Before answering, the men exchanged their letters and confirmed they were almost identically worded. “I will read mine,” Lord Matlock decided. He cleared his throat and began to read.
19 June 1800
Longbourn, Hertfordshire
Matlock,
As I am sure you do not recognise the direction, both Anne and I are being hosted at the above estate owned by Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Bennet—and yes, he is the same one who holds so many records in chess at Cambridge. That is not the reason we are here.
After a short sojourn in London, we set out for Oak Hollow where Mrs. Jenkinson was to meet us. We took the same route through Hertfordshire as we always do. We stopped at the inn about 2 hours from Town and after an hour, we continued. We were close to the market town of Meryton, negotiating a rather sharp corner in the road when I heard the loud sound of wood rending. The next thing I knew, the coach tipped and we landed next to a sharp drop into a gully with rocks below.
As soon as I felt the aspect change, I dove to protect Anne and I must have hit my head, because when I was once again conscious, the carriage was level (except for one broken rear wheel) and on solid ground.
God must have been watching out for us because what I now know is the remnants of a tree stopped the conveyance from tipping over and crashing to the rocks below. Next, He guided the bravest 10-year-old girl I have ever met to find us.
Anne tells how she first calmed the team and then freed them. Then she took some sturdy rope she had with her (she was riding her pony which was pulling a small cart) and climbed up the raised side of the coach inserting it in one window and had Anne pass the end to her from another one.
If all of that was not enough, She somehow attached the rope to the team’s tack, climbed on top of one of them, and then urged them forward in order to right the carriage.
I owe Anne’s and my own life to Miss Elizabeth Bennet. The little tree trunk gave way just when she had the team pull the rope tight. If not for her…
“Does Lewis say Anne is well?” Lady Anne called out worriedly.
“He does, I was about to read that little sister,” Lord Matlock replied indulgently.
Anne is unharmed. Other than an aching head, I too am well. Unfortunately, the coachman was thrown into the gully and lost his life. The footman on the rear bench hit his head and suffered a broken arm.
Brother, this wasno accident! The rear axle was partially sawn through.
Given letters can get lost I will not mention the name of the one I suspect—I have no proof—but I am sure you will know who I mean.
Matlock, I ask you, and I am requesting the same of Darcy,to come to Hertfordshire. We must talk of the future and the safeguards I will need to put in place. If I do nothing, I fully believe this will not be the only attempt.
Your brother,
De Bourgh
For a few minutes after the letter was read there was disbelieving silence. They all knew Catherine was bad, but they never suspected she was this bad.
“There is no question; we must go,” Darcy stated unequivocally. Lord Matlock nodded his agreement. “Anne, you, William, and Gigi should remain at Snowhaven. Matlock and I will return as soon as may be and report all to you and Elaine.”
Within an hour the two men were headed south in a Matlock coach.
Chapter 4
Each day they were together, Anne got closer and closer to Lizzy. It had begun with her saving her and her Papa, but it was so much more than that.
Lizzy had ajoie de vivreof which Anne would have loved to have a fraction. It was not just her friend’s health which made her so vibrant, but Lizzy embodied something she had heard Papa say once. His family was originally from France and on more than one occasion he had mentioned a French phrase:deuil me carre. It was an idiom roughly translated which meant that grief does not concern me. The more common meaning was devil may care, which in French wasle diable peut s'en soucier.
Anne smiled to herself. Although Lizzy could be mischievous—she had heard stories from Jane and Mary, and even a few from Aunt Fanny—which is how she had been invited to address the Bennet matron.
From everything she had heard it was easy to tell Lizzy’s mischief (almost all of it were things she was either physically unable to do or would not have enough daring) was never at the cost of others, she just liked to have fun, so she was, in fact, the furthest Anne could imagine from being devilish.
When Lizzy had saved her and Papa’s lives, she had embodied the spirit of the idiom Anne felt fit Lizzy so well.
What touched Anne’s heart deeply was as much as Lizzy loved to walk or ride her Hector, so far while Anne had been at Longbourn, Lizzy chose much less active pursuits and spent much of her time with Anne.
Her friend had begun to teach Anne to play chess. It was a game the three eldest Bennet sisters were taught by Uncle Thomas. Papa had shared about Uncle Thomas being some sort of unbeaten champion in the game at Cambridge University.
