“As would…I, Lizzy,” Anne managed.
With each year that passed, it became harder and harder for Anne to speak and more difficult for her to move about under her own power. It was the reason it had been impossible for her to be presented.
“In that case, I will have to dance for the both of us,” Elizabeth insisted. “You will allow Biggs and Johns to assist you to the ballroom so you can at least be present at the ball, will you not?”
“Yes, I…will,” Anne confirmed.
John Biggs and Brian Johns were not only Anne’s guards, but they would carry her up and down stairs, or anywhere else she needed to go which would have been too difficult for her to achieve using her legs.
Sir Lewis had a special bath chair constructed for Anne—it was based on the modified sedan chair which had been used to take Anne up and down Oakham Mount—which the two men would carry when Anne needed to go somewherewhich was not on the floor she happened to be on at the time. Most of the time, one of the men would push Anne to wherever she needed to go. They would only give way to Mrs. Jenkinson, a close friend, or family member.
Miss Lizzy had their loyalty almost as much as Miss Anne. The two men saw and understood the unbreakable bond of friendship and sisterhood between the two.
Elizabeth looked at the two guards who were standing at the back of the room. “No scaring any of my potential dance partners away tonight,” she admonished in jest.
“Me an’ Johns will be watchin’ Miss Lizzy,” Biggs responded with a glint in his eye.
She was fully aware they would not step in unless they saw some form of danger, which Elizabeth did not expect with a ball held at Matlock House.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The three patriarchs were sitting in the master’s study later that afternoon so they could escape the madness of the last minute arrangements for Lizzy’s ball.
“Even though I know there is no hope of a cure, I had Anne examined by two recent additions to the medical field in London,” Sir Lewis shared. “They are both men who subscribe to the modern treatments and belong to the school of thought starting to question the efficacy of bleeding patients. They are in a minority, but the two men I took Anne to see believe it is more harmful than helpful.” Sir Lewis paused as he shook his head. “That is not what you asked. No, they were not able to offer me any new hope for some new and miraculous cure for Annie.”
“I wish it were otherwise,” Bennet stated sympathetically.
“As do I,” Matlock added. Matlock looked over at Bennet. Both men tried to hide their concern for de Bourgh.
They had had a conversation more than once regardinghow his whole life was caring for Anne. They were convinced de Bourgh would not live much longer than Anne. Both men were storing the most recent official copy of de Bourgh’s will in their studies, and as the two executors, they were ready for any possible machinations Lady Catherine would attempt to finally gain that which she had long coveted.
“How is Catherine behaving herself?” Matlock enquired.
“When she is in company with Anne and me, reasonably well,” Sir Lewis responded. “She truly thinks she has fooled all of us. I think she believes I did not notice how she treated the Bennets at Rosings Park.” He turned his head towards his friend. “Had you not begged me to leave things as they are for Annie’s benefit, I may have sent her packing to Ireland.”
“Has Anne derived some peace from knowing her mother?” Bennet verified.
“She has. Anne is never left alone with Catherine so she has no choice but to behave as she should in her company,” Sir Lewis explained. “If I had proof she was behind the attempt on our lives, I would not hesitate to have her tried. We know she had her maid post a letter for her, and the same girl collected a response from the post stop. Unfortunately, Catherine burnt the reply before my guards could retrieve it, so we know not who the missive was sent to or from.”
“And even if the maid were interrogated, there is no guarantee she read the direction,” Bennet opined.
“Speaking of daughters, are you ready to lead Lizzy to the floor for her first dance tonight?” Sir Lewis queried his friend.
“Very much so,” Bennet replied without hesitation.
Sir Lewis knew what his brother-in-law and friend were both thinking when they looked at him as soon as Bennet spoke of his desire to squire Lizzy for the first set at her ball.
“Just because I am not able to do the same with Anniedoes not mean I am not well pleased for Lizzy,” Sir Lewis assured them. “This will be the second of your daughters I get to dance with at her coming out ball.”
“Do you think now she is twenty, Andrew will stop looking at Jane longingly and finally request a courtship,” Bennet questioned Matlock. “What is the boy waiting for?”
“For some reason, Andrew does not want to marry before he is seven and twenty. I have pointed out to him some artificial date is meaningless. What if she falls in love with another while he waits for his next birthday?” Matlock shook his head. “The boy did say he would consider requesting a courtship and explaining that if they become engaged he would like to wait until after his birthday in September to marry.”
“That way if Jane agrees, he will not have to worry about her affections being engaged elsewhere,” Bennet stated.
From that point, the conversation between the three turned to more general topics.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
