Chapter Seven: Family Meetings


London, Darcy Town House, Saturday the 23rd of September


Anne de Bourgh looked at her mother's joyous preparations with a rather surprised eye.

"I must confess, Mama, that I'm rather amazed by your good humor. I would have sworn that being summoned by Fitzwilliam on such short notice would have irritated you."

Her mother looked up with a rather satisfied smile.

"Dear, do not doubt that, first thing after our arrival, I'll let Fitzwilliam know –in no uncertain terms– that I' m not pleased with his manners nor his summon." Her smile became ecstatic. "And I won't fail to remark that before his wedding never would he have been so ruthless with his poor aunt."

Anne looked at the heavens.

"And you'll be within seconds in a fight with Elizabeth! You should–"

"Say nothing more, dear! I'm prepared! Have no doubt that this time I'll have the upper hand."

Anne stopped what she was doing and looked her mother in the eyes.

"You are enjoying them, aren't you?"

Her mother looked at her with a feigned surprise all over her face.

"Them? What are you speaking of, dear?"

"I'm speaking about your fights with Elizabeth, as you know very well, Mama! You are already rehearsing your part. Don't deny it; you've that mischievous sparkle in your eyes."

Catherine de Bourgh looked at her daughter and pondered her next answer. Should she just deny or say the truth?

She opted for the truth. And that was a pleasure in its own right.

"Indeed, you're right. I'm enjoying them." She shook her head. "She is an impertinent shrew, but she's the only one of our acquaintances who has the guts to oppose me!" A smile lighted her features. "And I feel so much more alive when we fight."

Anne snorted.

"And I know that one day I'll be able to prove to the world that Fitzwilliam has married a common fisherwoman. Last time she was at the brink of hitting me. I wonder if, next time, I'll be able to push her to strike me."

Anne could only shake her head.

"She would never do such a thing, Mama. She's a gentleman's daughter and her upbringing is–"

"Of a dubious quality," interrupted her mother. "You'll see. Someday I'll push her into striking me."

"And to what effect?"

"To what effect?" shouted her mother gesticulating with her walking stick. "To strike back of course! I'm a Peer of the Kingdom and I'd never lower myself to strike anybody… first! But if she strikes me first, she's in for a big surprise!"

She banged her walking stick on the ground and her smile was back.

"Let's go, battle awaits us."


George Darcy, having quit the Town House early this morning, was the only member of the family not present.

The general, the ladies de Bourgh, Fitzwilliam, Georgiana, Catherine and Elizabeth were already sitting in the blue parlor when Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner in company of Charles Bingley –the only guest invited– were introduced by the butler.

Fitzwilliam stood, embraced his aunt, shook hands with his uncle and welcomed his friend.

"Thanks for finding the time to come. I couldn't be very specific in my invitation but it is very important for me to have you all here in order to give me your opinion." He looked them all in the eyes. "And I mean it. I need your opinion."

He sighed and went to the table where a few letters and a fancy scroll were lying.

He took the scroll and enrolled it.

"I'll read this first and then you'll be free to speak your heart about this," he hesitated, "this event."

"We," read Darcy "and here's a list of the fifty two names of all the members of Parliament representing Wales in the Houses, the representatives of the Kingdom of Wales avow unanimously our acceptance of the conditions presented by Fitzwilliam Darcy to access the Throne of Wales. Said conditions having been accepted we are asking said Fitzwilliam Darcy to honor his pledge and to come to Cardiff to be crowned as the first King of United Wales."

He stopped reading and there was a long silence in the room.

Lady Catherine de Bourgh was the first to snap out of the stunned silence.

"Well, when do we leave? Best would be to charter a ship." She looked at Mr. Gardiner. "You are in trade, I believe, you'll probably be best suited to such an endeavor. Please do make the necessary arrangements." She frowned as if concentrating. "By sea, we could be in Cardiff next Tuesday. And the coronation could take place next Sunday." She shot a glance to Elizabeth who has been as surprised as the rest of the assembly by Lady Catherine's comment and opened the mouth to deliver her first well-rehearsed attack when her daughter interrupted her.

"I do fear that it's a little more complicated than that, Mother." She looked at Darcy. "If you've asked us, it's not just to inform us, is it? You want us to help you refuse…"

That changed her mother's target immediately.

"Refuse? What is there to refuse? Fitzwilliam has already accepted under conditions. Since the honorable members of the Parliament have avowed said conditions, there's nothing left to refuse!"

"Yes, there i–" began Elizabeth before being interrupted by Anne.

"Could we, please, before the next fight erupts between you and my mother, just all state our opinion? Just to know who believes Fitzwilliam should accept, refuse or who has no preference at all. She looked Elizabeth in the eyes.

"I suppose you're opposed…"

Lizzy just shook her head.

"I'll follow Fitzwilliam whatever he decides. But I have my doubts."

"And so you should because becoming Qu–"

"Mother, please! Fitzwilliam is married to Elizabeth and if you support him as King you will have no choice but to support her as Queen."

"There could hav–"

"Mother!"

That time Lady de Bourgh stopped protesting. Her –venomous– glance toward Elizabeth being her last volley, for the time being.

Anne turned and looked at her cousin.

"Richard?"

"I say he should take the Throne and rule Wales till there's a renewed possibility to re-create the United Kingdom. With him at the ruder there's a good chance that it will be a real possibility."

Anne acknowledged his opinion and looked at Georgiana.

Who made a face and whose eyes apologized immediately.

"I would rather not, Fitzwilliam. I'm already scared just being d'Arcy's sister. The day you're crowned I'll be a King's sister and I really don't believe I'm cut in the right stuff to be–"

"Nonsense," barked Lady de Bourgh. "You're the perfect embodiment of a young well-behaved female member of the aristocracy. You," –she insisted on the pronoun– "would not be the shame of the family."

Elizabeth didn't react and Anne shot her glance conveying her gratitude.

"Catherine?"

Kitty could just smile and beam at her brother.

"In my opinion, nobody's better suited than Fitzwilliam to be King. King of England would have been better, but let's begin with Wales, the rest is not to be definitively excluded."

To everyone's surprise that got her applause from Lady Catherine.

"I concur! Well said young Lady! And we'll do what we can to achieve just said results."

Since nobody took the stage immediately after her she allowed herself on last shot. She looked at Fitzwilliam and shook her head.

"I can't understand why you hesitate, nephew! Wouldn't it be your wife's bad inf–"

"That's quite enough, Mamma," interrupted Anne with quite a Lady de Bourgh voice. "Nobody ignores your feelings about Fitzwilliam's wife and this is not the moment to dwell on it!"

"You could have been Queen…" protested her mother.

"As I have said quite a number of times, Mamma, I refuse to die in Childbed. And even had I known that Fitzwilliam would one day be offered such honor I still would have refused to marry him." She shot said Fitzwilliam a warm smile. "Not because of him but because of me!"

She took advantage of the loll in the debate to look at Mr. Gardiner.

"Your opinion, Sir?"

"No doubt from me, your Grace. He has the ethics to be the best of Kings and if he finds in himself the courage to embrace that career he will be a great Monarch."

He looked at Fitzwilliam.

"But, son, if you have the least doubt about your aptness to be a ruler, be honest with yourself and refuse. I know you have it in you to be the best of rulers, but without the will to transform yourself into a ruler you'll only lose yourself in what is not supposed to be yours." He shook his head. "Don't forget that to rule means often making difficult decisions, which will impact all your subjects' lives. I know that you are a man who cares. A ruler has, from time to time, no longer the opportunity to care. Are you ready to do what's always necessary?"

Fitzwilliam could only nod. He knew his uncle was right, but he just didn't know if he would be proficient…

It was Mr. Gardiner's wife's turn to speak.

"I have no doubt at all, Fitzwilliam. You have the ethics and the inner strength to not just be a ruler, but to be a just ruler. Make Wales a gift and accept."

Anne looked at Bingley who smiled at her.

"If my count is good we have five votes in favor, one against with force, two against with reluctance and you and me who have not yet given our opinion." He chuckled and walked toward Fitzwilliam. "So I believe you're already outvoted since I do rely on Miss de Bourgh being very much in favor of your Kingship. So having no real importance in the debate and no skill in choosing a King I'll speak as your friend, Fitzwilliam. I know you, Fitzwilliam Darcy! I know that you are tremendously smart about everything, but yourself. And, till recently" he bowed toward Elizabeth, "you had the social skills of a boar. Not the best mix to become a successful dandy, but quite, in my opinion, a good mix to be a cautious and mindful ruler. But that's not why you are going to accept, Fitzwilliam. You are not going to accept because you are the best, which is nevertheless the case. No, you are going to accept because as Mr. Gardiner has quoted, you care. You care about your people, you care about the People and since they made you that proposition you care about the People of Wales. And you know that there's nobody out there who cares as much as you do. There's nobody out there who, in your opinion –and mine if you want to know–, is deserving enough to take the role of a ruler into his hands. And that's why, in the end, thrashing and screaming you'll take that Crown!" He embraced his friend. "Congratulations, Your Majesty! I always knew that someday you'd achieve something"

His last remark had the awaited result. They all laughed aloud.


"They believe in you…" said Elizabeth.

"And they are fools to do it!" answered Fitzwilliam Darcy while dwelling in self-doubts and unanswered questions.

"They know you, that's all," insisted Elizabeth. "You've given enough proof all your life that you are a perfect manager. Managing a Kingdom is not so different than managing Pemberley."

"I'm not ready."

"You weren't ready to take over at your father's death and though you did it and you did it well. You weren't ready to be your sister's guardian and nevertheless you managed to give her a better education than most other parents."

"She's shy."

"As are you, Fitzwilliam! You gave her everything you could and her shyness is the only fault you'll ever find in her education. And in my opinion to be shy is a fault only if, like some gentleman I remember, you refuse to practice surmounting it…"

"I do practice…" said he with a smile.

"So does she and very soon she'll overcome her shyness to become a very brave, but cautious lady. And that's a real quality in a ruler's sister!"

"Do you want me King of Wales?"

"I want you happy, love. And I know that you'll do your best to be a good King, but that you'll always wonder if they shouldn't have chosen a better man than you. As you wonder daily if, had your father lived, Pemberley wouldn't have been better managed." She bowed to brush his lips with a kiss. "You'll never be sure, but since it never stopped you doing what was best for your tenants, I'm sure it will never stop you doing what's best for your People."


"You look rather pleased with yourself Mother. I should have thought that you would be cross. We didn't let you have the fight you hoped for…"

"We fought, don't believe the contrary. It's wasn't as bloody as usual but it was quite a good fight. All in glances snarls and subdued threats. She's quite subtle in her country maiden way. Yes, it was quite satisfying indeed. We will have other occasions. I never had a shouting match with a Queen. That will be a first."

She smiled at her daughter.

"And the whole rest was even more satisfying."

"The family you mean."

"Not only, dear. Young Bingley was quite a revelation too. What a charming and smart young man. But you are right the extended family we've got was indeed a very good surprise."

"And because you were satisfied with them you treated them like they were servants…"

"We wouldn't want to be considered as an old sympathetic aunt, would we?"

Anne shook her head and went back to her mail, interesting Irish mail.

"We do have an Estate in Wales, haven't we?" asked her mother finally.

Anne looked up.

"Three actually, Mother."

"Which one's the biggest?"

"Cai Newydd I suppose. Why?"

"I suppose we could move there. And we will have to buy a Town House in Cardiff…"

"With what money, Mother? We live on two little allowances."

"We'll have to ask our French cousin to do it for us, that's all. Better, we will use his. He'll need one."

"If they go to Cardiff, I suppose they'll live at the Castle. Jane and Elizabeth are quite near, you know."

"Indeed I know. I'm not senile and even if I don't have your spy ring I do have people who bring me news."

Oh, oh… Here it's coming.…

"News?" asked Anne.

"News!" said her mother. "News about Rosings. And to be more precise about Rosings' staff."

Anne sighed. It had to happen one day. Better today when her mother was in a good mood.

She turned to look at her mother.

"I'm not cross," said her mother. "Really, I'm not. I'm not happy, but I'm not cross. In a certain way I can't deny that I had it coming."

She looked her daughter in the eyes.

"I was angry when I read the letter. I was even very angry. But then I tried to get everything into the right perspective. About us and our old and new relationship. I'm an old woman and my foul mood isn't helping me be in better health. Sooner or later I'm going to pass away. And that day you'll be Head of the de Bourgh Estates. And as it looks you'll have no problems managing everything. It's better than doing it in a hurry and without being properly prepared." She sighed. "But I'm not yet dead and even if I did stifle you for quite a few years I don't need to be constrained."

Anne's eyes became very hard.

"Neither did I."

Catherine de Bourgh could only nod.

"In hindsight I agree," she said. "But I believed you ill!"

"I was ill, but you believed me incompetent. And you used my illness to patronize me."

"I wanted to protect you!"

"By detaining me in my own house?"

"It was my house and I already said that I made mistakes," admitted her mother. "I see it now."

"Because I treat you like you treated me?"

"I'm not ill."

"No, but you're old and frail and your health is not the best. You too need to be protected."

They looked at each other for quite a while and like often these last weeks it was the mother who gave in.

She sighed.

"Well I'm listening. What's the deal?"

"I take over" answered Anne without the hint of hesitation. "And I grant you a doubled allowance while paying for all your normal expenses."

"I'll do what I want with my allowance? No bickering, no control?"

"My word that I won't even look at what you do with your money."

"And I can rid of the swarm of medical locusts you hired?"

"One Doctor and one nurse stay," answered Anne with flint in her eyes. "We both need them Mama. They weren't here only to assert my authority. They are needed!"

Lady de Bourgh gave in. She would never agree aloud, but Anne was right. They were needed and useful. They were both in better health than ever before.

"And I can return to Rosings?"

"As soon as the work teams are out of the building."

"Work teams? What work teams?"

Anne didn't answer and just looked her mother in the eyes.

Soon she gave in.

"When then?"

"Around the middle of October. The whole building will be modernized by then."

"Modernized? Why? It was perfect as it was! Not to speak of the costs…"

"D'Arcy paid," said Anne without looking from her desk.

"Indeed if d'Arcy paid, who am I to complain," complained her mother.

But Anne was no longer listening. She was writing to their lawyer. He was needed. Now!


Coming Next: Sisterhood