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Darcy knocked on the door of Matlock House with no little trepidation.

He felt as though he was walking into the proverbial lion’s den.

Other than his honoured mother, the Earl and Countess, Lady Catherine, and Anne were all in residence.

The butler, Mr. Smythe, led him to the family sitting room and announced him.

His mother, uncle and two aunts stared at him as if he had two heads on his shoulders.

He was about to walk over to his mother and kiss her cheek when he caught the look in her eye and stopped dead in his tracks.

“ Have you taken leave of your senses ? ” his Uncle Reggie thundered, “What possessed you, William? Do we need to send you to Bedlam?”

Darcy was so taken aback he blanched. He knew they would be angry, but this was far more than he expected.

“Do you know what you risked with this reprehensible behaviour of yours, William?” his mother asked calmly, but he could tell by her tone that she was very upset with him.

“Thanks be to God that their Graces did not hold your actions against your cousins. We received an express yesterday evening that Richard is betrothed to Lady Jane Bennet. Your uncle and aunt would have broken with you if you had affected either Andrew or Richard’s chances with their betrothed.

They have each made love matches with the best of ladies.

” He could see the look of disappointment in his mother’s eyes and dropped his to the floor in shame.

“Where did you learn to act in this manner, William? You are no better than a thug with such behaviour. The Bennets could have ruined us all without blinking had they chosen to,” Lady Catherine de Bourgh added with asperity.

His cousin Anne, who had been quiet up to this point interjected on his behalf, “Why do we not let him tell us what happened in his own words, and then we can berate him if needed,” she suggested with sympathy, as she looked at the cousin who she thought of as an older brother.

“From what I can see, he has been berating himself far more than any of us can.”

“Anne has the right of it,” the Earl said, assessing his nephew, his voice an almost normal volume. “Tell us all, William.”

Darcy did as his relations asked. He related the events without glossing over anything, giving them the absolute and unvarnished truth.

When he was done, there was some pride evident as he declared that he would change and correct his behaviours.

Though there was a little sympathy for him for having to live with the consequences of Lady Elizabeth’s anger, they would not alleviate his suffering.

He would have to do the work and fend for himself.

It was decided that his mother and sister would live with the Earl and Countess at Matlock House until there was a resolution to the self-made mess that Darcy was in.

Before he returned to Darcy House, his mother pulled him aside. “William, you know that I love you as much as any mother has ever loved a child, do you not?”

“I do, Mama,” he replied with, almost choking on the emotion of love he too felt for her.

“As hard as this may be for you, it may also be one of the best things that will ever happen to you. It has saddened me to see how aloof, haughty, taciturn, and proud you have become.” Lady Anne held up her hand to stop the protest that she could see coming.

“Look at how you considered no one’s council but your own, you even dismissed Richard’s advice after that blackguard that your late father supported nearly stole my baby from me.

I told you something that in the characters that Mrs. Younge presented did not seem right; that I felt that she was not a good person, that she was not someone to be trusted with my darling daughter, but you ignored even me .

You just admitted that the Bingleys tried to tell you about who the family was in the neighbourhood, but you dismissed them before they could speak, sure that you could not be wrong.

“I know that your life has not been easy since my George went to God.

You had to assume great responsibility at the age of one and twenty, which would have broken a lesser man.

Yes, you are hunted relentlessly by debutantes and their mothers, and I know that you had some narrow escapes from attempted compromises, but that does not explain the arrogance and disdain that caused you to dismiss anyone who you thought was below you.

You are the best master and landlord; you treat our servants and tenants with respect; why did you think that no others below you deserved the same respect?

“You remember how my sister Catherine used to behave?” Darcy nodded.

“You have long heard us discuss that her way was not the way to relate to people, yet for some reason I see that same behaviour in you. It has led you to think that treating others who you decided were below you with disdain was acceptable. Do you not see the contradiction in your behaviour?”

“It will not be easy, my darling boy,” she reached up and cupped his cheek, “but I will pray for your success every day and hope that the man that your father and I always believed that you would become will finally be seen. I love you, William; and I will be here to talk to you whenever you need me, but this is something that you have to do for yourself. There is no one that can do it for you.” He kissed his mother on each cheek, collected his outerwear from the butler, then slowly walked back to Darcy House.

‘ Mama is right! How did I become like the old Aunt Catherine? Mayhap I picked the most off-putting persona I knew to emulate in order to protect and insulate myself? Yes Mother, I have a lot of work to do, and I am the only one that can do it! ’

As soon as he had divested himself of his outerwear, he went to the study to write an express to Richard to convey his well wishes.

8 November 1811

Darcy House, Grosvenor Square London

To my cousin and brother Richard,

At Matlock House earlier I was informed of your betrothal. I give thanks to God that my thoughtless actions did not harm you and your prospects with your betrothed. I wish you and my future cousin joy. Please pass my best wishes for the future on to Lady Jane.

I can only but beg your forgiveness again, with a promise to you on my honour that I will become a better man; one who is a gentleman in all ways. There is a long and hard road ahead of me, but I will not waiver.

Just know that if you ever need anything from me, you but have to ask it. If either you or Andrew wish to use Seaview or Lake View Cottages for your wedding trips, you are welcome to either or both of them for as long as you may wish.

With all of my best wishes for your future,

William

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

Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam felt sympathy for his cousin, but he knew that trying to intercede on his behalf would not help him; this was a lesson William would have to learn on his own, no matter how difficult the path he needed to follow.

He was walking with his betrothed, following behind Andrew and Marie who were walking with Elizabeth and Tom in the early morning before they were all to break their fasts at Longbourn.

The group was headed up to Oakham Mount to see the sun rise this morning after he had received two expresses, one from Darcy and one from his General.

His commander had wished him well, informed him that he had all the paperwork for the Colonel’s resignation from the army ready, and added that the only thing needed was his signature.

The plan was for him to depart for Town early Monday morning to see the General, sign the forms, and to make it known that his commission was for sale.

He had sent an express to the family solicitor with an outline of items he wanted in the marriage settlement, so while he was there, he would review the draft.

If, as he expected, all was acceptable, he would have final copies the next afternoon, meaning that he could return to Netherfield on Wednesday.

He planned to go to Matlock House after he left the barracks to inform his parents of the proposed double wedding that would be on Friday the seventeenth day of January in the year 1812.

Lady Jane looked at the man she loved and could see that he was deep in thought. “You look far away Richard, is something troubling you?” she asked, concern for her beloved Richard was evident in the depths of her question.

“No, my love,” he assured her as he covered her hand on his arm with his, “I was just cataloguing all of my tasks I need and hope to accomplish while I am in Town.”

“That reminds me, Richard, Mama said to ask you to carry an invitation for your family to return with you. That way we might all celebrate our betrothal and plan the wedding together.”

“Does her Grace…” Richard started, smiling warmly when his wife cut him off.

“Come now, Richard, you know Mama and Papa have told you that there is no need for the ‘your Grace’ when you address them or speak of them. In six weeks or less you will be their son. Papa prefers for you to call him Bennet and Mama said yesterday that she prefers Mother Bennet,” she reminded him in a mild and playful censure.

“I will try to remember, my love. Then does Mother Bennet know that both of my Fitzwilliam aunts and their daughters are currently in residence at Matlock House?” he said with a mischievous smile on his face.

“Andrew had mentioned that to Mama, so she made sure to tell me to inform you that all of your family,” she looked at him and was suddenly a little embarrassed as she clarified, “ at Matlock House , are very welcome.”