Colonel Fitzwilliam's Dilemma

by Wendy Soliman

  “Colonel Fitzwilliam is driving me over to Briar Hall before today’s rehearsals, so that we can explain the plan to Mrs. Sheffield. If she is in agreement then we will require your help to bring it about.”

  “I am entirely at your disposal.”

  “After today Colonel Fitzwilliam will wish to call upon Mrs. Sheffield daily. Obviously he can’t be seen to be doing that and courting me. Even Mama might notice something amiss. And so we thought he could drive me to the end of the lane, you could meet me there and we could…well, read or something until the colonel returns to collect me.”

  Mr. Asquith laughed. “The colonel is a good strategist.”

  “Naturally. How could he be a colonel otherwise?”

  “Many far less capable men rise to that rank. However, as to his plan. I think I could tolerate your company.”

  “Excellent.” Anne canted her head “Do you think Mrs. Sheffield will get her property back?”

  “If you are asking me whether I think Sheffield is making a false claim, then the answer is that I do. As to his admitting to it…well, that is something else. The man is crafty as a fox and will not be easy to deceive.”

  “What do you think of Mrs. Sheffield?”

  Mr. Asquith hesitated for so long that Anne thought he would not answer her question. “I did wonder if she had anything to do with the fire that destroyed their plantation and killed her husband.”

  Anne gasped. “Surely not?”

  “No, you are probably right but at the time everything was in confusion and everyone was suspect. She hated Jamaica, her husband was a cold, brutal man, and she was clearly unhappy in her marriage. The fire meant she was free of him and she could return to England.”

  “Just as my instincts tell me you are not guilty of jilting Miranda Glover, they also tell me Mrs. Sheffield had nothing to do with the tragedy you just described.” Anne smiled at Mr. Asquith. “Your problem, if you don’t mind me saying so, is not that you do not possess integrity, but that you have too much of it. You are a man of principal and honour and your standards are if anything too rigid. There is always another explanation you know.”

  “My goodness. What happened to the shy young lady who didn’t have two words to say for herself when I first met her?”

  “She grew up.”

  “I noticed,” Mr. Asquith replied softly.

  The room fell so quiet it felt to Anne as though the air had been sucked out of it. This time her breathing difficulties had nothing to do with her supposedly weak chest and everything to do with the disturbingly poised specimen of male beauty sharing the room with her. There was a tangible excitement between them now which Anne didn’t entirely understand. It had been brought about by them being partners in deception she supposed. The problem was if Mr. Asquith’s part in it was discovered, he really would lose his position. Anne should have thought about that instead of insisting upon involving him because…well, because she was selfish and wanted an excuse to spend more time alone with him.

  He fascinated and compelled her in a manner she had never imagined possible. Her every conscious thought was of him. His was the last face she imagined before closing her eyes at night, and the first that sprang to mind when she opened them again in the morning. She was being unreasonable expecting him to compromise his standards, knowing he had little choice but to do as she asked. He was an honourable man, and she had asked him to behave in a manner that wouldn’t sit comfortably with his conscience. She opened her mouth to say as much but no words emerged.

  “I know what you are thinking,” he said, reaching out to touch her cheek gently. “But you must not concern yourself on my account. I am perfectly willing to be of service to you.”

  ***

  “Do you think anyone suspects?” Joshua asked the following morning as he drove Darcy’s curricle, with Anne seated beside him, down Pemberley’s long driveway.

  “Mama was put out that we had not made an immediate commitment but I knew that would be the case. After complaining at length about needless delays—”

  “Why is she in such a tearing hurry to have the matter settled, I wonder.”

  “That I could not say, but I agree with you, she does seem extraordinarily anxious to marry me off.”

  “Lady Catherine does enjoy having everything in her life in proper order.”

  “And everyone in it doing what she wants,” Anne added with a wry smile. “Anyway, she accepted the situation and didn’t ask any awkward questions that required an outright lie. I mean, it is not as though you have actually asked me to marry you and so I could not have rejected your suit.”

  Joshua laughed, agreeing that her logic was irrefutable. “That is true. But what of Asquith?”

  “I spoke with him this morning and he is perfectly willing to play his part.”

  “Are you still absolutely sure, Anne? I shall not hold it against you if you have had a change of heart this morning. I realise I am asking a lot of you.”

  “I promised to help and wouldn’t think of reneging on that promise.” Determination underscored her words, reassuring Joshua about her willingness to play her part. “I cannot remember a time when I enjoyed myself more.” She put up her parasol when the sun broke through the light cover of cloud. “Quite apart from anything else, we cannot allow Mrs. Sheffield’s property to be taken from her without at least trying to prevent it.”

  “I can tell you are resolved and so nothing remains except for me to offer you my heartfelt thanks.”

  “Oh, there is absolutely no need for that. If you think about it we are being of service to one another in our different ways.”

  Once again Joshua could find no fault with her logic and they made the rest of the journey in companionable silence. Anne looked quite pretty today in a crisp muslin gown, devoid of all the shawls and additional layers she once would have considered indispensable. Or rather, those who concerned themselves about her health would have insisted upon.

  Upon arrival at Briar Hall, they learned that Lady Briar was not at home and they were received by Mrs. Sheffield alone. She appeared surprised and confused by Anne’s presence but hid it well. Without the need to make polite conversation with Lady Briar, Joshua wasted no time in apprising Mrs. Sheffield of the reason for their visit, which he did the moment refreshments had been served and the footman who delivered them had withdrawn.

  “Well,” Mrs. Sheffield said, looking exceedingly shocked after hearing him out in silence. “I am unsure what to say.”

  “Do you think it will work?”

  “Possibly, but I would not think of asking Miss de Bourgh to risk her reputation, and—”

  “Oh, don’t spare a thought for me,” Anne replied, flapping a hand. “I shall remain at Pemberley and your odious brother-in-law will not get within a mile of me.”

  “Yes, but what if word reaches Lady Catherine?”

  “I cannot see how it would.”

  “Servants talk.”

  “Yes, that’s true,” Joshua replied. “But I will charge my man with ensuring that nothing untoward is mentioned within the hearing of Lady Catherine’s retainers.”

  “Is that possible?” Mrs. Sheffield asked in a dubious tone.

  “No offence, Anne, but if half of what my man tells me is true, no one below stairs at Pemberley thinks much of your mother’s maid, or yours. Or your coachman either for that matter. Apparently they have inflated opinions of their own worth.”

  Anne nodded. “You know my feelings about my maid, so I am not surprised to hear it.”

  “Prejudices below stairs can, in my experience, be even more brutal than those held in smart drawing rooms.” Joshua grinned. “No, I think we can safely assume that Lady Catherine will hear nothing of our plans from the servants’ hall.”

  Mrs. Sheffield stood up, obliging Joshua to do the same thing. She paced the length of the room, her gown swishing about her ankles as she rested her chin in her hand and thought the matter through. “I am perfectly sure Percival would come r
ushing up here, given the slightest encouragement from me.”

  “Yes,” Joshua replied, almost snarling the word in a fit of jealous pique. Just the thought of another man desiring Celia Sheffield sent him into a murderous rage. “I dare say he would. The question is…would he be sufficiently tempted by the prospect of a vulnerable heiress such as Anne to become indiscreet about his claims on your property?”

  “With respect to Miss de Bourgh, unquestionably. It’s just the sort of challenge he would enjoy. Percival has never been backward in putting himself forward in an effort to have a lady notice him. As to revealing the true nature of his claim on my estate…well, that is another matter entirely. I cannot say for sure.”

  “Greed has a way of loosening tongues,” Joshua replied. “And I can be very persuasive when I wish to be.”

  Their gazes clashed, and Mrs. Sheffield’s lips quirked. “I am sure you can.”

  “Well, there you are then. Tell me, would he expect to be welcomed here to Briar Hall?”

  “Oh no. Lord Briar detested my husband and made no secret of the fact that he disliked Percival even more. My sister feels the same way, and Lord Briar would never let him sleep beneath his roof for fear of oversetting my sister and me.”

  “I am very glad to hear it. Briar is obviously a man of taste and good sense. My main concern is that if you summon him here with the intention of speaking with him, that meeting must take place somewhere.”

  “I am sure he will be permitted to call here, if I advise Lord Briar in advance. That way he can ensure my sister is out of the way and that I have a servant with me all the time. He will want to know why I have invited him of course.” She pondered upon that for a moment. “Hmm, I will have to indulge in a small untruth I suppose, since I do not wish him to know of your involvement Colonel, and especially not of yours, Miss de Bourgh. No matter, I am sure I shall think of a plausible reason to have invited him that will satisfy Lord Briar.”

  “Then if we are agreed, perhaps you ought to write your letter now,” Joshua suggested. “I will ensure it is sent immediately by express. If you were to say that your plans are not settled and you intend to leave Derbyshire very soon, it will hasten his arrival.”

  “Before I commit pen to paper,” Mrs. Sheffield replied, resuming her seat and fixing Anne with an inquisitive glance, “I would very much like to know how you came to be drawn into this, Miss de Bourgh.”

  Joshua felt almost surplus to requirements as the two ladies fell into a conversation that excluded him. One of those ladies he was expected to marry, and the other he would very much like to wed but would never propose to her. They were so very different in appearance, experience and every other possible way. And yet they chatted together now in a companionable manner as though they had known one another for years. Anne was quite open about her disinclination to marry Joshua and explained how relieved she had felt when she discovered he was of a similar mind.

  “I wish I had possessed the strength to defy my parents when they insisted I marry Albert,” Mrs. Sheffield said wistfully. “How different my life might have proven to be if I had.”

  “I can accept no credit for strength of character,” Anne replied. “If the colonel had proposed marriage I would have accepted him, simply because…well, I clearly don’t need to explain to you the pressure that was brought to bear upon me. I swear if I hear one more time I have a duty, I shall scream. However, I am very glad he did not…propose that is. We now understand each other perfectly and are the very best of friends.”

  “You are proving your friendship by offering to help me.” She shot a glance Joshua’s way. “Now if I could only decide what motivates the colonel.”

  Joshua, elegantly draped across one corner of a settee, merely raised a brow and sent her a teasing smile. Mrs. Sheffield cocked a brow in return, almost as though she was issuing some sort of challenge, and returned her attention to Anne. Leaning forward, she patted her hand. “I want you to know that however matters turn out, you will always have my eternal gratitude. I cannot remember the last time anyone helped me without wanting something in return.”

  “That is something else we have in common then.”

  “I hope that I too can be your friend,” Mrs. Sheffield said.

  Anne smiled. “I would like that very much.”

  “Your letter, Mrs. Sheffield,” Joshua said softly.

  “Yes, of course. Pray, excuse me. It will take but a moment.”

  “I suggest you say you have reserved a room for him at the inn in Lambton for three days’ time and that he should let you know by return if he intends to make use of it. That way we shall know his intentions and it will give us time to prepare.”

  “A good suggestion.”

  She disappeared, and as good as her word, returned a short time later with a letter in her hand.

  “Here is what I have written. Tell me if you approve, Colonel.”

  Dear Percival, I was disturbed and overset to receive a visit from Albert’s solicitor earlier this week. I had no idea there was a partnership agreement between you and Albert, or a will in existence that gifted our estate to you. As you can imagine, this news came as a great shock and has caused me considerable worry. I cannot believe Albert meant to leave me destitute and can only hope a resolution can be reached that will satisfy us both. We ought to speak face to face, to avoid further misunderstanding. Involving solicitors always complicates things.

  I leave Derbyshire in a week’s time for a prolonged stay with relations in Scotland. Could I prevail upon you to travel north at the earliest opportunity? I have reserved a room for you at the inn in Lambton for three nights’ time. Please advise me by return if you plan to make use of it.

  Yours etc.

  “Perfect,” Joshua said, sending her an approving smile. “I suspect he will find the prospect of meeting with you too tempting to resist.” In Sheffield’s place, Joshua certainly would have. “You have made it sound as though you are confused by the whole affair and on the point of capitulation, which is exactly the right way to tempt him. He is anxious to get his hands on your property and cannot do so until the matter of ownership is established beyond question. Seal the letter if you please, and I will arrange to have it sent.”

  “This is all very well,” Mrs. Sheffield replied, affixing her seal and handing the letter to Joshua, “but what am I to say to him when we actually meet?”

  “If you will allow it, I shall call on you tomorrow afternoon when I am supposed to be driving Anne, and we will be at leisure to discuss the matter then.”

  “I look forward to it. But what of you, Miss de Bourgh? How will you occupy your time?”

  Anne blushed. “Don’t worry about me. The colonel and I have arranged matters.”

  “Ah, I see.” Instead of ringing the bell, Mrs. Sheffield conducted them to the door herself. “I am very greatly indebted to you both,” she said as they took their leave.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Three days later, Lizzy and Will snatched a few minutes alone in the small salon. Lizzy was reclining in her favourite position, which meant her head rested in her husband’s lap and his hands stroked her hair. Their guests were all gainfully occupied and they did not anticipate being disturbed.

  “What’s troubling you, Will?” Lizzy asked. “You will keep scowling and so I know there must something.”

  “Other than my allowing my cousin Anne to take part in a dangerous deception, you mean?”

  “You are not allowing her to do anything. Anne is perfectly capable of making up her own mind. In fact, I have seldom seen her more animated. She is enjoying herself for once and you ought to take credit for that.”

  “Even so, I would never have given permission for Georgiana to become involved in anything so rash. I now have grave reservations about Anne doing so. What if something were to go wrong?”

  “Even if it does, it won’t involve Anne because she will be safe and well protected here at Pemberley.”

  “Which is the onl
y reason why I did agree to the scheme.”

  “Stop brooding, my dear. It will do you no good.” Lizzy smiled up at her husband. “Anne is being adequately rewarded for lending her name to the plot by spending an hour or more every afternoon when she is supposed to be driving with the colonel, in Mr. Asquith’s company. Unchaperoned.”

  “Which gives me something else to be concerned about.”

  “I think that is the least of your worries. I am perfectly convinced that Mr. Asquith is a man of the highest integrity.”

  “I agree with you. But Lady Catherine would not approve.”

  “Of course she would not. When does she ever approve of people enjoying themselves?”

  Will conceded the point with an abrupt nod.

  “Besides,” Lizzy added. “We know Mrs. Sheffield’s brother-in-law will be in Lambton tomorrow and so the afternoon liaisons will no longer be necessary.”

  “After which Fitzwilliam telling Lady Catherine he and Anne have decided not to marry can no longer be put off.”

  “She will get over her disappointment and you have nothing to chastise yourself about. You had no part in that decision.”

  “True, but it is Lady Catherine whom I am worried about, since you ask. I have never seen her beset by such a prolonged fit of the blue devils before. Ever since Collins arrived—”

  “That would be enough to cast anyone into despair.”

  “My aunt is one of the few people who likes and approves of the man. After all, she did appoint him to the living in Hunsford.”

  Lizzy snorted. “She only likes him because he hangs on her every word, treating them more reverently than the gospel he reads from his pulpit on a Sunday.”