Chapter 17
Darcy
Richard was thoroughly shocked at the notion that Lady Catherine might have arranged to have the bedsheets from Darcy and Elizabeth’s marriage bed saved from the laundry to be inspected, or perhaps to be exhibited to someone.
“What could be her purpose?” Richard asked, aghast.
“I suppose, if she thought Elizabeth was…some sort of…well, not a maiden….” Darcy took a deep breath and said, “as Elizabeth hinted just now, our aunt may have decided that there would be no blood stain, therefore ‘proving’ to me that she was not what she claimed to be.”
Richard shuddered and said in a rush, “Darcy, actually, many virgins do not bleed during their first time, especially if they are physically active or ride quite a lot.”
Darcy placed a comforting hand on his cousin’s shoulder.
“I know that. And Elizabeth happened to bleed. We were both a bit surprised how much—we were expecting a coin-sized spot but it was more like a saucer-sized spot, although not round. The shape of the spot is why we are absolutely positive exactly where these sheets came from.”
“Even if Lady Cat thought that no blood would be proof positive of something, which it is not, it is not as if that is grounds for annulment or divorce. I still do not see how our meddling aunt could imagine that this would change anything.”
“Angry people are not always sensible,” Darcy said.
“Well, what are you going to do?”
“First off, we cannot easily or quickly wash the sheets, and nor can we quickly burn them. I think we should hide them in the tunnel.”
“Oh!” Richard said. “The tunnel! I had forgotten all about that—thank you so much for the reminder.”
Darcy felt himself blushing again, and Richard shook his head and suggested, “The expression and colour of your face suggest that you used the secret stairs and tunnel last night.”
Ignoring his cousin’s words, Darcy swiftly walked up to their apartment and returned down again more sedately, carrying the small, lightweight trunk. He moved towards the wine cellar and did not protest when Richard followed him, but instead said, “Bring a candle, will you?”
“Of course.”
The two men descended to the wine cellar and then uncovered the secret stairway and travelled down it, as well. They walked the tunnel and, at the spot just before the turn to the beach, stopped by large piles of rocks.
“The trunk is small, but it will take some time to bury it,” Richard said.
“I will be giving the trunk back to Aunt Catherine,” Darcy responded. He opened the trunk and pulled out the first sheet, accidentally allowing it to fall open.
“Wow,” Richard said.
“Please do not speak of it.”
“Apologies.”
Darcy moved a couple of the larger stones and scrunched the sheet into a ball and, putting it onto the ground, he placed one stone on top.
He started to reach for the next sheet, but Richard handed a fully unfurled sheet to Darcy.
Snatching the sheet from Richard, he balled that up, positioned it next to the first, and did the same with the last two sheets.
Then he carefully covered all traces of the sheets with rocks.
He went outside to the private beach and scooped up some of the wet sand to scrub at his hands. Then he returned to the tunnel, picked up the empty trunk, watched his cousin pick up the candle, and they began their return to the manor house.
Finally, Richard said, “It is hard to tell, but I would say eighteen.”
Considering his cousin’s words, Darcy could only think of one explanation for them, and said repressively, “I already requested that you desist. I used the word please. Must I resort to bribery, blackmail, or supplication?”
Richard had reached the spiral staircase at this point, and he stopped and turned towards Darcy. “I just have to say one thing, and then I promise to hold my tongue. For at least a day or two.”
Darcy heaved an enormous sigh and asked, “What is the one thing?”
Staring at him for a few moments, Richard replied.
“Back when you were an innocent and facing everyone’s teasing, I did not join in.
I did not tease nor attack you, but I have to admit that I did not really understand you, either…
. I hate to admit that I decided that you must not have urges at all. But…I now….”
Darcy knew he was frowning; he disliked the way his brows felt as they pointed so drastically downwards. But Richard’s expression looked to be admiration—at least it did in the flickering candlelight.
Richard said, “So, the one thing I wished to say is that you obviously have at least the usual amount of urges, plenty of passion, and you were merely extremely capable at keeping all of that under regulation. I am just…in awe. Seriously, tremendously, sincerely: in awe.”
Closing and then opening his eyes, Darcy gave a little nod. “Let us get ready to face the Gorgon.”
Lady Catherine arrived at one in the afternoon. Miss Garrett and Elizabeth happened to be upstairs, looking over the various rooms to see what needed updating. Darcy was glad to have a few minutes with his aunt before his beloved wife was exposed to whatever awful behaviour they must face.
Richard murmured, “She looks as if she aged a hundred years.” And, indeed, their aunt did look much older than she had the last time Darcy had seen her.
“It is not an easy journey out here to the margins of the nation,” Darcy murmured.
Richard acted as the host, and Lady Catherine looked between the two cousins, obviously confused. Darcy said, “Oakhaven is Richard’s estate, Aunt. I sold it to him when his leg was badly injured, and he had to sell his commission.”
“Oh!” Lady Catherine said. She looked more than startled, and Darcy ventured to guess that she was upset to see him diminished by one estate.
He said, “I did buy another estate to even up my holdings.”
She looked happy at that point, and Darcy wondered if it was possible for her to still consider that he might somehow marry Anne.
Smiling warmly, Richard asked, “To what do we owe this very great favour, Aunt? Also, just as an aside, since you did not write ahead that you would be coming, I will have to order the servants to prepare a room for you now, instead of having one ready for your refreshment.”
He rang for the housekeeper and in a showy fashion ordered that a room be made ready for his aunt.
Of course, he had already placed such an order, when he first received the express, but he had warned the housekeeper then that he would act as if he had not.
He wished to make a point, he had explained, that his relations should give him advance notice if they planned to visit.
Richard turned back towards Lady Catherine and said, again, “Please, do not keep me in suspense. What brings you so far from home, out in the wilds of Cornwall?”
“I needed to speak to your cousin, to see what could be done about his imprudent marriage.”
Lady Catherine’s voice was harsh. At least she is being honest about her goal, Darcy thought. He felt it would do nobody any good at all if he allowed his anger to overtake him, but he was positive that it would be a challenge.
He said, “Aunt, my wife has long been admired by many members of the ton, including some nobles who outrank anyone in our family. Speaking of our family, every member, other than you, supports this marriage with a great deal of enthusiasm. In addition, I met Elizabeth in your own brother’s home.”
She leant forward and said, “I have evidence. Or, at least, I might have evidence. We should not go on and on about things until we have investigated my evidence.”
“Very well. Please present it.”
“I will, but in actual fact, it accidentally left my ownership and went on tour with you. You likely do not know it, but you have been carrying one of my personal trunks on your carriage. Might you ring for someone and ask them to bring the small dark brown leather trunk?”
“Actually, I have the trunk right here,” Darcy said.
He moved to the bay window and picked up the trunk.
He had asked a maid to clean it as best she could and to mask its unpleasant odour with a pleasant one, and he was very satisfied with what she had been able to accomplish in just a few hours.
Of course, the cut-through padlock had been discarded, and when he returned to his aunt and placed the trunk directly in front of her, he saw that she had a key in her hand.
She must have put the key into her reticule before leaving London.
“Where is the padlock?” Lady Catherine asked. Her voice was shrill.
“We cut it so we could examine the contents of the trunk, of course.” Darcy knew that the points he was about to make were extremely reasonable, and he was also certain that his aunt would not accept the rationality behind them.
Nevertheless, he spoke on: “Imagine our astonishment, Aunt, when we discovered that there was a trunk unknown to us among our belongings. My first thought was that a stranger’s trunk had somehow become mixed up with ours at an inn or a posting house.
Thankfully, my servants assured me that it had been among our trunks since the beginning of the journey.
“Still, we had no idea whose it was or how it had been placed with our trunks. Note that there was no nameplate or other label on the outside. We had no choice but to open the trunk and see what was inside.”
By this point, Lady Catherine had lifted the hasp and opened the lid. There was, of course, nothing inside, but a pleasant smell of honeysuckle wafted their way.
“It is empty!” she said, shriller still.
“When we opened it for the first time, it was not empty. Imagine my surprise when I saw that the only items inside the trunk were my own property, to be dealt with upon my own whim.”
“What have you done with the—” It was almost a scream.
At that moment, Elizabeth’s lovely voice interrupted the screeching from his aunt. “The bedsheets, my lady?”
“You!!”
Lady Catherine whipped around and looked from Elizabeth to Cordelia. “Which one of you is Elizabeth Bennet?” she asked. Thankfully, her voice had lowered by at least an octave, in pitch, and a great deal in volume, as well.
Elizabeth chuckled, “Neither of us is Elizabeth Bennet, my lady.”
Cordelia just smiled. Darcy noticed that her eyes, like Elizabeth’s, sparkled as she smiled.
Richard hastened to make the introductions.
“Since you seem to wish to know them, Aunt, I will dispense with the portion of the introductions when I ask if I may make them. Therefore, Aunt, this is Mrs Elizabeth Darcy and my intended, Miss Cordelia Garrett.” He used his hand to indicate which lady was which.
“Elizabeth, Cordelia, this is Lady Catherine de Bourgh.”
Lady Catherine took a deep breath, and Darcy decided to cut her off before she could even start an attack on his wife.
He drew himself up and allowed his mien to grow quite chilly, “I wish to know exactly how you managed to steal four of our bedsheets, and I wish to know exactly how you found out where we would be. Which of our servants do I need to discharge without recommendation?”
Snapping her mouth closed, Lady Catherine quickly attempted to deflect his questions. “I need to refresh myself from the carriage trip. I have never been more exhausted, and as I am your elder, you should be careful of my health, nephew.”
She tapped Darcy’s leg with her walking stick, and he bit back a smile. He was pleased that he had so many questions for which he could demand answers, she would be hard pressed to say much herself.
Richard said, “As I told you, Aunt, you gave me no notice, and thus I could not ready my home and my servants for your comfort. That said, I will have my housekeeper take you somewhere you can refresh and rest even if it is a bench rather than a bed, and a public retiring room rather than your own private room.”
He made the arrangements, and when Lady Catherine swept from the parlour, Darcy moved swiftly to Elizabeth, kissing her hand. He whispered, “Did you tell Cordelia everything?”
“I certainly did, and I am very glad, because she was warned before the shrieking began. That said, I am upset with the idea that your aunt might shout things about me being ‘soiled’ before marriage. Even though it is not true, a story like that could be believed and become widely shared.”
“Maybe Richard can do something about the servants. I could speak to the Fosters. Attempting to reason with my aunt is unfortunately not…profitable.”
“But what can we say that would not itself start rumours? Let us think about this before we do anything unwise.”
“You are quite correct.” Darcy kissed her hand again.
“Tonight is the harvest ball,” she reminded him.
“It is,” he agreed. “Richard and Cordelia are supposed to accompany us. Do you suppose that it is safe to leave Lady Catherine here…with her mouth still attached to her irrational assumptions?”
Elizabeth chuckled, “It is not in the least safe, but I believe we should carry on with our plans; we should go, she should not. “
Darcy thought a bit, then nodded. “I agree.”
“And now, will you show me your favourite parts of the estate?”
Darcy smiled warmly at her, and she added, blushing, “I mean your other favourite parts of the estate.”