Page 69 of The Next Mrs Bennet

L ady Catherine began her London odyssey at Hilldale House on Portman Square. The butler informed her the master was not in residence, but would tell her no more, no matter how many times she asked him if he knew who she was.

Finding no gratification at her eldest nephew’s house, Lady Catherine ordered her coachman to Grosvenor Square and Matlock House. Much to her frustration, her brother was not home to receive her and the insolent butler would not allow her entrance without his master or mistress being present.

Thankfully her sister’s house was just across the green from her brother’s, so she ordered her man to drive them around the green to the other side of the square.

Anne de Bourgh was fighting to keep the mirth she was feeling from bubbling over into full-blown laughter at her mother’s futile attempts to marry her off to one of her cousins. Regardless of her mother’s lies that Rosings Park was her own until her death, Anne had seen her father’s will. She was well aware on the second day of June; all would be hers.

She did not desire to marry one of her cousins any more than either of them wanted to marry her. In fact, she was resolved she would never marry. So here she sat in the barouche as it was driven to the other side of the square when walking would have reached Darcy House in less than half of the time.

Her mother was grumbling about the blatant disrespect of her family not being at home to receive her. The sycophantic parson, Mr. Hopkinson, was doing what he always did, agreeing with every ridiculous word which flowed from her mother’s mouth.

She knew appointments were for life, but Anne was sure once the bishop was informed of all of the improprieties—by her mother’s command—of the rector of Hunsford, he would be dismissed and then Anne would be able to appoint a man who deserved the title of clergyman.

A Darcy footman placed the step and opened the door of the de Bourgh coach. Lady Catherine alighted and made her way up to the front door on which she rapped with the handle of her walking stick.

Killion opened the door. “May I be of assistance?” he asked, with a stance which subtly blocked the door. With his hand, he signalled to the two footmen in the hall.

The previous time the termagant before him had appeared at the house, she had pushed her way in. The mistress and master had then bestowed their permission to keep the woman out of the house by any means necessary if she arrived, as she had now, without their express permission.

“Move aside,” Lady Catherine shrieked. “Do you know who I am?”

“Yes, Lady Catherine I know who you are, however, I am following orders to not allow you entrance without Mr. Darcy or Lady Anne permitting me to do so.”

“ I will see you are sacked with no character !” Lady Catherine yelled.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

The Darcy’s, Fitzwilliams, and the five Bennet sisters were all in the largest of the drawing rooms at Darcy House when they heard the caterwauling from the front door.

“Anne’s majority is approaching, my sister must be hunting for a husband for my namesake,” Lady Anne shook her head.

Seeing the questioning looks from the sisters who had never had the pleasure of meeting Lady Catherine, the Darcys and Fitzwilliams explained all about her and her demands either Andrew or William marry her daughter.

“I suppose we will have to go and expel her from our property,” Darcy huffed.

“Robert, allow her to enter so she can make a fool of herself away from our neighbours’ prying eyes. Perhaps she will finally understand none of us are fooled by the facade she tries to present,” Lady Anne suggested.

Darcy looked around the room. Andrew was seated next to Jane and William and Lizzy were next to one another. “Are you sure, Anne,” Darcy verified, “you know she will release her vitriol as soon as she notes the ladies sitting next to Andrew and William.”

“Papa, do not be uneasy on our account, and for myself, I do dearly like to laugh,” Elizabeth stated. “From what you have all said, it should be a rather amusing performance.”

Seeing nods from the other four sisters, Darcy made his way down to the entrance hall.

When he arrived, his sister-in-law was still screeching like a fishmonger’s wife hawking her wares in the market.

“Catherine, desist immediately!” Darcy thundered. “What is the meaning of this display of ill-breeding on my doorstep?”

“You need to sack this man; he denied me entry…” Lady Catherine tried to say before Darcy interjected.

“He was following direct orders from Anne and me,” Darcy bellowed. “The only reason I would have sacked him was if he had ignored our instructions and allowed you to force your way into our house uninvited.”

“Well I never! How dare you speak to me in that way, I am the daughter of…” Lady Catherine attempted to bluster.

Rather than continue to have the woman provide entertainment for his neighbours, Darcy nodded to his butler. Seeing his master’s permission, Killion motioned for the two large footmen to take a few steps back, and then he stood aside himself.

As soon as the door was closed, Darcy rounded on his sister-in-law. “Catherine, just like me you are a commoner. You have a courtesy title and we all know your late husband was only knighted because you could not accept being married to a man without some sort of title.” Seeing she wanted to interrupt him, Darcy raised his hand. “You will either behave with decorum in my house or you will be evicted and never allowed to enter again. Do I make myself clear?”

Being aware Robert Darcy never issued idle threats, Lady Catherine gave a tight nod of acceptance.

Before Darcy could speak again, there was the sound of the knocker striking the door. He nodded to Killion who opened it to reveal his niece. “Good afternoon, Uncle Robert,” Anne stated cheerily as she entered the house. “I waited for a little while as I did not want anyone who witnessed my mother’s performance to think I endorsed that kind of behaviour.”

“Anne! How could you?” Lady Catherine raised her hand to slap her daughter but found her wrist clamped in a large hand.

“You will not harm your daughter!” Darcy snarled.

The footman who had caught Lady Catherine’s wrist looked to the master who nodded, so the man released his hold on the woman. Those in the entrance hall ignored the woman’s outraged look at being manhandled.

“The man who masquerades as a parson, Mr. Hopkinson, is in the carriage because my mother ordered him to wait,” Anne informed her uncle.

“Why would your parson…” Darcy paused as it hit him what the delusional woman had hoped to achieve. “You thought bringing him along would somehow make that which we have all refused over and over again to come to pass? Besides the fact we would never gratify you, both Andrew and William have entered into courtships.”

“We had read about Andrew, but I look forward to congratulating William,” Anne stated before her mother could start up again.

“Let us to the drawing room where everyone awaits us,” Darcy commanded. “I would prefer to have this discussion in a more private setting.”

As much as she wanted to release her fury, Lady Catherine bit her tongue as she followed her disrespectful daughter and brother-in-law up the stairs, closely shadowed by the two footmen.

Her resolution to remain silent did not survive the drawing room doors being closed. In front of her sat her nephew, Andrew, and next to him—far too close for her liking—sat a very pretty blonde woman. If that was not bad enough, the other nephew who would suit as a husband for Anne was seated next to a stunningly beautiful young lady with raven hair and emerald-green eyes.

“Who are these lowborn hussies of no rank or fortune who are using their arts and allurements on my nephews?” Lady Catherine shrieked. “Move away from them now, you inconsequential nothings!”

“And just who are you to order me away from William, or for that matter, Jane away from Andrew?” Elizabeth enquired amusedly.

“I am Lady Catherine de Bourgh, a peer of the realm and their nearest relation. One of them is to marry my daughter!” she screeched as she puffed up her chest with self-importance.

“So, you care not which one marries your daughter. Does she have any say in the matter? Also, it is a most extraordinary claim you make about being their nearest relation when their parents and siblings are in this room with them.” Elizabeth shot back rapidly before Lady Catherine could gather her wits. She turned to Lady Anne. “Mama, you did not tell me your sister is a peer.”

“That is only in Catherine’s mind, Lizzy. She was married to a knight so she holds the same rank as Lady Lucas. She is called Lady Catherine, and not Lady de Bourgh, only because like me, she received a courtesy title from our late father being an earl,” Lady Anne averred.

Ignoring everything which did not fit with her desires, Lady Catherine latched onto one thing the dark-haired beauty had said. “How dare you address my sister thusly? Mama indeed!”

“What can the way I address Mama be to you? We agreed on the form of address between us with no reference to one so wholly unconnected to myself,” Elizabeth returned.

“As I outrank you, you will treat me with the respect I deserve,” Lady Catherine blustered.

“So, you believe in the distinction of rank?” Elizabeth asked innocently.

“Of course, I am most attentive to such things,” Lady Catherine responded.

“Uncle Reggie, as it seems your sister knows not who she is addressing, please introduce her to me,” Elizabeth smiled at the Earl.

Before Lady Catherine could point out the temerity of the young lady asking to be introduced to one so far above her and from an earl who was by far the highest-ranking person in the room, her brother stood.

“It would be my pleasure.” Lord Matlock turned to his wayward sister. “Catherine the lady you called lowborn, of no rank, and no fortune is, in fact, unlike you, a peer of the realm. This is Her Grace, Lady Elizabeth Rose Gardiner, Duchess of Hertfordshire and Marchioness of Hertford Heights. She is the owner of seven estates and has more wealth than you could imagine, and if that were not enough, she is greatly favoured by the Queen. William is courting her. The other lady you insulted is Miss Jane Bennet, sister to said duchess who is being courted by Andrew with the blessing of his true closest relations. Not that it should matter, but my future daughter is anything but without fortune.”

Lady Catherine did not know which way to look. The slip of a woman next to her Darcy nephew was a duchess, and if that were not bad enough, a marchioness as well.

“Anne, was what I witnessed the first time your mother had attempted to strike you?” Darcy asked.

“It was, Uncle Robert,” Anne assured her uncle. “It was the first time I allowed my mother to see I am not the weak, compliant daughter she thinks I am.” Anne turned to her mother. “Mother, I have seen my father’s will and I am well aware on my birthday upcoming all of my father’s property and wealth become mine. It has been many years I have known your only reason for trying to marry me to one of my cousins was so they would take me away from Rosings Park and leave you to continue to mismanage it.”

As if being confronted with the fact one of her nephews was courting a duchess and the other her sister was not enough, Anne’s revelation was too much. Lady Catherine got a crazed look in her eye and was looking around the room for an outlet for her ire. She settled on the upstart duchess. She should have been a duchess, not this girl.

With nails bared Lady Catherine started towards the pretender. She took two steps before she was on the flat of her back. Biggs had been standing just inside the servants’ door and as soon as he heard the way the woman had verbally assaulted Her Grace, he had unobtrusively moved into the room standing in a corner where it would be easy to reach the Duchess if needs be.

On seeing the crazed woman move threateningly towards Her Grace, Biggs had jumped over a settee and reached the woman before she had been able to get close to Lady Elizabeth.

“It seems Catherine has lost her sanity; we need to have her committed to an asylum for her own protection and the protection of others.” Darcy shook his head as the lady was bound and gagged.

“Thank you for saving me from this insane woman, John,” Elizabeth stated appreciatively.

“It were me duty, Yer Grace,” Biggs bowed.

“Just like I said,” Richard added, “catlike reflexes.”

“There is a private asylum on Stornoway on the Island of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. When Sir Lewis was alive, I assisted with some research in case Catherine ever slipped the bounds of reason,” Lord Matlock stated pensively.

“It would be best, Uncle Reggie,” Anne agreed. “Other than the rector still waiting in the barouche, I am afraid to say she will not be missed by anyone.”

“Who will live with you at Rosings Park until your birthday?” Richard enquired.

“I think you should resign from the army and come learn how to manage Rosings Park,” Anne responded. “I am feeling better than I have in a long time, but I have no desire to marry and I know I will never be able to bear a child.”

When she had thought Miss de Bourgh was in essence proposing to Richard Fitzwilliam, Mary had felt inexplicably sad. Although she was not happy regarding what Miss de Bourgh said about not being able to birth a child, hearing that she never wanted to marry, lightened Mary’s mood.

While her cousin sat with his mouth open and no sound issuing forth, Anne turned to the Duchess. “Your Grace…” She stopped when the beauty raised her hand.

“We are to be cousins, please call me Elizabeth or Lizzy, and I will call you Anne,” Elizabeth interjected.

“Lizzy, please accept my contrition for my mother’s…” Anne held what she was about to say as Elizabeth raised her hand again.

“I do not hold you as responsible for the actions of a clearly insane woman as I would not for the weather being bad, or any other thing you are unable to control,” Elizabeth stated firmly. “You only control your own actions, not those of your mother. You bear no fault for her behaviour.”

“I think I will like having you as a cousin, your sister as well,” Anne smiled.

“There are three more…” Elizabeth introduced the three youngest Bennets.

“The papers had much to report about your late husband, are you well?” Anne queried.

“As you can see, I am. He was sent to hell before he could physically hurt me or any of those I love. If it is all the same to you, it is not a subject I desire to speak about,” Elizabeth requested.

After what she had read about the things attributed to the man, Anne could understand why Lizzy would not want to canvass that subject.

“Anne, what do you mean I should come to learn how to run your estate?” Richard finally managed.

“Richard, I am not someone who wants to manage an estate,” Anne responded. “Unlike my mother, I know my limitations. As such, the day the estate becomes mine, I will have documents drawn up transferring the estate to you once you are ready. In the meanwhile, I will need help to undo all of my mother’s mismanagement.”

When Elizabeth had proposed gifting him one of her estates, Richard had refused and allowed his pride to rule. Anne and Rosings Park were different. Anne said she would never marry so it would be his duty to keep it in the family. That meant he had to learn how to manage it, and make the estate thrive again.”

Lord and Lady Matlock were holding their breath as they waited for Richard’s decision. They both hated seeing him go off to the war and had worried about him each day he was away. If the Matlock Earldom did not have such an ironclad entail, they would have made one of the estates Richard’s long before he went into the army.

“In that case, I will see Lieutenant-Colonel Atherton on the morrow and begin the process of resigning from the army,” Richard decided.

There were many effusions of joy from those present. Mary Bennet said a silent prayer Richard would never return to war again. Contrary to her previous feelings on the matter, she had begun to wish the two to three years until she came out would speed by quickly.