Chapter 13
Plans to leave Pemberley for Snowhaven and Holder Heights were instantly cancelled. The Prince sent an express to the Windsor Castle where the royals were for the summer months to notify the King and Queen he would be in Derbyshire for longer than expected.
Between the other four men, Darcy's duties were covered to allow him as much time with his wife as possible. The ladies worked with Mrs. Reynolds and made sure anything needing to be done by the mistress was done.
Jamie, Andrew, and Richard made sure William was distracted when he was not with his mother. William also found debates with Elizabeth would take his mind off worries about his mother for a time. It was during this times that the last bricks in the wall between the two were removed and forever banished.
Georgiana would spend time with her mother and would often be joined by some of the other girls as an upright pianoforte and a harp had been moved in Lady Anne's chambers at her husband's behest. Knowing that her mother loved music, Georgiana would play for her if her mother was awake during her visits and when their Aunt Anne requested it, Elizabeth or Mary would play the pianoforte and Jane would accompany them on the harp. Every now and again, a group of the girls would sing for the ailing mistress of Pemberley.
The four Darcy's would take their midday meal together in the bedchamber—even if Lady Anne hardly ate anything. Dinner too would see the family together, and when Lady Anne felt she was able, one or two of the other adults would join the family for dinner with the patient.
Mr. Taylor would check in on Lady Anne at least once every day. Each day he found evidence of the correctitude of his diagnosis and that the tumour was getting much larger. The whites of her eyes were now a very distinct yellow.
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Towards the end of June, Darcy had a meeting with his steward, Mr. Wickham. It was a meeting he felt he needed to have himself and not leave it to one of the men who were assisting him. The subject was Mr. Wickham's errant son.
"I am afraid the news is not good," Wickham reported sadly. "After I revealed the truth of his mother, I thought he had been reached. For whatever reason, it was not many months before he reverted to his old ways."
"You know what they say, you can lead a horse to water, but you cannot force him to drink," the master stated stoically. "There are some who are, unfortunately, intrinsically bad. You did everything you were able to put him on the correct path, but it takes his desire to lead an honest and honourable life. By his theft—the ones which are known—he clearly demonstrated which path he chooses."
"He has departed York for parts unknown, if I were to hazard a guess it would be London. It seems he shares the vice of gambling with his mother, and like her, he is not accomplished at the art," Wickham informed his employer.
"Using the miniature we have of him, I will have his picture made and circulated among my footmen, outriders, and coachmen so if he shows up in the area, even under an assumed name, we will know of it. I will also pass information to the other families with us as it was noted how your son used to leer at the oldest Bennet daughter," Darcy stated with purpose.
"That kind of behaviour was one of the big reasons in my seeking a position for him in York. I will not provide him more funds, even though as his father I love and worry for him," Wickham stated.
"It is sad, but as you told me you warned him about consequences. He is no longer a young boy and has chosen to strike out on his own. We can only pray that he will be well and safe, but that will depend greatly on his behaviour," Darcy opined.
"All I can do now is to keep my son in my prayers. Thank you for your time today Mr. Darcy, I know you would much rather be at your wife's side." Mr. Wickham stood. "Your wife is in my daily prayers, Sir. Please inform her that I asked after her."
"Your sentiments are appreciated; I will pass them onto my wife." Darcy gave a nod of dismissal, and the steward gave a bow and departed the master's study."
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By early July, the point which the doctor had warned would be reached, was upon Lady Anne. She was wracked with pain throughout her body. She knew the end was very near and that there was no choice but to start using a healthy dose of laudanum. Before she could let go, she needed to make sure everything was in place for after her passing.
"Please Robert, before the dose, I want to see my children. You know as well as I do there is a better than good chance I will never wake again." Lady Anne saw the look of abject anguish on her husband's mien through her pain. "Please be strong for me and our children Robert." Darcy nodded and told the maid to summon his children.
Once William and Georgiana entered her chambers. Their mother indicated they should sit as close to her as possible. "A mother could not have wished for better children than the two of you. I have been as brave as I can, but the pain has got to the point I must take medicine to help m. That means I will no longer be awake for more than a few minutes at a time," Lady Anne told her stricken children as gently as she could.
"Noooooo Mama," Georgiana wailed. "I do not want you to leave us."
"Gigi my darling girl, I do not want to leave you and William. It is my time. Remember what I told you Gigi, I will always be with you," Lady Anne stated as she tried to hide a wince from the pain that was wracking her body.
"Y-you w-will a-always b-b-be h-here," Georgiana managed between sobs as she put her hand over her heart. Lady Anne nodded.
Lady Anne turned to her son who was crying quiet tears. "William, I will need you to help your father. Having a love like we share is a double-edged sword my son. Do not mistake me, there is far more good than bad. You have seen the good in our love for one another each day of your life," Lady Anne paused as a wave of pain almost made her cry out. "The bad is that your father is going to be very sad and that is why he will need your strength my darling son."
"If love can cause that kind of pain then I never want to be in love," William said angrily. His internal fury was not directed at his mother but at the fact he knew it was hours or days at best before she would be taken away from them forever.
"No William, that is not the lesson I want you to take from what I said. A life without love is an empty one. Look around the Ton at all the marriages of convenience and you will see the abject misery of many," Lady Anne paused again allowing a particular bad pain to pass. "That is not what I want for either of you. You have both seen the joy that loving one another, and our extended family has brought to us. Promise me, both of you that you will not harden your hearts to love. Do not allow status, wealth, or connections influence you. I charge you both to listen to your hearts and when you find your one and only true love, like I found in your father, never let them go. True love is worth fighting for. One minute with your father would have been of more value to me than multiple lifetimes with a man I did not love."
"You have my word Mother," William vowed as the anger drained from his body.
"M-me too Mama," Georgiana promised.
"Kiss your mother and say your goodbyes, she needs her medicine," Robert Darcy said barely holding the tears that threatened to fall from eyes back.
"Mama I will listen for you in my head every day," Georgiana swore as she hugged her mother gently and then kissed her.
"Mother, I will miss you for the rest of my life," William stated as the tears still ran freely.
"William do not close yourself off and retreat behind that mask you wear at times. Do not dishonour my life by using my death as an excuse to withdraw from all who love you," Lady Anne charged her son.
"It will be as you desire Mother." William leaned forward and kissed his mother's cheeks. He was alarmed at how clammy she felt, but he held his peace. He stood and gently led his still sobbing sister out of his mother's chambers.
Once the door was closed Lady Anne allowed herself to let out a cry of pain. "You need to take the laudanum my love," her husband pleaded as the dam broke and his tears started to spill.
"Soon Robert my dear husband, soon," Lady Anne managed. "You have been my life Robert, promise me again after you have mourned me you will live again. Do not let me go to meet God worrying about you."
"My promises to you will be kept Anne, I swear on my life, on our children's life that no matter how hard it will be for me to follow your directives, it will be done. I will live for both of us," Robert Darcy told his wife as he kissed her lips which had captivated him from the first day he had met her during her first season.
"There are letters in my dresser for my sisters. Please make sure they receive them after I am gone. Never forget Robert, it is not just you and the children, we have gained a large extended family regardless of blood ties." As Lady Anne said the last, a peace settled over her as if now that she had received the assurances she needed from her husband and children, she could leave the mortal world and the pain she had been experiencing behind.
Robert was holding his wife's hands as she seemed to smile and then her chest rose a final time, there was a long exhale as her life's breath escaped her body and then there was no more movement.
Those waiting in the suite's sitting room knew the end had come for Anne Darcy when they heard the terrible wailing of her husband. Luckily William had led his sister out of the master suite and had joined the rest of the younger group so neither was present to hear their father's lamentations as his wife left the mortal coil.
The doctor slipped into the bedchamber, and he knew before he tried to find a pulse what had occurred. Without disturbing the grieving husband, Mr. Taylor joined the three couples and the Prince waiting in the sitting room. All he needed to do was nod and they all knew Anne was gone.
None who were in the sitting room had a dry eye. "My little sister," Lord Matlock stated poignantly as he hugged his wife to him.
"Who will inform William and Gigi?" Lord Holder asked.
"No one unless Darcy asks us to," Bennet stated as held his wife close to his chest as she cried quietly. "It should be he who tells them."
No one disagreed with Bennet. They decided they would stay where they were until Darcy chose to join them. If not, his brother-in-law would approach him in a few hours to ask about informing William and Gigi.
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When William and Gigi joined them in the game room, there was no mistaking the anguished looks on both. Kitty, Cassie, and Lydia immediately moved to sit with and comfort Georgiana. They simply sat and hugged her allowing her to cry as much as she needed. There was no reason to ask why.
William looked as if he was in a stupor. Andrew, Jamey, and Lieutenant Richard Fitzwilliam tried to cheer him some, but nothing worked. He was lost in a world of his own making as he tried to accept the inevitable.
On graduating Cambridge Richard had followed through with his desire to join the regulars. Even though his father had been willing to purchase him a captaincy or even a higher rank, Richard had accepted only a lieutenant's commission in the Royal Dragoons under the leadership of Colonel Atherton. If he were to progress up the ranks, he wanted it to be because of his own merit. After his initial training, he had been granted some leave to join the family and once his Aunt Anne's diagnosis had been confirmed, he requested—and was granted—extended compassionate leave.
Andrew had just returned from his grand tour. He had returned in April, a month before the newly self-appointed Emperor of France started his war. He was especially hard hit by his Aunt's illness as he had always been very close to her.
"William do I need to kick your shin again to gain your attention?" Elizabeth asked in an attempt to snap him out of the obvious dark thoughts he was having. Her question elicited a ghost of a smile from him.
"I dare say at thirteen your kick will be harder than it was at five. Also, you are wearing half boots now when you then wore slippers," William responded. He was not unhappy Elizabeth had managed to pull him out of the spiral of dark thoughts. Her intervention also reminded him of the vows he made to his mother.
"Do not forget William," Richard, who had always been more brother than cousin, stated, "Aunt Anne is in pain now and when God calls she will be at peace."
After seeing the grimaces his mother tried to hide from them over the last weeks, William knew Richard had the right of it. He could not be selfish and hope his mother would hold on only for her to suffer immeasurable pain. Between Elizabeth snapping him out of his thoughts and Richard's statement William was able to accept what was about to happen with a little equanimity.
He would miss his mother more than words could describe. but accepting that her passing would end her suffering allowed him to feel an inner peace he had not thought possible. It was three hours later when Douglas entered the room and told Master William and Miss Darcy their father wished to see them in their mother's chambers.
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As soon as the two entered the sitting room, they had known what had occurred as none of their aunts or uncles would look at them in the eye and there was no missing the great sadness on their countenances. When they walked into their mother's bedchamber their father's tears were easily evident and there was no missing their mother was not moving at all.
"Mama is gone, is she not?" Georgiana asked as the tears started to flow freely again.
"Yes Gigi, your mother is with the angels. She is not in pain any longer," Robert stated as evenly as he was able under the circumstances.
"When?" William asked simply, not trying to hold back his tears. He would not see his mother again, but he held onto the fact she was not suffering any longer.
"About fifteen minutes after you and Gigi departed her chambers. I think she was holding on to make sure we would be well after her death," their father informed his children as he pulled them both into a hug. "Once she received assurances from each of us, she was able to let go. I will never forget the peaceful look that came over her just before her spirit left her body."
"Papa may I kiss Mama?" Georgiana asked nervously.
"Of course you may Gigi," Darcy replied encouragingly.
Georgiana placed a kiss on her mother's cold cheek and was followed in the same by her brother. The three remaining members of the Darcy family stood and hugged for a long while.
Once the children entered his late sister's bedchamber, Lord Matlock notified the butler and housekeeper of the mistress's passing. Douglas, who normally betrayed no emotion allowed a tear to run down his cheek as Mrs. Reynolds openly wept. The housekeeper had been especially close to Lady Anne, much closer than a regular mistress-housekeeper relationship. She had served in her post since Master William was but four, and in lesser posts for some years before that. Once the two recovered their equanimity, they started the process of notifying all of the servants and preparing the house for mourning.
When those in the game room heard the crying from some maids, they knew what had occurred. They knew William and Gigi would need them more than ever now and were determined to do anything needed to comfort their cousins and friends. They sat quietly comforting one another, as Aunt Anne had been loved by all present, and waited to hear from their parents.
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Bennet knew the last thing his wife wanted was to take any focus off the Darcys, but he also knew how she must be suffering losing another sister of her heart. There was no doubt his wife would recover her spirits as he protective instincts kicked in for William and Gigi as they had for Lizzy after Priscilla passed away those thirteen years past.
Unlike with Priscilla, Bennet was sure Fanny would be able to mourn her friend this time. She was surrounded by friends who would share the burden and there were also no life-altering secrets to protect.
The moment he saw the steely look of determination on his wife's mien he knew her desire to protect, and help had come to the fore. There would be no fiercer protector of the Darcy son and daughter than Fanny Bennet, of that her husband was certain.