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The morning was drawing to a close when the Earl of Matlock’s carriage halted in front of the Darcy home in Mayfair.

The coachman remained in the box while one footman dropped from the back of the carriage and ran forward to hold the leads of the first team of horses.

The second footman moved forward to open the door of the carriage, pull down the step, and offer his hand to the older woman who said nothing to the servants.

The lady’s maid sitting in the carriage remained silent, but she did lock eyes with the footman for a moment.

Today, Lady Catherine de Bourgh sought an audience with her nephew, Fitzwilliam Darcy.

At the Matlock house in another part of London, the Countess of Matlock was furious – her sister-in-law had absconded with the elegant coach and four.

There were two smaller carriages the team pulled in pairs and slipped through the crowded streets of the capital easier than the large carriage with all four horses.

As of consequent of Lady Catherine taking the larger carriage, the countess and her daughter missed their scheduled appointment at the modiste this morning.

The Earl of Matlock would hear of his wife’s displeasure, but the man would ignore it to avoid the unpleasant confrontation with his sister.

Climbing the steps to the front door of the Darcy home, Lady Catherine noticed the knocker was missing from the door. This forced her to knock on the wooden surface herself, but her fists did not make enough noise to rouse the inhabitants.

“Come here,” she commanded the nameless footman. “Knock on the door.”

After another three minutes of knocking without summoning any servant from inside the house, Lady Catherine muttered, “Are the servants all drunk or dead?”

The footman carefully suggested, “Your Ladyship, perhaps I would have better luck if I ventured around to the kitchens in the back. I believe this house has a separate entry along the side street for the kitchen and servants.”

“Explain,” commanded the woman.

“Most of the houses on this street have an entrance for the kitchens in the basement underneath the front steps. The Darcy house is larger than the others and sits on the end of the block of houses. The builder put in large kitchen in the basement with windows and a door that leads out on the street as it drops down.”

“Go there. Hurry! I cannot be left standing on the stoop!”

The footman hurried down the steps and ran the short distance to the corner of the street where he disappeared. Lady Catherine waited for almost five more minutes before the door opened, revealing an older male servant.

Lady Catherine brushed past the man and once she stood in the hallway, demanded, “Where is my nephew? Where is Mr Darcy? Why are there not footmen waiting at the door?”

Jones, the butler who had acted as head of the servants in the Darcy household for twenty years, was dressed in his third best outfit – this morning he supervised the maids and footmen polishing the silver plate and cutlery.

When his housekeeper wife brought the footman into the dining room where the valuable items of silver was spread across the table and sideboards and he heard that Lady Catherine de Bourgh stood at the front door, he had hurried there.

Bowing before he spoke, the butler replied, “Lady Catherine, the master is not at home.”

Motioning, toward the darkened hallway and closed doors, Mr Jones continued, “Mr Darcy left London and did not communicate with myself or my wife an anticipated date of his return.”

Paying more attention to the condition of the entry hall, Lady Catherine noticed the carpets were all rolled up and moved out of the way to allow the maids and footmen to polish the floors. And the few pieces of furniture visible were all covered by fabric–Holland cloths–to protect them.

“Where has my nephew gone?” demanded Lady Catherine.

Without hesitation, Mr Jones replied, “I cannot say, my lady.”

The noblewoman scowled and pressed, “Cannot or will not?”

When the servant remained silent, Lady Catherine leaned closer and asked, “Where is my niece?”

The butler kept his face blank when he replied, “I cannot say were Miss Darcy is, my lady.”

“Where is my nephew’s secretary? His valet?”

Seeing that Jones would not provide any information, Lady Catherine hissed with displeasure and promised to report the servant’s rude behaviour as soon as ever she located her nephew. Then the formidable woman turned and stormed out of the house.

The Matlock footman followed the woman to the carriage and helped her to return to the interior.

Then he flipped the step back in place, closed the door and hurried to take his place at the back of the carriage with the second footman.

The carriage left the street and made its way back to Matlock House.

Inside the Darcy house, Mr and Mrs Jones continued leading the servants with the deep cleaning they had begun. Mr Darcy taking his sister into the countryside to meet an unnamed gentlewoman was an unusual event. The couple hoped this visit foretold a change in the household this summer.

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On the ninth of May, Mr Clarence Fredericks and Miss Anne de Bourgh married at Holy Trinity Church in Folkestone just before 10:00 AM that morning.

It was a Friday when the man performed the service.

Mr Fredericks paid the man for his service, and the newlyweds signed the registry before they walked to the parsonage where the parson’s wife provided a simple breakfast for the bride and groom, the parson, Mrs Jefferson and the townsfolk the parson invited to act as witnesses.

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