'Have you ever written?'
'They didn't read, I sent a few letters through church but when the minister was transferred I lost contact. Also, Mr Zumpe didn't like it, and once I lived with them my original family seemed very far away, I hadn't seen them in ten years or more. Maybe I should write, one of my sisters or brothers may have learned to read. They may even have heard of my success, and be glad to receive a few words from me.'
Darcy nodded, it would be the right thing to do, though he couldn't imagine Fielding having anything in common with his birth mother and father, if they were even still alive.
'This is very pleasant, Darcy, everything is so beautiful and well-kept. I seem to remember our cottage being a lot less sturdy, though I was still very young. Do you choose the people living on your grounds?'
'Most families have lived here for generations, of course some leave the area
to settle somewhere else, mostly younger sons and occasionally a daughter.
And some tenants die without leaving any heirs. Then my steward finds a new tenant, usually in concurrence with the minister or a village elder, which generally means a younger son or a daughter gets a chance to stay in the village of his or her birth, without having to share the resources of one farm.
One cannot do that too often, you know, or everybody will suffer poverty, and the land will be overgrazed or exhausted. Which is why my steward makes certain it doesn't happen. It can be hard for younger children not to be able to marry and get settled in their home village, but it would cause poverty and hardship in the community.'
'I suppose that may have been the case with my parents. My father had too little land to keep all his children, I suppose he was glad to be rid of me. And my uncle lived really close. I suppose they split their father's land, and maybe he split his father's land.'
'They did own their own land?'
'I think they did, but maybe they didn't. I was seven when I left, and a rather self-involved little chap.'
By now they had crossed the bridge and were almost out of the village, and they stayed on the road until Darcy found a path leading in the right direction.
'Shall we chance this path, my dear?' he asked Elizabeth.
'Of course, if we get lost we can just return home, we'll find that village another time. Do you think Barley can already find his way home?'
'I suppose so, remember, Mrs Norman rode him for months before you first met him. He may know my grounds better than you do, you were here for just two weeks before I dragged you off to the city.'
But they did find the village that had been their destination, and after admiring the Medieval church and a little wilderness that Elizabeth was certain still belonged to the green people, right in the middle of excellent farm land, they returned over the road, Georgie and Fielding would be feeling their muscles, it was time to get them home.
While Elizabeth was unsaddling her Barley, handing the saddle and bridle to Peter whilst Hugo unsaddled Darcy's black, and Bruce and Bob took care of the other two horses, Darcy decided to take the plunge and ask Hugo about the side-saddle. If he didn't ride it he'd never live it down, and following a colonel's example could never be truly demeaning. But he had to try to up the stakes a bit.
'We advised Colonel Drummond of the Newcastle army camp to let his wife ride astride, Hugo,' he started, well, in fact Elizabeth had told Lady Drummond but that didn't matter to Hugo, 'and we also told him about Peter trying the side-saddle.'
Hugo's reaction was neutral, he was merely waiting for his master to come to the point.
'And now he writes to me he has done the same, as has his stable master.
Frankly, it was a challenge, and if I do not address it I will be shamed. But I also feel ashamed to ride a faithful old plug like Daisy. Can't you put the side-saddle on my black for me to raise the stakes a little on the Colonel's challenge? To help me save my dignity?'
This time, Hugo did react, though dryly.
'I am not ready to face Mrs Darcy after having you killed, Mr Darcy. With all due respect, your black has not been trained to bear such a saddle, and the unfamiliar balance and excess movements from you would drive him out of his mind. I suppose Mrs Norman could train him to accept the side-saddle, but I am guessing you need to prove yourself to this colonel pretty soon?
She'd take about three months to retrain your black, and all for half an hour?
For who would want to ride a side-saddle a moment longer than that? It's very uncomfortable, I've tried and I did not appreciate my family jewels getting crushed against a very hard piece of horse tack.'
'You tried the saddle?'
'Like you, I was challenged, but in my case by my own stable boys. I could not refuse, and I showed them some. Though not on Daisy, seeing that she was with you at the time, on your horse that Mr Fielding is using now. But he's no match for your black, not since you took that one in hand and really started to ride him. I'm guessing Mrs Manners' grey mare has been trained to the side-saddle as well, that is as good a lady's horse as I ever saw. Mr Manners' stable master knows his horse-flesh, those horses are all sound and especially suited to their riders. The chestnut is like Daisy, calm and collected, but the black, Liquor Fowler has called him, is quite a character. It would take a body guard to dare ride that one as his first horse. Though of course having Peter's instructions helps as well.'
Hugo's manner of speech indicated plenty of respect for Fowler, interestingly.
'You say Liquor may be dangerous?'
'Not with Fowler riding him, but I'd say he would be dangerous for either of the other new riders. Well, barring Mrs Manners, maybe, she is a natural and
quite fearless, like your lady wife. But she looks much better on the grey, and I'm guessing that she will not want to stop riding in town, like your own lady, meaning she'll want to learn to sit a side-saddle eventually.'
Well, that only proved Hugo was very observant, which was what Darcy paid him for.
'I'll ask my cousin whether I can use her Peppermint to ride a side-saddle with dignity. Knowing you did, too, I'll feel less embarrassed.'
'Even Bruce did it, sir, which means you really cannot forgo.'
That did it. Now Darcy would ride that saddle if it lay on a cob. Bruce had only learned to ride this winter, if he dared do it, Darcy could not refuse. He would lose his staff's respect as well as Colonel Drummond's.
Three days later at breakfast, Elizabeth encountered an article in their paper that was the result of Anne's reporting skills and Eric's newspaper contacts.
Well, and the efforts of several express riders, for how had they managed to get that message to London so quickly? The newly-weds had not come back to the drawing-room on their wedding day, and the next morning all of them, Anne not excluded, had looked decidedly the worse for wear physically, but very close and totally familiar with each other. Nick had seemed entirely at ease with Frederick from that moment on, and whatever they had done after the wedding had accomplished that.
Of course Anne had not hesitated to explain.
'I set them drunk for the first time in their lives, at least for Simon and Frederick, and myself, and we talked. A lot. Had I known intoxication would make me feel so miserable the next day I would have abstained from the wine myself, though it was excellent wine, and Simon told me things that would have been too embarrassing to hear without its help. Very educational, though, if you feel your mind can use still more improvement than Pierre has been able to offer, I'd recommend asking him. By yourself. In private.'
Elizabeth had not asked her to explain, she could guess what Simon had told Anne about and it was totally logical, who would know more about making love to a man than a man who was intimate with a man? Well, she might yet do it, but not just like that, she would wait for a special occasion since it would indeed be very embarrassing. Back to the paper, where an article from Mr Goodfellow's hand was occupying a prime spot on the society page. The serious reporter would consider that a bit of an aggravation, but
reporters had to make a living as well, and this piece of hot news really had no business
anywhere else in the paper. He did have the article marked with his name, he was not that ashamed to take credit for what could only be called a prime example of gossip.
Sorry ladies, he's taken.
News travels fast, especially good news. Though some of our maidens keen on making a perfect match may not be rejoicing to hear that our beloved master of ceremonies, Mr Frederick Manners, was joined in holy matrimony to Miss Anne de Bourgh two days ago, in the parish church belonging to Mr Darcy's Pemberley estate in Derbyshire in the north.
Although the wedding was a very private affair, I have been able to establish a faithful representation of the ceremony, thanks to my extensive inside contacts. According to my source, the groom was dressed to London standards with his now-characteristic black cravat. The bride wore revolutionary flowing split skirts of the finest shimmering silk, combined with a frilly blouse of the clingiest muslin, cut to her elegant figure and adorned with mother-of-pearl buttons and a tasteful amount of lace. Her hair was done up in a simple style, with blonde curls escaping wherever they could.
Very artfully done.
The only people present besides the bride and groom were the new Mrs Manners' cousins, Mr Darcy and his wife, and Mrs Fielding and her talented husband. My source tells me there were two other gentlemen present, and one of them was obviously a relative of the groom since there was a striking family resemblance between the two, except the younger gentleman was more traditionally garbed. Of course we all know Mr Manners to be an only child, which means the one gentleman is probably a distant relative of Mr Manners'
from the north, the other a close friend.
So, I'm very sorry, young ladies, another bachelor has been lost to you. But we all hope this very private wedding was merely the new couple's way to prevent having to invite a certain relative belonging to the bride. Next season in town, Mr Manners will undoubtedly prove he is still the man to be mentioned with respect and envy whenever a party is thrown in our beautiful capital.
Apparently they had given Mr Goodfellow quite a bit of information, they could easily have kept silent about Nick and Simon. But maybe they wanted people to think Nick was a distant relative of Mr Manners, though Elizabeth
supposed enough people knew he wasn't to make that virtually impossible to pull off. Or maybe they planned to do it outside London, plenty of people read that newspaper outside the capital, and they didn't know about Nick.
When Fitzwilliam entered the breakfast room he looked excited, but Elizabeth didn't know why, they weren't planning anything special today, well, Frederick was going to join Sarah's riding lesson but that wasn't exactly something for Fitzwilliam to be excited about.
'I'm going to redeem myself today,' he said, smiling. 'Colonel Drummond challenged me to ride a side-saddle, and Hugo told me he and even Bruce have done so already on a dare from Peter, so I have asked Anne for the loan of her Peppermint and she agreed!'
'Why not just use Daisy, my love?'
He looked really pained, apparently Daisy was not good enough for a landowner. When he had originally bought her as a road horse for himself!
And never used her, to be fair. But, Elizabeth had to agree, Peppermint was much better looking than Daisy, though not as beautiful as Barley. If Anne and Frederick were indeed going to the continent, they might send her to Colonel Drummond to use in his breeding program, she looked much like Cavort, a useful, sensible horse turned out a good bit more beautiful than others.
'All right, all right, you use Peppermint. You would feel very embarrassed to ride such a small horse even if it were astride. And is Anne going to ride her lesson on your black?'
'Is something wrong with Peppermint?' Frederick asked, having just come in.
'No, Fitzwilliam is going to borrow her to ride side-saddle,' Elizabeth replied.
'She knows a side-saddle? Of course your stable master would be the man to find that out, despite his all-too-human side he has several extraordinary qualities. I can imagine your not wanting to use Daisy. Can I join you? I've always wanted to try, you ladies make it look so easy but I suspect it is rather difficult, and possibly quite painful.'
Fitzwilliam seemed rather eager to have Frederick join them, was he afraid to look ridiculous in front of the stable staff? All those men had done it themselves!
'Yes, please, Manners. I'd feel much better not to be the only one making a spectacle of himself.'
Well, at least he admitted to it.
Then Elizabeth pointed their attention towards the article and Frederick said,
'Yes, we decided to sow a rumour that Nick is a distant relative of mine. Of course Mr Blackwood and his staff and your London staff know Nick isn't my relative, but they do not move in the exalted circles we plan to frequent.
And besides, which gentleman ever looks beyond a livery to actually see the man wearing it?'
First they had their riding lesson, Frederick on his grey gelding, who was a perfect match to Anne's mare, and Elizabeth on her faithful Barley. Sarah was going to teach them a few advanced exercises, and Elizabeth was curious whether Frederick would be up to them.
The others had separated into two groups by now, those who wanted to practise playing the piano, Georgiana and Eric, and those who wanted to improve their riding, which were the remaining three. Peter was teaching them, and to spare her grey mare and gain some experience with a different horse, Anne was using Daisy. Fitzwilliam's black would have to wait a little longer, he was a little bit too fractious for a novice rider, even a promising one like Anne. Somehow, Frederick was a lot less careful with Nick, his black Liquor was almost as high-strung as Fitzwilliam's black, but Nick didn't seem to care much. He exuded self confidence, and his strength and natural abilities gained him a lot of respect from the stable staff. And yet he was not rough with the horse, he did exactly what Peter suggested and had great results. His first ride outside the paddock had been more of a challenge, Liquor trying to disconcert him by breaking away from the group and shying at unfamiliar objects, but nothing seemed to faze Nick, he merely kept his seat and used the techniques Peter had taught him to take back control and direct Liquor where he wanted the horse to go.
But now Elizabeth needed to pay attention, this was going to be difficult and very tiring.
Frederick did not know what to expect from his lesson, he'd seen the others being taught how to ride from scratch, but of course he already knew how to ride a horse really well. Still, there was always something to learn, and he was convinced this time would be no different.
As his grey gelding followed Elizabeth's gelding at a sedate walk through the riding paddock, Mrs Norman walked to the middle and said, 'Good morning, Mr Manners, welcome to our advanced riding class.'
She said that with a certain kind of smile that proved she didn't take this quite
as seriously as it seemed. Frederick had heard she was an independent spirit, despite her husband working for Darcy, and he appreciated that. She was reputed to be the best horseman in the neighbourhood, and it took a strong will to train hunters of the kind her father bred.
Coming towards him, she fell into pace with his horse and gave him some very useful advice on how to improve his posture, and complimented him on the way he kept in constant contact with the horse.
'Have you ever ridden exercises in a paddock, Mr Manners?'
Of course he hadn't, and told her so.
'Then please follow Elizabeth until you recognise the names of the individual figures, most of them are pretty self-explanatory but not all.'
Elizabeth, no less! Small wonder she had plenty of confidence. But she was polite enough to Frederick, and she explained a few exercises, which he dutifully executed, following Elizabeth until he knew what he was supposed to do with which instruction. Mrs Norman called out tips and comments, and whenever he managed to follow her directions he could immediately sense a difference in his horse. This really d
id work!
Then she had them do all those exercises at a trot. Frederick never trotted, it was just not comfortable so why do it? Soon, his legs started to ache, but since Elizabeth never faltered he was not going to, either. Next Mrs Norman called out more patterns to ride, but this time each rider had his own instructions, sometimes riding side by side, then splitting to a different side, crossing each other's path, then back together. This was great fun but also hard work, he had to match his horse's stride to Barley's, and when they rode side by side the horse in the outermost lane had to move a lot faster than the inside one. And all of this still in a trot!
After some time they did find a certain rhythm, and for a few moments it was as if their horses were moving in exactly the same cadence. Well, wasn't that what carriage horses did, adapt their movements to each other?
'All right, that was enough for today. You are an excellent rider, Mr Manners, next time we'll start on the really difficult exercises, you're both ready.
Maybe you'll want to join them, too, Mr Darcy? Peter has never taught you these, he's still working on perfecting them himself. As am I, we have a lifetime of practise to look forward to, like your sister and brother-in-law.'
To Frederick's huge delight, Darcy was taken totally off guard, and he almost stammered an assent. Then he recuperated and observed, 'I'd love to, Mrs Norman, and I'd like to do some of those riding-together exercises, too. It
seems like great fun!'
'They are, they're cavalry exercises. You can perform them together, all of you, and have a group of six or eight. It's not too difficult for the novice riders, and it is a perfect way to become one with the horse.'
And that was their lesson, now he was going to ride a side-saddle and hope he wouldn't look like a complete fool without the pretty face and the matching dress that made women look so elegant and charming when riding like a lady.
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