Chapter Twenty-Six #2
“You do not know my mother-in-law, you have not seen or visited or even written to anyone but Georgie and your mother for three years, you ought to be ashamed!” Darcy had experienced his fill of Richard for one day.
“Get out of my study. Stay out of my brandy. And if you think of starting any more trouble or ruining anyone else’s happiness, just leave entirely, Richard! ”
“Lady Catherine de Bourgh,” announced the butler. He ushered in a woman slightly past middle age, who shuffled and was careful with her walking stick.
Everyone in the family was present in the drawing room at Matlock except for Viscount Brisbane, who was in London.
Lord Matlock and his family were in the north briefly for the spring planting.
Georgiana and Priscilla sat quietly in a corner to observe the family discussion, both feeling that the scene in the study the night before had been difficult enough, and not wishing to complicate matters between Darcy and Lady Catherine unless their opinions were sought.
“Sister.” Lord Matlock stepped forward to greet his sister warmly. “It is a blessing to see you so far north, you have not been home in years.”
“We shall have to keep you for a lovely long visit. Allow me to introduce you to Mrs Collins and her sister.” Lady Matlock bussed her sister-in-law’s cheeks, then made the introductions.
“My dear aunt, there is something I think I ought to speak with you about in private, if you would grant me an audience when you have refreshed yourself and rested,” Darcy said.
“Indeed, Darcy, you may have all of the time that you like, but not until I take this rascal to task!” Lady Catherine made her way to Richard, who looked terrified.
“And just where have you been all this time, Sir? You leave for three years with hardly a word to even your own mother, keeping us in terror all the while waiting for news, and then you turn up without even paying your respects to your aunt. When I do finally receive a word in your hand, it is a scandalous falsehood about my son-in-law!”
“It is not a falsehood that–” Richard was very quickly cut off.
“Do not feed me your bile! It is false, I say! Anne’s husband would never, never…” The lady trailed off, gasping in outrage and exhaustion.
“Calm yourself, sister.” Lord Matlock led his sister to a chair. “Darcy and Richard have explained my son’s mistake to me. Richard has been re-educated about the suitability of Miss Bennet.”
“What do you have to say for yourself, Fitzwilliam? What did you mean by it?” Lady Catherine demanded.
“Aunt, I truly believe that Darcy owes more to Anne’s memory.
Should not the woman who mothers the heir of Pemberley and Rosings Park be a woman of refinement and noble blood?
” Fitzwilliam attempted to persuade his aunt, but it was obvious that three years had changed some of his relations greatly.
“There should be consideration for Anne’s position, and respect. ”
“If you wanted a choice in who mothers their heir to Rosings, you should have accepted my daughter when she asked you. I would have been angry when it happened, but if you made her half as happy as Darcy, I would have blessed you for it in the end. There is nothing left that Darcy owes to anyone other than to please himself, and not to make a bad choice. I know enough of the Bennets and Mrs Collins’s sister from correspondence with Mr Collins to know that the girl is a gentleman’s daughter.
What else matters? What do you mean by this degradation?
” Lady Catherine demanded that Richard explain himself.
“He is richer than four gentlemen combined because of Anne. Will you truly allow him to marry anyone from anywhere? I believe it matters who follows our cousin.”
“You wretched boy, you have been gone for so long that you know nothing of what you speak!” Lady Catherine was not having any of Richard’s nonsense.
“Darcy’s first marriage satisfied every single expectation laid down by society and his family.
Fortune, property, connections, position.
Any consideration of any merit that anyone could possibly demand of him has been met.
He fulfilled a great hope of mine and his mother’s.
He united two great houses and fortunes.
He saved Anne, and he treated her with kindness and friendship.
He gave her back her dignity in her final years, then he mourned her with great respect.
However I may have behaved before they married, I am grateful to him.
Darcy did not run away to the continent to play soldier.
Darcy sacrificed himself for Anne’s happiness.
This is all to say nothing of the sacrifice Darcy was prepared to make for Priscilla, of which we will not speak further.
My nephew has thrown himself upon his sword time and again for his family.
He deserves to marry the bride of his choice, within reason, and I am certain he would never embarrass us. She looks like a decent enough girl.”
“Thank you, Aunt.” Darcy’s cheeks burned faintly at her praise. Elizabeth sat beside him, wondering how she would ever befriend Richard after all of this.
“I am particularly inconsolable about having no grandchildren, but that cannot be Miss Bennet’s fault.
I only have one request, and I know it is an enormous favour to ask of you both.
” Lady Catherine said. “Miss Bennet, would you object to naming your first daughter Anne, and making that child the heiress of Rosings and the de Bourgh fortune?”
The other occupants of the room gasped.
Elizabeth took a breath and answered carefully. “By tradition, first daughters are often named after their paternal grandmother, which is also the name Anne, and I have no objection.”
“You would not object if that name also honoured the late wife of your husband?” Lady Catherine persisted.
“I feel no jealousy or resentment. I assure you that I have no objection. The late Mrs Darcy was beloved not only by her cousin, but by her whole family, or so I understand. How could I be a loving wife and make such a protest?” Elizabeth asked.
She looked about the room. “As you must be aware, I cannot make decisions about inheritances, nor would I even recommend that Mr Darcy do so against his own counsel, but I have no qualms in making it known that I do not object. I hope that when we begin a family that we will have your support, Lady Catherine.”
“Support?” Lady Catherine echoed in curiosity.
“Yes, Lady Catherine, we will need your support. Not as someone to tell us what we should do, but because poor Darcy has lost his mother and father, and in their own way, mine are mostly lost to me. Our children will have no doting grandmama to ply them with sweets and cakes, and to approve of them thoroughly no matter what they do.” Elizabeth paused.
“Will you not stand in as grandmama to your nephew’s children to honour your sister?
How will they know what Lady Anne was like in her youth without you and Lord Matlock to tell them stories of her?
Will you not support them, and love them, that is, if we are blessed with children? ”
“But you must not compel Darcy to make commitments regarding inheritances yet.” Lord Matlock looked worried. “Any number of impediments could occur, and Darcy must finalise his marriage settlement first.”
“What would be the point in uniting the two fortunes only to separate them again in the next generation?” Fitzwilliam asked. “This is not at all like you, Aunt.”
“Oh, go back to the continent, you horrid boy.” Lady Catherine turned her face from her nephew.
“Lady Catherine, it is providential that you traveled north, for we were meant to journey to Kent to introduce you to my wife and sister, but now you may be here for the wedding.” Mr Collins nervously attempted to change the subject.
“Were you?” Lady Catherine asked.
“We were.” Darcy confirmed. “Mr Collins was disturbed that he had been married so long and had not paid you the respect of a visit with his wife. Elizabeth and I wished to ask you for your blessing and invite you to our wedding.”
“Now, that sounds like Darcy.” Lady Catherine was satisfied. “Of course you would make the journey. That is what is proper and respectful. I am happy that I saved you the trip, for my brother and his wife are correct, it is too long since I have been home, and I am overdue for a long visit.”
“Darcy,” Fitzwilliam said to his cousin a few hours later as they escorted the carriage back to Pemberley on horseback. “Who will you ask to stand up with you at this event?”
Amazed, Darcy drew up his horse and stared at his cousin. “You cannot be serious.”
“I am only asking.” Richard appeared properly remorseful. “I never thought you would stand up without me.”
“I have done it before,” Darcy replied bitterly, as he urged his horse back to a walk.
“That was not the same,” Richard said. “And you know why I could not.”
“You cannot expect me to allow Elizabeth to say her vows while only a few feet away, I am supported by a man who, until today, insisted that she was not good enough? I thought I would ask Denny, since I cannot ask Bingley this time, even if they had not left Lambton already.”
“I will mend it!” Richard exclaimed insistently. When Darcy’s eyes pierced him again, he winced. “I want to mend it, Darcy. I will not be at odds with your wife.”
“And what about the rest of it?” Darcy demanded. “There are still your other reasons for not speaking to me for years to consider.”
Richard contemplated quietly for a long moment. “It has always been my intention to mend that as well.”
“You have a remarkably odd manner of displaying your intentions,” said Darcy in irritation.
“I am still struggling to forgive you and Priscilla for not telling me,” Richard muttered. “It is difficult, being the only one not to know.”
“That is untrue, for I am Priscilla’s only relation that does know,” Darcy argued.
“No one knows. Your parents and brother and even Lady Catherine accepted it and moved on long ago. It is shocking to think of, but they decided to trust me. And the knowledge you seek brings no comfort whatsoever, I assure you of that with all sincerity, which is why your sister will not burden you with it.”
“I will endeavour to accept it,” Richard promised.
“And Elizabeth?” Darcy pressed.
“I will make friends with her at the earliest opportunity.” Richard gave Darcy a mock salute. Then his expression sobered. “Do you believe she will forgive me?”
“She will if she thinks you are sincere, and she will know if you are not,” Darcy warned. “Fortunately for you, Elizabeth only looks upon the past as it gives her pleasure. You have a chance.”
“I will not squander it,” Richard vowed.
Only a few days later, Elizabeth found Colonel Fitzwilliam on the path near Lambton Parsonage instead of Mr Darcy when she emerged for her morning walk.
She stopped and looked about in uncertainty, then spotted Mr Darcy on his horse, watching from a field in the distance.
He raised his hand to her, then turned his horse in the other direction. She returned her gaze to the Colonel.
He looked grim. “It pains me to know that my behaviour has put that distrustful expression upon your face when you have done nothing to deserve it.”
“Not at all, Colonel.” Elizabeth shook her head, knowing that if Darcy knew that the Colonel was approaching her, that it must be all right. “Why have you come?’
“To remove that distrustful expression and feeling, if I can.” He stepped forward. “May I apologise for my rudeness? Is it too forward for me to beg to begin anew?”
“Of course it is not,” Elizabeth did not hesitate to mend fences with Darcy’s cousin at the first opportunity.
This gentleman was once like Darcy’s brother, and he was affectionately close to Georgiana.
She had no desire to be at odds with him.
“Thank you for your apology, Colonel Fitzwilliam. I forgive you.”
“Just like that?” He was surprised.
“Colonel, very recently I have broken with my father and my eldest sister,” Elizabeth explained.
“I do not wish to begin my new life with a new grudge. Mr Darcy would not have permitted you to approach me in this manner if he did not approve, and so I trust you, because I trust him, and I trust Georgiana. If you are dear to them, then you will be dear to me. I am certain of it.”
“If I may, I would like to give you this token of my gratitude, and our reconciliation.” He came closer, fumbling with a tiny red velvet pouch in his pocket, which he offered to her.
Elizabeth opened the pouch and shook a delicate silver brooch in the shape of a dove into the palm of her hand. “It is beautiful.”
“I found it in Portugal, when I first began to believe that I might live to return home…that I might live long enough to make peace with…certain failures of judgement.” The Colonel smiled sadly. “Then when I returned home, I fear that I proceeded to make even more failures in judgement.”
“I am certain that you have made no errors that cannot be mended,” Elizabeth said encouragingly.
“I did not know when I decided to purchase it if I was buying it for my mother, or my future wife, or Georgiana. Now upon consideration, I think I bought it for you. Will you accept it, Miss Bennet, as a token of our friendship?”
“I believe that you had better call me Lizzy, as my friends and family do.” She smiled in encouragement. “Thank you, Colonel. I will treasure it.”
“And to you, I shall be Richard, for you are among the dearest of my cousins.” He offered her his arm. “May I squire you for your morning walk? I should not like to lose this opportunity to learn all about my dear new friend.”
Elizabeth put the pin back in the pouch, and the pouch into her pocket for safekeeping, then took his arm with a grin.
Miss Matilda Jenks watched in amusement from her bedroom window an hour later as the pair marched through the market street as if they were a regiment on parade.