"Thank you, Mr. Darcy," she said quietly. "My mother will insist on going with me, so we will be in the carriage. I will do as you say and dress warmly, however. You may assure your cousin I will do my best to stay well."
"I shall. I must say, I am looking forward to having you as a cousin as well, Miss Lucas, and I know Elizabeth is pleased to be gaining you as a relation by marriage."
"She has told me so, but I am glad you agree. Thank you for carrying the message. I think, perhaps you should take your own advice and wrap up warmly, so you can get back to Netherfield without taking a chill. You have been ill once already in the past month. You should not chance it again."
Darcy bowed. "I shall take your good advice. Until later, Miss Lucas"
She stepped back inside and closed the door as Darcy turned away. His horse was waiting, and it would be a cold ride back to Netherfield. Once mounted, he pulled his greatcoat a little more tightly around himself and pulled his hat down on his head. It was time to ride before the weather became any worse.
~*~
The next few days remained cold. Although the snow continued to fall off and on, it never became deep enough to impede travel between Netherfield, Longbourn and Lucas Lodge, not that Bingley, Darcy or Richard did much of the traveling. Mrs. Bennet sent for Georgiana and Mrs. Annesley to join the planning party but told the men to stay away. In fact, there was so much feminine activity in Longbourn that Mr. Bennet rode over to Netherfield asking to spend the afternoon in the library on Wednesday. He and Darcy had a few games of chess while Richard looked on and then he had fun looking through the collection of books Darcy had purchased from Mr. Tamblar. A few of those went home with him, although he promised to return them at some point.
On Thursday afternoon, the vicar called. Mr. Colter brought with him a letter from Lady Catherine insisting he refuse to solemnify any union between her nephew, Fitzwilliam Darcy, and Elizabeth Bennet, who she described in a plethora of derogatory terms, because Darcy was already betrothed to her daughter and the marriage would take place as soon as said daughter was found. Darcy felt the insults against Elizabeth keenly, but Mr. Colter and Richard got a good laugh out of the letter. Even funnier to Richard was the header, which indicated she was still ensconced in his brother's town house.
"She is like one of those demons that once you invite them into your house will never be moved to leave until they choose to go on their own. Bertie has to be livid about it, and I expect his wife has probably managed an invitation to some friend's house party for the duration if she was not already at one." Richard chortled. "I am amazed Aunt Catherine still has not figured out Anne is here."
"I am glad she has not," Darcy replied. "Our cousin is having a great deal of fun at the Bennet house. Bennet said yesterday that Mrs. Bennet was talking about moving Anne into Mrs. Denny's old room and was treating her just as if she had always been a Bennet daughter."
"Mrs. Bennet has a good heart," Mr. Colter said, "and she has never failed to offer aid when a member of our community is truly in need."
"So I have learned," Darcy replied.
"Well, this letter proves you were correct to warn me of the possible objections your aunt might make. Despite the inflammatory tone, I would have had to investigate. Do you have any suggestions as to how I should respond?”
"Why would you want to respond?" Richard asked.
"It is only polite," Mr. Colter replied. "And it will let her know the missive was received. Otherwise she might choose to come deliver her message in person."
"Heaven forbid," Richard said dramatically.
"I think you have answered your question Mr. Colter. You do not need to provide her with a judgment on her letter. Simply let her know you have received it and will give it all the attention it deserves. You will not be lying, but she will assume you mean to comply since very few people ever challenge her dictates." Darcy could not hold back a grin as he gave the suggestion. Richard laughed aloud at it.
"Use her weaknesses against her and trip her up in her own conceit? Yet another excellent strategy, Cousin!" he congratulated.
"You appear to be taking far too much enjoyment from this situation, Colonel," the vicar said. "It does not do you any credit to make sport of your elders."
"There so little fun to be had from Aunt Catherine, I must take my amusement when I can," Richard replied, a little sheepishly.
"Well, having heard Mr. Darcy and Miss de Bourgh's stories and read this letter I can understand it to some extent. I will not lie to her, but your suggestion seems to be a good way to avoid further conflict, Mr. Darcy. I shall let her know I have received her letter and allow her to interpret that statement in whatever way she wishes."
"Thank you, Mr. Colter. We do not want trouble on the day of the wedding, especially now that three couples are involved." Darcy replied.
"That is an important consideration. Colonel, you will treat Miss Lucas well, I trust?"
"Yes, Mr. Colter," he said very seriously. "I will treat her with all the respect and care that is her due and more."
"Thank you, sir. Between you two and Mr. Bingley, you are taking away three of the finest young ladies in our parish. I just want you to be aware of that."
"Trust me, we are," Darcy said in tone that left no doubt. Then he remembered something. "Speaking of letters, I received one this morning from Bishop Hampton, in Kent, regarding some information I sent him. You may be of help with the matter, Mr. Colter."
"How may I assist, Mr. Darcy?"
"I believe you met Mr. Collins when he was here visiting the Bennets in November?"
Mr. Colter looked a little confused by the question, but admitted he had. "I understand he suffered an accident while traveling and is now deceased. Leaving Miss Lucas with a broken betrothal." he added with a glance at Richard, who simply nodded.
"You have probably already realized that the noble patroness he referenced with practically every other breath was Lady Catherine de Bourgh, my aunt."
"I was wondering about that. He certainly seemed, well, grateful for her patronage."
"And her patronizing, condescending, overbearing notice of him," Richard added, prompting a nod from Mr. Colter, who was amused, but still confused by the line of conversation.
"The advowson for the Hunsford parsonage belongs to the estate of Rosings Park, not to my aunt personally. Mr. Collins is the most extreme example of the type of men she has appointed to the position. She wanted a man who would behave in a completely servile manner towards her, but also act as an enforcer to ensure everyone in the village followed her dictates. It is a blatant misuse of her power and that of the parson, but that is how things have worked out. As we mentioned when my cousin and I came to discuss the non-existent betrothal between us, Miss de Bourgh came into her inheritance at the age of twenty-five, about a year and a half ago. My aunt has refused to transfer any of the management of the estate to my cousin."
"I understood Mr. Collins was a recent appointee to the living. Are you saying he was not actually appointed or approved by the legal holder of the advowson?"
"That is the case, however, his death makes that illegal appointment of no matter."
"But the parsonage needs a successor." Mr. Colter stated.
"Precisely. And the people of Hunsford deserve far better than the kind of man my aunt has appointed in the past. My father was executor of Sir Lewis de Bourgh's will. My cousin was still underage at the time and management of the estate passed to my aunt until either Anne was married or she reached the age of twenty-five. I sent to London for all the legal documents regarding the estate and her inheritance because she desires to live apart from her mother going forward. We needed to know what she could legally do, and the question of the advowson came up. I have gone over the documents myself and consulted with Mr. Phillips on any points that were not clear to me. One of the certainties was that Anne is the correct person to appoint the next holder of the living. With her permission, I wrote to Bishop Hampton, giving him the ba
ckground and asking if he had already approved any appointment by Lady Catherine. In the letter I received this morning, he told me my aunt had requested interviews with several candidates but had not yet decided on one. He assured me he would inform her that the living was no longer hers to grant and that he would only approve an appointment made by Miss de Bourgh."
"That makes sense. So, how can I help?" Mr. Colter asked, the look of confusion on his face clearing.
"My cousin has asked me to help her identify appropriate candidates. I am certain you know many clergymen who might be looking for a position. I was wondering if you have any recommendations. She would like someone who is now a curate who would be worthy of the step up and who has some experience ministering to the people of a medium-sized village. The curate currently serving is very much under Lady Catherine's thumb and would not be a strong enough replacement. Strength of character is the most important quality we are looking for. Not only will the parson need to fulfill the duties of his office, he will have to withstand constant pressure from Lady Catherine to be her spy and enforcer. Although she no longer has legal power over the estate, the will grants her the right to live at Rosings Park until Anne is married, and my cousin does not wish to marry any time soon."
"So, you want a man of experience, who is strong enough to face the fury of the storm while still being a caring man of God?"
"Exactly. I am reaching out to two men I interviewed when filling one of the livings in my gift two years ago, but there is no guarantee they are available. Both were highly qualified men who are likely to have already found places. We will ask Bishop Hampton for recommendations, of course, but you are also in a position to know of men who might not be known to the Bishop."
"I appreciate your confidence in me, Mr. Darcy. I will consider my circle of acquaintances and reach out to a few people I know. When I have something definite, I will tell you or Miss de Bourgh."
"Thank you, Mr. Colter."
The gentlemen parted a short time thereafter, all three pleased with the meeting.
~*~
The third reading of the banns for the first two couples and the second reading for Richard and Miss Lucas went without any objection, since the letter from Lady Catherine had already been determined not to count. All the same, Darcy breathed a sigh of relief when the church remained silent after Mr. Colter asked if anyone knew of impediments to the matches. Beside him, he heard a similar sigh from Elizabeth. Now if they could just get through the wedding without interference, the two could face anything together.
After church Darcy and Bingley both approached Mrs. Bennet in a planned attack. Elizabeth and Jane joined them and even though they had not known of the plan, they caught on quickly, trying to hide their smiles as Darcy spoke.
"Mrs. Bennet," Darcy began. "I am afraid I have a serious complaint to make about the wedding plans."
"I, also, Madam," Bingley added, trying not to grin.
Mrs. Bennet's eyes widened in surprise. "A complaint? How can that be? You have not even been a part of the planning. You assured me that whatever we ladies decided to do was fine."
"That is true, Mrs. Bennet," Darcy said in his most solemn tones. "I did say that, and I still believe it. No, the complaint is not about anything you have planned. It is that, due to your insistence on spending so much time planning Bingley and I have had no time at all to visit with Jane or Elizabeth. We are becoming quite starved for their company. You would not wish us to perish before we can be wed, would you."
Bingley nodded agreement, trying, but failing to look as serious as his friend. Richard, who was nearby with Miss Lucas, started to chortle at the confusion on Mrs. Bennet's face. Suddenly the matron seemed to realize what was going on. She hit Darcy lightly on the arm with her heavy mittens, which she had been about to draw on over her fine lace gloves.
"Oh, you! Who would you have taken you for such a tease? Very well, if you want some time with the young ladies, you may come over tomorrow for tea and stay for dinner as well. Colonel, you come too. We will invite the whole Lucas family and you can spend the afternoon with Charlotte."
Richard bowed with exaggerated elegance. "On behalf of myself, my cousin and my host, I thank you," he said gallantly.
She turned back to Darcy. "Are you satisfied?" she asked.
He took her hand, the one still carrying the mittens, and bowed over it. "Very much so," he said. Bingley bowed as well as the older woman blushed slightly at the attention.
As Darcy released her hand she fussed and fiddled with her outer clothes, adjusting her bonnet and cloak before finally drawing on the mittens. "See that you send Georgiana and Mrs. Annesley over early," she said. "If we are to take the afternoon away from planning, we must start all the sooner to make up for it."
"It shall be as you say, Madam," Darcy said, bowing again before he turned back to Elizabeth.
"Well played, sir," Elizabeth whispered to him as the Bennet carriage stopped in front of the group and her family started to board it. "I desperately needed a break from all her planning. I am not certain what more actually needs to be done, but Mama is relentless."
"That is what Georgiana told me and I have been missing your company most dreadfully. Perhaps, if it is not too cold, you and I can take a walk."
"What a lovely idea." Elizabeth flashed him a smile. "Dress warmly when you come, and we will take a walk even if it is cold. I look forward to it."
"As do I," he said, stepping forward to hand her into the carriage. When the ladies were all settled inside, he closed the door. As a few snowflakes fell around him, he realized he missed the time when they had all been staying at Longbourn together. Still, in less than a month, he would be married. That thought would have to keep him until tomorrow.
Chapter 34: Discovered
Sunday afternoon dragged on for Darcy. He tried to lose himself in a book while listening to Georgiana play, but he just wished time would pass more quickly. Bingley and Richard seemed to feel something of the same. Over the past week, Richard's hands had mostly healed and his bruises were fading. He decided he felt well enough to join Bingley for a few games of billiards to pass the afternoon and so the two of them went off to play after tea. Still, even their teasing conversation had the feel of people marking time before an anticipated event. Darcy hoped they had better luck diverting their attention from the slow passage of time than he was having.
Finally realizing he would get nowhere with his book, Darcy put it down and played for a time with the green ribbon token Elizabeth had given him, while he tried to pay attention to the music Georgiana was playing. He occupied himself for a short time thinking about the sage-green ribbon winding around her curls as he wound it through is fingers. That quickly led to him wishing it was his fingers winding around her curls. That left him realizing he still had several hours before he would see her again.
With a slight sigh, he placed the braided ribbons back in the pocket of his waistcoat where he kept them. He got up quietly so as not to disturb his sister's playing and picked up the book. Slipping out of the music room, he returned the book to the library. While he was there, he gathered up some papers and his portable writing desk, which he kept in this room he had turned into his temporary study. He carried them back to the music room, so he could at least do something productive while he listened to Georgiana play.
When he had first retrieved Sir Lewis's will and the other related documents from Darcy House, he hired Mr. Phillips's clerk to make copies of them all. After consulting with Mr. Phillips, he forwarded the relevant documents, along with a witnessed document giving him authority to act on his cousin's behalf, to the bank where Anne's dowry was kept with a request that her funds, both interest and principle, be made available to her at her request according to the dictates of the will. He sent a similar request to the bank that handled the accounts for Rosings Park, informing them of Anne's assumption of the management of the estate as per the will (enclosed) and her request that the estate funds no longer be ma
naged or drawn on by Lady Catherine. Darcy knew his aunt regularly deposited part of the estate funds into her personal account and she had been given a large jointure in her settlement. She would not suffer hardship from having the estate funds taken out of her hands for the future.
Late the previous afternoon, a messenger came from Darcy House with letters from both banks and more legal documents he needed to handle. He had not dealt with them immediately on arrival, holding off for a better time. If a book could not hold his interest now, perhaps he could focus long enough to deal with these matters.
The notice from the first bank was a simple acknowledgment of receipt stating that the funds in the account would be released to Miss de Bourgh or her agent at her discretion when accompanied by proper proof of identity. Since Darcy also did business with that bank, he was known to them and could vouch for Miss de Bourgh's identity. The bank official who had responded also expressed a hope that Miss de Bourgh would maintain her account with them, continuing the long-standing relationship built with her family.
Darcy drafted a simple reply thanking them for their cooperation and assuring the manager that his cousin simply wished to establish her right to access the funds and, at least in the near future, would probably make only minimal withdrawals from the account. He prepared a clean copy, sealing it in preparation for delivery the next day and filed the draft with the related documents.
The second document was more problematic. The bank officer who responded to his inquiry about the estate funds conceded that, according to the will and supporting documents he had provided, Miss de Bourgh appeared to have a legal right to the estate funds. This officer was also familiar with Darcy through his role in assisting with the estate contracts and yearly audit of the funds. While he had no wish to offend either Mr. Darcy or Miss de Bourgh, he continued, this request did place the bank in a delicate position. Lady Catherine had visited the bank in person shortly before Mr. Darcy's request arrived and insisted no one else be given access to the funds. She claimed Miss de Bourgh had been kidnapped and was concerned someone might try to use her to access the accounts. Given the disparity between the two requests, the bank did not feel they could fully comply with Darcy's request without further information.
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