I don't own Pride and Prejudice.
"Mrs Darcy!" Elizabeth turned when she heard someone call her name, and saw the Countess Matlock scurrying her way. The woman looked like she had swallowed an entire lemon, having to call her by her married name.
Elizabeth made sure to make noticeable eye contact, before turning back to what it was she was perusing. She had come here to buy some new sheet music for Georgiana and Mary, and was going to go to the haberdasher next for ribbons for Kitty and Maria. She had left Charlotte, Olivia, Jane, and Mary home with the younger girls, while Anne accompanied her out.
"Please Mrs Darcy, I know what my husband and son did was wrong, but please consider my daughter. Her marriage prospects are now nonexistent and she is heart broken." Elizabeth felt rage well up within her, at the nerve of this woman for doing this so publicly.
"You ask me to think of your daughter when your husband and son didn't care to spare even a seconds thought for my sisters." She almost as if the rage was coming off her in waves.
Keeping her voice low, she continued, "Did you know that before your husband showed up I had two vibrant young ladies, eager to partake in any of the season events we deemed worthy for them?" Her heart broke thinking of the damage done, "Now they are frightened to even leave the house, and it was your family that did that."
"Mrs Darcy, I know what we have done is unforgivable, but please listen," The woman actually started crying, and Elizabeth cursed her soft heart. "I have tried to come to your home and speak to you directly about this, but I have been refused entry."
"My daughter is just turned sixteen, and has not even been brought out yet, but my husband is already talking about marrying her off to the Baron Rothview." Elizabeth had heard rumors of the Baron, how he had already had three wives die in suspicious circumstances. The man was wealthy in the extreme, so would be more than willing to take a wife who had no dowry. In fact, that is the type of wife he preferred, as the parents were usually desperate to be rid of them.
"I will talk to Mr Darcy about it. Beyond that I can make no promises." Her heart really did go out to her cousin by marriage, and she did not want to see her hurt.
"I can talk with my mother as well Aunt." Anne spoke up for the first time, and Elizabeth saw the moment the woman recognized her.
"Anne? B...wha...how...you look so well..." She cut herself off, blushing when she realized what she said. "It's just that I overheard your uncle talking to the physician he found for you. He said that your mother choosing to stop bleeding you would ruin all their hard work. I just assumed he meant what they had done to keep you alive..." She snapped her mouth shut when she realized what she was unwittingly alluding to.
"Lady Matlock, I think it is imperative that you return to the house with us to talk about your daughter's situation. Perhaps my husband and aunt can help you with after all." She gave her a look that informed the woman that help would only be given to her daughter if she cooperated with them.
"Did your husband ever say anything about his plans for my cousin?" William asked as his aunt sat in front of him in his study. Lady Catherine was in the chair next to her, while Anne and Elizabeth sat on a small couch along the wall.
"Only that he knew you would never marry her as she was too weak to give you heirs." The woman looked shamed as she spoke, "I overheard him once tell your cousin Phillip that his hope was for him to marry Anne. That when she passed Rosings would go to him, and could be used to return the earldom to what it once was."
"Over my dead body!" Lady Catherine shouted, anger coming off her in waves.
"Pardon my interruption your ladyship, but after your daughter married, you would unfortunately not have any say in it. The estate passes to her husband's control." Vincent Lucas spoke from the back of the room, having been asked to sit in if there were any legal recourses that needed to be taken.
"My question is what did my uncle mean when he said we had ruined their hard work?" Elizabeth was sick when she thought about what it could possibly mean, and the look William shot her told her he was on the same page as her.
"Aunt Catherine, have you ever considered stopping the bleedings before? Perhaps when Anne was younger?" She asked gently, her husband silencing Lady Matlock.
"There were a few times..." Lady Catherine spoke, a far off look in her eyes as she tried to recall a long ago time. "When she was younger, there were a few times she would seem to rally, and Lewis and I would question the possibility of stopping the lettings. Anne hated them so, and I hated seeing her suffer. Sadly, within days of us contemplating this, Anne would fall ill again, and we would let the idea go."
"Is it possible there was someone in your employ back then who had access to Anne, someone who is still with you, but may not have come to Pemberley?" Vincent asked, the anger and protectiveness in his eyes was palpable.
"Just Mrs Jenkins, but I can't see her ever doing anything to hurt me, she has been with me almost from the very start of my illness." Anne spoke, sounding so sad and confused.
"She is due to return from visiting her sister's this week, we can question her then." Lady Catherine spoke, and it was clear she was not willing to give the woman the benefit of the doubt like her daughter was.
"Do you all realize what you are saying? What you are accusing my husband of?" The Countess spoke, clearly shocked at what they had all come up with as the most likely explanation.
"And if we are right, then what? If he could do this to Anne, think of what he could do to Sofia!" William glared at his aunt. "It is time you opened your eyes and saw what that man is really like, what he is raising your sons to be like. Look at what he and Matthew did to Georgiana, what would have happened to her had Kitty not intervened?"
"Kitty should have never been put in the situation where intervention was necessary, but your husband and son only care about money." Lady Catherine added.
"Besides, if we find this to be true, we can use it as a bargaining chip to force home to sign guardianship of Sofia over to Richard, William, or Aunt Catherine." Elizabeth explained gently. "If that were the case then one of them would have to approve of the man she married."
"Would you or Richard even be willing to take on another ward, you have more than enough already?" The Countess asked doubtfully. "While I know Catherine could handle another one, my husband would never allow it." He would see handing over guardianship of his daughter as giving up power, and he would never give it up to a woman
"What is one more young lady in a house full of them." William shrugged, "Besides, the burden mainly falls on my wife, as she is they one they all go to with their troubles."
"It is not so much of a burden, especially since Aunt Catherine is here to help. Jane and Charlotte as well, but there is nothing so helpful as a mother who has already raised a daughter." The Countess was shocked when she saw the loving look his usually cold aunt shot his wife.
"It would also give Sofia time to get to know the young lady Richard is courting." William had gotten permission to speak of the courtship from Richard and Mary.
"He's courting someone?" The disappointment on her face was palpable. "Does she support him in his career choice?" Like any mother, his aunt had always been fearful that Richard would end up getting killed in battle.
"She doesn't have to, he gave up his commission." They we're all surprised when she cried relieved tears of joy. "He felt it was unfair of him to ask her to wait for him, especially when the estate my father left him made more than enough to support a family."
"Is she worthy of him?" He felt himself bristle at the question.
"If you're asking of her dowry and connections you will find she is less than desirable." Elizabeth spoke up, "While both have recently improved, they are not what Richard is most interested in."
"Does she love him?" It was nice to see the woman take an interest in the more important things for once.
"She thinks very highly of him, and he of her. I do not believe they are in love yet, but are very likely to soon be. She is a bit shy, but it tempers his more...outspoken nature." She didn't want to speak ill of her cousin in front of his mother, though the woman seemed to know just what she was saying.
"Is he happy with her?"
"Yes, very much so." This time it was William who answered.