To everyone's relief, with the possible exception of Lady Catherine, the day dawned dry and clear. To reduce the chance that Lady Catherine might change her mind and cancel the drive, everyone stayed clear of her as well. It was to their advantage that she preferred to take breakfast in her own rooms before removing to her study to plan whatever work she had in hand for the day. So long as she did not summon one of them and they did nothing to excite the suspicions of any servants who might alert her to their actions, they would be safe.
Very early that morning, before the servants were even up, Darcy and Richard had transferred their luggage back to the Darcy carriage with the aid of one of Darcy's men. Their goods were placed inside the carriage and the curtains drawn to make it less obvious that it was loaded and ready to leave. They had moved the last items belonging to Anne, Mrs. Jenkinson and Polly into the carriage at the same time. All that was left in the manor house were the items the five conspirators needed for that morning. Richard would sneak anything that remained out with him shortly before he and Mrs. Jenkinson headed out.
Anne had been very careful over the previous weeks as she had quietly taken the items she intended to keep to the dower house a little at a time. She knew that if too much was missing, or the losses were too obvious, someone was certain to tell her mother. If her personal maid had not been part of the conspiracy, they never could have pulled it off. When questioned about a missing item, Polly was able to come up with a reasonable excuse – the gown was being mended, the necklace had been put away in the safe, the painting of Anne's father was being cleaned. Anne always nodded agreement, so the question was laid to rest until the next item was noticed.
Fortunately, Anne's dowry was not under her mother's control. The trust fund was managed by her uncle, much to Lady Catherine's disgust. He would make no objection when the time came to transfer the money to her new husband, especially since he had already signed the settlement. That also meant Anne only had to take what she wanted. There was no need to take more so that she could sell items for funds to live on, even if Martin had not had enough to support them himself. The last few items Richard would be taking away for her were a few trinkets that would have been missed had they been removed sooner.
Once Richard had carefully taken the final load to the carriage, he returned to join Darcy in his sitting room until the earliest possible hour Lady Catherine would accept as reasonable for the ride. They said little, all their planning having been done the day before. Richard paced one side of the room, while Darcy stared at a book he had retrieved from his late uncle's collection and succeeded only in scanning the same sentence again and again. Finally, he closed the book and placed it on a side table.
"Do you think we have waited long enough," he asked.
Richard stopped pacing, looking hopefully at an ormolu clock on the mantle. "As Virgil said, 'Audentis Fortuna iuvat.' We must be daring for Fortune to favor us. Let us take the chance."
"Of course you would remember that phrase from Latin class," Darcy said with a chuckle.
"Oh, I remember several others," Richard teased, "most of them having to do with war and the life of a soldier."
"How will you ever fit into civilian life?" Darcy
"I hope to have the aid of a good woman to guide me on the path," Richard told him.
"That sounds like a good plan to me. Let us help our cousin on her way to Fortuna, and then we can head off to Meryton and ours."
~o~
Darcy, Anne and Polly made their way quietly out of the house to the stable without attracting any unwanted attention. For fear of being countermanded, Darcy had not sent ahead to have the phaeton readied. He made the request in person, directly to the groom he knew was also in his uncle's employ.
"Right away, Mr. Darcy, sir," the man said. He had already been warned by Richard earlier that the carriage would be called for, so he had it ready for the ponies to be quickly hitched up. Before any other stableman had time to go up to the main house, pass on a message to Lady Catherine through the kitchen staff, wait for a response and return, the phaeton was prepared and ready to go. Darcy handed Anne and Polly up, Anne to the spot on the bench next to where he would sit, and Polly to the seat on the back where she could chaperone without being part of their conversations. With the ladies settled, Darcy took his place next to Anne and set the ponies moving at a steady trot in the direction of Hunsford, opposite to their intended destination.
Darcy and Anne almost held their breath until they were out of sight of the house and stables. They continued on without speaking as they followed the main road to a spot just before coming into view of the Hunsford parsonage. At that point a narrow lane headed off to make a loop around the estate and back to the direction they intended to take. Darcy set the ponies moving a little bit faster. Driving with skill, he maneuvered the vehicle around the potholes and bumps to carry them swiftly towards the location of the dower house.
They were well on their way before Anne relaxed enough to break the silence. "So, cousin," she said with a teasing smile, "I understand you have something particular to say to me? Something of a romantic nature?"
"I do, indeed," Darcy replied. "My dear Anne, I must say that I would love to see you married today."
"Just not to you?" Anne asked with a grin.
"Just not to me," he answered, "despite recently learning that you are not at all who I thought. I can see now you are a gem among women and I think Mr. Hanson is a very lucky man to have won your heart."
"You are also showing yourself as a somewhat less staid man that I had thought. Exercise this kind of charm with Lizzy and you should have no problem winning her regard."
"I will do my best. I sincerely hope you are correct and that I may have a chance to mend the impression I made upon her earlier. Now, I think I see the dower house ahead. Let us notify your other cousin that he, also, has a wedding to attend today."
Sir Phillip and his mother had apparently been watching for Anne. Before Darcy had even pulled the horses to a stop outside the front door, both came around from the side of the house to greet their new arrivals. No matter what the rumors might say, Darcy knew there was no doubt that Sir Phillip was a de Bourgh. His features and coloring were so close to being a male version of Anne's that the two could be mistaken for siblings. Sir Phillip approached the carriage closely, while his mother stayed back at the edge of the drive. Both were smiling, presumably realizing that this was part of the plan to get Anne to her wedding without her mother's interference.
"Cousin Anne, it is good to see you today. You as well, Mr. Darcy," Sir Phillip said loudly enough to be overheard by any of the servants who would be watching to report to Lady Catherine. In a whisper, he added, "Are you on the way to Boxwell now?"
Anne nodded, and Darcy said, "It is good to see you as well on this fine day. My cousin and I are out for a lovely spring drive. We have her future to consider, you know. Since we were driving by the dower house, we thought it polite to stop for a moment and greet you."
"I am glad you did," Sir Phillip replied. "I am certain Mother and I will see you later when we can all visit a bit more. We wish you both a pleasant excursion."
Darcy bowed his head politely. Mrs. de Bourgh curtsied to the two in the carriage.
"We will follow soon," Sir Phillip whispered as he made his bow before stepping back to join his mother.
Anne offered the two at the side of the drive a slight wave as Darcy signaled the ponies to start on their way again. Soon they were back on the lane, headed to the turn off that would eventually get them to the church at Boxwell.
"That went well," Darcy said with relief when they were well on their way. "We got the message across, but anyone watching only saw us making a brief, courteous stop."
"The way the gossip flies around here, I am sure he had already heard that you and Richard arrived yesterday. Sir Phillip will have guessed you came in response to my request for help. We had discussed the possibility a few weeks ago. Given the date, it was very likely the drive together was an excuse to get me out of the house and deliver me to my wedding. All he had to do was confirm."
"All the same, it went far more smoothly than I had expected."
"Mother will be furious when she discovers what we have done today. I fear they will be able to hear the sounds of her displeasure from Hunsford village. Hopefully, Richard and Mrs. Jenkinson were able to make their escape without problems."
"Have no fear, Anne," Darcy assured her. "Richard is a wily one and used to campaigning in enemy territory. I expect he has contingency plans for his contingency plans. We will see them in Boxwell without fail. In fact, they will probably be waiting for us when we arrive."
Anne nodded. "I am certain you are correct. It just seems strange to finally be leaving Rosings Park in a way that will take me firmly beyond Mother's control. I am hopeful and fearful all at the same time."
"Are you certain that is not just a case of pre-wedding nerves?" Darcy teased.
"Are you certain you are my boring, stick-in-the-mud cousin?" Anne teased back. "Honestly, I am too occupied by worries about Mother to be distracted by pre-wedding nerves," she added.
"I am looking forward to meeting my soon-to-be cousin by marriage," Darcy answered, ignoring the jibe about his personality, "although I expect he will be too distracted by the thought of marrying you to spend much time talking with me."
"You can get to know him later. That is, if you and whoever you manage to convince to marry you will invite us to make a visit to Pemberley."
"Whether I convince the person I have in mind to marry me or not, you are always welcome at Pemberley. Georgiana would love the chance to get to know you and your new husband as well."
Anne smiled in response as they both lapsed into silence. Darcy found himself wondering if he would be able to start over with Miss Elizabeth, wiping away the bad impression he had unknowingly made before. Richard and Anne might enjoy the tease, but it was a very serious matter to him.
It was nearly another hour's ride to Boxwell. The three in the phaeton spent the remainder of the drive lost in their own thoughts except for the short moments when Anne had to offer directions. Darcy found himself wondering what it would be like going to his own wedding. He supposed Anne's description of being fearful and hopeful at the same time probably described how most people felt when making such a major change in their lives. For good or ill, life would not be the same for Anne after today. When his own marriage came, if it ever did, it would mark a similar change in his life.
Eventually, Anne pointed him to a lane leading off the road to the left. He turned onto it and before too long, Boxwell village came into view. Centered between the huddle of houses and shops and the wall surrounding the estate grounds was a substantial Norman-style church and a graveyard filled with a variety of stones and monuments.
Several people were moving around the church. Darcy spotted his carriage amongst a group of others in a field to the side of the churchyard.
"As I thought, Richard made it first," he said.
"Did he?" Anne asked happily, craning her neck slightly to search among the people for any sign of Richard or Mrs. Jenkinson.
"Yes. I see my carriage in the field. There Richard is, too, just coming around from the other side of it."
Darcy directed the ponies to an open space near his carriage. As he brought them to a stop, one of his men came over to hold their headstalls and eventually see to their comfort.
"Hadley told me you three managed to slip away without any problems," Richard said as he walked over to meet them. Hadley was the name of Darcy's coachman. "I think my choice to leave so soon thereafter raised some eyebrows, but no one tried to stop us."
Richard assisted first Anne, then Polly to alight from the phaeton. Darcy tossed the reins to his servant and clambered down to join the others.
"Sir Phillip was not at all surprised to see us," Darcy told his cousin. "We were in and out of their drive in just minutes. He and his mother should be here soon as well." He turned to Anne. "I forgot to ask, what do you plan to do with the phaeton and ponies now, Anne?"
"Martin said I could bring them with me. He knows I enjoy driving. They were gifts to me from Uncle Peter, so it is not like I am stealing them from Mother, even if she may not see it that way."
"I spoke with Martin a few minutes ago and he told me one of his men would be around shortly to convey then to the estate stables," Richard told them. "He expects that Mrs. Hanson will ride home from the ceremony with him."
"Mrs. Hanson will be happy to do exactly that," Anne replied.
Smiling, Richard said, "Mrs. Jenkinson has arranged a place for you to freshen up before the ceremony starts. I see her coming this way now along with Mrs. de Bourgh. Polly can go along with you. Darcy and I will join up with Sir Phillip and Martin and make any final preparations that are needed on our side. I look forward to witnessing this marriage, Anne. I know I speak for Darcy as well when I say that we hope you will be very happy. It has been a long time coming."
"I thank you for the good wishes and the help you both have given me. I might have made it here on my own, but it would have been a great deal more trouble. I want you to know that I appreciate you, cousins." She started to turn in the direction of Mrs. Jenkinson and Mrs. de Bourgh, but Richard stopped her.
"Before I forget, Anne, I have a small wedding present for you. It is just a little trinket I found in my travels, but never had a chance to give you before this." He offered her a small carved wood box.
Curiously, Anne opened it. Inside was a necklace of delicate flower-patterned links with a pendant made from a carved pink stone that matched the design.
"The stone is rose quartz. It is not very valuable, but I thought it was pretty and it seemed appropriate for you," Richard explained.
"I will treasure it, Richard, and the lovely box as well. Thank you." She offered them both a very bright smile before heading to where the other ladies waited.
Darcy had a memory of a similar box, but had not quite placed it when Richard clapped him on the back and said, "Come along, Will. It is time you met Martin Hanson."
Martin turned out to be a man of surprisingly small stature who had a slender, almost weedy look about him, especially when one took into account the curly shock of straw-colored hair that billowed about his head like dandelion fluff. While his overall look was boyish and unkempt, his bright blue eyes seemed to radiate intelligence and determination. Darcy's first impression as they were introduced was of a man who would find a way to deflect any trouble Lady Catherine might throw at him.
"I am a little surprised to see you here, Mr. Darcy," he said after the usual civilities were exchanged. "Anne has told me you have been more likely to see her mother's side of things rather than anyone else's."
Accepting the comment with a nod, Darcy said, "That has been true in the past. However, I have recently learned much that has challenged my view of the world and my perception of my aunt's place in it. Anne now has my firm support, as do my other family members who seek to counter Aunt Catherine's attempts to control them."
"I am glad to hear it. Anne has been worried about you, and your sister by extension. Hopefully, your new attitude will ease her mind. I look forward to hearing all about the ruse you used to spirit Anne away from Rosings Park today."
"Anne can tell you all of it at a better time," Richard broke in. "For now, we ought to have the wedding solemnized before anyone can interrupt the proceedings."
"I see your point," Martin agreed. "I will let my father know we call the guests in, and I will put Mr. Nichols, the rector, on alert that we are about ready to begin. My brother is standing up with me, so I need to find him as well."
"I think I saw Viscount Bonner heading over to talk with Sir Phillip as we came in," Richard volunteered. "I will go let him know he is needed inside."
Before either of them could leave, Darcy asked, "Excuse the question, but does your family approve of this marriage? My aunt is not exactly an in-law to be desired."
Martin chuckled. "That is true, but despite Anne's mother, my family absolutely approves. In fact, even though they have had little actual contact with Anne, they are delighted to be gaining her as a daughter as well as gaining the connections to your families. Have no fear, they will treat her well."
"That was my concern," Darcy said. "Thank you for the reassurance."
With that, they parted to set things in motion for the wedding to begin.
~o~
It did not seem long at all before Darcy found himself signing the register as official witness to the marriage of Anne de Bourgh and Martin Hanson. He felt a sense of satisfaction that they had outsmarted his aunt and put Anne beyond her reach.
He and Richard wanted to get on the road for Meryton as soon as possible, so they declined the invitation from Martin's parents to join them for a celebratory meal. They did, however, stay long enough to talk with Sir Phillip to get news of Mr. Collins and any other problems he had noticed.
"I must admit to being worried," Sir Phillip told them as he accompanied them to the Darcy carriage. "I found out yesterday that she sent Collins off somewhere, but he had not told anyone where. He was curate for a nearby parish, you know. Well yesterday he left the position, taking all his personal goods with him when he went. Lady Catherine even provided a small carriage for his use, although it must have been the oldest and shabbiest she could find from all accounts. He has not shown up in Hunsford yet, though, so he must be running an errand for her somewhere."
"From the reports my father has sent me, Collins is not one to keep secrets very well. There was no hint of where he might have gone?" Richard asked.
"None. He is something of a blabbermouth in general, but when it comes to anything related to Lady Catherine, he is silent as the tomb."
"Well, I suppose there is nothing we can do about him now. If you hear anything else, write to me in care of Mr. Bennet of Longbourn, near the village of Meryton in Hertfordshire. He will know where I am for the near future. We have other plans of my aunt's to untangle there."
"I wish you luck at it. I need to get back to Mother. We are going to join the party up at the manor house. It seems Mr. and Mrs. Hanson have already left and most of the other guests are on their way."
"Have a drink for me," Richard said. "I think we will want to be well on our way before we break for food or drink today."
"We are going to wish we had already been on our way," Darcy said, catching sight of a familiar vehicle.
Richard followed his gaze. "Oh, no," he said. "I do not believe she found us."
"A little too late, however," Sir Phillip said. To Darcy's surprise, he was smiling.
"What has you so pleased?" Darcy asked him.
"Simply that. She is too late. Without her power over Anne, she has no more power over any of us. Remember, Mother and I are not poor relations. I may be young, not even quite of age, but I am also the true owner of Rosings Park and a baronet. She is merely a life tenant of the estate. And you two are your own men, not beholden to her for anything. Let her bluster and blow if she wishes."
"Well, we cannot put up with her bluster for too long. There are others over whom she might gain power if we do not hurry," Richard replied. Even as he spoke, the carriage pulled to a stop nearby. They could hear Lady Catherine shouting to the footman to set the step and help her out. The door of the carriage flew open, almost hitting the man as he rushed to comply
"Where is my daughter?" she bellowed, glaring at the three men through the open door. The footman fumbled with the step, just barely managing to get it fixed in place before she pushed her way out, slamming her hand down on his head to catch her balance.
"Where is my daughter?" she shouted again.
Darcy, Richard and Sir Phillip looked at each other. They did not dare wink or smirk, but all three seemed agreed on how to handle the situation.
"Oh, she is around her somewhere," Darcy said in an offhand tone.
"Around here somewhere!" Lady Catherine's outrage was clear. "What have you done to her?"
Darcy shrugged. "I have done nothing to her. She is perfectly well."
"But where IS she?" By this time Lady Catherine was standing directly in front of Darcy. She looked for all the world like a cobra preparing to strike.
Richard decided to join in. "To the best of my knowledge, she is in a carriage with her husband," he said calmly.
"Husband! Fitzwilliam is to be her husband! And she is clearly NOT in a carriage with him. Where IS she?"
Sir Phillip made a show of looking in the window of Darcy's carriage. "It is true," he said, "she is not in Mr. Darcy's carriage."
Lady Catherine's face, which was already red with outrage, darkened to an almost purple hue. "You terrible men! What have you done with my daughter?"
"We have seen her married to a man she loves," Darcy said. "It is done and done for the best. You tried to control her, but now you have lost her entirely."
"Who! Who has she married?" She spit out the words like poison.
Again, the three men looked at one another. Richard decided to take the question.
"That is none of your business," he said simply.
Lady Catherine's anger was beyond words. Her mouth moved, but nothing came out. The glare she gave Richard could have pierced a stone wall.
Taking advantage of the silence, he spoke again. "My cousin and I must thank you for the hospitality you have shown us. We do, however, need to leave. There are personal matters we must take care of that prevent our immediate return to Rosings Park. Good day, Aunt Catherine."
He bowed, and Darcy followed suit. As Lady Catherine still stood, stunned by her own rage, the two men quickly boarded Darcy's carriage. At the same time, Sir Phillip bowed, also wishing Lady Catherine a good day before rushing off in the direction of the church where his mother awaited him.
As Darcy's coachman whipped up the horses, Lady Catherine still stood in furious silence, unable to speak or move. Without any instructions from his master, the coachmen set the horses at their top speed. Before she was able to recover, they were already beyond the church and halfway through the village.
They headed on the lane out of the village and towards the main road. As they moved swiftly along, Richard had an idea. He consulted with Darcy, who agreed with the plan. Darcy poked his head out the window and shouted some instructions to his driver. Their journey would end up being a little longer, but there was much less chance of Lady Catherine catching up with them once she got back into her carriage and on the road which, after the insolent way in which they had responded to her, she was more likely to do than staying and finding a way to bother Anne.
When they reached the main road, Darcy coachman followed the instructions he had been given and turned away from the route back to Rosings Park, London or Hertfordshire. They would take a number of twists, turns and side roads, leading her on a merry chase before turning back to their original destination. She had somehow managed to follow them to Boxwell; she was not going to catch up with them this time.