Page 6 of Darcy in Distress (Pride and Prejudice Variation #17)
Richard stared at his friend incredulously and took another drink of wine before repeating, “Lady Anne Darcy is insane and...”
“Her son may be as well.”
The colonel grimaced and shook his head. “The latter, at least, is absurd. My cousin Darcy is one of the most intelligent, sober, rational men I have ever had the privilege of knowing.”
“When did you last see him?” Astley asked quietly.
Fitzwilliam shrugged and admitted, “It has been more than a year, and I have not seen much of him for almost three years because of my service abroad, but he has always been a clever, responsible gentleman.”
The colonel took another drink of wine, glanced around, and lowered his voice to say, “Indeed, in a way, it was a blessing that my uncle, George Darcy, died at only two and fifty years of age; I do not know all the details, but Pemberley was suffering under his administration as my uncle was rather too fond of the gaming tables. I have no doubt that my cousin has done much to improve the land; Darcy was always interested in animal husbandry and crop rotation and the like. It is entirely absurd to suggest that Darcy is mad in any way! ”
“What do you know of Lady Anne’s ... situation?” Astley asked delicately.
Richard rubbed his chin, frowning, and said, “She has been sickly for at least a decade now, and in truth I have only seen her once or twice since I reached my majority. She was never well enough to journey to London for the Season. Even at Pemberley, she kept largely to her rooms. There was never any hint of madness, however.”
The other man grimaced. “According to the rumors floating about, Lady Anne has been subject to insane fits for many years, and was only permitted in company during seasons of relative calm.”
Richard pinched the bridge of his nose with one unquiet hand and considered this at length.
“It is possible, I suppose,” he admitted finally. “Even if it were true, I do not see why the Earl insisted I return to England. I know nothing about treating mad people, and Darcy is a faithful son; he will ensure that his mother comes to no harm.”
“Apparently Matlock’s main concern is Georgiana Darcy. Your father insists that Miss Darcy be removed from Darcy’s guardianship as Matlock is concerned about the young lady’s well-being.”
Richard lowered his glass to the table with a thump. “That is absurd! My cousin has always been a kind, loving, and faithful brother. In any case, Georgiana is in boarding school and is only at Pemberley during holidays.”
“She is no longer in boarding school, I know that,” Astley responded.
“Your cousin removed her from school a year ago. Furthermore, Darcy has permitted mother and daughter to spend substantial time together. That is apparently your father’s concern; that Lady Anne will physically harm her daughter in one of her fits, or that Miss Darcy will be badly affected by her forced proximity to her mother. ”
“How do you know all this, Astley?” Fitzwilliam demanded.
“Lord Matlock has made the matter a public one. He wishes to be given custody of Miss Darcy, and has threatened to fight for the girl’s custody in the Chancery court.”
Fitzwilliam scowled. “It would seem my father is the insane one. Does he delight in dragging our family name through the mud?”
“If your aunt Darcy is truly mad, then perhaps Matlock is legitimately concerned about your young cousin’s well-being.”
Richard groaned and said, “I suppose it is possible. Anyway, I now understand better why my father was so insistent that I return from the Continent. I am Georgiana’s legal guardian, along with her brother.”
/
“Mrs. Bennet, Miss Bennet, Miss Elizabeth,” Bingley’s butler intoned from the door of the drawing room at Netherfield.
Bingley, who was unhappily glancing through a pamphlet on raising sheep, leaped to his feet and surged forward with enthusiasm.
“Mrs. Bennet, Miss Bennet, Miss Elizabeth, welcome to Netherfield!” Bingley exclaimed.
“Thank you, Mr. Bingley, Mrs. Hurst, Mr. Hurst!” Mrs. Bennet replied. “I hope you are well today.”
“Yes, we are very well,” Louisa Hurst replied, setting aside her needlework. “Please, will you not sit down? Hodges, call for tea.”
“Yes, Madam,” the butler said, withdrawing into the corridor outside.
“Oh thank you, Mrs. Hurst,” Mrs. Bennet said, grasping Elizabeth’s arm and pulling her onto a small green couch across from Mrs. Hurst. Jane, with no room available next to her sister, sat down on a dark blue chair near Mr. Bingley, which was, of course, her mother’s intention.
Mr. Hurst, who was occupying a chair near the fire, made his bows and sat down without comment.
“How is the weather today?” Mrs. Hurst asked, glancing outside the windows toward Netherfield’s formal gardens which were, at this time of the year, sleeping peacefully.
“It is quite cold and cloudy,” Mrs. Bennet said, “but it is so pleasant in here! We are very pleased that your family has moved into Netherfield Hall, Mrs. Hurst. It has been empty for far too long.”
“We are pleased to be here as well,” Louisa said. “It is a fine estate, and so conveniently fixed from London.”
“I understand that your family hails from the north, Mrs. Hurst?” Elizabeth said.
“Yes, from Staffordshire, though my sister and I were educated in a seminary in Bath.”
“Were you indeed?” Elizabeth asked. “Have you ever attended the famous Pump Room in Bath? Are the waters good to drink?”
Louisa Hurst laughed and said, “My sister Caroline and I both drank the waters but once; they are supposed to be very healthy, but they taste dreadful.”
“Will your sister be joining you here at Netherfield?” Mrs. Bennet asked politely .
“No, Caroline married recently and is living with her husband in Bath. Mr. Gibbons hails from Bath originally and is brother to one of our school friends.”
“How delightful,” Mrs. Bennet said, glancing with satisfaction at Jane, who was now talking happily with Mr. Bingley. Jane was in especially good looks today, with her best blue silk dress matching the color of her cerulean eyes, and…
“I play the pianoforte, though not especially well,” Elizabeth said, drawing Mrs. Bennet’s attention back to her hostess.
Mrs. Hurst was obviously interrogating her second daughter about her musical skills, no doubt wondering whether the Bennet daughters were sufficiently accomplished to be sisters by marriage.
“Now Lizzy, do not say such a thing!” the matron of Longbourn exclaimed with a tinkling laugh, turning a rueful gaze on Mrs. Hurst. “My dear Elizabeth is so modest, but I assure you she plays very well, very well indeed!”
Elizabeth, who knew her musical skills to be pleasing but not remarkable, opened her mouth to protest, only to be interrupted by the sound of the drawing room door unlatching behind her.
She turned to look as a woman entered the room, a lady of medium height, overly thin, with dark hair streaked with gray.
Her blue velvet dress came up high on her throat, and the white lace at both neck and wrists matched her white shawl over her shoulders and the lace cap on her head.
Elizabeth thought that the woman’s face and eyes showed signs of either illness or suffering, but her expression was a welcoming one, and her pale lips were curved up in a smile.
“Mr. Bingley,” she said in a pleasant contralto voice, “would you kindly introduce me to your guests?”
Mr. Bingley, who had risen to his feet, looked surprised and said quickly, “Of course, Lady Anne! May I introduce you to Mrs. Bennet, Miss Bennet, and Miss Elizabeth Bennet? Ladies, Lady Anne Darcy, mother of my friend Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy.”
The Bennet ladies had risen to their feet by now, and all curtsied.
“It is wonderful to meet you,” Lady Anne said. “My son told me how you and your neighbors welcomed him at the assembly last night. I am most grateful.”
“Oh, it was our pleasure, Lady Anne,” Mrs. Bennet exclaimed. “It is always a delight to welcome newcomers into our society.”
“Please, will you not sit down by the fire, Madam,” Mr. Hurst suggested, stepping away from his chair.
“Thank you, Mr. Hurst,” the lady said, pulling her shawl closer to her and sitting down. “Mr. Bingley, do you know where Mr. Wickham and my son are hiding? ”
“They asked permission to use my office, as a letter arrived this morning from Pemberley which required immediate attention.”
“I am most grateful that you asked Mr. Wickham to stay here,” Lady Anne said. “Fitzwilliam finds him most helpful in overseeing the estate from afar. Now, Mrs. Bennet, I understand that you and your family live at a nearby estate?”
“Oh yes! Longbourn lies along Netherfield’s, erm, ...” Mrs. Bennet, who never could quite keep track of north, south, east and west, trailed off and cast a pleading glance at Elizabeth.
Her daughter, catching the glance, finished for her, “Along Netherfield’s western boundary, Lady Anne.”
“I believe you danced with my son last night, Miss Elizabeth?” Lady Anne continued.
“Yes, Mr. Darcy and I enjoyed a country dance together, and we spoke of Derbyshire and the Lakes. Pemberley sounds like a truly beautiful estate, Madam.”
“It is indeed,” Lady Anne said, her eyes suddenly clouded. A moment later, she shook off her abstraction and continued determinedly. “Now I do hope you do not mind a few impertinent questions, as I wish to know more about my new neighbors. Do you have any other children, Mrs. Bennet? ”
“I have three more daughters but sadly no son, which is most unfortunate.”
“Five daughters!” Lady Anne returned. “You are to be congratulated, Mrs. Bennet; you will have loving companions for many years. Sons are marvelous as well, of course, but my dear Fitzwilliam does not understand my feelings as well as my daughter Georgiana.”
Elizabeth cringed and sent a warning glance toward her mother, but Mrs. Bennet could not refrain from expatiating on her greatest frustration in life. “Longbourn is entailed away from the female line, Lady Anne. When Mr. Bennet dies, my daughters and I will lose our home.”
“Oh, that is most unfortunate!”
“It is indeed! I do not understand why a distant cousin, whom none of us have ever met, should inherit the estate.”
Lady Anne, who could see that Elizabeth was embarrassed by this conversation, leaned forward and placed a delicate hand on Mrs. Bennet’s arm.
“My dear Mrs. Bennet, the ways of the world are truly difficult for women at times, are they not? Now, tell me about your other daughters. What are their ages?”
To Elizabeth’s profound relief, the conversation shifted to her sisters, and from there to flowers; it seemed that Lady Anne Darcy loved roses .
Nonetheless, Elizabeth wished that her mother had not spoken of the entail.
Jane and Mr. Bingley had been speaking happily for the entire visit, and Elizabeth was fearful that her mother’s vulgarity in speaking of the entail would dampen her elder sister’s burgeoning relationship with the master of Netherfield.