2. Chapter Two

Gabriel watched Darcy fiddle with his glass of brandy. He appeared happily lost in thought, given the smile on his face. Darcy had been quite eager to get home and check on his wife. It seemed that she was well enough because he had reappeared fairly quickly and had yet to lose the besotted look since his return. Gabriel acknowledged that he wanted the same thing for himself and repressed a sigh. His love for Mary had cemented itself into his heart long ago, but for now, it would have to wait. As a second son his options were quite limited.

Even though Miss Mary had given enough signs of encouragement to make him believe she would gladly enter into a courtship with him, he felt he had nothing to offer her. She was the sister of an earl now—she could reach as high as she wished. He had no estate and, so far, no profession. His parents had told him he needed to find a way to support himself because, of course, all the family"s wealth was going to his older brother and his younger sister's dowry. He had decided early on that he was not meant for the military or for the church, despite his mother"s hints that he would look nice in a red coat. All he really had to work with was his training at Oxford. While he could easily get a job as a clerk at a law firm and work at becoming a barrister, he found it an unappealing prospect. At one point, he had been interested in design and architecture, but found his skill was not great enough for it to offer gainful employment.

It was a pity that he was not the firstborn, really; he had much more interest and knowledge on running an estate than either his father or his older brother. Where they were content to let things progress as they had always been and spend more than they should on the trappings of gentility, he was not. Gabriel had found learning about crop rotation and other methods of diversifying holdings to be fascinating. He had learned much about it from Mr. and Mrs. Darcy, not that his father ever listened to his suggestions. His father was firmly of the camp that held with tradition. According to him, the way his grandfather had run things was good enough and there was no questioning that. Why spend the family"s money on more diverse crops and better equipment for the workers when they needed it to keep up appearances?

Gabriel had never been all that fond of the current fads in fashion. Looking down at his waistcoat, he gave it a tug. It was perfectly serviceable, and he liked the color; he did not care if it was two seasons out of date. Rubbing at his face in frustration, Gabriel decided he could do with some conversation. "How is Mrs. Darcy faring?"

Coming out of his thoughtful state, Darcy said, "Well enough. I will always worry, but she reassures me she is well, and with Mary tending to her I am sure she is as well as may be. What did you think of the state of Longbourn?"

"Frankly, I thought you exaggerated when you said you feared the condition of the estate. What gentleman would behave so poorly and destroy his family home out of spite? I had always known Mr. Bennet was not a gentleman I cared to get along with, but I had never suspected the depth of his insolence and depravity." Looking into the cheery fire for a moment, he pondered what Mary must have experienced under the power of such a man. She had not confided in him beyond saying that Longbourn was not somewhere they could safely stay. "I am grateful you freed the Bennet ladies of him when you did. Why was he so horrible, do you think? I never truly spoke with the man and was only vaguely aware that he had financial troubles."

His face twisting into an angry grimace, Darcy replied, "From what my Elizabeth tells me, he was angry that after his parents" and older brother"s deaths, he had been forced to leave academia to take control of Longbourn. Instead of seeing the property and his family as the boons that they were, he was furious he had been deprived of what he had wanted for his life. So, like a child, he tried to make everyone as miserable as he saw himself."

Sitting with the information for a moment, Gabriel considered how a man could sink so low, all the while vowing to never descend down a similar path. Seeing the destruction of Longbourn had come as quite a shock. He had never expected to see such evidence of wrath. "I can understand now why Mr. Collins chose to not take control of the property and sold it instead. He would have to have a great deal of money to make the manor livable, not to mention the work needed to rebuild the tenant cottages. I doubt Mr. Collins has that kind of money."

"No, he does not. The current condition of Longbourn necessitates another prosperous property to fund its renovations." Darcy looked at Gabriel, something curious in his eyes, before adding, "Mary often speaks of your interest in design and agricultural reform. She said that you enjoyed Oxford, but you have finished your course of study."

The way that Darcy left off made Gabriel feel it was more of a question than a statement. Looking at the slightly older man, he felt that Darcy wanted to know something about him. They had spoken often, but he had never felt such an intent from him before. What was it he wanted to know? "Yes, it is a pity that I am a second son because I do not have the calling for the church or the military. Nor do I have the head for trade. I almost feel as if I am a man of the land, or maybe the people."

Nodding, Darcy leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepled. "What would you do with Longbourn if it was yours to repair? I could see your mind working while we were there."

Gabriel sat for a moment wondering if the illustrious Mr. Darcy was testing him. Through Miss Mary and her sisters, he had become acquainted with Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley, and more recently Theodore Fitzwilliam, the new earl of Matlock, though he would have never thought he would be developing friendships with such prestigious people. If he had his wish, he would be their brother-in-law. It was a very sobering thought.

Did Darcy want his help? He could not know without forging forward. "Yes, well, I did see some places where adjustments to the layout would be of benefit. For example, instead of trying to repair the damaged wall with the gaping hole, it would be better to leave an open space or doorway to help with the flow of the home. I am also concerned about the condition of some of the flooring and woodwork in the rooms where the windows had been smashed. The wet and damp can cause all kinds of problems." Noticing that he still had Darcy's undivided attention, he continued, "I am actually more interested in the tenant cottages. I took some time this morning to check a few over before I met up with you. Several might need major restructures. I saw two that needed new roofs and there was one that had been partially knocked in from a fallen tree."

Eyes widening slightly at the news of the damage to the tenant cottages, Darcy inquired, "What would you suggest we start with first?"

"The main house mostly needs to be cleared out and cleaned, which does not need the full attention of anyone. With several workers given a daily task, it would be fairly simple to get what needs done effectively. Then a carpenter could assess the remaining problems." Taking a sip of the brandy in his glass, Gabriel allowed himself to think of what he would do if Longbourn was his own property. There was a lot there that could be used. It was like starting fresh instead of having to worry about the generations of habits that you would need to overcome to implement wiser strategies. "The tenant cottages could be worked at in turn, saving the worst cases for last, and enabling people to move in as they become livable. Winter is approaching and I would focus on getting cottages ready if you want tenants in place beforehand. Also, I would select tenants who were willing to try new agricultural practices. The soil here is good for more than just the typical wheat crops. I have heard of those not much farther south doing quite well growing hops and barley, selling it to the breweries, and making quite a tidy profit." Stopping, he looked back at Mr. Darcy and flushed in embarrassment. He had let his mind run away with him. He had no intention of talking as much as he did. Pemberley was a huge estate—much larger and more profitable than Longbourn ever was, or any of the properties hereabout for that matter. Mr. Darcy would know so much more than himself.

Smiling kindly, Mr. Darcy saluted Gabriel with his glass. "Here is to not ever being embarrassed by admitting to know things. I like your ideas. While I can tell you are thinking that I have experience with my estate in Derbyshire, what you do not understand is that you are from this area and will know things that I do not. I think introducing hops or barley in the spring is a brilliant idea." Pausing, he looked as though he was debating something. Then with a bob of his head, he shrugged his shoulders and said, "I was going to wait until Bingley arrived next week, but he is delayed for some reason or another and so I will just say this now. We have discussed it and those of us who put up the funds to purchase Longbourn would like to offer you a position. It may not be something you were thinking of, but it would provide you with a nest egg should you choose to accept it."

Narrowing his eyes in confusion, Gabriel asked, "Position? What are you needing help with?"

Without hesitation, Darcy replied, "I am wondering if you would be willing to be a steward of sorts. Longbourn is going to need attention—much more than Bingley or I can provide. We both have our own estates that need attention." Reaching out, he took a sip of his amber colored drink. Then letting what was left in his glass swirl around for a bit, he watched it glow in the light of the fire. "We cannot stay here as long as it would take to return Longbourn to the state it should be in, which brings me to my proposal. Would you be willing to oversee things now and when we eventually need to return to our own estates?"

Gabriel sat for a moment, shocked at the proposition. Mr. Darcy was giving him the opportunity to work on an estate from the ground up and if he did not miss his guess, he would have the opportunity to determine the buildings and structure of how Longbourn would operate going forward. "Would I be getting all the instructions from you, or would I be allowed to make decisions?"

Downing the last of his brandy, Darcy put his glass down and nodded. "At first I would appreciate hearing what you would like to do, but eventually yes, you would take the lead on decisions. For the most part, I merely want Longbourn to become as great as it could be. I have been watching you for some time and I think that you have a good eye, and you have the drive to accomplish all that needs to be done."

Gabriel could not help but grin. This was an amazing opportunity. He knew it was a huge undertaking, but it would give him the ability to put his learning to use and feel useful at the same time. He had never before considered becoming a steward, but it was possible that Darcy was giving him the opportunity to find his way into a profession. "I am honored that you would offer me such a position and I would love to accept it."

Though he was thrilled, he briefly wondered if Mary would mind being married to a steward. It would be more than a step down from her sisters' marriages so far. Shaking his head, Gabriel realized that this did not mean he had to become a steward, but it would give him a sizeable chunk of money that he could put towards his savings. He had been saving every spare coin he had from his allowance since the moment he realized he was falling in love with Miss Mary. She deserved so much, and he wanted to give it to her. First things first, he would work to earn enough to support her. Eventually, he could propose to her as they both wished.

Maintaining his analytical gaze, Darcy finally smiled and said, "I am glad. I truly think this plan will be of benefit to you and Longbourn. Where would you like to start work?"

Gabriel only pondered for a moment before responding, "That depends on whether you have plans to get any tenants this year."

"I only have one family that I know of who would like to come to Longbourn. A young couple from Pemberley who would like to try their hand at a new place further south. They will wait until early spring. Actually, they are planning on marrying in February and hope to come down soon after." Darcy smiled as he spoke, and it was obvious to Gabriel that he knew the young couple and wanted only the best for them.

"Well then, I think the very first task would be to organize some workers to clear Longbourn. We can move any salvageable pieces to the attics or servants' quarters for now, and then clear everything that is broken or beyond saving." Sitting forward in his chair, Gabriel's mind raced, spinning all sorts of plans. Putting down his still half-full glass, he rubbed his hands against the fabric of his trousers. "Once that is done, I can survey the tenant cottages. I will evaluate which home can be finished the quickest so that work can start there."

Darcy nodded and offered an affable smile. "I can see that you are full of ideas and that this will be just the task for you. My only caveat to your work is that I would like for you to ask for advice from my wife and her sisters. Elizabeth and Mary are here already, and Mrs. Bingley should be arriving soon enough. The sisters are the ones who ran Longbourn, not their father." He paused briefly, a reminiscent look on his face as if remembering a different time. "They were all devastated they had to leave it behind when they were able to escape their father. They know much about the land and the people who lived here."

Gabriel's planning halted at that comment. He had seen that sorrow on Mary's face that morning, and how affected she had been by the state of the home. On some level, he had known the sisters had worked hard to keep Longbourn afloat without Mr. Bennet's support, but he hadn't thought of what it would do to them to leave behind what they had worked so hard on. What would it do to a person to see all of their hard work undone by an evil man? Their father, no less.

He had not thought about speaking to the sisters about his plans, but looking at it from Darcy's perspective, he could not leave them out of the process. "You are right. I will consult with them as things progress." He grinned, thinking back to the comments Miss Mary had made and the way she had looked at him as she spoke. "I know Mary will insist on being at Longbourn as much as possible, working to improve it all."

Standing up, Darcy put away his glass, went over to his desk, and pulled out a file from a stack of several others. "I am glad you understand. Now to get to the financial arrangements. I am sure you would like to know how you will be paid, as well as what the budget for the project is."

Darcy watched the younger man leave the study. Had he ever been that age? Somehow the five-year age difference felt like a wide gap. Then again, at twenty-three, he had already been responsible for Pemberley, several satellite estates, and his much younger sister for two years. Gabriel was not exactly timid, but he had not seemed to have found his place in the world or gain the confidence that came with it. Darcy hoped their plan would be the making of him.

He was happy Gabriel had been so eager to take part in the plan that Theodore had suggested to him and Bingley. While having Longbourn was all well and good, it would need quite a lot of work in order to become a profitable estate once more. He had enough to handle without adding a struggling estate that needed major repairs. Frankly, he would much rather spend time with his wife and son than oversee yet another project. When Theodore had suggested having Gabriel oversee the work, it had been a stroke of genius. It was always nice to take care of two problems at once.

Both Theodore and Darcy knew that Goulding and Mary were more than quite fond of one another. They were hoping this would give the young couple the opportunity to work together and perhaps Goulding would get to the point. Elizabeth was very vocal about her frustration over the fact that the young man had not even asked for a courtship when it was obvious that he was smitten with Mary.

Sighing, Darcy played with his quill pen absentmindedly, the feathered tip twirling around as he thought. The things he did for his love for Elizabeth. Here he was, taking on the role of matchmaker. With a chuckle, he looked at the clock on the mantel and smiled. Artie should be up from his nap by now. Maybe he could take his son out to the stables and spend some time with the horses. Cadmus would be more than happy to get a carrot and Artie so loved feeding him. Putting down his quill, he stood and wondered if Elizabeth would feel up to joining them.