Page 22 of Darcy in Distress (Pride and Prejudice Variation #17)
“I daresay that the formal gardens at Pemberley are remarkable,” Mr. Collins admitted rather reluctantly, then continued with more enthusiasm, “Nonetheless, Miss Darcy, I am confident that if you were to journey to Rosings, to visit your esteemed aunt, who is also my gracious patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, you would find that the parkland of that great estate, under the guidance of my lady, is quite without equal in all of England!”
To the great relief of the ladies forced to listen to Collins’s endless drivel, the door of the drawing room opened, and Bingley stepped in with Mr. Bennet, Mr. Darcy, and Mr. Wickham at his heels.
Mr. Collins smiled broadly at the sight of his patroness’s nephew, and he immediately bowed obsequiously and began babbling apologies and compliments along with offers of assistance, of any kind, to the Darcy family.
While Darcy reluctantly spoke with the clergyman, Elizabeth and Mr. Bennet slipped into one corner, and Bingley and Jane to another.
“Lizzy,” Mr. Bennet said softly, “You have my permission to stay here at Netherfield so long as they want you. ”
“Thank you, Papa,” Elizabeth said gratefully, glancing at Georgiana, who now had Wickham hovering protectively over her. “I do feel guilty about Mama as this places the burden of her care on Jane and Mary.”
“Leah and Joanna have returned and are assisting in looking after your mother. Do not worry. Jane tells me that Mrs. Bennet wishes you to stay at Netherfield as long as possible, as she hopes that you will win an offer from one of the eligible gentlemen.”
Elizabeth’s gaze shifted over to Mr. Darcy, who continued to make laborious conversation with Mr. Collins, and she smiled, which caused a strange lurch in her father’s heart.
“Is that the way the wind blows, Lizzy?” he asked, peering at the master of Pemberley.
His usually self-possessed daughter flushed rosily at these words and said, “Indeed, I do not know, Father. That is to say, I admire and esteem Mr. Darcy very much. He is a truly remarkable man – brave, intelligent, diligent, and devoted to his family – but I have no reason to think that he has any interest ... that is...”
“I understand completely. Given the current situation with Lady Anne, it is unlikely he is thinking of marriage now. All the same, as much as I would hate to lose you – well, the man is, in my opinion, a perfect match for you. He is hard working, dedicated, kindly, and very clever. There are few men in the kingdom who could keep up with your lively quickness.”
Elizabeth smiled mistily up into her father’s face and said, “I quite agree, Father. Nonetheless, I must not get my hopes up...”
“But you cannot leave Hertfordshire, Mr. Darcy!” Mr. Collins exclaimed loudly, causing everyone else in the room to turn in surprise.
The clergyman’s face was piteous, and he continued passionately, “I assure you that it is imperative that you stay at Netherfield. I am certain your mother will be well cared for in London!”
“Mr. Collins,” Bingley began, his brow wrinkled in unaccustomed disapproval, “Mr. Darcy is my guest and...”
“Bingley,” Darcy said, raising a hand to quiet his friend, who obediently lapsed into silence.
The master of Pemberley turned back to the rector and forced himself to speak gently. “Mr. Collins, would I be correct in guessing that Lady Catherine wishes for me to stay here at Netherfield for some reason?”
The clergyman gulped, his face anxious, and nodded. “Indeed, sir; well, it is entirely difficult to know what to do. Lady Catherine’s instructions to me are most clear. I understand, of course, your concerns about Lady Anne, though her doctor in London must... ”
“Mr. Collins,” Bennet interposed crisply, “surely since Mr. Darcy is the esteemed nephew of Lady Catherine de Bourgh, you can safely share with him his aunt’s directives?”
Collins swallowed with obvious effort and looked around nervously, aware that every eye in the room was upon him.
“Yes, of course, sir, as a near relation to Lady Catherine – well, the truth is that I received an express this morning, and my patroness is on her way to Hertfordshire with Miss de Bourgh, the most beautiful flower of Kent, and as soon as she arrives, I will have the great honor of presiding over your marriage to your cousin, the heiress of Rosings!”
/
Beaumont House
Russell Square
London
“Here is your lemonade, Lady Anne,” the nurse said, gently shaking her patient’s shoulder .
Lady Anne, who was sitting on a reclining chair staring blankly into the fire, turned and looked up in confusion. “My...?”
“Your lemonade, my lady,” Mildred repeated, placing the glass of lemonade on a small table at her patient’s right hand. “Now do drink it up. It will do you good.”
Lady Anne peered at the nurse vaguely, then at the glass of lemonade, before reaching out a feeble hand to grasp the cup, which she lifted to her lips. Her throat quivered as she took a sip of the tart, cold drink, and she smiled faintly. “Thank you, Mildred. I am very thirsty.”
“You will feel much better when you have drunk up the entire glass.”
“Yes, much better,” her patient agreed dreamily, taking another sip.
Mildred looked at the clock, which read two hours after noon, and glanced hastily around Lady Anne’s current bedchamber.
The covers on the bed were turned back, the empty chamber pot was sitting demurely under the bed, and the fire was crackling nicely in the grate.
She could safely leave her charge for a few minutes to stretch her legs.
Mildred strode rapidly out of the chamber into the adjacent sitting room and then halted with an exclamation of surprised delight. “Edwin! ”
The man waiting for her was tall, dark, and handsome, and was dressed in the green and tan livery of the Earl of Matlock. He took a few hasty steps forward and lifted Mildred into his arms, kissing her firmly on her pink lips.
Mildred returned the embrace and kiss with enthusiasm, only to reluctantly push her lover away a minute later. “Edwin, you must not! What if someone sees us?”
“I locked the door, my darling,” Edwin assured her, “but of course you are right. We must be cautious. I am so very pleased to see you, Mildred. It has been too long!”
“Indeed it has. But why are you here?”
“I volunteered to carry a message from Lord Matlock. The master wishes to know if there have been any problems or concerns with Lady Anne.”
“None at all. Deborah and I are giving her laudanum every few hours. She is asleep or half asleep all the time. There is no danger that she will escape or make any sort of fuss.”
“It is most important to Lord Matlock that his sister remain undiscovered,” Edwin said gravely, clasping her small hands in his own larger ones.
“There is no danger,” Mildred assured him confidently. “The house servants know only that a friend of the Beaumonts is resting here in seclusion, and Mr. Cecil Fitzwilliam knows to keep silent as well.”
“What of the other nurse, Deborah?”
Mildred sniffed and shrugged her shoulders.
“She is a na?ve little thing, along with being an obedient girl. She believes Lady Anne to be truly insane, and has been told to hold her tongue because the Darcys and Matlocks do not wish for it to be known in society that Lady Anne is ailing. She will keep her silence.”
“Very good,” Edwin answered approvingly. “I must return to Matlock House, but I hope that Lord Matlock will ask me to carry another message soon.”
Mildred smiled mistily up into the footman’s face. “I love you, Edwin.”
“I love you as well. Once we have been paid for our assistance in this matter, we will marry. I promise.”
She smiled again as she pushed him gently toward the door. “You must go, and I must check on my patient. She will be almost asleep by now.”
Lady Anne, warned by these words, tiptoed away from the door where she had been eavesdropping and hastily climbed into bed, pulled the covers over her torso, and closed her eyes .
A moment later, she heard the door open and the soft steps of Nurse Mildred approaching. She kept her eyes closed and focused on keeping her breathing slow and steady. She sensed Mildred hovering over her, and then the woman’s hands carefully pulled the coverlet up higher to cover her entire body.
A minute later, Lady Anne Darcy heard her nurse pick up the now empty glass and walk briskly out of the bedchamber, leaving her in peace.
The matriarch of the Darcy family allowed herself a small smile. It was convenient that the laudanum was consistently served in lemonade; the yellow color made it easy to dispose of in the chamber pot beneath her bed.
/
Netherfield Hall
“Richard is here!” Georgiana exclaimed from her position at the bay window of the drawing room.
Darcy, who had been mulling unhappily over the news about Lady Catherine’s latest outrage, leaped to his feet and joined his sister at the window.
Dressed in his red military coat, his expression grim, Richard pulled his gray horse to a halt at the front of Netherfield’s main entrance, dismounted, and handed the reins to a stableboy.
“He does not have Mama with him,” Georgiana said with a catch in her voice, and Darcy pulled her to his chest, his own eyes wet. It was foolish, no doubt, but he had clung to the hope that Richard might convince the Earl of Matlock to release Lady Anne today.
“Bingley,” Darcy said soberly over his sister’s blonde head, “as soon as Richard refreshes himself, I know he will wish to tell us of his meeting with the earl.”
“May I be part of the discussion, Brother?” Georgiana asked, her blue eyes pleading. “Please?”
“I think not, Georgiana. I fear the conversation will likely be quite distressing.”
“Oh Fitzwilliam, I beg you to let me be part of it! I cannot bear to sit around trying to sew or play the pianoforte while you discuss my dear mother’s fate!”
“If I may, Mr. Darcy,” Elizabeth said from her seat a few feet away from the Darcy siblings, “I believe that Georgiana ought to be present; she is not a child, and this situation is very much her concern.”
Darcy looked gravely into Elizabeth’s winsome countenance and nodded. “As you wish, Georgie. Miss Elizabeth, might you be willing to join us as well? I am certain that we would appreciate your insight.”
“Oh yes, Elizabeth, please do come!”