Chapter 23 #2
Anne de Bourgh felt a deep sense of shame and disgust at her mother’s pronouncement as she stood outside the drawing room with Mrs. Jenkinson. Hearing her mother dismiss the hapless parson, Anne and her companion withdrew.
In the small parlour which had an escritoire, she wrote two notes: a short one to Mrs. Collins and a longer one to her Uncle Reggie.
The note for Mrs. Collins was given to the footman, Jennings, who often found himself granted the mistress’s permission for further ‘spying’ while helping the parson’s wife by carrying the baskets of needed goods to the parishioners.
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Jane Collins was about to start her visits when Jennings arrived. He was most welcome as her load was heavy that day. He handed her a note.
Jane,
My mother is trying to institute draconian measures to force the tenants to speak to your husband. Tell them to stand firm. I guarantee not only will they never pay more rent, but they will find this quarter’s rent will be reduced to reasonable levels once again.
Enjoy your visits my friend,
Anne
With her helper taking charge of all but the lightest basket, Jane began her planned visits for the day. When she arrived at the first tenant’s house, she found them in an uproar over the ultimatum her husband had just delivered on behalf of his patroness.
It took a matter of moments for Jane to calm the Warners and convince them of the truth of the matter. Knowing her husband walked slowly, Jane gave the four Warner boys a penny each to go to each tenant and make sure they were forewarned.
After he visited the first tenant, Collins could not fathom why the threat from his patroness made no impression whatsoever. How could these lowly peasants ignore the word of the wise Lady Catherine?
By the time he completed the task his patroness gave him, he was so short of breath he needed to sit in the shade under a tree before he was able to return to his patroness and give her the report he would much rather not give.
She had instructed him to return so, as much as he would have preferred not to, return he would.
“What do you mean none of the tenants other than the Warners seemed cowed by your message?” Lady Catherine thundered after Collins, most hesitantly, made his report.
Anne and Mrs. Jenkinson, from their position outside the drawing room, had to place their hands over their mouths to stop the laughter bubbling just below the surface from becoming audible.
“The message was delivered verbatim, your magnificence,” Collins bowed for the tenth time since entering the drawing room to articulate the bad news.
“In that case, if they do not comply, I will double their rents! Let us see if they still defy me after this quarter,” Lady Catherine shrieked.
The great lady could not understand what was happening in her fiefdom.
She always exercised complete control over all of those in her sphere of influence.
Something had changed and no matter how much she used her self-exalted intelligence; she could not determine what it was.
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Lord Matlock shook his head as he read the letter from his niece, just delivered by an express rider from Hunsford. “What has your sister done now?” Lady Elaine asked. She knew only his sister could cause her husband to show this level of disgust.
He handed his wife the missive without a word.
“It sounds like Mrs. Bennet is not the only unstable woman. I hate to say it, Reggie, but I think your sister needs to be evaluated for commitment to an institution for the mentally unbalanced.” As much as Lady Elaine disliked her sister-in-law, she was not pleased to have said what she did.
“It would never be Bedlam, but I think we have reached the point when it has become imperative. We will welcome our new daughter to the family and then we will take care of Catherine and Rosings Park,” Lord Reggie stated sadly.
“All I can say is thank goodness for the friendship and strength Anne draws from the parson’s wife.
On that front, I received a note from the Bishop of Kent.
He is sending two of his clergymen to investigate the claims about Mr. Collins described in letters he has received. ”
“Let me supervise our packing.” Lady Elaine kissed her husband on the cheek. They would depart for Netherfield Park in the morning; Andrew and Marie would follow a few days afterwards.
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Darcy was all anticipation as his carriage reached the turnoff to Netherfield Park’s drive. He remembered the last time he had visited the estate. He expected this visit would be far more pleasurable.
Whether or not Miss Gardiner was the former Miss Elizabeth Bennet, he owed her a debt he would not be able to repay in two lifetimes for what she had done with regard to Giana’s recovery.
He was met on the steps by Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner and his cousin Richard with his betrothed, Miss Lucas, on his arm.
Richard affected the introductions. “You are most welcome, Mr. Darcy. I am pleased you were able to advance your date of arrival. I am sure Giana will be overjoyed,” Mrs. Gardiner stated.
Darcy noticed she was an extremely elegant woman, mayhap a few years Darcy’s senior.
“It was all I could do to have Giana wait for you in the drawing room; she has missed her barely tolerable brother very much,” Richard told his cousin. Darcy almost stopped dead in his tracks as he heard Richard repeat part of his vile and untruthful insult to Miss Elizabeth.
Before he could think too much about Richard’s reference, he was accosted by a flying blonde missile hurtling at him as he entered the drawing room exclaiming: “WILLIAM!”
“I missed you too, sweetling,” Darcy kissed his sister on the top of her head as he disengaged her arms.
He saw his aunt and uncle first, after which he noticed two of the Bennet girls. He did not remember their names offhand, nor could he understand why everyone was smiling like they knew a great secret.
“Mr. Darcy, may I introduce my daughter, Miss Elizabeth Gardiner to you?” Gardiner asked as he nodded to the person standing behind Darcy.
Darcy turned around and his mouth fell open. There standing in front of him, looking far better than he remembered, was Miss Elizabeth, his Miss Elizabeth, who he knew as a Bennet.
“Welcome to our home, Mr. Darcy,” Elizabeth said coyly as she extended her hand, which somehow he managed to take and bow over.