Chapter 27 Country Life 21 Hunting Tournament (Two in One)
Breakfast on the hunting day was moved up to 7 a.m. at Sir Lucas's house, and each family who attended brought some food and drinks.
As an ordinary small parish in Hertfordshire, Longbourn has only four core gentry families that own land, and only six or seven men of the right age to participate in gentry hunting activities, including Mr. Bennett and Sir Lucas who are over middle-aged.
Compared to the Edwardian era a hundred years later, the status and liberation of women in the Regency era were still relatively low. Women from the gentry class could only stay in the open field to watch hunting, and were not even allowed to ride horses and follow beside.
Therefore, only one person from the Bennet family could participate, and there were only two people from the Lucas family, and Sir Lucas's second son was not old enough to hold a hunting rifle.
However, this year's autumn hunting party was the largest in recent years. Together with the three gentlemen from Netherfield and several officers of the militia who had the most frequent contacts with Longbourn, the number of participants finally reached 15, which made all the girls of Longbourn come out in full force.
The Bennetts had to dress up, and even if they got up early, they couldn't leave until almost seven o'clock. So when they arrived at Sir Lucas's house, breakfast had already begun, and the officers had even finished their meals and were gathered in the front hall chatting with each other.
Lydia and Kitty immediately decided to speed up their breakfast. They only took a piece of bread and didn't even have time to spread jam on it. After eating, they ran to the front hall.
Heather didn't want to skip breakfast. She'd had such an exciting afternoon yesterday that she hadn't eaten much for dinner, and now she was starving. If she only ate a piece of bread, she wouldn't even make it to lunch.
After Heather finished a piece of toast covered with charred bacon and fried eggs, half a piece of fried cod, a grilled sausage and a large plate of vegetable and fruit salad, there was only half an hour left before departure. Except for Mary who was still accompanying her in the restaurant, almost all the young people were already in the front hall, and the gentlemen who were participating in the hunting would be ready to mount their horses soon.
On their way to the front hall, they met a little girl who was alone in the corridor, with her head down, skipping and stepping on her own shadow.
"Whose child is that? I don't think I've seen him before?" Mary asked with some confusion.
Heather didn't know even more.
At this time, the little girl heard their voices and looked towards them.
She had long, curly light blonde hair and blue eyes, making her look like a typical angel. She smiled shyly and handed a wilted violet to Heather.
Heather was a little surprised: "Is it for me?"
The little girl nodded sweetly, stuffed the flowers into her hand and ran away.
Mary commented admiringly, "What a sweetheart! Lydia was so cute when she was little, too. It's a pity she has such a boisterous personality."
Heather agreed. Objectively speaking, she didn't really like children, as they were often associated with trouble, noise, and unreasonableness. She sometimes felt like she was still a child, so it was hard for her to feel any maternal affection for them.
But it is hard for anyone not to like such a cute and well-behaved little girl.
When Heather and Mary reached the front hall, the hunters were already leaving one after another. They were about to mount their horses and make final preparations before departure, and many girls followed them.
The two of them met Lancaster and Darcy at the door, and Heather almost bumped into Lancaster because she didn't have time to brake.
Lancaster reached out and helped her up, saying, "Ma'am, you came at the perfect time. If you had been a little slower, you could have eaten the prey you hunted directly."
Hazel greeted Mr. Darcy first, then pulled Mary to follow them out: "I'm starving. I really don't understand why the young ladies in our family eat so little."
She took a closer look at Lancaster and continued in surprise, "But you look...especially professional today."
Lancaster's aura was so overwhelming that many people didn't dare look directly at his face for too long. However, if they looked closely, they would find that he actually fit the standard image of a pampered, powerless young master, at least not a strong and brave knight.
So before today, Hessel had always thought that his hunting trip would only serve as a spectacle. But today, wearing this riding uniform and carrying a hunting rifle, he looked quite the man.
Lancaster looked at her puzzledly: "Professional? Why do you seem a little surprised?"
Before Heather could explain, someone caught up with them from behind and interrupted their conversation.
It turned out to be Major Brown. She thought he would never come to Longbourn again after the blow he suffered.
Major Brown came over and greeted her calmly, "Good day, Mrs. Lawrence. I thought you wouldn't come today. I didn't see you until just now."
Heather smiled dignifiedly and said, "How could that be? I'm just a little late. But, Major Brown, I didn't think you would be here either."
"Major Brown?" Lancaster asked in a long tone beside him.
Heather knew that what he wanted to ask was whether this man was the militia major mentioned in her letter. Although she did not write the major's name at the time, Lancaster obviously matched the person accurately.
She introduced them awkwardly: "Yes, this is Colonel Brown of the militia stationed in Meryton. This is my lawyer, Mr. Lancaster. And the one behind is Mr. Darcy who lives in Netherfield. He is a good friend of Mr. Bingley. They have all just returned from London."
Major Brown politely greeted Lancaster and Darcy. Darcy responded coldly, and Lancaster didn't even reply, just nodded casually.
Major Brown had probably heard of Mr. Darcy's reputation, so he gently tolerated the two arrogant gentlemen from London.
He continued to say to Heather, "Mrs. Laurence, I heard that the partridges in Longbourn are very delicious, but also very difficult to catch. I hope I can be lucky enough today to let you taste this fresh delicacy." "Luck?" Lancaster spoke first: "That's not something you can rely on. It's best not to expect too much."
Heather looked back at him in shock, not understanding why he suddenly became so sarcastic.
Major Brown also sensed the inexplicable tension. "Mr. Lawyer, do you have any insights? I thought someone like you who makes a living with your mouth and pen wouldn't know much about hunting."
Lancaster looked him over and said, "Major? I've never seen the abilities of an irregular major. How about we make a bet on today's hit rate? I'm afraid if we bet on the total number of prey, you'll use up all the bullets for tomorrow's training."
Major Brown frowned, glanced at Hazel, and said, "It's a deal. I've seen the lawyer's eloquence, I wonder if I can see his shooting skills." Major Brown nodded to Hazel, took his leave and prepared to mount his horse.
Lancaster's servant brought the horse, one of the ones he had used to pull his carriage when he came from London. He mounted it quickly and smoothly and adjusted his hat.
Heather took a step back. From such a close distance, she always felt that horses were much bigger than they looked on TV. She was a little scared of these uncontrollable large animals.
"Don't be afraid, this is a horse that has been trained since childhood and will not kick people casually." Lancaster whispered to her.
Heather felt relieved and asked him, "What did you do just now? Didn't I write in the letter that the man was a decent person? Why did you pick on him?"
Lancaster glanced at Major Brown, who was seriously checking his equipment.
"I just don't like him." Lancaster looked away.
"Huh?" Heather didn't understand why he suddenly became so childish and impulsive. "We've only known each other for a minute and you're already looking down on me. You're even trying to get me into a bet. Are you eighteen?"
"I am thirty-eight, ma'am."
"Really? Then he is three years younger than you." It was also the first time that Heather knew Mr. Lancaster's age. He had hinted at it in the letter before, but he never told her.
"So are you sure you want to compete in shooting with a young officer who carries a gun every day?" Hazel was actually a little worried that Lancaster would lose too badly.
Lancaster's icy face seemed to deform for a moment.
"Excuse me, how can he be only 35? His weather-beaten face looks at least 40." He found it incredible. "Also, I must correct you. 35 is not young for an officer, but for a lawyer, my age is the beginning of my prime. And whose side are you on? Why do you keep speaking for him?"
Heather burst out laughing, then quickly stifled it. "Sorry, I'm definitely on your side. I'm just worried you'd be upset if you lost."
Lancaster reluctantly agreed. "Well, you have to understand, it's reasonable for me to lose to him, but if he, an officer, loses to me, he'll be finished."
He pulled the reins hard, turned his horse around and caught up with the main force.
Hunting these days is not what Hessel once thought, chasing prey through the woods on horseback. It is more like a fixed-station shooting competition.
The men would first ride their horses around the main road to the paddock, which was actually a flat piece of wasteland on the west side of Longbourn, surrounded by small hills and woods.
When hunting began, the tenant farmer would use a clapper or wooden whistle to drive the prey into the enclosure, or let the partridge fly out of the woods, and hounds would also help drive the prey. The hunters would stand in pre-assigned positions and shoot in turn. If a shot was successful, the hound would bring the prey back, and several servants would be responsible for scoring.
The women would take a shortcut down the dirt slope to the higher ground near the paddock, where they would set up picnic blankets or small tables and watch the battle below through binoculars.
Unlike the back mountain, the dirt slope leading to the enclosure is flatter and easier to walk on, and even an elderly country lady can reach it easily.
Heather and Mary also set out behind the ladies. They walked fast and soon caught up with Elizabeth and Jane in front.
Jane looked very excited, but Elizabeth seemed a little lost and confused.
Heather felt a little strange. Elizabeth had been looking forward to the hunting competition for the past week, so why did she suddenly become listless today?
Elizabeth hesitated for a moment, then explained, "I'm just a little confused. Mr. Wickham had always expressed his great anticipation for the hunt, and he was very pleased that it was scheduled during his vacation. I thought he would definitely come, but today his friend told me that he had to go to the next county for some urgent business and wouldn't be back for a few days."
She noticed that her aunt and Mary were staring at her, and added guiltily: "And Mr. Collins, why didn't he come this week? It's so strange!"
Mary shrugged her shoulders and said, "Didn't father say that Miss de Bourgh had a relapse of her illness, and Mr. Collins would be there to comfort his benefactor. As for Mr. Wickham, I don't think he would come every time Mr. Darcy appeared."
Mary didn't know about the old grudge between Wickham and Mr. Darcy, but she accurately discovered the truth.
In fact, Elizabeth was also very confused about this. On the one hand, she guessed that Mr. Wickham was unwilling to appear in front of Mr. Darcy due to his authority and retaliate against him. On the other hand, she secretly suspected that Mr. Wickham was too guilty to dare to confront Mr. Darcy.
Elizabeth couldn't express these thoughts in front of her sister and aunt, so she could only abruptly change the subject.
"By the way, speaking of Mr. Darcy, I happened to ask Mr. Darcy yesterday about his opinion on my aunt's lawyer, because they seemed to have a good relationship."
Heather asked doubtfully, "Yesterday? Lizzie, did you chat with Mr. Darcy yesterday?"
Elizabeth glanced about awkwardly, and, making sure the nearest lady couldn't hear them, she whispered, "It was yesterday afternoon, when you and Mr. Lancaster were out walking, and Mr. Darcy sat down beside me for some reason. It would have been rude not to say anything, so I just found something to start a conversation."
Heather expressed her understanding. "I find it strange, too. Why have they been traveling together these past two days?"
Elizabeth's eyes lit up. "Is that so? And I noticed that Mr. Darcy seemed to admire Mr. Lancaster quite a bit. I thought he only respected those of higher status than himself. Obviously, a lawyer isn't a judge, so from a social perspective, he's probably even lower than a squire."
Jane disagreed: "Lizzie, you are prejudiced against Mr. Darcy. In fact, I heard Mr. Bingley say that his family's status is far inferior to the Darcy family, whether in land, bloodline or social prestige. There is a big gap, but Mr. Darcy has always treated him as a close friend and always helped him sincerely."
Elizabeth winked playfully at her sister, hugged her, and said, "Well, I know you and Mr. Bingley are both kind people who see good in everyone. But it seems to me that Mr. Darcy treats Mr. Lancaster more like a teacher than a close friend."
Heather and Mary came over curiously, and the four of them strode forward on the slope side by side.
Elizabeth was delighted by everyone's curiosity. "Mr. Darcy has praised Mr. Lancaster at length," she said with a beaming expression. "I doubt he has ever praised anyone so earnestly." She recalled Mr. Darcy's exact words: "He said Mr. Lancaster possessed an unfathomable store of knowledge, extraordinary insight, and a powerful network of contacts. He controlled an invisible network of relationships in London, which gave him a seemingly complete understanding of everything that happened there."
Mary gave a fair assessment: "It doesn't sound like a description of a lawyer, it sounds like a description of a prime minister or the Duke of Cambridge."
Her words made everyone laugh, causing a group of ladies about ten meters in front of them to look over here frequently, so they had to try hard to lower their voices.
Jane laughed and then became a little worried: "Aunt, if that lawyer is really so capable, why would he cooperate with a family like ours? Even Mr. Darcy is not a big shot in London, where there are aristocrats everywhere."
Elizabeth shared the same view as her sister. She took Hazel's arm and whispered, "Jane is right, aunt. Could Mr. Lancaster have other intentions? Do you know his identity?"
Heather had never thought about this question. On the one hand, she felt that it was a relatively large business considering the scale of the property she might inherit. On the other hand, she could indeed feel Lancaster's sincerity in their frequent exchanges.
However, intuition does not point to a 100% correct answer, but at least from the current perspective, their cooperation is mutually beneficial, and she needs a lawyer like Lancaster.
"I don't really care whether he has another identity or is hiding some information, and I don't want to take the initiative to find out, but at least now I am very sure that his existence is beneficial and necessary to me. We are just collaborating, not getting married, and he also gets a commission based on the proportion, so you don't have to worry."
As they were talking, they had already arrived at their destination. Mrs. Bennett had wisely set out early, so she had grabbed a spot with the best view. She had already had Lucy spread out the picnic blanket and had the other servants set out the chairs. Now she was waving at Heather and the others, shouting for them to hurry up.
Mrs. Bennett was indeed experienced. Looking down from here, she could clearly see everyone's movements. If she used the two ancestral telescopes in her family, she could even see the facial expressions of the men in the half circle facing her.
As luck would have it, the most popular young men were all in the half of the circle facing the audience, which made the ladies very satisfied.
Heather also noticed that between Lancaster and Major Brown was Mr. Bentley, whose smiling face and waving towards the highlands caused cheers, in stark contrast to the expressionless men on his left and right.
Mary secretly complained that she felt Mr. Darcy should stand in Major Brown's position, because although Major Brown looked serious today, he was not cold and arrogant enough. Mr. Darcy and Mr. Lancaster were the two real arrogant icebergs.
Hunting in the Regency era was more about ceremony than fierce competition. Gentlemen would not ride on horseback to fight each other, but would shoot in a prescribed order.
By this time, the servants in charge of hunting had already set up an ambush in the woods, while the servants and hounds who collected the game were also in position behind the archer. The commander, who was responsible for enforcing the hunting rules and making the final decision on the ownership of the prey, had raised his flag. He had just announced that the main target of the first round of hunting would be pheasants. Once the flag was lowered, the first round of hunting would officially begin.
Mary explained to Heather that Longbourn's main hunting areas were pheasants, grouse and partridges, because they were relatively common, cheap, and their excessive numbers could easily damage farmland. Expensive activities like fox hunting were generally only affordable for true nobles.
In addition, Longbourn usually uses pheasants for the first round of warm-up. Although they are called pheasants, some are actually domestic chickens that have been raised and released into the woods early. They are slow-moving, have brightly colored feathers, are easy to observe, and are easy to drive away, making them suitable prey for the first round.
After a sharp whistle, the commander-in-chief's flag was lowered and the hunt began.
Rhythmic tapping sounds and chaotic footsteps could be heard in the woods, and the ladies on the high ground held their breath. It was Hazel's first time watching a hunt, and she couldn't help but nervously grab Mary's arm.
The prey soon appeared and were driven into the enclosure from a position between Sir Lucas and an officer. According to regulations, Sir Lucas on the right should shoot the first shot, and then the others would shoot in a clockwise order.
Perhaps because they were farther away, Heather felt the pheasants were running slower than she had imagined. They were so plump that one could only suspect that most of them were domestic chickens that had been secretly introduced.
Sir Lucas fired the first shot confidently, scaring several pheasants into flying up. Unfortunately, the scavenger behind him gestured to indicate that no chickens were injured.
The opportunity was given to the next person, Mr. Bennett.
Mr. Bennett aimed his gun for a long time, so long that two of the chickens in the enclosure seemed to have run away, before he finally fired. Fortunately, he shot a pheasant in the wing, and the chicken flapped its wings and eventually fell to the ground. The picker behind him made a gesture to indicate that the shooting was completed.
There was applause from the hillock, and Mrs. Bennett proudly boasted to the whole crowd about her husband's marksmanship, and Mrs. Lucas responded to her good-naturedly.
Overall, the first round was not too difficult. Most of the gentry got their prey, and all the officers were hit.
After the competition, each collector took their hunting dogs to quickly pick up their prey according to the recorded locations. Under the supervision of the chief referee and the people around, no disputes occurred.
Heather had just watched Lancaster's shooting carefully. He picked up the gun and fired without much thought. Although it was not outstanding, it looked quite easy. After hitting the target, he immediately put down the gun without even making a celebratory gesture. Mr. Bentley next to him congratulated him enthusiastically.
Heather felt slightly relieved; at least he didn't seem completely clueless.
More than half an hour had passed since the end of the first round. The hunters took a ten-minute break and enjoyed the wine served by the servants.
The families of the winners of this round were in high spirits and complimented each other, while the families of the losers secretly prayed that their husbands and brothers could bring back at least one chicken today.
The second round of prey was grouse, which flies faster and presents a greater challenge to the shooter. This time, Sir Lucas wasn't the first to shoot, but he succeeded. He lifted the unconscious grouse high in the air, and Mrs. Lucas jumped up excitedly. Mrs. Bennett curled her lips, as if Mr. Bennet's luck had shifted this time.
The number of hits in this round was halved, and even a few officers missed, but Major Brown and Lancaster both hit the target, and Heather became a little nervous again.
She now felt that if Lancaster had better luck and Major Brown happened to be unlucky, perhaps the situation of the war could be turned around.
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