Chapter 1

When a person of gentle nature attempts to make his way in the world relying on his wits and well-educated schooling, it often results that the reality of cronyism and family ties push his achievements to the side in favor of someone infinitely less qualified but with the advantage of a favored connection.

I put quill to paper to relate my experiences in finding suitable employment in the Hampshire's, a region to which I had many fond memories and a relationship of sorts with my famous cousin "Darcy" residing in the magnificence of Pemberly, an estate renowned with justifiable admiration.

I had last been to Pemberly whilst a child and I remember running the length of the well-manicured gardens with childlike enthusiasm. Now that I was full-grown, my youthful exuberance seemed immature but I was tempted to do much the same in the absence of witnesses. My famous cousin was occupied in London on business. He was so dreadfully immersed in commerce these days that it caused him to be often away from the family estate. I found this development in his character to be divers strange with an attractive new wife and two happy children to have and to hold. His marriage, at least when viewed from a public window, was quite successful despite the fact he had married far below his station for that most desperate reason of all ... Love.

My name is William. I have a horrible nickname of "Billy" like some stable hand with little or no schooling and a hat permanently tipped to the gentry.

It must be noted with some degree of regret that my last name does not matter for I am neither a Lord nor a titled personage. I had considered a calling to Holy Orders but my temper was ill-suited to such an endeavor. Besides, the funds needed to establish such a route were as scarce as dowries to a family immersed in financial shortcomings and offspring of a female gender and not trust of their own. Even a minor role in the military sphere was out of the question because of the cost of uniforms and the fact I had an absolute dislike of violence involving the spilling of blood.

It seemed an ideal time for me to make my escape from my familial haunts as I was embroiled in some distasteful accusations of paternal responsibility from two separate and distinct directions. One was from the daughter of the chief groom of my father's stables. Her name was Gwen and she was as fair a young girl as one was likely to find without benefit of dowry or family name. In the spirit of complete honesty, I will readily admit that I had mounted the tasty treat on more than one occasion. Her swollen belly was mute testimony of her veracity in the matter of being with child but I doubted I was the "only" suspect in the matter. The other case was far more serious because it involved the ward of a powerful Lord in the adjoining estate. The Lord also had the fearful responsibility of administering justice in the area as he was the only judge approved by the crown. That nubile and very pregnant female was called Rose and she was the youngest daughter of a man with enough power to ruin my life forever. In this case, I fear I must admit some degree of certainty that the offspring was mine because I did take the girl's delicious cherry and I was totally unaware of any other suitors within reach of her captivating bush. Still, she was a female possessed with a shrill tongue and a caustic comment for any thought that emerged from a well-meaning person's mouth. If not for that fact, I would have been content to enter the spider's web of marriage hoping for a sizable dowry to ease the loss of liberty.

I have been raised to believe that man is a superior creature and even more so when compared to members of the opposite sex or those less fortunate than to be born in England and not some inferior country of little distinction or good breeding.

My excursion to Pemberly this past week was a good example of the truth of my beliefs because I noted that the place was both well run and orderly even in my cousin's absence. His cousin's wife and children were taking full advantage to visit her family in their tiny residence in a less advantaged section of the rural landscape. I had no inclination to pay my respects to the smaller establishment or to effect any connection with the wife's unfortunate family. When I advertised my family connection to the estate manager I was accorded a fine meal in the main dining room with full access to any wine of my choice. It made the entire affair a success in my mind but I considered the treatment only my just due by right of unimpeachable family connection and certified birthright.

It was my good fortune to meet a fine gentleman in the card tables in town who professed to knowing my cousin Darcy and in his words stated,

"A finer gentleman I have never met."

In all honesty, I must agree with this assessment because Darcy was a man of both principles and Ideals and was a role model for me in every respect except for his dreadful match of a marriage.

The fellow was not of the upper echelons of society but still was successful lawyer with a practice that accentuated commercial interests rather than criminal. He inquired if I would be interested in joining his firm in a purely advisory role since I was conversant with all of the niceties of upper crust society and was welcome into any home based on my claim to family connections. His name was Thumper. His first name was Roscoe but he preferred to be called Thumper and I could readily understand why.