Page 12 of Raised at Rosings (Elizabeth and Darcy True Love Multiverse #4)
Chapter Eleven
Elizabeth fought to suppress a grumble at the poor timing of Lady Catherine’s arrival. A stifled curse from Richard did not help matters. Swallowing an inappropriate giggle, Elizabeth turned to face the woman she had grown to loathe. Thankfully, Richard and Darcy held Lady Catherine’s attention, and she did not notice the wisp of a smile that ghosted across Elizabeth’s lips.
Stepping forward, Richard took the lead in the confrontation. “What are we doing here? Is that how you greet your nephews who have taken the time to call on you?”
Expression hard, Lady Catherine huffed, “While coming for a visit is fine, I suppose, it would have been better had you sent round a note of your wish to visit. That way, I could have told you today would not be a good day for a visit.” Brushing past the gentlemen, Lady Catherine’s disdain was palpable as she planted herself on the first step, her posture stiff, making Elizabeth wonder if she was trying to gain authority by looking down on them. “While we may be family, sometimes I wonder if you forget yourselves in your search for entertainment to fill your idle hours. We have only just arrived in town and have not fully settled in. You will receive a message from me when I’m open for callers.”
Elizabeth watched Mr. Darcy and Richard’s spines stiffen in unison. Lady Catherine was treating them as recalcitrant boys, and not the grown men they were. Stepping forward, Mr. Darcy's gaze collided with Lady Catherine’s, his height dwarfing her even while she stood on the first step of the stairs. He was quick to say, “You assume, Aunt, that we came to call on you. Or did you forget there are other people in this home whom we might wish to see? It has been some time since Richard or I have seen Miss Elizabeth, who was happy to greet us, unlike yourself. And do not overlook the fact we both knew Anne was already unwell. We were concerned by your audacious decision to subject her to the hazard of travel at this time of year, not to mention the noise and stress of London. As you wish to not be bothered by our presences, you are free to retreat wherever you wish. Richard and I will be visiting with Miss Elizabeth and seeing to our cousin.”
The charged interplay before her left Elizabeth feeling breathless. Her mouth went dry, and a strange feeling settled over her. Had she never noticed how the coat seemed to mold itself to Mr. Darcy’s broad shoulders, accentuating his powerful physique? Maybe it was the way he stood so easily before Lady Catherine, unwavering and confident in his declaration, unlike Elizabeth, who always felt compelled to show deference.
She was unsurprised by Lady Catherine’s screech. “You speak to your aunt like that? I am the daughter of an earl and the sister to one! Who are you to—”
Richard’s booming voice cut Lady Catherine off. “Now then, what say you to this?” Stepping forward, he challenged, “I am the son of an earl, which shall always take precedence over a female relative. Do not presume that brandishing your courtesy title will get you anywhere. Are you going to be gracious and allow us to visit with Anne and Elizabeth, or do I need to return with father?”
If looks could kill, Lady Catherine’s contemptuous gaze, cold and sharp enough to freeze blood, would have ended both her nephews. The heavy silence was broken only by the audible hiss of her breath. Elizabeth knew that whatever happened, there would be consequences for standing up to her. Elizabeth had come to know just how much Lady Catherine like punishing people for what she saw as slights.
Huffing, Lady Catherine looked away from Mr. Darcy and Richard, her words sharp. “See Anne if you must, but if your visit harms her delicate health, it will be on your heads.” With a pointed glare directed at Elizabeth, Lady Catherine’s voice dripped with disdain as she said, “As for Bennet, I can always have her finish the tasks she is responsible for at a later time.”
Sensing that both gentlemen were about to say something about their aunt’s thinly veiled threat, Elizabeth gripped both of their arms and said, “I will be sure to check in with you, Lady Catherine, once your nephews leave.” The charade of deference to Lady Catherine grated on Elizabeth, though it served Anne's aims. Still, a breaking point neared—either Anne’s health would necessitate a change, or her suppressed fury would explode.
With a regal nod, Lady Catherine turned her back on them and swept up the ornate staircase. Elizabeth glanced around and realized that Mrs. Cuthburt had already disappeared, most likely to have tea prepared for her mistress. It took some prodding, but she got both Mr. Darcy and Richard to make their way back up to Anne’s room.
Leaning back up against the door, Elizabeth let her shoulders droop, tired now that the confrontation was over for the moment. Then, blowing out a breath, she smiled at Anne’s maid and asked, “Could you see about getting tea brought up here? I know we had just sat down to tea downstairs, but we had to relocate.” With a respectful nod, the maid stood as Elizabeth added, “And please apologize to the cook. The extra work was unavoidable, I’m afraid.”
After the maid left, Elizabeth collapsed into a chair near Anne’s bed, Richard and Mr. Darcy swiftly following. Mr. Darcy was quick to speak up. “I am so sorry my aunt behaves so cruelly towards you, Miss Elizabeth. I cannot imagine having to put up with her for any length of time, let alone every day.”
Leaning forward, Richard added, “Yes, Lizzie, you know you are more than welcome at Matlock House. In fact, Mother and Jane would be thrilled to have you. Why do you stay and put up with her?”
“She stays for me.” A hoarse whisper escaped Anne’s lips, the sound fragile and dry, instantly causing Elizabeth to spring up and fetch the waiting water. Anne took a small sip and sighed with relief, a faint smile touching her lips as she looked at Elizabeth and said, “Lizzie knows I would be worse off if she were not here to oversee things. She stays because I have need of her and the people of Rosings need her. But that time has passed. I am aware that my time in this world is coming to an end. It is finally time for my mother to face the consequence of her actions.”
They did not stay long with Anne. She became fatigued rapidly, and their brief conversation seemed to exhaust her completely. Darcy and Richard, mindful of Anne’s delicate health and Aunt Catherine’s already frayed temper, bid their goodbyes, and promised Anne they would see her again soon.
As Miss Elizabeth had walked them to the door, Darcy hesitated, his eyes searching hers as he asked, “Will you be all right once we leave?” Her vulnerability to his aunt’s harsh words and actions bothered him profoundly, even though he admired her selflessness in staying despite the difficulties she faced. Knowing that he would be leaving her alone to face his aunt alone made the knot in his stomach tighten.
Shaking her head, Miss Elizabeth offered a rueful grin. “I am not easily intimidated by Lady Catherine’s bluster. Although she habitually issues numerous demands, sometimes with an air of impatience, she seldom confirms her demands have been obeyed. Besides, I know her for what she is—a supercilious woman ignorant of her worth or mine. Her insults cannot hurt me.”
Darcy drew nearer, his hand gripping Miss Elizabeth’s as he stressed, “Her insults, though uncalled for, are not what truly concerns me. I am afraid of what my aunt might do when she learns she will not be getting her way. A cornered beast is desperate and unpredictable, and it will lash out with surprising ferocity. I fear that she will lash out at you in a way you cannot so easily sidestep.”
Tilting her head, Miss Elizabeth smiled and asked, “Did you just call you aunt a beast?”
“You have to admit,” he said, a smirk playing on his lips, “that there are many worse things I could call her.”
Miss Elizabeth squeezed his hand, her touch firm yet comforting, as she reassured him. “I will be cautious in my dealings with Lady Catherine. Do not worry.”
Darcy did not know how long he stared into Miss Elizabeth’s earnest face before Richard clapped him on the back in a signal that they must go. Saying goodbye to Miss Elizabeth, he and Richard wasted no time lingering in the entryway. They were eager to get to away so they could strategize without being overheard.
The ride back to Darcy House was not sufficient for all the thinking Darcy had to do. He had many things to consider, but the image of his frail, dying cousin haunted him, her shallow breaths a constant reminder of her imminent demise. The weight of Anne’s confession, that she knew she was dying and soon, was difficult to bear.
Though the pain of his coming loss was a sharp, physical thing, he knew there was nothing to be done, so he pushed it aside, focusing instead on Miss Elizabeth’s perilous situation. He did not like the fact that she was suffering even now under his aunt’s ill-gotten authority. Miss Elizabeth was too good for such ill use.
In the last several years, he had come to know much about Miss Elizabeth. He’d met countless young women in high society over the years, but none possessed the quiet strength and unwavering spirit she exuded. That was not to say that she could not hold her own in a conversation or debate. Miss Elizabeth possessed a level of intelligence and comprehension that surpassed even some of his former classmates. Miss Elizabeth always kept him on his toes when they were together. She challenged some of his long-held ideas about the society.
However, her ability to debate and play chess was only a glimpse into the multifaceted and vibrant personality she truly was. Her heart, overflowing with empathy and kindness, astonished him far more than her sharp intellect; its warmth captivated him. It was her heart that left her under his aunt’s thumb.
While he had been convinced in the past to let Anne and Miss Elizabeth handle the situation as they saw fit, that time had passed. A knot of unease tightened in Darcy’s chest as he pondered his aunt’s schemes, yet his determination to protect the worthy woman that was Miss Elizabeth hardened. He could do no less. And if he refused to question why Miss Elizabeth’s predicament so profoundly moved him, he would think about it later, after he had dealt with his aunt.
Realizing that he had arrived at Darcy House and his footman was standing there to collect his reins, Darcy dismounted and thanked the man absentmindedly. Within moments, Darcy was inside, requesting that tea and a light meal to be sent to his study. He and Richard had a lot to discuss, and they might as well discuss strategy while they ate.
As Darcy entered his study, the smell of leather-bound books and wood polish eased his tension, a familiar comfort after an aggravating morning. There was just something about the combination that reminded him of happy times reading leather tomes and exploring the wider world from his spot by the fire. Taking a seat not behind his desk, but in one of the two wingback chairs, Darcy stretched his legs out and sighed.
“I must admit,” Richard drawled, running a hand through his hair as he sat down in the chair across from Darcy, “that I am oddly glad that Aunt Catherine is finally doing something we can act against.”
Focusing on his cousin, Darcy asked, “How so?”
Eyes narrowing, Richard replied, “For the longest time, I have wanted to act against our aunt. The cruelty she inflicts upon Elizabeth and those she views as lesser beings is matched only by the breathtaking extent of her self-aggrandizing delusions. While my inaction was a direct result of Anne’s request for me to stay my hand, it has worn on me to do nothing. But now, with this direct affront to Elizabeth, I am finally free to act, and it is as if a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.”
“You know, Anne’s health was so poor that even a minor confrontation with her mother could have killed her,” argued Darcy. Slumping in his chair, he looked into the fire and added, “Anne wanted to live out her remaining time in whatever peace she could manage, avoiding any unnecessary stress.”
With a growl, Richard said, “I know, but that does not mean I was happy to stand by knowing Aunt Catherine was doing everything she could to belittle a young woman I cherish as a younger sister.” Waiting for Darcy to look away from the crackling fire and back at him, Richard continued, “So I ask, how are we to bring an end to Aunt Catherine’s reign?”
With a gentle touch, Elizabeth ran a lavender scented cloth to Anne’s face and wrists, whispering reassurances as she tried to comfort her longtime companion. Anne spent more and more time asleep and even the special physician who had come at Mr. Darcy’s request could offer no hope. It was only a matter of time before she would slip from the world.
She was grateful to have something to occupy her, otherwise the relentless worry about Mr. Darcy and Richard’s endeavors would have been unbearable. At least Elizabeth had received a note from Jane via one of the downstairs maids just that morning. Jane had confirmed that Richard and Mr. Darcy’s investigation had uncovered Lady Catherine’s underhanded attempt to bribe someone in Uncle Lewis’s law firm, a discovery that filled Jane with outrage. The attempted bribe made sense to Elizabeth only if Lady Catherine was maneuvering to manipulate his will, possibly to disinherit someone she disliked or increase her own inheritance.
But was Lady Catherine that foolish? Elizabeth knew that there were multiple copies of the will. Besides the law firm’s copy, the earl possessed a copy of the will, as did Mr. Darcy. Did Lady Catherine really think she could get away with her underhanded tactics?
Stretching her back, Elizabeth chuckled softly to herself. Of course, Lady Catherine thought she could escape unscathed. She had evaded the consequences of everything else since her husband’s death. Per Anne’s request, they had all pretended like her mother was still in charge of everything. Why not reach for more?
Elizabeth herself had allowed Lady Catherine to treat her as a hired companion and nurse for her daughter. Unfazed by Lady Catherine’s withering stares and contemptuous, icy comments, Elizabeth remained resolute. She loved Anne like a sister and would do whatever was necessary for her comfort. She thought she had somehow won something, never understanding Elizabeth could did not care if a foolish woman wasted her breath in demeaning her. Elizabeth, overseeing both the management of the household and the sprawling estate, felt a quiet confidence in her own worth that was untempered by Lady Catherine’s manipulations.
Settling more comfortably into the chair beside the bed, a sudden, sharp clash of voices from downstairs sliced through the quiet. The sounds, harsh and angry, propelled Elizabeth from Anne’s side to investigate the commotion below. As she hurried down the hallway and to the top of the stairs, Elizabeth could pick out the distinct sound of Mr. Darcy’s voice mingling with that of Lady Catherine. Though she was used to Lady Catherine’s furious tirades, the sheer force of Mr. Darcy’s icy wrath, laced with cutting disdain, rendered her speechless.
Hurrying down the stairs, Elizabeth made it to the bottom just as Lady Catherine barked, “Get out of my house, you ungrateful boy, and take this riffraff with you!”
“No, Aunt Catherine. In the past, I have suppressed my own desires to maintain peace and comply with Anne’s pleas, but my patience has run out, and I am finally taking a stand. You have gone too far in your selfish machinations.” Looking down at her, he asked with a tilt of his head, “Did you really think you could get away with it?”
Elizabeth’s gaze swiveled to Lady Catherine and was surprised to note that she seemed to shrink back for a moment be for reasserting herself. Shoulders back and head held high, she exclaimed, “I do not know what you think you are talking about.” Shaking her head, Lady Catherine looked at the footman saying, “It is time for you to go, the footman will see you out.”
Concern etched on Martin’s face, the footman looked at Elizabeth, his eyes concerned, and Elizabeth shook her head almost imperceptibly. She did not know what Mr. Darcy had discovered, but Elizabeth would not weaken her stance against the Lady Catherine. When Lady Catherine realized Martin had not moved to hustle Mr. Darcy and the man with him out the door, she huffed, “Useless fool!”
Unbeknownst to Lady Catherine, the staff’s loyalty lay with Elizabeth, who quietly managed the household with kindness and held the real authority. All the true respect was reserved for Elizabeth. Martin knew that even if Lady Catherine dismissed him, Elizabeth would make sure he was cared for. Lady Catherine might have threatened to fire Martin, but was distracted when Mr. Darcy introduced the man standing to his right. “Lady Catherine, I do not believe that you have met the Honorable Dudley Crampton. He’s the barrister responsible for the careful execution of your late husband’s will.”
Though her eyes widened, Lady Catherine held her tongue, and into the odd sort of silence, the man said, “I believe Lady Catherine was at the reading of her husband’s will.” His attention shifted from Mr. Darcy to Lady Catherine before continuing. “Even though we didn’t exchange a single word that day, your unhappiness about the distribution of your husband’s assets was palpable. Your response didn’t surprise me; it was exactly what I expected. Before his death, your husband warned me that you would do everything in your power to circumvent his wishes.”
Lady Catherine sniffed disdainfully, her voice dripping with contempt as she declared, “My poor husband was unwell and apparently paranoid.”
“Regardless of your dismissive opinion, I followed my client’s wishes and did all I could to see that what he wished would come to pass.” A slow smile stretched Mr. Crampton’s face as he said, “The moment your stooge, Mr. Dunn, bribed one of my staff for a peek at the will, I knew more security measures were needed.”
Lady Catherine glared, her nostrils flaring slightly. “I do not know this Mr. Dunn you speak of.”
In that moment, Elizabeth vividly recalled the hushed tones and angry mutterings of Lady Catherine’s conversation with a man named Dunn, a meeting that occurred soon after her Uncle Lewis’s death. The memory was heavy with unspoken implications, and a few things started to make more sense. They had spoken of a codicil then too. A codicil that apparently had something to do with her.
Elizabeth was so lost in thought that she almost missed it when the barrister said, “That is odd, because Mr. Dunn seems to know you. When we caught him attempting to switch the codicil attached to your husband’s will with a forged document, he claimed he was only doing it at your behest.”
Though her eyes darted, Lady Catherine’s voice held steady as she declared, “Obviously, he was lying.”
“If that is the case, it is very unusual that he would attempt to replace the codicil with one that greatly benefited you?” came his calm reply.
“How would I know the mind of a criminal?” Lady Catherine scoffed, before stepping forward and saying, “It is obvious that my husband should never have trusted you to uphold his wishes. I will be bringing your incompetencies to the attention of the court, that is for certain.”
“Is that so?” responded Mr. Crampton. A slight, almost imperceptible clearing of his throat made Elizabeth wonder if he was stifling laughter at Lady Catherine’s absurd pronouncements. Elizabeth found herself charmed; the man’s laughter at Lady Catherine’s antics hinted at a compatible wit and a shared appreciation for the absurd. It made sense that Uncle Lewis would have chosen him as his barrister.
Narrowing her eyes, Lady Catherine had the audacity to poke the taller man in the chest as she snapped, “I am Mistress here and I will not be insulted in my own home. It is time for you to leave.”
Looking down at the bony finger poking him in the chest, Mr. Crampton said, “While it is true that you live here, you are not the mistress of this house. Your daughter is, and you know it.”