Attending a Ball: A Pride and Prejudice Variation (Darcy and Elizabeth Series - Book 2) by Gianna Thomas

Author:Gianna Thomas [Thomas, Gianna]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Published: 2017-10-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter V

No one suspected that Longbourn represented more than just £2,000 per year. Mr. Bennet had been quietly investing everything over £2,000, and his investments were beginning to do quite well. Part of these included his brother-in-law Mr. Gardiner's business of importing goods from other countries. That business had grown substantially in the last five years, and both men were beginning to see results that were gratifying. Some of the returns on these investments were being put aside as part of his daughters' dowries, and others were being banked with interest to care for his family when he died.

Unfortunately, his estate was entailed away from his family as he had no male heir, and a cousin, Mr. Edward Collins, would inherit upon Mr. Bennet's demise. He had no hopes that Mr. Collins would refrain from turning his family out of Longbourn posthaste upon his death, and Mr. Bennet had no intentions of leaving his wife and unmarried daughters in poverty. He was also determined not to leave Longbourn to the foolish Mr. Collins and was seeking a solution to ending the entail. Mr. Bennet was just not forthcoming with his wife about the plans he had made and the money being put aside to prevent her from starving in the hedgerows.

He did not dislike his wife. On the contrary, he had accepted the fact that many of her interests did not coincide with his, but he did view her with amusement on occasion. Her nerves, though, wreaked havoc with his at times, but, for the most part, they rubbed along fairly well. She followed her interests, and he followed his to his library.

***

Darcy and Windstorm were headed back to Netherfield when he saw a woman in a cart and deliberately headed the other way. He had only been at Netherfield for a se'nnight and had yet to meet any of Bingley's neighbors. In fact, he was loath to become acquainted with the country folk whose social sphere was lower than his. Bingley was his friend and was the exception even though his father had been in trade. Through the years, Bingley's father had amassed a huge fortune and made Bingley the proud owner of £500,000. The business he'd inherited along with other of his father's interests continued to make Bingley a very wealthy man in addition to making him a target for every husband-hunting mama within his sphere and even from without.

Darcy and Bingley had met when both attended Cambridge. Although Darcy had been a student for two years, when he saw Bingley being beaten by three older students, Darcy dove into the fray, whipped each of the men and became Bingley's hero forever. Two friends could not be more different than Darcy and Bingley; Darcy was dark and brooding and Bingley was fair-haired and amiable, yet the two were a complement for each other, saw the good in one another and a very strong friendship was born.

***

After finishing the other two visits on tenants, Lizzy headed back to Longbourn and thought about the horseman she'd seen in the distance earlier.

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