Smoky Dreams

by Jaeza Rayleigh

  Chapter 30: A Good Morning

  A little to his surprise, none of Darcy's dreams were coherent enough for him to remember in the same way as the ones that had haunted him recently. Oh, there were flashes of them still in his memory, to be sure. He remembered seeing Lady Catherine's walking stick break again, the pieces floating apart with infinite slowness, to drift down across the path like snow. Only the tip flew away, and it raced and spun, ricocheting off the ruin wall to bounce off trees and stones while never losing momentum. It finally bounced off the ruin again and flew up into the sky to become another star.

  He also remembered an image of his aunt's heavy carriage trundling away down a long straight road, shedding a never-ending line of trunks like breadcrumbs to mark a trail. No one aboard took any notice of the falling trunks, although each one made a soft thud as it hit the road and dirt puffed up around it, to be blown away by the slight wind.

  The rest of what he remembered was just memories of faces, mostly the people he cared about. He saw Elizabeth smiling tenderly at him as she told him she would share the burdens and responsibilities that made up his life. Richard winked at him and gave him a mischievous grin before he turned to speak with Miss Lucas. Georgiana and Anne smiled and laughed happily with the younger Bennet sisters and Miss Maria. Bingley and Jane sat nearby, too lost in each other's company to pay any attention to those around them. He even saw Mr. Bennet chuckling as his wife fussed happily over wedding plans.

  Darcy woke with a certainty that all was finally right with the world. Of course, Lady Catherine might still find ways to make herself a nuisance. He still needed to help Anne. He still had many responsibilities and there was much that could go wrong. None of that mattered at the moment. For probably the first time in his memory, Fitzwilliam Darcy felt completely calm, relaxed and happy.

  The feeling lasted through his first cup of coffee, which he drank in leisurely sips as he planned out his morning. Then Richard came into the breakfast room.

  "Do you suppose Aunt Catherine might try something to stop the wedding or disrupt the reading of the banns?" he asked as he picked a few items off the sideboard to put on his plate.

  A few of Darcy's worries returned. "Did you have to bring that up so early?" he asked. "I was having a very good morning until you mentioned Aunt Catherine."

  "Were you?" Richard asked. "I thought you were just contemplating your coffee in your usual grim morning manner."

  Darcy's rendition of Elizabeth's raised eyebrow caused Richard to almost drop his plate as he burst out laughing. Putting the well-filled plate safely down on the table, Richard reached for a coffee cup.

  "Miss Elizabeth does that expression far more effectively than you do, cousin," he said as he picked up the coffee pot.

  "Well, she has had more practice. And, I have thought about the next steps Lady Catherine might take, although I hope she is concerned and confused enough about her missing daughter to preclude any immediate action to thwart my plans." Darcy took another sip from his cup while Richard poured and prepared his own.

  "It occurred to me last night that you are having the banns just called here in Meryton. Do you think she might use the fact you were here as a guest to dispute your residency within the parish?" Richard asked.

  Darcy smiled. "I considered that and prepared for it. When we decided to call the banns immediately to distract from Mrs. Denny's quick marriage, I sent a messenger to the church at Lambton. The banns were called there last Sunday and will be called this Sunday and the next, just as required by law. Our aunt will not be able to challenge me in that way."

  "Good thinking. What about her assertions of a prior engagement? We know it is not true, but it could require investigation, which would give her time to do something else."

  "That one is a problem. Do you have a solution?"

  Richard ate a bite of one of the pastries on his plate and then washed it down with a gulp of coffee. He smiled. "Preemptive action," he said simply.

  "What are you thinking?"

  "Take Anne and Miss Elizabeth to visit the vicar today. Tell him you think Lady Catherine may bring an objection just to cause trouble and have Anne confirm there is no preexisting engagement between you."

  "That would work," Darcy said thoughtfully. "I can also go to Phillips's office and have him draw up a document to that effect, signed and witnessed, which I can send on to Mr. Mursthem in Lambton."

  "Better yet."

  "I will send over a note to Longbourn to see if the two ladies will be free to run that little errand later today. I want to wait for Hoban to get back from London with my horse before I leave. Since he stayed the night at Darcy House, he should have news of Lady Catherine's attempt to retrieve Anne."

  "I hope he was an eye-witness. How I would have enjoyed seeing that, so long as Aunt Catherine could not see or hear me. Pity we could not have had your staff deny Anne ever arrived at Darcy House. That would be hilarious. In fact, I wish we could convince her Anne died of the fever as a child and our aunt has only been hallucinating her existence for years."

  Darcy answered dryly, "Amusing though that thought might be, it would never work. Nor would it solve Anne's problems. I will admit you did a beautiful job convincing Aunt Catherine she left Anne in London. All the same, it was only a delaying tactic. What we need is to make certain she cannot destroy Rosings with poor management in revenge once we divert the profits and running of the estate to Anne. Our aunt may have the legal right to live there, but the estate is not hers."

  Richard nodded as he chewed on his breakfast. He finished another few bites before he spoke again.

  "I have just been thinking about the living at Hunsford. The advowson belongs to the estate, not Lady Catherine. Whoever she appoints to replace Mr. Collins is probably not the valid holder unless Anne concurs with the appointment. In fact, Mr. Collins might not have been either, depending on whether the appointment was made before or after her twenty-fifth birthday."

  "It was after," Darcy said thoughtfully. "Old Mr. Warburton was still alive last Easter when I visited to do the accounts. Anne was already twenty-five then. The legality of the appointment makes little difference where Collins was concerned, but now would be the time to address the issue for his replacement, even if that is not a road I particularly want to travel. The people of Hunsford deserve better than the kind of men our aunt appoints and the longer the man is in office, the harder it will be to oust him. A clergyman more sympathetic to Anne's interests could be valuable. Do you know of any potential appointees?"

  Richard made a show of thinking as he took his next few bites. After another gulp of coffee, he finally replied.

  "None of the people I can think of would be very well qualified to both minister to the people and fight off the interference of our aunt. Do you know of anyone?"

  "There were a few men who impressed me during my search for a candidate for Kympton two years ago, although, as you say, Hunsford will require a dual role. In the end, of course, the choice will be Anne's. I can only advise. I assume the curate is still covering the religious duties there. Once I get a good look at Sir Lewis's will to verify Anne would hold the advowson, I can see if she wants me to write to the bishop to make certain he does not approve any appointment Lady Catherine makes without Anne's knowledge."

  "That sounds like a good preemptive attack as well. You have a little of the strategist in you, cousin," Richard agreed.

  Having finished his first cup of coffee, Darcy got up to choose his breakfast, which he normally ate with the second cup. They finished the meal in relative silence, with short intervals when one or the other had an idea share. Richard decided to take a ride after he finished his meal, while Darcy headed into the library to write a few letters.

  ~*~

  Darcy had finished his letters and a little more planning when Richard entered the library with Hoban, Darcy's footman, a couple hours later. Richard was in high good humor and Darcy suspected his man had a story to tell.

  "I r
an into Hoban, here, as I was returning from my ride," Richard said, clapping the footman on the shoulder. "He confirmed Lady Catherine arrived at Darcy House yesterday evening, but he would not tell me what happened."

  "I thought my duty was to tell you first, sir," Hoban said apologetically.

  "I agree," Darcy told him. "Although I have no objection to my cousin listening in as you give me your report. What happened?"

  "I made good time to town, sir, just as you told me. I even passed Lady Catherine's carriage on the way, although I made sure to go by quickly so there was little chance of her recognizing the horse. The footmen on the back knew me, though, and waved as I passed. I doubt they will say anything to her ladyship."

  "No, the footmen and driver, at least, seemed to be very understanding of Miss de Bourgh's situation." Darcy agreed.

  "I reported to Mr. Barlow as soon as I arrived and gave him your letter. He quickly sent word to all the staff, inside and outside, that no one was to speak to Lady Catherine or her servants without his permission and presence, on pain of instant dismissal without reference. He conferred with Mrs. Barlow and a few of the upper staff and made his plans to receive Lady Catherine. I was impressed that he thought to fetch a wedge of wood to keep her from being able to push the door open and shove past him as spoke to her."

  "Very astute thought. May I presume it worked?" Richard commented.

  Hoban nodded. "She did not get in the house, sir. I think her people were in no hurry, because she arrived a few hours after I did. I knew you would want a report, so I watched her from a window in one of the upper rooms. She stormed up the steps when she arrived, having one of her footman pound on the door for her. I could see Mr. Barlow opened the door just enough to speak with her and I know he had one of the other servants quietly jam the wedge into place, so it would open no more, just as he had planned. Even from upstairs with the window closed I could hear her demanding to be allowed inside. Mr. Barlow never raised his voice, but he told me later he politely told her his orders from you were to no longer allow any visitors when you were from home. She did not take the information well, he said."

  "I imagine not," Richard interrupted with a snort of laughter.

  Hoban worked to keep a straight face. He nearly succeeded as he continued. "She demanded to know where she was supposed to stay if not at Darcy House? Mr. Barlow passed on your suggestion that she stop at her own townhouse or inquire with her nephew, the Earl. She railed loudly against both suggestions, but Mr. Barlow stood firm. He said the wedge came in very handy as she tried to push her way in despite his denials. Once she realized she was not going to be allowed inside, she demanded that Miss de Bourgh be sent out to join her at once. Again, Mr. Barlow said he had to work very hard to convince her that her daughter was no longer there. The funniest part for me was watching Miss de Bourgh's companion exit the carriage while Lady Catherine was occupied at the door. One of the footmen hailed a passing hansom cab for her, transferred her bags to it and helped her in. Off she went, all with Lady Catherine none the wiser."

  At that Richard burst out into loud guffaws and Darcy could not help joining in the laughter. They could just imagine their aunt's reaction when she returned to her carriage to find Mrs. Jenkinson and her luggage missing as well. It just might set her to questioning her own sanity. Hoban had lost the battle to maintain his expression, and he was laughing with the other men, although not as loudly. When they had all regained their composure, he continued.

  "Lady Catherine stood at the door for some time, even after Mr. Barlow answered all her questions. She railed at him and insulted him for not letting her inside. It was only when she started to attract attention from the neighbors that she finally gave in and returned to her carriage. She must have been too upset to notice the companion had disappeared, because the carriage left then, and Lady Catherine did not return that day."

  "I wonder where she spent the night?" Richard mused.

  "I believe it must have been with your brother, sir." Hoban said, reaching into his coat to retrieve to letters from an inside pocket. "I have a letter from the Earl for you here, Mr. Darcy, along with one from Lady Catherine. They both arrived at Darcy house late yesterday evening, so Mr. Barlow had me bring them along. He said there was no other mail for you since the last batch."

  "Thank you, Hoban," Darcy said, accepting the two envelopes. "Was there anything else?"

  "No, sir. I left early and went easy on your horse, as I thought you might wish to use him later."

  "Very good. You may return to your duties. I appreciate your diligence."

  Once the footman left, Darcy opened the thinner of the two letters. It came from Richard's older brother.

  "Read it aloud, will you, Darcy?" Richard asked. Darcy complied.

  Darcy, you **** arse!

  What the **** were you thinking sending Aunt Catherine to stay with me? Even worse, you sent her when she was in full temper! ****! She would not shut up about some country hussy who thinks she will marry you, how rude you and my brother were to her, and something about Anne disappearing. I feel like I am going to go mad from the noise! At least someone took away her **** walking stick. Even if that was you, I am not going to forgive you for this any time soon, you ****. You owe me some of that really good brandy you have hiding in your cellars. And if this was Richard's idea, hit him for me – hard!

  Albert Fitzwilliam, Earl of ~~~

  "Well, he did not seem to enjoy the arrival of our aunt, did he?" Richard asked, grinning.

  Darcy reached over and punched Richard lightly on the arm. "That is from Bertie," he said, "be thankful distance has softened the blow."

  "I expect he would have preferred you to hit me in the face," Richard teased.

  "I can if you want me to."

  Richard held up his hands in mock surrender. "Oh, no. That was fine. After all, we both know Bertie deserved a little family time."

  "I expect he turned it into 'consume an entire bottle of brandy' time."

  "Ooh! Aunt Catherine on top of a hangover. Ouch! Am I ever glad she did not show up here on Tuesday morning when we were afflicted. Bertie is likely to call us both out when he sees us next."

  "He will try something to get back at us, anyway. I wonder if it is even worth opening the letter from Aunt Catherine?"

  "It should be good for a laugh, even if we can pretty much guess at the contents. Something like: Your butler stubbornly refused to allow me to stay at Darcy House, saying it was on your orders. I knew that must be a scandalous falsehood, as I am your nearest relation, not to mention you will be marrying Anne soon. I insist you sack your entire staff for failing to show me the proper deference. That impertinent fellow would not even tell me where my daughter has gone, saying only that she was no longer at Darcy House. Moreover, he would not allow me inside to search for a note or other sign of her. I fear she has done herself harm in her despair over your continued failure to do your duty and marry her. I insist you come to London and search for her. You will, of course, marry her as soon as she is found to avoid any stain on her reputation. If you must, pay off that Bennet girl. The artful, grasping creature deserves no consideration, but pay her if it will silence her and avoid a scandal. I expect you to resolve these problems immediately and will wait here until you do."

  Darcy opened the letter. He skimmed through it and laughed aloud before tossing it at his cousin.

  "I applaud you, Richard. You know our aunt very well indeed. Your summary was spot on, even to the order of the topics. The only difference is she is much more offensive and detailed in her outrage."

  "Will you answer it?"

  "No," Darcy said, grinning. "She can just sit and wait for me until she gets tired of it or Bertie manages to throw her out. Now, I think I will call the carriage, so I can head off to Longbourn to pick up Anne and Elizabeth for our little errand. I suppose I should see if Georgiana wishes to visit there or I can drop her off at Lucas Lodge. I forgot to mention, our host is already at Longbourn. He left while
you were on your ride."

  "Yes, I saw him. He said he had spoken to you, so I did not think to mention it either. While Hoban had no other mail for you, he did bring a few pieces for me that he gave me when we met. Some of it pertains to my retirement from the Army, so I think I will stay and take care of it. Give the ladies my good wishes."

  Darcy informed him of his plan to send a messenger to London after his errands. Anything he needed to deliver to his superiors could go with that man. Richard thanked him for the offer and the two parted to deal with their tasks for remainder of the morning.

  Chapter 31: Trip It as Ye Go

  On his arrival at Longbourn, Darcy quickly traded the company of Georgiana and Mrs. Annesley for that of Elizabeth and Anne, who would chaperone each other during the trip to the village. His sister planned to work with Mary and Kitty on the pianoforte for a time, an occupation Darcy would have approved even without Mrs. Annesley's assurance that Georgiana's performance was improving through her efforts to teach the other girls. He knew from his own experience that sometimes the best way to learn was to help someone else, but more than that, all three young women were enjoying the lessons.

  Anne appeared even happier than she had the day before, if that was possible. She told Darcy that all the Bennet sisters had spent the morning in Mrs. Denny's room draping her in a variety of shawls and gowns to determine the best colors to improve her appearance. She explained in such excitement he almost had trouble following her quick speech.

  "Kitty is giving me one of her gowns that I can wear to the party this evening. She is closest to me in size and the gown is a color that does not look very good on her but does on me. She can wear some of the colors Mother likes, so I gave her one of my gowns in return. It is in an unfashionable style, but all the sisters assured me it can be picked apart and remade into something much prettier. All I need for tonight is a matching shawl. Lizzy tells me there is a shop in the village where I might buy one. May we stop there after our business is done?"