Chapter 27
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“ W hat more can there be to say, Uncle?” Darcy asked, frustration creeping into his tone. “You have already made your position abundantly clear, as I have done mine. What else needs to be discussed?”
Lord Matlock leant forward, steepling his hands in front of him, his demeanour shifting to one of calculated seriousness. “You misunderstand me, Darcy. It is not merely about the events that transpired today. It is about the long game, the strategic advantages we can gain in society. It is about ensuring your family’s legacy in society and protecting your sister’s reputation.”
Darcy’s brow arched, and his voice dropped to a frigid tone that sent a chill through the room. “My sister’s reputation?” he repeated slowly, each word sharp as a blade. His piercing gaze locked onto his uncle, unblinking and severe. “What, precisely, are you referring to, Uncle?”
The subtle emphasis he placed on each word was unmistakable—a warning that this was no trivial matter. Darcy’s posture was controlled, almost deceptively calm, but his eyes held a quiet fury that suggested he would tolerate no insult or insinuation against his sister. The silence that followed was taut, daring his uncle to answer.
Lord Matlock’s gaze sharpened, and a slow smile crept across his face, as if he relished what he was going to say, believing he had won a point against his nephew. “Ah, dear Georgiana. A young lady’s reputation is a delicate thing, especially in society’s eyes. You must remember the whispers that circulated about one debutante last season, following her brief flirtation with an unsuitable man. It would not take much for Wickham to resurrect his allegations, especially considering no one seems to know his current whereabouts.”
Darcy’s expression hardened. “You dare to threaten my sister’s reputation in this way?”
“Not a threat, dear boy, merely a reminder,” Lord Matlock replied smoothly, his tone almost disingenuous. “In our world, perception is everything. If you wish to shield her from further scandal—especially in light of that unfortunate incident with Wickham—you must consider your position carefully. It is in your best interest, as well as Georgiana’s, to play the game wisely.”
“Will my remaining in town protect Georgiana from a scandal? What do you know of the matter? A young girl, not yet out, was deceived by her companion and a scoundrel. She was never alone with him, and her maid can vouch for her behaviour. Should some whisper of the incident make it into the ton , we would withstand it since she has a few years before being presented. If George Wickham were wiser, he would have disappeared from England after I saw him in Kent, for he knows Richard will tear him limb from limb if he resurfaces,” Darcy countered.
“You are being short-sighted, Darcy,” Lord Matlock protested.
“If anyone says anything, we will deal with it then. I know none of my family would dare mention the event, for if they did, they would live to regret it, as would Wickham, should he ever crawl out of whatever hole he is in and attempt to blackmail me,” Darcy replied, trying to deliberately phrase the matter so his uncle did not know what truly happened to Wickham. “He would be an even bigger fool than I thought to come after me or my sister after all this time.”
Lord Matlock sighed, frustrated that his nephew was being so recalcitrant. “Very well. But know this: if you choose to disregard my counsel, then you will do so at your own peril. Let us turn to a different topic. I was informed by a friend about an investment opportunity that I think would greatly benefit you, Darcy, and perhaps you as well, Hargrove. With the backing of Rosings now, you will have substantial funds at your fingertips, and you would do well to invest. As Darcy will no doubt inform you, a landholder cannot rely solely on the land anymore and must seek alternative means to bolster one’s finances.”
Darcy eyed his uncle warily. “An investment opportunity, you say. Tell me more about it. What friend mentioned it to you and are you investing as well?”
The earl’s eyes darted to the side. “I… I am not investing at this time. My funds are too tied up in other places to make it possible at this moment.”
“What friend told you of this opportunity? If it is as an incredible opportunity as you say, I cannot imagine that you would pass it up?” Fitzwilliam asked.
Lord Matlock stared at his son in disbelief. He had requested his son support him in encouraging Darcy to invest where he directed. While he had not told his son all the details regarding their imminent ruin, he had said enough that he ought to know to follow his lead. Getting their hands on Darcy’s money was the key to eliminating the problems at Matlock, and he would take this opportunity to get his fingers into the coffers at Rosings as well if he could.
“Anne retained the control of Rosings in our marriage settlement; she insisted on the matter. I have a small trust left to me by my maternal grandfather, but it is already invested,” Hargrove stated.
“Is that even legal?” Lord Matlock objected. “Why would you have married Anne if you did not wish control of Rosings?”
“I care for Anne. I would have married her with or without a dowry, for between my allowance from my father and the income I earn from my investments, I rarely spend all that I have. Of course, my father might choose to discontinue my allowance after I married against his wishes…” Hargrove began, but was cut off by the earl.
“Who exactly is your father? Were you obligated to wed another when you married my niece?” he insisted.
“My father is Baron Edmund Hargrove of Ravenswood Manor. He intended to force me to marry a cousin, a similar plan to that of my wife’s mother although with the approval of both her father and mine. The marriage contract was not yet endorsed, and since I am of age, he could not force me to sign one. However, he could have forced me from home and discontinued my funds, forcing me to take a position for my support or comply with his wishes. Since I did not desire to do either, and Anne and I had formed a friendship through the letters we exchanged, her suggestion that we marry was a perfect solution. I am well-versed in estate management and will assist my wife, but ultimately, the decisions regarding the estate will be hers,” Hargrove replied calmly.
For several moments, the entire room fell into a tense silence, all eyes fixed on Lord Matlock as he processed what had just been said. The anticipation hung heavy in the air, each person waiting to see how he would respond. Then, to no one’s surprise, Lord Matlock’s expression shifted, his brow furrowing and his lips pressing into a thin line. His gaze hardened as he looked around the room, clearly preparing to make his stance known.
When he finally spoke, his tone was cold and unwavering, leaving no room for doubt about his disapproval.
“What sort of foolishness is this? You are a man and should act as one. As soon as you married, Rosings became legally yours to do with it as you wish. A married woman cannot own property,” Lord Matlock exclaimed.
Calmly, Hargrove stared the man down. “Be that as it may, I signed the marriage settlement that granted her authority over the estate. I will not go back on my word as a gentleman to wrest that control from her.”
“Darcy, you allowed this?” Lord Matlock asked, his voice still registering both his surprise and anger at the turn of events.
Darcy laughed. “Anne is of age, Uncle. I have not the authority to allow or forbid her from anything she wishes. Yes, my father was named a trustee of her estate, and I took on that role after he died. Should the ownership of Rosings be contested, I would naturally side with Anne’s wishes in the matter,” Darcy replied, letting his uncle know exactly where he stood. From the information Fitzwilliam had discovered, his uncle lacked the funds to take the Hargroves to court, but as trustee, Darcy had the authority to sign off on the marriage settlement should it be required.
“I have never understood why Lewis de Bourgh left Rosings to Anne as he did and named your father as guardian instead of me,” Lord Matlock huffed, a scowl on his face.
“My father and Uncle Lewis were friends before they married sisters. The relationship was somewhat strained in its latter years, in part because of my aunt’s insistence that I marry my cousin. Both my father and uncle disagreed with my aunt’s claims, and I believe she made it difficult for my father to visit Rosings, both before and after my uncle’s death,” Darcy replied.
Lord Matlock barked a laugh. “Your aunt attempted to compromise your father on several occasions, both before and after his marriage to her sister.”
Darcy shook his head at that. “I understand my aunt’s actions less and less. I know she was behind both attempts to kidnap my wife, and I have her handwriting on the note ordering the first one. Once I am able to track her down, I intend to have her arrested and tried for her crimes,” Darcy said, having heard from his cousin that his father had housed Lady Catherine until recently.
Lord Matlock turned to him in surprise. “What can you mean by this? My sister attempted to have your wife kidnapped?”
Darcy detailed both attempts, including the letter he now held, which Lady Catherine had written to Wickham.
For several moments, no one spoke. Fitzwilliam noticed when his father seemed to have an idea, and only a moment later, was unsurprised by what was said.
“Darcy, do you still have the men who attempted to kidnap your wife in London?” Lord Matlock asked, an odd look on his face.
“No, they are in Newgate. My footmen ensured they did not escape after the incident, and a magistrate hauled them away after I made my report. Obviously, I kept my aunt’s name out of it, but the mere fact of what they did, regardless of their motivation, was enough to hold them for trial,” Darcy replied.
“Hmm,” Lord Matlock said, deep in thought. “Darcy, you should allow me to take over this matter. I will ensure my sister is dealt with appropriately. You said you have been unable to discover her?”
Darcy nodded at that while Fitzwilliam watched his father closely. He noticed the obvious glee that his father could not hide at the idea that he could “take over” this investigation. Fitzwilliam was aware the earl knew of Lady Catherine’s attempts to harm Georgiana and suspected his father was more complicit, but had thus far been unable to determine exactly what the man knew.
“I prefer to handle it myself for the present,” Darcy said, as he and Fitzwilliam had discussed the day before. “After all, it is my family who has been threatened, and I already have men out looking for my aunt. There was a report that she was seen in a carriage heading north out of London, but not long after it left the city limits, she turned east as though she might be attempting to return to her former home.”
Lord Matlock started at that, having not been aware that she had not arrived at Matlock as intended. “She is in Kent?”
Darcy’s gaze narrowed, his voice even as he replied. “Although my men could not confirm her exact destination, they believe she was headed to Kent. Anne suspects she will attempt to reach Rosings, hoping to access whatever funds she can scrape together. We are still uncertain how she managed to hire a carriage,” Darcy paused, studying his uncle closely to gauge his reaction, “but she seems to have secured funds from some unknown source. She was with you at Matlock House for a time—was she carrying jewellery or valuables she might have sold? Were you aware of her departure from your home or how she travelled?”
Lord Matlock’s expression shifted, a flicker of something guarded passing over his face. Realising that Darcy and Richard had pieced together much of the situation, he weighed his answer carefully. Finally, he spoke, his tone edged with reluctant honesty. “She was indeed travelling in one of my carriages with my men escorting her. The arrangement was to send her to Matlock indefinitely.” He hesitated, his jaw tightening as he forced out the words. “During our conversations, she… hinted at some schemes involving you.” His gaze flickered away for a moment, betraying the lie as he added, “Naturally, I did not know of any crimes she might have committed. I warned her—quite firmly—any further defiance would see her cut off entirely. If she disregarded my wishes, then she is now utterly on her own.”
The earl’s tone grew sharper as he finished, betraying his frustration. Yet, the underlying reason was clear to Darcy, Richard, and Hargrove: Lord Matlock’s anger stemmed less from any concern for the harm Lady Catherine might cause and more from her outright defiance of his authority. The silence in the room thickened as each man absorbed this, understanding that the earl’s indignation was driven by a desire to control rather than any genuine desire to curb his sister’s behaviour.
Wary of this new tension in the room, Darcy and Fitzwilliam nodded surreptitiously at each other. “When Darcy’s men bring another report, I will let you know what they find,” Fitzwilliam told his father. “I doubt Lady Catherine will be able to get inside Rosings to take anything, but on the chance she might, I will send a few men ahead to ensure the house is protected against invasion.” He said this last with a grin, intending to lighten the mood.
“Come, let us rejoin the ladies,” Darcy replied, attempting to draw this uncomfortable conversation to a close. “I promised Elizabeth I would not leave her alone too long,” he finished, using the excuse they had agreed upon before the arrival of their guests. All the residents of Darcy House had expected Lord Matlock to request some time away from the women, knowing that he would not be as forthcoming with them in the room.
Grudgingly, Lord Matlock agreed, and the four men moved into the room where the ladies were chatting. In the half hour or so they were away, Lady Julia had warmed to Elizabeth, allowing her to call her Aunt Julia, as she did with her other nieces. She also seemed to have accepted the Darcys' and Hargroves' intention to return home rather than stay in town.