“You told me about the setdown that you received from Jane Bennet when you tried to excuse your behaviour rather than make a true apology. Has nothing that has happened given you cause to re-evaluate your life and your choices?” she pushed, cutting him off for one of the few times in their lives.
“I -argh! It is so hard! I try but no matter how I resolve to change, nothing has changed and as quickly as I make the resolution, I forget it.” He took a measured breath and settled. “Once theTonsee us at the Bedford–Jersey Ball, we will be back in everyone’s good graces and we will not need Darcy. Caroline will be happy to be accepted in the first circles. You will see, all will be well,” he offered with a half-smile in an effort to convince himself as much as his older sister.
“I hope so, Charles, I truly hope so!” she simply said. Despite how many doubts she had, Louisa did not express them to her brother.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Andrew Fitzwilliam and his wife Marie joined Anne at the entrance of Rosings Park’s manor house to welcome Ian Ashby’s carriage as it came to a halt under the portico. Their children were in the nursery with their nursemaids. Ashby was the first to exit the coach, He was a tall man, not as tall as Lord Hilldale, but tall nonetheless with sandy blond hair and green eyes.
Anne could not remember seeing such a pleasant looking man who was not a relative before. Then again, other than her cousins, Lady Catherine had made sure that her daughter saw almost no men. He was followed by a gentleman who she assumed to be Mr Benjamin Harrison, the curate that was at Rosings Park to investigate if he would be a good fit to receive the living tied to the Hunsford parish.
After brief greetings and introductions, the gentlemen were shown to their rooms to refresh themselves from the road. It was agreed that they would all meet in the drawing room in an hour. As the men were led away by the butler, whom Anne had been pleased to retain due to his loyalty, she smiled to herself. ‘Were Lady Catherine not already insane, the knowledge that a curate was being hosted in this house surely would have done it.’
Anne had received a letter from Uncle Reggie that Andrew and Marie had delivered directly to her when they arrived the previous day. The missive, besides repeating her uncle’s offer to assist her in any way that she needed or wanted, informed her that her former mother was now ensconced in the most secure wing at Falconwood, where she would spend the rest of her days on this mortal coil. Anne felt no remorse or sympathy for Lady Catherine. How could she feel anything but disdain, or even hate, for a woman that let her avarice and desire for power do what she had done to her daughter? Even worse, that she had planned to murder Anne! Rather than dwell on her maudlin thoughts, Anne thought about the first meeting with the potential new pastor in the drawing room earlier. ‘His behaviour upon being introduced was all that was correct, despite the elevated company in which he stood. There was no display of obsequious behaviour, nor did he bow and scrape like the sycophants my mother preferred. He certainly did not seem to be of mean understanding.’ Anne already felt good about Mr Harrison as a choice, but she wished to see him at the pulpit Sunday, and to observe his interactions with the parishioners. With that decision made, Anne’s mind turned to their other visitor, and the image of him was immediately recalled.
‘Oh my,’Anne thought as she felt a warm sensation that she could not identify spread throughout her body, ‘Mr Ashby is such a handsome man. Am I attracted to him or is it just because he is the first man that I have seen outside of my family and that quack that Lady Catherine foisted on me? Could such a man see me as more than a homely, sickly woman?’ Her thoughts were interrupted by her cousin Marie.
“Anne, are you well? I have tried to get your attention a number of times and you did not hear me,” she said with a tinge of concern in her voice.
“I am well Marie; I was just wool-gathering,” Anne blushed hotter. Marie studied Anne for but a moment before she understood Anne was in her first blush of attraction, and it was easy to guess with whom. Her mouth formed a perfect ‘O’ as she assessed her cousin then closed in and took her arm.
“You have very good taste, cousin,” Marie whispered, smiling when Anne could not help but giggle a little and hoped that she would hear it endlessly from now on.
An hour later the gentlemen joined them in the now pleasant drawing room. As it was a public room, one of the first guests to her home would see, Anne had redecorated it first. Gone was anything of Lady Catherine’s preference, as it was all too awful to be allowed to remain. The room was now tasteful, functional, comfortable, and elegant. Anne had found some decent furnishing at the small furniture maker’s warehouse in Hunsford, but she planned to travel back to Town with Andrew and Marie after the living at Hunsford was settled on a worthy man. Her desire was to go to Chippendale’s to order furniture, and to replace the poor and classless taste that had been Lady Catherine’s with furniture which would show her house to be a home of elegance. Her goal was to have the manor not be so muted as Darcy House nor quite so obvious as Aunt Elaine’s. Exactly in the middle was her aim and Marie was maybe the only one who knew precisely what that meant.
Anne’s initial opinions about Mr Harrison were confirmed as they spoke. He was an intelligent and well-read man, and not just in religious tracts. He thankfully did not favour the writings or opinions of one Reverend Fordyce, and he wrote his own sermons without any input or review by his patron or patroness. He very strongly stated that his duty was to his parishioners and that he would never share any confidences that they chose to share with him unless they expressly authorised him to do so. He was respectful during the interview, where he defended his perspective, even disagreeing with the interviewers on some points, regardless of the rank or standing of the individual with whom he conversed. Anne was ready to offer him the living on the spot; however, she had decided to wait until she saw him lead the worship service on Sunday, two days hence. So far, her decisions were all working to the benefit of Rosings Park, so she would go with her gut feeling. It was likely that the parishioners would think it odd that she would be observing them this coming service, but she wanted to see that they approved as the assignment of the living affected them more than it did her.
Mr Ashby remained quiet and allowed his friend to speak for himself. As he sat watching the back and forth, he admitted to himself that looks could be very deceiving. On first meeting he thought Anne de Bourgh was shy, retiring, and not too intelligent. As she interviewed Harrison, asking insightful and well thought out questions, he soon saw that his initial impression had been wrong,verywrong. This was no wallflower but a strong, intelligent woman who, the more he watched and listened, became more and more attractive to him. He decided that if she would allow it, he would like to get to know her better. He would make an effort to engage her while he was here to test the waters, so to speak.
Andrew proposed that the men ride around the neighbourhood so that Harrison could meet some of his potential parishioners and also go to see the parsonage and the church. This was agreed to with alacrity and soon the men departed for the stables. After they had left the house, Marie Fitzwilliam asked a footman to have her children brought to her and then she turned to Anne and surprised her cousin greatly as she openly asked what she had before surmised.
“What do you think of Mr Ashby, Anne?” Marie challenged with an arched brow.
“He is a very gentlemanly man and I am sure that his wife or lady in his life is very pleased by him.” Anne felt caught as she was in a whirlwind she did not know how to describe. They had barely exchanged more than a few sentences, but she blushed becomingly as she met Marie’s eyes.
“Anne, he is unattached and very single. I asked because I saw the way that you looked at him while you thought no one was watching you, and I saw the way he would surreptitiously look at you. I have known him these six years I have been married to my Andrew and my husband has known him since they were at Eton together. Andrew thinks him the best of men,” Marie offered the intelligence as her smile grew.
“Look at me, Marie. No man could be interested in me except for my property and fortune!” Anne admitted her fear out loud, her expression turning sadder the more she allowed herself to dwell on it.
“Stuff and nonsense, Anne de Bourgh!” Marie countered hotly. “You may not see it, but the rest of us who have seen you since you broke the chains with which Lady Catherine had bound you can plainly see that you have blossomed!” Marie exclaimed with feeling. “Any man smart enough to see you for yourself would be very lucky to win your heart, and not because of your property or fortune.
“Mr Ashby needs neither. Yes, he is a second son of the Earl of Ashbury, but unlike Richard he has a large estate and wealth of his own. He was left Sherwood Park in Surrey along with a fortune, a large one, by his maternal grandmother. She had only one child, her daughter who is the Earl’s wife, so as the estate and her fortune had no entailment and the Earl’s heir had no need for it, she left it all to Mr Ashby.”
“Sherwood Park is larger than your estate and has income of at least four thousand pounds per annummorethan what Rosings Park should earn once things are set to rights. We would never bring a fortune hunter near you Anne, that I can promise you. Get to know him, and then if there is something there, you can decide what to do if there is mutual interest,” Marie soothed.
Anne thought about Marie’s words and as she did the nursemaids brought the delightful children to her cousin. David bounded in with all of the energy and enthusiasm of a three-year-old while Gillian opened her arms as soon as she spied her mother. She wobbled and only fell onto her derrière once before she was safely ensconced in her mother’s loving arms.
“I will not close myself to the possibilities, Marie. Let us see what happens, if anything,” Anne promised. Happy to hear that her cousin would not discount the possibility of future marital felicity, and with her children settled and happily playing with toys on the rug, Lady Marie changed the subject.
“How is the steward that my father-in-law sent to you working out? Kaleb Firth I believe. He was an under steward at Snowhaven, and I know that both Andrew and his father thought him qualified and ready to be a steward in his own right,” Marie inquired, as that was an answer that she hoped was positive.
“Mr Firth has already made a positive impact in the short time he has been here. I was worried that we would lose more tenants as we already had under Lady Catherine, but as soon as the tenants that were considering leaving met with Mr Firth and saw that he was a knowledgeable steward that would help them, they decided to stay and renew their leases. In fact, one of the long-time tenants that left has applied to return. Since their former farm was still vacant, they have been granted a new lease.” Anne smiled with relief.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
As the three men rode around the village visiting sceptical parishioners, who had disliked the previous parson intensely, some even losing their trust in the clergy, most were pleasantly surprised when they met the candidate to replace the despised Mr Collins. It soon became evident that this man was the exact opposite of his predecessor and that he would represent their interests and not that of his patroness. Word spread like wildfire through the village and surrounding area that a good man could be the next parson at Hunsford. He was as needed by the parishioners as the parched earth needed the rains. Hearing that the man would be preaching on Sunday coming, the inhabitants of the area were keen to attend for the first time since Mr Collins darkened the altar of the Hunsford Church. In the past, threats and browbeating by the mostly hated and feared Lady Catherine kept them attending services. Finally, they wanted to attend for themselves and their faith.
When they arrived at the parsonage, the three men tied their horses at the gate. “The house looks like a good house, much larger than my modest dwelling I had as a curate. The glebe lands look large and well-kept as well,” Mr Harrison offered as he surveyed the parsonage that could be his home if he was offered and accepted the living. So far, he had seen nothing that would cause him to refuse if it was offered to him.
