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“That was very well done, Anne,” Lady Catherine said condescendingly. “It is good you showed him that his pretensions will not be accepted. I have written to the bishop this very day, and when he reads my epistle, he will remove that horrendous parson forthwith.”

As hard as it was not to smile, Anne managed to school her features. She was positive that the letter her mother had posted would have the opposite effect of what she intended. “Thank you, Mother, I could not allow what I saw today to pass without comment. I am sure you know what to write so that the right thing will be done. I am tired now; may I retire to have my cordial and rest?”

“Mrs Jenkinson, you should have taken Miss de Bourgh to rest as soon as you returned,” Lady Catherine scolded.

How Anne loved it when her mother contradicted herself. She allowed her companion to lead her up to her suite. She watched as Mrs Jenkinson poured a measure of the vile concoction. As soon as Anne touched it to her lips, the companion turned to return to her own chamber. The liquid was soon poured into the chamber pot. Thereafter, Anne lay down on her bed and feigned sleep.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

William Collins waited to make sure that Miss de Bourgh and her retinue had left the parsonage’s land before he returned to his study. He unfolded the page that surrounded a sealed missive and began to read.

Make it sound good.

20 May 1811

Mr Collins,

I know it is not proper for a single lady to write to a man to whom she is not connected by family nor to whom she is not engaged. However, in this instance there is no choice.

My mother has any post written by me or sent to me delivered directly to her. The reason is simple. My birthday is the 13th of September, and I will turn 25. At that time, the estate and everything my late father owned becomes my property. Lady Catherine will do everything she is able to so that I cannot claim what is mine.

To that end, about a year after one of her schemes to engage me to my Cousin Darcy failed, she had the apothecary (he is one of her sycophants) begin to formulate a cordial containing laudanum in it.

With my first sip, I could taste the bitter drug, and from that time until now, whenever I am given the vile concoction, I make sure it goes anywhere except in my body. I fear that if all her other half-witted plans fail, that she will claim that I am too feeble to manage my property.

This is where I need your assistance.

My uncle, Lord Reginald Fitzwilliam, the Earl of Matlock, is the executor of my father’s will. However, he is unaware of how my mother treats me. All he hears are my mother’s prevarications, and he has read the letters I was forced to author in which I told him all was well. My uncle does not know I am unable to freely write to him.

I have addressed the enclosed missive to my uncle, and I beg your indulgence to post it for me, but not from Hunsford. I will not take the chance that my mother has bribed the landlord of the Black Bull Inn to return any letter that has been written by me to her.

If you would be willing to post the epistle from Westerham, I would be forever grateful. You have my thanks whether you agree to assist me or not.

Miss Anne de Bourgh

William had thought Lady Catherine just a blowhard before he read what Miss de Bourgh had written. He had never imagined Lady Catherine would go out of her way to harm her own daughter to further her own avaricious endeavours. Of course, he would assist Miss de Bourgh; there was no question. He called for Vulcan to be made ready.

When the groom led the stallion to the drive in front of the house, William was prepared to depart. The letter was safely in the inside pocket of his coat. He made the less than one-hour ride to Bishop Lankershim’s seminary without any trouble.

He was shown into the bishop’s study.

“Collins, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company?” Lankershim queried. “Is all well in Hunsford?”

“I have the parish well in hand and have not allowed Lady Catherine to interfere. However, I discovered today that she is much worse than any of us expected. I am not at liberty to share all with you, as a communication was made in confidence. However, I ask that you have one of your couriers take this letter,” William extracted the epistle from his inside pocket, “to Matlock House in London and deliver it into the hands of the Earl of Matlock.”

“As I know you would not ask this of me without an excellent reason, it will be done.” Lankershim summoned one of his men, and after instructions had been issued, the man walked to the stables and was soon on his way to London. Once they were alone again, Lankershim turned to his protégé. “Now tell me what you have not written in your missives.”

“As we suspected she would, Lady Catherine attempted to sack me. I warned her what the result will be if she does not recede graciously. I do not believe that what she calls her ‘forthright’ character will allow her to accept what I said without attempting to carry her point,” William related. “Other than the noise Lady Catherine makes, I could not be happier with my parish, especially as I have Keating as my curate. As soon as the parishioners understood I was not one who would toady up to my patroness, I was welcomed with open arms.

“One thing I am certain of is that Lady Catherine does not discharge her duties as landlady as she should. Her tenants have cottages in disrepair, and she believes that the normal assistance every landowner gives his tenants only makes them ‘lazier.’ The lady would not know charity and compassion if it stared her in the face. After seeing the classless way she decorates her house, I can see where the money which should go back into the estate has been spent.”

“Belvedere, the late rector before you, told us the same. Unless she attempted to break church laws as she has with you by demanding to know the content of parishioners’ confidential disclosures and trying to write your sermons for you, we could not move against her. Putting you in charge of that parish was for the best,” Lankershim admitted. “Unfortunately, not all men of the cloth would have the character to stand up to Lady Catherine as you have.”

“I thank you for the high praise, my Lord,” William said as he bowed his head to Bishop Lankershim.

“All deserved, my boy, all deserved,” the older man claimed.

Before he stood to depart, William thought of something. “You have been married for many years, have you not?”