Page 5 of Intrigue and Inheritance (Crime and Consequences #3)
“This is very pretty,” she ventured, her voice barely audible. “I have never worn such a colour before.”
“It would be most becoming, mademoiselle,” Madame assured her. “With your dark hair and fair skin, it would create an impression of delicate beauty.”
“Lady Catherine,” Mrs. Jenkinson began again, but Elizabeth interrupted swiftly.
“Lady Catherine has entrusted Anne’s presentation to us for the Season,” she reminded the companion. “And while we value your insights, Mrs. Jenkinson, I believe Anne herself might enjoy exploring some new possibilities.”
Darcy watched this exchange with growing admiration for his wife’s tactful but firm handling of the situation.
Mrs. Jenkinson glowered but fell silent, taking a step back.
Elizabeth had managed to assert her authority without directly challenging Mrs. Jenkinson’s position, while simultaneously encouraging Anne to exercise her own judgment.
Later that afternoon, when the fittings had concluded and the modiste departed with her army of assistants, Darcy found himself alone with Elizabeth in their private sitting room.
The familiar crackle of the fire and the ticking of the mantelpiece clock created a peaceful sanctuary from the constant bustle that had overtaken the rest of the household.
“That went well, I believe,” Elizabeth said, settling into the chair beside his with a contented sigh. “Though Mrs. Jenkinson’s determination to bedeck poor Anne in enough gold embroidery to outfit a military regiment was rather trying.”
“You handled the situation admirably,” Darcy assured her. “I particularly admired your diplomatic assertion of authority. Mrs. Jenkinson will think twice before overruling your decisions again.”
“I hope so. Anne seems almost afraid to express any preference at all. Today when I asked her to choose between two books of poetry, she looked positively panicked until I assured her there was no correct answer.”
Darcy frowned at this. “How limiting her upbringing must have been. I confess I had not fully considered the restrictions under which she has lived.”
“Every choice made for her, every opinion formed by others,” Elizabeth mused. “It is no wonder she seems so uncertain of herself. Though I did notice a spark of genuine interest when Madame mentioned the lavender silk. I believe there is more to our Anne than her mother has allowed anyone to see.”
“Our Anne,” Darcy repeated, noting the possessive pronoun with approval.
“She is family,” Elizabeth said simply. “And I suspect there is considerable intelligence behind that carefully cultivated passivity. When she forgets to be intimidated, her observations can be surprisingly perceptive.”
They sat in comfortable silence for several minutes, each absorbed in their own thoughts.
The peaceful intimacy of the moment was a welcome respite from the day’s activities, and Darcy found himself considering that Lady Catherine’s precipitous decision to place Anne in their care might prove beneficial in ways none of them had anticipated.
“I received a letter from Jane today,” Elizabeth said eventually, breaking the companionable quiet.
“She and Sir Richard are exceedingly happy at Netherfield. He has taken to country life with surprising enthusiasm and has already instituted several improvements that have won the approval of the local farmers.”
“That sounds like Richard,” Darcy observed with affection. “He always did have a talent for practical solutions. I have no doubt those skills will serve him well in estate management.”
“Jane writes that she has taken a particular interest in the tenants’ welfare and plans to establish a small school for their children. Her husband is supportive and immensely proud of her efforts.”
Darcy smiled, genuinely pleased at this report. After years of military service, Richard deserved the happiness he had found with Jane Bennet, whose gentle temperament complemented his cousin’s more energetic character perfectly.
“A shame they decided not to join us in London,” he mused, “though I understand why they preferred to settle into married life more quietly. Jane would have been the very person to draw Anne out of her shell.”
“Jane can befriend even the shyest soul,” Elizabeth agreed.
“Though speaking of Anne, I believe I am making some progress in encouraging her to express her own preferences. This afternoon I found her reading Wordsworth’s poetry with apparent absorption, though she quickly hid it when Mrs. Jenkinson entered the room. ”
“A revolutionary act,” Darcy remarked with dry humour. “What inspired such daring independence?”
“I suspect our Anne harbours intellectual interests that have been long suppressed by her mother’s focus on more conventional feminine accomplishments.”
“You have a gift for seeing potential in people,” Darcy observed.
“In Anne’s case, I believe there is genuine intelligence waiting to be nurtured. I only hope we can give her enough confidence to assert herself before her mother returns from Rosings.”
Elizabeth rose to attend to her correspondence, leaving Darcy to contemplate the unexpected developments that had transformed their quiet London residence into a bustling household of preparation and possibility.
Whatever challenges lay ahead, he had complete confidence in Elizabeth’s ability to guide their three charges through the complexities of their first Season.
The transformation he had already witnessed in Anne, subtle though it was, suggested that this time in London might offer all three young ladies something far more valuable than simply finding suitable husbands: the opportunity to discover themselves.