PP AU Non-Canon General Regency

Ties That Bind

Previously:

Mr. Collins was left speechless as he watched the carriages leave; he had not believed the 'rumors.' No, the parson had convinced himself no one would even look at Charlotte, let alone a man with a title. And now he was left to go home empty-handed. As the carriages rolled away, the winter landscape stretched out before him, the stark beauty of the snow-covered fields contrasting sharply with his bruised pride. The air was crisp and cold, and the bare trees stood like silent sentinels against the pale sky, their branches etched in frost.

New Year

Ch. 7

Hans stood near the fireplace of his parlor as Brianna and her girls came into the room. The girls went and sat on the sofa without saying a word; even Tamara appeared to sense it was not a time to be noisy, for she too kept quiet. "I am sorry, Hans." Brianna spoke low, almost to the point her own girls could not hear her. "I had no clue Mrs. Fairfield was even ill."

The parlor emitted an air of outdated grandeur, firmly rooted in the Georgian era. An oversized Persian rug, rich with intricate patterns, covered the polished wooden floor. High-backed chairs with elegantly carved legs flanked the room, their upholstery a rich, burgundy, that had long since faded from vibrant to a more subdued color. The couch, too, was a relic of the past, its floral fabric looking as if it had witnessed many gatherings and could tell countless stories- some horrible, some sad and some beautifully joyous. Heavy velvet curtains, the same deep red as the walls, framed the tall windows, their tassels and fringes adding to the room's antique charm. It was as though the entire room had obstinately refused to change with the times, a tribute to an era gone by. All of this was ignored as Brianna's brother gave his reply.

"She was not." Hans squared his shoulders and looked at himself in the mirror. "Or at least my wife was not when we left your place. Doctor Long has no idea what took her; he said his best guess was it was something to do with her heart. She was barely thirty."

'More like something to do with all that sugar your wife liked to eat. Too much of a good thing is deadly, and this proves it.' However, that was an opinion Brianna saw no need to speak. "What do you plan on doing now?"

"I was hoping we do as I wanted to do in the first place and switch places. I was just trying to figure out to do in a way that my wife would not make my life a nightmare."

"Are you sure? I confess I have not been convinced you were serious."

"This estate is bigger in land and housing. We both know I can afford to take the time in getting revenue up over in Hastings. The parents here are more open to you teaching their children. My home is far larger and more equipped for your classrooms; Jay built those rooms over in Morgan Hall-in my opinion- insanely small. The income alone on this place is plenty to support it. My estate manager is one of the best. He is hard-working, honest, and thinks highly of women who are not afraid of hard work. If I needed to come back; his cottage is big enough, he would let me stay. I have no desire to live in a big house. You know that."

"You are not attempting to marry me off, are you?"

"I am not father, if that is what you are asking," laughed Hans. "I might consider it if you were Sarah." Sarah was their younger sister who they never saw any more as she and her husband had moved to America. "That little lady needed a husband; she would have folded by now. You? Well, it is not like I would be thrilled for you to have someone who could treat you like a queen but, no, that is not why I am offering this. We both know this is what should have been offered to you that day at your place, not what you were suggesting. And the act I was having to put on that day only made me look like an extremely selfish brute. However, with Mrs. Fairfield around it was absolutely necessary."

"You are right, but I figured the same thing, it is why I played along."

"So? What about it? It is not as if we would need to haul furniture anywhere. Whatever faults my wife may have had, and as...unstylish as this furniture is, you have to admit, you would not be bumping into any of your students."

"I must confess being here in Battle would not be a bad idea; I just hate the idea of selling my home in Hastings, but only because I have lived there for so long."

"I need to clarify what I meant by switching." Hans hurried to explain. "I did not mean sell, unless you want me to do such a thing. I simply meant for running your school...use the money the estate makes to support your establishment. I would live on your estate get it up and running better; not to mention remodeling the place to support your and those girls better. I would also work on seeing if I could not soften up the people a bit... if I could great; if not, well, you would not be out an income."

"And it gets you out of this house?"

"You do not have to look at me like that, Brianna. Most people would be shocked to learn you and I have something other than blood in common."

"And what is that?"

"We had lousy marriages. People would think me horrible to say I do not miss my wife. If I mourn anything, I cry for what we could have had, what I still want. And truth, is a good share of me now celebrates I am free to truly look again. Horrible as that may sound."

"You never said a word of complaint. I mean other than you thought she talked too much."

"Did I have to? I never called her by her name and I noticed you have not either."

"Point taken. So, you come to this place anytime you want."

"And you could come back to your place if you wished.: I would not turn my back on you if the school got too much."

"No, for in spite of what I just said, once I move onto something I do not turn back. So, go ahead and... if you find the right buyer, sell that place. That is, if I am free to stay here?"

"That you are. I will even put it on legal paperwork if you wish. So, we have a deal?"

"Deal." Brianna turned to Marianne and told her to take Tamara to go pick their rooms and then turned back to her brother.

"On one hand, I really am sorry about Mrs. Fairchild and yet, I confess, this is the real subject you wished to discuss was it not? I mean you did not like Rose Manor?"

"Yes, and no. I love the town of Battle, Rose Manor so-so, but family I adore. And you, loathe living in Hastings; admit it."

"What I loathe are the memories there. I have to say, for the most part, I have no issue with the people." Brianna had not taken much any real convincing to go along with Hans idea and soon any necessary steps to move his sister over to Battle were in full swing.

.

Battle and Hastings real towns in England as far as I am aware of.