Previously: Mr. Collins attempted to stop the Darcy wedding and suffered for it. Charlotte comforted him. Lady Catharine de Bourgh suffered an apoplexy and her daughter took over Rosings.
Monday, November 16, 1812
The Great House, Rosings, Kent
Mr. Darcy was irritated. Five days previous he and, as he soon found out, Lord Matlock, had received a peremptory summons from his cousin, Anne de Bourgh, to attend on Lady Catherine at Rosings. He had left Pemberley, gone to Matlock, picked up his uncle, and made the long trip south to London through the late autumn rains. They had spent the Sabbath in town and then set out to Rosings at first light. Neither of them knew why they had been summoned, which, as it turned out, was a blessing of sorts.
Elizabeth's family was due at Pemberley at the end of the month and Mr. Darcy did not want to be stuck at Rosings dancing attendance on his aunt when they arrived. Yet here he was, cooling his heels in the small drawing room waiting for Lady Catherine, without even an offer of refreshments. And he could see his uncle was starting to fume as well.
The door opened and the butler appeared. "If you gentlemen would follow me, I will take you to see Lady Catherine."
Mr. Darcy and Lord Matlock were both surprised when the butler led them up the stairs and to Lady Catherine's bedroom. Without bothering to knock the butler opened the bedroom door and ushered them in.
They could see Lady Catherine lying in her bed, propped up on pillows. An older woman, perhaps a nurse, was sitting by her side. Lady Catherine turned her head towards them. It was obvious the right side of her face was frozen.
"Lord Matlock and Mr. Darcy" announced the butler.
Lady Catherine made a fist with her left hand and shook it at them. She contorted her face in an effort to say something but all that came out was a hiss.
Mr. Darcy and Lord Matlock stared. Neither said anything.
Behind them the butler said "If you gentlemen would follow me, Miss de Bourgh will now see you in the study."
They found Miss de Bourgh seated behind Lady Catherine's rococo desk. She did not stand, instead she gestured to them to be seated in the two chairs in front of the desk. "Please be seated."
"I demand …." Lord Matlock started to bluster but Miss de Bourgh held up her hand.
"If you continue with that demand I will have you escorted from these premises."
Lord Matlock and Mr. Darcy stared at her, both open mouthed. Miss de Bourgh's voice did not carry the way Lady Catherine's did, but there was no mistaking the steel in it. Mr. Darcy recovered before his uncle, ceased his gaping and waited for his cousin's next move.
Not so the Earl. He stood up, planted his hands on the desk, and leaned in towards Miss de Bourgh. "I will not be spoken to such a manner! I am the head of Fitzwilliam family and …"
Miss de Bourgh did not flinch. She picked up a small hand bell on the desk and rang it. This stopped the Earl in full flight. Behind them the door opened and four very large footmen filed into the study. Footmen Mr. Darcy had never seen before. They looked more like prizefighters than servants.
Miss de Bourgh pointed at her uncle. "Sit!" He sat. "I am only going to say this once. You may be the head of the Fitzwilliam family and Mr. Darcy may be the head of the Darcy family but I am the head of the de Bourgh family, indeed I am the last of the de Bourghs, and here at Rosings my word is law and if you interrupt me one more time these men will remove you from this house. Do you understand?"
"Yes" said Mr. Darcy; it took several seconds but the Earl finally nodded his head.
"Good" said Miss de Bourgh and she waved the footmen out of the room. "Shortly after Mr. Darcy's wedding my mother suffered an apoplexy. I have consulted several physicians and there is nothing to be done. She will remain as you saw her until she dies; which could be tonight or years from now. No one knows. But she is not why I called you here."
Mr. Darcy could see his uncle was bursting to say something so he grabbed his uncle's arm and shook his head. His uncle settled down, a little.
Miss de Bourgh continued. "I called you here to let you know the decisions I have made regarding the estate of my father, Sir Lewis de Bourgh."
Decisions? Now she had the rapt attention of Lord Matlock and Mr. Darcy. Miss de Bourgh smiled at them, a very cold, lupine smile.
She then carried on. "Subsequent to my mother's withdrawal from active life, I retained the services of a firm of solicitors, independent of the Fitzwilliam and Darcy interests, to review all matters relating to my father's estate. Accordingly, a small army of lawyers and clerks spent the last month here carrying out a very expensive audit of every transaction carried out by the estate since my father's death more than twenty years ago." She took a letter out of a slim folder on her desk and waved it at them. "This is what they have concluded."
She read. "Sir Lewis de Bourgh named his brothers by marriage, Lord Matlock and Mr. George Darcy, as the executors of his will and trustees of the trusts contained therein, as well as the guardians of his infant daughter, Miss Anne de Bourgh.
In his will Sir Lewis de Bourgh made a number of small bequests to servants and charities, all of which have been long satisfied; gave his wife, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, use of the dower house located on the Rosings estate during her lifetime and an annual allowance of three thousand pounds; and left the balance of his estate, including the Rosings estate, to his daughter, Miss Anne de Bourgh.
Miss de Bourgh's share was to be held in trust, for her sole benefit, until she obtained the full age of twenty-five years, unless she married before then, which did not happen.
Miss de Bourgh obtained the full age of twenty-five years on the twelfth day of January, 1812.
Lord Matlock and Mr. George Darcy abdicated all of their responsibilities as executors, guardians and trustees in favour of Lady Catherine de Bourgh."
Lord Matlock opened his mouth to object. Miss de Bourgh picked up the bell. Lord Matlock closed his mouth.
Miss de Bourgh continued. "Upon the death of Mr. George Darcy all of his responsibilities as one of the executors etc. devolved onto the executor of his estate, namely his son, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy."
Mr. Darcy was surprised at this. Why had no one told him? He looked at his uncle who did not meet his eye.
Miss de Bourgh's recital ground on. "Given her unfettered control of the estate Lady Catherine de Bourgh was able to wrongfully convert substantial estate assets to her own use, well over the annual allowance to which she was entitled. There is incontrovertible documentary evidence regarding misappropriated funds in the amount of twenty-two thousand three hundred fifty-four pounds, seventeen shillings, and three pence. There are indications that approximately another forty thousand pounds suffered the same fate but the records regarding same are incomplete, incorrect or missing."
She put the letter down and said "It will not surprise you that my solicitors are recommending that I commence legal proceedings against the two of you for breach of trust, at least regarding the twenty-two thousand pounds."
"But, but…" the Earl sputtered.
Miss de Bough slapped her hand on the desk. "But nothing. You two and your father…" here she pointed at Mr. Darcy "were so scared of Lady Catherine, you cowards let her steal my money and my health. If there were some way I could sue you for all the bleedings, all the leeches, all the poisons forced on me, I would. But I cannot. As for the money, I am inclined to be magnanimous, but on terms." Here Miss de Bourgh paused as if marshalling her thoughts.
After an uncomfortable two minutes passed Mr. Darcy asked "And what are your terms?"
"In return for me not suing the two of you, you will both leave me, my mother and Rosings alone. I have no wish to have either of you interfere with my life again. In fact, I do not want to ever see or hear from either of you again. I intend to live the rest of my life as I see fit. When I die my estate will be left to my friends, whom do not include any Fitzwilliams or Darcys, and such charities as I may favour. And just to be clear, this interdict applies to your families as well. I do not want my cousins, the Viscount and the Colonel, barging in here, charming though they may be in their jackass ways. If either of them do you two will suffer for it." Miss de Bourgh stood up. "My solicitors have this day provided your solicitors with a formal agreement setting out these terms. I expect you to sign it and return it to my solicitors this week."
"But Anne…" Lord Matlock pleaded.
Miss de Bourgh rang the bell and the four footmen appeared. "Show Lord Matlock and Mr. Darcy out. And take a good look at them. Neither of them is ever to be allowed access to this house again without my express prior permission."
Sunday, April 10, 1814
The Great House, Rosings, Kent
Lady Catherine de Bourgh died in her sleep.
Miss de Bourgh did not bother to notify any of her Fitzwilliam or Darcy relatives.