~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Unfortunately that evening, Anne was not feeling well enough to travel the short three miles to Longbourn. As such, Mrs Annesley remained with her.
Even though they had been prepared to meet them by Charlotte and her betrothed, Sir William and Lady Lucas were awed by their future son-in-law’s parents. Due to this fact, no mention of how he earned his knighthood or his investiture at St James’s Palace crossed Sir William’s lips.
Prior to, and during dinner, it was noted that Mary was not shying away from Johnny Lucas’s attention. Before Mary had changed her style of dress and hair, even though she had felt attracted to Johnny, she had been too shy to act on it. She was not doing anything overt, but she was no longer showing disinterest in his overtures. Jane and Elizabeth looked at Charlotte who displayed a smug smile. She had told them more than a year past that Johnny had atendrefor Mary, and they had told her she was wrong.
The three were thrilled that come the twentieth of August, Charlotte would be a sister to the Bennet sisters she had viewed as best of friends for many years. They were aware that Andrew, Richard, and William were in anticipation of becoming brothers.
After dinner, when Fanny discussed the subject with herdaughters, it was decided they would go to London the day after Charlotte’s wedding. They would not be able to travel with the Gardiners, who would depart for their own home on the morrow. That was not an issue because, as had been predicted, Jane and Lizzy would be hosted at Matlock House along with Gigi, Mary, and Kitty. Either Lady Elaine, Mrs Taylor, or Mrs Annesley would be with one of the couples at all times when they were together.
Jane and Elizabeth invited their mother to join them in Town. She had demurred citing the planning of their wedding as the reason. That was another of many changes in their mother. Rather than forego such an opportunity before, she would have loudly and vociferously demanded she be included.
Fanny had suggested, and her daughters had agreed with alacrity, that their Aunt Maddie be included in their plans for shopping. Fanny was able to own that Maddie’s ideas about fashion aligned with her daughters’ desires much closer than her own. With great pleasure, Maddie had agreed to join them. Regardless of not having a limited budget—each of their respective betrotheds had demanded the right to purchase the clothes they would need for society and the north—Jane and Elizabeth had decided to choose the fabric from Uncle Edward’s warehouse, as it was both the best and far less than purchasing the same bolts from a modiste’s shop would be.
No voice of opposition had been raised.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
St Alfred’s church in Meryton was filled to capacity to see the former Miss Lucas marry for the second time. Word about the truth of the late Mr Collins’s character had made its way through the area. Hence, even those who would have liked to catch the wealthy and well-connected Mr Fitzwilliam for themselves whispered not oneword about the speed of her marriage since the date of Mr Collins’s death.
Any of those who used to call Charlotte plain had to eat their words on Wednesday morning. She was glowing with happiness and looked very pretty in a pale pink wedding gown and matching wedding bonnet. Sir William could not have looked prouder as he walked her up the aisle and placed his eldest daughter’s hand on Fitzwilliam’s arm.
Maria had the honour of standing up with her older sister.
The choice had been much harder for Fitzwilliam, but in the end, his brother had insisted he choose William.
The rector of St Alfred’s conducted the service as was expected, and when he asked if there was anyone who objected, he was met with blissful silence. He had continued, and soon enough, he announced them man and wife. If the newly married Fitzwilliams spent longer than normal in the registry, no one begrudged them the time they took. Also, there were no bawdy comments about the state of their lips made when they returned.
A sumptuous wedding breakfast was enjoyed at Lucas Lodge. Rather than competing, Fanny had assisted her friend to plan and execute the celebratory meal. The two matrons were closer than they had been since they had been girls in pigtails.
Anne de Bourgh could not remember a day she had been happier. She had felt far stronger the day of the wedding, which had allowed her to attend the church and the breakfast at Lucas Lodge. When her newly married cousins departed for Fitzwilliam House on Berkeley Square, Anne had stood on Uncle Reggie’s arm among the family to farewell Charlotte and Richard. With her blessing, Richard had changed the name of the house from de Bourgh House.
For Charlotte Fitzwilliam, this day seemed likesomething right out of one of her dreams. She had dreamt of escaping her nightmare marriage and ending up with Colonel Fitzwilliam. Other than the fact that her husband was no longer in the army, everything else had come to pass.
Charlotte and Richard Fitzwilliam would arrive back in the area two days before the double wedding.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
So that she would not be alone at Netherfield Park when those travelling to London departed on Friday, Anne was invited to stay at Longbourn, where she would be looked after by Mrs Bennet. Shortly after her arrival at the Bennet estate, Anne was invited to call Mrs Bennet Aunt Fanny.
Chapter 32
Lady Catherine de Bourgh would not accept that all of her brilliant machinations to control Rosings Park and the de Bourgh fortune had come to nought. Since her ignominious banishment to the dower house, each attempt to escape her prison had been thwarted by those big, brainless brutes whom Anne had employed to imprison her mother.
Her soft-minded, sickly daughter had signed everything over to Richard Fitzwilliam. It was not to be borne; it was all supposed to be hers, not some second son who had refused to die on the battlefields of the Peninsula.
Then, she had heard some news which she could not allow to come to fruition. That woman who had been her useless parson’s wife was to marry her nephew and become the mistress of Rosings Park. Well, Lady Catherine Winifred de Bourgh would not allow that travesty! She had begun to plan how to gain a foothold in the mansion once again, but so far, nothing had come to her.
As if by divine assistance, she had overheard two of the guards mentioning how the master, new mistress, and Miss de Bourgh were away from the estate to celebrate the wedding which had been solemnised a day or two prior.
That knowledge had inspired her to formulate her plan. A plan she was certain could not fail. She would start a fire this very night, and the big oafs would have no choice but to move her to the mansion. Once there, she would put things to rights. It would be easy to achieve without her gaolers at Rosings Park.The staff and servants would not gainsay her.
That night after her nighttime cup of hot chocolate was brought to her, Lady Catherine gathered the paper and kindling she had collected from the other bedchambers in the house and piled what she had at the base of the drapes in her room. She lit a taper and touched it to the paper. As she could not be heard screaming ‘fire’ before it had become more significant, Lady Catherine hungrily drank down her hot chocolate. At least, they had not taken that luxury from her.
Before she could put her plan in motion and scream for help, she fell back on her bed, in a deep sleep.
What she did not know was that a drop or two of laudanum was added to her drink every night to make sure she slept and did not cause trouble like she had when she was first moved to the dower house.
