Saving Elizabeth Bennet

by Melanie Schertz

  “Welcome, Richard. And this must be Mary, your fiancé.” Anne greeted each with an embrace. “It is a pleasure to meet you Mary. My mother’s letters spoke so much of you and your sisters, I feel as if I have known you for a long time.”

  “Though I wish it had been under different circumstances, it is a pleasure to meet you, Miss de Bourgh.” Mary stated nervously.

  “Now, now, I will have none of that. You must call me Anne. We will be cousins soon enough.” Anne turned towards the door as Darcy escorted his wife into the room. “And this must be Elizabeth. My mother described you perfectly, so beautiful and your eyes. Mother said your eyes sparkle with life, and she was correct. Welcome, Elizabeth and William.”

  “Miss de Bourgh, please accept the condolences of my entire family.” Elizabeth said as Anne embraced her.

  “Please, Cousin, it is Anne. There is no need for formality. And I thank you for your kindness. I look forward to one day meeting the rest of your family, though Mother wrote to me of all of them. Your eldest sister is Jane, correct?”

  “Yes, Miss….Anne. Jane is the eldest, followed by Elizabeth.” Mary explained. “Then it is I, followed by our sister Katherine, or Kitty, as we call her. Our youngest sister was Lydia, who died with our parents.”

  “You all have my condolences.” Anne said, holding hands with Elizabeth and Mary, leading them to the nearby sofa. “I rang for tea when I was told your carriage was in the park. It is my hope you will indulge me before going to your rooms to refresh.”

  Darcy smiled. “Of course, Anne. How are you? Your mother informed us that your health has not improved.”

  “I am as well as can be expected, William. I know my time here with all of you is limited, but it pleases me to see you so happily situated, with ladies who love you.” Anne’s smile was weak, and it was easily determined by those who knew her, as her cousins did, that her health was declining.

  Anne allowed Mary to pour the tea for everyone, giving Anne a chance to relate some news to everyone. “I received a letter from our former clergyman, Mr Collins. It seems he is in need of a living, as he had received the inheritance of an estate under false pretenses. The truth was discovered and Mr Collins has been given his walking papers. I believe the estate was your father’s, was it not?” Anne asked Elizabeth.

  “Yes, Mr Collins was believed to be my father’s cousin. It turns out that he was the stepson of my father’s cousin, therefore not related by blood.”

  “Well, I took the liberty of writing him back and telling him that he would not be welcomed here. He left here unexpectedly, leaving my mother in a difficult position. And I also explained that he had been extremely cruel to my new cousin and her family, which I could not tolerate. He is such a slimy, toad of a man, I could not stand him when he was at Hunsford. Let him find his future elsewhere. He lied, knowing that he was not Mr Collins by birth or blood, and he knew he was not entitled to the estate. I actually spoke to the new vicar, who has an uncle who is high up in the church. When I told Mr Freemont of Mr Collins’ falsehood and cruelty, Mr Freemont wrote to his uncle. Steps are being taken to keep Mr Collins from ever being a clergyman again.”

  Darcy and Richard smiled. Elizabeth’s eyes grew round with the news. “I have always believed in doing unto others as you would wish done to you. Mr Collins was vicious and cruel when he insisted we depart Longbourn immediately, even before our sister, Jane, could be examined by a physician. The trip in the wagon was difficult, and could have cost Jane her life. Only due to our friends, the Lucas family, were we able to recover some of our personal belongings. But Mr Collins refused to allow us to take any keepsakes which had belonged to our parents and Lydia.”

  “Lizzy, you never told me Collins had been so cruel. Your parents’ personal belongings, he refused to allow you anything of theirs?” Darcy was heartbroken for his wife. “It is a good thing Collins is not here, I cannot help but wish to see him punished for his behavior.”

  “At the time, Charlotte Lucas was engaged to him, which allowed her some leverage with him. What Mr Collins did not know, when Charlotte was packing up the rooms of our parents and Lydia, she put some items away for us. Some handkerchiefs that Mamma had stitched, ribbons which had been Lydia’s, and some of the jewelry items which had belonged to my parents. Papa’s spectacles, a few of his books which Charlotte knew were my favorites, and his journals, were all hidden from Mr Collins. Sir William has the items hidden in his cellar.”

  Mary was shocked. “How did you come to know this?” “A letter arrived for me at Uncle Gardiner’s, and the guards brought it to Darcy House, along with other letters for Uncle and Aunt. The letter was from Charlotte. She is visiting relatives, after her engagement was broken. Charlotte described to me her thievery and trickery, to be able to remove the items from Longbourn. She told Mr Collins that she was taking items which could be used in the parish for the poor.”

  This information gave everyone smiles, knowing how creative Charlotte Lucas had been in deceiving the foolish man.

  Hearing a noise at the doorway, Anne’s attention turned to see her uncle had entered the room. “Uncle, now is not the time. My guests were just planning to refresh themselves after their journey.”

  “I realize that they are your guests, Anne, but I wish to speak to my son.” Lord Matlock stated. It appeared to everyone in the room that Lord Matlock was sober, which was the first time in weeks that he had been.

  Richard stood, turning towards his father. “If I am not mistaken, you declared that I was disowned, and no longer your son. What gives you the right to now declare I am your son again?”

  “Richard, I wish to speak with you. Would you be so kind as to follow me to the study?” Lord Matlock spoke in a soft voice.

  “Lord Matlock, you have nothing to say to me which cannot be said in the company of my cousins and my fiancé.” Richard stood tall and proud. “As you could easily toss me aside, you do not deserve my respect. William, Elizabeth, Anne, and, most of all, Mary, have been with me, through thick and thin. They did not throw me out with the rubbish, as you did. So I will remain here, with them. If you wish to speak to me, do so here.”

  A look of anguish stole over Lord Matlock’s face. “Richard, please, would you see me in the study? It would not be proper to have such a discussion in front of the ladies.”

  “After all Mary and Elizabeth have been through, I do not know of anything you could say that would disturb them. So decide Lord Matlock, will you speak to me here, or not at all?”

  His eyes plead with Anne to come to his aid, but Lord Matlock could see his niece was not supporting him in the matter. “Very well. I wish to speak with you on the matter of your brother’s death.”

  Richard turned himself so he was standing directly in front of Lord Matlock. “You made your opinion quite clear with the letter you sent to me. What more could you possibly have to tell me? Do you intend to reiterate your disapproval of my actions in defending the life of a young lady who had been treated wrongly? The young lady is sitting right her, Lord Matlock. She is sitting beside her husband, my cousin, who you also decided to abandon as your relation. I stand behind my decision to protect my new cousin, who will soon be my sister. Your opinion as to how inappropriate I behaved has no sway over my life.”

  “Please, Richard, hear me out.” Lord Matlock attempted to withstand his son’s anger. “You are angry at me, and rightfully so. Your cousin, Anne, has defended your position admirably, and caused me to spend the past day in deep thought.”

  Turning towards Anne, Richard wore a puzzled look. Anne simply shrugged her shoulders and gestured toward her uncle to continue speaking.

  “I have thought carefully of what happened. When I spoke to Anthony, attempting to contain his over indulgences, your brother refused to do so. He spoke of turning the young lady over to Armstrong and asking Darcy for the funds to protect Matlock, allowing Anthony the freedom of continuing his appalling behavior. He did not care of the affect upon anyone else, only fi
nding pleasure in his own life. Anne was correct. I have been concentrating on protecting my eldest son, all the while ignoring the fine young man my younger son has turned out to be. Your behavior has been completely opposite of your brother’s, defending a young lady’s honor, even before knowing her. You tried to convince me to control Anthony’s ways, and I did not listen to you. Then I blamed you for his death. I know Armstrong had Anthony killed, to teach me a lesson.”

  “We believed the same. There will be no further lessons from Armstrong, as he is dead.” Darcy explained, taking his place standing beside his cousin.

  “Armstrong is dead?” Lord Matlock was puzzled. “When did he…?” “Just a few moments before Aunt Catherine. She repaid his shooting her by stabbing him with a large piece of broken glass. While he cried out in pain, the ceiling beam collapsed, crushing him.”

  “Anne did not tell me what had happened, only that there had been an accident and Catherine had died. Would you be willing to tell me what

  happened?” Lord Matlock asked. Seeing the nods from Richard and Darcy, Lord Matlock begged approval for him to sit down, which he was granted.

  Between Darcy and Richard, they were able to describe what had happened at Darcy House the night of the fire. Lord Matlock was overwhelmed with the lengths to whom Armstrong had gone, in the hopes of killing Elizabeth and Bingley. While he was listening to the description of the attack on Darcy House, Lord Matlock paid close attention to the young ladies and how they responded to the men. It was clear that there was deep respect and love between Darcy and Elizabeth, as well as with Richard and Mary. He had never seen Darcy appear to be so at ease, so comfortable. Lord Matlock could tell by the way his nephew would slightly touch his wife, as they sat side by side on the sofa, there was a true bond between the two. He had never felt such with his own wife, nor had either of his sisters.

  Since birth, Lord Matlock had been taught that love did not matter. The estate, business affairs, and an appropriate marriage to a lady who brought wealth or connections was all that mattered. Seeing his nephew forsake such was difficult for him. Knowing that his younger son preferred the same sort of marriage as Darcy, rather than holding by the traditions of their social circle, unnerved Lord Matlock.

  “You have all given me much over which to think. I would like to take a walk in the gardens, if you would not mind.” Lord Matlock stated as he stood. “If you approve, I would very much like to continue this discussion later.”

  Richard turned to Darcy, and seeing both William and Elizabeth nod their heads, he spoke for them all. “It would be agreeable to speak again later. Though, I might add, please refrain from imbibing. What needs to be discussed is important, and judgment cannot be clouded by spirits.”

  “You have my word. I have had my valet remove all bottles from my rooms and have refrained from entering other rooms alone. Due to Anne’s words to me, I am attempting to clear my mind from the fog it has been in for weeks now.” Nodding his head, Lord Matlock left the room.

  Turning to Anne, Richard was surprised. “Just what did you say to him to create such a change in attitude?”

  “I reminded him of what a good man his second son was and always had been. And I told him it was high time to remember that he should be proud of the honorable man you have become.” Anne smiled at her cousin.

  “Thank you, Anne. Your words are kind towards me.” “Yes, and you had best remember my kindness, even after the wretched way you treated me when we were children. Hiding my favorite doll and telling me such frightening tales which made me fear sleeping in my bed for weeks.”

  Mary chuckled. “Why am I not surprised by such behavior, Richard?”

  ~~~~~~~ ** ~~~~~~~

  Chapter 18 Lord Matlock walked about the gardens for nearly an hour, before he took a seat on one of the benches. Everything he had known in his life had completely changed in the past year. He tried desperately to determine how his life had become what it was.

  Since Anthony’s birth, Lord Matlock had been proud to have his heir. Looking back on his eldest son’s life, Lord Matlock realized he had indulged his son, never making him take responsibility for his behavior or training him to take over the earldom and run the estate. Whenever he had wished to start grooming Anthony to take his place, Anthony would make a comment of there being plenty of time for such seriousness later. He wished to enjoy his freedom and youth while he could. Anthony also noted the change in Darcy since his father’s death. “You would not wish for me to become overburdened with responsibility, as Darcy has. Good God, the man acts as if he were twenty years older than he is. What a dull and disagreeable man my cousin has become. No, Father, I would not wish for such a life.”

  “But son, what would you do if I were to die tomorrow? How would you run the estate and business matters?”

  “Do we not employ a steward to handle problems at the estate? And you have Hornsby to assist you with business matters. Have I not given you Armstrong’s name, and suggested you do business with him? That shows I have some talent at business. The man has his foot in many ventures, and he will take us far.”

  Thinking of that conversation, tears threatened to overflow Lord Matlock’s eyes. The worst mistake he had ever made in his life was to do business with Armstrong. It had cost him far too much. And was still costing him, even with Armstrong dead.

  Not only had he lost his eldest son, he was on the verge of losing his family’s estate. Generations of the Fitzwilliam family had built their legacy, and in only a few short years, Anthony had nearly destroyed it all, by dealing with Armstrong. It would take a

  considerable amount of work to rebuild, so much damage had already been done. Lord Matlock was unsure how he could manage to rebuild. But the truth was there before his eyes. Richard was the answer to everything. Richard was the good and honorable man Lord Matlock had wished Anthony to be. And he had treated his younger son disgracefully.

  Realizing what he had to do, Lord Matlock returned to the house and went in search of his son and nephew. It did not take long before he found them, along with the ladies, in the music room, listening to Mary play on the pianoforte.

  Lord Matlock stood in the doorway, watching his son’s expression as his fiancé played. It warmed his heart to witness the love and devotion his son held for the young lady. When the song ended, Lord Matlock applauded as he stepped further into the room.

  “Miss Mary, you played wonderfully.”

  “Th…thank you, Lord Matlock.” Mary said, her eyes darting towards Richard. “Would now be a good time to speak further?” Lord Matlock inquired, looking, not only at his son, but at each of the people in the room.

  “Yes, Uncle, now would be a perfect time.” Anne stated. “My cousins have all refreshed themselves from their journey, and the clergyman just left. The services for Mother will take place the day after tomorrow.”

  “Very good.” Lord Matlock moved to one of the chairs across from the sofa where Richard had led Mary to sit with him. “I have thought on what has happened, and what you have told me. Richard, William, I am asking you to forgive my foolishness. It is true, I did not stop Anthony. To be honest, I do not understand why I allowed his behavior to continue. His behavior was due to my failure to be a proper father. The difference in my sons was extreme. Perhaps, being closer to his mother was why Richard has turned into the fine man he is today. I know it had nothing to do with my parenting skills.”

  Sitting forward in the chair, Lord Matlock continued. “From my ignorance and foolishness, I allowed Anthony to nearly destroy everything my ancestors built. Due to my pampering him, Anthony led a life of a wastrel, which put the future of Matlock in jeopardy. Then I was an even greater fool by disowning the two men who were kind, caring and honorable. Richard, I plan to send word to my solicitor, revoking my decision to disown you. You will inherit my title and estate when I am gone. It is not what it should be, but I plan to do what I can to build it back up.”

  “I do not require a title or estate, Father,
though I would like to do what I can to assist in restoring Matlock to what it was. You may not be aware, but my fiancé has recently found she is an heiress, as are her sisters. They are the heirs to Lord Bentley, as they are his cousins. He has already taken matters forward, awarding each of the sisters one of his estates, and Elizabeth will receive their family’s estate of Longbourn, after Lord Bentley breaks the entail.”

  “You will inherit Drummond?” Lord Matlock asked, knowing Lord Bentley’s fondness for Richard. “Mary and I will inherit Drummond. As I said, I will do what I can to assist you in rebuilding Matlock. Perhaps, one day, my son will take his place as the Earl of Matlock. And there are far too many people relying on the estate to allow it to fail. The tenants and staff have taken care of our family for many years. They do not deserve to be neglected.”

  “Your cousin was correct in describing you as honorable. Richard, you are, indeed, a most

  honorable man.” Lord Matlock turned his attention to the Darcys. “William, I now beg your forgiveness for my behavior. You have been just as honorable as Richard, and I blindly ignored the truth. And my behavior nearly cost you the love of the young lady sitting beside you. If you will allow me the

  opportunity, I wish to know Mrs Darcy better. It would be most pleasing to be a part of your family.”

  Darcy turned his gaze towards his wife. Seeing Elizabeth’s eyes turned to him, he could see her desire to speak. Giving her a simple, nearly invisible nod, Elizabeth looked to Lord Matlock.

  “Sir, I wish for you to understand a few things. You have suffered a loss in your first born son. I sympathize with you, as we have had tragedy in our family as well.” Elizabeth reached over and took hold of her sister’s hand. “We lost both of our parents, our youngest sister, our eldest sister was gravely injured, and we were forced from our home, all within one day. Our lives were overturned and everything we had was taken from us. But we still had Jane with us, and Mary, Kitty and I were unharmed. And we had our aunt and uncle, the Gardiners, who stood behind us. I endured the pain which was inflicted upon me, both physically and emotionally. And my family was put in danger because of the evil which flowed through Mr Armstrong. Your second son came to my aid on the word of Georgiana, she had been seeing to my needs after Charles Bingley had taken me to Darcy House. Georgiana did not know me, yet she did all that she could to see to my care. When it was finally learned who I was, both your son and your niece had heard of me from William, while he stayed at Netherfield.”