Page 34 of I am Jael (Pride and Prejudice Variation)
“The butler is committed unreservedly to Lady Catherine,” Colonel Fitzwilliam stated. “Therefore, we need him removed immediately. Once he is gone, along with the housekeeper...”
“Mrs. Stanton,” Anne finished with a nod. “She will need to leave as well. She is a competent housekeeper and I am certain will find another position easily, but she has been working for my mother for decades and may not submit to my leadership.”
“With those two gone, and Lady Catherine departing either willingly or not, we should have Rosings under control by nightfall. I am concerned that some of the servants will prove traitorous. Anne, you will need to be alert to those who would carry tales to your mother in the Dower House.”
“Really, dear boy,” Lord Matlock commented incredulously. “You make this sound like a military campaign, not the joyful return of Anne to her rightful home.”
“Believe me, Father, where Aunt Catherine is concerned, it is wise to approach as if Napoleon’s forces were just over the next hill, preparing for battle.”
There was a soft sigh from the corner of the carriage, and Colonel Fitzwilliam glanced with amusement at the lawyer, Mr. Wood.
“You disapprove, Mr. Wood?” he asked.
“Not disapprove, per se,” the other man stated precisely. “I am merely grieved that it has come to this. Or perhaps we will all be pleasantly surprised and Lady Catherine will already be comfortably ensconced in the Dower House.”
Darcy, who had hitherto been silent, scoffed aloud, “I will believe it when I see it.”
“We are almost there,” Anne stated with a mixture of anticipation and anxiety.
Darcy glanced out as the familiar sight of the Hunsford Parsonage came into view.
In spite of the upcoming confrontation with his formidable aunt, Darcy felt a sudden surge of joy.
It was in the very garden of this parsonage that he had asked Elizabeth to marry him a second time, and she had accepted.
He took a deep breath, forcing his mind away from his concerns about Elizabeth. He had been most reluctant to leave her during her pregnancy, but her sickness had diminished in the past weeks and she had encouraged him to help Anne dislodge her mother from Rosings.
“And here we are,” Colonel Fitzwilliam commented as the carriage stopped at the front door of Rosings. Unlike every other man in the carriage, he was truly excited about the upcoming struggle. Civilian life had its pleasures, but the thrum of upcoming battle surged in his blood.
Anne felt briefly light headed with worry. Could she truly do this?
Yes, she could. With the help of the Almighty God, she would do what needed to be done for herself, for Rosings, for the many people who depended on the great estate for their livelihood.
“Shall we, Cousin?” Darcy asked gravely from outside the carriage.
She nodded and held out her hand so that he could assist her from the vehicle.
Then, surrounded by her male relatives and the lawyer, she marched up the front walk to the great door.
At their heels strode the two identical twins John and Jacob, footmen from Pemberley who had followed the carriage on horseback.
They were tall and imposing and would provide necessary brute strength as needed.
It opened immediately. The butler, Mr. Notley, stepped in the middle of the doorway and bowed slightly before announcing gravely, “Miss Anne, it is good to see you again. Lady Catherine has informed me that she is pleased to meet with you in the front parlor to discuss this situation. No one else is permitted in the house.”
Lord Matlock gestured at the lawyer, “Mr. Wood?”
“According to the documents I have in my hand,” Wood stated firmly, “the ownership of Rosings Estate in its entirety passed into the sole proprietary of Miss Anne De Bourgh on the day of her twenty-fifth birthday. Therefore, Miss de Bourgh is permitted to allow any and all into this building according to her will.”
“My will is that all of us enter,” Anne said.
Mr. Notley shot a nervous look at the papers in Mr. Wood’s hands and shook his head, “I regrettably must refuse to allow passage to anyone but you, Miss de Bourgh. Lady Catherine’s orders were explicit.”
“John, Jacob,” Darcy said, taking a step to the right.
The two footmen stepped forward and to the complete astonishment of the butler, grabbed one arm each and hauled him out of the door and to the carriage.
“Miss de Bourgh! This is...this is...”
“They will watch him,” Colonel Fitzwilliam said jovially. “Now, to beard the dragon in her den!”
In spite of herself, Anne smiled slightly.
She was immensely grateful to her cousin Richard for his cheerful demeanor in the most difficult of circumstances.
She led her way to the south parlor, her heart beating fast. It was difficult being here, in the fortress of the woman who had ruled her life with such determination.
She was not currently able to stand against her mother entirely on her own, and thanked the Lord again for those who were willing to fight on her behalf.
Lady Catherine was seated ramrod straight on her favorite chair, a tall oak piece with inlaid cushions of gold and purple. She rose to her feet at the sight of the invading army in her gates and frowned hideously, “I gave orders to Mr. Notley that only my daughter was permitted into the house.”
“Your butler was summarily removed, Catherine,” Lord Matlock explained irritably, “Come, sister, cease this foolishness. Anne explained the matter most clearly in her letter sent before Christmas. You no longer have rights to Rosings. Anne is sole heir, and has been these many months. You are ordered to leave to the Dower House, never to return except with her express permission.”
The lady’s red face grew purple with outrage, “This is abominable! An outrage! I am your mother, Anne! How dare you treat me like this? You have been a disappointment since the moment you were laid on my chest, a daughter instead of a son. I will not leave! I absolutely refuse under any circumstances...”
“Silence,” Darcy barked, stepping forward to tower over the woman. “Anne has been a most forbearing daughter but you have forced this action upon her. You will cease to insult her, and you will leave now!”
“Never,” the woman hissed angrily, “I will never leave. I refuse. You cannot make me! Rosings belongs to me. What is Anne but a sickly weakling? She cannot oversee the estate...”
“Richard!” barked Darcy.
The Colonel stepped forward with Darcy and together they grasped Lady Catherine’s arms. The woman froze in disbelief, then stiffened in outrage.
“Unhand me!”
They did not. The men, both far taller than their aunt, lifted her up and dragged her out of the parlor, down the hall, out the front door, and into the waiting carriage where Mr. Notley, the butler, was already sitting in quivering shock at the sudden turn of events.
Darcy threw himself inelegantly into the coach after his enraged aunt and shut the door with his hand.
“To the Dower House!” he shouted.
Coachman Jack immediately slapped the horses with the reins and they began trotting towards the Dower House, where Lady Catherine would live for the rest of her natural life.
Back in the parlor, Anne had forced back tears and was now standing at the window watching the carriage depart, her back to the door.
“Dear niece, are you well?” Matlock asked awkwardly.
Anne sighed and turned around, “I am shaken, I confess, but I am well.”
The Earl shook his head, “As painful as I am sure that was to experience, I confess that at some level I found it illuminating and useful. I admit I have been uncertain as to whether it was the correct course to force your mother from Rosings. Obviously, it was. Indeed, you and she cannot coexist peacefully here.”
“We cannot,” Anne agreed solemnly. “She will not permit me to oversee the estate as I see fit.”
“I must return to London soon but Richard will remain for as long as you need him,” Matlock assured her. “You may need his military knowledge and determination if the enemy attempts to breach the gates of the house.”
Anne chuckled, “I am grateful to Richard and I may indeed need his services. With his help, I assure you that I will see this through for my sake and for the sake of my tenants. I am Jael.”