Chapter Thirteen
Pemberley
Mrs. Reynolds closed the door to Mrs. Darcy bedroom leaving her mistress asleep on her bed. Recalling the afternoon events, Mrs. Cecelia Reynolds had warmly greeted Mrs. Darcy and Miss Emma as they entered Pemberley. She enclosed them both in her arms as if they were her own children as she shed tears of happiness and sorrow for all their pain. Once Miss Emma was safely in the nursery Mrs. Reynolds and Elizabeth proceeded to discuss the past few weeks. Mrs. Reynolds stated that she received Hannah's express offering few details.
"The express stated that you should arrive in four days, and made no mention of your health or Mr. Darcy," stated Mrs. Reynolds as she poured Elizabeth a cup of tea.
"I hope that we did not put you too much trouble Mrs. Reynolds, I made the decision to leave rather quickly I am afraid. Hannah was lovely by taking care of all the details. I apologize I should have taken the time to send you a letter, I am so sorry for worrying you" replied Elizabeth.
"Not at all Mistress," replied Mrs. Reynolds.
"Now Mrs. Reynolds, I may have lost my memory for a short time, however I do recall asking that you call me Elizabeth, there will be no more need for Mrs. Darcy or Mistress," declared Elizabeth as she hugged the elderly woman. The words left unsaid, Elizabeth did not want reminders of how much she had lost.
"Mrs…Elizabeth" paused Mrs. Reynolds remembering not to address Elizabeth as Mrs. "Elizabeth it shall be then," Mrs. Reynolds always one to distinguish the situation whatever she may find herself in replied, "And you shall call me Cecelia, for I shall soon no longer carry the title of housekeeper of Pemberley. I have recently written to Mr. Darcy giving my notice, for I wish to retire."
Mrs. Reynolds saw the look of dismay on Elizabeth's face and said, "Now none of that Elizabeth. I have decided it is for the best. I have spent a great many years here at Pemberley, and have enjoyed my time here. I find I will enjoy my retirement more knowing I will have your company and that of Miss Emma."
Elizabeth learned quickly after arriving at Pemberley, that Mrs. Reynolds was not one to be disobeyed you did what she desired.
"The late Master had built a home specifically for my retirement. It is on the edge of Pemberley grounds. When the late Mr. Darcy asked me what I wished for when I retired, I told him I did not want to leave Pemberley grounds, however I wanted to be far enough away as to avoid having the servants bother me with questions regarding the running of the household."
Mrs. Reynolds laughed as she remembered the look of dismay on the late Mr. Darcy's face when he realized finding a replacement for the housekeeper might be a problem when she finally decided to retire.
When Mrs. Reynolds spoke with Elizabeth about their upcoming living arrangements, she explained that the house was hers to do as she wished and she explained she wanted Elizabeth and Miss Emma to come live with her in her home. Mrs. Reynolds reasoned that Emma should grow up on Pemberley grounds until such a time it was hers. Each of the women knew that if there were no male Darcy heirs, it would then become Emma's, as she was the only legitimate child of Mr. Darcy.
When Elizabeth began to protest, Mrs. Reynolds explained that between her pension, that included the salaries of a few employees to keep the house and Mrs. Darcy's income they would do nicely. The house was larger than most of the tenant cottages found on the property.
Mrs. Reynolds described her home in such a way to Elizabeth for her to image, "it is larger than the parsonage found at Rosings," large enough for us all to live comfortably." Elizabeth smiled at Mrs. Reynolds knowing how much she cared for the elderly woman. It would not be a hardship to live in the same house.
Elizabeth was surprised that she had never seen the house Mrs. Reynolds described during her ramblings at Pemberley these past years. Mrs. Reynolds then explained it was on the other side of the Wilkes' cottage. If Elizabeth had not travelled past than the Wilkes' cottage on her tenant, visit's she would have not seen it for it was on the edge of the Wilkes farm still considered Pemberley land. Elizabeth was not fond of riding a horse, therefore she did not venture out with Mr. Darcy when he went to inspect the land each season. How much of this land had I missed, Elizabeth silently questioned herself.
"I must mention to you, there are some legal things that must be addressed by you. I received an express letter from the Earl, asking you to meet with a few solicitors with in the week in London. I shall give you the letter, it contains the names of two solicitors, one shall be for you and your accounts, and the other is from Mr. Darcy estate. Between the two, it shall all be settled for you with your personal accounts as per the marriage settlement. I know this is very hard to think about Elizabeth, it is something that needs to be addressed soon," stated Mrs. Reynolds sounding as forlorn as Elizabeth looked. .
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The recent strain and anxieties the elderly housekeeper experienced over these past months had forced her realize it was time for her to retire. When Mr. Darcy left Pemberley a few weeks ago with the Colonel, Mrs. Reynolds held out hope that her master would find his way back to his wife and daughter. The carriage accident not only hurt the Darcy's, it affected everyone living within Pemberley grounds.
With the return of only Mrs. Darcy, Mrs. Reynolds lost hope of the family returning to the happiness they experienced these last three years. She had contemplated retiring prior to the accident as Elizabeth had taken to the running of the house with such ease. Training a replacement would not be too difficult.
Mrs. Reynold's had noted the changes in Darcy, not only concerning his physical ailments but his personality changes as well. He was quick to anger and refused to listen to reason when he felt he was correct. The fear of Mr. Darcy's anger would prevent Mrs. Reynolds from placing Mrs. Darcy in his path. It mattered not that she practically raised Mr. Darcy; her alliance was now with Mrs. Darcy and their daughter Miss Emma.
"Elizabeth, I have written to Mr. Darcy to declare my intensions for my retirement, I am suspect he will want to return before my time is at an end. I have been training my replacement for the past few years; however, he will want to approve my replacement all the same. I suggest that we pack up the things you wish to take with you and have them moved to the house quickly.
Once you have completed your task in London, you will return directly to our new home. I will remain here until all is settled. Then I will move in with you and Miss Emma. Mr. Darcy will not the wiser and do not worry, should something happen to me I have willed my house to you to do as you see fit." Mrs. Reynolds stopped Elizabeth from protesting; "Now it is already done, so you cannot change my mind. Let us both look forward to some happiness."
Mrs. Reynold and Elizabeth talked about what happened at Netherfield to make Elizabeth leave with Emma. It was, as Mrs. Reynolds feared, Mr. Darcy's injuries affected him more than he wanted to recognize. They finished their tea and Mrs. Reynolds insisted that Elizabeth rest after her journey.
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Elizabeth had only slept a few hours before waking up in her bed, she sighed as she ran her hand across the other side of the bed that Darcy slept on when in her room. The memories of her husband with her in this bed were too much for her to handle. Elizabeth decided not to wallow in her pain any longer. "I shall overcome this," announced Elizabeth to herself aloud.
Elizabeth knew her family would worry about her, so she decided to write her Aunt Gardiner for she knew her Aunt would not reveal too much information about her whereabouts and accept her wishes.
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Pemberley
Dearest Aunt,
I am writing to inform you that I am indeed well, as you can see I am back at Pemberley only for a short time. I am only here, because my husband is not. How long he will be away from Pemberley is unknown to me at present. I have much to accomplish in my short time here before he returns for I do not wish him to know I was here in his home. I do not wish to give you reason to worry; it is only that Mr. Darcy is not the same man we all have come to know and love. He is very angry. Please do no fear for my wellbeing, nor for Emma's, Mrs. Reynolds has taken it upon herself to make sure that will have a home soon.
Do not be concerned as where I shall reside hereafter, Mrs. Reynolds has taken it upon herself to provide us with an excellent home. She has worked out all the details, and I will inform you of them when I arrive, hopefully Thursday next.
As to that future, I am writing to inform you that I must to travel to London to complete the necessary legal documentation for the situation I now find myself. I will be required to stay in London for only a few days and wish to stay with you if possible. I hope I am not imposing on you and my uncle by this request.
It pains me to admit that Mr. Darcy does not remember his life prior to the accident, which includes our daughter Emma and of course me, his wife. With that in mind, I feel it will be safe for me to stay with you,for I do not know the location of Mr. Darcy at this time. He will not call upon you. Please be assured of this fact.
I wish to impart a few details to you, along with Lady Matlock for I know she will have many questions prior to my arrival. I also feel that my writing it while exposing all the sorted details will help heal me somehow, for the whole inside my heart is great. I may only have a few days in London to accomplish my tasks so that I can provide the protection for Emma she will need as she grows. At this time, I have no hope that Darcy will return to us. It breaks my heart to admit this to you.
When Mr. Darcy first arrived at Netherfield, I felt a pull towards him that caused me great alarm. I hate to admit for a long while now; I have been having such strange and wild dreams of Mr. Darcy. Only I did not know they were actual memories, these dreams tormented me so much I was afraid to sleep at night. I had no notion that I could have married a man such as Mr. Darcy, if only I had talked with my sisters Mary or Jane I might have found out the truth sooner.
I can only describe how Mr. Darcy's manners turned me off immediately. He was proud, stand offish and arrogant with his speech. I was aware that my family was hiding me, for what reason I did not know Papa never explained it me. Then there was Mama with her hurtful words. For this reason, I tried to avoid Mr. Darcy, only to find him nearby and often alone. We did not speak, often I found him staring at me. It was so similar to the time I spent at Netherfield while caring for Jane those three days she went ill. I would spent my time with the children out in the garden, only to find Mr. Darcy nearby as if he wanted to be near me.
My memories started to return, our wedding day, our first trip to Netherfield to visit Mr. and Mrs. Bingley, our walks in the gardens at Pemberley. I cannot explain how hard it was for me to look at Mr. Darcy each night during dinner and know he did not remember me. He only scowled at me making it unbearable to be in his presence.
I began to have hope when we would find ourselves at the same locations alone. If I could regain my memories, then there was hope my William could also. I prayed each night before bed that he would remember something of our life together.
It was no until the afternoon I left Netherfield that I learned another truth in my life. I had a daughter Emma and William would never remember our love. He was shouting at Mr. Bingley, it is almost too much to bear. He accused me of having a child out of wedlock. I decided then to leave Netherfield with Emma, with the help of Hannah and a few other faithful servants, we headed towards Pemberley. I am ashamed to admit I did not take time to think about traveling expenses and such. If it were not for the trusted employees at Pemberley, I may not have arrived here at Pemberley.
I am grieved to have learned that lesson; however, I will no longer depend on anyone other than myself when it comes to such things anymore. I have allowed myself to remain ignorant of such things for too long. I must now become an independent woman responsible for a small child; there can be no room for mistakes.
I will not go into further details of what Mr. Darcy accuses, for those words should never be repeated. It pains me to admit that Mr. Darcy may never remember himself and retain the current unpleasant, rude, and prideful man his has now become. I pray that you have no contact with him for he will surely slight you and uncle without any thought of his actions.
Your affectionate niece
Lizzy
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Elizabeth sanded the letter and sealed it with the Darcy seal. As she placed the seal back into its location on her desk, Elizabeth realized she would never use that seal again. "For am I still a Darcy if my husband does not recognize me as such? What shall I call myself?" asked Elizabeth aloud to no one. Elizabeth turned and began one of the many tasks she had before her prior to leaving her home.
Elizabeth rang for Hannah and began the task of sorting through her wardrobe. Elizabeth knew she would no longer need her ball gowns, so they were passed over while other dresses were examined for their usefulness. Space was going to be an issue and Elizabeth knew she would make due with about a third of the dresses currently hanging inside her closets.
"Hannah, I believe it best that we leave the dresses that contain too many embellishments here, I shall certainly not need them. It would be best to take all the morning gowns and traveling clothes for sure," said Elizabeth as she turned around to see how many trunks sat available.
Elizabeth and Hannah began reviewing the merits of the remaining dresses for their usefulness and practicality. Anything Elizabeth felt would broadcast her as "a woman of status" would remain behind. Elizabeth's new life would not allow her to be distinguished from the others in society, for she felt she was no longer Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley.
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Elizabeth entered the sitting room that connected her husband's suite of rooms to her rooms. On the little shelf were the books she had taken with her when she left Longbourn as Elizabeth Bennet.
Elizabeth recalled when Darcy began the tour of their sitting room with her eyes covered as he carried her in his arms. "Elizabeth you must keep your eyes covered, I have worked hard on this surprise," announced an excited Darcy. They had arrived that afternoon and spent the day walking outside taking a tour of the rose garden.
Darcy carefully planned to have all of Elizabeth's cherished belongings placed within their rooms while he kept her busy outside, hoping to present her with the feeling that she belonged in their home. Darcy understood how overwhelming Pemberley could be to outsiders when they first arrived, however he wanted Elizabeth to feel at home with him.
Mr. Bennet had presented Elizabeth with a book each Christmas. This small collection of tomes, were cherished almost as much as the books assembled in the library at Pemberley. Elizabeth loved to read almost as much as Mr. Darcy did, for she was often found in the library late in the afternoons while she anticipated Mr. Darcy to finish with the estate business.
As Elizabeth reached for each book to place it within the carton, she recalled at what age her father had presented them to her. A tear fell; as Elizabeth wiped it away, she spotted the book laying open on the table near the sofa. This was the last book Mr. Darcy was reading to her before their trip to Matlock. Elizabeth loved to listen to her husband's voice as he read. She would climb next to him on the sofa hiding her feet underneath the blanket as she leaned into him. Darcy would place one arm around her shoulders and hold the book out with his right hand. When it was time to turn the page, Elizabeth would reach out with her right hand and help turn the page. Elizabeth felt the urge to pack this book, but the pain inside her made her return to the task of packing only her beloved books.
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Elizabeth finished with that task, walked around the room running her hand along the furniture picturing Darcy's face as she last remembered him within this room. She knew that opening the door to his bedroom would hurt, however the urge to enter was so strong she could not stop herself.
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"Mr. Darcy is it appropriate for me to be in your rooms?" teased Elizabeth as she kissed Darcy along his neck. Darcy was carrying her in his arms towards the bed. As he placed her down gently, he leaned over to whisper in her ear as he kissed her, "My dearest loveliest Elizabeth, you are by far the most perfect woman in the world; I find it extremely appropriate for you to be her in my room, for I wish this to be our bedroom always and forever." Darcy kept kissing Elizabeth while he gently removed her dress.
Elizabeth was struck by the scent as she entered Darcy's bedroom. It smelled of sandalwood, the scent Mr. Darcy favored. Elizabeth unable to overcome the pain turned and closed the door. She leaned against the door and let a few tears fall before heading back into her bedroom.
Hannah had make quick work of packing the trunks that left only her to pack only the private and personal treasures she wished to take with her. Elizabeth sat down at her vanity as the feelings of grief washed over her.
Elizabeth ran her finger over the beautifully scripted letters of ED engraved on the back of the silver brush and mirror, she decided not to take them with her as the reminder of script ED would haunt her forever. Elizabeth opened the bottom drawer of her vanity and pulled out the brush with the letters simply engraved, EB her parents had given her for her sixteenth birthday. This brush would have to do.
Elizabeth opened another drawer and pulled out a small wooden box with a rose carved on the top. This particular box contained all the letters Mr. Darcy had written to Elizabeth, even the one from Huntsford after his first proposal. The very letter that pained the both of them for it contained a detailed account of Darcy's dealings with Mr. Wickham and Darcy's explanation for separating Jane and Mr. Bingley. Elizabeth had not destroyed the letter as Mr. Darcy requested so many times over the years. Elizabeth decided to take the box with her, as painful as it might be, she might want to re-read a few of the letters sometime in the future. Moreover, she did not want to risk having Mr. Darcy destroy them.
Elizabeth opened the top drawer and opened the box that contained her jewelry. The necklace her father had given to her a gold cross with a garnet in the middle, she pulled it out of the box and deciding to wear it and put it on. Elizabeth felt the familiar ridges of the cross and prayed quietly for her father thanking him.
Elizabeth considered the other items contained inside the box. There was a strand of pearls with an elegant script ED engraved on the clasp, given to her on their first anniversary. A gold chain with a locket containing a strand of Darcy's hair on one side and a miniature portrait of Darcy on the other side, for the first time he had to leave her at Pemberley for business, so she would always have a piece of him with her when they were forced to be separated. Finally there was the brilliant diamond pendant on a thin gold necklace given to her when Darcy learned she was carrying their child.
These few pieces of jewelry meant more to her because they had been given to her by her husband to celebrate precious moments in their life together. She reasoned since they were not part of the Darcy legacy she would cherish them always. All of the Darcy jewels would remain behind, that included the engagement ring Mr. Darcy had given to her upon her acceptance of marriage the second time. Elizabeth pulled the ring from her right hand and placed it in the middle of the vanity. Elizabeth left the simple gold band on her finger, it was her wedding ring for she vowed never to remove it and she would keep that promise.
Elizabeth continued to pack her favorite lotions and various toiletries. No sense of wasting these products that might be thrown away, she thought to herself. Elizabeth emotionally spent by her activities climbed into her bed and fell asleep. Elizabeth slept soundly that night, for her dreams were about Darcy showing all his favorite places as a child to Elizabeth.
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In the morning, Elizabeth ran to Emma's room, for she realized she had not seen her before falling asleep last night. Emma was smiling and waving her hands as Elizabeth entered the room. Elizabeth took Emma in her arms, giving her kisses all over her face and said, "Emma let us go outside and have a morning picnic. I promised you the birds would sing for you."
"Jenny, please ask Mrs. Reynolds to pack a small basket and meet me in the music room, we are going to enjoy ourselves the bright beautiful morning," announced Elizabeth as she left with Emma.
Mrs. Reynolds had heard Elizabeth as she walked downstairs singing to Emma. Jenny relayed the request for a basket for a morning picnic and followed Mrs. Reynolds to the kitchen.
Jenny found Elizabeth and Emma seated at the pianoforte with Elizabeth touching a few keys and singing to Emma as the little girl laughed and tried to imitate her mother by banging on the keys. When a key was struck, no matter the sound Elizabeth continued singing, this encourage Emma to continue in her efforts. The scene before Mrs. Reynolds brought tears to her eyes. This was exactly how Mrs. Reynolds pictured Mrs. Darcy carrying for her child when the news of the expected child was learned last year. The sorrow the elderly lady felt, made her remark knowing she would not done so with another employee around.
"'tis a shame the Master is not here to witness this," Mrs. Reynolds said softly as she wiped away her tears.
Elizabeth, Emma and Jenny set off outside to enjoy their picnic.
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On the rode to London
Richard rode his horse on his way towards London contemplating the last few months. It had pained him to see his cousin lying in his bed due to his injuries. Richard arrived at Pemberley after receiving the express from his father notifying him of his cousin's injuries. Richard worries for Darcy his cousin, Elizabeth who carried their first child and Georgianna his ward. All three were severely injured and the letter did not tell him if they would survive.
Richard arrived at Pemberley in the middle of the night to find no one around as he thought of Darcy as his brother, ran to his rooms first. The smell of blood hit Richard making him stop in his tracks; it smelled like the tents the injured soldiers were cared for after a battle. Richard blanched placing his hand to his mouth as he coughed.
The express from the Earl only relayed Darcy might not make it due to his injuries. Darcy had not awoken since the accident, nor did he cry out in pain when his leg was set. The doctor was unsure if Darcy would recover; those words had sent Richard off immediately only to arrive so see Darcy laying in his bed almost dead.
Richard saw Darcy's head covered with bandages, this reminded Richard of the wounded soldiers during the war, only without all the blood. Darcy's leg broken in several location was set with bindings on top of several pillows.
After visiting with Georgiana and determining her injuries were not life-threatening Richard went to see Elizabeth. Elizabeth's condition was unclear; Richard felt his place was at Darcy's side and returned to his room. When Darcy finally awoke a few days later, he was in so much pain he required a heavy dose of medication that kept him unaware for several days.
While the rest of the family was worried for Elizabeth and the baby, Richard focused on Darcy willing him to recover with stories of their youth and various tales of his war experience. Richard felt that Darcy could not really hear what he was saying only the sound of this voice, therefore Richard spoke of things he never spoke of to anyone, not even those who fought along side him.
Richard told Darcy of the boys he trained and then went off to battle lead by incompetent men with ranks of _ military with no real combat experience. They sent these boys to battle; NO they sent them into battle to die, without the understanding of what these young men faced on the battlefield. It was Richard during the last battle that took charge after seeing the bloodbath, who fought alongside these boys who managed to win the last battle.
Richard spoke of General Wellington's letter of accommodation, "Can you image Darcy, I only a Colonel, and definitely not in charge of the campaign, received notice from Wellington himself. I am astounded at the lack of accountability these men in charge are handed before sending our boys to battle," Richard's silent tears were falling as he held his hands in head.
The days of Richard expressing his true feelings on the war were at an end the day Darcy awoke. Learning that Darcy was missing his memories of Elizabeth and their child devastated Richard. Richard continued to support Darcy by keeping him appraised of Georgiana's progress, along with many assurances that Wickham was no longer a threat to Georgianna. Richard relayed the many reports from the various stewards from the Darcy estates. He even read him reports regarding sheep. Sheep! Can you image me speaking of sheep! Richard shouted on top of his horse as he recalled this while he travelled to London.
After Emma was born and Mr. Bennet removed Elizabeth to Longbourn, Richard felt that Darcy needed to leave his suite of rooms more often. Darcy began to withdraw from life, and it worried Richard so much so he recommended going for rides on his horse to oversee the fields. It had worked and each day until they left for Netherfield Darcy rode out with Richard to survey the fields.
If I ever gain an estate I will be well on my way to managing it successfully after these months, thought Richard to himself.
Richard also began to worry about Darcy's temper. After the accident, Darcy seemed to have short fuse, so to speak. Now, he was almost wild when he became angered. Richard saw many men return from battle scared and their personalities altered, he hoped he would be able to reach Darcy and help with understand his transformation before he injured someone.
Darcy's reaction to Elizabeth angered Richard to the point he could not stand to be near Darcy anymore. The change in his cousin was so severe; he actually considered having nothing to do with him ever again. "How can one person change so much that I want to strike him when he opens his mouth," said Richard aloud as he travelled towards London.
"Ah, London yet another cross I must bear," said Richard as he patted his horse. "At least this time I will not be sending young men off to their death. I can work with men who know what war is about and want to change it." Richard thought about his new post, he was to train spies to infiltrate France, obtain intelligence, and finally win this bloody war.
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London
The letter from Elizabeth arrived at the Gardiners a few days later. Madeline Gardiner had just taken the children upstairs for their lessons with their governess when a footman arrived with the express.
As Madeline read the letter she became concerned, there was more happening at Netherfield than she was lead to believe. The letter from Mr. Bennet received two days ago stated that Elizabeth had taken Emma back to Pemberley; it did not however state what had caused her niece to flee her sister's home with her child.
The news that Elizabeth had her memories back was both a blessing and a concern for she understood from Lady Matlock recent visit that Mr. Darcy was unchanged.
"I wonder if Lady Matlock is aware of the current situation," said Madeline aloud to herself. "I must go and find out what she knows, maybe the two of us can resolve the issue before it gets any worse, Oh my, poor Lizzy," stated Madeline as he called for her carriage and wrote a note for her husband to let him know where she was headed and the reason why. Madeline slipped the letter from Elizabeth in her pocket and readied herself to leave.
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Matlock House, London
When a carriage arrived announcing, "Mrs. Madeline Gardiner" Lady Matlock was in her sitting room review the household accounts. Lady Matlock has been to upset these past few days she neglected her household chores.
Lady Matlock knew it was time to face the one woman she could not lie to. Lady Matlock straighten her imaginary wrinkles from her shirts like a young schoolgirl delaying the inevitable, she spied Madeline entering the room with flushed cheeks.
"I am sorry to arrive unannounced, I have just received a letter from Lizzy. She is at Pemberley with Emma as we speak. I cannot tell you how that came about, for I thought her to be at Netherfield with Jane. I thought you might have some information and wish to share it with me as Lizzy asks I speak with you specifically," state Madeline as she sat down near Lady Matlock.
Lady Matlock aware that the spy in her home was recently ordered Matlock on "an errand of some importance" by her husband the Earl knew she was free to speak in her home once again. This past week Lady Matlock was afraid to say anything in her own home for fear her sister in law Lady Catherine would hear about it. Lady Matlock had not been able to eat or sleep well until her husband ordered that man from their home with threats of termination if he did not go to Matlock. Lady Matlock had ordered tea along with some of the fresh cake before the butler left the room.
"Madeline, I am pleased you have received such a letter, I have been worried and have had no one to speak with about this latest calamity," replied Lady Matlock as she took her seat next to her friend.
Seeing Madeline's eyes widen, Lady Matlock took her hand and said, "No, nothing too terrible…well at least now I know Elizabeth is safe. All my husband and sons would tell me is that Elizabeth most likely went to Pemberley as Mrs. Reynolds would have had a plan encase what happened in fact did happened."
Madeline surprised by Lady Matlock's speech said, "Why have you not said anything before now? Am I not in your confidence? Why is it that I must find out anything from my niece when everyone" Madeline waved her hand around "knows already."
Lady Matlock knew her footing with Madeline Gardiner was tenuous at best when it regarded Lizzy, tried to explain what had been happening at her home these past two days leaving her without time to visit Madeline.
"Madeline, please I beg you to listen to what I have to say before you leave severing our friendship, it is not what I wish. I have had to deal with…well let me tell you and then you can decide what we, and I mean you and I should do regarding the situation," said Lady Matlock.
Lady Matlock started her story with Richard's return from Hertfordshire and Darcy's behavior. Both women were distressed to learn that Richard had used physical force to knock out Darcy, leaving him unconscious in a chair after he questioned the parentage of Emma.
Then Lady Catherine arrived on her doorstep acting as if there was nothing wrong, "Anne needed new clothes, is what Catherine told me as she stormed to her rooms," stated Lady Matlock sounding like the haughty lady herself.
"Then Lord Matlock arrived home with our son Henry, while Catherine was supposedly out shopping with Anne. Do you know she actually left Anne alone in her rooms without calling for tea, I had not thought my sister Catherine would leave Anne without any thought to her care." Lady Matlock stopped and rang for tea.
"This is going to be a long story, you will need it Madeline. My nerves have been shot and I have not taken a proper mean in two days, nor can I sleep."
"Thank you, I had not had time to eat before leaving my home, I was in such a hurry to see you, and I am sorry to hear about your worries," replied Madeline.
"Well, I am wretched. Now back to my story, my husband arrived home to relay the story of what had taken place at Netherfield, as he knew it. It was Darcy accusing Mr. Bingley of harboring Elizabeth and her child; mind you he thought Elizabeth was unwed." Lady Matlock waved her hand across her face as to cool her down.
"The nerve of my nephew! I can hardly believe he would say such a thing. Darcy's accusations brought about Elizabeth finding out about Emma from what Richard told me. Elizabeth had high tailed it out Netherfield; Richard agreed with my husband that Elizabeth must have decided to return to Pemberley. Then Darcy saw, well heard Lydia Wickham and from there you can guess what happened."
Madeline gasped, "No, what were they thinking by allowing Lydia there at Netherfield?"
Lady Matlock touched Madeline's hand again, "No it was your sister, Mrs. Bennet who brought your niece to Netherfield. She was the one who added to the mess. My husband tells me, that Mr. Bennet had given her the boot. You will have to tell me more when you find out."
Madeline sighed and pressed herself back into the sofa, "No wonder my brother's letter was so short. He must be livid with his wife. How could she not realize the damage she might cause? What did Lydia do? Oh, I am almost afraid to ask." Madeline put her fingers to her eyes and took a deep breathe.
"Well as you can imagine, Darcy went off on another tirade this time his aim was at your niece Lydia, her being Mrs. Wickham the wife of the man Darcy hates. He made sure the poor girl found out about all her husband's dealings and his devious ways. I am not sure what she will do now, although it hardly matters. It appears that Mr. Wickham has left his post in the military and has been missing since before the carriage accident."
Madeline softly cries out, "No! He could not be involved in the accident,
Could he?"
Lady Matlock nods her head, "Richard believes so, and he has as much accused him of causing the accident, for during a conversation with Darcy there was mention of Darcy being able to stop the accident somehow. Richard does not have all the details yet, he will though and if Wickham in involved I pray he never shows his face again." Lady Matlock nodded with certainty.
"All of this happening at Netherfield? Poor Lizzy and Jane."
"Well there's more, Caroline Bingley decided to show up unannounced, as you know she had been not welcome here in London among the ton lately due to her recent actions," Lady Matlock sniggered knowing she was the reason Miss Bingley was being denied access to her favorite spots.
"So Miss Bingley thought she could hide out at her brother's home?"
"Why yes Maddie, she was in for a big surprise for when arrived she discovered my husband and sons were there. I am getting off point; Miss Bingley was trying to seduce my nephew Darcy. Oh, it gets worse! She actually told Darcy that he could rid himself of Elizabeth and marry her! Can you believe the nerve of that harpy?"
Lady Matlock took another sip of her tea and said, "Well, thanks to Caroline we now know that when Darcy is confronted with his marriage to Elizabeth, he becomes ill."
Madeline alarmed asked, "Darcy become ill? What happens to him is there a cure for his malady?"
"Well it seems every time Elizabeth's name is mentioned he gets a blinding headache. If the talk of Elizabeth or his marriage carries on by more than just a few words, he passed out cold!"
Madeline unsure what to do says, "Have they called the doctor?"
"Yes, the doctor told us that mentioning Elizabeth would affect him adversely, as you already know. Well the doctor thinks his repressed memories are trying to come back and it is causing him pain. When Darcy was confronted by Caroline Bingley and her caustic speech this made Darcy pass out cold in the garden."
Lady Matlock took a bit of cake hoping to settle her stomach said, "Well…then let me see, I have so much to work out in my head as to what happened next. Anne my niece, Lady Catherine's daughter sent me an express before all this happened, alerting me to the fact that her mother was up to something, as her mother learned something from the spy in my house. It was really too late to do anything about it by the time I received the letter and my husband was there…"
"You have a spy in your house that sends information to you sister? I cannot believe it!" cried Madeline.
Lady Matlock waved her hand and said, "Yes, well…until recently all the information that was divulged was not of any import, just information about the events we attended and hosted. The Earl laughed when he first learned this from our niece Anne. He claimed his sister was wasting her money on nothing but drivel. At least until recently, there were no secrets. That was how Lady Catherine learned that Darcy does not remember his wife."
Madeline was getting upset and Lady Matlock tried to calm her.
"My sister Lady Catherine showed up at Netherfield when Darcy was set to leave. Her arrival surprised my husband and made Darcy question my husband's loyalty. Darcy demanded answers to questions one of which included our connections to the Bennet's mainly because of Lydia Wickham. Darcy learned we had kept Catherine in the dark about his memory he demanded to know what else was being kept from him." Lady Matlock nodded, "Yes my husband told Darcy about his marriage to Elizabeth. As you can well image it did not go well at all. He stormed off and words were exchanged with Richard. Richard hit Darcy and returned to London. Richard stopped here to give me his side of the story. I am afraid unless Darcy returns to his old self, my son will have nothing to do with him. It breaks my heart."
Madeline wanting to know more took Lady Matlock's hand and said, "I am sure once we figure this out Richard and Darcy will mend their relationship."
"Well there is more, as you already know Catherine was here in London before my husband returned home. I had no knowledge of what had transpired, so when he arrived home and started his tale I had the bad luck of informing him of his sister's presence in our home. Henry came downstairs with Anne for tea, it was then that we learned that Lady Catherine had gone off somewhere and not shopping with Anne as I expected." The two women looked at each other with sympathy.
"Catherine arrived back and told us that she and Anne would be leaving in the morning as they had business back at Rosings. She said she was grateful for our assistance and we did not see her or Anne before they departed. It was then I learned that Catherine was at Darcy house the entire time she was missing. Poor Georgiana and Mrs. Covington had to deal with her until Darcy arrived later that afternoon. Georgiana arrived the next morning in tears telling me that her brother left London stating his intentions of going directly to Rosings."
Madeline sighed and said, "Darcy is now at Rosings? And from what I gather from your story, is Darcy is weary of his family and certainly has not intentions of acknowledging his marriage to Lizzy."
Lady Matlock nodded, "I am afraid so. My husband has been meeting with his solicitors to prevent Catherine from doing any more damage to Elizabeth financially. Elizabeth is Mrs. Darcy and is legally entitled to receive support for her and Emma along with a home. There is more, although I am not aware of the details. The good news is Lady Catherine will not be able to push her way around and give Darcy the annulment she thinks she can gain with Darcy's memory loss. The King himself would have to sign the paperwork and with my husband's status in parliament, that will never happen. I have no idea what Catherine thinks she can do, even a divorce is unheard of without Parliaments approval."
"Well I am glad to hear of that! I have heard stories about your sister and her demands for a while now. Do you think it would be wise for your husband to have his sister examined by a doctor? She may need to be committed if she is acting this way. I might even suggest your husband have Darcy examined. I hate to even think of the damage he has done to Lizzy."
"Well I have suggested it to my husband; he is the head of the family and has more control over his sister, Darcy on the other hand is more difficult. I truly believe Catherine is insane. The night Anne was here, we spoke of her taking control over Rosings. Apparently Anne inherited Rosings at the age of twenty-five, that was four years ago. I am worried about my husband's heath right now. I have asked Henry to take over a few things to elevate some of the stress the Earl is under at this time. I do believe we will be traveling to Rosings the day after our ball."
Madeline could now understand the pressure Lady Matlock was under and decided to share the information regarding Elizabeth's visit to Gracechurch Street. "I trust you to keep this to yourself, Elizabeth has requested a visit. She has appointments in London prior to leaving with Emma for their new home. I am not aware of the business she has, although based on what you just related I am sure it is to secure her future without Darcy. I will send a note for you to visit when she arrives. Please do not let anyone else know Elizabeth is in town unless she requests it. I do wish to stay in touch with my niece, even if her future is not living as Mrs. Darcy. I know the ton can very cruel, and I suspect Elizabeth is preparing herself for such censure."
"Oh Madeline, I will do as you ask. I do wish for Elizabeth to remain in our lives. I too know how cruel the ton can be and I will do as she asks. I would like to meet with you tomorrow along with Georgiana and Kitty. Those girls have been through so much. I also hope that Kitty will be open with about what Lady Catherine said while she was there. We may learn something that can help us."
"I agree, let us plan on lunch at my home. This will help Kitty open up to me if she feels safe," assured Madeline.
The two women wished each other well as Madeline left the Matlock's townhouse.
Madeline was in tears for all that she heard that day. Then Madeline began to wonder about her sister Fanny, and her niece Lydia, I guess my husband will have to speak with his brother for those answers.