Chapter 17 #2
When they examined the estate’s profits before and after Sir Lewis’s death, it told the story.
There was a drop in income between one and two thousand pounds per annum.
It was assumed previously that this was due to Lady Catherine’s mismanagement, when her spending habits were coupled with her available income, a different answer presented itself.
Lady Catherine went from shocked to sullen. When she was called into her brother’s study, she intended to make her displeasure known until she saw the looks on the men’s faces. She decided not to say anything until she heard what they wanted to talk about.
“Lady Catherine, are you able to explain the drop in estate income after Sir Lewis died?” Richard asked directly.
None missed how the lady blanched at the direct question.
“I will caution you, lie and you will no longer have even a cottage. Thanks to a clause in Sir Lewis’s will, your thefts from the estate invalidate your allowance. ”
“Catherine, you have one, and only one, chance to tell all; it will mean the difference between having a place for your future or not,” Lord Matlock impressed on his sister.
“Because my late husband blocked my access to the de Bourgh accounts, I had no choice but to withhold part of each year’s profits,” Lady Catherine admitted.
“The steward must have helped you.” Darcy asserted.
“He did. As far as he knew it was all my money, and he never questioned why I was diverting some money to a personal account,” Lady Catherine revealed. “I made sure he was not aware of the terms of my late husband’s will.”
“How much money is in that account now, Catherine?” Lord Matlock asked.
“A few hundred pounds; I am not sure.” She saw the question in her brother’s eyes. “You know my spending habits, Reggie. The bulk of the money is residing inside the manor and town houses, in things I acquired,” she confirmed.
“I will decide what to do about the steward. However, unless I find out you were dishonest in your disclosure now, I will not change your living arrangements or allowance. I will verify the amount in the bank. If it is you say, a few hundred pounds, it will remain yours. I have more than enough,” Richard allowed magnanimously.
“You will allow me to keep the funds?” Lady Catherine asked in amazement. This kind of kindness was foreign to her—certainly, it was nothing she would do for any other.
“I do not like your way of getting a spouse, but I believe Sir Lewis has punished you enough over the years. If I see you are not interfering in the running of the estate in any way or being unpleasant to any of your neighbours, I will consider moving you to the dower house and increasing your allowance. It will depend completely on your behaviour,” Richard offered.
“Make no mistake,” Richard added, “I abhor the way you treated Anne over the years, and you have many amends to make.”
“Thank you, Richard,” Lady Catherine offered and then remained quiet. She was coming to terms, slowly, with the fact that the way she tried to achieve her aims was mayhap not the best way.
“Be ready. We depart for Rosing Park at sunrise on the morrow,” Richard instructed. “This afternoon I will finalise my resignation from the army and sell my commission.”
Once Lady Catherine departed, the men discussed issues Richard might face.
As much as Darcy and Andrew preferred returning to Meryton, they volunteered to accompany Richard to the estate in order to assist him with interviewing the steward and inspecting Rosings’ ledgers, including the hidden set Lady Catherine had disclosed to them.
Both wrote a letter to Lady Elaine, asking her to give their regrets for not being able to return when planned, and that they would return to Netherfield Park once Richard no longer needed them.
The Earl agreed to take the letters for them when he returned to his wife at Netherfield Park on the morrow.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Elizabeth and Jane understood why both Mr. Darcy and the Viscount had decided to assist Richard, but the three oldest Bennet sisters missed the men.
About ten days later, when a convoy of carriages arrived at Netherfield Park, it excited their anticipation, until they realised these equipages were not known to them—and as far as they knew, the men did not travel with an escort of soldiers.
The men who exited from the lead coach were revealed to be clergymen. “Cousin Charles!” Lady Elaine exclaimed in welcome, then directed the group to the drawing room.
“Cousins Elaine and Reggie, may I introduce you to Sir Paul McCartney, the Bishop of Kent? Sir Paul, my cousins, Lord Reginald and Lady Elaine Fitzwilliam, the Earl and Countess of Matlock,” the Archbishop made the introductions once they reached the drawing room.
“And who are these young ladies, Elaine? You do not have daughters yet, do you?”
“I do not—yet. Cousin Charles and Sir Paul, Miss Jane Bennet of Longbourn, Miss Elizabeth, Miss Mary, Miss Catherine, Miss Lydia and lastly my niece, Miss Georgiana Darcy. Ladies, my cousin Charles Manners-Sutton, The Most Reverend Willowmere, by Divine Providence Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, and The Right Reverend Sir Paul McCartney, Bishop of Kent.” The young ladies made deep curtsies as each of their names was mentioned by the Countess.
“Your Grace, what brings you to visit us, although I must own I have a good idea,” Lord Matlock asked.
“Matlock, I have requested you address me as Cousin Charles,” the Archbishop pointed out, “and yes, based on the fact one of the letters I received was from my Cousin Elaine, I decided to come in person rather than send Sir Paul here to represent me. The allegations in both your letter and that of Reverend Dudley are serious, as is defrocking a clergyman. Once we have interviewed all parties with knowledge of his behaviour here, we will travel to Kent and speak to the man himself.”
“If I may, Your Grace and Bishop,” Jane Bennet addressed the two clergymen, “you need not travel to Kent; Mr. Collins is but a mile from this very house.”
“That is convenient,” Sir Paul stated. “Is he visiting friends?”
“Not exactly, Bishop McCartney,” Jane averred, “I am afraid he is not here by choice. He is in gaol for another twenty days or so.”
The surprise shown by both men was enormous. If nothing else would have sealed Collins’ fate, being arrested and thrown into gaol would have done it. “Will you have Mr. and Miss Dudley summoned? Once they are present, we will hear all about this man,” the Archbishop requested.
“If I may, Your Grace, I would suggest you invite Sir William, the magistrate, as well as our father and stepmother. They will be able to provide you first-hand testimony on this subject,” Elizabeth suggested. “If you request it of Sir William, he will have Mr. Collins brought here as well.”
The Archbishop turned to his private secretary, “Let it be so.”
Within two hours, all of those invited were present. Collins almost cast up his accounts when he was led into the drawing room at Netherfield in irons. He first noticed his Bishop, Sir Paul, but then he saw the spiritual head of the Church of England sitting next to his Bishop.
The Archbishop addressed him first. “Mr. Collins, based on your arrest and sentence for trespassing, I already have reason to defrock you.”
“But Your Grace, it is my…” Collins attempted to defend himself.
“Be silent, Mr. Collins; you will talk when I tell you it is your time, and not before then. Do I make myself clear? If you are unable to regulate yourself until it is your turn to talk, I will have one of my soldiers gag you.” The look the Archbishop gave Collins was one of pure disdain.
Mr. Bennet spoke first, followed by Charlotte, Matilda, Sir William, and Mr. Dudley. As each successive speaker had their say, the looks of disgust directed at Mr. Collins from the two senior clergymen became unmistakable and grew with each new revelation.
“Mr. Collins,” Sir Paul addressed him, “Do you believe it reflects well on a clergyman when he attempts to strike a woman, on at least two occasions we know of?”
“She was rude to me, and she deserved it,” came the petulant reply from Collins.
“And by what right did you reveal communications made by your parishioners in confidence to you?” Sir Paul asked.
“Lady Catherine needed to know the nearest concerns of her tenants and neighbours; as she is a peer, I complied with her wishes,” Collins reported, sure the men would understand how he had no choice but to obey the great lady.
“We could address each of your offences, and there are many. However, it is my ruling that you shall be stripped of your ordination and defrocked forthwith, based on your two main offences alone—breaking the confidence of your parishioners and committing the crime of trespassing. I do not know how you were allowed to take orders, as you seem to have no grasp of basic canon law,” the Archbishop pronounced his judgement.
“In addition, if you are an example of the clergymen Lady Catherine de Bourgh appoints, I will remove the Hunsford living from her gift.”
“That will not be necessary, Cousin Charles,” Lord Matlock reported. “My sister is no longer mistress of Rosings Park; it is now the property of my son Richard. It is he who will gift the living.”
“Knowing the good sense my young cousin possesses, I see I have no need to remove the living from the purview of Rosings Park. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, Sir Paul and I apologise. We understand you are celebrating your honeymoon and we disturbed you,” the Archbishop addressed the couple.
“No need, Your Grace. My husband and I were ready to see some different faces,” Charlotte smiled.
“They only married to beget a son and steal my estate from me,” Collins spat out. Sir William nodded to two men standing behind Collins who clamped their hands on his arms and half walked, half dragged him out of the room.
“I never liked the man, but until Mr. Dudley’s letter, I never suspected him to be vicious,” Sir Paul shared.
The two clergymen accepted an invitation to spend the night at Netherfield Park, gratefully delaying their journeys to their dioceses until the morning.
Mr. Dudley spent a few hours talking to the most senior clergyman in the church as well as to Sir Paul.
The two gratefully accepted an invitation to dinner with Mr. Dudley and Matilda.
All five Bennet sisters were more than pleased to see how happy their father and Charlotte were together. There was a spring in their father’s step they had not seen for many a year; the youngest Bennet owned that she did not remember ever seeing it.