Page 27 of Darcy in Distress (Pride and Prejudice Variation #17)
“Do come to the fire, Miss de Bourgh,” Elizabeth urged, guiding the woman into the drawing room to a comfortable settee. “Lie back, please, and we will get you some tea. Agnes, please fetch a blanket for Miss de Bourgh.”
“Yes, Madam,” the maid said, rushing off.
“Let me retrieve my smelling salts,” Louisa Hurst said, walking quickly toward the door.
“Please, will you not take my handkerchief, Cousin Anne?” Georgiana offered, wanting to help but not knowing how.
Darcy, satisfied that his wife, sister and Mrs. Hurst were appropriately tending to his frail cousin, turned his attention on Colonel Fitzwilliam.
“Lady Catherine is even more stubborn than I imagined, which is saying a great deal. I think I ought to ride over to Longbourn to warn Mr. Bennet of the trouble coming his way.”
“ I will ride over,” Richard said. “You were only married two hours ago, and should not leave your wife’s side.
There is little that Lady Catherine can do unless she manages to bully Mr. Bennet into forbidding the marriage after the fact, and even then, I do not think anything can be truly done.
The ceremony has been completed in a lawful way, and the registry signed. ”
“I can attest to that,” Mr. Allen, who had been watching the confrontation in astonished silence, declared. “I have married dozens of couples in my day, and the ceremony was carried out correctly. Your father gave his blessing, the groom is of age, and all was done in the proper manner.”
“Nor do we need fear that my father will give in to Lady Catherine’s demands in any way,” Elizabeth declared, moving up to the group and placing her hand on Darcy’s arm. “My father is an exceptionally determined man and will be more inclined to laugh at your aunt and my cousin. My only concern…”
She trailed off, her brow wrinkled, and then continued, “My only concern is that he might meet with actual violence. I have never met Lady Catherine before, of course, but she seemed entirely obsessed. As for Mr. Collins, while he is no sportsman, he is substantially taller and younger than my father. If they should come to blows, my father might be injured. I accept that my worries are probably misplaced, but it has been a peculiar day.”
“No, you are quite correct, Miss Eliz… Mrs. Darcy,” Richard said with a bow.
“Lady Catherine is not used to having her desires blocked by anyone, and I have never seen her so angry. With your permission, I will ride to Longbourn and inform your father of all that has come to pass. I will stay with him to assist him in his discussion with our aunt.”
“Will you be able to reach Longbourn in time?” Elizabeth asked anxiously.
“Take Phoenix,” Darcy instructed his cousin, and then looked down reassuringly upon his bride. “Richard can take a more direct route and will reach Longbourn before Lady Catherine’s carriage.”
“Excellent,” Richard said, and strode rapidly away toward the stables.
Elizabeth, with that concern mitigated, turned back to Anne de Bourgh, who was now sitting up on the settee with Mrs. Hurst waving her smelling salts under her nose. The heiress to Rosings snorted and then feebly pushed the vinaigrette away with one thin hand.
“I am well enough, thank you,” she insisted, her red eyes no longer dripping with tears. “I do apologize for my behavior. It is outrageous enough that my mother and Mr. Collins burst in here on your very wedding day, but for me to … I do apologize. It was the shock. Pray do not concern yourself.”
Elizabeth pulled a wooden stool closer to Anne, sat down on it, and reached out her strong hands to take Anne’s delicate ones in her own.
“Please, do not apologize, Miss de Bourgh,” she urged.
“I cannot regret marrying Fitzwilliam, but I fear I did not think how it might affect you, given that you presumably considered yourself engaged to my husband for many years.”
Anne sighed and leaned back, though she kept her fingers entwined in Elizabeth’s.
“It is not as if I truly ever wanted to marry Darcy,” she admitted drearily, her eyes now fixed on the spirals of delicate gold leaf which decorated the ceilings of the room.
“I merely wished to marry someone, and soon, and my mother will not invite anyone to Rosings who might be a suitable husband, as she always insisted that I must wed Darcy to join Pemberley and Rosings.”
Anne sniffed and accepted another handkerchief from Darcy, who was looking down at her with concern in his dark eyes.
“You are a great heiress, Anne,” Georgiana said, sinking into the seat next to her older cousin. “There are many good men who would relish the opportunity to meet and court you.”
Anne accepted a cup of tea from the maid and carefully took a sip with her shaking right hand.
“According to my father’s will, Lady Catherine has the right to control Rosings until I am thirty years of age, unless I marry, that is, whereupon the estate transfers to my husband.
I loathe being trapped at Rosings. Mother spies on me and I know now that she reads my letters, and I am forced to take medicines prescribed by Doctor Watts, who listens only to my mother, not me!
At this point, I do not hope for, or even care about, a love match.
I wish merely for a strong husband who would treat me honorably, can oversee Rosings with wisdom and diligence, and will not give way to my mother’s tantrums. But how can I meet such a man when Lady Catherine controls who is permitted to cross the threshold of Rosings? ”
Both Darcy and Elizabeth stared unhappily at Anne for a moment before looking at one another. It was, in truth, a most difficult circumstance, piled on top of an already exhausting situation with Lord Matlock’s infamy, and Lady Anne’s abduction, and Lady Catherine’s threats…
“You would marry any honorable man?” Georgiana asked curiously, her blue eyes suddenly faraway.
“Yes,” Anne said, and then added, “Well, no. I would not marry a butcher or a blacksmith. Besides the difference in sphere, such a man would be quite unable to win the respect of the tenants, which is vital for the health of the estate.”
“What about Mr. Wickham?” Georgiana inquired. “He is a solicitor and a close friend of the Darcy family. Is he not eligible?”
Wickham, who had been lurking protectively near the door of the drawing room, straightened in astonishment. “Me?” he demanded .
Anne stared at Wickham and smiled sadly, “I would marry Mr. Wickham this very day if I could, but he is handsome and strong, and I am weak and plain. I cannot imagine that he would be interested in me.”
Wickham drew a few feet closer and said hesitantly, “I cannot think you are serious, Miss de Bourgh. You do not know me.”
“I do, a little,” Anne answered, embarrassment painting her cheeks pink. “You probably do not remember, but our family visited Pemberley when I was but a child of nine years of age, and you and I met then.”
“I do remember,” Wickham replied with a smile. “You had, I think, recently been ill, and we spent many fine afternoons playing checkers and the like.”
“I spent much of the previous winter recovering from whooping cough,” Anne agreed, her eyes dreamy with remembrance, “and I was still far too fatigued to run and play. You brought me kittens and puppies, and we played with them on a blanket under a tall oak tree...”
She trailed off and straightened her back, “I know more than that. As you may be aware, Georgiana and I have been writing with some regularity these last few years. She has told me of your loyal devotion to the Darcy family, of your good nature, of your kindness, of your determination. You are also a solicitor with training in legal documents, which would be of use given that my mother will fight over the disposition of the estate. I am entirely serious, Mr. Wickham. I think you would be a marvelous husband for me.”
George Wickham stared at the diminutive woman and then looked gravely at Darcy. “May I speak to you in private for a moment?”
Darcy nodded and walked rapidly to the far corner of room, where his old friend joined him.
“I would like to marry your cousin,” Wickham said abruptly, “but if that is in any way repugnant to you, I beg you will tell me now. I would never take such a step without your blessing.”
The master of Pemberley was astonished and uneasy. “Are you quite certain, George? My cousin is not a particularly healthy woman, and my aunt is a termagant.”
“I am well aware of Lady Catherine’s proclivities,” Wickham answered grimly. “Nonetheless, you must see the advantages for me. In one short hour, I would leap from solicitor to master of one of the grand estates of England.”
Darcy slowly blew out a breath and then said heavily, “My cousin Anne is a good woman, without a doubt, but you cannot be in love with her, or even attracted to her, given that you know her not at all. That concerns me greatly, my friend; Elizabeth thrills my heart and soul like no other woman I have ever met. I would wish that for you too, George.”
Wickham sighed and said cynically, “Perhaps you wish for me to make a marriage like my father did? He fell in love with my mother’s beauty and effervescence, only to have his lawfully wedded wife make him a cuckold several times over.
No, Darcy, I am well aware my character is different than yours, and I do not require a passionate marriage.
I desire respect, of course, along with faithfulness from my wife.
I do not imagine that Miss de Bourgh would dream of betraying her marriage vows. ”
“Would you ?” Darcy demanded bluntly, though he kept his voice low.
“That is important to me, Wickham. I ask for your word of honor that if you marry my cousin, you will not take a mistress. It is entirely against the laws of God and while Anne would probably ignore it, she would be hurt and ashamed.”
“I promise I will not,” Wickham declared, his gaze steady. “I am as committed to the Ten Commandments as you are, my friend. Nor can I easily forget my own father’s sorrow and melancholy when I was a child, which was, I now know, the product of his wife’s unfaithfulness.”
Darcy bit his lip in contemplation and then said, “Perhaps you, Anne, Mr. Allen, and I can talk for another few minutes on the subject, to be certain there are no other significant barriers to marriage. If not, well, we can arrange for another special license, perhaps, though we would not be able to obtain it today.”
Wickham chuckled. “Lady Catherine said that Miss de Bourgh has a special license in her reticule, Darcy. We can be married within the hour.”
Darcy blinked in astonishment and a smile spread across his face. “You are correct. You can.”