The Tragedy of Lady Catherine
The Earl of - had children three, two adorable daughters and one handsome son. With the passing of his wife, and the knowledge that he too was not long for the world, he imparted on his children title, fortune and the responsibilities that come with both. Entrusting their care to his youngest sister Ellen, the children were raised in the north, near the lake country.
The siblings Cat, Robin and Nan were as different as siblings could be in their enjoyments, however, the early passing of their parents caused them to be even closer than most. They were happiest together by the brook behind the estate where Cat would sketch while Robin climbed a tree and Nan chased butterflies and other wildlife.
A few days before Robin's twenty-first birthday, his best friend Louie wrote that he would be returning from university and would be able to attend the party.
"I shall be so glad to see Louie again!" declared Anne with joy as she wove flowers into a garland. Cat, already wearing a flower wreath from her sister paused in her sketch and frowned at the news. "I am not eager to renew the acquaintance" she scowled.
"Oh Cat, are you still upset about your bonnet?" asked Robin with a laugh.
"Well it was my favorite and he stole it. I shall hate him forever!" Cat huffed and blushed at the same time. She was angry with Louie for leaving and not quite sure why she felt nervous at the thought of seeing him again.
Preparations for the event to celebrate her brother's birthday kept Cat too busy to think much about Louie de Bourgh. Their solicitor had arrived with the paperwork to settle the terms of the children's inheritance. Cat had always declared that she would never marry because she had her brother's house to keep and would be secure in her own finances so that she would never need to wed. She was pleased to learn that her title and wealth were even more secure than she had realized.
As the guests began to arrive, Cat noticed a handsome tall man and there was something about him that seemed familiar but she could not put her finger on it. She felt her pulse race as he caught her eye and smiled. She watched her brother greet him warmly and just then Nan whispered, "are you feeling alright Cat, you are flushed."
"I am fine." whispered back Cat, "They are coming over here." She tried to steady herself and breathed slowly.
Nan watched her older sister turn even redder as her brother approached with the tall handsome man.
"Sisters, you remember our good friend Sir Louis de Bourgh." Their brother said amiably.
"My dear Robin, we are still friends. Please, call me Louie. I cannot believe how much your sisters have changed. Ladies, you have positively blossomed in my absence." Louie said smoothly bowing to the girls. Both Nan and Cat curtsied in return as Nan said, "Have we grown much? Am I taller?"
Cat smothered a giggle at her sister's impertinence and responded with a smile, "You are already the same height as me and I have no doubt that you will soon be taller."
"Lady Catherine, if you are not already engaged, may I have the next dance." Louie said never taking his eyes from her face.
"Please, Louie, call me Cat as you used to. I am not engaged and would happy to accompany you." She said feeling as though her feet had stopped touching the floor.
As they walked away, Robin smiled, noticing something that he had never seen before in either his friend or his older sister. "I do believe that I would enjoy having Louie as a brother." He said to no one in particular. Nan rocked back and forth on her toes, "I shall as well! And since I am too young to marry, I will keep your house brother." She said stoutly.
The marriage of Lady Catherine Fitzwilliam and Sir Louis de Bourgh was followed, some speculated rather too quickly, by the birth of their first son, Robert, whom they called Bobby.
Nan had stayed with her sister through her confinement and with the arrival of her nephew; she came to the startling revelation that she in fact did want children of her own. She mentioned this to her sister who began compiling a list of suitable suitors for her.
"Cat, I want to find someone the way you and Louie found each other." Said Nan looking over the list with some trepidation.
"I don't know of anyone we have known as long or a as well as the de Bourgh's sister. You shall have to meet them all, and then simply pick the one you like the best." Cat paused to giggle, "Unless you dislike them all, then pick the one you dislike the least." Both sisters giggled and Nan tore up the list.
"What about that young man you were dancing with at my wedding?" Cat said cradling her sleeping son.
"The stout fellow with the bad breath?" Nan said wrinkling her nose.
"No, the other one."
"I only remember the one who stepped on my toes." Nan sighed.
"Then we shall have to throw you a ball!" Cat decided.
A few days before the ball, Robin arrived with his new wife Victoria who could not wait to share her news with her sisters. The three ladies met privately and Victoria blushingly announced that she would be in her confinement at Christmas.
"I shall find a husband this evening!" Nan said to her sisters. "Then I too shall have children and we can all enjoy traveling to the lakes as a family."
"You will always be a part of my family Nan." Said Cat putting her arms around her sister. "But you cannot expect that you will fall in love with someone this evening." She said gently.
Nan was disappointed in love but thrilled at the continuing increasing of her nephews and nieces. As the years passed and their numbers grew, she began to feel as though she would be an old maid. For she was already twenty years old and aunt to Bobby, Edward and Michael de Bourgh and the Fitzwilliam's had Thomas, Elizabeth and Christopher.
As Nan sat on the park bench read the letter from Cat describing the children she felt someone watching her. She peeked around the paper and saw a rather large dog staring at her. She smiled and tucking away her letter, she reached out to pet him. The dog walked closer, sat next to her and put his head in her lap.
"Are you lost?" she asked him. He responded by wagging his tail. "Well if no one comes to claim you, then I shall keep you all to myself. Would you like that?" The dog sat up on his hind legs and barked. Nan heard a faint voice calling and she looked around. The dog barked again, then sat down.
"Luther!" a masculine voice called. Nan saw the tail wag. She stood up and looked around, notice that bushes were moving behind her.
"Excused me," said the bushes
"Yes?" Nan said in a startled voice.
A handsome man stood and intense eyes looked into her own, just as she felt her self knocked off her feet by the dog bolting for his master in the bushes.
"Luther! Bad dog, you could have hurt that poor woman." Said the disheveled man helping Nan to her feet. "I am terribly sorry. I am afraid the noise and activity of town has frightened my dog Luther."
"Oh, I understand, I dislike then noise of town myself and prefer the country." Babbled Nan as she looked into his eyes again and felt breathless.
"John Darcy" he said.
"You marring whom?" Cat asked in horror.
"John Darcy" said Nan glowing.
"John Darcy, nobody." Snapped Cat. "Lady Anne Fitzwilliam marrying an untitled nobody."
"Oh Cat, do not judge so harshly. You have not even met him yet. He is kind and wonderful and he owns most of the north." Smiled Nan to her sister.
Cat snorted. "We shall see what Robin and Louie think of this Mister Darcy."
Cat stood next to her blushing sister who was dressed in white and wondered if this Darcy fellow would be able to make her happy. She begrudgingly allowed that he was indeed as her sister said, kind and a landowner. She had her own methods of judging people and that was by finding out how they treated their staff. Darcy's staff and tenants spoke well of him and other than his lack of title, she did not find any faults with the man.
At the wedding breakfast her sisters glowing smile and bright blushes convinced her that John Darcy would make an excellent addition to the family. She kissed his check and called him brother and there was never any further question of John Darcy, nobody.
Ten years later…
As Lady Catherine de Bourgh prepared to depart for her trip north to say with her sister for her confinement, she visited the children in their rooms. Her eldest Bobby was then sixteen and taller than her, next in age and height Edward fourteen, Michael twelve and baby Anne was four. In privacy of the family rooms Cat was able to properly hug and giggle with her children. She promised the boys that if Aunt Anne allowed Fitzwilliam to visit after the baby was born, that she would bring him back to spend the entire summer.
"Will cousin Richard be able to come as well?" asked Michael, who enjoyed not being the youngest when his cousins were around.
"I am certain if I write to invite him Aunt Elizabeth will allow him to come as well." Cat smiled at her children.
As they walked together to the waiting carriage, baby Anne again asked why she could not have a younger brother or sister like her cousin Darcy. "If another baby comes we will welcome them with open arms as we have all our children" said Sir Lewis meeting them in the vestibule, reaching for his daughters hand. "However, should another baby arrive, you will no longer be the baby Anne" said Lady Catherine softly to her youngest.
Lady Catherine departed in her carriage and as was tradition, waved until it was out of site. She arrived in good time to Pemberley and was greeted by her brother in law and young nephew.
The arrival of the youngest Darcy was tolling on Nan and she did not recover quickly. Cat stayed with her sister for three months until she was completely recovered. As she was preparing her departure an express arrived from Rosins Park saying that a fever was taking hold in baby Anne, Michael and some of the staff and local villagers were also unwell. Sir Lewis forbid her to come home until the fever had passed. Two days later another express arrived saying that all of the children were now ill.
John and Anne Darcy were trying their best to keep Lady Catherine from saddling her own horse and riding back to Rosings Park alone. Cat marched through the extensive grounds at Pemberley at a break neck pace, fretting over the health of her children. She kept up this steady pace until after dinner five days later when her brother arrived unannounced. Cat stood up to greet him with a smile and when she saw the whiteness of his face and deep sadness in his eyes. She shook her head in unspoken denial and began to weep broken heartedly.
Young Fitzwilliam Darcy watched as his father and uncle escorted his Aunt Catherine back to her rooms. He was frighten to hear her wailing through the house, what could have happened to cause this reaction? He quickly followed behind and after Lady Catherine was calmed with a dose of laudanum he heard the sad news from Rosing Park. Only baby Anne has survived the fever. Fitzwilliam was too shocked to cry. Numbly he remember each of his vibrant cousins and Uncle Lewis. Fishing in the lake with the boys and George Wickahm at Pemberly. Climbing trees at Rosins Park. He felt tears being to prick at his eyes but he fought them back with all of his might. He went to look out of the window of his fathers library until he had himself under control. He heard someone softly coughing behind him. He turned to find his fathers outstretched arms catching him a hug and felt his fathers tears on his face. The three men, together in their grief in the privacy of the library shared a late evening of memories and made plans for the funeral.
The death of all but one of her family changed Cat. She no longer played music, nor held gatherings. She no longer went away from home without taking baby Anne with her. Her house remained unchanged by fashion and was just as her husband and son's had left it. Each of their rooms made up daily and the older staff taught the younger to treat them with the respect.
Years passed as years will, the greatest outside joy was the visit from her nephews Fitzwilliam and Darcy each spring.
The passing of her sweet sister Anne and her brother in-law John deepened her melancholy. One fine summer day, Lady Catherine noticed her own deepening sadness reflected back at her in the eyes of her daughter Anne and niece Georgia. "Girls, I think it is time we made a trip to Brighton." She said with the old glimmer of Cat sparking life into her again."
Both girls looked at her, startled. Neither of them had ever met Cat and had only heard whispers of how Lady Catherine was before her sons and husband had died.
"To Brighton Aunt?" whispered Georgian.
"Yes," Cat paused and remembered, "Brighton, near the seashore. We can bathe in the sea water as your mother and I did in our youth." Her face warmed with the happy memory and both girls smiled back.
The trip to Brighton was whole heartedly approved by Darcy who was pleased to see the Aunt of his youth returning.
Unfortunately, his cousin Anne caught a cold and Lady Catherine would not leave her. She insisted that the sea air would do Georgian a world of good and encouraged her nephew to let her go with her companion instead of her Aunt and cousin.
The results were almost disastrous.
Lady Catherine was furious that her sweet niece was put into harms way. She promptly found her a new companion with a sterling reputation and her servants so blacked the name of Mrs. Young that she was unable to find respectable employment again.
George Wickham had disappeared from all good society and Lady Catherine was happy to have the news that the odious man had joined the army. She knew that her nephew Colonel Fitzwilliam would keep an eye on him there.
Things returned to normal and slowly Cat began to creep back into Lady Catherine. She was about to find a new clergyman when Mr. Collins proudly announced that he was taking a bride.
"Oh bother, I cannot fire him now…" Cat thought to herself.
When Mrs. Collins friend and sister arrived for a visit Lady Catherine was pleased to have new company. She enjoyed Mrs. Collins and was sorry for her that she had married such a stupid man. However, she knew that not many were as lucky in marriage as she and dear Nan had been.
She sighed to herself as Sir Lucas rambled about St. James and wondered if his wife was a droll as he was. She looked at young and Anne and flicked her fan, their secret code for boring guest. Anne stifled her giggle and it turned into cough. Lady Catherine's heart went out the poor girl. Little Nan hadn't really been healthy since that horrible fever that took her brothers and father from them.
As her companion helped Anne with her tea, the worried look on Miss Elizabeth Bennets face warmed Lady Catherine's heart. She is a stranger but she cares about those around her, and she cares enough to visit her friend who married her horrible cousin. And thought she was foolish for not securing her families future by marrying Mr. Collins herself, she respected her for not marrying him. Lady Catherines eyes narrowed and she began her cross examination of Elizabeth.
She was pleased with her pert answers and though that perhaps her nephew Fitzwilliam would make a good husband. He was in the military and his income would suffice as she deduced that Elizabeth would be as frugal as her friend Charlotte. Yes, she was the daughter of a gentleman and would be an ideal wife for a younger son. She knew the boys would be coming soon for their spring visit and courtship is always best in the spring time.
A few weeks later, watching her nephew Fitzwilliam turn the pages for Miss Bennet pleased Lady Catherine. She was distracted by Mr. Collins and did not notice her nephew Darcy walk over to engage Miss Bennet in conversation.
Two suitors for Miss Bennet, she thought, well, I wonder which boy needs to be encouraged and which boy needs to be challenged.
She knew that her daughter was in poor health but still sought after by men because of her title and fortune. The fiction of an engagement to Darcy kept most of them at bay and also allowed Darcy a bit of freedom to dance more than two dances with the same woman and keep the worst of the fortune hunters at bay. They had come up with that scheme shortly after his father died.
Lady Catherine was concerned when the Collins and Maria arrived for dinner with Elizabeth, until she noticed that Darcy was missing as well. Her nephew Fitzwilliam made the apologies for his cousin Darcy, saying that he had urgent business to attend.
She nodded to her butler "We shall have a plate ready for him when he returns." Lady Catherine smiled and entertained her guests until she saw Darcy trying to sneak in the backstairs. The look on his face to her everything she needed to know, just like his mother, his face held no secrets. He had failed to secure her hand.
After sending her guest home, she knocked on Darcy's door. She let herself in and found an angry young man facing her. As he told her his story the anger drained from him and all that was left was Anne's sad boy.
"Fitzwilliam, a girl like Elizabeth doesn't care for money. She needs a husband she can respect and who will respect her in return." Cat petted her dear sisters, son's head as she had done when he was little. "You found fault with her family and that is a criticism that is hard for anyone to bear, even if there is truth in your words."
She left him alone with his thoughts and went to her husbands room. She laid on the bed, looked at the last painting of her family and sighed. Silent tears tumbled from her eyes and she reached out to hold the memory of her husband. She felt his arms around her and drifted into sleep, with sweet dreams of son's happily wed and grandchildren playing nosily in Rosings.
When Lady Catherine heard that Mr. Collins had gone to Longbourn to 'console with his dear cousins' she choked on her tea. "Oh my dear girl, I thought my words would have kept him as far away as possible from the poor Bennets at this time. Is it not bad enough that their daughter has fallen victim to that odious Wickham, but to have Mr. Collins visit now … " Lady Catherine looked out the window of Mrs. Collins book room and sipped her tea. "There is only one man who can find him and make him marry that Bennet girl."
Darcy.
Darcy was stunned to find that his Aunt who but rarely left home was standing in the middle of Netherfield.
"Fitzwilliam, that girl flat out refused to tell me that she is engaged to you. Teasing woman!" huffed Lady Catherine as she poured herself a drink. Darcy watched in shock as his Aunt drank a rather large amount of liquor.
"She did not? That is, we are not engaged Madame." Darcy tried to explain.
"Well do not leave it too long or you will regret her for the rest of your life" she commanded grandly and poured herself another drink.
"Are you quiet well Aunt?"
"Yes, yes. But enough about me. Write me when to come to the wedding, both Anne and I shall attend." Lady Catherine slurred, finishing her drink and walking, with ever so slight a sideways slant towards the door and was gone.
Lady Catherine and Anne were not able to attend the wedding of the Bennet girls to the Misters Bingley and Darcy, their health was declining.
Lady Catherine had known for some time that Anne was never going to get better. But when her doctor announced that it was only a matter of time before she lost her last child that she knew she needed to take action. Writing to her solicitor, her brother and leaving her final will, she drank an overdose of laudanum and died six hours after her little Anne.
Fitzwilliam Darcy and Richard Fitzwilliam buried their Aunt and cousin Anne on a beautiful spring day. Richard was to take ownership of Rosings Park at his Aunts request, keep the childrens rooms the same until his own children arrived.
"What children?" asked Elizabeth.
"Lady Catherine had three sons before little Anne" explained Richard, opening the rooms and showing the monuments to Bobby, Edward and Michael. The last room they inspected was Lady Catherines. It was the most comfortable room that Elizabeth had ever see and she was startled to find several books filled with sketches.
"My Aunt loved to draw," Darcy explained. A single tear tricked from his eye as he looked through her work. "Richard." He whispered, "She drew the boys and Uncle Lewis". Elizabeth marveled at her work, watching the pages as Darcy and Fitzwilliam gasped. "Who are those young men?" she asked in a hushed voice. She watched the little boys grow into teen agers and young men. "She must have drawn them as she imagined they might look like, if they had not died so young." Said Fitzwilliam in awe.
The last page was a sketch of the de Bourgh family with boys grown and Anne in full health.