by Zoë Burton
“I have. It is almost…fear, or desperation. The servants tiptoe around and shrink away when someone near them moves unexpectedly.”
“I have noticed it, as well,” Darcy interjected. “I have not understood it; my aunt is fond of managing everyone around her, but she has never been violent or mean.”
“Well, regardless, I must speak to her about her behavior to Mrs. Darcy. My sister has been aware for years that you were not likely to marry her daughter; why she would come here now and stir up trouble is beyond my comprehension. Where might I find her?”
“She has stayed in her rooms for most of the time she has been here. She has claimed fatigue as her reason for doing so.”
Lord Matlock stood, his sons and nephew following suit. “Lead on, then. I assume there is a sitting room attached to her chambers that we can use for our meeting?”
“There is. Follow me.”
Five minutes later, the gentlemen were seating themselves in Lady Catherine’s sitting room. The lady herself was nervously smoothing her skirt in the face of her brother’s sternness. Realizing what she was doing, Lady Catherine sat up straight, her spine rigid and her hands clasped in her lap, every inch the proper and imperturbable daughter of an earl. She waited for Lord Matlock to speak.
“Sister, I have come here at Darcy’s request. He says that you arrived at this house, the house of his friend, and confronted his wife. He claims that you insulted her and offered her money to leave him.” The earl watched his sister as she tried not to squirm. The clasping and unclasping of her hands, in combination with the constant smoothing of her skirts just a few minutes ago, told him clearly that Lady Catherine was uncomfortable. As they had always been close, Lord Matlock was able to spot the signs with ease. “It is true, is it not?”
When Lady Catherine shook her head and began to open her mouth to protest, her brother raised his hand. “No, Cathy, no. I see the signs that you are anxious. It would be much easier for all of us if you were honest.”
Seeing in her brother’s expression that he would not be gainsaid, Lady Catherine conceded. “I did do as Darcy said.” She lifted her chin, firming her lips to keep from licking them and donning the haughty expression that worked so well to keep everyone else at bay.
“Why? We have spoken of this before, that Darcy’s parents did not want a marriage between he and Anne. I had thought you understood that your position on the matter was untenable. Was I wrong?”
“No, you were not wrong. I did understand what you told me. However, Anne is set on having Darcy as her husband.”
“So? What is your point? You are her mother and the mistress of Rosings; you set the tone, and she must follow it. I know that she is of age, but she lives in your home and must abide by your decisions and rules.”
“You know how my daughter is, Brother. Surely you can see that it is better to appease her.”
“Appease her? What do you mean, appease her?”
The Viscount, his interest piqued and a suspicion floating around in his head, parroted his father. “Yes, Aunt, what do you mean ‘appease her’?”
“Anne is…used to getting her way. She is so… delicate, you know, and…”
It was clear to the entire room that Lady Catherine was choosing her words with care. None of the gentlemen were inclined to help her along, however.
Lady Catherine’s eyes darted from one of her male relatives to another, her pride desperately wishing to keep the extent of her daughter’s violence hidden. Deep down, though, she desired assistance, and relief from the constant tension of keeping Anne happy. Her brother’s hand motion, indicating that she should continue, stiffened her spine. “Anne refuses to give Darcy up. With her delicate constitution, I strive at all times to make her happy. When she is denied, she is in danger of suffering…physical ailments.” At this juncture, Lady Catherine stopped speaking, clamping her lips shut lest she say anything untoward.
Viscount Tansley, along with his father, brother, and cousin, examined his aunt’s features as he thought about her words. He was the first to speak. “Aunt Catherine, I recall a visit a while back; oh, perhaps five years ago?” Turning to Darcy, he prompted his recall of the events. “Cousin, it was the year I went with you for your annual Easter visit in Richard’s place, because he was on the continent with his soldiers. Do you recall?”
Darcy nodded. “I do.”
“Do you remember how strained the entire house was? From the lowliest maid to Lady Catherine herself, the entire estate felt as though it might explode at any moment.”
“I do; that was the most difficult visit to Rosings in my recent memory. What is your point?”
Tansley turned back to his aunt. “I recall that Anne was in a bit of a temper, as well.”
“She was!” Darcy exclaimed. “She was quiet when we arrived, but after our conversation that afternoon, the atmosphere in the house became oppressive.”
Lady Catherine remained rigidly erect in her seat, chin up, and making eye contact with every speaker as she watched her family make the connections between her words and what they had witnessed. She refused to help them along.
“What are you saying, boys?” Lord Matlock was confused. He had never noticed tension at Rosings that could not be directly linked to his sister’s behavior. But then, family business and parliamentary duties had prevented him from visiting for several years.
“On the visit that Tansley refers to, we entered the house and noticed the servants scurrying about as though frightened of their shadows. It was highly unusual, even for them. The entire house was strangely quiet. That evening, after we dined and were all together in the drawing room, Anne was very demanding of my attention.”
“She attached herself to his side before we went into the dining room and refused to let him go until we retired.”
Darcy rolled his eyes. “We retired early, because I felt compelled to reiterate that I had no intention of asking her to marry me. She had been clutching my arm so tightly that I feared losing circulation.”
Tansley snapped his fingers. “Yes! After your reminder, she snubbed you the rest of the evening.”
Richard, fascinated by this first-person retelling of the event, interjected, “Is this the visit you wrote me about, Darcy? The one where your valet kept making mysterious comments?”
“It was. Mr. Smith insisted that he could get no hot water for baths unless he heated it himself, but refused to tell me why and begged me not to tell my aunt. There were other oddities, too, about his service that week. But about that evening, Anne refused to look at or speak to me the rest of the night.” Darcy turned back to his aunt. “Even you, Lady Catherine, appeared to be put off by a statement I have made to you many times.”
“I do not recall the event of which you speak.” The lady’s words were belied by the flush of red that overtook her features. It was only her training as the daughter of a peer that allowed her to maintain her countenance in the face of her nephews’ question.
“Do you also remember, Darcy, how much worse things got after that night?”
“I do.”
“I have a theory. Would any of you wish to hear it?” Viscount Tansley had always been a bit dramatic. It would serve him well when his father passed and he became earl, but in the meantime, it was annoying, at times, to his family. Seeing their eyes roll and heads nod, the viscount continued. “I believe that Anne was enraged by Darcy’s statement, and that she took her anger out on the servants, causing them to do their best to stay out of her way. I think they were likely upset with my cousin because he was the reason she lost her temper, and they did the only thing they could to repay him for making their lives more difficult.”
Lord Matlock tilted his head as he examined first his heir and then his sister. “Is this true Catherine? Did Anne become angry and take it out on the servants?”
Lady Catherine refused to speak.
“I take that as a yes. Is this a frequent occurrence? I recall Lewis telling me just a month or two be
fore he was taken from us that his daughter was willful and difficult to manage.” When Lady Catherine continued to sit silently, Lord Matlock tried to force her to speak. “Answer me, Sister! Does your daughter often expend her anger on the servants?”
Reluctantly, Lady Catherine admitted that it was so.
Richard had focused his attention on his aunt while his father had been speaking. As a leader of men, and one who had been through many battles in his years as a soldier, he had learned to read people. One could usually see through a person who was prevaricating, if one knew what to look for. Richard could see that Lady Catherine was showing all the signs that she was hiding something. As he watched her, he mentally scrolled through the last few visits to her home, considering her behavior, Anne’s, and the rest of the household. Without warning, a scene popped into his mind. A maid, cleaning up broken glass, the head of a figurine…a shepherdess, or maybe an angel…sitting on top of the pile of broken pieces. He spoke up, not caring that he was interrupting his father.
“Anne throws things when she is angry, does she not?”
Lady Catherine jumped in her seat. She did not know how he figured that out, but she should have known that Richard, the most observant of her nephews, would do it. Another glance at her brother gave her to know that she had best answer, honestly and soon. She cleared her throat. “Anne has been known to break something when she is upset, yes.”
Richard had recognized the fear that flashed through her eyes at his question. “How often?”
“I do not know. I do not keep records of it.”
Tansley, his suspicions now confirmed, suspected his aunt was not revealing everything. “As jumpy as the servants were when I was there, I think that perhaps there is more to it.”
Chapter 6
Lady Catherine swallowed as every head in the room swiveled in her direction. She did not know what to say, or rather, did not wish to say what she knew they wanted to hear, and so retreated to silence once again.
Matlock, his eyes never wavering from his sister, inquired of his eldest son, “What do you mean, ‘more’?”
“Do you remember Mr. Tanner?”
“I do. What has he to do with anything?”
Darcy, not knowing who they were speaking about, asked for clarification, which the viscount willingly provided.
“Mr. Tanner was a tenant at Matlock. He was known to beat his wife and children. We discovered it when we realized that everyone in the family, except the master of the house, flinched when we made an unexpected move.”
“Just like the servants at Rosings!” Darcy’s wide eyes moved from Tansley to Lady Catherine. “I never would have thought you capable of beating your servants, Aunt.”
“Oh, it is not our aunt who is doing the beatings, I am positive.” Tansley spoke with authority.
The rest of the gentlemen quickly put the pieces together, but it was Richard who spoke first. “Lady Catherine, is your daughter abusing the servants when she is angered?”
Still retaining her rigid posture and impassive expression, the lady did not at first reply. Her brother’s sudden, loud demand that she do so made her jump in her seat, her mouth opening almost involuntarily and the words spilling out before she could stop them. “Yes! She does. She throws things and uses…weapons. We do our best to keep her happy so that we can prevent such things, but it is not always possible.”
“Has she injured anyone? I assume she has, but confirmation would help us decide what to do about it.”
“Please do not take my child from me!” Lady Catherine’s composure crumbled without warning. She reached for her brother’s arm, grasping it tightly as she begged for mercy.
“Why would I do that, Sister? Fits of temper are unusual for a woman of her age, I admit, but not unheard of.”
“Unless there is still more that we do not know, Uncle.” Darcy looked at Lady Catherine speculatively. He had never in his life seen his aunt looking even remotely desperate, yet here she was now, almost frantic. “What else, Aunt Catherine? What else does Anne do? What would cause you to fear her removal from Rosings and your care?”
Lord Matlock covered his sister’s hand with his own, rubbing it in an effort to give comfort. Speaking gently this time, he urged her to share everything. “We will not take your daughter away from you, Cathy, if we do not have to. We have funds; we can hire nurses and physicians to help her at home, but we must have your cooperation to do so. Tell us everything.”
Swallowing once more and forcing back the tears that threatened to overflow, Lady Catherine knew she no longer had an option. Deep down, she had hoped for assistance; it was the reason she had remained in Hertfordshire rather than returning home. That, and the fear of Anne’s reprisal at her failure to separate Darcy and his wife.
“She has injured many of us. She will often take hold of anything near to her…a book, a decanter, a poker for the fire…and use it to beat someone. It matters not who, really, though she will at first try to injure the person who has made her angry before turning her wrath onto someone closer.”
“You used the word, ‘us.’ Have you personally been harmed by Anne’s abuse?” Lord Matlock was horrified to hear of the violence perpetrated by his niece.
“I have. She broke my arm last summer; and several months before that, she struck me so hard that I fell and hit my head on the floor. I was out of my senses for several hours and confused for many days afterward. I paid off the physician, to keep it quiet.”
Darcy had looked on in sympathy as he listened to his aunt’s horrifying tale. However, as he realized that she had tried to come between him and his wife so that he would marry Anne, he became angry. “And yet, you would have me divorce my wife and marry your abusive daughter? What were you thinking?”
Lady Catherine pleaded for understanding. “I did not come here out of my own desire. Anne insisted I come and ‘make it right,’ as she called it. She wants you as her husband and expects me to do anything required to make that happen. I have remained here at Netherfield because I have failed and am afraid to go home and face her. I suspected this confrontation would come, but it is far preferable than telling Anne that I was not able to separate you.”
She stood and commenced pacing back and forth in the small area in front of her chair. “You do not understand what it is like. How can I, who commands respect from everyone from my rector to the lowliest tenants and serving girls, be unable to manage my own child? It is as if something moves inside her mind, changing her from a rational person to a wild thing, and it can happen in the blink of an eye. Her reactions are unpredictable. She might content herself with a simple threat, or she might strike without warning. There is nothing I can do to control her. Lewis could, but he is gone, and I do not know what his methods were.”
Finally stopping, she faced the men and gave one final plea. “She is all I have left of my dear husband. I could not bear to be parted from her and left with no one to care for.”
Shaking his head, Darcy expressed his amazement. “I had no idea. I have been there every year at Easter and saw nothing. She is so quiet.”
“I cannot explain her reserve when visitors are at the manor. I believe that she knows her behavior is wrong and does not want others to know what she is really like.”
Lord Matlock, like the other gentlemen, was shocked at his sister’s revelations. “Something must be done, that is certain. Let us put our heads together and devise a plan.”
The group spent the next hour debating, finally creating a course of action that would allow them to confront Anne and address her behavior, while keeping the rest of the household safe.
Later that afternoon, once the family meeting had broken up and the parties dispersed to rest and write the letters that needed to be sent out, Darcy found Elizabeth in the garden, where she had retreated to read and enjoy the out of doors.
“Hello, my love.” Darcy sat on the bench beside his wife, leaning over to kiss her as his arm wrapped around her shoulders.
Sensing that he needed to be held, Elizabeth set her book aside, laying it on the bench on the other side, and wrapped her arms around Darcy’s waist. “What is the matter?”
Darcy held her close for a few minutes as he contemplated how much to say. Coming to the conclusion that honesty was best, he briefly described what had happened with his aunt, and how the men of the family intended to handle the situation.
“My uncle and cousins plan to escort Lady Catherine home tomorrow morning. They hope to deal with Anne quickly and return to London.”
“Are you going with them?”
“No.” Darcy squeezed his wife briefly. “I wished to remain with you. The other men in my family will take care of it all. Besides,” he added thoughtfully, “I think I will be needed here. I cannot explain why I feel this way—we really have no proof or even a hint that it could come to pass—but I know in my heart that there is a plot afoot to harm you, or at least to separate us. I intend to remain vigilant until we leave the area.”
“You feel there is danger about?”
“I think there might be. If my cousin is capable of injuring her own mother, she is capable of anything. I would rather leave nothing to chance.” Darcy paused, knowing that Elizabeth, with her strong sense of independence, might not take well to his next words. “I desire you to stay close to the house when I am not with you. I do not trust the servants here enough to insist you take a footman when you walk. I know that I may be worrying for nothing, but I would feel better knowing you were nearby at all times. I could not bear to lose you. You are my world.” Darcy kissed his wife and pulled her closer. “I cannot live without you, Elizabeth, and I will take no chances with your life and your health. My feelings may be unreasonable, but they are mine. You must be as safe as I can make you.”
Elizabeth thought for a moment before speaking. It was true that she was an independent sort of woman. She disliked restrictions imposed upon her by others, especially when they confined her to the house, but she shared his opinion about Netherfield’s servants, all of whom came with Bingley from his house in town. She was only superficially acquainted with them and did not know their characters. Finally, she told her husband what he most wanted to hear at that moment. “I do not like it, but I will agree. I see the sense in your words and your plan. More, I do not want to be the cause of such disquiet within you.” She wagged an index finger at him. “Do not think, however, that because I give in this time that I always will, for I can guarantee that I will not. Once this specific danger has passed, I will take up my walks once again.”
