Page 138 of Obligation and Redemption
“She is a beauty, is she not? It is a shame she refuses to marry, considering she has a son to support, but she continues to hold out for the father.”
“Then she waits in vain.”
Colonel Fitzwilliam also knew of the woman and meant to help his cousin by changing the subject. “Aunt Catherine, I began an extensive review of your park today. Were you aware of flooding on the west side of your estate?”
“Yes, of course I was aware,” said Lady Catherine to Fitzwilliam, but she would not be put off. So turning to Darcy, she continued, “Her son is a good-looking lad. He almost has a noble look to him.”
Darcy turned to his cousin and said, “Fitzwilliam, was there much damage from the flooding?”
“One of the bridges is unsafe and will need rebuilding.”
“But Darcy, what do you plan to do about Miss Wainwright? You cannot let her continue on in this way. Now that her father is gone, she needs a protector, a man other than her current one.” She finished this sentence in a most peculiar way, obviously making a point of speaking of Darcy himself as she stared at him, eyebrows raised.
She had purposely used the woman’s former appellation.
“Aunt Catherine, Darcy has only three days at Rosings to come up with a plan to fix the bridge, in addition to dealing with the poachers in the south.”
“Fitzwilliam, I am the one to determine what is important! And if Darcy would stay as long as usual, he would have plenty of time to address these issues and more.” Then turning back to her favourite, she continued, “Darcy, I deem Miss Wainwright would benefit from another protector.”
What is she talking about? She knows the woman’s history. Why is she bringing her up now, in front of Georgiana, an innocent girl of sixteen? Does she mean to mention Wickham by name?
“Georgiana, have you told our aunt about your progression on the harp? Aunt Catherine, do you have an instrument here? Our dear Georgie plays beautifully. Miss Semmes is known for her skill, but cannot compare to our dear girl,” said the colonel, dutifully shifting the conversation away from Wickham’s misdeeds.
Two days before Darcy’s arrival, Lady Catherine had invited Mrs. Collins to her home for tea.
Darcy had sent word that he would be coming with Colonel Fitzwilliam and Georgiana, but that his wife remained at Pemberley.
This had interfered with the great lady’s plan to suggest to Mrs. Darcy herself that her husband was in an illicit relationship with Miss Wainwright.
Of course, Lady Catherine knew that Darcy was not guilty of setting up the woman as his mistress, but the evidence to the contrary was incontrovertible.
There had long been subtle rumours to that effect, but she had always quashed them, knowing the truth and not desiring her family to be held in derision, yet now it would work to her advantage if Mrs. Darcy were to hear about them through her own sister.
Lady Catherine was well aware of Mary Collins’s propensity to examine others against an impossible standard of righteousness, even when she herself could not possibly qualify by her own measure.
If Mrs. Collins learnt of a possible inappropriate relationship between Darcy and the young Miss Wainwright, she would be certain to write to her sister and share the rumours, thereby saving Lady Catherine the trouble.
She meant to stir the pot of antagonism that already subsisted within the Darcy marriage, with the hopes of bringing about a dissolution of the union.
She still held out hope for her daughter and Darcy and meant to do all in her power to force a divorce.
This was just one means of making trouble, by generating distrust on Mrs. Darcy’s part.
But this scheme was by no means the only plan she had in effect.
Lady Catherine also meant to give Darcy reason to leave his wife by confirming the validity of an on-going relationship between Wickham and Mrs. Darcy.
Wickham, still under her employ – as much as Lady Catherine was under his deceptive and manipulative spell – had been offered five thousand pounds if he could force Darcy into filing for divorce.
Their plan was to provide evidence to Darcy that Mrs. Darcy’s baby was likely not his, but Wickham’s.
What Lady Catherine did not know was that Wickham intended to secure his success one way or another, by blackmailing Darcy if necessary.
If the blackmail to keep quiet did not succeed, he would go to the papers and force the scandal on Darcy, forever calling into question his heir.
He suspected that Darcy would have no recourse but divorce in that case, which would satisfy Lady Catherine, thus giving him a payoff through her employ if Darcy himself did not take the bait.
And if neither ploy worked to be financially advantageous, at least Wickham knew that he had succeeded in discomposing Darcy with the belief that he had been cuckolded by his archenemy.
DURING THE MORNING, Elizabeth walked out onto the estate with Clark, her faithful footman, her new puppy following happily along.
By this time, they had developed a comfortable rapport, sometimes engaging in conversation and at others, quite silent.
He was an intelligent, handsome young man not five and twenty and Elizabeth often wondered what his life might have been like had he been born into an affluent family.
But as it was, he had chosen the life of a servant, or perhaps it had chosen him.
She just hoped that her husband knew the young man’s merit and would ensure the footman’s future coincided with his potential.
Of course, Elizabeth could not be aware of the man’s history, as he too had been in ignorance, for his mother, a once beautiful and innocent girl of fifteen, had herself been victim to the assault of one of the elder Mr. Darcy’s schoolmates, a viscount, who had come to Pemberley for part of the summer to take in the entertainment often enjoyed on a grand estate.
The indiscretion was hushed up as is often the case, yet instead of the master of the estate sending the traumatised young girl away in shame, a tenant was found willing to marry her, one who had admired her beauty and gentleness.
It was ironic indeed that the blood coursing through the veins of Darcy’s footman was one generation closer to nobility than Darcy’s own.
But such were the whims of the privileged to give and take as they willed.
Elizabeth took this time to inform Clark of the upcoming visitors and her desire that he attend her at all times.
She provided no reason for her strange request and hoped that he would accept it without question, as was expected in a servant.
Since it would not do for Darcy’s footman to suspect a connection between the two requests — that she feared Darcy’s relations — Elizabeth waited until the latter part of the walk before bringing the conversation around to her desire to learn ways of defending herself as a precautionary measure in case she should ever find herself alone without a protector.
“Mrs. Darcy, part of my job is to keep you safe. There is no need for a lady to learn such a thing, and I am not at all sure Mr. Darcy would approve.”
“As Mr. Darcy is not here, we cannot ask him, but I can assure you that he would approve of any activity done with my safety in mind. And if for some reason he does not, I will take full responsibility. Please, I would feel much better with the knowledge.”
Although uncomfortable with the idea, not because he felt women should not possess the power of defence, but more related to his belief that Mr. Darcy should be the one to teach her – based on the delicate nature of what he would impart – he proceeded to share with her ways in which a member of the weaker sex might protect herself.
Clark knew women to be vulnerable to men.
He had lived in the world long enough to know of several occasions during which a woman was imposed upon by a brute, completely at his mercy, but surely this could not happen to Mrs. Darcy.
He well knew that her husband would see to her safety, and if not her husband, he himself was dedicated to the cause.
After showing her the vulnerable areas of a person that she might attack if needed, including the eyes, nose, and shin, along with how she might best achieve success, he ventured on to the areas more specific to the male.
They both blushed as he explained the vulnerabilities of the male anatomy and how she might best thwart any attacker – no matter his strength – especially if she were to take him off guard.
Elizabeth thanked him for his assistance, despite his discomfort in so doing, and they returned to the house.
They had been gone for an extended time, as the day was particularly fine, and Elizabeth had felt a sense of peace while in the company of the strong footman who was dedicated to her continued safety.
She now saw the wisdom in her husband’s sanction to always have a protector nearby, and she again thanked God for the solicitude and conscientiousness of the man she married, the man whom she had come to view as one of the best of her acquaintance.
How could she doubt his fidelity? She laughed at her overactive imagination and insecurities.
Had Darcy ever done anything to cause her to doubt his constancy, even in light of his questionable feelings toward her?