My Cousin Caroline: The acclaimed Pride and Prejudice sequel series The Pemberley Chronicles Book 6

by Rebecca Ann Collins

  James Fitzwilliam began by addressing his cousin with a degree of forth-rightness that Elizabeth found quite surprising. He was not generally renowned for the directness of his approach, being somewhat vague and circumlocutory in his speech. Nor was he a particularly forceful man; perhaps, she thought, his cause had stiffened his resolve, because on this occasion, he was being very outspoken indeed.

  “Darcy, this is a most unsatisfactory state of affairs, I am sure you will agree,” he declared and then, assuming his cousin's acquiescence, went on, “We are all at a loss to understand the reason for the exclusion of Robert from his father's business.”

  Mr Darcy seemed quite taken aback by this remark. “Exclusion? Why, what has given you such a notion, James? Robert is certainly not excluded, surely?”

  “Ah, but he is. I am advised that Caroline, not Robert, is to manage the Commercial Trading Company.”

  Darcy smiled, comprehending his concern. “Manage it, indeed yes, but it does not mean that Robert is excluded. He and Rose have received bequests of generous parcels of shares to add to those he already held, from which they will derive income, and as shareholders, they will not be excluded from the business at all. In fact, it is to protect the profitability of the company that Mr Gardiner has nominated Caroline to manage its general administration, a task for which she is far better fitted than Robert.”

  “How so?” asked Rosamund. “After all, Robert was trained at Mathesons, was he not? Why was he overlooked? Rose has informed me that Robert believes he has been replaced by his sister because Caroline probably inveigled her way into Mr Gardiner's confidence during her brother's absence from Derbyshire. I am told she was forever in his study, going through the books…”

  At this point, Mr Darcy, who had been standing in a fairly relaxed manner propping up the mantelpiece, strode purposefully over to where his cousin and his wife were seated. Placing his glass carefully upon the table, he spoke in a voice that brooked no interruption.

  Elizabeth, observing from her seat on the sofa, hardly knew what to expect. It was clear her husband was very vexed indeed.

  “Rosamund, you have no right nor has Rose any reason to make such a cruel accusation. Not only is it uncharitable and unfair, it is downright libellous. I assure you Caroline knew nothing of her father's intentions; only Mr Jennings the attorney and I were privy to the change Mr Gardiner made to his will placing her in charge of his interest in the company, and I must, in all honesty, declare that as a partner in the business, I entirely approved of his choice.”

  For a few minutes, neither spoke, then James Fitzwilliam asked, “If that was so, Darcy, what reasons did you and Mr Gardiner have?”

  To Elizabeth's surprise, Darcy did not spare their sensibilities, pointing out with astonishing candour the clear, cogent reasons Mr Gardiner had provided for his decision.

  “Since Mr Gardiner had been unwell for some time, Caroline had been asked by her father to assist him by undertaking a number of routine administrative tasks; these she carried out in an exemplary manner. Where Robert and Rose spent many months away in Europe or London or Bath, Caroline spent several days and weeks poring over the accounts, travelling to Manchester, confronting swindlers like Caddick, who had completely deceived Robert, and reorganising the work of the office after his sudden departure. Though Robert returned to work, he made little progress. Mr Gardiner had no choice; he had long desired to set his son up in charge of the company, but Robert, despite his many protestations, seemed to have lost interest in the business. He'd left most of the work to Caddick, whose criminal actions may well have ruined the reputation of the company. Now, in view of all these matters, I am sorry to have to say that I fully concurred with Mr Gardiner's decision.”

  By the end of his recital, the Fitzwilliams, whether they agreed or not, had clearly decided that it was fruitless to press their arguments upon Darcy. They had obviously hoped to use their family connection to influence him, perhaps to make some accommodation with Robert. Now it was clear they could not, they rose to take their leave.

  Darcy and Elizabeth were all politeness, but James Fitzwilliam and his wife appeared to feel that their daughter Rose and her husband had been slighted and treated unjustly by Mr Gardiner and nothing would change their minds.

  Rosamund Fitzwilliam was very close to her daughter and being especially aggrieved, determined to say her piece.

  “My dear Rose is of the opinion that Mr Gardiner also expected Robert to move to Manchester in order to take charge of the office there,” she said, adding, “which of course, would have been intolerable for Rose. Our daughter is accustomed to a style of living with a level of culture and gentility that cannot possibly be found in a town devoted totally to the pursuit of industry and trade.”

  Elizabeth thought she said “industry and trade” in a manner so like that of Lady Catherine, it was quite uncanny!

  “Rose,” she went on, “enjoys pastimes such as may be found in the salons and theatres of London and Paris, rather than the public assemblies and workmen's institutes of Manchester and Liverpool. Besides, where would they live? There are few suitable residences in Manchester, and Rose cannot be expected to live above the shop!”

  There was an implication in her words that she thought perhaps Caroline, in view of her father's background in commerce, could be so accommodated.

  Elizabeth bit her lip, unwilling to ignite an undignified argument, though she clearly understood the point of the remark and was inwardly very annoyed. Darcy, sensing the slight, intended or otherwise, to the Gardiners, for whom he had the utmost regard and affection, did not take the bait either. He did, however, intervene with a riposte of such levity that it made Elizabeth smile.

  “Ah well,” he said, “in that case, both Rose and Robert should feel mightily pleased at being relieved of the need even to visit Manchester, much less live there,” and as the Fitzwilliams looked puzzled, added, “They can now draw upon the income derived from their share of the business without feeling any obligation to contribute towards its creation in any way. While Caroline is unlikely to have 'to live above the shop,' as you put it, she will certainly have no compunction at all about visiting Manchester or London, if that were necessary, to ensure the business is being conducted efficiently. To that end, I have assured her, as I did Mr Gardiner, that I will do everything in my power to assist her and ensure her success.

  “Neither Rose nor Robert need have any qualms about their shares; the company will be in excellent hands, you may assure them of that. Indeed, it is a most felicitous outcome, you must agree.”

  Writing to her friend Charlotte Collins later that day, Elizabeth said:

  The finality with which he completed his sentence and moved to escort our guests to the entrance left them in no doubt that Darcy had had the last word.

  It left me gasping with astonishment, while I tried valiantly not to laugh, for it was clear that Darcy, for all his civility, had lost patience with his cousin James and his wife.

  Their partiality and concern for their daughter is understandable, Charlotte, but to proceed from that relatively benign position to one of animosity and innuendo against Caroline and the Gardiners is insufferable. My dear husband, whose affection for my uncle and Caroline far outweighs his familial feelings for his cousin James, made it plain he was, in the words of his departed aunt, 'seriously displeased'!

  Sadly, Charlotte, Rosamund has, over the years, become more deeply enmeshed in the old ways; the modes and manners of people like Lady Catherine de Bourgh, whose snobbery and smallness of mind are plainly obsolete. It is a pity, for her family, the Camdens, were Darcy's close friends as well as our good neighbours. It is to be hoped that Rose will not lead Robert down the same path.

  Later, Elizabeth, noting that her husband was in quite good humour despite the contretemps with the Fitzwilliams, took up the matter of Caroline's new role with him.

  “You must know that the Fitzwilliams and more particularly Rose will continue to carp and critic
ise. Do you think Caroline will cope?”

  Darcy, taking her arm and tucking it beneath his own, smiled.

  “My dear Lizzie, I am more certain that Caroline will cope with these petty problems than I would have been had Mr Gardiner delivered the responsibility to Fitzwilliam or myself. She is keen, dedicated, and unencumbered by jealousy or viciousness; I am confident she will manage very well.” Elizabeth smiled as he went on, “It will, however, be an onerous task, and to ease her burden, I have a suggestion to put to the meeting of the partners next week. If it is accepted, I believe Caroline will have far fewer problems than we imagine, and the cause of efficiency will be better served.”

  Elizabeth was eager to discover what plan he had in mind, but Darcy, ever scrupulous, declared that he could only reveal it to her after it had been put to the partners.

  “Oh Darcy, you are vexing!” she cried impatiently, but there was no changing his mind. In such matters he was scrupulous to a fault.

  At the meeting of the partners, held at Oakleigh, Caroline sat for the first time in her father's place at the head of the table with Messrs Darcy and Bingley to her right and her husband at her left. Feeling the full weight of her new responsibility, she was at first understandably nervous and tentative, but soon got into her stride. Having attended meetings during Mr Gardiner's long illness, she was familiar with the routines and was further assisted by the consideration of the partners.

  Caroline had summoned Mr Peter Kennedy to present the accounts of the Manchester office and Mr Garfield from London to do likewise for his establishment. Both men attended, explaining in some detail, and to the satisfaction of the meeting, the state of the business.

  There was, however, one reservation; Mr Kennedy had brought with him a packet of documents, which he had presented to Caroline before the meeting, urging her to peruse the contents herself before revealing them to the partners.

  “It would be best, ma'am, if you saw the material, which is of a highly confidential nature, before Mr Darcy and the other partners are apprised of its existence. I believe also that it would be best kept from the gentlemen of the London office at this time,” he advised.

  Taking advantage of a break in the proceedings for tea, Caroline withdrew to her father's study to examine the documents.

  What they contained so startled her that she had to summon first Mr Kennedy to request an explanation of their significance and then Mr Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam to look at the material.

  Their astonishment was no less than hers had been.

  The documents revealed that Mr Stokes, who had been placed in charge of the office by Robert, had over the past year been defrauding the company by paying himself various sums of money for his personal use in no way related to his work. Not only was he involved in misappropriating funds, he was also forwarding small amounts to a woman, who Mr Kennedy had discovered was Caddick's mistress, left impoverished without her protector since his departure on a convict ship bound for the antipodes. It was exactly as Mr Gardiner had feared; Stokes was a henchman of Caddick's and not to be trusted.

  For Mr Darcy, this was the last straw!

  “Caroline, this is intolerable. We have to be rid of this man. I suggest that as a matter of courtesy, we advise Robert of this information and have him write a letter to Stokes, dismissing him from his present position,” he said, and Caroline could not but agree. While she had the authority to dismiss Stokes, she would have preferred to have Robert do so.

  But, unhappily, the matter was not able to be settled quite so simply, for Caroline had learned from her mother that Robert and Rose had already left for London.

  “I know they have plans to spend a fortnight in London before proceeding to Europe, where I believe they are invited to spend the Winter,” Mrs Gardiner had explained, adding sadly, “I think, my dear, that Rose is exceedingly disappointed that your papa did not arrange to leave Oakleigh to Robert. I cannot help wondering whether it would not have been better had he done so—it would have pleased both Robert and Rose very much and I should have liked that. I cannot bear to think that he feels unfairly treated by his father.”

  Caroline had been appalled. “Mama, I have no doubt it would have pleased Robert and even more particularly Rose, but I am just as certain that pleasing them was not Papa's main preoccupation when he made his will. He clearly intended for you to have this property. It was purchased for you and it is yours to enjoy and not so as Robert and Rose, who spend little enough time here anyway, should be pleased.”

  Seeing a look of some anxiety upon her mother's face, Caroline added, “Should you ask Mr Darcy, he will tell you how much Papa wanted for you to have the peace of mind and security of your own place. He knew well the hazards of leaving the house to Robert or Rose and expecting them to accommodate you. There are too many examples, some well known to us, of sons and daughters whose best intentions of providing for a parent or unwed sister have evaporated when property and money were involved. You know that Rose would have been the mistress of this house and I cannot believe, Mama, that you would have been happy with such an arrangement. Oakleigh is your home.”

  Poor Mrs Gardiner, though many years younger than her husband, had not been very well in the last few years and would have preferred to avoid the unpleasantness of offending her youngest son and his wife, who had made their disappointment with Mr Gardiner's will quite plain. She could not deny, however, that Caroline was right; living as a permanent houseguest in her in-law's home would not have appealed to her at all.

  When Caroline returned to join the gentlemen, who had made good use of their time by helping themselves to some of Mr Gardiner's excellent sherry, she broke the news that her brother and his wife were probably in London already. Neither Mr Darcy nor Fitzwilliam seemed surprised, and Bingley offered the opinion that he had heard his wife speak of their intention to spend Christmas in France.

  “Jane met Rose and her mother in Derby last week, and she said they were all very excited about it—though I must say I cannot think why. When we were over there some years ago, I could not comprehend a word of what they said in church in either France or Italy!”

  The rest of the party laughed as Caroline pointed out that, while Robert knew not a word of French or Italian, Rose was fluent in both languages and would probably be quite at ease in either place.

  Getting back to business, after Mr Garfield had left to get the coach to Derby and thence to London, discussion returned to the case of Mr Stokes. It was clear that some action had to be taken and soon.

  “We have to act before Stokes becomes aware that he has been discovered, else he may destroy documents and attempt to hinder the work of the company,” said Colonel Fitzwilliam.

  Caroline agreed there was such a danger, but Mr Kennedy intervened to reassure them.

  “Mr Stokes is away in Liverpool until Tuesday, and I have taken the liberty of removing all important papers and files from his desk and storing them in the locked safe, to which I alone have the key. Were I, on Monday morning, to deliver a letter to his house before he arrives at the office, he would be none the wiser and have no opportunity to do any damage at all.”

  The gentlemen looked relieved and Caroline exclaimed, “Well done, Mr Kennedy.”

  “A capital scheme,” said Mr Bingley, who had been absolutely stunned by Kennedy's revelations.

  It was decided that a letter should be drafted, copies made and retained, and the original signed by the partners and delivered to Mr Stokes. With the help of Mr Darcy and some technical advice from Mr Kennedy, an appropriate communication was produced thanking Stokes for his services, enclosing his wages for the remainder of the month, and terminating his employment forthwith.

  A thinly veiled threat that any attempt to create trouble may result in a report to the police was included, mainly to alert him to the fact that his petty theft and misappropriation had been exposed.

  Colonel Fitzwilliam, who had been much impressed by Mr Kennedy, asked if he could “hold the fort�
� for a while, but Mr Kennedy, though an obliging and hardworking fellow, stated that he could deal with all of the accounts but had no experience in matters of shipping and commerce.

  “Since the retirement of Mr Upton, we have missed very much the services of a capable man to take charge of our main business, which is trade,” he explained. “It is a complex area, growing larger each year, and we must have someone well versed in the detail of it. None of us has the knowledge and experience of Mr Upton, and we have struggled since his departure to keep abreast of the work that is coming in. The two clerks work hard but could benefit from an experienced manager.”

  It was at this point that Mr Darcy decided that his plan could be put to the meeting with a high level of certainty that it would be accepted. The time, he judged, was right. He suggested that they advertise in the commercial papers in London and Manchester for a well-trained, experienced man to take charge of the shipping business of the Manchester office and do as Mr Upton and Mr Bartholomew had done.