~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
By the time the solicitor arrived at Rosings Park, there was black fabric hanging from the gateposts. It was not hard to guess Lady Catherine’s fondest wish had finally been realised. Mink smiled to himself when he thought of the additional feeshe would earn once Lady Catherine was the owner of this and all of the other de Bourgh properties. That would be nothing when added to the amount he intended to demand for his silence about the will he had created for her. He was sure his final monetary reward would be in the many thousands of pounds.
His small carriage stopped under the extended portico. Once he had handed the butler his outerwear, the solicitor was shown into the drawing room. When he was inside, per Lady Catherine’s instruction, the butler pulled the doors closed.
“Mr. Mink, here is the document. You will deliver it to me on the morrow when my family are present. You remember what I decided you will say regarding how it came to be in your hands, do you not?” Lady Catherine said quietly. The last thing she wanted was to be overheard at this juncture.
“Yes, your Ladyship, I know exactly what to say,” Mink simpered.
“Additionally, I require you to send this letter by express.” She handed her solicitor the missive. “You will arrive at eleven in the morning. Do not be late, you know how I demand punctuality.” Mink nodded. “Now you may go.” Lady Catherine waved him away dismissively.
The way she treated him only made him more determined to extract as much as possible for his silence from the pompous blowhard.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The five coaches arrived at Rosings Park in the middle of the afternoon. Mrs. Jenkinson rode in the coach which bore the two coffins back to the de Bourghs’ ancestral home. She was determined to escort her Miss Anne’s body until it was placed in the family crypt in the morning on the morrow.
Mr. Jamison—Hunsford’s rector who had received a letter from Lord Matlock—was waiting for them in front of the doors to the mansion.
Once everyone had alighted from all of the conveyances, Lord Matlock nodded and under the command of Biggs and Johns, the guards reverently extracted the two coffins from the lead coach. Each casket was then carried on their shoulders by four men. The parson led the way to a parlour which had been prepared for the coffins to be rested until they were carried to the crypt in the cemetery in the morning.
Lady Catherine was conspicuous by her absence; no one repined not seeing her.
Fanny and Bennet joined Mrs. Jenkinson to sit with the coffins for a spell. The rest of the party made their way to the drawing room where they found Lady Catherine.
She had demanded the servants place a platform under her favourite seat so she would be higher than everyone else. They had simply ignored her. She could not wait to sack all of them.
“Catherine,” Lord Matlock inclined his head. “I think the only two you have not met are the two youngest Bennets, Miss Kitty and Miss Lydia.”
“What are these lowborn Bennets doing in my house?” Lady Catherine spat out as she glared at Elizabeth.
“Your house? At this moment things are as they always were, that is until we have a reading of the will after the interment on the morrow,” Lord Matlock drawled.
She berated herself for allowing her anger at the Bennet chit to override her need to be patient just one more day. “You are of course correct,” Lady Catherine managed through gritted teeth. “Now thatdearAnne is gone too; we will have to see what the disposition of my husband’s assets are on the morrow.”
“The family solicitor is in Hunsford and will join us in the morning once the condolers depart,” Lord Matlock shared.
“You will not object if I have my own man of law will you? Lady Catherine asked slyly. “Mr. Neil Mink of Westerhamis here to see to my interests. I have been much ill-used with unfounded accusations and kept like a prisoner in gaol, so excuse me if I have him make sure everything is as it should be.”
“Your lawyer is more than welcome,” Lord Matlock agreed.
Lady Catherine fought to school her features so she would not smile. Everything was going just as she planned. Her letter would have been delivered by now, yes, all was—or very soon would be—as it should be.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
That night Elizabeth joined Jenki to watch over Anne while Andrew, Richard, and Darcy sat next to Uncle Lewis.
Even had someone tried to convince her she needed her sleep—which no one had—Elizabeth would have spent the night—the final one before Anne’s body would be consigned to the crypt—next to her best friend’s earthly remains.
‘My best and dearest friend and sister Annie. My prayer is that you are running free in the fields of heaven now you are not bound to your body and its earthly restrictions,’ Elizabeth intoned silently, her eyes lifted to the heavens where she was sure the souls of both Anne and Uncle Lewis were. ‘It seems there will be a confrontation with your mother on the morrow. I will be well. In addition to those guarding her, John, Brian, and their men are here and as you well know, they will not allow any ill to befall me or anyone else. I miss you Annie, all the time, but at least I get to speak to you when I need to. As much as not being able to see your physical form pains me, I am pleased you are no longer suffering, both you and Uncle Lewis.’
Some tears ran down Elizabeth’s cheeks unbidden. She felt Jenki take her hand closest to where she was sitting and felt the comforting, gentle squeeze as Jenki silently told her she was not alone.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Elizabeth did not miss the pinched look on Lady Catherine’s face when she was not only not allowed to take the lead in greeting the condolers who sat with the ladies, but she was restricted to her chambers until the guests departed. During this time, the men were at the cemetery to see Uncle Lewis’ and Anne’s bodies consigned to their place of eternal slumber.
As sad and sombre as the day was, Elizabeth would not have been able to look at Lady Catherine before she returned to her chambers if she wanted to refrain from laughing at the woman. It was good the lady was where she was as any temptation for mirth had been removed.
