonage and settled into a room of his own. Sir Lewis had already arranged for new clothing, since the clothes the boy had been wearing were only fit for the ragbag.

The first few days were tense as William was ill-at-ease. While he was always polite towards the parson and his wife, and he was generally cheerful, Mr Parkhurst noticed that the boy always seemed to be looking over his shoulder. One morning he took the boy with him as he made his way to the church, since he discovered that William loved the peaceful atmosphere of the building. They had gone perhaps half the distance when Parkhurst asked, 'Are you waiting for someone? You are always looking over your shoulder and never seem to relax.'

William looked down and dragged a toe through the dust of the path as he said, 'I was just wondering when my da would come to fetch me.'

'Do you want to go back to your father? Are you unhappy to be living with us?'

For a brief moment, William raised his head as he exclaimed, 'NO. I think you and Mrs Parkhurst are the nicest people I know. But why would you want to be bothered with me?' He averted his eyes again.

'Did not Sir Lewis tell you that he would arrange for a new home for you?'

'Well, yes, he said so, but my da often said things and then changed his mind.'

'My dear boy, I want you to be quite clear. You are now part of our family, and you will remain thus. One day, many years from now, you may decide to make your own way in the world, at which point you may choose to leave. But even then, you will always be welcome to return.'

During this speech William slowly raised his eyes to the kindly face of the parson, who reached out to gently place his hand on William's shoulder to emphasise his words. That gesture was too much for the boy. As tears poured down his cheeks, he threw his arms around Parkhurst's waist and sobbed, 'I will never leave you.'

In a voice roughened by emotion, the older man said, 'We will see,' as he awkwardly patted William's shoulder.

It still took William some weeks before he truly accepted that his life had changed and changed so much for the better. He found it even more difficult to believe that this change would be permanent.

~MoL~

A significant difference in his new home was that unlike Horace Collins, William's guardian was literate. As soon as William had settled into their home, Parkhurst discovered that the boy could neither read nor write and set about to remedy that lack.

One evening, after William had gone to bed, Mr Parkhurst enjoyed a quiet conversation with his wife while they were having a final cup of tea. 'I cannot tell you how pleased I am with young William. Even though he is no genius, he realises that being able to read and write will allow him to do more with his life than be a farm labourer. He is applying himself to learning everything I am prepared to teach him.'

His wife smiled and imparted her own observation. 'I noticed him observing the kindness with which you treat everyone and the respect with which you are treated in return. I believe that William will want to be just like you, including becoming a member of the clergy.'

'He would do well in that profession. Even now he is doing everything he can to be helpful. If he continues in this manner, I suspect that Sir Lewis will sponsor him for his schooling, when the time comes.'

Mrs Parkhurst laughed softly. 'There is a small problem with his eagerness to help. Today I had to point out to him that if he takes on too many of the chores around the house, there will not be anything for the servants to do, which will deprive them of their livelihood. He was quite devastated. In the end I had to suggest that he should offer his help when he saw someone struggling to perform a task, but otherwise leave them be.'

'He has been equally as helpful in the garden, although I confess, I am grateful for his assistance, as my knees are getting a bit stiff. I think it will not be long before there will not be a single weed in my vegetable patches.' The parson finished his drink as he reflected on his ward. 'I wonder if the poor boy feels that he has to earn his place with us.'

Mrs Parkhurst agreed and suggested, 'I am sure he will settle down once he is assured of his welcome.'

~MoL~

Meanwhile, Sir Lewis made enquiries into William's background, based on comments by Horace Collins.

Upon discovering that William, after his father, was the heir presumptive to an estate, he decided on two courses of action. As William was showing an interest in following in the footsteps of Mr Parkhurst, he changed his will, nominating William to the living of Hunsford if he went ahead with that interest and became ordained. That way, William's future would be secure.

The second course of action was to introduce William to the responsibilities of the master of an estate. Although Sir Lewis loved his daughter dearly, he had a small regret that Lady Catherine was unable to provide him with a son. Despite there not being an entail on Rosings, allowing the gentleman to make Anne his heir, he had hoped to pass on his knowledge and love for the land to a son.

While William was not his son and would never inherit Rosings, Sir Lewis could ensure that the boy would be ready to take on his role if he should ever be in a position to be the master of his own estate.

Sir Lewis discussed his plans with the parson, who was all in favour of both notions.

The first step in the second plan was to teach William how to ride. Therefore, about a month after settling William into the parsonage and the Darcy's returning to Pemberley without George Wickham, Sir Lewis sent for William to meet him at the stables.

When William arrived, looking worried, Sir Lewis immediately reassured him, 'There is no need to be nervous. I just thought that you might learn how to ride.'

'You want to teach me how to ride? Begging your pardon, sir, but why?'

Sir Lewis answered thoughtfully, 'I heard that there is a chance that one day you might become the master of an estate. It would give me pleasure to teach you how to be a good master. And even if that does not come to pass, no learning is ever wasted.' Suddenly his expression transformed as he grinned. 'And in my opinion, there are few pleasures greater than riding across a meadow on a beautiful day.'

'Thank you, sir. I would love to learn how to ride.'

'Also, if you know how to ride, you can keep my nephew Fitzwilliam company on his next visit. Would you like that?'

William bobbed his head, 'I think so. The young gentleman was most pleasant.'

Once that matter was settled, Sir Lewis began his instruction. He had selected the gentle cob which he had kept for his nephews and their friends to ride as a suitable mount.

The gentleman was a patient teacher and was rewarded with a willing student. Since William was naturally athletic and eager to please, he did not take overly long to become a competent rider.

After that, for one day each week, William accompanied Sir Lewis as he went about his duties.

During the time he spent at Rosings, William occasionally encountered Anne de Bourgh.

She had recovered from her brush with death, but as the doctor had feared, her lungs were affected. This circumstance greatly worried Lady Catherine and consequently she ensured that Anne could never be hurt again. Only in the best of weather was the girl ever allowed a gentle stroll through the garden, but she was never to exert herself in any way.

William felt sorry for the girl when he noticed her wistful glances at the fields beyond the garden.

~MoL~

The next four years were mostly pure bliss for William. The only exceptions occurred during visits by Sir Lewis' nephews.

Each Easter, Lady Catherine's siblings came for an annual visit to Rosings. The Darcy's brought along their only son Fitzwilliam, whom William had met during the incident with Anne de Bourgh.

The other visitors were the Earl and Countess of Matlock, who were accompanied by their younger sons, Richard and Henry, while the oldest was already at Eton. Henry, the youngest, was only three years old during the first visit of William's residence at the parsonage, making him five years younger than William. As a consequence, Henry was rarely included in the games of the older boys.

During those visits, neither Fitzwilliam Darcy nor Richard Fitzwilliam, were cruel or disdainful towards William. Quite the contrary. They quite happily included him in all their games.

Unfortunately, Richard, being two years older than the other two, was a natural leader and highly adventurous. The problems occurred when Richard's exuberance landed the boys in trouble.

The list of their adventures was extensive and mishaps frequent.

For instance, how were young boys supposed to know that maids did not care for frogs in the house? And how was Richard supposed to know that when he dared his cousin to climb to the top of a tree, that the branch would not be able to bear Fitzwilliam's weight, causing the branch to break and Fitzwilliam to come crashing to the ground.

At least the fathers, uncles and guardians were even-handed and showed no favouritism for anyone. Despite Richard taking the blame for instigating their adventures, whenever the boys got into mischief, they all received the same punishment.

As Sir Lewis explained to the younger boys, 'You always had the choice to say no.'

~MoL~

In preparation for sending William to school, Sir Lewis contacted his old friend William Stanley Goddard at Winchester College, to arrange a place for his protégé. Winchester was Sir Lewis' own alma mater and since it mostly catered to boys who were not of the highest nobility, he felt that it would be easier for William than Eaton.

His timing was excellent as at just that time Dr William Goddard was appointed headmaster of the school. Being keen to raise the level of scholarship, he was pleased to accept a boy who had already been trained in many of the required subjects.

In the fall of 1796 William started school and threw himself wholeheartedly into his studies. The education he had received from Mr Parkhurst stood him in good stead. While he was not at the top of his class, he always finished in the top half, pleasing both his sponsors.

~MoL~

The autumn of 1797 brought both good and bad news.

A fever swept through the area around Rosings, claiming the life of Sir Lewis de Bourgh. This news was devastating not only for his family but also for William Collins, who had come to love his mentor for his kindness and generosity.

William was astonished that Sir Lewis' generosity did not stop at his death. After the will was read, he was informed that Sir Lewis had made arrangements for William to finish his education at Oxford.

If William became ordained, Sir Lewis recommended him to the living at Hunsford after Mr Parkhurst retired. Until the retirement, William was to be the curate to assist his guardian.

~MoL~