Chapter 4: Understanding the Offer

Hunsford, Thursday 26 March 1812

Charlotte came to her room a few hours later. "Eliza, Miss de Bourgh is here to see you."

Composing herself, Elizabeth managed a proper greeting as Miss de Bourgh approached. "Miss Bennet. I request your company today."

Elizabeth began a polite refusal: she wasn't feeling up to it, she had a headache, she was exhausted from her earlier stroll, or her courses had come.

The last thing she wanted was to be in company with one of the profligates from Rosings Park. While she believed Lady Catherine and Mr. Darcy to be the main architects of Colonel Fitzwilliam's plot, Miss de Bourgh was not above suspicion.

Mr. Collins gave her no chance to refuse. He immediately informed Miss de Bourgh of the glorious tragedy that had befallen Cousin Elizabeth's family. He gleefully accepted the invitation on her behalf as it would remove her from the parsonage while he began packing.

Both embarrassed and angry, Elizabeth had no choice. She swallowed her emotions and smiled. "Thank you, Miss de Bourgh. Allow me a moment to freshen up, then I shall walk over."

Miss de Bourgh crushed Elizabeth's hope to put off the encounter. "No need Miss Bennet. It will only be the two of us." The pair set out in her phaeton.

Not a word was spoken during the drive. The two women entered the great house and moved up a back stairway into a private area. Elizabeth was disquieted. Pausing, she asked, "where are you taking me? We are not so well acquainted that I should leave the public rooms of your home."

Along the side of the stairway was a platform with rails around it and a chair secured in the middle. Anne opened a section of the rail, stepped onto the platform, and sat in the chair. "I cannot escort you up the stairs; I no longer have the strength, but we need to go to the third level. I will meet you at the top." She signaled to a footman who began to turn a large crank, which caused the platform to slowly lift.

Once on the third level, Miss de Bough exited her lift and met Elizabeth at the top of the stairs.

Noting Miss Bennet's interest in the contrivance, she explained. "My father had it made for me. A few years before he died. I had asked Father to designate this wing of the house for my use. It is furthest away from the main rooms and the most private. The seclusion gives me peace. I do not hear Mother or other goings-on in the house while up here. I have the best views of the gardens and woods, and have cool breezes when I open the windows." She put a hand on the chairback. "Mother was angry, but Father would brook no argument. The stairs have always given me some difficulty, so Father found a tradesman to build my chair lift."

"It is very clever and does its job well." Elizabeth looked around her. Not usually one to succumb to nerves, she found being in such a private and remote area of this house disconcerting. Learning more about the isolation of the wing did not help.

Anne took her arm, and led Elizabeth to the first door, bidding her enter. Elizabeth paused a moment as she considered fleeing back to the parsonage.

As if reading her thoughts, Anne calmly stated, "This is my dressing room. Please enter," and gently guided Elizabeth inside. "I need to speak with you where none will disturb us," as she locked the door.

Elizabeth held her fearful emotions in check while considering how to talk her way out of this ghastly building. "Miss de Bourgh…"

"Anne."

"Anne?"

"Please. Call me Anne. We are to be friends," and she smiled at Elizabeth. The smile seemed genuine, though it brought no comfort.

Still skeptical and putting great effort to hold herself in check, Elizabeth acquiesced. "Anne. If you wish to bring up the topic that the colonel …"

Anne shook her head. "Richard!" She spat out, obviously frustrated. "I should have known he would botch things. As if this is just some business transaction."

Elizabeth's voice grew hard. "Is it not?" She had no trust for these people.

Anne sighed. "I shall explain. Please, sit." Her hostess directed her to a comfortable chair and poured them both glasses of wine.

"Have a sip, it will help," she instructed. "This will be a difficult conversation."

While Elizabeth sipped her wine, Anne removed her robe. She wore no corset. She then removed her chemise, revealing her bare body. Seeing other women in varying states of undress was a normal way of life among five sisters, but never a stranger.

"As you can see, I am dying," Anne stated flatly as she turned to face Elizabeth. There were black masses in her breasts. The woman had little flesh protecting her; the bones protruded sharply through pasty skin. Seeing the horrible reality of Anne's condition cut through Elizabeth's heart like a knife causing her to no longer fear the woman.

"Oh, Anne! I'm so sorry. I did not realize…" Elizabeth cried out. She took in a deep breath to regain control, then asked, "Does it hurt?"

"Yes. It didn't hurt at first, but over the past year, they have grown and become more painful. The pain is not a problem; the problem is my mother, my family, and the people under my care." Anne re-dressed as she spoke. "I believe you understand my situation. Mrs. Collins told me you are in a similar situation, although it seems yours may be more urgent now with the tragic news from home."

As Anne refilled Elizabeth's wine glass, Elizabeth's eyes filled with tears thinking of her father. "I do not see how our situations are similar."

"Your home is entailed to Mr. Collins?" Elizabeth nodded. "He will ruin any estate in his care. He's stingy and will cheat both the servants and the tenants while letting their farms fall into disrepair. His wife may temper him, but we both know that he is the type to disregard her sage advice. Do you wish that for your tenants and servants?"

Elizabeth frowned at the thought.

"As your estate and all those associated with it are falling into ruin, what happens with your mother and sisters? I understand your mother's dowry will be unsuitable for six women to live on, particularly when one of them has become accustomed to spending both the earnings of the estate and the interest of that dowry. You will fall into genteel poverty. Envision how that will go." She put a hand to her chest. "Your mother has a brother in trade and a sister married to the local attorney, but both have their own families to attend. How will you all fit? It is criminal how England's women are treated at such times. They lose their husband, their status, their home, and their income at the same time."

Tears began to run down Elizabeth's cheeks. She knew what faced the Bennet women if her father did not recover. She had been holding onto a slim hope that Mr. Bingley would find Jane in London, but that hope was now lost.

Here stood Anne, painfully exhibiting the certainty of impending ruin for the Bennet family but at the same time painfully exhibiting the certainty of impending death for herself. It was too much. Elizabeth took another sip of wine, trying in vain to stifle the emotions raging within.

"Although my mother acts like she owns Rosings Park, she does not. I do. When I die, it goes to my heir. That leaves my mother like yours: without a home and a pittance for an income. She has more than your mother but, being the daughter of an earl, is accustomed to living lavishly." Anne smiled wryly, "She is my mother, but few can tolerate her. Her brother, who is the Colonel's father, is the Earl of Matlock. He despises her. He and Mother are very similar. When they are together for more than a few hours…well, it is not pleasant. Lady Matlock is more tolerant, but not by much. Publicly, the family remains intact, but privately her brother has cut her.

"That leaves my mother staying with Darcy and his sister." At this Elizabeth smiled internally. Dour Darcy and his snobbish sister would get to live with that woman. How fitting! "Darcy has learned to simply ignore much of what my mother says. His sister, Georgiana, is far more delicate. Most find her timid. Having my mother in their home would crush the girl, who has already suffered much."

Elizabeth expressed surprise. "I've been told Georgiana is a prideful girl."

Anne stared. "Who would say such a thing about dear Georgiana? Not someone who knows her!"

"An officer in the local militia. He was the son of the steward…"

"Wickham?" Anne spat out disgustedly.

"You know him?" Elizabeth nearly whispered. She had begun to question her ability to sketch characters with Colonel Fitzwilliam's outré proposition, but had she been wrong about Mr. Wickham as well?. Elizabeth suspected her trust may have been misplaced.

"We all know of George Wickham. He sports a long list of debts and debauchery. The last time he came to Rosings Park I nearly had to find a new lady's maid because of him. Thankfully she didn't end up with child. The disgusting beast even tried to take liberties with me! My Uncle Darcy gave the man every chance out of respect for the beast's father—sponsoring an education and bequeathing a living near Pemberley—but Wickham was too much like his mother. I know he's done more recently, but Darcy refuses to speak about it. Do not believe anything that swine has said." Anne snarled.

Elizabeth, properly shamed and questioning herself, agreed. She would write to her family that evening, particularly her father, and include a warning to share with the neighborhood.

Her breath caught as she realized that her father may never receive her letter. The thought dragging her deeper into emotional turmoil.

"Georgiana is a quiet girl. If someone views her as prideful it's only because they've never bothered to know her or they are telling untruths. My mother would ruin Georgiana more than she ruined me. She is supposed to come out in a year or two, but who knows how long it will take to find a good match. Darcy won't force an alliance. He may be a dunderhead in many ways, but he dearly loves his baby sister. After all the tragedy the girl has already experienced, God will condemn me if I cannot keep my mother out of her life."

Anne looked at Elizabeth sympathetically, knowing these next moments would decide the matter. "What Richard proposed to you yesterday, it was wholly my idea."

Elizabeth schooled her stunned expression but was shocked throughout. "Your idea?" she asked, barely maintaining her calm veneer. "I...I'm surprised. You showed me why, but to conceive of such a plan?"

"It was no lie when I told Mr. and Mrs. Collins that you bring me joy. You are so beautiful and full of life. You are also the only one able to torment my mother and maintain such a good nature about it. My mother likes you, even though you cross her. Maybe it is because you are brave enough to cross her. God gave me this in answer to my prayers. God showed me a way to save your family and mine. All has worked as He has ordained, so I believe it must be so. When Collins said there is tragic news from home he was unduly cheerful. I gather your father is in danger or has died?" Anne asked kindly.

Tears gathered in Elizabeth's eyes as she nodded her head. She couldn't trust herself to speak.

Anne approached Elizabeth and took her hands. Gently she said, "God has given you this means to save your family. You will sacrifice the most for this, and we will reward you for it." Giving her hands a quick squeeze, Anne let go. "My family must keep this secret. We need you to help us. I trust your silence, as it will be needed to protect your sisters," she said to Elizabeth while sitting next to her. "When you leave, your reputation will be intact; it may even be improved by your generosity in staying with me during my final months." Now in the chair, Anne looked up at her in earnest. "It may be more difficult in some ways for you to marry, but your wealth will make few men care about what happened here. That wealth will also allow you the choice to marry or not and continue being secure in your future. Allow me to die in the peace of knowing the many people under my protection are cared for." Reaching out to Elizabeth once again, Anne implored, "the only way I can do that is with your help."

Elizabeth felt the tears rolling down her cheeks. "How can you speak of it so? How can you make such plans? You sound as if it means nothing to you that you are …"

"Dying?" Anne finished for her. "I've been dying for a long time. My health has always been poor. A childhood fever left me weak. Then a lump started growing a few years ago and kept growing. I now look forward to my end. I will be free and finally able to run and play. Once I pass, I will be like you."

Elizabeth could no longer keep from crying. "I would love to help you. I would love to secure my family. But for me to do such a thing? It goes against everything I believe!"

Anne put an arm around her. "He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how." (2)

They sat together for some time while Elizabeth cried herself dry. After, she stared at the wall deep in thought. Anne, wisely, let her have the silence until she was ready to speak.

Finally, Elizabeth whispered, "How would it work?"

Anne quietly began to explain the details.

~~~oo0oo~~~

(1) The house I'm imagining for this is supposed to have 4 levels. In the US, they would say her wing is on the 4th floor but in the European countries I've been to they would call it the 3rd floor, with buildings having a ground, then first, then second, etc. Darcy will be staying on the 2nd level, one level above the ground floor. Anne and Elizabeth would be staying on the 4th level, 3 levels (or 3 flights of stairs) up from ground level. Also, think of a rudimentary, hand-powered elevator as Anne's way of getting up and down the stairs.

(2) Friedrich Nietzsche - I know, he wasn't born until 1844, but I liked the quote for this story.