I don't own Pride and Prejudice.
"It was very wise of you to come to me with this Elizabeth, you don't mind that I call you Elizabeth," it was not a question, "Just as you shall call me Aunt Catherine. If my Anne had been stronger, I would have envisioned she would have been a lot like you."
"I thank you for the compliment, Lad...Aunt Catherine." She corrected herself when she saw the raised eyebrow.
"It is just the mere truth, no thanks required." The woman waved her off, "As for the situation with Mr Collins, I will write to my man and have him start looking for a way to legally remove him from his position. I will not have such a scoundrel around my home longer than necessary." The woman was most impressive when her ire was aimed at someone else.
"Until then I beg you allow Anne and I to stay at Pemberley, I will not have him even within a mile of her. We will also be able to help Charlotte, you don't mind that I call you Charlotte," again, not a question, "find a way to protect her sister until the man has been removed. Once he is removed it will be a moot point, as he will have no way to support a wife, and therefore will not be a good marriage prospect."
"You underestimate my mother's desire to one up Mrs Bennet, your ladyship. Just his inheriting Longbourn, the Bennet home makes him a good prospect." Charlotte explained. She had been invited to join them as it was her sister's situation they would be discussing.
"In that case, since we women have so few options at our disposal, we will just have to get you a rich husband, one who will be able to protect both of you." Lady Catherine spoke with such finality that Elizabeth wasn't sure she they would be able to make her see the flaws in her logic.
"I'm afraid that is easier said than done, I have close ties to trade, as my father owned a shop before he was elevated to the knighthood. I also have very little dowry to speak of, and no connections." Charlotte explained.
"Pish posh, your connections are well enough, what with you being a close friend of Mrs Darcy's. What's more, I will sponsor you in society, as Mrs Darcy has her hands full with two sisters being out, and two more on the cusp." Lady Catherine had it all settled in her mind, "We shall all take this time at Pemberley to get to know each other, and then take on the Ton together. It has been far too long since I have enjoyed a season. It will also give me the opportunity to refamiliarize myself with society before I bring Anne out into it."
"Speaking of Anne, Aunt Catherine, I hope I am not overstepping, but she spoke with me when I checked on her before joining you. She expressed a wish to stop being bled, she says she feels worse, not better, for days after it happens."
"Her physician is adamant we continue to bleed her once a week, so the ill humors don't build up in her system. He is an old family friend, and I trust him implicitly." As she spoke, Elizabeth could tell she hadn't entirely closed the subject.
"As I stated before, my father thought women should be educated if we so chose. As such we were allowed to read almost anything we wanted, provided he read it first. He allowed me to read a few medical journals on the subject, a couple for it, a couple against it." Elizabeth explained.
"And what are your thoughts on the subject?" Lady Catherine asked.
"I think," Elizabeth started hesitantly, "That if there were ever a time to try it, this would be the opportune one. We will have Fitzwilliam's cousin staying with us who is a practiced physician, so if anything should go wrong he can help. However, most importantly, I think you should discuss it with Anne."
"Perhaps you are right Elizabeth, I will discuss this issue with Anne and we will make the decision together." And with that Lady Catherine had ended that particular discussion.
"Good morning Anne, I was not expecting anyone to be up this early." Elizabeth greeted the young lady who was not much older than Jane. This was the first time she had seen her venture from her room, though she had been to visit her a couple of times since their arrival the day before.
"Mother said that if we were going to try to stop the bloodlettings that I was going to have to follow the instructions in Dr Raymore's journal." Elizabeth had been surprised to find a copy of one of the medical journals she had read in the topic, and had passed it along to Lady Catherine.
"I had heard that you were an early riser, and had hoped you would be willing to break your fast with me, as well as accompany me on a walk." Anne said shyly, "You don't have to if you are too busy." She quickly asserted.
"I assure you, I am not too busy." She smiled at the young lady, offering her her arm. "Perhaps we walk first, to build up our appetites." She smiled. "I've been told my mother in law had an extensive hothouse built onto the back of the house, perhaps we walk through there so we can avoid the chill outside." Anne smiled at the suggestion, and together, with the help of a maid, the two made there way back there. Lady Catherine had mentioned the night before that Anne loved plants, so thought this was something she would enjoy.
The hothouse was more than she had ever anticipated, with fruit trees and flowers in different stages of production. "Mr..."
"Smithers ma'am, I am Mr Smithers at your service ma'am." The caretaker supplied for her.
"Would it be possible to get a couple of baskets and have you join us as we tour the hot house. I was not expecting to find so many flowers, and am hoping to do an arrangement or two. However, I would hate to hurt the integrity of what is being grown, so am hoping you could do the cutting for us, and tell us if there is something that should be best left growing."
"It would be my honor Ma'am." The old caretaker smiled, retrieving the requested basket and shears to cut the flowers.
"Have you been here long Mr Smithers?" She asked as they began moving through the hothouse.
"Aye Ma'am, I was brought on when I was a much younger lad to care for Mrs Darcy's flowers. She was always most disappointed when the flowers would die off for the year that she requested a hothouse. Old Mr Darcy could never refuse her anything, so he gave her free reign to build it just how she wanted it. I can remember her in here with the younger Mr Darcy toddling after her as she picked flowers to her hearts content."
"Do you by chance remember her favorites?" She asked the caretaker who smiled widely.
"I sure do, I can show them all to you if you like."
"I should like that very much, if like to do a small bouquet for each of my sisters and think one made of her mother's favorites would be just the thing for Georgiana." The old man smiled fondly at the mention of her new sister.
"Would you mind terribly if I did the same for my mother Elizabeth, I think she would appreciate the gesture. I know she misses my aunt terribly at times." Anne spoke up, smiling when Elizabeth said she did not mind.
The two had an enjoy conversation as the walked through the hothouse together, picking which flowers they wanted cuttings from. Elizabeth had asked one of the footmen to bring a small chair in for Anne to rest when she needed. Before long both were famished and had one of the servants move their baskets to a parlor where they would work on their arrangements after breaking their fast.
Elizabeth was concerned when she saw how little Anne took from the sideboard, but relaxed with a smile when the girl went back for more. "I swear I never eat this much." Anne blushed when she caught her looking.
"Do not worry yourself on my account, it just means our walk had the desired affect of increasing your appetite." Anne returned her smile, and Elizabeth caught movement out of the corner of her eye, and turned just in time to see Lady Catherine disguise her shock at having seen Anne return to the sideboard herself.
"Lady...Aunt Catherine, won't you join us?" She asked kindly, and the older woman made her way to the seat next to her daughter.
"Mother! Elizabeth and I had such a wonderful time this morning." The girl smiled, "We went for a walk in Aunt Anne's hothouse, and the caretaker cut flowers for us to make arrangements."
"I should be happy to join you in arranging them if you like." Catherine spoke to her daughter with a gentleness Elizabeth would have never expected from the woman.
"Oh but you can't!" Anne exclaimed, then saw her mother's surprise, "It is just that, well what we plan to do is meant to be a surprise for the ladies at Pemberley. I already have ideas for yours." Anne blushed.
"Then I will wait with all anticipation, but only if you promise to rest afterwords." Spoken with true motherly concern, and Anne was quick to consent.
Once the two finished their meals they had a maid guide them to where their baskets had been placed. Anne had a real eye for flower arranging, and practically glowed when asked to assist with Elizabeth's placement. In the end they had enough arrangements for each lady in attendance, even the daughters of her aunt and Fitzwilliam's cousin, so Elizabeth asked that they be placed in each of their rooms, Anne taking hers to her mother. If Lady Catherine teared up when Anne gifted her hers, neither girl said anything about it.
A.N. I know Anne was older in the books, but I decided to make her closer in age to the Bennet daughters for a reason you will find out later.