The moment he saw the steely look of determination on his wife’s mien and the call for a small repast for the children to be made and tea served to all, he knew her desire to protect, and help had come to the fore. There would be no fiercer protector of the Darcy son and daughter than Fanny Bennet, of that her husband was certain.
Chapter 14
Lady Anne Darcy was laid to rest on the fourteenth day of July, three days after her death. It was warm already—not as bad as London and the south—and her husband had no desire to keep his wife in the icehouse.
As she was his late wife’s sister, Darcy had sent a notification of her death to his wayward sister-in-law the day before the funeral, making sure that if, as he and Lord Matlock suspected, she would make for Pemberley to try and renew some of her fantasies, there would be no one but their close extended family present to see the scene she was sure to create.
The Prince had filled a dual role; he had represented a close family friend, one considered family, as well as being the royal presence at the funeral. The Darcys were not titled—although the Royals had attempted to offer them a dukedom over the years—but they were considered one of the foremost families in the realm.
In order to keep the De Melvilles away, a letter had been sent from Lady Elaine, informing them they were not welcome as Lady Anne had decried their treatment of their friend, a sentiment that Lady Matlock and her husband supported wholeheartedly. Rather than cause a scene and always cognisant of what society thought of them, the De Melvilles did not attend the funeral.
While many members of theTonwere present, those not out in society were kept out of sight. Gigi had been asked to spend an hour with some of the ladies who knew her mother, though she stayed close to her Aunt Elaine and her Aunt Edith. Andrew, Jamie, Richard, and William attended the interment and spent time with those who called afterward to convey their sympathy.
By the day after Lady Anne Darcy was laid to rest in her grave, only the Prince and the three families were left with the Darcys at Pemberley. The next day, the expected arrival of Lady Catherine de Bourgh came to pass.
“Where is my brother; I am come to take charge of his house,” Lady Catherine’s voice reverberated around the entrance hall. “Are my daughter and her betrothed here? Where are they? Bring them to me now!” Her voice was accompanied by the click-clack of her cane on the entrance hall’s marble floor.
“Catherine, what an unpleasant surprise; while we expected your arrival, you are most unwelcome,” Darcy stated as he descended the stairs.
Her brother-in-law was followed by a group of people Lady Catherine did not recognise save her brother and hated sister-in-law, who would never bend to her will. “Come Robert, we cannot discuss private family business in front of strangers. Who are these hangers-on? Trying to take advantage of you in your grief, no doubt.” Lady Catherine was sure she would be able to manipulate her late sister’s husband, just so long as she could get him alone. The fool had been weak enough to love her sister, so she would exploit his love to get that which she desired.
“Theonlyreason you were allowed past the gatehouse was because my Anne, your sister, passed,” Darcy growled at Lady Catherine, who was taken aback at the vehemence of his response. “In that, I gave you too much credit. You never cared for either Anne—my wife or your daughter. The only one you care about is yourself.”
“Darcy, let us take this into the drawing room,” Lord Matlock suggested.
Darcy indicated Lady Catherine should precede him into the drawing room. She thought they would be alone, and she would be able to recover her perceived advantage. She was proven wrong—again!
“Why must these who are nobody toourdear Anne accompany us?” Lady Catherine gave an imperious sniff as she looked down her nose at the five individuals she did not know in the drawing room.
The Prince, the Carringtons, and the Bennets chose to remain silent—for the moment—and to allow the woman to dig herself a deeper hole.
“Why are you here, Cathy?” Lord Matlock asked. “It is certainly not to mourn Anne or condole with the Darcys.”
“Our brother is in mourning; he needs someone to run his house, and I intend to honour my sister by formalising the betrothal between Fitzwilliam and Anne,” Lady Catherine prevaricated.
“Are you out of your senses, woman?” Robert Darcy thundered. “It shows your total want of feelings for anyone that you would dare to come try and perpetrate that old lie of yours just days after my wife’s death. If you were the last woman in the world, I would not trust you to run my household. Anne wrote a number of letters before she became unable to do so, one of which is addressed to you as she foresaw your very despicable actions.”
“Let me see my letter,” Lady Catherine demanded. She did not, however, miss the looks of derision and disdain being directed her way by everyone else in the room. “Do not look so at your betters,” she hissed at the five she did not know.
“I will read it so you cannot consign it to the fire and then lie about the contents,” Darcy stated firmly.
Lady Catherine was none too happy, for she had intended to do just that.
20 June 1803
Catherine:
If my Robert is reading this letter to you, then you have done what I was sure you would do; you have arrived at my home full of bluster and demands, repeating the lie I refuted more times than I care to remember.
First, not once did I ever agree to your ridiculous demand of a betrothal between William and Anne. Second, it is only my Robert who may make an agreement on our side, and our brother, Reggie, who may do so on yours. You, Sister, are not Anne’s guardian; he is.
You have been under the misapprehension of two salient points for so long. One, the love Robert and I share somehow makes us weak and susceptible to your machinations. Two, the more times you repeat a lie, the more others believe it.
You, Catherine, are a disgrace to our family. You never took the time to be educated, yet you try and pontificate on all things without any knowledge. Anne’s estate, yes, and I repeat,Anne’sestate, would be bankrupt under your rule had you been granted any power over it in Lewis’s will or by our brother, who is the executor.
Now it is time for a little surprise of my own since you decided to come and surprise us all, sister dearest, and I am sure you were rude and dismissive to our friends who are with Robert and the Fitzwilliams—more than likely you insulted them. Do you know what the penalty for insulting a Prince of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland is?
No? Well, you are about to find out, Catherine.
