Chapter 18

Haye Park

Meryton, near Hertfordshire

Dear Mr Goulding,

It is with a heavy heart that I inform you that your uncle never received your letter. On the day that it arrived, your uncle and cousin William were out on the estate supervising the cutting of a great tree that was in danger of coming down and causing damage. I am told it was the one you broke a collarbone falling from in your youth. There was an accident, the tree broke halfway through the cutting, and as you might imagine, went in a direction that was quite unexpected. Your uncle and cousin were both killed instantly.

Your other cousin, my wife Ella, and I arrived the day before the funeral, which was yesterday. It was this afternoon that we learned that you must be present for the reading of the will. An examination of Mr Goulding's study revealed your letter waiting unopened on his desk, almost by fate. My wife and the local solicitor request that you come immediately, and of course you must stay at Haye Park. Ella is most insistent on this point.

I hope you will not disappoint her. Her heart is broken at the loss of her father and brother, and her only comfort is the prospect of your return. She was quite unaware that her father had banished you from the family entirely, he allowed everyone to think that you never wrote, and the tone of your letter has caused her a significant amount of additional grief.

Your old room has been prepared for you, and it is my wife's dearest wish that Haye Park shall receive you as soon as you are able to travel to Hertfordshire.

Your Servant,

Benedict Pembroke, Esq.

Dorian sat at his desk and wept for the loss of his cousin William, whom he would now never be able to reconcile with. Dorian had been of the hopes that he might talk with his cousin while he resided in Meryton, and that since they were both grown men, that they might correspond regardless of Uncle Frank's feelings on the matter. Instead, William had died believing that Dorian had not cared enough to write to him. He cursed his uncle's resentment for the loss of the intimacy he ought to have enjoyed with his own relations.

When he had finished expressing his grief for now, he packed a small bag of clothes, then packed the rest of his belongings in his two chests, and wrote a note to his landlady, including payment for the upcoming months, when he may or may not occasionally spend a night when returning to the city for his Greek lessons, and with instructions to send his boxes onto Hertfordshire. He then wrote the following letter to Lord Darcy.

Greene Street, Piccadilly

London

My Lord,

I regret to inform you that I will not be at liberty to escort your family upon your upcoming trip to Hertfordshire as discussed, though I implore you to assure Miss Bennet that I will see her there.

I have received word from Haye Park that my uncle, Mr Goulding, and my cousin William have been killed in an accident while working out on their estate. I remove with all haste to Haye Park at the request of my cousin and her husband, Mr and Mrs Pembroke.

I wish your family a safe and comfortable journey, and anticipate your company in Hertfordshire very soon.

Capt D. Goulding

Dorian closed the letter and sealed it. He was rather embarrassed about the knighthood. What was he expected to do, close every letter as Captain Sir Dorian Goulding for the rest of his life? How appallingly ridiculous. He changed into travelling attire, fixed a black band around his arm, and left the letter to Darcy along with his note for the landlady on the table in the hall. Mrs Chester would see that a boy ran it to Pemberley House in a few hours.

The sun was rising as Dorian made his way to the mews and saddled his horse. He set out just as the streets were coming to life, and made excellent time leaving the city. He had wondered at the lack of response from his uncle. It had been just over a week since his letter to Haye Park had been sent. He had been surprised when a reply had not arrived within a few days. He was truly concerned about the talk in the village if he just arrived and took rooms at the inn instead of going home to Haye Park. Such a move would have surely provoked gossip and speculation in the village, and though Dorian still resented his uncle for his treatment, he would not intentionally embarrass the family. It had begun to appear as if the inn would be unavoidable until he returned home to the black edged letter.

*****

The Darcy household was having breakfast together some hours later when Darcy reported from behind his newspaper that the elevation of Sir Dorian had already been announced in the paper. "I must say, Prince Albert does a marvellous job of serving as private secretary to Her Majesty. Never misses a trick, that man. Runs an impressive ship at Buckingham House." Then a few moments later, "I say, here's something, Elizabeth! Your sister's friend has some troubles awaiting him in Meryton. It seems our neighbours, Mr Goulding and his son, have been killed in an accident. It is unfortunate we did not know sooner. The funeral was yesterday. I would have attended."

"What?" Elizabeth gasped from her place next to him. Elizabeth often sat next to Darcy at breakfast and luncheon if there were no guests. She took the paper from her husband, and read the obituary in dismay. The Gouldings had been their neighbours all hers and her sisters' lives growing up. Poor Ella Pembroke would be devastated, as would much of Meryton. William Goulding had married two years before, and to her knowledge there had been no mention yet of an heir. His wife, a petulant woman he had met in Bath, got along well with his mother, and was a connection of his through that lady's family, but no one else in Meryton was overly fond of her.

Lydia wondered if Dorian would have read the papers yet. It was a terrible shame. It was well that the family was to Netherfield the following day, for Lydia greatly wished to call upon Haye Park to express her sympathies and condole with Ella, if she was not in Kent. Pemberley House did not expect to see Dorian or any of the extended family that day. Everyone was closing their townhouses and preparing for their journey.

Five minutes later, a letter was delivered to Darcy from Dorian, which answered Lydia's question of whether that gentleman knew of the tragedy. Lydia was happy that he was going to Meryton with all haste, and hoped his coming would bring some comfort to poor Ella Pembroke. She did not look forward to condoling with the two Dowager Mrs Gouldings; Mrs Lavinia Goulding and her mother-in-law, Mrs Ada Goulding, were not pleasant women, but it could not be helped. Lydia knew that she and her sisters would call upon the ladies as soon as they entered the neighbourhood.

*****

Shortly after the Darcy family finished their breakfast, Dorian rode up to Haye Park and threw his reins to a stable boy. An unfamiliar butler opened the door. He should have expected that, Old Frye must have been pensioned off years ago, if he was even still alive. "Sir Dorian Goulding," he said, handing the butler his hat and gloves. He was slightly embarrassed about his knighthood, but would use any weapon at his disposal to arm him against his aunt's disrespect. His uncle's wife, Aunt Ada, loathed Dorian. If it were possible for anyone to detest him more than his uncle had, it was his aunt, though Dorian understood how unpleasant it must have been to watch her husband and son constantly degraded in his favour, and worse, for no apparent reason.

He waited in the hall for several minutes until the butler returned for him. When he was announced to the drawing room, his cousin flew to him and threw her arms about his neck.

As Ella stepped back, his aunt remarked. "Sir indeed, must you add insult to injury, boy?"

"Must you start your unpleasantness the very moment he arrives, Mother?" snapped Ella Pembroke nee` Goulding as she whirled upon her mother. "It will serve nothing, and only makes everyone unhappy."

"Your poor father never had a happy day in his life when that boy or his sire were about. And now he's here," his aunt retorted angrily.

"I beg your pardon. It is true that I planned to return to the area quite soon on personal business, but the reason I am here now is because I was informed that my presence is required. I have no desire to cause anyone pain," Dorian said awkwardly. "My condolences, Aunt, Ella, ma'am," he bowed to the ladies, including a strange woman who he presumed must be William's wife.

Ella made the introductions, and then said, "I have no wish to speak of that now, cousin. I wish to tell you that I had no notion that you were writing to us, nor had William. We spoke of you often, to father's dismay, and he maintained that you had disowned us all because he had not sent you to Cambridge as you wished. It did not seem likely, but I did not know, cousin, that he was withholding your letters until I invaded his study and searched his papers until I found them!" Ella cried.

"You had no right to do that, you wicked girl! You have no business in your father's papers!" Aunt Ada shrieked at her daughter.

"They are Dorian's papers now!" Ella turned upon her mother.

"I beg your pardon, but what was that?" Dorian demanded incredulously.

"You are the master of Haye Park now," answered Mr Pembroke.

"But why?" Dorian rasped. "Why not Ella? Or to Aunt Ada, or William's wife? It makes no sense!"

"We are rather well situated in Kent, so we hardly need it. Were you unaware that Haye Park is entailed to the male line?" asked Pembroke.

"I have never heard anything of it!" Dorian exclaimed.

" Of course we never spoke of it! I am no Fanny Bennet; I had my William!" Aunt Ada said rudely.

"I shall send a note over to Mr Phillips," Mr Pembroke announced as he got up and made to leave the room, "We shall make an appointment to read the will without delay. Perhaps he can come tomorrow morning."

"Ella, why did you marry such a cruel man? He cannot wait to get Mr Phillips here to take Haye Park away from us and poor Lavinia," lamented Aunt Ada.

"There is little point delaying, it is upon you, and you must accept it," said Pembroke firmly, "And you ought to attend to clearing out the master's chambers without delay."

"Please do not." Dorian held up a hand. "I cannot see myself occupying them, at least not on this visit. If I am to remain, I prefer to stay in my old room, if it is available."

"It has been prepared!" Ella rose and invited her cousin to follow her. "You must be tired from your journey! We are all at sixes and sevens here, mother, how have we not rung for tea? Never mind, I shall send tea and sandwiches to your room, you must wish to refresh yourself!"

*****

Dorian followed her into the hall, and was introduced to the butler, Mr Edenfield, who showed him to his rooms, but not before his cousin hugged him again fiercely. "Dorian, I am happy to see you. We will be friends again, won't we?" Ella asked him.

"Of course we will. I always wanted it to be so," Dorian promised, "Ella, I am troubled by my aunt's claim that I am here to take Haye Park from her and Mrs Lavinia. If I am not mistaken, the dower house here is generous and well appointed, and I am certain that my uncle would have provided for my aunt. William too, was a diligent man. Even if he somehow did not provide for his wife, they must know that I would never turn them away from here. Living in close proximity to my aunt might not be pleasant, but she has earned her place here at Haye Park. Her feelings regarding me aside, I respect that."

"You must ignore what Mama says," Ella told him. "Though he had the security of an heir, I am certain that my mother is provided for. Papa made certain that I knew upon marrying Mr Pembroke that he had insisted on generous terms for my portion. Every bit as generous as my mother's, he said. It is likely that my mother will be unhappy at the prospect of living in close proximity to you, and if she is, she can always occupy our dower house at Maiden Oaks. Benedict's parents have both passed, so his family has no need for it. Mama and Lavinia still have family in Bath as well, if they choose to visit them. They are not at all without choices. What was your business in Hertfordshire, if you do not mind my asking?"

Dorian smiled, "I am here to pursue Miss Bennet, who will arrive with her family the day after tomorrow, but keep that under your bonnet, cousin. She does not seem to appreciate too much idle speculation."

"Oh, how charming! I did wonder, you know, before you left; if you were sweethearts." Ella beamed. Then her face fell. "The poor girl was devastated when you left. She visited me almost daily; I was crushed not to have had any news for her."

"She was too young for us to have been any such thing, and I was far too young to court her, although I will concede that there was admiration on both sides, and disappointment for us both when I was sent away. We have agreed to know one another better, but no more."

"You will be fortunate indeed, if you can convince her to wed you," Ella said seriously, "Every bachelor in Hertfordshire, Derbyshire, and London has been attempting to court her for years, and she pays no one the slightest attention. She is in the papers all the time, in the fashion columns. Ladies will do anything to convince her to redecorate their homes, and I am told several ladies a year attempt to bribe her modiste to let them have an appointment at the same time as hers, in the hopes that she might advise them on their clothes. Even in Meryton, everyone follows her fashions."

When Dorian finally entered his old room, it was with great relief. He needed some time to himself, though this room was the last place he wished to do it. He wanted to be back out on his horse and do some hard riding, but Sir Horatio had been on the roads for hours, and ought to rest. If he was to go downstairs, he would be obligated to be social, and Lord knew he wanted to sit and talk with Ella for hours and hear all her news, but he was not ready yet. He needed time to consider the news he had just learned.

He had planned to purchase an estate, but he had no desire to receive Haye Park like this. An entailed estate, no less! He had no desire to be bound to leave his property to a stranger instead of his own family. He was willing to re-enter Meryton, and even be social and amiable as often as Miss Bennet wished, but he had not considered living here permanently, and was uncertain if he wished to. He paced back and forth in his room for some time before he finally went to the basin and washed in the water which had grown cold. He cleaned himself of the dust from the road, then opened his bag and changed into a set of fresh clothes.

He thought about how he wished to manage this most unpleasant of affairs, and wondered why on earth his uncle and cousin had not dissolved the entail, as he sat and consumed the sandwiches and tea his cousin had sent to his room. He must simply refuse to take over the house just now. It simply was not the right time. The respect due his aunt must be considered. She must not be expected to remove from her home so soon, nor must William's wife. He would discuss with Mr Phillips and the steward the running of the estate, then he would remove to another location in Meryton, or perhaps the dower house.

‘ I will not impose my company upon my aunt ,' he thought as he selected one of the jam cakes. ‘ Is it ?' He thought to himself as he bit into the cake. ‘ It is !' He moaned as he shoved another of Haye Park's famous jam pennies into his mouth. Of course. Only Mrs Siple would send him such a mountain of cakes. It had not occurred to him until he picked up the first, that perhaps the cook might be new at Haye Park, which would be a shame. Mrs Siple had been amongst his favourite people at his uncle's estate, and she had doted upon both he and William alike.

When he had eaten his fill of cakes, and was feeling rather abashed by his gluttony, he slumped into the couch in front of the fire, berating himself for having gorged on so many. He had not realised how exhausted he was. He had no sleep the night before, and now that he was still and full, he was feeling his exhaustion. It was not long before his eyes drooped and fell closed, and he was lost in a deep sleep.