Husband and wife shared a languid kiss. The Darcy courier was on his way to Hertfordshire an hour later.
Chapter 7
When Gigi returned from her two month sojourn in the south and until he departed for his and Richard’s final year at Eton, all William heard from her was about the stay in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire and the good friends she had made. His sister was particularly effusive when she spoke of one of her new friends, Lizzy, the one who had saved Uncle Lewis and Anne.
If his parents had not confirmed the veracity of the tale, William would have thought Gigi was exaggerating the wonder of the young girl.
He had been more than pleased Father had finally seen George Wickham for who he was. It was most gratifying to have had Father own his errors and apologise profusely for not believing him over the liar. Not having to worry about what Wickham would do to try and get him sent down, or otherwise look bad in Father’s eyes, made William’s enjoyment of his time at Eton as it had been the year before the blight began his studies.
All of this was forgotten when he was summoned home from Eton to arrive as expeditiously as possible in November of 1800, only days after his sixteenth birthday, and a month before the commencement of the Christmastide term holiday. His beloved mother had been taken seriously ill, and William had to arrive home with all speed if he was to be able to say goodbye to his mother while she still lived.
The whole way home to Pemberley, William felt a sense of dread. Shortly after the start of the new school year, Fatherhad written that Mother was ill, but there had been no hint it was a serious malady or a life-threatening one.
William replayed his memories of the summer. Mother had seemed more lethargic than he remembered, and her face had slimmed down somewhat. With the dresses and gowns she wore it would have been difficult to see if his mother was losing weight. All he could do was to pray his mother would recover and not leave the mortal world.
Mr. Reynolds, not his father, was waiting when the coach came to a halt in the internal courtyard at Pemberley.
“The master refuses to leave Lady Anne’s side,” the butler explained when he saw Master William’s questioning look.
“Is my mother truly so very ill?” William asked hoping it would not be the answer he dreaded.
“Unfortunately, there is not much hope, Master William,” Reynolds related sadly.
As soon as he handed, more like threw, his outerwear to the waiting footman inside the courtyard door, William broke into a run and did not stop until he reached the hallway outside of the master suite.
He gave a perfunctory knock and opened the door to his mother’s bedchamber before anyone could do so. The room was gloomy with not much light, but he could make out his father, tears streaming down his face and holding his mother’s hand.
Aunt Elaine and Uncle Reggie were holding each other while both were crying silently as well.
“Anne dear, William is here,” Darcy said softly to his ailing wife. His beloved wife had said her goodbyes to Gigi the previous day when she was able to speak more than she had since the morning. The girl was confused and did not quite understand why Mama was ill.
“William…” Lady Anne croaked.
“I am here Mother,” William, who had walked around to the other side of the bed, responded as he took her other hand.
It was cold to the touch and William was shocked at how gaunt his vibrant mother was. She was a shell of her former self.
“I…love…you,” Lady Anne managed before her laboured breathing became barely audible.
“Go be with Him, Anne, you have suffered enough,” Darcy told his beloved as the tears fell freely.
Lady Anne Darcy took two rasping breaths, and then there was a long exhale and she moved no longer.
William had not seen Mr. Harrison, the older, the local physician, standing in a back corner of his mother’s bedchamber. The doctor came forward now and checked his mother for signs of life. He simply shook his head.
Like his family members in the chamber, tears were streaming down William’s cheeks.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
By the time Lady Anne was interred, her nephews, brother-in-law, niece, and a sizable group of local friends were present at Pemberley.
Respecting his father’s desire for solitude after the non-family guests had departed, William asked his uncle what had caused his mother’s passing.
“It was a cancer, William,” Lord Matlock reported sadly. “Anne had not felt well for some time and had hidden the fact from your father. He had begun to notice things shortly before you returned to school. She was examined by Harrison who informed your parents what my sister was suffering with.”
He had heard enough about cancers to know those afflicted sometimes passed away soon after being diagnosed while others lived for some time, but they all came to the same end. William was angry with God for allowing his mother tosuffer in that way.
More than that, he found himself growing furious at the world, at anything and everything, because his mother had been taken from them.
