by J P Christy
Caroline’s eyes narrowed in annoyance, but she maintained her silence. Charles added, “Louisa and Clive are thanking Jane for her hospitality and her forbearance; they will be out shortly. In London, I suggest you send Aunt Letitia an express advising her of your imminent arrival.”
“Oh, do not send me to Scarborough! Let me remain in our London townhouse.”
“My townhouse—and, no, for you would be a single lady alone. What would society say?”
“If I had a companion, there would be nothing scandalous about the arrangement.”
“I think hiring a respectable lady to be your friend is a fine idea. But her salary must come from your pocket. You must use your inheritance to support yourself from now on.”
“My inheritance is a pittance compared to yours!”
“Your twenty thousand pounds is scarcely a pittance. Besides, I have a wife to support and soon, I hope, a family. It is also my intention to purchase an estate within the next year.”
“What will society say if you cease to concern yourself with my welfare?” she sneered.
She doesn’t believe me; she doesn’t believe she will have to take responsibility for herself! Anger surged through Bingley with a ferocity that matched his feelings on the night Darcy had confessed his deception. Painful memories flooded his mind; the years of slights, embarrassments, and tantrums he had endured because (as his parents had repeatedly reminded) Caroline was the youngest. Still, Bingley’s voice was calm when he said, “By my calculation, you have now been out in society for six years. To the best of my knowledge, you rejected three offers even before you became obsessed with being the mistress of Pemberley. Has it occurred to you, Caroline, you might not receive another proposal?”
“Nonsense!”
“Thus, you may wish to find a permanent residence. You have sufficient funds to acquire a comfortable place in Scarborough for yourself and whatever lady you pay to be your friend.”
“I would wither and die without fashionable society!”
“Yet I doubt fashionable society will notice your absence.”
Reflexively, Caroline raised her hand to slap him, but the sound of the front door opening again brought her to her senses. Instead, she patted her hair as if fixing a curl that had gone astray.
Stepping out to the portico with his wife, Clive grunted, “Here you are, Caroline. Louisa feared we might have to leave without you.” Just then, his carriage rolled to a stop in front of the house.
“I would not let that to happen,” Bingley assured his brother-in-law. Turning to Caroline, he added, “I meant what I said. You will not have a home with Jane and me here or in the London townhouse or at whatever estate I ultimately purchase.”
“Nor will you have a home with Louisa and me,” Clive said.
For the first time in Caroline’s life, she realized the people whose support she had taken for granted were not inclined to continue in such a thankless role. “But I don’t want to live with Aunt Letitia for the rest of my life!”
“Take heart. I doubt Aunt Letitia would want that either, so she is likely to encourage you to find an alternative.”
Ignoring the hand Bingley offered her, Caroline scrambled into the carriage unaided. Louisa accepted her brother’s steadying grip, and as she settled herself on the seat opposite her sister, she muttered, “Just get yourself a husband, and make the best of it as the rest of us do.”
≈≈≈
Charlotte had not spoken a word to her husband during the carriage ride to Lucas Lodge after the ball; however, as Collins was conversing with Lady Lucas, he had not noticed her silence. At her parents’ home, as at Hunsford Parsonage, Charlotte and her husband maintained separate bedrooms. He considered this an indication of his status as a gentleman; she considered it a relief from his snoring. However, that night it was her angry thoughts that kept her awake. I am determined my marriage will survive this, but I will never trust him again!
In the morning, Charlotte was alone in the breakfast room when Collins entered, humming cheerfully. Oblivious to her mood, he filled his plate, saying, “I slept quite well last night. I suppose I was tired from all the dancing.”
Charlotte did not speak until her husband sat opposite her. “Given your efforts in conspiring with Miss Bingley, hiding a goat in the music room, and causing me to spill punch on Miss Darcy’s gown, I am amazed you had time for much else.”
He struggled to understand her. “Are you criticizing me?”
“You used me to try to discredit my dear friend, a woman who is your cousin!”
“Mr. Darcy and Miss Anne De Bourgh were formed for each other; Lady Catherine has said so! Elizabeth shames the family with her relentless pursuit of the gentleman,” Collins insisted.
“Can you not see that it is Mr. Darcy who pursues Lizzy?”
“If I had been able to free him from his enthrallment, Lady Catherine would have been very pleased. I believe she will still appreciate my effort, unsuccessful though I was.”
“You may hover here like a vulture while you wait for Mr. Bennet’s demise, but I am going to Hunsford.”
“No! You must remain here with me! What will people say?”
“Stay and keep my mother company. You have become fast friends, and I am glad of it. However, if I am to bear a healthy baby, I must be in a calm place. For me, that is our home in Kent.”
Once again, Collins was uncertain he had understood her correctly. “You are with child, madam?” Just in time, he stopped himself from adding, I thought you were getting fat.
“If all goes well, our child will arrive in November.”
“Would you not prefer to be here with your mother?”
“I am tired of your grumbling because my friend’s father has not yet died. I want to go home and rest for my sake and the sake of our baby. Consider, sir, your brother now has four daughters, while you and I have only this baby who is not yet born.”
Collins was not yet ready to accept that Mr. Bennet’s recovery was a certainty. “I feel I should stay.”
“Then do.”
“But you would be alone in the parsonage with the servants.”
“I will manage. As I said, my mother enjoys your company.” A silent chant filled Charlotte’s thoughts: Please stay, please stay, please stay, please stay!
“Yes. If you are at Hunsford, you can inform me when Lady Catherine returns.”
“Very wise, husband,” Charlotte said, rising. “I shall advise my mother of my plans and have father’s coachman take me to Kent.” With a shallow curtsy, she exited.
≈≈≈
This same morning in London, Michaels was sacked from De Bourgh House. Spicer was certain his shoe had needed repair because the careless groom had mishandled it; however, the butler never discovered that on Friday when Toby Peake delivered the shoe to the shoemaker, Toby had also posted Anne’s letter.
≈≈≈
July 22, 1811
Having been vacant for so long, Purvis Lodge was not as pleasant as the estate the Darcy party had recently vacated—and it lacked the critical element of Elizabeth Bennet’s presence. Thus, Darcy and Fitzwilliam typically spent much of their day at Nether-field while Georgiana divided her time between the lodge, Longbourn, and Netherfield.
On the Monday following the first reading of the banns in the church at Meryton, Darcy felt very content. Caroline was gone; Mr. Bennet continued to improve physically; and Lydia continued to improve in her own way, and within the month Darcy would be married to the woman he loved. On this fine day at Netherfield, he stared absently out the window of the drawing room, waiting for his fiancée to join him. Upon sensing that he was not alone, he turned and saw his cousin in the doorway. “Hello, Fitz.”
“I see before me a happy man.”
Darcy smiled. “It is as if everything I have ever wished for is now within reach. I can’t even bring myself to worry about Wickham, wherever the rogue might be.”
“I have never envied you until this moment. Now
I would like your advice regarding my future, for I am ready to quit the army.”
Darcy’s smile broadened. “This is very good news, Cousin! Georgiana and I have shared your mother’s wish for you to be out of harm’s way, and you know I will do whatever I can to assist you. Elizabeth and I have plans to go riding this morning, but please discuss your thoughts with me later.”
Before Fitzwilliam could reply, Norris entered with the post. He was followed closely by a distressed Georgiana who waved a piece of paper. “Brother, Christopher, our Anne is in trouble!”
“A letter came for you, sir.” Norris offered it on a tray.
“Ah, I neglected to send our new direction to my man of business in London,” Darcy said as he accepted the post.
Fitzwilliam asked, “Norris, are there any letters for me?”
“No, sir.”
“Thank you, Norris, that will be all,” Darcy said. “Kindly close the door after you.” The butler bowed and did as instructed.
“Brother, Christopher, this is important!” Georgiana insisted.
“No doubt, but I prefer we not announce family matters to the servants of our friend. I assume you hold a letter from Anne?”
“Yes, she is in London with Lady Catherine.”
“In London? I suppose her being there has something to do with the two of you breaking your engagement,” Fitzwilliam said.
“You know very well there was no engagement,” Darcy said tersely, but he felt a twinge of guilt, aware that he had given little thought to Anne of late. “What is the nature of her trouble?”
“She is virtually a prisoner—her letter is written on a page torn from a book!” Georgiana exclaimed.
“What of Mrs. Jenkinson?” Fitzwilliam asked.
“She was dismissed without Anne’s permission or even her knowledge, so Anne has sent me what she can recall of the lady’s brother, who lives in Brighton, and asks us to inquire immediately as to Mrs. Jenkinson’s whereabouts.”
“Maybe London is an opportunity for Anne,” Fitzwilliam said. “If she does marry—”
“Whether she wants to or not,” Darcy growled.
“At least she will no longer be under her mother’s control,” Fitzwilliam finished.
Giving Fitzwilliam a disappointed look, Georgiana asked, “Surely, you are not suggesting that we do not help our cousin?”
Darcy growled. “I should have anticipated this. Our aunt can make Anne’s life a misery until she accepts whatever husband is chosen for her.”
“Anne’s life is already a misery,” Georgiana said. “Imagine the sort of man Lady Catherine would consider suitable!”
“Let us not ignore the fact that Aunt Catherine will not take kindly to our interference,” Fitzwilliam said. When the Darcys gave him a puzzled look, he shrugged. “In such situations, at least one person must mention the possible consequences. As I have done so, let us now plan Anne’s rescue.”
“We could send a carriage from Darcy House to spirit her away,” Georgiana said.
A knock on the door interrupted them, and a moment later Bingley put his head into the room. “Sorry, is this family business? It’s just that you have visitors, and they assure me theirs is a matter of some urgency.” When he opened the door wide, Elizabeth and Kitty came into view behind him.
“Good day, ladies. Please come in,” Darcy said.
Fitzwilliam gave a shallow bow. “A pleasure to see you both.”
Elizabeth entered, followed by her sister. “Forgive me for speaking immediately to the matter, but I have a letter from Nora —Mrs. Jenkinson—which concerns Anne. It was addressed to me at Longbourn, so Kitty delivered it here.”
Georgiana said, “And we just received a letter from Anne.”
Norris hovered in the background, awaiting instructions. Bingley sent him to bring tea and then hesitated in the doorway. “Would you prefer I leave you to your business?”
“Bingley, this is your house,” Darcy said. “Please stay unless you would rather not be embroiled in our domestic drama.”
“I will remain. Perhaps I can be of help.”
Elizabeth crossed to Georgiana and offered Mrs. Jenkinson’s letter. “Nora is in Brighton; she is very worried about Anne.”
In exchange, Georgiana gave her Anne’s letter. “Anne is in London, and she is very worried about her companion; at least we know now where Mrs. Jenkinson is. ”
“My goodness!” Elizabeth exclaimed. “Anne had to smuggle this out because she is not permitted to correspond with anyone. She has no assurance her letter has even reached us.”
As Darcy read Anne’s letter over Elizabeth’s shoulder, he was roiled by feelings of anger and shame in equal measures. “That Aunt Catherine is holding her daughter prisoner is monstrous—by all means, we must free her!”
Georgiana assured Elizabeth, “We will rescue her. Brother will arrange for a carriage to bring Anne to Purvis Lodge.”
In calm tones, Fitzwilliam said, “Consider for a moment: if a carriage, even one of yours, arrived unbidden at Aunt Catherine’s house and the coachman invited Anne for a ride, what do you think would happen?”
Georgiana’s face fell. “Aunt would know Anne had communicated with us.”
Darcy agreed. “She would then be on her guard for other attempts. If only we knew when Anne would be out in society.”
“Whom might you trust so that a rescue could be arranged with a third party?” Bingley asked.
Hesitantly, Kitty spoke. “Would it not be easier if someone who is already trusted by both Anne and Lady Catherine’s staff called at your aunt’s home?” As all eyes turned to her, she suddenly felt shy. “No doubt you’ve thought of this and found a hundred reasons it would not work.”
“I am certain we have not. Please go on,” Fitzwilliam said.
“I assume sir, you are on good terms with your cousin and your aunt, and that you are known to her ladyship’s staff.”
“I am.”
“Meaning no disrespect to the other gentlemen, but you—dressed in your regimentals and with your soldierly bearing—are the one who looks most ready to be a rescuer of ladies.”
“That is the best compliment I have received all week.” Fitzwilliam turned to Darcy. “I can leave for town within the hour. I will stay with my parents to learn what they know about this. Then as soon as I can arrange it, I will return with Anne. You, I hope, will provide me with a letter so that the stable at Darcy House will lend me a fine carriage for our escape. If we use a Fitzwilliam carriage, there is a chance, a servant will talk.”
“Of course,” Darcy and Georgiana said simultaneously.
Norris returned with a tea tray, and a grinning Bingley said, “Well, please have some refreshment so I can feel as if I have made some contribution to the effort.”
“I believe, Charles, there may be an important part for you,” Elizabeth said. “Georgiana, may I show him Nora’s letter?”
Intrigued, Georgiana gave her the letter and listened as her friend explained her plan to Bingley.
≈≈≈
Reclining on a chaise lounge in her private sitting room, Lady Fitzwilliam was reading a newspaper when her son entered. “Christopher! What a lovely surprise. To what do we owe the honor?” She set aside the paper so she could accept her son’s embrace and then patted the arm of the chair nearest her chaise.
As he sat, he frowned as if trying to recall. “What do I usually say when I arrive here unexpectedly?”
“You assure us that you are devoted to your gracious parents, and every day out of our presence is like a month. Are you here for dinner or for the night?”
“Both. I expect to stay for several nights; I am on a mission to rescue cousin Anne.”
“From whom? Or what? Does this have something to do with the ‘peculiar engagement’ between her and Darcy? Has our boy—”
“Our boy? Mother, Darcy is only three years my junior.”
“You, Darcy, and your brothers will forever be my boys.”
&n
bsp; Lord Fitzwilliam entered the room. “Ah, Christopher, I heard you had come to see your poor old parents.” Standing at attention, he saluted his son as he always did.
The colonel returned the gesture with a crisp salute of his own. “Hello, Father.”
“I am told you are on leave from the army.”
“Not exactly a leave. I am working on a special investigation. As long as my superiors know where they may reach me, I am free to deal with other matters.”
“You must have done some general a very great favor. Did we know you were coming today?”
“No, but Mother insists I am devoted to you both and every day out of your company is like a month. Port or brandy, sir?”
“Neither. I am expecting callers.”
Lady Fitzwilliam said, “It seems, Wesley, a family matter has arisen involving Anne and Catherine.”
Fitzwilliam poured two glasses of port and gave one to his mother. “Did you know the De Bourgh ladies are in town, sir?”
“I didn’t.” His lordship addressed his wife, “Did you know?”
Before more could be said, Samuels, the butler, entered carrying a tray containing two calling cards. Presenting them to Lord Fitzwilliam, he said, “Mr. Eastwell and Mr. Bates, sir.”
“Show them to my study,” he grumbled. “Solicitors! Your brother Robert should be handling this.” He walked to the door but paused to wag a finger at Fitzwilliam. “If you tell your mother any interesting news, I will expect you to repeat it at dinner!”
“Yes, Father. Perhaps Mother and I can do a bit of strategizing about Anne’s situation.” After his father left, the colonel returned to his chair. “How is Robert?”
“Gambling less. Drinking less. Eating too much, but no man wants to hear that from his mother. I do wish he would marry! So, where have you been? Or are only generals allowed to know your whereabouts?”
“I am in plain sight with Darcy in Hertfordshire, where ‘the boy’ has found a suitable bride. It took him several months to convince her to accept him.”
“Convince her? I warrant she was an eager young miss who was playing hard to get.”
“Can you keep a secret? And I give you leave to tell one other person, but you must swear that person to secrecy.”
