“Mr. Darcy, sir, might I enquire about Miss Anna,” he said offering to take the Master’s coat and umbrella. “We all be prayin’ for the little miss.”
“Thank you for asking. Regrettably, she did have a restless night, but for now her fever has not returned and she is taking a nap.”
“Sleep be a good thing, sir. I hope the wee one be feeling better soon. How can I help ye, sir?”
“I have some letters to be delivered by express, and I would like to secure riders who will be ready to leave by first light assuming the weather has improved. Do John and Tullis happen to be about this afternoon?”
“No, sir, they both left earlier with Her Ladyship.”
William frowned saying, “My aunt went somewhere in this storm?”
“Yes, sir. They all be off to Town just before dawn. Her Ladyship be saying she had business that could not be delayed.”
“Good God,” William swore under his breath, knowing instinctively what his aunt was up to.Do I not have enough to worry about?!Even if the weather cooperated and he was able to send an express this late in the day, there was no chance it would reach Gardiner and Elizabeth before his aunt did.
“Jackson, I will need two riders, one who can take my correspondence to Town, and one other who can deliver a letter to Miss Darcy in Ramsgate. Hopefully this storm will have passed by morning.”
“Yes, sir. It may be a couple of hours, but as soon as they come back from visitin’ their families, I be seeing if Samuel and his brother Tom be available.”
“Very good.” Donning his outerwear he added, “I am going back to the house and shall await your confirmation.”
Leaving the stables, William strode up the path and back to the house. If not for Anna, he would brave the storm and leave immediately to confront his aunt himself. As it was, he could do no more than write a detailed letter expressing his intentions to Mr. Gardiner and refuting any claims Lady Catherine might make to him or Elizabeth. Hopefully Richard would be available to intervene on his behalf once his aunt arrived at Matlock House and made her intentions known to the earl and the countess.
Lady Catherine’s Carriage
From Matlock House to Cheapside
With little sleep and the strain of her trip from Rosings Park, Lady Catherine’s patience had worn thin. How dare her nephew act so irresponsibly? A compromise does not just happen. It is planned and executed with precision. In this instance Fitzwilliam Darcy had been duped by a country miss and her matchmaking mama. Well, there was nothing to be done but for her to take matters into her own hands. Lady Catherine was not a woman to be trifled with, and she would not see her family ruined by insignificant fortune seekers.
Before traveling to this part of Town, Lady Catherine had first sought out her brother, the earl. She was insistent that he back her in her quest to buy off the Bennets and be rid of the disgrace that was currently threating to ruin their family. To that end, the earl fully supported her and offered to split the cost with her should their nephew not rally and reimburse them for their trouble. Nevertheless, the money was not what was important. What mattered most was preserving the dignity and reputation of the Fitzwilliams and Darcys within theton.
While Lady Eleanor was equally concerned about protecting her family’s standing in society, she flatly refused to be a party to Lady Catherine’s scheme, saying it was unconscionable to go behind their nephew’s back in this manner. Her lack of cooperation had made little difference to Lady Catherine, since she had her brother’s support and that was what was important. Furthermore, Lady Catherine would stay in Town and accompany her Fitzwilliam relations to the Prince Regent’s GrandFêtewhich was taking place in three days. It would be the perfect opportunity to set the record straight with certain members of thetonwho might malign her family for what happened at the charity ball.
Continuing on, Lady Catherine’s carriage swayed from side to side while making its way through the commercial district of the east end of Town and towards Gracechurch Street. It had been raining for much of the day, and the roads were filled with ruts. Moreover, nothing could mask the repulsive smells of garbage or dead fish that prevailed being so close to the river. To think that she had to lower her standards and journey through this district in such weather was reprehensible.
Nevertheless, this was her lot in life for she had always excelled at taking command and directing the lives of others. Heavens, if she had not continued to press Darcy, he never would have married Anne. Yes, Darcy could be obstinate without a doubt, but in this instance she was determined to prevail. After all, she was Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and Miss Elizabeth Bennet and her relations would be at her mercy by the time she was finished making her demands known. Holding her handkerchief to her nose, she urged her driver to hurry on as best he could, for she could not abide the degradation any longer than was necessary.
The Gardiners’ House
Elizabeth was feeling somewhat better today and could slowly move about with the use of a cane as long as she limited her steps. Even though her foot and ankle remained quite sore and discoloured, the poultice her aunt had continued to apply greatly reduced the swelling, making the pain a bit more tolerable. To give her ankle some extra support, her aunt suggested that she wear her half-boots in the house. Although it was painful to get her foot in the shoe, the added support did indeed help.
At present, all of Elizabeth’s relations were from the house. She had wished to join her family for church and a luncheon at the home of Mrs. Gardiner’s brother the apothecary, but her aunt deemed it would be best if she limited her activity for the day. It would not do to further aggravate her foot and ankle if she wanted it to heal before Mr. Darcy returned. Even so, by mid-afternoon Elizabeth requested the assistance of Mrs. Gardiner’s maid in coming down to the main part of the house, for she could not abide being in her room any longer. Although she was grateful for her accommodations at the Gardiners’ residence, today her room felt confining, and she wished to sit in the front parlour where she might read and await the return of her family. Despite the troubles hanging over their heads following the ball, she was sure the outing would be a nice diversion and looked forward to hearing the news of her relations.
Sitting near the window, Elizabeth periodically looked up from her book and peered outside at the persistent rain. It started in late morning and had yet to diminish. If it did not let up soon, it would be difficult for the carriage to make its way home. Fortunately, the Williams family lived fairly close to the Gardiner residence, since Mr. Williams had his apothecary shop on Old Broad Street, not too far from Cheapside. Still, it looked as though it would be difficult for the driver to navigate the roads, which were badly rutted.
As the afternoon wore on, Elizabeth found it hard to concentrate on much of anything, for she was overcome by worry for William and his daughter. Again she prayed for their safety and for the restoration of his beloved child’s health. From that respect, his next letter could not come soon enough.
With regards to her projected wedding, nothing had been settled. She imagined it would have to take place fairly soon after William’s return to avoid more scandal, but that did not make her feel any better about their situation. With all that had happened, she wondered if any of William’s family, other than Colonel Fitzwilliam, would attend. Surely they would not do so willingly.
Glancing out the window, these gloomy thoughts were put aside when a large carriage with smartly dressed livery in attendance came to a halt at the front of the house.Who might possibly call in such inclement weather?Continuing to peer through the window, she could not identify its owner, as the crest was not familiar. Hearing the front door open and shut, she curiously watched as Daniels rushed out of the house carrying a large umbrella to greet whoever was inside the vehicle.
A footman stepped off the back of the carriage and quickly lowered the steps. When he opened the carriage door, she saw an older woman of noble stature exit the vehicle. A moment later, Elizabeth heard the woman loudly exclaim, “I am Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and I demand to see Mr. Edward Gardiner and Miss Elizabeth Bennet at once.”
“Lady Catherine de Bourgh!” Elizabeth exclaimed in astonishment. “Good heavens, she is William’s aunt.” Praying that nothing had happened to William or his daughter, she quickly stood and straightened her dress while waiting for the grand lady to be admitted.
Moments later, Daniels opened the door to the parlour and announced, “Lady Catherine de Bourgh to see Miss Elizabeth Bennet.”
Lady Catherine walked haughtily into the room and began stating her business. “So you are the woman who is threatening to ruin my nephew, the woman who would bring unfathomable disgrace to my family! It is very disconcerting of your uncle not to be home, as I prefer to conduct my business with him. Nevertheless, I suppose you will have to do in his absence.”
