Chapter 16
Mr Ashby arrived at Matlock House at exactly nine in the morning. Anne had agreed to walk in Hyde Park with him. Not many minutes later the couple, chaperoned by Mrs Jenkinson and escorted by a footman, walked into the park for their constitutional. It was not the fashionable hour, but then again neither member of the couple cared about being seen by, or seeing, others wholly unconnected with them. They chose the hour to walk that they did for two reasons: one was due to the lack of promenading couples, and the second was that the day was cooler as it was nearing the end of the spring. After walking for about a half hour, Ashby asked Anne if she would like to sit on a bench next to the Serpentine.
While they sat on one bench, Mrs Jenkinson sat on another where she could see them but not hear their conversation. The footman took up a station behind the bench the companion sat on.
“I am envious of Richard. If all goes according to plan he will be betrothed to the delightful and gorgeous Lady Jane by this afternoon. I am nothing to her or any of her sisters,” Anne opened the conversation quite daringly for a lady.
“Please never speak like that about yourself, Miss de Bourgh,” Ashby said with reproach. “You are everything that a young lady should be. Do not sell yourself short. Since your liberation from that tyrannical woman who posed as your mother, your innate beauty has shone through the veneer that you used to protect yourself from her evil scheme.” Ashby watched her, wondering if she was truly so insecure or worried about his possibly changing his affections to another.
“That is very kind of you to say Mr Ashby. I never expected you to pay me compliments that I do not deserve,” Anne replied quietly as she lightly blushed while looking downward to avoid his eyes. Ashby lifted Anne’s chin gently with his fingers so that she was required to meet his eyes.
“It is not my habit to dissemble. I always tell you the absolute truth. You are everything that I want in a woman, Anne. You know it is you that I want, not Rosings Park. We have discussed Sherwood Park and my legacy; I have no need for more wealth. I admire your strength. I cannot see any other lady of my acquaintance that would have endured what you did at her hands, and rather than break, be stronger for the experience,” He murmured all the while holding her eyes with his so that she could see the truth in them.
“It isyouthat I love, Anne, no one else. For me it can never be anyone else but you. If it were not for the fact that I promised your uncle a minimum of a four-week courtship, I would offer for you right now to gain my deepest wish and hopefully fulfil yours. Do not make any mistake, Anne de Bourgh, the minute that the required courtship period passes I will be in front of you on bended knee. Never devalue yourself again, I beg you, Anne. You own my heart, now and forever. I would like to request that when we are alone you call me Ian. To me, you have been Anne for some time.” He caressed her jaw gently then let her go, as he no longer had to help her keep her head up. He felt like a hero and a gentleman when he saw her tears of joy flow freely. Anne looked at the man she loved and knew that he spoke the absolute truth.
“You love me Ian? I did not want to allow myself to hope as I love you more than I do any other, even life itself. My mind was trying to convince my heart that you would end the courtship without making me an offer of marriage. If you want, I will talk to Uncle Reggie about shortening the period that he stipulated,” Anne held her breath.
Withdrawing his handkerchief from his pocket, he gently wiped his beloved’s tears away. “No Anne, we will use the four weeks to get to know each other much better. When you leave London, I will escort you back to Rosings Park. I have an open invitation from Harrison. As much as I would love to stay in your home, I will not breech the bounds of propriety and risk your reputation for anything.” He winked at her and was proud to elicit a giggle.
The acknowledged lovers talked for almost an hour before Anne was returned to Matlock House. On her return she found Richard pacing in the family sitting room, glancing at the clock every few moments like a caged tiger. He continued to pace until his mother ordered him to sit. He did so with a huff, claiming he was not a little boy to be ordered so, while so obviously behaving like one. At fifteen minutes before the hour, Richard shot out of his chair as a cannonball would be thrust out of a cannon and was out the door before anyone could remind him it was too early.
At ten minutes before eleven o’clock in the morning, Richard Fitzwilliam was announced to the master of the house who was in his study. After greeting each other, the Earl invited him to sit. “How may I help you Mr Fitzwilliam?”
“My Lord, I am here to request a private interview with your daughter,” a very nervous Richard answered with beads of sweat on his brow as he was desperate for his future to start with his Jane. Bennet decided that just because he was now a peer of the realm did not mean that he could not have some sport with the uncomfortable man.
“I have four daughters in the house, to which of them would you like to speak? If it is Kitty, I will insist that you wait until she has her come out.” Bennet waited; his brow arched in inquisition.
“Excuse my lack of clarity, Lord Longbourn,” his victim said with a little asperity, “it is Lady Jane that I desire to talk to.”
“What would be the purpose of the interview? It cannot be that a penniless soldier who informed my Lizzy that he needs to marry with an eye to money wants to ask my Jane for her hand is it?” Bennet challenged.
Just before he launched into a tirade, the frustrated man saw his tormentor’s lips lift and then turn into a full-blown smile. ‘The man is toying with me. It is good that I kept my cool, anger would not have assisted my suit.’
“You can relax young man, I know that you are no fortune hunter, so yes, you may talk to Jane, but are you asking for her hand or a courtship?” Bennet asked in all seriousness. A father likes to know these things so it was a reasonable question.
“I want to ask for her hand, your Lordship, but if she chooses a courtship, so be it. I will do whatever she requires,” Richard said fervently.
‘Smart man this, yes, he will do. I like that he respects Jane enough to make it her choice. He will do very well indeed.’ Bennet smiled to himself. “Go to it son. I will be here for whichever question you desire to ask me after your conference with Jane. Of course, that is assuming that she gives you a positive answer,” Bennet reminded him it was not afait accompli, and Richard again was nervous.
Recognising that he was being teased again, he thanked the Earl and made his way to the family sitting room. He found the ladies of the house assembled in the room working on various pieces of embroidery. They all stood as he entered, and after they had curtsied to him and he bowed to them he offered a greeting.
“Good morning your Ladyship, ladies. I have the Earl’s permission to have a private interview with Lady Jane.” He bowed his head to the Countess then locked his eyes on his Jane.
“Come Lizzy, Mary, Kitty, let us depart. The door will remain cracked open to observe propriety, Mr Fitzwilliam,” the beaming Countess said as she led her second, third, and fourth daughters from the room. She knew what the man was about; she had seen his intentions to her oldest clearly besides Jane informing her that he was to call this morning.
Once the door was almost closed it took him but two strides to reach the lady he loved who seemingly had an ethereal glow about her. As he took her hand, he lowered himself on bended knee. “Lady Jane, Jane I love you. Most ardently. I had not known you for very long before I realised that you are the woman who completes me. If I may borrow from the Chinese, you are the yin to my yang. Whenever I look into the future, there is no version that I can conjure where you are not beside me, my helpmeet, and my partner.
“I am not looking for a trophy to adorn my arm. I am looking for a true, shared relationship where we decide things together, where we are completely open and honest with each other. It will be my life’s work to make sure that your needs are always met before mine, and your happiness will always be my priority.
“We have known one another for only a relatively short time, but I do not require any more time to be certain that you are the only one with whom I want to make life’s journey. I am offering my hand to you Jane, but if you need more time then I will happily ask for a courtship. It is up to you to accept one or the other, or I pray not, reject both.” He held his breath and if anything, the joy that Jane projected increased tenfold. She thankfully did not make him wait very long a reply.
“Yes Richard, a thousand times over, yes, I will marry you. You are the only one for me. You have shown me the difference between the love of a man and the infatuation of a boy.” If Richard doubted that his beloved held any residual tender feelings for Bingley they disappeared. “I love you with all that I am, and I cannot wait to start the journey of life with you.”
Hearing her answer, Richard’s heart soared to heights that before this moment he could not have imagined in his wildest dream. As he stood, he removed his maternal grandmother’s ring from his pocket. It was gold with a deep blue sapphire in the centre surrounded by six diamonds. She held her left hand out for him and he gently slid the ring down and into place on her fourth finger.
“Thank you, Richard, it is beyond beautiful,” she gasped as she looked at it then again looked up into his eyes.
“It does not come close to your beauty.” He drew her to himself as he spoke, the roughness of his voice belying the depth of his emotion, as did the breathlessness of hers.
