Chapter 9: The Day After
Monday, 30 March 1812
Rosings Park
After Darcy removed himself, Anne and Elizabeth sat by the window overlooking the rear gardens. Anne reached for Elizabeth's hand with a sympathetic look and asked, "how was it?"
"It was not as horrible as I had feared," she reluctantly answered.
"I worried for you."
Wiping away a tear, Elizabeth lifted her chin. "I did cry after," she admitted. "It was done and there is no going back." Elizabeth was angry and frustrated but was not sad to be taking control of her future. "Of course," she admitted, "it would have been nicer if it had been with someone who did not despise me."
"Darcy does not despise you. He is not skilled in how to act around you. Other women are easy for him to ridicule because they fawn on him, hoping to conquer him, or more specifically, his inheritance. There are also the men, like Wickham, who only want to take from him. Darcy puts on a look of disdain as protection when around those he does not know well." Anne smiled at Elizabeth. "You, he knows not what to do with. You do not fawn. You disagree. He is unaccustomed to such behavior."
"But he does despise me! He told his friend he finds me 'tolerable' and 'not handsome enough to tempt him'. It was quite difficult to relax with him scowling at me. Fortunately, I had the advice of Charlotte's Aunt Margaret." Anne raised an eyebrow in curiosity and waved her to go on.
Elizabeth grinned. "Charlotte's aunt sent her a letter describing how to improve the married state. Between that, the wine, and not having much light to see by, I was able to concentrate on knowing my sisters and I will have a home. I followed his instructions and he seemed pleased."
Anne asked, "So how did he react to this morning?"
Elizabeth rolled her eyes in embarrassment. "I wanted the bed to open and swallow me!" she confided. "I think he was just as mortified as I was."
"He came back to see if you were well," Anne pointed out.
"He came back to find out how long to stay away." Elizabeth arched her brown with finality.
"I think he does not understand what happened," countered Anne. They moved on to talk about their families, friends, and home and spent the rest of the day in their wing, nurturing a friendship.
~~~oo0oo~~~
When neither Elizabeth nor Anne came down for their morning meal, Darcy's concern for Miss Bennet and self-disgust grew. He tried to covertly ask Lady Catherine about Miss Bennet's health, but either she did not know or did not care. She chided him to remember such topics were not to be discussed in public, although the smug look on her face exhibited her obvious pleasure in understanding the contract had begun.
When he and Richard were out assessing Rosings Park, Darcy's mind was focused elsewhere. Trying to tease his cousin out of his reticence, Richard asked how the night had passed.
Darcy shook his head. "She knew nothing so I gave her the advice I would want her to hear." He smiled at the thought. "It felt better than anything," closing his eyes back at the memory, "so good." He suddenly became serious. "Until she started crying after. I thought she enjoyed it. Maybe her crying was from the circumstances?" he considered. "We fell asleep, then she woke me thinking I was her sister trying to keep warm." He looked back up at Richard, "I could not resist."
Richard grinned. Spreading his arms, he said, "You shall have no difficulties after all."
Darcy moaned, "it will be impossible," he said flatly. Richard was surprised by the abrupt change. "When she woke this morning, there was blood everywhere. I know not when I hurt her. Maybe that is what caused her to cry, but I was too stupid to ask! I didn't think I forced myself, but maybe I did? I was ready to call the doctor this morning but Anne told me to leave her until Friday. It seems a short time to heal from such an injury."
Confusion floated across Richard's face before he adopted a lighter approach. Not knowing much about the inner workings of women, Richard tried to laugh it off. "Your girth must be impressive to do such damage!" At Darcy's glare, Richard retracted. "You said Anne seemed unconcerned, she told you to leave her a few days?" Darcy nodded. "I would think another woman would know how things work," Richard made a motion around his lower abdomen.
Darcy lowered his head. "I'm such an ass!"
They continued their ride around Rosings Park, examining the estate in silence. Richard was unsure of how to help. He had known men who injured women, but Darcy would never act in such a way.
As they separated to prepare for dinner, Richard turned to his cousin. "If she does not come down tonight and you hear nothing, go to her room after everyone retires." Darcy nodded as they went their separate ways.
~~~oo0oo~~~
Rosings Park, Servant's Quarters
Mrs. Jenkinson enjoyed her last meal downstairs with the friends she had made among the servants. While born to a status similar to Miss Bennet's, she had married a younger son. Upon his death, she was forced to become a lady's companion to support her daughter.
For the past decade, Mrs. Jenkinson worked her special magic to moderate Lady Catherine's unreasonable demands upon the Rosings staff and kept the estate at peace. The staff greatly appreciated her efforts. Her friends congratulated her and wished her well in her new home. Rosings Park would never be the same.
At the meal, the staff asked about Miss Bennet, her replacement. They were not inclined to support someone new, but Mrs. Jenkinson would have none of it. "She is a kind woman, you will like her if you give her a chance. She is quite young, so she will be unable to manage Lady Catherine as I did. Let us not be unreasonable with the miss." She reminded them Miss Bennet was not to be a paid companion, but a friend to Miss de Bourgh. She passed her burden to the butler and housekeeper: it would be up to them, as staff elders, to moderate Lady Catherine using the methods she had taught them over the years. Sally Peeke chimed in that Miss Bennet was a kind young woman and quickly becoming a good friend to Miss de Bourgh, who sorely needed a friend.
Mrs. Jenkinson knew the time had come. Miss de Bourgh had asked her to tell the staff about her illness and ask their prayers. Clearing her throat, she began. "Before leaving, there is something I must share." The room grew silent in anticipation. "As you know, Miss de Bourgh does not have the best of health. Recently she has been told her health is starting to decline."
All at the table understood the meaning: without an heir, the estate would collapse. "You heard the banns read this morning, Miss de Bourgh will marry Mr. Darcy. They will try to produce an heir. That is the only thing that will save Rosings Park. Miss Bennet is here to sustain Miss de Bourgh's spirits. All of you will need to help Miss Bennet help Anne."
"Beggin' ya pardon ma'am," asked a chambermaid, "but if Miss de Bourgh is so ill, 'ya think she'll be able to get with chile?"
"She is not so ill yet but is starting to decline. She needs the prayers of each of you and your families. All of your livelihoods rely on a healthy child. It will allow Mr. Darcy to take over Rosings Park." The servants mumbled their agreement.
~~~oo0oo~~~
Rosings Park, Upstairs
Neither Elizabeth nor Anne appeared at dinner. When Richard asked how Anne and her friend were getting on, his aunt vacillated between lauding the close connection between the two and complaining about her neglect since Miss Bennet's arrival. She said nothing on Elizabeth's health.
When the gentlemen retired for the evening, Darcy waited impatiently until he could sneak upstairs. When the clock struck midnight, he made his way to her room. Tapping lightly but receiving no answer, he let himself in. He could see her figure in the bed breathing rhythmically, but the scant moonlight showed none of her features. Moving to her side, he placed his hand on her cheek to ensure she was not feverish or chilled.
At his touch, she rolled over, again speaking to her sister in her sleep. "Jane, come to bed. 'Tis much too cold sleeping alone."
Darcy smiled. She and her sister must share a bed at home. Before last night he had always slept alone, but he agreed with her—it is much warmer sleeping with another person. He considered. Maybe she did need help staying warm after losing so much blood. Who was he to deny her warmth? He removed his slippers and banyan, crawled under the bedclothes, and curled up behind her while drawing her into his embrace. He drifted into a light sleep.
She woke up a few minutes later. "MR DARCY! What are you doing in my bed," she exclaimed, pulling back.
Reverting to his trained formality, Darcy sat up. "I came to be assured of your health." He could now see her face in the moonlight, while she looked well she also looked confused.
"You came to my bed to be assured of my health? I thought you were to stay in your quarters until Friday."
Darcy drew his brow in concern. "I came to see if you were well. You asked me to come to bed." While Darcy knew that wasn't precisely true, he preferred his version.
"I don't remember…" Regaining her composure, she assured Mr. Darcy she was well, would be restored by Friday, and he should remain in his quarters until then.
Struggling with how to proceed, Darcy frowned then softly asked, "Would you like to end our agreement? I will not be able to consort with you if this is what happens after."
"No!" Elizabeth cried. "It is too late. I am no longer a maid! Without Longbourn I have no way to support myself and my family. We'll end up in the hedgerows."
He looked at her, stroking her hair. "I have no wish to hurt you. I can not continue knowing I injure you each time."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "So you would ruin me, then throw me out with nothing?"
Recoiling, Darcy said, "I would never do such a thing! Yet I am not a brute, I can not continue to hurt you like this."
"Sir, I do not understand what you mean. How do you feel you hurt me?" she asked in confusion.
"The bleeding…"
A grin slowly spread across Elizabeth's face. Trying to hide her mirth, she choked back her laughter. "You think you caused that?"
Unsure how to respond, Darcy shrugged. "I do not know what else to believe."
"How acquainted are you with the workings of the bodies of women?"
Darcy stumbled over his words, trying to answer without sounding like a fool, then gave up, scowling. "Illuminate me."
Still working to hold back her laughter, though also slightly embarrassed to be telling him of such things. "This happens each month to women who are not with child or nursing. The expression of it is somewhat different for each woman. I am fortunate in that mine are neither too strong nor do they last overly long. It will complete in a few days, then we may resume our…labors."
"You mean you are still bleeding? As much as before?" His eyes grew large. How could someone survive losing so much blood? To have it happen so frequently? Unthinkable!
"Yes, sir. It happens regularly. You have a sister of sixteen to care for," she shook her head, "you must know something of the delicate subjects to have helped her. What did you do when she began?"
This woman was enjoying his ignorance a bit too much. He frowned. "My aunt or her companion or the housekeeper must have helped her with things I would not know of." Suddenly a memory struck him. He related a memory from a few years before when one morning Georgiana came running down the stairs in a stained nightdress, crying that she was unable to stop bleeding and would soon die. Mrs. Glenn, their London housekeeper, intercepted her, assuring Darcy his sister did not need a doctor and she would have her fixed up in no time. As Mrs. Glenn promised, his sister was fine within an hour or so. Since she had recovered so easily, he put it out of his mind and had not thought of it again until now. For the first time, he regretted not marrying earlier and depriving his younger sister of a woman who could guide her through womanly trials.
Elizabeth's countenance, while still amused at him, showed her sympathy for Georgiana. "That must have been distressing for her."
Darcy continued to sit in Miss Bennet's bed, wondering if he could stay the night. She was right, it is much too cold sleeping alone.
"Mr. Darcy?" Breaking his trance, he looked at her, inhaling as he leaned over… "Sir, I would like to go back to sleep. I believe you planned on staying in your room until Friday."
She was dismissing him, his chance to stay was now gone.
"Good night Miss Bennet. I look forward to seeing you at breakfast in the morning."
"Yes, sir. Good night, Mr. Darcy."
~~~oo0oo~~~
Tuesday - 31 March 1812
Elizabeth realized she could no longer avoid the residents of Rosings Park. When he had left, Mr. Darcy ordered her to attend the morning meal. (1) And though nervous, having Anne by her side made it bearable. Fortunately, they were the first to arrive. Lady Catherine strode in soon after. But when Richard and Darcy appeared a few minutes later, Elizabeth focused on calming her nerves.
To her surprise, both men behaved well. The colonel entertained Elizabeth, pulling from his cadre of amusing tales which helped to put her at ease. Darcy looked inscrutable—very different from last night. He merely asked if she was well and remained silent for the remainder of the meal. Lady Catherine spoke on estate management and how she believed things should be run. Fortunately for the Rosings' tenants, Darcy followed his father's lead rather than his aunt's.
Elizabeth began to perceive her days as one life and her nights as another. Her happiness, she decided, would depend upon her ability to separate the two. As it was now the day, she was a respectable young woman staying to cheer her friend. Once the gentlemen excused themselves, the ladies decided to spend the morning in Anne's dressing room to attend to their needlework. From the breakfast room to the sitting room, Lady Catherine complained the entire time of having to climb so many stairs at her advancing age. Once the women were settled in Anne's room, Lady Catherine stopped her lament and began interrogating Elizabeth about her nightly activities.
Anne took her mother in hand. "Mother, you know it has started. You must allow God to do His part without your intercession."
Lady Catherine huffed. "It is my life we are talking about! I wish to know everything is being done to precipitously bring a child about."
Anne warned, "Mother, you are NOT to speak of this so freely. There will be no discussion outside of my chambers if you wish to retain your home at Rosings."
"We are within your chambers," huffed Lady Catherine.
Despite her normal pallor, color came to Anne's cheeks in her frustration. To dissuade her mother's indiscretion, Anne tried another tactic, "Mother, how long did it take for you to become with child after marrying Father?" If only Anne had known the conversation she was inviting!
Lady Catherine sighed. "Your father was a very eligible match. Being an earl's daughter, I was quite the catch for him too. We met through my dear friend Christine. Anne, you remember your beloved Aunt Christine? She lived in this wing of Rosings Park," pointing a finger at her daughter, "which I know is why you moved to her room after her death!"
Anne smiled thoughtfully.
"Christine's estate abutted Matlock. She and I were the best of friends growing up; we went to the same schools. Her minuscule dowry made it difficult for her to find a suitable match, even though she came out with me as my particular friend. At the tender age of twenty, her father passed and their entailed estate went to her uncle, leaving her in genteel poverty."
Elizabeth listened intently and wondered at the frequency of women being placed in the untenable position that she and her family now faced.
"It is criminal how genteel women in England are treated," she declared, unmindful of the similarities between her friend and her daughter's new friend.
"Christine caught Sir Lewis's eye but he, of course, could not offer for her. She would have brought nothing to the marriage. But Lewis still adored her as much as I did. The crop of gentlemen that year was sparse, but as I found Sir Lewis tolerable, and since he was willing to bring my dear friend Christine into our home, I condescended to marry him.
"Our wedding night was such an awful business! I had no wish to repeat it. Fortunately, Christine derived much pleasure from Sir Lewis's attentions and thus diverted him. It spared me the necessity of such indignities. We had that stairwell installed between the rooms to maintain the necessary discretion."
Elizabeth felt herself go cold as Lady Catherine shared her story, almost wishing to cover her ears. It reaffirmed her initial belief that these people were devoid of all morals. She now understood how Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam could be so unaffected at their morning meal.
Lady Catherine sighed in the happy memory of her old friend's benevolence. "After our third year, Sir Lewis, Christine, and I decided Rosings Park must have an heir—so Sir Lewis started visiting me. It was most undignified and horribly messy. We neither one enjoyed it. I would not tolerate it more than once or twice a sen'night. After an ungodly year of such visits, I remained childless and was ready to declare Sir Lewis incapable. I had every reason to believe it. He and Christine visited almost nightly and she never became with child.
"When I discovered the appalling man who would inherit unless Rosings had an heir, I agreed to more visits. I would have happily let Christine bare the child, as Elizabeth is doing for you, but I did not think of it. For my own sake, so I would not be forced to live with my brother, I condescended to Sir Lewis' visits every night until it took, except during my courses. It was three months for it to take, but four months until we knew. Such horrid months! Sir Lewis and I were both relieved when you, my dear Anne, were conceived and he could again spend his nights with Christine." (2)
Looking upon the faces of her daughter and Elizabeth, Lady Catherine misconstrued the audience's reaction to her story. "Hrumpf, I thought making a baby was bad, I had no idea what it would be like to carry one! I thought I would never stop wretching! Then to not be able to breathe or lie on one's back. Walking! How can I forget walking! It was near impossible with such a large belly. Constantly having to relieve myself, sometimes Anne would kick and it would run down my legs.
"Even those were nothing more than discomforts compared to the birthing. It was the most humiliating and painful experience. The mortification of the midwife and doctor looking up my skirts! The emissions that came with the infant absolutely ruined both my nightclothes and the bedclothes I insisted they place upon that repulsive birthing cot. I'm so glad Anne was born hale and hearty! I would have welcomed the hedgerows rather than have to repeat all of that a second time!"
Anne, worried that her mother was sharing too much, maneuvered to change the topic before she could shock Elizabeth further. "Mother, have you made the menus for the week? With our guests and so much happening, I am afraid I have distracted you. You must make sure the cook prepares Richard's favorites before he returns to London on Friday. You must also plan for my wedding."
Realizing Anne was correct, Lady Catherine excused herself.
When they heard her calling orders on the floor below them, the women turned to one another and started laughing. Anne tittered and Elizabeth shook uncontrollably with mirth while trying to hold it in. When they regained control of themselves, Anne confided, "I never knew! I knew Father cared more for Aunt Christine than Mother. As did I. As did everyone. I never dreamed it went so far! And to have Mother approved of it happening under her roof!"
"When did your Aunt Christine die?" Elizabeth asked.
"When I was fourteen. A tooth became infected and the infection spread throughout her whole body. The fever took her. Father was never the same after. When I wanted to move into her wing, he said he was happy to have life in here again. I wanted to feel close to Aunt Christine. She always loved me and treated me as her own. Not long after she died Father hired Mrs. Jenkinson to support me against Mother's whims."
"I'm glad you had such women in your life. It sounds as if it would have been terribly lonely otherwise," said Elizabeth
"It was still terribly lonely. You are the only friend of my own age. My cousin Georgiana, Darcy's sister, is sixteen, but Darcy keeps her from Rosings Park to protect her from my mother."
"How old are you?"
"Four and twenty. And you?"
"Twenty, I turn one and twenty on the fourth of June." (3)
"We are quite close in age. I believe your good friend Mrs. Collins is older, closer to Darcy's age, correct?"
"I have no information on Mr. Darcy's age, but Charlotte is seven and twenty."
"Darcy is the same age."
Elizabeth nodded. "You now know the date of my birth, what day were you born on?"
"The First of February. Darcy was born on the thirty first of July." (4)
Elizabeth laughed. "My youngest sister, the ever exuberant Lydia, shares her birth date with Mr. Darcy!" Anne did not understand Elizabeth's humor but smiled politely anyway.
Anne asked after Elizabeth's well-being. She needed assurance that her mother had not scared Elizabeth. "Mother is a bit…reactive. I have learned to not listen to most of what she says. Be assured, I do not believe her having me was as arduous as she makes it out to be."
Elizabeth redoubled her resolution to do what was needed. Lady Catherine would not keep her from saving her family. Elizabeth assured her friend she would complete the terms of the contract. She knew of many women's confinements from Meryton, though she had no ability to control if either she or Mr. Darcy were capable of conceiving.
Anne believed they would conceive.
To change the topic, Anne told Elizabeth more of what caused Lady Anne's break with Lady Catherine. When Anne was about thirteen, Lady Anne had visited as a last effort at reconciliation.
She had shared the events with her namesake-niece. Lady Catherine had attended her younger sister during the end of her confinement. After giving birth to Darcy, who had never been small, Lady Catherine took Lady Anne to task for crying out during the birth, calling her actions "beneath a member of the peerage." Enraged, Lady Anne had sent her sister away.
A few years later, when Lady Catherine named her daughter after her sister, Lady Anne tried to make amends. After Lady Anne was recovered from Georgiana's birth, she made the trip to Rosings Park to reconcile in person. After listening to Catherine's tales of the miseries of pregnancy and the Augean task of birthing the slight, five-pound infant, as well as Catherine's exclamations of disgust at every part of bearing a child. Lady Anne had tried to commiserate with her sister, reminding her Darcy had been close to nine pounds at birth and Georgiana, an easier seven pounds.
Lady Catherine again chastised her sister for her undignified vociferations and asked if Lady Anne managed to control herself better for Georgiana's birth. Lady Anne leftt; she had planned to stay a month complete but left after four days. She sent her husband to keep Rosings Park solvent to maintain a public appearance of unity but would never again see or write to her sister.
"See, Mother lost her sister from her farcical decrees. Please don't take what she says to heart."
Elizabeth smiled. "I will not. I'm experienced in such matters as I have just such a mother of my own."
The two chatted companionably until called down for tea. With Mrs. Collins joining them, they made a merry party.
~~~oo0oo~~~
(1) Darcy didn't really order Elizabeth to go downstairs to breakfast, she's taking it that way because she's in such a fragile position and not really sure how she should respond. So she takes "I'll see you downstairs for breakfast" as being an order rather than a hope.
(2) This is loosely (very loosely) based on the life of Georgiana Spencer, the wife of the 5th Duke of Devonshire, and her "friendship" with Lady Elizabeth Foster.
I picked Elizabeth and Darcy's birth dates based on the approximate years they would have been born and the death dates of people I thought they would admire. A reincarnation kind of thing- though I know that's not the way reincarnation works.
(3) June 4, 1792, is the death date of the major German novelist of the Sturm und Drang movement, Jakob Micheal Reinhold Lenz. The Sturm und Drang movement was a reaction to the constraints of rationalism imposed by the enlightenment.
(4) July 31, 1784, is the death date of enlightenment philosopher Denis Diderot
Note: Yes, I know, men of the time probably had a decent knowledge of how things worked in women's bodies, but considering how infantilized women were, it seems reasonable that men may not have known much about the 'finer points' of womanhood if they hadn't been in a previous long-term relationship. It was an amusing situation to dream up.