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Chapter 25
Darcy awoke before dawn the next morning in order to oversee Anne's removal from Netherfield and was touched to find his friend Bingley, dressed and awaiting him in the main foyer.
"Charles! I had not thought to see you before I left, it is a most welcome surprise." He said deeply touched by his friends thoughtfulness.
"I am glad. I had guessed you would be up and wanting to escape the farewells and well wishes. I hope you know I would have come with you for the funeral." Bingley said clapping him on the back with brotherly affection.
"I know, my friend and I moved beyond words and I know Anne would be pleased by your care…" he trailed off.
"Say no more," Bingley said clearing his throat to hide his emotions. "And you have my word, I will watch over Elizabeth until your return."
"Oh, before I forget…" Darcy said, reaching into his jacket pocket and producing a small packet. "Here is proof and Newspaper clippings and the like that confirm our suspicions… Wickham has indeed, married and gone off to the colonies! But I have not managed to read it through thoroughly to tell you anymore."
Taking the bundle of papers, Bingley tucked them away into his breast pocket, "Thank you Darcy! You never miss a beat do you, my brother?! I am indebted to you, I was so lost until your visit."
Darcy waved off the compliments and then both gentlemen fell into silence bowing their heads as Anne was carried past them to the awaiting carriage in a simple lightweight coffin, specifically designed to be used to transport the deceased home. Darcy had gone directly to make sure it had been made with strong wood and quality padding.
"God rest her soul," said Bingley in a whisper. "We were all blessed to have such a pure soul touch each of our lives. We will all remember her mischievous spirit in positive and inspiring ways and we shall all miss her dearly."
Darcy turned and nodded to his friend feeling overcome with emotion, before donning his coat and hat, before walking out and mounting his horse. Mr Bingley followed him out waved him off from the top step. Once the carriage had gone out of sight, he went directly to his study and went to work on looking over the papers Darcy had given him.
Kent... a week's journey later…
"Where is Darcy and my daughter, Fitzwilliam?! She needs to be laid to rest, it is unseemly to cart her about the country like this!" boomed Lady Catherine as she stamped her cain on the heavily on the marble flooring by the grand staircase of Rosings.
"Aunt, I am told he arrived- " Began Colonel Fitzwilliam.
"The whole party?!" exclaimed the Lady, eyes bulging.
"As I understand it Ma'am -" he tried once more.
"A tradesman and his wife, staying in my home?" Are the shades of Rosings to be thus polluted!" she shrieked causing a couple of footmen to flinch, sending a few maids scuttling in the opposite direction and Mr Collins to commence bobbing multiple bows in supplication. "You!" she bellowed pointing a finger rudely to one of the footmen. "Send for the physician, grief has addled my son in laws mental state."
"There will be no need for a physician, your ladyship. As I was saying… I understand that Darcy has arrived safely. He is refreshing himself after a long journey and will join us at breakfast when he is ready."
"And my wife?" asked Mr Collins timidly and sweating profusely under the glare of Lady Catherine.
"She is to arrive separately with Mr and Mrs Bingley the day after tomorrow. The Bingley's will be staying at the nearest Inn. Now I am going to pour myself a drink, I trust this interrogation is over."
"But Colonel you have been saying the same thing for the past we -" he began halting himself by bring his hand to his lips when her ladyship spoke over him.
"Which room is he in? I demand to know!" she roared.
"Lady Catherine, I am here. There is no need to shout." Said Darcy, descending the stairs towards them.
"Bad form, nephew. You should have come to me directly! You must know I have questions and blame to place for my Anne's passing!"
"I am fatigued after so much traveling Lady Catherine, it will be best for all -"
"Where is my daughter?" she cut in once more.
"She is at peace and she is at home." He replied.
Lady Catherine's shoulders sagged with obvious relief. "I would see her, which room is she in?"
"I do not comprehend you…?" queried Darcy calmly.
Both the Colonel and Collins stepped back as her ladyships' eyes narrowed.
"Do not play games with me, Darcy," she hissed pointing her cane and jabbing at the air in front of his chest.
"I play no games madam. I have told you; Anne is at peace and has been laid to rest at home in the Darcy tomb, at Pemberley."
"You would not dare!" She screamed swiping a nearby vase to the floor, with a loud smash of china. "She has her burial space here, at Rosings! That is what has always been discussed and how it was always Meant. To. Be!"
"Do try to remain calm, such a vulgar display is beneath your station."
"ENOUGH! You have led us on a merry chase, keeping secrets and telling us small truths…" she accused her chest heaving.
"I do not understand what the fuss is. We are simply here to see to my wife's will. I feel I have been beyond considerate to you in holding the meeting here -"
"Considerate! Bah!" she spat drawing level with him. "Why do you feel you candictate - "
"Do not forget whom you are speaking to Lady Catherine!" he boomed. "Anne was a Darcy and as such I would never banish her, especially not to be buried in such an oppressive place. A place in which she never wished to return after living under your tyranny for more than two decades. You have no claim over her whatsoever!" He said, "Now, the solicitor will arrive at noon to read the particulars of her will and then we shall get to rejoice in the knowledge that our further interactions in the future will be extremely limited."
Raging she drew in a large breath, preparing to explode, when Darcy turned to address his cousin, stoking the lady's outrage considerably.
"Richard, you are well I hope?" Darcy asked as though the previous conversation had not taken place.
"Yes, I am sorry I had to leave so soon after Anne's funeral. Do you know the rain cleared throughout my journey here and it felt as though she were watching over me, as I had the sunlight on my path." The Colonel could not resist revealing.
"Y-Y-You were there?" Lady Catherine spluttered.
"I was." He confirmed.
"What did I do to be so deserving of such cruelty? To not be allowed to have my daughter laid to rest in her home and where I could visit her." she cried.
"Lady Catherine you are not a skilled enough actress to draw any sympathy from me." He said fighting through the Lang of guilt he felt. "You know why Anne did not wish to have you there. And if not, I will pray for you and hope that you might soon see the error of your ways and pray for clemency."
"Mark my words boy and mark them well… this is not over. I do not give a fig what you believe My daughter wanted. Anne's will shall bring to light your cruelty towards her. She will be brought here and I will be given what I deserve even if I have to dig her up and bring her here myself! I am disappointed in you boy!" she hissed.
"What are you all doing standing around gawking?!" she demanded as she stormed away. "And clean up that mess!" She snapped gesturing to the broken vase.
"Breakfast?" said the Colonel to his cousin and without waiting for a reply he started walking away, releasing a heavy sigh.
Mr Collins stepped forward to offer a greeting to Darcy stopping him from following his cousin to breakfast.
"Mr Darcy, I offer my humblest sympathies for your loss and I hope you might be able to inform as to when I can expect my wife's return." He finished with a bow, sweat dripping onto the marble as he went.
Darcy looked at the man without concealing his contempt and did not bother to acknowledge his welcome, instead turned his back on the pardon and continued on toward the breakfast room.
"Well… Well…" muttered Mr Collins with uncertainty from his reception.
Noon…
"WHAAT?!" an outraged Lady Catherine screamed at the solicitor who had been tasked with delivering Anne's will.
"Your Ladyship, please try to remain calm - " tried the solicitor.
"Be calm? Be calm? How dare you address me! You are all beneath me!" continued her viscous attack which produced a snort of laughter from the Colonel.
"Aunt, he is simply doing his job. He does not deserve to be the recipient of your rage" asked Darcy, his patience shortening dangerously. He had spent the entire morning under attack from his Aunt. He had endured vicious words, pleading speeches entreating him to have mercy on a poor old lady and finally belittling his mother and father in how they raised him and so on. He had managed to drown out her nonsense with some success and had refused to answer her attempted manipulations. He would not however, have her abuse this poor solicitor, who looked vastly uncomfortable having to navigate his way through the broken ornaments that had been left after her ladyships last tantrum and now sit here and be verbally assaulted by her.
"Obstinate boy! Be silent if you cannot have respect for your pier. I am ashamed of you and your lack of honour. To turn your back on your family. Where is your filial devotion? Where is your compassion? Where is your honour? You forget what you owe your family?"
"Lady Catherine, I will put this to you another way. Let us keep this discussion for after this meeting. I sincerely doubt we need to air our family grievances in such an undignified and uncouth manner." Replied Darcy, trying to maintain an even tone.
"Why should I care for his opinion? Who is he?" she reached and snatched the official documents from the solicitor. "This is a forgery. It is fraudulent! She has bequeathed Rosings to Georgiana! And what does she say…" She spat scanning the paper, "As a safe haven for women and children in need of one…"
"This was a fond wish of my late wife. She often expressed the desire to keep the home as it was but to build another estate on the grounds to house women in need of safe lodgings and then in turn have a school situated on the first floor of this home."
"I think it a wonderful idea," added the Colonel. "I know Georgiana would be proud of overseeing such a good and needed charitable cause."
"I concur, it will be nice to turn this into a positive place." Spoke Darcy proudly. "Mr Mumford, did she not also stipulate Richard would have de Bourgh town house on Park Lane in London." He said addressing the solicitor.
"Mrs Darcy did indeed. She also gave her Brighton holiday cottage to Georgiana Darcy." Confirmed Mr Mumford looking irritated at the fact Lady Catherine was holding the will hostage.
"If she did then where is Georgiana?!" Demanded Lady Catherine.
"As her legal guardians this formality can be. Carried out by us on her behalf, to which she ha given written consent." Said Colonel Fitzwilliam.
"Which I have here," said Mr Mumford holding up in his hand.
"My Anne would never leave me with so little as two thousand pounds per annum and banish me to the dower house with limited staff! And I know this to be a falsehood, for it says here that My Anne has left a property to Elizabeth Collins! A fully staffed cottage in which only she will know the address. What nonsense!"
"I assure your ladyship Mr Darcy was of sound mind when she sent me the final draft of her will and everything is as per her instruction. If you would let me, have it back you will see the two thousand pound is your allowance after any staff, bills or food expenses have been paid out of the main de Bourgh finances. You would not have to foot any cost towards living. Mrs Darcy has left you a small selection of the de Bourgh jewels, your husband had gifted to you."
"Why should I wish for anything from my husband! He was a soft and indulgent fool where Anne was concerned. This is why I find myself in this current predicament!" she snapped. "That woman! That woman has used her arts and allurements to ensnare you and in turn you have both conspired to manipulate Anne on her death bed to bleed her dry for you and your mistresses gain." She said moving over to Darcy.
"You go too far!" he warned maintaining his seat, refusing to be bated into standing over and then most assuredly leading to being accused of using intimidation to frighten her.
"You think I have not seen the way you looked for her and asked after her at every visit. How you sat straighter whenever her name was mentioned in conversation. I saw it all! When I last saw you at Netherfield and you would not let her leave with her husband as was right, I am in no doubt she was warming your bed then!"
"What is she to you Darcy?" she said closing in. "Oh, if I set my eyes on her again, that scheming…"
"I am all astonishment to hear you speak such venom fuelled words of bitterness and hate. Have you not always lauded your education and genteel breeding over all? I can only conclude that you are I fear overwrought, Aunt. Because if you were not, you would not dare to question me in such an offensive manner." The flinty tone of his voice stilled the room. But Lady Catherine had gone beyond all reasoning and refused to be silenced.
"The great Fitzwilliam Darcy are involved with my silly parson's wife! It is not to be borne. My nephew is not such a man to be fooled by such arts and allurements! I thought you above such baser needs, but I see now that you are a lesser man than I believed you to be. You are ruled just like every other man and have fallen for the oldest trick in the book. She spread her legs and you follow her around on your hands and knees like a lost dog! And this..." she hissed, crumpling the paper within her fist and holding above her head. "Holds no authority in the house of de Bourgh!" she screeched and with a final flourish threw it into the fire.
"Have a care, you ladyship. If you were a man, I would call you out for impugning the lady's irreproachable conduct and for questioning my honour. I am embarrassed to call you a relative of mine." He said his voice deathly calm.
Colonel Fitzwilliam rushed forward to try to rescue it but stopped when the solicitor bid him to.
"Do not fear Colonel, that one was just a copy. Mrs Darcy warned me it would be best not to bring the official document with me on the day. We still have signed proof, from Mrs Anne Darcy that those are her final wishes and are to be adhered to."
"I will destroy you. Damn you all!" the turning she flew from the room. "Dawkins, fetch my solicitor at once. This my house. Mine!" she bellowed through the halls, causing candle wax to fall from the chandeliers, coal dust to flood from the eight-hundred-pound chimneys and the windowpanes to shake in all sixty-four window frames.
"Forgive my Aunt, Mr Mumford." Said the Colonel as Darcy stood and pulled the bell.
"Sir?" said a slightly shaken footman.
"Mr Lewis?" the servant nodded. "Will you please start making the necessary arrangements to move my aunt into the Dower house. If she takes umbrage, please inform either me or Colonel Fitzwilliam and we shall speak with her. Thank you."
"Yes sir, Mr Darcy. Right away."
Then turning to Mr Mumford, "Thank you for your time, sir. I fear that now we have read through the terms with you it might be best if you were to engage with each our solicitors individually to reach accordance in all points in my late wife's will."
"Yes, I think that best too. I was very sorry to hear of Mrs Darcy's passing. She was a very kind woman; I was pleased to have known her." He said sincerely shaking Darcy's hand.
"Thank you, for you time Mr Mumford." said the Colonel, "I must apologize again for how this meeting progressed."
"These things are never easy." Offered Mr Mumford as he took his leave.
Colonel Fitzwilliam pushed the door closed but failed to notice that it did not close entirely and also failing to see the approaching figure of Mr Collins.
Mr Collins crept into Rosings and immediately felt uneasiness more keenly than usual. The scene before him looked as though wild horses had been through here, the littering degree of ornaments and paintings strewn about, overturn tables and not a servant to be seen.
A gentleman nodded to him as he passed by and Collins gave him a bow by way of greeting. Looking up just in time to see the door before him, being closed by Colonel Fitzwilliam. Mayhap her ladyship was still with them and would be in need of his support and guidance. He had such a sermon that he was sure would be most suitable to a morbid occasion such as this. He would then be in good stead to ask Mr Darcy for more of the particulars of when to expect Mrs Collins' arrival.
"Come Darcy, you must tell me is it true?"
He heard the Colonel ask.
"Is what true?"
"Do not be coy with me, cousin!"
"I do not act coy!" Came Darcy's quick reply.
A sudden screech from the next floor caught his attention. Her ladyship was not with the gentleman… He should leave the gentleman to their privacy; their conversation was of no concern to him. Mr Collins had just lifted his food to move towards the staircase to the one he served when he heard himself mentioned in the gentlemen's discussion.
"I did not fail to notice you did not deny our aunt's claims of you and the parson Collins' wife… come now, I thought you and I had no secrets! Afterall you've never hidden the truth of your marriage to Anne."
What could the Colonel mean by that statement? wondered Collins.
"We do not, it is complicated as it stands."
"It will be worse I fear when the lady in question arrives Darcy, therefore you may as well tell me now. I will help you navigate the waters."
Creeping closer and putting his hand across his mouth to stifle the sound of his heavy breathing, Mr Collins stopped with his ear almost pressed to the door.
"That is the least of my concerns." Replied Darcy.
"How so? That should be the sum of your worries. She is married, man!"
"Yes, I know. But she is not coming here."
"What?! I do not understand…" exclaimed the Colonel.
Collins drew closer, his ear now peering through the gap, but both men were not in his line of vision. Biting down on his lip to keep from uttering a word in pique, he tasted blood but scarcely noticed, as his rage began to blot his vision.
"It is a ruse. She is staying in Hertfordshire with Bingley, until my return. Richard, we must not allow Collins to find her. Trust me in that!"
Having decided he heard enough. Mr Collins turned on his heel and made for the Huntsford Cottage.
Mrs Collins thinks she can hide from me. We shall see about that! I will – "Ahhh!" yelled Collins tripping over an exposed tree root, stumbling to keep his balance.
As soon as he entered his home, he ordered his bag to be packed and to be taken to the next coaching inn within the next hour, where he would then make straight for Netherfield.
Currently at Rosings Park...
"You know Anne hinted as much in her last letters to me?" said the Colonel as they both sat nursing a strong drink.
"Yes, she told me, she might drop a few hints…" he chuckled softly.
"Will you tell me, why I am now to keep a watchful eye on our aunt's parson?" the Colonel asked.
Expelling a harsh breath Darcy tried to think of how best to approach this topic without betraying any confidences. He knew he could trust the Colonel with anything, but something so personal was not something he felt particularly comfortable revealing without Elizabeth's consent.
"I will spare you the finer details, but he is not a good or kind husband." He said, giving his cousin a telling look.
"Do you love her, Darcy."
"I do and I have since I first met her. I was scared of the strength of my feelings at first and left Hertfordshire as soon as I could... but yes I confess I love her irrevocably." Darcy replied ardently.
"And you are sure of her feelings for you?"
"Undoubtably. I do not know what I have done to deserve such love. And even had it not been reciprocated I would safeguard Elizabeth with my life." He vowed.
"Anne expressed as much to me. I needed to hear it for myself so when an appropriate time reveals itself I may take many hours of joy in teasing you over it!"
"You may have competition, Elizabeth takes great joy in laughing at me. Her intellect means she is hard to best on that score!" Darcy chuckled.
"I look forward to experiencing first hand very soon!"
"Then I have secured your assistance in her protection?" asked Darcy
"That goes without saying... Do you fear for Mrs Collins safety?" Asked the Colonel a little alarmed.
"I do. I fear his unpredictable behaviour to be a very real threat." Darcy said, his worry marring his expression.
"Have you made any provisions in order to keep watch over him?"
"I would be happy for your guidance and advice on the matter, Richard. I do not wish to impeach Elizabeth's reputation."
"What of bribing a member of their household to watch Mr Collins' movements?" inquired the Colonel.
"It had crossed my mind, but surely if there had been anyone loyal to her within the parsonage, she would have mentioned them to me or Anne? She only mentioned being completely alone and cut off from her family to me… I did ask my valet Gibson to make discreet inquiries during our stay and report anything of note back to me."
Both men fell silent to their thoughts and stayed this way for a long while.
"Darcy?" whispered the Colonel.
"Mm?"
"It has gone quiet out there…"
"How long have we been in here?" asked Darcy
Looking at his watch, "It is just five o'clock. We have been in here three hours since Mr Mumford departed."
The sound of approaching footsteps called their attention to the door.
"Gibson?" said Darcy upon seeing his panic-stricken valet enter the room.
"Forgive me for not coming to you sooner. I was sorting your things and –"
"It does not matter, you will not be in trouble Gibson. And you may speak freely in front of the Colonel."
Mr Gibson nodded before continuing. "Mr Collins has left for Netherfield, sir." He said.
A chill settled on Darcy's spine as he and Richard bolted out of their seats.
"When?" they said in unison.
"Almost three hours ago, sir."
"Saddle my horse – Quick Man!" he ordered.
"Yes sir!" said Gibson breaking into a run as he left.
"Darcy what will you have me do?"
"Richard, I need you to stay and watch over Lady Catherine. I fear she might do something foolish; you know in a fit of rage she might try to burn the house down. But I will ask that you write an express to Bingley to warn him Mr Collins is on his way."
"I will do, cousin. You will send me one in return to assure me of your safety and let me know of what occurred. I will secure things here and follow not far behind you. You will have my protection and the Matlock influence behind you; I will vouch for the man's lunacy if it comes to it." He promised as Darcy gave him a quick clap on the back in thanks and made to leave.
"And Darcy?"
"Yes."
"Godspeed."