Chapter Twenty-Four
“How did you know I was in residence?” Lady Catherine demanded imperially upon entry into the drawing room of Matlock House and seeing her brother, the earl, seated in a comfortable chair by the fireplace.
“I have made it a habit to drive by your townhouse, sister, to ensure no ruffians or malcontents have broken in. It is common knowledge you rarely attend us here in London. When I saw smoke coming from the chimneys, I knew you must be in town and thought to invite you so we can discuss Anne’s future. ”
“I have Anne’s future well in hand, there is no need to discuss anything.” Lady Catherine claimed the chair opposite her brother, settled her skirts about her legs, and rested her hand on the head of her cane. “I am here to shop for her trousseau.”
“Anne is betrothed?” The earl straightened somewhat, feigning ignorance of his sister’s plans. “To whom? When did she become engaged?”
“Her plans are fluid at this moment. I am hoping they can marry within the month, but if needs must, she is willing to wait longer.”
“Seven years longer?”
The earl leaned back in his chair, having seen Richard’s men take a position at all the exits of the room.
Catherine’s eyes narrowed and she gripped her cane tighter.
He knew when she’d realized she was trapped in the room and almost caught him by surprise when she leaped to her feet, swinging her cane at his head.
“I hate you, you damnable man! It should have been me who was born the earl!” She flailed and swung while Richard’s men subdued her and took her cane, breaking it in two. “I would have known how to run this family.”
Darcy and Richard entered the drawing room, followed by the earl’s physician who hurried forward and had the men hold her head back so he could pour a drink, laced with laudanum, down her gullet.
The drink took a while to become fully effective and during that time, Lady Catherine abused the earl, she denounced every member of his family and snarled at Darcy about how she would torture and kill Elizabeth Bennet with her own hands.
When she finally became still and no longer needed to be held down, the earl wept over her quiet body.
“We failed you, Catherine. I should never have let you get this far along in your delusions.”
“I believe we all failed her, Uncle. None of us were willing to confront her behavior,” Darcy said as he and Richard came alongside.
“I shall fetch Anne. She is probably at Aunt Catherine’s townhouse.”
The earl nodded his approval at Richard’s suggestion.
“My physician wishes to give her a complete physical. I do not trust the quacks Catherine most likely hired because they told her what she wanted to hear.”
“I must return to Darcy House and inform Elizabeth that Lady Catherine has been subdued.”
“Give Elizabeth our love.”
“With much pleasure, uncle.”
Both Darcy and Richard removed themselves from the room and the earl signaled his men to bind Lady Catherine and begin the journey to his estate in Derbyshire, Wyndhaven Castle, where his eldest sister would live out her days in confinement, hopefully not drugged all the time, but he would not know how that would go until they arrived.
Darcy and Richard slipped out the back gate by the mews and taking the lanes between the back of grand estates made their way to where Darcy’s driver waited with a non-descript carriage.
“Are you coping, Darcy?” Richard asked once the carriage was underway. They would take Darcy home first and then his cousin would continue to Lady Catherine’s townhouse. “I will admit I was taken aback over her hatred of Elizabeth, even knowing the plans she’d set in motion.”
Darcy pinched the bridge of his nose in an attempt to stave off a tension headache.
“Since father died, over six years ago, I have repeatedly told her I would not marry Anne. She made both our lives miserable by regurgitating that myth every time I was in her presence, and seemed to have no qualms over taking the life of a woman she has never met.” He shook his head and looked out the window.
“I will never understand how she could be related to my mother and your father. She is so different.”
“At least we found out about her plans before implementation. I give Collins credit for letting us know. He seemed as though he were completely under the thrall of our aunt.”
“I will never acknowledge her as my aunt. She is Lady de Bourgh to me and has no connection to my family in any form. Not any longer.”
“Father will have his hands full with her at Wyndhaven. There are fortified rooms from medieval times and hidden tunnels from the times of Queen Mary’s reign of terror on those not of the Catholic faith.
Aunt… Lady de Bourgh will be comfortable but highly dissatisfied with not being able to order everyone to obey her commands. ”
“I have no sympathy for her plight. At least she is alive which is something she did not wish on my wife.”
“We are here,” Richard said and the carriage rolled to a stop at the back of Darcy House. “I will see you tomorrow at the designated spot.”
“Is Bennet here with the decoy?”
“He dropped the lad and Jane off this morning at the Gardiners on their way to Bath.”
“Bath!”
“He is keeping the missus distracted so gossip will not filter out of Meryton.”
“It seems strategic and tactical intelligence runs in the Bennet family.”
“That it does.” Richard paused before closing the carriage door. “Do you think Jane is capable of planning something like this?”
“I guess you will find out on your wedding night.”
“Speaking of wedding nights, and I apologize now for the way I barged in on you and your lovely wife, how are things between you and Elizabeth?”
Darcy knew his cheeks heated and felt like a schoolboy caught kissing his very first girl.
“Things are progressing. I believe she no longer hates me.”
“I would hope not unless that is the spice you need to make the marriage bed interesting.”
“I will thank you for not speaking of our intimate relations in such a cavalier manner. Remember, the boot could soon be on the other foot and I might begin to look into your romance with my sister by marriage.”
“Come down off your high horse. I am very glad you and Elizabeth have declared a truce. By the by, when Jane and I marry, I would like you to stand with me.”
“You do not wish your brother to have the honor?”
“You are more my brother than Ashton, and I also am keeping Jane away from my reprobate of a brother until after the wedding. I swear, if he catches even a glimpse of her, he will haul her off to Gretna Green, willing or not. He is to be kept in the dark about all this until it is too late.”
“You realize Jane will be at your parent’s house for Elizabeth’s presentation ball. Ash will meet her then.”
“Damn, you are correct. I wonder if I should apply for a special license.”
“Do not underestimate Jane. She knows what she wants and will not be swayed by your fickle brother. Trust her, Richard. Learn from my mistakes.”
With that, Darcy disembarked from the carriage and swung the door closed, stepping back as the carriage lurched forward down the lane.
He then opened the hidden gate on the back of his property and made his way to the servant’s entrance of the house, which caused him to pass by the kitchen.
A familiar laugh had him pause, and he came to a complete stop at the sight of Elizabeth standing at the work table, rolling out some dough with a splotch of flour on her cheek.
She looked up and smiled.
“You are just in time. These cookies will be ready for tea in about half an hour.”
***
Unable to sit still while William attended to matters at his uncle’s house, with knowledge of their plans to confront Lady Catherine and whisk her off to Derbyshire, Elizabeth paced back and forth in front of the fireplace in the library.
Normally, she would walk off her frustration outside, but she couldn’t take the risk the house was being watched and the hired thugs might snatch her off the street before their plan was enacted.
So, in frustration, she wore down the thread of the plush Aubusson carpet.
She stopped a few feet from the window, a little to the left of the drapes, and tried to peer across the street, hoping she could see if anyone was watching the house. All her efforts were for naught. Only carriages and tradespeople going about their business.
“This is ridiculous,” she finally said to nothing but air. “I will go mad!”
She turned on her heel and made her way to the kitchen.
At Longbourn, when she was unable to curb her nervous energy by walking, she would go to the kitchen and help Mrs. Pruitt with the baking.
Nothing made her feel better than to knead the dough for a delicious loaf of bread or work some batter for sweet cookies.
Upon entry into the inner sanctum of Mr. Darcy’s very efficient cook, everyone looked at her in askance.
“Please, bear me no mind,” she urged and approached Mrs. Pennyroyal.
“I know the lady of the house does not come into the kitchen looking for employment or something to do with her hands, but I am beyond distraction, and growing up, helping in the kitchen was my way of taking my mind off of things.”
Mrs. Pennyroyal continued to stare without saying a word.
“I will not get in your way, I do know my way around a mixing bowl,” she continued to assure the shocked woman. Seeing that she would get no response, she heaved a sigh and turned to leave the room.
“There be flour on the far shelf an’ measurin’ cups below. I’ll need about four cups for dem cookies ya like ta eat wit’ yer tea. Ye ken start wit’ dat.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Pennyroyal.”