Chapter 36 #2
“When Catherine first met your father, she found him attractive, and he was wealthy, of course. But he fell for Anne nearly the moment he saw her. Father made the two wait, insisting they were too young to consider marriage at the time. George was only twenty and had not finished at Cambridge yet, while Anne was barely sixteen. They were still a bit young when they married, and I believe they experienced several losses before you came along. Catherine did too. It irked her that Anne gave George his son and heir while she only had a daughter. Of course, she refused to even consider another child after giving birth once and locked the door between their rooms,” Lady Matlock explained as she settled into a chair in the study.
“Did you know Mother before she married my father?” Anne asked.
“I lived near Matlock and visited often. Anne and I were friends, though Catherine did not want to have much to do with us. A few days after George came home with James, I was at Matlock for a visit. Both Anne and Catherine had been attracted to George, but he only saw Anne. Catherine was furious, even more so when George asked to court Anne.”
Darcy looked surprised at this. “I do not think I ever realised you and Mother were friends before you married.”
Lady Matlock smiled. “I knew the Matlock family for years. James and I were always around each other. I had been interested in him for years, and it was Anne who helped open his eyes to me. She wanted me as her sister.”
Once everyone had found a seat in the study, Richard cleared his throat.
“If it would not cause a scandal, I would suggest that we send Aunt Catherine directly to Bedlam. She ranted the whole way to Wales about Darcy’s so-called ‘foolishness’ and ‘insolence,’ and nothing he or I attempted silenced her.
At one point, I seriously considered employing a gag.
It took some time, but we settled her into the cottage she owns in Wales.
Unfortunately, it did become necessary for the housekeeper and a maid to administer laudanum to end her caterwauling. ”
“I refuse to send my sister to Bedlam, regardless of how ill she might be. At the moment, all we have are suspicions that she is responsible for the deaths of Sir Lewis and George, and I doubt we would ever be able to prove it. We do know she has been dosing Anne with something to keep her ill, and that is enough to keep her isolated.”
“You took her to the property near Wrexham?” Darcy asked.
“I have never visited, but understood the manor house there was in good repair, and it is not so distant from Matlock that it would be impossible to visit, should it be necessary. As I recall, it is fairly isolated, a good ten miles from the nearest village,” Darcy asked.
“That is correct. There was a skeleton staff already in place, so we hired a few servants to keep Catherine contained. I also employed two nurses to remain with her, with the intention that at least one is always with her. If she has indeed lost her senses as it seems, she will require constant supervision to prevent any harm to herself or others,” Lord Matlock replied.
Anne chuckled, surprising them all. “It is nothing,” she said when they asked.
“It merely struck me as ironic that after dosing me for all those years to keep me weak, it is now Mother who seems to need a regular dose of something to keep her calm. However, I would prefer someone with medical expertise to oversee this, as it is evident that an uninformed individual could potentially cause significant harm.”
The others agreed with Anne’s conclusion. After the group spent another hour discussing how matters with her would be handled, it was decided that Anne would spend the summer at Matlock learning how to manage the estate that was officially hers.
As planned, Georgiana and Mary would travel to Matlock with the Fitzwilliams and Anne.
A new companion would be found for Anne, and Mrs. Annesley would begin to include Mary with Georgiana in some of her lessons.
With help from Lady Matlock, Anne would acquire a new wardrobe, and once Lord Matlock returned to town, they would begin transferring Rosings into Anne’s control.
The newly married couple were relieved to be given several months alone at Pemberley, though they were expected to arrive in London after the harvest, no later than Michaelmas. Lady Matlock was very stern when she gave Darcy his orders about when to arrive in London.
“William, you are expected to appear on my doorstep no later than the first of October. Do not test my patience in this matter, or I will take you over my knee as I did when you were a child.”
Elizabeth stifled a snort at the matriarch threatening her nephew, who stood nearly a head taller than his petite aunt and likely weighed nearly twice as much.
“Oh, Lady Matlock, forgive me, but the thought of you disciplining William in such a way is quite amusing. You must admit that to do as you suggest would be difficult.”
Even Lady Matlock conceded that it was amusing, but she did inform Elizabeth that she was earnest about the date the couple should arrive in London.
“I intend to do all I can to assist your entry to the ton, Elizabeth, but to do that, you must be in town for at least part of the season. I would prefer you to arrive in a month, but knowing how much my nephew despises social events, it is probably best to limit how long he will have to endure the ton.”
“Thank you, Aunt. I hope you know we do appreciate your support,” Elizabeth replied.
Darcy concurred and expressed his gratitude to his aunt.
With matters settled for now, the group sought out Georgiana and Mary in the music room.
They listened to the girls playing for some time and then engaged in various activities for the rest of the day.
As the evening approached, those leaving the next day took time to pack and prepare for their departure.
Dinner that night transpired quietly, and soon after, everyone retired.