Chapter 2.13 #2
“Surely, you cannot believe that!”
“But I do! Give me reason to think otherwise! He should take care of his family and those in his care, not take advantage of his power and bring pain and despair to those around him!”
Emotions almost overcame the powerful countess, and her husband ceased arguing with her, pained by her suffering. The earl gently took his wife’s hands and caressed them in silence in a poor attempt to calm her.
“I shall bring you some tea, and I will have a drink to keep you company. Let me see what can be done. I will talk to Thomas first thing in the morning, and we will find a way to make amends. We will find the best resolution for this.”
She said nothing, only leant against the pillows and asked to be left alone to rest. In five and thirty years, it was the first time she had refused tea and her husband’s company in a time of sorrow.
∞∞∞
Elizabeth woke to an empty bed. She had slept many hours, yet she did not feel as rested as she expected. She knocked on Darcy’s door then entered. The room was empty and the bed tidy—a clear sign that nobody had disturbed it.
Elizabeth rang for Molly, and she inquired after Maud immediately. Apparently, the young woman had passed the night as well as could be expected. While she dressed and had her hair arranged, the maid informed her that the master went out and left word that he would return before breakfast.
Elizabeth wondered about the reason for his leaving the house so early and hoped no other unpleasant event had occurred during the night.
Then she asked the maid about breakfast, and suddenly the mere thought of food made her nauseous.
She had not felt that way in years, and she understood she must be very tired.
It was a relief that her husband was not there, or else he would certainly be worried.
The last thing they needed was another reason for concern.
She spent a few more minutes in her apartment, glancing out the window to spot his carriage, but her impatience was not rewarded. At almost ten o’clock in the morning, there was still no sign of Darcy.
As Georgiana had not left her room either, Elizabeth decided to check on Maud personally. Mrs Hamilton was there and Dr. Harris.
The young woman’s state was stable; there was no fever or bleeding, but she was still unconscious due to the laudanum.
The doctor decided it was better for the patient to sleep as much as possible and allow her body to recover through rest. He expressed his hope that, starting that evening, she would drink some tea and perhaps eat a little soup.
In the middle of the conversation, Elizabeth was informed that Lord Matlock was upstairs, asking to talk to the master.
Puzzled, she went to meet the earl, wondering whether it was a habit of the London ton to pay unannounced visits before breakfast. What could be the explanation for both her husband and his uncle wandering around Town at such an hour?
Her surprise increased when, in the main hall, there was not only the earl but also his elder son, Lord Buxton.
She greeted them properly and asked with genuine concern whether anything had happened.
“Mrs Darcy, please forgive our intrusion. We apologise for disturbing you. We only wish to speak with my nephew for a few moments. Is he not home?”
“There is no reason for apologies within the family; we are always pleased to see you. Please come to the library. We will wait for William together. He is not at home, but we expect him to return any minute.”
They followed her reluctantly, and Elizabeth could easily guess that something was amiss and that their visit had no pleasant reason behind it.
She invited them to take a seat and offered drinks and refreshments, but they refused any.
She chose a chair in front of them, making a polite inquiry after Lady Matlock and the colonel.
Minutes passed, and the conversation faded.
“I hope everything is well here too, Mrs Darcy,” the viscount said. “When we arrived, we were informed that you were in the company of Dr. Harris.”
“Oh, yes—everything is fine with the family. Unfortunately, we have a delicate situation with one of our maids, and Dr. Harris is taking care of her.”
Elizabeth was surprised to see the earl glaring at his son.
The viscount pretended to be oblivious to his father’s silent reproach. “Is she the one that lost her child? My mother told me about her.”
Elizabeth’s astonishment grew, and she continued in a reserved tone. “Yes, the one named Maud. Lady Ellen told me you have a maid with the same name. Quite a coincidence.”
The earl’s expression turned more severe while the viscount averted his eyes and went to pour himself a drink. Elizabeth’s eyebrow rose with curiosity.
“Yes, well…things are rather delicate. In fact, I confess we…I have come here to see Maud. Would you please call for a servant to show me the way?”
“Thomas!” the earl shouted. “It is not a subject with which to bother the lady of the house! We will wait for Darcy! Or even better, we will return later. We thank you for your kindness, and we apologise for any inconvenience…”
Elizabeth’s head became heavy. She stared from one to the other, countless thoughts spinning in her mind. What was happening? What was she to understand? Had the viscount come to see Maud? He said that things were “rather delicate.” What things?
“Why would you want to see Maud?” she asked, her voice sounding harsh even to herself. “Surely, you cannot be acquainted with her. She is but a poor servant who was left to die in the cold.”
“I know…there was a very unfortunate circumstance. Maud worked in our house for almost a year, and her unexpected departure…”
Elizabeth struggled to maintain the appearance of calm while the revelation struck her and her anger became overwhelming.
There was no coincidence. There were not two Mauds but only one.
She vividly recollected the horrifying moments from the previous day: Maud’s suffering, her pain, her cries, the blood, the poor child…
“Lord Buxton, forgive my boldness, but this situation must be drawn correctly. All the evidence shows that her departure was not unexpected, but she was rather dismissed and, for reasons which are incomprehensible to me, thrown out and denied even what was her due.”
“Yes, I know that. I also found that you have generously taken care of her. This is why I would like to talk to her and perhaps find another arrangement that would not trouble you anymore,” the viscount responded slightly embarrassed while the earl seemed undecided about whether to intervene again or not.
Elizabeth frowned as she struggled to understand his meaning. She took a few steps then resumed her place.
“Did I understand you correctly that it is your intention to remove Maud from this house? Surely, you cannot consider taking her back to the household from which your wife banished her.”
“Yes, this is my decision. As I said, I believe it is better for you not to be burdened with her care any longer. And no, she will not return to that house.”
She forced a smile, fighting the impulse to answer with the severity the man deserved. He was her husband’s cousin, yet that could hardly compensate for his wrongs.
“I see. Your thoughtfulness for my comfort is much appreciated, sir. I believe we should talk more on the subject in a few days. However, Maud is in no condition to be moved now—in fact, she is not even conscious. Her state is very delicate and the doctor instructed us to provide her with rest, silence, and constant supervision.”
“She shall be provided with all these things.”
“Perhaps. But I must question your right to make any decisions regarding Maud, sir. As far as I know, her only relative in London is her aunt, from whom Maud begged us to keep complete secrecy. As I see it, for the time being, the only one who can decide anything regarding her is Dr. Harris. Once she is fully recovered, she will be able to choose her own path for the future.”
The viscount looked at Elizabeth with surprise and obvious displeasure at her strong contradiction and harsh reproaches.
While Elizabeth’s voice grew sharper and decided, the gentleman’s countenance betrayed his restlessness.
Obviously, he had not anticipated having such an argument with his cousin’s wife.
Lord Matlock rose and bowed to Elizabeth. “Mrs Darcy, you are correct. As I said, we shall return when Darcy is home.”
“That might be a wise decision, although I trust my husband will agree with me on this subject.”
The young lord ignored his father and continued to address Elizabeth.
“Mrs Darcy, I understand your point of view. However, I insist. I doubt seeing her and talking to her briefly would do any harm.”
“Talking to her? I am not confident you understand the gravity of her situation. She has just lost her child, and it is a miracle that she survived; her life is still uncertain. As I said, she is not even conscious.”
“Forgive me, but I feel you are doing this on purpose just to disregard my request,” the young lord replied impertinently to his father’s astonishment.
“Thomas!” the earl cried.
Elizabeth took a step forward, watching intently the two powerful men in front of her—the closest relatives of her husband.
She knew that neither of them had accepted the idea of their marriage, and if she had reached a truce with the earl after Lady Catherine’s visit, the viscount had never spoken more than several polite words to her.
And suddenly he came into her house, attempting a poor remedy for his previously outrageous behaviour and had the audacity to question her fairness.