“What will come of her?” Elizabeth asked as she closed her eyes.
“Lizzy, we just learned a few moments ago that Miss Bingley has taken her own life. She had some other poison in her rooms and she took it when no one was looking. Mr Bingley discovered her after she was already gone.”
Elizabeth attempted to sit up. “Oh, poor Mr Bingley, to have to endure such trials and then to be the one to discover her dead body, it is too much for one to bear. Is there anything we can do to aid Mr Bingley?”
“You must rest, Lizzy. You are still quite ill. Miss Bennet is with Mr Bingley. I believe that Mr and Mrs Hurst are in their rooms, wishing some time to sort through all that has happened.”
“Please, I must do what I can to help. I will be fine.”
“Miss Elizabeth, I beg to differ. You are quite fortunate that Miss Bingley did not know what she was doing. If she had, you would not be here with us. I, for one, am pleased that you survived her attack against you.” Mr Jones said with a smile on his face. “Now, I insist that you remain in bed until I tell you otherwise. You will most likely have a headache for a few more days, and we will need to see if you can hold down food. You had quite a spell before you collapsed; we need to ensure that you will be able to tolerate some nourishment or you will not have the strength stand up.”
“I know that William will not hear of you getting up from this bed until Mr Jones says that it is safe for you to do so.” Lady Anne stated, giving her future daughter a stern look. “He has been so worried and he will insist that anything that you might need for your comfort be provided for you.”
“This is not necessary. I assure you, I will be fine. Give me an hour or so and I will be myself again.” Again, Elizabeth attempted to rise from the pillow. Mr Jones placed a hand on her shoulder and gently, but firmly, refused to allow her to rise.
“Miss Elizabeth, I am certain that your brother and Mr Darcy will both agree with the use of rope to hold you to the bed if you do not cooperate. I know, after all these years, that you have never been a good patient, but it is necessary for you to do as I tell you.”
“And if necessary, I will send William in here to make sure that you comply with Mr Jones’s directions. You had best know this now; my son can be very stubborn. He is very much like his father.” Lady Anne laughed as she remembered her own husband’s ways.
“Very well.” Elizabeth finally conceded defeat. “I promise to behave myself.” She yawned and had difficulty keeping her eyes open any longer.
“That is good. Now, sleep my dear girl. I am so very relieved that you will soon recover.” Lady Anne’s words nearly caught in her throat, as a tear rolled down her cheek. Elizabeth had become important in all of their lives and the thought of her dying was overwhelming to the current Mistress of Pemberley.
Not long after Elizabeth was sleeping soundly, a soft knock was heard on the door. Lady Anne was certain that it was her son. She had insisted that he take care of the issues with Miss Bingley, so that once it was over with, Darcy could spend time with his fiancé uninterrupted.
Opening the door, Lady Anne felt the pain that was apparent in her son’s expression. “Lizzy is sleeping now; she woke for a short time, and we have told her what has happened. She had a strong headache, and is weak, but Mr Jones is sure that she will recover fully if she heeds his direction.”
“Thank heavens. I have been unable to concentrate on anything else. Thank you, Mother; for keeping watch over her.”
“Of course I would. She will soon be my daughter, not to mention how dear she has become to all of us. And the way she makes you smile leaves me with no doubt that you will have a loving marriage, like your father and I had.”
A solitary tear escaped and rolled down Darcy’s cheek. “I pray that it will be as happy as your marriage always appeared to be. The look in Father’s eyes when he watched you enter a room, the smile that would grow when it was obvious that he was thinking of you; it was always clear that you loved each other dearly.”
“I was blessed, not only with your Father as my husband, but also in having you and your sister to be constant reminders to me of the love I shared with him. Now, I insist that you go to your rooms and rest for a while. You have been tending to everyone else’s needs and it is time you took care of yourself. If you will not take a rest, I will inform your betrothed of your behavior. I have already made the same threat to Lizzy. A rest, followed by a bath and something to eat; this is my order to you.”
“I will do as you demand, Mother, for I have known all of my life that you are not to be crossed. If there is any change, please send word to me.”
“Of course, William, have no fear that I would not send word.”
Chapter 15
Arrangements were made to take Caroline Bingley’s body to be buried next to her parents in Scarborough. Though Charles Bingley knew that it was his place, as the head of his family, to take his sister to be buried; he was far too angry with her behavior to make the journey. Hurst was still recuperating, and Mr Jones insisted that he not make the trip, so Caroline made the final journey alone. As she had always been a gossip in life, it was only fitting that her death sparked a great deal of gossip in the neighborhood.
Elizabeth recovered, and soon returned home to Longbourn. The days found the Darcys and Bingley spending time with the Bennet family. The engagements of the Bennet sisters were announced and a great deal of excitement took hold as their friends and neighbors held dinners and dances to honor the couples.
Three weeks after Elizabeth had returned to Longbourn, Netherfield Park received a visitor. Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam arrived with news that he was on his way Kent to speak with Lady Catherine. He wished to bring Darcy with him, as Lord Matlock had been furious when he learned that Darcy was engaged. Richard wished to speak with Lady Catherine and Anne, in an attempt to maneuver around his father.
The two cousins made arrangements to travel to their aunt’s estate of Rosings Park. Darcy was loathed to make the journey, for he did not wish to leave his beloved. He had not missed a day spending time with her in weeks, and he felt emptiness as the carriage travelled from Hertfordshire.
The discussion in the carriage on the trip was making plans to thwart Lord Matlock from his plans. Arriving midday at Rosings, the men were escorted to their aunt by her butler.
“Richard, William; what a pleasure it is to see you.” Lady Catherine exclaimed.
Each man gave their aunt an embrace. Richard spoke first. “Aunt Catherine, I beg your forgiveness for our unexpected descent upon you, though I believe you will understand the need once I explain what has happened.”
Lady Catherine looked at each of her nephews, panic beginning to grow. “William, please tell me that your mother and sister are well.”
“They are, Aunt Catherine, as are Richard’s brothers and sisters. We came as Lord Matlock is furious with the announcement that I am engaged to Miss Elizabeth.”
“I was overjoyed to learn of your upcoming marriage. Anne and I were planning to come to the wedding, that is, when you set the date.”
“We will determine the date soon. As a matter of fact, the wedding may take place sooner than expected, to stop your brother from causing any problems.”
Looking from one nephew to the other, Lady Catherine began to smile. “And what do you have in store for my brother?”
“I suggested to Darcy that we have you send Lord Matlock a letter announcing that Darcy and Anne will be marrying soon. The only catch is, you will not be announcing that they are each marrying someone else, and you will not tell him when or where the wedding will be. To keep this from being a complete and utter lie, I have suggested to my cousin that we have a double wedding, and from Miss Elizabeth’s family estate.”
Lady Catherine’s smile grew, showing that, like her sister and nephew, she too had dimples. “This would be a great pleasure to partake in. And when shall the weddings be?”
“We were thinking that the sooner, the better. I have alrea
dy acquired a special license, as has Darcy. Will you allow Anne and I to marry?”
Nodding her head, tears welling up in her eyes, Lady Catherine agreed. “I will be honored to have you as a son in law. I know that Anne loves you as dearly as you love her. She is having an art lesson; allow me to send for her to join us.”
Anne de Bourgh was amazed to find her betrothed and her cousin had arrived unannounced. “William, it is a pleasure to see you. And Richard, what a wonderful surprise to have you come to see me, I am so very pleased to have you here.”
“Anne, your betrothed and your cousin have come up with a plan of action to undermine Lord Matlock’s plan to have you marry William. As I told you, William has announced his engagement to Miss Elizabeth.”
“And I could not be happier to know that you have found someone to love. When do we meet this lady?”
“In a few days, if that meets your approval. Richard and I have decided to have a double wedding at Longbourn.”
“Richard, are you serious? What will Uncle Henry think of this news? You know that he will do everything possible to stop our being able to marry.”
“Not if we have your mother send a letter to Lord Matlock announcing that you and Darcy are to wed. This is not a lie, for you will wed me and Darcy will wed Miss Elizabeth. Does this meet with your approval, Anne?” Richard looked at his intended cautiously.
Anne ran into Richard’s arms. “Oh, Richard, yes, I approve of the plan greatly.”
“Very well, Aunt Catherine, if you will write the letter while Anne has the trunks packed for the trip. Aunt Catherine, Mr Bingley has opened his home to you and Anne.”
Smiling still, Lady Catherine was overjoyed with the turn of events. “I will be sure that Lord Matlock believes that we are traveling to Pemberley, or better yet, shall we say that Anne wishes for a seaside location for the nuptials. Which do you find more appealing, Brighton or Ramsgate?”
“For sure, it should be Ramsgate. It will be more difficult for him to find any information at Ramsgate.” Darcy laughed. “Aunt Catherine, you are brilliant.”
The ladies prepared to leave, and the carriage was made ready to return to Netherfield. The letter that Lady Catherine wrote was sent, and Lady Catherine spoke to her loyal servants to keep secret their true destination. Darcy had also prepared expresses to his housekeepers in his London home and at Pemberley, asking them to keep the secret as to where Darcy was. Once loaded into the carriage, the group was on their way to their future.
Lord Matlock was at his estate in Derbyshire several days later when he received his posts. Seeing a letter from his elder sister, he opened it and read the words he had hoped to see.
Dear Henry,
I thought you would like to know that William and Anne have decided to marry by the end of the week. They are both very excited and pleased with their future.
As it is Anne’s wish to have a simple wedding, she desires to travel to a seaside location for the wedding. The choices she has narrowed down to are Brighton and Ramsgate. I am sure that you understand that they wish to have a quick wedding and that means that invitations to extended family will not be feasible.
As soon as we return to Rosings, I will write to you and invite your family to visit with myself and the newlyweds.
I pray that this letter finds you and your family in good health and I look forward to seeing you in the future.
Sincerely,
Your sister, Catherine
Lord Matlock was overjoyed. His plan was coming to play and he would soon have what he had wished for these past twenty three years. When he learned, after Sir Lewis died, the contents of his brother in law’s will, Lord Matlock had determined to have his nephew and his niece marry.
Sir Lewis was a rake and a heartless man. The reason Lord Matlock had arranged the marriage to his sister was due to the money that Sir Lewis had loaned him to keep Matlock from having to be sold. One day, when Sir Lewis overheard his wife speaking with her sister of their children and how wonderful it would be if, once the children grew up, if they were to choose to marry each other, Sir Lewis was furious. He had preferred Anne Fitzwilliam over Catherine, but Anne’s engagement to Gerald Darcy was already announced and Lord Matlock could not change that fact. Sir Lewis was a bitter man for not being able to possess the woman he desired, so he would make certain that Gerald Darcy’s son did not marry his daughter.
In his will, Sir Lewis left his estate to his daughter. There was a stipulation in the will that stated that if Anne de Bourgh was to ever marry Fitzwilliam Darcy, the inheritance would be stripped from Anne and given to Lord Matlock. Between the money and the lands, Lord Matlock would be able to pay off his gambling debts and keep from losing his estate. The family knew nothing of his debts, as he had kept that secret from them. And now, his family would never need to know. Lord Matlock resolved to find his sister and the young couple so that he would be witness at the wedding. He would travel to Brighton to find them; it would be easy enough as Catherine had traveled there enough in her life and always stayed at the same inn. Or perhaps she would lease a house for the occasion. It did not matter, he would find them soon enough.
The Darcy carriage pulled up in front of Netherfield as Bingley’s staff came out to assist the guests into the house. It was a cold night, and the sun had long set for the day. Bingley was not his natural carefree self, though he was truly was pleased to see his guests arrive.
“Lady Catherine and Miss de Bourgh, I welcome you to my home. Whatever you need, please know that I will do my utmost to see to those needs.”
Having met Bingley before, Lady Catherine smiled. “It is very gracious of you Sir. I wish to convey my sympathies on your recent loss.”
“My thanks, Lady Catherine, my family has had a great deal to contend with recently, but it is a pleasure to be able to have a brightened future before us. As your daughter and nephews are all marrying for love, I am also planning for the future and am engaged to marry Darcy’s future sister.”
“William told us of your good fortune. I wish you great joy in your marriage.”
“Unfortunately I am not able to marry at the moment, as my family is in mourning. Miss Bennet has been kind enough to wait for my half mourning before we wed.”
“You do a great honor to your family, to be so respectful even after all that your sister did to cause harm. You are to be commended.” Lady Catherine stated to her host. “Is my sister and niece still awake? I know that it is quite late.”
“As a matter of fact, Lady Anne and Georgiana were in Lady Anne’s sitting room. If you wish, I can escort you to them.”
Lady Catherine nodded and took hold of Bingley’s offered arm. Anne and Richard followed after them, with Darcy bringing up the rear. When they arrived at Lady Anne’s sitting room, Bingley knocked on the door. “Enter” called out Lady Anne.
When the door was opened, Lady Anne rose from the sofa and nearly ran across the room to her sister. “Catie, oh, sister, you are here. How long has it been since I have last seen your face?”
“Too many years to count, Annie, but here we are and so much joy is soon to come.”
Lady Anne looked at her son. “William, welcome back. And Anne, you are looking well, dear girl. I believe that Richard has brought on that glow to your cheeks.” She said as she embraced her niece.
Georgiana had been standing back from the scene before her. Lady Catherine noticed her niece standing away from the group and smiled. “This young lady could not possibly be Georgiana. Why, this is a young lady and Georgiana is just a child. Please, Sister, introduce me to this lady.”
Laughing at her sister’s attempt to include her shy daughter, Lady Anne stepped to Georgiana. “Catie, this is indeed our Georgiana. She has grown a great deal since the last time you saw her. And she is growing into quite a young lady.”
“Aunt Catherine.” Georgiana said as she curtsied in front of her aunt. “It is a pleasure to see you and Anne again.”
“Georgiana, you are as
elegant and kind as your mother. I am pleased to see you, as I have missed you and your family terribly over these past years. Letters are just not the same as seeing your loved ones in person.”
“Mother is rarely ever able to travel and I loathe being away from her for very long.” Georgiana stated, though she tipped her eyes towards the floor. This was a gesture that Lady Catherine understood well, as her sister had been quite shy before she married Gerald Darcy. It was as if Lady Anne was inside a cocoon, and emerged, after her marriage, as a beautiful butterfly. Lady Catherine prayed that Georgiana would do the same.
“Georgiana, I am so pleased to see you. On the trip here, William told me of all your progress in your studies. I am anxious to hear you play on the pianoforte, as William has stated you are practicing a great deal. I have always said that one will not play well, really well, unless one practices more.”
If Only In His Dreams Page 11
