Page 58

L ord Anderson sat in the carriage with tension and agony, and the temperament of the rest of the members in his company was no different.

Lady Anderson and her daughter sat with contempt, unable to digest the announcement at the ball.

They had expected to see Darcy during breakfast, but to their irritation, he was absent and had met them briefly to send them off as they left for Ashton Park.

Lady Martha decided to leave later, along with Elizabeth, and stayed behind.

Lady Anderson was enraged to see that Darcy was utterly indifferent to her daughter’s status and beauty and had offered for a governess; as for Miss Anderson, she had to control her tears, understanding she could never be the mistress of Pemberley.

Both mother and daughter were so occupied with their feelings that they overlooked the discomposure on Darcy and Lord Anderson’s faces that morning.

As the carriage entered Ashton Park, Lord Anderson finally realized that he had to disclose the secret he had held in his heart for over twenty years to his wife and the rest of the world, the aftermath of which he could not comprehend.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth sat in Georgiana’s room that morning after a traumatic night; Georgiana sat beside her and urged her to eat.

“I wish you could stay here, Lizzy; I also asked Fitzwilliam. He wishes the same, but Lady Martha insists we allow you to leave with her.”

“I understand your concern. Honestly, I do not know what to expect at Ashton Park.”

“If you feel uncomfortable, please do not go. We plan to leave for London soon.”

“I must face the truth, Georgiana, however bitter it may be. But I cannot digest the thought of seeing Lord Anderson again.”

“It is not my place to say this, but there must be an explanation. Lord Anderson’s story does not add up, and if he married your mother, what convinced him to think she married someone else.”

“I will know once I read those letters, and however horrific it is going to be, I must endure the pain to prove my mother’s innocence. You have been truly wonderful to me; I cannot thank you enough for the compassion you have shown me since yesterday.”

“You are my sister now, and even before I learned about your relationship with Fitzwilliam, you were very dear to me.”

“You do not have to declare your affection for me; I am well aware of your regard.”

“Everything may look grim and complicated now, but Fitzwilliam is certain you both can sail through this together, and he cannot wait to marry you.”

“Did you meet him this morning?”

“I did, and he is impatient to see you; he is waiting for you in the library.”

“Is Lady Martha with him?”

“I assume not, but I will stay with you both as a chaperone.”

Elizabeth smiled at Georgiana, grateful to have her support and affection. The reserved young girl she had met months ago had become a confident woman rising to the situation. They headed to the library, where Darcy waited impatiently for them.

It took a lot of resolve on his part to meet the Andersons as they left Pemberley that morning.

He knew Elizabeth was to stay in Ashton Park till they departed to London; with the shocking developments since the ball, Darcy was uncertain when that trip would be.

He realized that the man responsible for Elizabeth's misery was not of great temperament either, as Lord Anderson’s eyes expressed sorrow, guilt, and agony in equal measure as they departed.

He stood by the window contemplating their situation and felt distressed at the thought of Elizabeth staying away from his care.

How can she face everything alone, even if Lady Martha is on her side? She would have to read those letters; I should be with her.

The arrival of Georgiana and Elizabeth interrupted his thoughts, and Darcy felt a little relieved as Elizabeth smiled at him.

Georgiana immediately left them, headed to the other side of the library, and sat down with a book facing away.

Darcy did not lose an instant in pulling Elizabeth into his arms.

“I don’t dare to ask you whether you slept last night. How are you feeling?”

“I am well, and now I feel better as I am with you. I know this moment will not last long, and I want to relish it.”

“Do not say that. Even if you are leaving for Ashton Park, I plan to be there every day until we leave for town. We are facing this together; please remember that.”

Elizabeth did not reply; she held on to his coat tightly, engulfed in the protection and warmth of his arms. Finally, they moved away from each other, but Darcy refused to let go of her hand.

“Lady Martha insists on taking you to Ashton Park, but you must understand I do not want you to leave.”

“I understand.”

“Promise me you will take care of yourself.”

“I will.”

“I do not know how to say this, but Lord Anderson wants you to read those letters, and I know the amount of torment that would cause you.”

“I have no qualms in reading them, whatever his accusation is of my mother; if he thinks those letters will act as proof, then I am willing to read them, not to give him the benefit of the doubt or understand why he chose to abandon her and marry someone else, but to prove my point that he was in the wrong all the while. I do not trust a word he says, and whatever those letters state, I will prove to him how utterly wrong he was with his actions. If I have to endure his presence and reasoning to prove my mother’s innocence, I will do it; please do not worry about my welfare in this. ”

“You have suffered so much, and I cannot see you in pain. Promise me, if you want to leave Ashton Park at any point, you must tell me, and I will bring you here; nothing takes precedence when your welfare is in question.”

They left for the parlor where Lady Martha waited for them. Georgiana stayed behind, sensing they may need privacy. Lady Martha felt relieved to see Elizabeth in better spirits but was very anxious about her well-being.

“Did you sleep, my dear?” she asked.

“Yes, I did,” Elizabeth replied.

“I want to take you back to Ashton Park as planned. Please trust me; I will be on your side, as your aunt, supporting you in this matter.”

Elizabeth nodded.

“Fitzwilliam, I spoke with my brother before he left. I had to ask him about the legitimacy of his current marriage.”

Elizabeth and Darcy stared at her in shock.

“Do you mean to say that his marriage with Lady Anderson is illegitimate?” Darcy asked.

“Well, at least until now my brother thought it was. It is complicated, Mark informed me that he was very depressed after ending his relationship with Sarah, and he never wanted to marry again. But after my mother’s passing, he was forced by our father to marry Augusta, stating that it was my mother’s only wish on her deathbed.

I questioned whether he got the annulment, and he informed me that our father took care of it.

But the truth is, it was never done, and Mark suspects that our father was aware of Sarah’s demise, which is why he never got the annulment. ”

“Good heavens!” cried Elizabeth.

“I still do not understand,” Darcy cried.

“Mark had married Augusta exactly a year after Elizabeth’s mother’s sorrowful demise.

As I stated, my father informed Mark that his previous marriage was annulled, even though they married over an anvil in Gretna Green.

However, after my father died, Mark never found any documents regarding the same and he now suspects that my father must have known that Sarah had died in London, and that is why he never got the annulment.

So, his marriage with Augusta is valid.”

“I cannot believe this, he chose to hide her death from him?” Elizabeth said with disbelief.

“Unfortunately, yes, but I know my father, Elizabeth, he must have tried to get the annulment and discovered your mother was dead. He cruelly withheld the information from Mark to make him marry Augusta. I wish my brother had not believed the letters blindly but had traveled to London while your mother was alive.”

“I cannot wait to read them,” Elizabeth said, suppressing her anger.

“Does his wife know anything? Is she aware that he was married before?”

“No,” Lady Martha replied with shame.

“Does she know now?” Elizabeth asked.

“Not yet, but I am certain she will know today.”

“Lady Martha, I hope you understand my concern in this matter. I cannot stand anyone hurting Elizabeth after the truth is out, and I believe Lady Anderson will be livid with anger, which I do not want to be directed at Elizabeth.”

“You think very less of me, Fitzwilliam, to accuse me of not caring about your fiancée. You must understand even though we became aware of the relationship only last night, she is my niece, and come what may, I am here to protect her. I will not have you insult me thus,” she cried angrily.

Elizabeth immediately held Lady Martha’s hand.

“Please do not be upset; I do not think he meant to hurt or accuse you. I do not have any inhibitions in returning to Ashton Park; you have protected me there since the day I set foot as Miss Smith,” Elizabeth pleaded.

“Forgive me if my words hurt you; you have supported us in our relationship, and I understand your love for her. I am only concerned at the repercussions of this becoming public and want to protect Elizabeth,” Darcy said with guilt.

Lady Martha composed herself. With every passing minute, she felt pressurized by the situation. As much as she liked Elizabeth, she did not hate Miss Anderson and understood very well that her brother’s family would be enraged by the truth.

“I assure you, Fitzwilliam, if Elizabeth’s welfare is in question at any point under my care, you can bring her back.

But I am certain there is no room for that; our family has to face the repercussions of my brother’s actions.

However, I will not allow anyone to get hurt because of it, especially Elizabeth, considering everything she has already been through. ”