Chapter 11 Anne
Anne
Anne swept into the breakfast room at Matlock House and was happy to see that both her uncle and aunt were there. “My mother has left the Clarendon,” she reported. “And she has left to go to…Oakhaven!”
The earl rubbed his face. “How on earth did she learn where Darcy was heading?”
Anne said, “I do not know, but if she thought about what could be described as south of London, she might just think of Cornwall, and from there she might come up with what she must certainly still think of as his estate. Still, that is a jostling ride, is it not?”
“Very foolish,” Aunt Helen agreed.
“I do not wish to hasten there, myself,” Anne said. “My thought is that we send an express to Richard, and thus inform Darcy as well. An express will arrive there before my mother could, and I have every confidence that my cousins can manage her, but they will do so more easily if they are warned.”
“That is an excellent plan, my dear.” Uncle Henry patted her hand and said, “I will do that now.” He turned in the doorway and said, “She left this morning?”
“Yes. Around six. I have an acquaintance who works at the hotel, and she keeps me informed of my mother’s whereabouts when I need the information. Unfortunately, she did not come on duty until eight.”
He nodded and hastened away.
Aunt Helen said, “Well done, niece, cultivating acquaintanceships with those who can help you…manage your mother.”
“It might be better to just confine her to Bedlam.”
The countess blanched. “That place is not fit even for worms and other creatures that crawl on their belly, let alone humans.”
“I know, Aunt. I did not mean it, truly. I am just weary of her extreme behaviours.”
“Well, I was going to say that your mother is not mad; she simply likes to get her own way. She is not so very different from many people, in that regard, but she has enough money to make more trouble than most folks can.”
Suddenly, Anne realised that this was the answer—the very obvious answer—to a problem she had been facing since she was young.
Her mother’s dominance, her insistence that she knew what was best for Anne, might have been irresistible when she was a child, and, when Anne had not yet inherited, her exaggeration of her own physical weakness may have been her only tool against her mother’s machinations—but now she had a much better tool.
“That is an excellent point, Aunt. Since I have inherited Rosings, I could greatly diminish or even eliminate her access to funds. I would that I had thought of this a few years ago!”
The two hugged, and Aunt Helen said, “Darcy and Richard will handle her appearance at Oakhaven, I have no doubt. In the meantime, you should send for your solicitor to meet with you here to discuss…such limits.”