Chapter 11. Mrs Collins’s Guest at Hunsford #2
Setting aside his newspaper, William looked up at his sister and considered attempting to distract her but decided he could no longer ‘protect’ her from everything; ‘Georgie’ was growing into a perceptive young woman.
Darcy sorted through his morning letters searching for a particular paper as he explained, “Richard writes of a most strange situation that I must investigate with him.”
Finding the letter, Darcy hesitated only a moment before handing it to his sister to read, “Lady Catherine is searching for a husband for our cousin, Anne.”
“A husband for Anne?” Georgiana asked with some volume in her voice. “But Aunt Catherine vehemently demands you marry Anne every…for as long as I can remember. She even stormed into the house earlier this year and shouted about it!”
Darcy motioned toward the letter and commanded, “Read the letter; Richard is as confused as I.”
Georgiana quickly scanned the letter for the highlights and then returned to the beginning to read it more completely.
Once finished, she returned the paper to her brother and then walked to the window to gaze at the small garden beside the house.
Roses were in bloom, and she knew some of the blossoms would be on the table in her private sitting room later in the day.
After collecting her thoughts, the young woman turned back to her brother who still drank from his cup.
“Aunt Catherine invited Richard to Rosings Park where he is expected to interview and then select the best candidate for ‘Anne’s matrimonial happiness’. And all is to be accomplished before the end of August,” Georgiana quoted the letter.
Darcy nodded and Georgiana continued, “His letter requests your advice and help.”
Snorting, her brother replied, “My advice will be for Richard to sail for the continent and challenge Bonaparte to a personal duel rather than become ensnared within Lady Catherine’s machinations!”
“But poor Anne…how can she be the object of an auction? Lady Catherine will make her daughter the object of derision and scorn by society,” Georgiana added.
“Aunt Catherine has driven Rosings Park into bankruptcy,” William replied. “Society’s opinion is much harsher on members of the gentry driven from their manor and into life among the hedgerows. Our aunt believes that Anne’s marriage to a rich gentleman will solve her problems.”
“A rich gentlemen? What gentleman would allow Lady Catherine to dictate his life?” asked Georgiana.
Darcy glanced at Mrs Annesley who kept her attention on her meal and gave no indication of notice to the conversation at the end of the table.
“Ladies of strong opinion are able to influence their husbands, brothers and sons throughout their lives. The law favours men but in many marriages, the wife dominates her husband. Lady Catherine’s husband, Sir Louis de Bourgh, rarely spent a penny without Lady Catherine’s approval through all the years of their marriage. ”
“But you have dealt with Lady Catherine…”
“In his last will and testament, Uncle Louis specified my oversight of the steward and practices implemented on the farms at Rosings. Lady Catherine cannot dismiss the steward without my approval.”
“Will you join Richard in Kent?”
Darcy frowned but reluctantly nodded. “I must…if for no other reason than to provide a second opinion to support his arguments against Lady Catherine.”
“She will abuse you terribly!” Georgiana warned. “Her last letter spoke harshly about you stealing her properties and income.”
He grinned and said, “She may rail and shout at Matlock House and in personal correspondence, but she will never speak that slander in public; else she will be dragged into a courtroom.”
“But at Rosings Park? Will she be reserved there?”
“With potential rich husbands present, she will be as meek as a kitten just finished with a saucer of cream; she would fear scaring away the men.”
Georgiana adopted a sombre expression before she asked, “How long will you be gone?”
“A month. Richard’s letter stated he would be at Rosings for the whole of August,” he replied.
“I shall miss you,” Georgiana said. “May Mrs Annesley and I have permission to go to the shops each week you are gone?”
“You may go the book seller each week but only to the mercantile once…”
“Please?” she asked meekly.
But Mr Darcy remained firm and continued, “Only two visits to the mercantile, but you may visit the book sellers each week. And you may visit the museums and the tea shops on the other weeks.”
Smiling, Georgiana smiled and leaned close to kiss William’s cheek. “When do you leave?”
“This morning. Richard left yesterday to prepare the battlefield. I must arrive quickly to support his flanking attack…”
Scrunching up her mouth, Georgiana fussed, “You read too many of Richard’s letters from the battlefield!”
“Will you write to me, Georgie?” teased William.
“Of course!” she replied. “And I shall repeat the best parts in my letters to Miss Elizabeth.”
Now Darcy frowned and asked, “When you write to Miss Elizabeth, be circumspect in your description of my mission. She may be offended by Lady Catherine’s mercenary attitude.”
“Nonsense,” insisted Georgiana. “Miss Elizabeth will be amazed at the lengths that Lady Catherine de Bourgh will go to hide her poor financial management. Remember, Elizabeth understands sums and values of goods.”
Rising from the table, Darcy assured his sister that she had his permission to write as many letters as she wanted to Miss Elizabeth, Colonel Fitzwilliam, and himself during August. As he left the dining room, he thought, ‘Mr Banks will empty his franking purse in the next month for certain!’
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Separating from his sister and her companion when they reached the stairs, Darcy kissed her forehead before he walked into his office and spent twenty minutes with Mr Clemmons discussing two letters that needed to be written and sent this morning.
Once the letters were complete, Darcy affixed his signature and wished Clemmons well.
“Send every letter to me at Rosings Park,” Darcy instructed his secretary. “You may package bundles of letters and send them every other day or even every third day with a special courier.”
Then he spent ten minutes with Mr Banks, instructing him to remove the knocker from the door, feed the servants well, and for the staff to share a bottle of wine on Saturday night.
“Miss Darcy and Mrs Annesley have use of the formal carriage and team but send both footmen when they go out.”
The butler agreed to the man’s instructions before Mr Darcy stepped from the side door and spoke to his valet and the footman who secured the trunks to the carriage.
This was an older carriage kept for Darcy’s short trips, and it was pulled by a team of bay geldings.
Now, Darcy and the coachman walked around the team, inspecting the tack, and reins.
“Is all as you expected sir?” asked the coachman.
“Of course, Jameson. I just like to get close to the horses,” Darcy replied. “Will your boy ride Zeus or Ares to Kent?”
“Zeus, sir. We packed two saddles so you and Colonel Fitzwilliam can ride,” the coachman replied. Darcy saw the teenage boy standing with two more geldings behind the coach, one saddled and the other on a lead.
With everything secured on the coach, Darcy and his valet climbed inside, and the coachman set the horses in motion, heading up the side street and away from the tall house in Mayfair.
The journey into Kent would take the entirety of the day; it was just over seventy miles to the stables at Rosings Park.
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At luncheon, with Fitzwilliam gone for several hours, Georgiana and Mrs Annesley remained in her suite of rooms and were served their meal there. Mr Banks interrupted their time at the small dining table with a silver salver that carried a letter.
“It is from Miss Bennet,” Georgiana announced after reading the outside of the page. Glancing at Mrs Annesley who did not smile, the young woman sat the letter aside to read after the meal was complete.
“When you read a letter at the table…one that is of great interest to you…you ignore the rest of your meal,” Mrs Annesley explained. “You must complete the meal before giving the letter your attention.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Georgiana agreed. She imagined Miss Elizabeth’s letter discussing her sewing, her uncle’s latest cargo unloading spices and cotton at the docks, or a memory of her sister when they were small growing up in Hertfordshire.
Once the meal was complete and the dishes carried away by the chambermaids, Georgiana opened the paper. She took her time reading the letter, but Mrs Annesley paid no attention to her charge until Miss Darcy began laughing aloud after reading the contents of Miss Elizabeth’s letter.
“What on earth?” inquired Mrs Annesley.
“Please read the letter,” Georgiana said, handing over the paper. After reading the letter, Mrs Annesley sat confused.
“How is this humorous, Miss Darcy?”
“Miss Elizabeth will visit Hunsford, the parish where her cousin, Mr Collins and his wife live. This is the parish that Aunt Catherine sponsors. Well, Rosings Park supervises the glebe that supports the church, parsonage and the parson.”
“And your brother does not know Miss Elizabeth will be in Kent at the same time,” Mrs Annesley said. “You must write to him immediately!”
“No…I shall wait until I hear of how they stumbled across each other; it will be a comedy such as Shakespeare would write,” Georgiana replied.
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Georgiana wrote two letters that afternoon. The first she sent to her cousin Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam, visiting at Rosings Park, Kent. In part, the letter read…
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‘Richard, while you are with William, make certain he walks through the park regularly, early in the morning will be best. The past month he has been lethargic and remained within the house most hours of each day. I am certain some exercise will be good for him.’
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