Page 24

“Mrs. Darcy?”

Elizabeth was still a little slow in responding to her new moniker, but she answered after only the slightest of hesitations. “Yes, Miss Dawson?”

The lady’s maid who had served Lady Catherine de Bourgh for decades was a lean woman with salt and pepper hair and no hint that laughter had ever creased her face. “If I may trouble you, ma’am, there’s something from my mistresses’ dressing room that I believe you should have.”

Elizabeth could not keep herself from giving the woman a disbelieving look, for surely Lady Catherine’s most personal servant would be well aware of her late mistresses’ antipathy toward the former Miss Bennet.

Doing her best to maintain a level tone, Lizzy answered frankly, “I doubt that I am the appropriate person for any task related to Lady Catherine’s personal things. Perhaps Lord Matlock might serve?”

She would have returned to her sewing had not the maid taken the rather startling step of pushing an unsealed letter into her hands.

At a glance, Lizzy saw that the stationary was from the desk of Lady Catherine and the salutation directed to Mr. Darcy.

Despite her curiosity, Elizabeth tried to hand it back.

“Truly, Miss Dawson, I cannot believe that Lady Catherine would have wished her private correspondence to be read by me, of all people. If you’re certain that she planned to send it, then I can give it to Mr. Darcy, if you wish. ”

Dawson’s face softened slightly. She had been hired just before Lady Catherine’s marriage and knew the woman’s opinions better than anyone.

“It’s only this one letter, though I saw my mistress burn any number of drafts.

Though it isn’t addressed to you, I’m quite sure she intended for you to read it. ”

Against her better judgment, Elizabeth unfolded the letter.

Although she began reading with foreboding, her emotions quickly softened and by the end, there were tears in her eyes.

When she looked up to Lady Catherine’s maid again, it was with gratitude.

“Thank you, Dawson. I shall take this to Mr. Darcy directly.”

The elderly woman gave her an approving nod, feeling that she had fulfilled one last commission for her mistress. Turning her attention to Mrs. Darcy’s sewing, she asked composedly, “Very good, then. Now, how may I help?”

With most of her attention still on the letter, Elizabeth’s response was slightly absentminded.

“Oh, yes—thank you. Miss de Bourgh will no doubt be ordering some new mourning clothes, but for now we’ve just dyed a few of her simpler dresses.

I’m just taking the opportunity to update some of the styling at the same time.

” Suddenly realizing that the comment could be rightly taken as criticism of the servant’s late mistress, she glanced up with concern.

Dawson, however, looked wholly unruffled and possibly even a little amused.

Quirking an eyebrow, she took up one of the other gowns and noted the chalk marks on the bodice.

“The mistress was always resolute with regard to the styles she liked and disliked. It’ll do Miss Anne good to have another young lady to talk to about the new fashions. ”

Not quite trusting herself to respond, Elizabeth merely smiled and excused herself to find her husband.

Darcy had spent the morning closeted away with Richard and the Earl, writing letters to inform various personages of Lady Catherine’s passing and beginning the laborious process of sorting through her business affairs.

As Elizabeth descended the stairs, she could hear the sound of raised voices even through the closed door.

A second later, Brigadier General Fitzwilliam burst from the room, red-faced and clearly furious.

Seeing her on the stairs, he sketched an exaggerated bow and called out a greeting, both of which were accompanied by a long-suffering smirk.

Before Lizzy could form a response, however, he strode away looking like a man in desperate need of fresh air.

Mrs. Darcy was unsurprised when her husband appeared at the door next, looking grim. Guessing that this was not the right time to share Lady Catherine’s last epistle, she tucked the letter in her pocket and merely greeted her husband with a smile.

“Elizabeth.” Fitzwilliam’s tone was not precisely happy, but his mien lightened perceptibly at the sight of her.

“Good morning, Mr. Darcy. I was just going to take a turn in the grove. Might you have a few minutes to accompany your poor, lonely wife?”

He stood silently for a moment, studying the rug and considering whether he could justify a respite from the mountain of paperwork that lay just within.

Fortunately, the deep voice of his uncle called from the room’s interior; “ Oh, go walk with your wife, Darcy. It’s nearly noon anyway and we could all do with a break. This can wait until after luncheon.”

The Earl’s nephew seemed to relax slightly and, after a word to Lord Henry, offered his arm to his wife. After a brief pause to collect their coats, the couple exchanged the melancholic atmosphere of the house for the brisk airs of autumnal Kent.

They strolled in silence for some time, unconsciously turning their steps toward the grove where they had spent so much time together during the previous spring.

Eventually, however, Elizabeth decided that she wished for at least a little conversation and said something about the weather, only to have her husband respond with a pessimistic comment on the likelihood of rain.

They lapsed into silence again until he suddenly grunted and swatted at a tall weed with his stick.

“I apologize for being such poor company.”

“Well, you have good reason.” Lizzy squeezed his arm and smiled encouragingly.

“Besides, we both know my preference for tall, taciturn gentlemen.” She was pleased to see the corner of his mouth twitch.

After walking a little further in silence, she asked, “Shall you tell me about whatever it was that you gentlemen were arguing about, or will I be forced to guess?

Darcy’s tone was long-suffering. “Richard is being difficult.”

Given that the adjective was not one she would usually attribute to the Earl’s second son, Elizabeth merely raised an eyebrow and waited.

Darcy sighed again. “His father wishes him to marry Anne and he flatly refuses. I cannot understand why he won’t admit that it is the best solution for all involved; Anne needs the protection of a husband or she will have every fortune hunter in the Kingdom trying to catch her, by fair means or foul…

and Richard is in need of an income so that he can resign his commission before soldiering gets him killed. Rosings would do very well for him.”

Had someone been observing, they would have been struck by how the couple traded expressions over the course of a few minutes. Mr. Darcy became increasingly animated, describing all the benefits of a de Bourgh-Fitzwilliam marriage, while Elizabeth became increasingly stern.

She waited until the gentleman paused and strove to keep her tone even. “But I thought you once told me that Miss de Bourgh does not wish marry at all?”

Will was studying a flock of geese flying high in the western sky and did not notice her agitation.

“Uncle Henry feels that Anne has not really seen enough of the world to know what she wants, and I am inclined to agree with him. She’s clearly incapable of managing the estate, and neither Matlock nor I have time to take it on.

Richard would have a great deal to learn, but I’m sure he could manage well enough if he has a good steward to help him along. ”

With exaggerated casualness, Lizzy inquired, “And is no consideration to be given to affection?”

Darcy waved his hand negligently. “Certainly they share affection. And they have the advantage of having known one another all their lives.”

Elizabeth was barely able to refrain from snorting at that bit of high-handedness. Shutting her eyes for an instant, she attempted to be more direct in her questioning without unleashing her temper. “Has your cousin ever indicated a preference toward Miss de Bourgh?”

“Hmmm? Oh, you observed how it was when we visited at Easter—Aunt Catherine would have quashed any relationship between them as long as she considered me an option.”

“But perhaps he has other plans for himself.”

Darcy grunted. “My cousin enjoys flirting with the ladies, but he has never given any sign that he was looking for a bride. This arrangement would be best for all involved.”

This time, Lizzy did not bother to suppress her sarcasm. “Well, then. It sounds as if you and your uncle have arranged it all just as you wish—how unfortunate for you that the principal parties are so ungrateful as to have their own opinions.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Although I haven’t spoken with her about it directly, Miss de Bourgh has given me no reason to suspect that she desires a husband now or ever—quite the opposite, in fact.

And your other cousin is a grown man, entirely capable of knowing his own mind with regard to something as important as marriage! ”

Despite Elizabeth’s effort to control her temper, Darcy was beginning to recognize that she was upset.

Unfortunately, he had not yet learnt to consider whether such a state might be the result of his faulty reasoning rather than her misunderstanding.

As a result, he spoke in a patronizing tone almost guaranteed to raise her ire, even if she had not been overtired already.

“That is immaterial. They both have excellent connections; Richard wants an establishment and Anne is in need of someone to manage her affairs. Surely you can see that it would be a fine arrangement for both of them?”

“By your calculations, I should have married Mr. Collins,” his wife snapped icily, and the tilt of her chin and flashing eyes told him that he had made her very angry indeed.

“Elizabeth… that isn’t the same…”