Page 19 of Mr Darcy’s Worth: Three Pride and Prejudice Variations

“This is unacceptable! My daughter has lost her mind!” Lady Catherine shouted.

“We have been trapped in London for almost a week for God-knows-what treatment, and we have neglected our affairs at Rosings. This is nothing more than a whim, which I have always disapproved of. And now you insist on me allowing Anne to ride in Hyde Park? Is she ill or not? I shall put an end to this once and for all!”

“Catherine, please do not shout,” Lord Matlock requested in a low voice. “I do lose my temper at times, but I control myself. Our servants are not accustomed to yelling, and we do not wish to incite gossip.”

“Besides, you are upset all the time, and I cannot understand why,” Lady Matlock added. “Nobody is keeping you in London if you prefer to be elsewhere. Anne is well taken care of, and she seems to enjoy our company.”

It was a warm, sunny day, and the Darcys were in attendance at the Matlocks’, together with Colonel Fitzwilliam and Anne.

Darcy visited the Matlocks daily with Georgiana and spent some time with Anne. He was relieved that his cousin showed an obvious improvement, even in such a short time. Lady Catherine was always there, of course, causing a disturbance, but he had learnt to pay no attention to her.

He was overjoyed, counting the days until he would leave for Netherfield. He had received another letter from Mr. Bennet, and one from Bingley, which gave him joy for the mere reason that they were connected to Elizabeth.

He also expected Mr. Gardiner to visit him in the afternoon, and he planned to discuss the pressing matter of Wickham.

He needed to be sure if and how much Elizabeth had been told, so he could at least be prepared.

His forthcoming meeting with Elizabeth gave him thrills that kept him awake at night and pleasure that made him smile during the day.

Even Georgiana noticed his joy and told him as much.

“Besides, you have the tendency to always exaggerate,” Darcy heard Lady Matlock say.

“Anne does not intend to ride a horse but to stay in the carriage, which is warm and comfortable, with me and her cousins. The doctor said she needs a little bit of fresh air, just as he insisted that she must go to Brighton for the summer.”

“So Anne cannot come home with me, but she can take rides in the park?” Lady Catherine continued with growing anger.

“Mama, I wish to go. I never go anywhere…I like to see people…” Anne pleaded.

“See people? Have you not seen enough people? What has happened to you, Anne? I blame Darcy for this situation! He insisted on you staying when we should have returned to Rosings, and all would be well now!”

“So, if I understood well, you blame Darcy for your unreasonable decision to travel from Kent to Hertfordshire and then to London?” the earl asked, mockery apparent in his voice. “How is he guilty for you not judging properly?”

“He is! If he had complied with his mother’s wishes and done what was right—”

“Mama, for Heaven’s sake, will you stop with this nonsense! How long will you expose me to ridicule, begging someone to marry me?” Anne cried in a voice that nobody had heard before, clearly on the verge of tears.

Lady Catherine stared at her daughter, her eyes and mouth wide in disbelief, struggling to breathe and speak, but Anne continued despite the tears coursing down her cheeks.

“I do not want to marry Darcy, just as he does not want to marry me! You cannot force me to marry or to go home! I do not need to marry — I have enough fortune to do what I please! Darcy told me I can sell Rosings if I want, can I not?” she asked, looking at him.

“You can, Anne,” he responded calmly. “You can do whatever you wish, with everything that rightfully belongs to you.”

“Anne, dear, try to calm yourself,” Lady Matlock said gently.

“Sell Rosings?” cried Lady Catherine. “Are you a lunatic? And you, Darcy, an ungrateful man with no respect for your closest relative! Your mother would die again if she saw your dreadful behaviour!”

“Lady Catherine, I shall not dignify you with an answer to such claims,” Darcy said, struggling to keep his voice level, noticing Georgiana was tearful from distress.

“Either you mind your words or I shall never speak to you again. As you may know, I resemble you in some ways — I am as resentful as you are, my temper is as bad as yours, and my good opinion once lost is lost forever. I have borne your behaviour for too long, but it all ends today.”

He expected Lady Catherine to shout again, but the earl interjected decidedly.

“Enough with this madness in my house!” he demanded.

“Catherine, you either watch your words or I shall ask you to leave. You have your own house in town to stay in if you wish, or you may return to Rosings and complete your unfinished business. I am sure Anne does not intend to sell it immediately.”

“Sell it? Stop saying such horrible things! Nobody can sell Rosings! Anne, you must recover your wits and think properly! We shall return home together and speak of all this. We shall put this whole disturbing situation behind us.”

“I shall not return home with you, Mama. I have no intention of selling Rosings unless I am forced to do so. Darcy, do I have enough money to live in town if I wish to?”

The question took everyone by surprise, and Lady Catherine turned red, gulping for air.

“Anne, what are you saying? Live in London? Where? You cannot do anything by yourself! You need Mrs. Jenkinson to cut your meat, for God’s sake! Do not make a fool of yourself! You must think of your father and your name and your reputation!”

“I shall think of myself alone for once. If I cannot do anything by myself, I shall hire help. Can I do that, Darcy?”

“You may do whatever you please, Anne. There is no need to sell Rosings since it brings you a significant income. You have several other investments I have made at Lady Catherine’s request, which are also mostly yours. I may say your fortune has increased since you inherited.”

Their conversation was interrupted by another outburst of fury from Lady Catherine until Lord Matlock unceremoniously led her out of the room.

“I am so sorry for Mama,” Anne whispered.

“I did not know that the fortune had increased. Mama never told me anything. I am not a simpleton, I knew I was the heir, but Mama led me to believe I cannot do anything without her approval. And the truth is, I never wanted to know…I never wanted to do anything by myself.”

“Your income is probably around seven thousand pounds per year,” Darcy said. “In the last five years, I have managed Rosings as carefully as Pemberley.”

“I know you have, Cousin,” Anne responded, wiping her tears. “And I hope you will continue to help me. I shall never be able to understand the business of the estate. If you leave my side, I shall be lost.”

“I shall never leave your side, Anne. As I said, you are as close to me as a sister. I shall always take care of you, and you may always count on me,” he assured her. Unexpectedly, Anne approached him and stretched out her arms, gently placing her head on his shoulder, while Darcy embraced her.

“Do not worry, Anne, you will not be alone,” Lady Matlock added.

“You have Darcy to help you with the estate, and you have all of us to help you with anything else you need. And I am sure Catherine will calm herself by tomorrow — if not completely, at least enough to carry on a reasonable conversation. She has no other choice. She will have to learn to accept that things are not always as she wants them to be.”

Darcy was not as trusting as Lady Matlock; he knew too well the depths of Lady Catherine’s resentment and her vengeful temper.

Apparently, Anne was of the same opinion, and she voiced it.

“Mama will not calm by tomorrow, dear Aunt. She will not calm down unless she has her way. She might mind her manners if she has to, but her resentment will not easily pass.”

“Then she will remain alone, my dear. You must only think of yourself, as you said.”

“These last few days, I have realised that I have not lived until now,” Anne said. “I just allowed life to pass by me, waiting for it to end. I have always assumed I shall die young…but, as short as it might be, I wish to feel something of what life really means.”

Anne’s confession broke Darcy’s heart, and he could see the distress on the colonel’s face and the tears in the ladies’ eyes.

“I am not a doctor, but I doubt you should think of dying, Anne,” the colonel said.

“I do not know much, but in recent days, you look different. Your cheeks have caught a little bit of colour, your eyes are brighter, you smile more often. And — forgive me for saying so — your figure in this gown looks lovely. I feel you might have gained a little bit of weight already.”

Anne laughed through her tears, and her cheeks coloured from embarrassment and apparent delight.

“You have always been a charming tease and quite skilful at flattering ladies, Cousin.”

“Well, I cannot be called either charming, a tease, or a flatterer,” Darcy intervened with a smile, “and I admit I have not noticed any changes in your figure, but your face does show an improvement, Anne. I believe Dr Harris’s treatment is helpful.”

“And perhaps the fact that you have ceased being lonely, Anne,” Georgiana suddenly interjected. “Loneliness is never helpful, nor comforting.”

“I know, my dear. Now, I know,” Anne responded.

Darcy stepped back, while the ladies comforted each other.

He had felt terribly guilty imagining how his aunt had offended Elizabeth, and he was deeply worried for her. But Elizabeth was strong, confident, clever, and witty, and, as proved by her father’s letter, she would not allow herself to be affected by Lady Catherine’s rudeness.

In her endeavour to hurt Elizabeth, Lady Catherine had exposed her daughter to great danger, and — strangely enough — by doing so she had allowed Anne to see life in a new light.

“Darcy, will you join us on the ride?” Lady Matlock enquired.

“No, I am very sorry, Aunt. I must return home, as I expect Mr. Gardiner’s visit.”

“I do not believe I have met the gentleman.”

“You certainly have not, but I hope such an opportunity will arise.”

“Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner are such lovely people,” Georgiana added. “I enjoyed their company immensely when they visited Pemberley.”

“If they are Miss Bennet’s relatives, they must be lovely, as she is,” Anne added, drawing an approving smile from Darcy.

“Miss Bennet? Are we still talking about her?” Lady Matlock asked, arching her eyebrow.

“We are,” Darcy responded. “She is indeed worth talking about. I am glad Georgiana and Anne approve of her since I see nothing wanting in her.”

“I can testify to that,” the colonel responded, increasing Lady Matlock’s frown.

“Darcy, is there anything you wish to share with us?”

“What I wish or not matters little as there is nothing to be shared at this moment.”

“But…now you truly worry me! Your uncle and I believed that subject was only one of your aunt’s wrong presumptions. We assumed the subject was closed.”

“The kind of relationship Lady Catherine claimed was a mistaken presumption,” Darcy responded. “However, that does not end the subject of Miss Elizabeth Bennet, whom I would be happy to talk about at any time.”

“She is the sister of the young lady whom Bingley will marry, is she not? I heard Bingley’s future wife is a flawless beauty.”

“Miss Jane Bennet is indeed beautiful, and she is kind and gentle. Bingley is a fortunate man,” Darcy replied.

“And Catherine said her youngest sister eloped with that George Wickham boy?”

“She did.”

“So , if I followed your words carefully, one sister is married to Wickham, and the other one will marry Bingley? I hope you realise, Darcy, how much below you these people are and how far from your circle,” Lady Matlock said coldly.

“I hope your judgment is not affected and that you consider all the circumstances thoroughly before you decide on any actions. You cannot afford to be impulsive and careless, and I believe you should discuss the matter with your uncle too, even today.”

The warning was clear, as well as the disapproval in the lady’s voice. Her opposition had already been aroused, not as violent as Lady Catherine’s but powerful enough to not be neglected.

“I have considered all the circumstances — I always do, both when I manage my business or in my personal life. I shall gladly talk to you or my uncle on any subject you wish. However, I hope you remember that, if I am capable of making decisions to improve the income for everyone in the family, if you trust me with your fortune, I deserve to be trusted with what I believe to be the good fortune of my life.”

“I do trust you, Brother,” Georgiana said with a timid smile.

“So do I, Cousin,” Anne said. “Utterly and completely.”

“You may always count on my support, Darcy,” the colonel added, causing his mother to frown again.

“Perhaps we should postpone the ride, after all,” Lady Matlock said coldly. “It seems there are important matters that you should discuss with your uncle, and I believe I should be present.”

“As you wish, dear Aunt,” Anne surprisingly replied. “If you do not mind, I would like to go still, if Georgiana and Geoffrey wish to join me.”

“I certainly do,” the colonel replied, and Georgiana nodded too. They left soon after, while Darcy remained with Lady Matlock until the earl returned, already angry after the confrontation with his sister.