Chapter 24
Mr Bennet was once again dining with part of his family.
He had thoroughly enjoyed the peaceful days without enduring his wife's constant complaints.
Fortunately, Jane was at home. Although he did not converse with her very often, he had always considered her the most sensible of his daughters.
Moreover, she had a calming influence upon Mrs Bennet and often spared him much of her mother's nervous chatter.
“I am so happy to be home. I missed all my officer friends terribly. I am sure they missed me just as much, do you not think, Mama?” Lydia asked.
“Of course they did, my dear Lydia,” Mrs Bennet replied.
Wishing to escape the conversation between his wife and youngest daughter, Mr Bennet turned to Jane.
“When is your betrothed expected to arrive, Jane?”
“Tomorrow. Mr Andrews de la Garza and his father are setting out early in the morning, so they should arrive before the end of the day,” Jane explained.
“I confess I am looking forward to making Mr James Andrews's acquaintance. I daresay he will make the trials of the wedding preparations rather more bearable,” Mr Bennet remarked dryly.
“Mr Andrews is such a delightful gentleman,” Mrs Bennet said enthusiastically. “And he insists that he is nowhere near as intelligent as everyone says.”
Mr Bennet looked at his wife in astonishment.
“I agree with you, Mama,” Lydia added. “Mr Andrews is very agreeable, quite unlike Aunt Eleanor's new husband. I cannot imagine how such an unfriendly man ever became a general.”
“A general?” Mr Bennet asked sharply. “Has Ella married?”
“I cannot remember his name,” Lydia replied, paying no attention whatsoever to her father's question.
Mrs Bennet remained silent, looking thoroughly flustered.
Jane noticed the searching look her father directed at her mother and immediately sensed that something was amiss. Hoping to spare her mother any further discomfort, she answered herself.
“Yes, Father. Aunt Eleanor married her former betrothed, General Marcus Sinclair. Everything happened very quickly, but they are both immensely happy now that they have finally found one another again.”
Once more, Mr Bennet fixed his wife with a penetrating look, but Mrs Bennet carefully avoided his gaze.
He remained silent throughout the rest of the meal. As soon as dinner was over, he rose without a word and shut himself away in his library to consider this unexpected news and decide upon his next course of action.
◆◆◆
Matthew rose very early on the morning he and his father were to travel to Hertfordshire. They would be staying at Netherfield with the Sinclairs. In less than ten days, he would finally marry Jane.
Once he returned from his honeymoon, he intended to contact his grandparents once more and tell them, for what felt like the hundredth time, to leave him in peace.
He had no wish to become the next Marqués de la Pena.
Afterwards, he would tell Jane the truth about his mother's family and explain why he wanted no further contact with them.
Everything connected with their engagement had happened remarkably quickly, and he and his father had taken great care to keep it secret in the hope of preventing the Marquis from discovering it.
Lady Campbell's recent marriage had attracted all of society's attention, so very few people had taken any notice of them.
Even so, Matthew still had to rid himself of his grandmother's spies.
They followed him wherever he went, and he had therefore devised a plan to deceive them.
Jacob and Martin, two footmen whom James trusted implicitly, together with Mr Roberts, his private secretary, helped put the plan into action.
The two footmen were of much the same height and build as Matthew and his father.
Dressed as gentlemen, they left the house at nine o'clock in the morning with Mr Roberts in one of the family carriages.
The Marchioness's spies fell neatly into the trap and immediately followed the carriage towards Kent, convinced that Matthew and James were inside.
Mr Roberts had been asked by Mrs Sinclair to call upon a rather difficult lady regarding a matter connected with one of the neighbouring estates.
Knowing the lady's reputation, he was grateful to have Jacob and Martin accompanying him.
An hour later, satisfied that the way was clear, Matthew and James quietly left through the back door and walked several streets to the carriage that would take them to Netherfield.
“I must confess, Matthew, that I thoroughly enjoyed deceiving those spies. It has been many years since I last took part in such a daring adventure,” James said with a hearty laugh.
“I am glad you enjoyed yourself, Father, because it will be the last time I do anything of the sort. Once I have spoken to the Marqués de la Pena and his wife, I assure you they will never again attempt to interfere in my life.”
Although Matthew spoke firmly, the subject clearly distressed him. For the moment, however, he wanted to put it from his mind and think only of the wedding that awaited him.
James understood his son's silence and wisely changed the subject.
“In only a few hours we shall be at Netherfield, and you will see Jane again.”
Noticing the unmistakable excitement in Matthew's face, he smiled.
“You have chosen well, my son, and I could not be happier for you. To prove what an excellent father I am, I promise to keep your future father- and mother-in-law thoroughly occupied, so that you may spend as much time as possible with your betrothed.”
“I thank you very much, Father. But let me warn you: you will need all your patience, together with every ounce of your charm and powers of persuasion, if you are to survive those two,” Matthew replied with a laugh.
James was delighted to see his son smiling again. Whenever Matthew smiled, he reminded him so very much of his beloved Rosita.
“Then I had better take a little nap, so that I may gather enough strength to face those two formidable opponents.”
“Thank you, Father.”
James and Matthew slept through much of the journey, gathering their strength for everything that awaited them.
◆◆◆
“I congratulate you, Richard. You have chosen well. Lady Claire is the daughter of an Earl, the niece of a national hero, and the possessor of a most impressive dowry. You would do well to follow your cousin's example, Darcy,” Lord Matlock said, fixing his nephew with a pointed look.
Mr Darcy disliked his uncle's tone but chose not to respond. He had come because Lord Matlock had summoned him to discuss Lady Catherine, not his private affairs.
“Uncle, you said you needed to speak to me urgently about Lady Catherine.”
“Yes, yes. I see you are determined to change the subject, but very well. You are right. Catherine is facing multiple financial difficulties, and I want your assistance. I shall travel to Rosings in two days' time, and I expect you to accompany me.”
“I am sorry, Uncle, but I shall never set foot in that house again. You must ask Robert to accompany you.”
Mr Darcy had grown weary of being expected to solve every family difficulty simply because his uncle and Lady Catherine relied upon him.
If Lord Matlock required support, he had a son perfectly capable of providing it, though the viscount seemed far more interested in society, gaming, and fashionable amusements.
“All this because of Rockwell's new niece? Are you interested in that young lady? Catherine spoke of her in the most disgraceful terms, yet Rockwell defended her as though she were his own niece. Her aunt married General Sinclair, did she not?”
Lord Matlock noticed the faint colour rising in his nephew's face the moment Miss Bennet was mentioned. It was enough to convince him that Darcy's interest in the young lady was far from indifferent.
“Lady Catherine behaved towards Miss Bennet in a most despicable manner. Worse still, she compromised my honour by suggesting that Miss Bennet and I had been carrying on an indiscretion. Beyond that, I have nothing more to say. I believe you are already acquainted with everything that occurred in Kent.”
Mr Darcy fell silent, and the conversation soon turned to Richard's forthcoming engagement.
“This morning, General Sinclair gave his consent. Tomorrow I shall call upon Lord Rockwell to settle the date of the wedding. My mother has also arranged a family dinner so that everyone may become better acquainted.”
Richard continued speaking with great enthusiasm, but Mr Darcy scarcely heard him. His thoughts remained fixed upon what his uncle had said.
Why did Lord Rockwell and General Sinclair defend Elizabeth with such fierce devotion if she was merely their niece by marriage?
◆◆◆
When Matthew and his father arrived at Netherfield, Eleanor and the rest of the family had arrived barely half an hour earlier. They were still settling in, refreshing themselves after the journey, and changing for dinner.
Later that evening, everyone gathered for dinner and discussed the plans for the following day. It had been decided that Elizabeth and Kitty would go to Longbourn, while Mary would remain at Netherfield with the Sinclairs.
Marcus was far from pleased with the arrangement, but he had promised Eleanor that he would wait a few more days before revealing the truth.
He understood that, if everything came to light before Jane and Matthew's wedding, it would overshadow the entire celebration.
That would be unfair to the happy couple, especially as Jane and Elizabeth were so devoted to one another.
The following morning, two carriages left Netherfield for Longbourn.
Matthew travelled in the first with his father, while Marcus accompanied Elizabeth and Kitty in the second.
Eleanor had deliberately remained behind at Netherfield.
Marcus had thought it wiser that she should avoid any confrontation with her brother before Jane's wedding, and she had reluctantly agreed that he was right.