Mr. Darcy's Daughter (8 page)

It
would do her good to be aware of eligible young men, she thought.

If
things turned out well and he did purchase the Rushmore property, they would
all have an opportunity to get to know Mr. Carr a little better. She made a
little resolution to mention the matter to her mother when they met.

Elizabeth
was sure to have some useful ideas about the situation and would not tease her
like her husband did.

After
breakfast, Richard made his peace with his loving wife and left for the
hospital, promising to tell her everything when he returned that evening.

"You
will know it all, my love, I promise," he vowed. Appeased by his pledge,
she forgave him for vexing her that morning and let him go, but not before she
had urged him to recommend Mr. Carr to Will Camden as a prospective buyer.

A
lighthearted riposte was on the tip of his tongue, but seeing her face and
knowing how much love there was between them, he had not the heart to say
another aggravating word. Even as he turned to wave to them before driving
away, he saw Darcy standing with his mother at the top of the steps, while Mr.
Carr and the two girls had set out for a walk around the park, which they had
promised their guest at breakfast.

Richard
could not help smiling; he had glanced at his wife across the table when they
were arranging it between them and, to his surprise, she appeared not to be
listening. Doubtless, she was untroubled by it; yet twenty-four hours ago Mr.
Carr, apart from being Darcy's friend, had been a complete stranger.

As
they drove on towards Matlock, Richard recalled the hilarious tales his mother
used to tell of Mrs. Bennet's relentless efforts at matchmaking for her five
daughters, when they lived at Longbourn.

It
had been her sole preoccupation, except for the dire condition of her nerves,
for several years, during which time every eligible man who visited the
district had been viewed and pursued as a possible marriage prospect for one of
her girls.

Both
Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley had been objects of her interest, until the former
fell out of favour, temporarily, to be replaced by an officer in the regiment
of the militia that was encamped nearby. He, alas, had turned out to be a
bounder who had eloped with her youngest daughter, Lydia, whom he had to be
bribed into marrying!

However,
Mrs. Gardiner had admitted that Mrs. Bennet had been proved right about Bingley
and Jane, who had fallen in love almost at first sight, while Elizabeth's
romance with Mr. Darcy had developed in spite of her mother's efforts. It was
such a pity, Richard thought, that his dear wife Cassy had never known her
infamous grandmother. It might have made for some interesting conversations.

*

Around
four o'clock in the afternoon, Dr Gardiner drove to the inn at Lambton to wait
for Mr. Carr and Darcy. He had already sent a message to Will Camden that he
was bringing along a friend of Darcy's who had expressed an interest in the
Rushmore property and had received an enthusiastic response.

The
Camdens, who were committed to emigrating to New South Wales, were keen to
sell.

The
landlord at the inn was well known to the Gardiners; the family had lived in
the area for many years, and by his marriage to the daughter of the Master of
Pemberley, Richard Gardiner had consolidated his position as a local.

In
addition, his reputation as a skilled and thoughtful physician had secured him
a special place in the community. All of which probably contributed to the very
cordial welcome he received when he arrived at the inn that afternoon.

The
same did not apply to the two rather raffishly dressed young men, who sauntered
in shortly afterwards and ordered food and drink.

Richard,
who had retired to an alcove from which he could see an approaching vehicle,
overheard them questioning the landlord. They had arrived in the area last
night from Birmingham and taken rooms at the inn, with a view to inspecting a
couple of properties in the district, they said. The mention of property
alerted Richard, who listened while pretending to read his newspaper.

It
seemed, they were interested in an old run-down place outside Cromford and had
also driven out to Rushmore Farm to look at the Camden horse stud.

Both
men were enthusiastic about the stud, with its collection of fine horses, but neither
was keen on the farm that went with it.

"It
is only a small place, no more than a hundred acres, with no prospect of
expansion or development, unless one were to get rid of the tenants, who seem
to have been there forever," said one, and the landlord agreed that the
families had lived and worked the farm at Rushmore for many generations.

"You'll
not get them out easily," he warned.

The
other man was more optimistic. "I'd enclose the place and turn them out.
The law lets you do it; it would be the only way to make the property
profitable," he declared, adding that he would want to keep the trout
stream as part of his portion.

"Apart
from the stud, it's the only part of the property I would want to keep.

The
house is old and needs knocking down."

Richard
realised that these men were the type of buyers Will Camden had already
rejected, but time was running out and soon he would be forced to accept one of
their offers, however reluctantly. It would be an absolute tragedy if Rushmore
Farm and Stud were to fall into the hands of men like these or others of their
ilk. The two men were still in the dining room when Darcy and Michael Carr
arrived in the curricle. One of the men rose and went to the window to look at
the new arrivals and then walked over to the landlord to ask if he knew who
they were. Meanwhile, Richard had gone out to caution Darcy and Mr. Carr that
they had better be discreet in the presence of the competition.

They
decided not to go in and, as they prepared to drive to Rushmore Farm, he told
them what he had heard.

Mr.
Carr looked very concerned, but Darcy seemed untroubled. "I do not believe
that Mr. Camden will sell to these type of men," he said confidently. His
father was more circumspect.

"He
may not have an alternative--time is short and he will need to sell fairly
soon," he said, and they set off up the road. Mr. Carr joined Richard in
the carriage, while Darcy followed in the curricle.

Michael
Carr was concerned; he had spent most of the morning talking to the Gardiners'
steward, he said, and he had heard nothing but good reports of the Rushmore
stud and the farm.

"Your
man thinks it's an excellent property; he believes Mr. Camden is foolish to
sell," he said, and Richard laughed. "Thomas grew up on the Camden
farm; it was his childhood home. Little wonder he doesn't like to see it up for
sale," he explained and added thoughtfully, "Many of the folk who
live and work around here have ties with the Camden Estates as they do with
Pemberley.

Some
were born there, and the prosperity of their villages depends upon the good
management of those two estates. They may be fearful that another round of
enclosures and indiscriminate development will destroy their livelihood."

Mr.
Carr was impressed by the level of concern shown by both Dr Gardiner and his
son; clearly the Gardiners had the interests of their community at heart, he
thought. When he spoke, he hoped to reassure them of his own motives.

"I
have certainly no interest in enclosing or subdividing any property I purchase.
My intention is not to make a profit, but to purchase a place where I can enjoy
the kind of life I wish to lead. My business interests in transport and trade
are in New York and London; here, I would want mainly to enjoy the countryside
and all it offers.

"Now,
if the horse stud is as good as Thomas says it is, that would surely be an
added attraction and a valuable investment, but my chief aim is the acquisition
of a pleasing and convenient country residence."

"But
what about the farm?" asked Richard. "Those men at the inn were right
about the farm--it is not large enough to allow the use of mechanised farming
methods. There is little scope for expansion unless you intend to fell the
woods, and there are long-term tenants."

He
did not wish to raise Mr. Carr's expectations too high.

"If
the stud is good value and the house is solid enough, I do not think the size
of the farm would present a problem," said Carr. He fell silent as the
horses strained a little to take them over the last rise in the road before it
ran out in a wide sweeping meadow, cradled in a deep bend in the river and
overlooked by an arc of rugged hills, rising high above the property. It was
both picturesque and secure, allowing only one way in, with the foothills of
the Peak District forming one natural boundary and the River Wye another. They
stopped and climbed out to survey the prospect.

Both
Darcy and Richard could sense that Carr was impressed. He said nothing, but
while his silence implied that he was at a loss for words, his countenance
proclaimed that he was well pleased with what he saw.

The
land was both fair and productive, the fields well tended, the river-banks
thick with flowers. The house, an old but solid early Georgian building, stood
on rising land backed by its own woods, and beyond the orchard lay the paddocks
and stables of the Rushmore stud.

Will
Camden had ridden down to meet them at the farm gate. When Richard introduced
them, it was easy to see that the two men were keen to assess one another, but
as Mr. Carr held out his hand and said, "Mr. Camden, I am astonished that
any man who has spent his life in this place would be willing to part with
it," it was clear that Will Camden was already won over.

An
hour and a half later, after they had walked over much of the grounds and
inspected the stud and the house, it was clear Mr. Carr's intentions were
fixed. He could find nothing to say that was not good and nowhere to look which
he did not admire. So determined was he to secure the place that he insisted
they talk business immediately rather than wait to meet another day.

Richard
left Darcy with them, as they negotiated their way through the transaction, and
made for home.

When
Cassy met him at the foot of the stairs, he embraced her fondly and said,
"Well, my dear, you have your wish and Mr. Carr has his property, I
think,"

and
seeing the look of astonishment upon her face as she stood before him, a hand
to her open mouth, her eyes wide like a child's, he added, "Unless
something goes very wrong with the negotiations, it seems that Will Camden has
a buyer for Rushmore Farm and Stud."

"But
so soon? Did he not want to see any other properties?" she asked, almost
disbelieving it had all happened so quickly.

"Not
after he saw the property, walked around the house, inspected the stud, and
patted the horses. He claimed it was just what he wanted, and if I am not
mistaken, he will pay an excellent price for it, too. So, my darling, you were
quite right; it is a happy transaction that satisfies everyone, and I think I
deserve a reward for my part in it," he said as he took her upstairs,
presumably to make good his claim.

*

Meanwhile,
Lizzie and Laura Ann had gone down to the village with Laura's governess, Miss
Fenton, and on their way back were happily overtaken by Darcy and Mr. Carr in
the curricle. Miss Fenton had broken the heel of her shoe and was walking
awkwardly and, because there was no room for all of them in the vehicle, Mr.
Carr gallantly leapt out and helped her in. He then lifted little Laura in,
too, claiming they were both small enough to fit into his place and, as they
drove on, offered his arm to Lizzie. She took it gratefully, for the road had
been steep and she was tired from supporting Miss Fenton.

When
they reached the house, they found that everyone had disappeared upstairs. Mr.
Carr went into the parlour and Lizzie, doing her duty as hostess, asked if he
would like some tea.

"I
would indeed," he replied and as she went to order it, he stoked up the
fire. By the time she returned with the maid bringing tea and muffins, he had
got a good blaze going. Lizzie dispensed the tea and toasted muffins oneself-consciously,
totally at ease in her own home. Mr. Carr was so completely satisfied with his
day's work, he seemed to want little more than to relax in silence, while
Lizzie sat watching the pictures in the fire. So they remained until the
servants came in to light the lamps.

"Good
heavens, it's almost dinnertime," Lizzie exclaimed and, jumping to her
feet, excused herself and ran upstairs, leaving Mr. Carr amidst the remains of
a very pleasant afternoon tea, conscious only of feeling completely contented.

He
had no recollection of feeling this way ever before.

At
dinner, to which everyone including the host and hostess was late, for some
unaccountable reason, it was revealed, by young Darcy first and then confirmed
by Mr. Carr, that Will Camden and he had agreed upon a price and they were to
have their lawyers meet to draw up the documents.

"If
there are no legal problems affecting the sale, there should be no further
delay," said Mr. Carr.