“You always had an overinflated opinion of your intelligence,” Matlock nodded his head sadly. “Before you are taken away, and Catherine you will be tried for the murder of the coachman Green, you should know that Rosings Park and most everything, other than Oak Hollow, was bequeathed to Miss Elizabeth Bennet.” Matlock watched as his sister’s eyes grew huge and her eyebrows disappeared under her hairline.
“Yes, that is my daughter. The same one who foiled your murderous plan ten years ago,” Bennet confirmed.
Lady Catherine promptly fainted as all of her dreams of wealth and revenge turned to dust.
Chapter 33
“You will never allow the scandal of a trial,” Lady Catherine blustered the next day before she and her lawyer were to be sent to the assizes which was meeting in Canterbury. Her brother had come to visit her in the small, windowless room she had been locked in since all her plans had come to nought. She was sure he was too afraid of the Fitzwilliam name being connected to something as plebian as a public trial.
“Catherine you always overestimate the cards you are holding,” Matlock shook his head at his sister’s abject stupidity. “I am honour bound to see you stand trial. I made that promise to my late brother and I intend to keep it. There is but one option you have to save yourself from trial and the hangman’s noose when you are found guilty. It is the only one de Bourgh authorised me to offer you.”
“I knew you would be reasonable,” Lady Catherine trilled.
“You may not think so when you hear your option,” Matlock stated derisively. “Firstly, if you refuse what I am about to offer you, there are no other options, to the assizes and then the Old Bailey youwillgo.”
It was a look on her brother’s face Lady Catherine had seen more times than she cared to remember over the years. It showed he had made an irrevocable decision. “What is my other choice?” Lady Catherine asked defeatedly.
“You will be stripped of your courtesy title and transported to Australia. All you will have is one year’sallowance, which as you know will give you forty pounds. You will have to find work to provide for your needs once your money runs out. And Catherine,” the horrified woman looked up at her brother, “two last things. You will not use either the de Bourgh or Fitzwilliam names and if you ever return to England, you will be tried for murder.”
“B-but I am y-your sister.” Lady Catherine tried to play on her brother’s familial sympathies.
“The day you employed that man Younge and his witless cousin to murder your husband and daughter you ceased being my sister,” Matlock barked. “No sister of mine would ever attempt something so heinous. What will it be?”
Clay Younge had turned over the letters from the very first one she had sent him. He had never followed her orders to destroy them. In doing so, he and his cousin would be spared from the gallows and were awaiting transportation to Australia with the maximum hard labour sentence possible. With all the evidence against her, Lady Catherine now knew if she stood trial, her neck would be stretched. As much as she abhorred the option of being transported, at least she would be alive.
“Transportation,” was the soon-to-be former titled lady’s reply.
“Very well, you will be taken to Southampton and placed on a ship for New South Wales. The captain will be given your money and he will turn it over to you before you disembark in Australia,” Matlock stated dispassionately. “If you want to survive the journey, never mind once you arrive, I would not try any of your distinction of rank nonsense. Remember, you have always been a commoner, now you will not even have your courtesy title any longer.”
Without looking back at her, the Earl turned on his heel and exited the room, nodding to one of the guards to lock the door again.
Within two hours Miss Catherine Smith was being transported towards Southampton in the back of a cart.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Since Penny did not accompany them into Kent, Elizabeth elected to walk in the morning even though there were a few riding horses in the stables. She made this decision starting with the day after that despicable woman had been sent to the ship which would take her far away from all of them.
The permanent removal of Catherine Smith and her complete defanging did not reduce Elizabeth’s guards’ vigilance. Although she enjoyed having John Biggs and Brian Johns close by, Elizabeth did not love the need for their continued presence in her life. With everything she had inherited, she was now one of the wealthiest heiresses in the country. Try as they may to keep her wealth secret, word would leak out and then she would be a target of every fortune hunter in the realm.
It was a cool autumn morning when Elizabeth made her way down to the entrance hall. Even though her dress was black, her pelisse and scarf were a royal blue, while her thick gloves were a shade of beige.
On arriving where the butler was waiting to assist the new mistress into her outerwear, Elizabeth was very pleased to find Cousin William, as she called him now, waiting for her. He was already dressed for outdoors; his heavy greatcoat with its black armband on his left sleeve. It was buttoned closed and he too wore a scarf and thick gloves. His beaver was atop his head and he smiled when he saw her.
Not that it was important to him, but Darcy was now aware of the Bennets’ true position regarding dowries and wealth. After the reading of the genuine will Bennet had taken him into his confidence.
Now he stood watching this enticing beautyapproaching him. She glowed when she saw him and Darcy was well pleased he had been able to bring her out of the melancholy she often slipped into when she had time to think of her sadness at Uncle Lewis’s and Anne’s passing.
“Cousin Elizabeth, if I am disturbing your intention for a solitary ramble, I will not bother you, but if you do not object, I seek your permission to walk with you,” Darcy gave a half bow.
“Other than John and Brian,” Elizabeth saw Cousin William’s brows knit in question. “You know them as Biggs and Johns, I was planning on walking alone with just my escorts.” Darcy nodded his comprehension. There was no missing how his face fell at her statement. “However, your company would only enhance my enjoyment of my walk.”
A wide smile of pleasure lit up Cousin William’s face displaying his dimples in all of their glory.
‘Five weeks of mourning to go,’ Elizabeth reminded herself. Regardless of Anne’s belief they would do well together, she would not explore a relationship with him until the six weeks had passed. Besides, by then his deep mourning period for an uncle and cousin would also be concluded.
Biggs and Johns were waiting for their new mistress just out of the front doors under the portico. Mr. Darcy was well known to them so they knew he was no threat to Miss Lizzy.
Elizabeth accepted the offer of his arm and rested her hand on his forearm. Even through the layers of clothing and her thick gloves she could tell the arm underneath was well defined. She shook her head as she lifted her eye to the brightening sky. ‘You are not going to make this easy for me, are you Annie? How will I last not showing my feelings for five more weeks?’ Elizabeth enquired silently. She swore she could hear Anne’s laugh on the breeze.
