Jest Chapter 9, a pride and prejudice fanfic

~~J~~

Outing

The gentlemen returned to Rosings, just in time to join their aunt for breakfast.

As they sat down to their meal, Lady Catherine gloated as she addressed Richard, 'well, Nephew, do you have anything to say?'

'Good morning, Aunt Catherine,' Richard replied politely, ignoring the innuendo.

'Never mind your insincere chit chat. I am speaking about the document which you so rudely took.'

'What did you plan to do with it?' Richard asked instead of answering her question.

'I planned to show it to you this morning, to prove to you that your allegations have no merit.'

'Why did you not produce it last night?'

'I had forgotten that Sir Lewis had kept a copy in his study. It only occurred to me as I was preparing for bed. Not being the sort of person to waste time, I naturally went to retrieve it immediately.'

'I see.' The Colonel shrugged carelessly.

'Is that all you have to say for yourself? I demand that you answer my question. What did you think of the Will?'

'Since you ask, it made for interesting reading.'

Lady Catherine harrumphed. 'Very well, I am pleased that that matter is settled. You may return it to me after breakfast.'

'I think that I will hold onto it for safekeeping. We would not wish for it to be lost or forgotten again.'

Darcy had watched the exchange with interest, and noted a small tick about his aunt's eyes, which only occurred when she was under stress. He was pulled from his introspection when in a lightening change of subject, Lady Catherine asked Darcy, 'I am surprised that you are not in your travelling clothes. Did you not plan to leave today?'

'We thought that since Anne was quite distraught last night, we would stay another day or two to cheer her up.'

Lady Catherine cast a suspicious glance at her nephews, but thought that this situation could work to her advantage. If she could get Darcy and Anne into a room by themselves, and her nephew allowed his kinder instincts to prevail, and hold his cousin in a comforting embrace, she would be able claim a compromise at last. At last she might be able to ship Anne off to Pemberley.

'Very well, I will inform Blakesly that you remain a few more days.'

~~J~~

The cousins finished their breakfast and sought out Anne, who had been served her breakfast in her rooms as usual.

'We have come to cheer you up, and take you for an outing,' Richard declared as soon as they entered her sitting room.

'Anne broke into a smile. 'I could do with some fresh air. It might help my appetite.' She gestured at the tray which still contained a full plate of eggs and devilled kidneys. It appeared that the only thing she had touched was the tea and the toast.

'In that case, my lady, allow us to escort you on a ramble through the countryside,' Richard declared and bowed extravagantly.

'Give me a few minutes to get ready.'

While they waited, Darcy eyed the plate. 'What is it about devilled kidneys, they always smell delicious, but taste quite disgusting.'

Richard laughed. 'You are spoiled, my friend. You should try to live on some of the food I have to eat on the front lines. After a few days, devilled kidneys would taste like ambrosia to you.'

'I am quite willing to take your word for it, without putting it to the test.'

~~J~~

Anne, true to her word, was ready to go out in a few minutes. Darcy had sent a servant for Anne's phaeton to be readied and their horses to be saddled.

For convenience they used the backdoor, which opened near the stables, and in short order they were on their way.

A few minutes later, they pulled up in front of the parsonage, where they were met by Mrs Collins.

Anne chatted pleasantly with the lady for a few minutes, before she asked, 'I wonder if Miss Bennet would be available and inclined to keep me company on my outing?'

Charlotte, who suspected that Elizabeth's company was sought by Mr Darcy, rather than Miss de Bourgh, readily agreed to ask her friend.

Since Elizabeth had no plans, other than to read a book, was agreeable to the outing, and in a matter of moments, donned her outerwear and joined Anne in the phaeton.

Once they were underway, Elizabeth commented, 'Miss de Bourgh, I am grateful that you chose to use a phaeton for your outing, rather than a horse. Otherwise, I would have had to decline your invitation, since I am an indifferent horsewoman… at best.'

'Personally, I would love to ride, but due to my health, my mother has never allowed me to learn. Although she claims that if I had learnt…'

'…you would have been a great proficient at it.' Both Darcy and Richard finished the sentence for her with a laugh.

Anne laughed heartily at their quip, and Elizabeth, remembering Lady Catherine's claims about Anne's presumed proficiency at music, joined in their laughter.

'Miss de Bourgh…'

'None of that. Please call me Anne, and may I call you Elizabeth?' Anne interrupted.

'Thank you, I would be delighted. Or you may call me Lizzy if you prefer.'

'I have heard Mrs Collins calling you Eliza.'

'She is the only person whom I tolerate using that name. She has done so since we were children, and refuses to change.'

'It must be wonderful to have friends, or even better, sisters,' Anne commented wistfully.

'There is great joy in the company of good friends or family,' Elizabeth agreed. At her companion's prompting, she relayed a number of tales from her childhood, featuring Charlotte and her sisters.

The cousins reciprocated by recounted some of the scrapes which Richard, Darcy and even Anne had participated in.

The conversation gave Elizabeth an unexpected insight into Darcy's background and character. When she recovered from laughing at the antics of the youngsters Anne described, she asked, 'when did you lose your sense of fun, Mr Darcy? The boy Anne describes is nothing like the man you have become.'

Darcy, who was riding beside the phaeton on Elizabeth's side, whilst Richard was next to Anne, replied with a sigh. 'I suppose it was at Cambridge. Seeing my fellow students, Wickham in particular, behaving badly, soured my disposition. It became worse when my father died and I had to take on responsibility, not only for the estate, but also my sister. I had to deal with all those duties, and then the sycophants crawled out of the woodwork. Everyone seemed to want something.'

Elizabeth was still trying to work out how to respond to this confession, when Darcy continued thoughtfully, 'I suppose that is also where my arrogance originated. Observing all the bad behaviour, I conceived the idea that I was better than my fellow students, since I was not a debauched libertine.'

'And from there it was but a small step to think badly of the majority of people, if their manners were not refined. You judged on appearances, rather than character.' Elizabeth sighed. 'I suppose that I was guilty of the same defect. I judged your character based on one thoughtless remark, while you were in a bad mood.'

'But at least you did not go around insulting people.'

Richard had listened to the conversation, but judged it was getting too serious. 'If you want to hear insults, you should listen to the men under my command. They can make a rock blush.'

That comment, and the analogy in particular, raised a laugh from all members of their party, and they returned to more light-hearted anecdotes.

~~J~~

They ambled down the road to London for about an hour, before they stopped at a prosperous looking inn to take some refreshments.

Darcy engaged a private dining room for their use, which overlooked the road. 'I do not expect the Earl or the solicitor to arrive while we are here, unless they ride at the speed of an express rider. But I did suggest that they should check here on their way, or meet us at the parsonage if we have gone already,' he explained.

'I would have expected Colonel Fitzwilliam to be the expert at strategy and logistics, Mr Darcy,' teased Elizabeth. 'But you sound like a general, planning a campaign.'

'Thank you, Miss Bennet. I consider that quite the compliment.' Darcy gave her a pleased smile. 'I thought we could spend some time here discussing what has been happening, away from prying ears.'

he turned to his cousin. 'Anne, you said yesterday that Aunt Catherine has been holding you prisoner. I did not want to ask while we were at Rosings, but I was hoping you would clarify that statement. Has your mother truly prevented you from leaving?'

Anne sighed. 'While she has not actually locked me in my room, she has seen to it that I do not have an opportunity to interact with anyone other than the people of whom she approves. She also controls all the funds, which means I cannot buy anything for myself, or hire transport to London. I cannot even send letters to family.'

Darcy was puzzled. 'Forgive me if I misremember, but I was under the impression that you had corresponded with Georgiana.'

'True, but Mother insists on reading everything that I write, and will not countenance any complaints.'

'But that is monstrous. You are a woman grown, you should be allowed to have friends, to…' Darcy exclaimed.

'To have a life of my own. Theoretically that is correct. But you know Mother. She will not countenance any opinion but her own, and does not tolerate any opposition. She expects everyone to do exactly as she wishes.'

'But why did you not say anything?'

'Whom could I have told? William, you are the only person that she would allow me to speak to, in the hopes that you will marry me. But for years you have avoided me like the plague. Not that I blame you under the circumstances. If we spoke in private, she would claim that you compromised me, but to say what you needed to know, I could not do so in front of the servants, since they would report to her. They are all afraid of losing their jobs.'

'I am sorry, Anne, I had no idea that the situation was so dire. I always thought that your ill health prevented you from leaving Rosings,' Richard commented, expressing what both he and Darcy felt.

'Of course, my ill health.' Anne sneered. 'Do I truly seem sickly to you?'

'Not today, but every other time I have seen you over the last fifteen years,' Darcy replied, and Richard nodded agreement.

'Yes, I was sick when I was ten, very ill indeed, and it took me a long time to recover even partially, but I believe that I could have recovered fully several years ago, if not for that toady of a doctor, whom Mother employs to treat me.' Anne gave her cousins a pointed look. 'Three years ago, I started pouring those tonics he prescribes into the flower pots. There must be something wrong with my rooms… none of the plants survive for any length of time.'

'Are you saying that Lady Catherine…' Elizabeth exclaimed in horror. She had been quietly listening to the discussion between the cousins, feeling sorry for this wealthy young lady. While Anne had a lavish home, which could not be taken away by a distant relative, she had no one who loved her and she had no freedom. And to think that her own mother had contrived to keep her ill and compliant. It did not bear thinking about.

Anne gave her a sad little smile. 'I have no proof, only suspicions. All I can say is that since I stopped taking those tonics, which should improve my health, my health has improved. Although I have pretended to still be ill and weak, because I was afraid that otherwise I would be forced to take those tonics again.' Anne's face crumpled at the admission and tears streamed down her cheeks.

'Oh, Anne,' exclaimed Elizabeth, and gathered the young woman in an embrace. Even though she was younger than Anne by five years, she felt protective of her companion. She glared at the gentlemen. 'This has to stop. NOW,' she demanded.

'We have taken steps to secure Anne's future,' Darcy replied softly. He was shocked at the tale his cousin had related. Could any mother truly be so evil? Or had that toady of a doctor prescribed those tonics out of ignorance or a misguided wish to support Lady Catherine's delusions? Or was he simply incompetent? Darcy hoped to find out.

~~J~~

You might find it interesting to look up 'Munchausen by proxy'

~~J~~