More revelations. What could possibly go wrong?

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Discovery

Shortly after noon, a large carriage rolled to a stop at Netherfield Park. Lady Anne, who had been watching for it, rushed out to greet her brother as soon as he stepped from the vehicle. He was followed by Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam.

'Good afternoon, Andrew. I am so relieved that you had time to come and see me,' Lady Anne greeted the Earl, grasping his hands.

'Your note sounded urgent. What has you so upset? Has anything happened to either of your children?'

'No, it is nothing like that. But I need you to meet someone and give me your opinion.'

'Hello Aunt Anne, it is good to see you too,' Richard interrupted impertinently.

Lady Anne gave him a distracted smile. 'I am pleased to see you too.'

The Earl gave her a concerned look. 'You seem rather troubled. Who is this person who has so overset you?'

'I am sorry, Andrew, I have no wish to prejudice you. I would like to take you to see… this person as soon as you have refreshed yourself. We need to call on a neighbour.'

'Very well, Anne. Give us half an hour, although it would be better to take your carriage. My horses are rather tired. We did hurry from town.'

'For which I am infinitely grateful.'

~~RF~~

The Earl was as good as his word. Within half an hour, Lady Anne was seated in her carriage with her brother and her nephew.

Mrs Hill was quite astonished when Lady Anne asked her to announce an Earl to the family, who had just finished nuncheon.

They could hear suppressed gasps and the rustle of skirts as the ladies arranged themselves properly. They also heard a hissed question, 'where is Lizzy?'

As soon as they entered, Lady Anne's eyes found the person she was looking for. Satisfied that Mr Collins was present she turned to her brother to make the introductions. She was gratified to see the Earl stare at Mr Collins and exclaim, 'George.'

'No, brother, the gentleman is Mr Collins.' Her quiet comment restored the Earl to his manners, and Lady Anne introduced them to Mrs Bennet and her daughters, as well as William Collins.

As soon as the courtesies had been observed, she requested, 'would it be possible for us to have a private word with Mr Collins?'

Mrs Bennet was startled by the request but offered, 'you may use this room if you wish. We shall be in the small parlour across the hall.' She ushered her daughters out of the room, although Lydia wanted to linger with the handsome officer.

William Collins was surprised at the invasion of Fitzwilliams and wondered about the cause. 'Has anything happened to Sir Lewis?'

'As far as I know he is in perfect health,' replied Lady Anne. 'But may I ask you a personal question?' At Collins' bewildered agreement, she asked, 'were you perchance born on the 26nd of November 1884?'

'I was indeed. Why is that relevant?'

'Last night I noticed that you have a birthmark on your neck. Would you allow my brother to see it?'

Collins' hand automatically went to the indicated spot. 'My birthmark? Why?'

'I will explain in a moment. Do we have your permission?'

In answer, Collins moved his hand and used it to pull the hair away from his neck as the Earl stepped closer to have a look. Richard too was curious and examined the neck of the young man who was the spitting image of his uncle in his youth.

The Earl looked at his sister. 'That is the Fitzwilliam birthmark. It seems that you were right for all these years.'

Lady Anne briefly closed her eyes in relief to hear those words. When she opened them again, she smiled and suggested, 'may we all be seated. I have a story to tell.'

Before they could get started, there was a knock on the door and Mrs Hill entered, carrying a tray. 'Mrs Bennet thought you might want some refreshment.'

'Thank you. That is most considerate of Mrs Bennet.'

Once they were seated, and Lady Anne served everyone, she told them of the circumstances of her son's birth. 'I was certain that I had seen the birthmark on my son's neck, but days later when I was able to think coherently again, it was not there. My husband was a good man, but he did not believe me at the time. Only later when the boy grew and looked nothing like any member in either of our families did he give credence to my assertions.'

Collins had listened quietly to the recounting. He could not help but ask, 'forgive me for questioning your opinion, but are you saying that you think that I am your son?'

'You are the spitting image of George Darcy, my sister's late husband and you have the Fitzwilliam birthmark,' the Earl replied, lifting his hair and exposing his own neck, which bore an identical mark.

The Colonel wordlessly displayed his own mark to the astonished Collins. Lady Anne followed suit.

'Could there not be some other explanation?' Collins asked desperately.

His world was being turned upside down and he was not certain that he liked it. While he had no love for the man he had thought of as his father, the man had been the man who had raised him.

Now Lady Anne, tried to tell him that he was her son and to make matters worse, that the Earl was his uncle.

'The combination of looks and birthmark, as well as the fact that your birthday is that of my son's, allow for only one explanation. You are the real Fitzwilliam Darcy,' Lady Anne said. Although tears were now streaming down her cheeks, she wore a happy smile.

She rose and took Collins' hand, giving it a tug. He obeyed the prompt and rose to his feet, only to find himself enfolded in a fierce embrace by Lady Anne. Her son slowly brought up his own hands to dazedly reciprocate.

The Earl and the Colonel watched with equally bemused smiles as mother and son reunited.

~~RF~~

The door suddenly opened, and Lizzy stepped inside, saying, 'I found the pattern you…'

She broke off as she saw Mr Collins embracing Lady Anne. Since the Earl and the Colonel were not directly in her field of vision, she jumped to a conclusion. 'Well, pardon me. I see that I intrude,' she hissed and turning around, she stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

'Who is that lovely spitfire?' asked the Colonel of no one in particular as the irate lady quit the room.

At the question Collins recalled himself to the here and now. 'Spitfire?' he asked.

'Chocolate curls, flashing eyes, pleasing figure…'

'Oh no. That was Miss Elizabeth, the lady whom I am courting.'

'Somehow I think she will not be pleased with your mode of courting, cousin,' Richard quipped.

~~RF~~

Collins, no, the real Fitzwilliam Darcy let himself be persuaded not to follow Elizabeth. 'This is her home. Even if she has gone out, she will not go far and most certainly return in time for dinner,' suggested Lady Anne.

'I suppose that I had better tell Mr Bennet that I am not his heir,' commented Darcy, as the repercussions of his changed fortune started to sink in, and he considered the practical aspects of the revelation.

Collins/Darcy rose and offered, 'I will ask him to join us.'

He soon returned with Mr Bennet and introduced the gentlemen to each other.

'Thank you for joining us Mr Bennet. We have some information that we felt you should know.'

Once they were seated Lady Anne again told of the mix-up at her son's birth. She concluded with, 'this wonderful young man is my son.'

'If he is your son, what happened to my cousin and heir?'

'He was raised at Pemberley and is currently staying at Netherfield.'

'You mean that arrogant little… ah… young man is the real William Collins?' When Lady Anne confirmed his guess, he sighed. 'Mrs Bennet will not be pleased. Your son had offered her that she and any unmarried daughters would always have a home at Longbourn, even after I die.'

Another thought occurred to the gentleman. 'Does the other Fitzwilliam Darcy know that he is William Collins in truth?'

'Not yet. My husband left a letter for the son we raised, explaining about the switch if I should ever be so lucky to find my true son. It was pointless to inform him otherwise.'

'So, he does not know that he is not the heir to Pemberley. That could get interesting when he finds out,' Mr Bennet said sarcastically.

'Oh, Lord, no. I know next to nothing about running an estate,' groaned Darcy.

'You can learn, son. Mr Cartwright is a very capable steward. He and I can teach you all you need to know.'

'Lizzy has been teaching me about managing Longbourn, but I gather that Pemberley is much larger.' He shook his head, trying to absorb yet another shock.

Mr Bennet felt quite sympathetic towards his former heir. He too had had to take on the management of an estate when he was not prepared for it. 'But to get back to what I was asking before. When are you planning to tell your other son about this situation? Do you have your husband's letter with you?'

'No, it is in safekeeping at Pemberley. I had better send for it,' mused Lady Anne.

Richard suggested, 'in the meantime, I would advise that we keep this information quiet. Fitz might cut up rough when he finds out that he has just been disinherited. It will go better with the proof of Uncle George's letter.' He turned to Mr Bennet. 'This means that my cousin should remain here. If he suddenly moved into Netherfield, questions would be asked.'

'I was planning to go back to Hunsford on Saturday. Sir Lewis expects me to conduct services on Sunday.'

'Sir Lewis de Bourgh? You know my brother-in-law?' exclaimed Lord Matlock.

'Yes, he granted me the living at Hunsford, but I did not know that you were related.'

'He was married to my sister. But I am all astonishment that he never mentioned your resemblance to George Darcy. You said that you have been the rector at Hunsford since Easter?'

When Darcy confirmed the statement, the Richard interjected, 'I believe that I can solve this mystery.'

'I wish you would.'

'Did you ever tell Aunt Catherine or Uncle Lewis about the switch? No? In that case the explanation is simple, although unflattering to you and your husband. Considering his strong resemblance to George, Uncle Lewis probably thought that William was a by-blow. Which I would surmise is also the reason he awarded him the living. William might have been born on the wrong side of the blanket, but he is still family.'

'And since Lewis thought that George had been unfaithful to me, he did not mention the resemblance or his assumption,' Lady Anne concluded.

'Precisely.'

'To think, we wasted six months…'

'You know what they say, better late than never.'

Lady Anne was not convinced, but since she could not change the past, she had to accept it. Since she was reluctant to leave the son she had only just recovered, Mr Bennet offered them the use of his library, where she penned a quick note authorising the messenger going to Pemberley to return with Mr Darcy's letter.

~~RF~~

When it became imperative that they should leave, the three visitors departed for Netherfield.

Once they had gone Mr Bennet asked, 'what should I call you now? Obviously, Cousin William is not appropriate.'

'I believe it would be best if you just call me William. It is part of my real name, and I am used to it.'

'Well, William, you have had quite a shock today. How do you feel?'

'Confused and rather overwhelmed.'

'I can understand that.' Mr Bennet observed the young man quietly for a moment before he asked, 'have you considered that this change in fortune means that you do not need to marry one of my daughters?'

The immediate response was a startled look from William as he exclaimed, 'but I still want to marry Elizabeth.'

'Do you indeed? What does Lizzy think about that?'

'Ah… well… I have not yet formally asked her, but she knows how I feel. She wanted me to wait another week before I speak.'

At Mr Bennet's prompting, William explained about the dinner with the Phillips' and the aftermath.

'I think from now on I had better send a chaperone with you. Especially since you are not truly family at present.'

William reluctantly agreed. He had enjoyed spending so much private time with Elizabeth, but under the circumstances he could comprehend the need to maintain propriety. Thinking of Elizabeth suddenly reminded him of the earlier occurrence. 'Oh, no. Elizabeth walked into the room while I was hugging my mother. Before I had a chance to explain, she stormed out. Did you perchance see her?'

'No, I did not, but I am suspect that you are in for several unpleasant days.

~~RF~~

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Reversed Fortune by Sydney Salier, Copyright © 2021