So that his sister’s name would not be mentioned in a trial, Darcy told Mrs Younge that his uncle, the Earl of Matlock, would have her branded and transported if she ever mentioned the name Darcy again, or even if she did anything that was not honest.
After making sure that nothing belonging to the house or Anna was in Mrs Younge’s possessions, Darcy had her ejected from the house.
Rather than leave the next day, Darcy and the older Thompson brother rode to the pawnbroker in Ramsgate. There they found Anna’s items. After giving the owner the option of them paying him what he paid for the items and no more, or having him arrested for accepting stolen items, the wise man chose the former. He made no profit, but at least he lost nothing, and he had not been reported to the magistrate.
Anna was still sniffling while sitting on the forward-facing bench across from Darcy. Aside from wanting to see Wickham punished, Darcy wanted to beat him severely for destroying Anna’s self-confidence. With a deep sigh, he set aside his pride and told his sister most of the truth about George Wickham. Thankfully, the way the libertine had thrown her to the floor and run had shown Anna that he had no love for her.
She accepted that the only one George Wickham loved was himself. Also, she could see he had only been interested in hurting William and claiming her dowry of thirty thousand pounds.
He was dreading telling Richard, who had been appointed co-guardian in Darcy’s late father’s will. He was aware his cousin would have Wickham hunted down. If that was the case, Darcy would do nothing to discourage Richard. As hard as it would be to enumerate his failings, as he saw them, he would have to consult Aunt Elaine and Uncle Reggie, Richard’s parents, as he would need their help to get Anna on the road to repairing her destroyed confidence and belief in her own judgment.
He would not involve Andrew, as he was still on his wedding trip with Lady Marie Fitzwilliam née Russell. Hiseldest cousin had married the only daughter of the Duke of Bedford less than a month past. Darcy envied Andrew: he had found a love match with a high-society lady. Darcy hated being hunted like a prize stag, but he knew at some point he would need to be caught. There was still time, he was only eight and twenty and Andrew had been two and thirty when he married.
His thoughts did not distract him from how furious Richard would be when Darcy told him all. As soon as the letters from Anna stopped—her letters to him, and his to her, had been found in a drawer in Mrs Younge’s chamber—Darcy knew he should have informed Richard. His belief in the correctness of his own judgements had caused him to go on his own.
He had much to consider. He pushed his back against the squabs and attempted to get some rest. He did not succeed.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
As he did every day except for the Sabbath, Collins reported to the mansion to see Lady Catherine. He bowed before his munificent patroness to answer any queries she may have and to accept any pearls of wisdom she was willing to dispense. As she demanded from him, Collins bowed as low as he was able without toppling over, although with his girth it was a near thing.
Lady Catherine needed to pre-empt the buffoon’s questions about theinvestmentshe had made for him. She smiled to herself. It had been a personal investment. She had acquired five more paintings to fill spaces on the walls in the main hall. She hated open spaces. The more she had, the more she intimidated her callers. After all, she had done him a favour spending his money on magnificent art. Being that he was a low-born nobody, he would have only wasted it, so she had done nothing wrong.
To that end, she spoke before the simpleton could. “MrCollins, you must marry. A clergyman like you must marry. Chuse properly; chuse a gentlewoman for my sake and for your own. Let her be an active, useful sort of person, not brought up high, but able to make a small income go a good way. This is my advice. Find such a woman as soon as you can, bring her to Hunsford, and I will allow her to visit me.” Lady Catherine paused as she stared at her underling imperiously. “Did you not tell me you are the heir to an estate in Hertfordshire?”
“I-indeed, your Ladyship,” Collins managed. He had wanted to ask about his funds and how much they were earning in dividends, but he had forgotten to ask after listening to Lady Catherine’s instructions and questions.
“And did you not tell me that your cousin is a widower with five daughters?” Lady Catherine continued.
“Yes, but my cousin may marry and sire a son, cheating me out of my birthright,” Collins responded. “I did tell him that I forbade him to marry. I hope he heeded my instructions. As there is a break between us, I have heard nothing else from him.”
“You are a clergyman! Surely it is part of your role as one to grant forgiveness and make peace where you can? It is time for you to heal the breach and offer an olive branch,” Lady Catherine stated.
“B-but m-my c-cousin i-i-insulted m-m-my honoured f-father,” Collins stammered.
“Are you gainsaying me?” Lady Catherine thundered. She was pleased to see her underling cower in fear. “I have issued my orders. Youwillwrite to this cousin of yours and seek a reconciliation with these … what is the family name?”
“Bennet, your beneficence,” Collins responded.
“Write to this Bennet and offer what I told you. I am sure it will ensure he does not need to marry again if he knowswhen you marry one of them, his daughters will have security in his home once he goes to his final reward,” Lady Catherine insisted. She waved to dismiss her vassal.
As she demanded he do, Collins backed out of the chamber, bowing and scraping as he went.
Miss Anne de Bourgh, who would be five and twenty in November, was sitting silently next to her companion, Mrs Jenkinson, and, as her mother instructed, very near to the built-up fire and with three shawls over her shoulders. Her mother was unaware Anne was not sickly and had not been so since she recovered from her bout of scarlet fever twenty years past.
She was biding her time until the thirteenth of November. In the meanwhile, she was very observant and wondered what her mother’s game was.
She would have Jenki post an epistle to Uncle Reggie. So that her mother could not intercept them, she had all of her letters posted from Hunsford. Any missives she received were posted to the inn in Hunsford. For a small fee, the landlord of the Blue Heron Inn held her post until Jenki collected them for her.
Collins made for the study in his parsonage to begin to craft the letter to his cousin. He was well aware that Lady Catherine would need to see it and make any changes she decided were required before he would be permitted to scribe the final draft and only then, seal, and post it. He would not allow himself to question Lady Catherine’s wisdom, so heal the breach he would.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
“Papa, I was visiting Charlotte this morning and she informed me that Netherfield Park is to have a new tenant,” Elizabeth reported on arriving home and entering her father’sstudy to greet her sire.
“When is this tenant going to take up residence and is he single?” Bennet asked.
“The final day of September, and the autumn assembly is on that first Friday of October, so hopefully there will be more men than usual. Charlotte was not sure if he is single, but she thinks so. He is from the north; Charlotte believes she heard Uncle Frank mention Scarborough,” Elizabeth remembered. She could repeat the conversation, but she did not think that was needed.
