It was a beautiful spring day. Although the sun did not shine, the temperature was just right with a gentle breeze. Of course, the residents of Rosings Park could not really notice it since the lady of the house kept the windows closed and refused to update the dark furnishings and black walnut furniture. Catherine de Bourgh scowled on her ornate throne. Tucked in the thin pages of the newspaper was the announcement of the betrothal of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy to Miss Elizabeth Bennet. She exclaimed, not unlike a squawking fowl, "Anne! Did you know that upstart chit with no name has stolen your betrothed?"
"Yes, I have heard," Anne responded calmly from her seat, for she had been spending more time away from Rosings Park with the company of Charlotte Collins. The vicar's wife proved to be a calm in the sea of her mother's fretful muttering and the vicar's spluttering. "Mrs. Collins keeps correspondence with Miss Elizabeth Bennet." She did not mention that she had befriended and corresponded with the second Bennet daughter through Mrs. Collins.
"It is an outrage," her mother continued, ignoring her daughter's words. "His mother and I had it planned so beautifully, and he refuses to adhere to his mother's dearest wish!"
Anne quietly rose and laid her needlework away, lightly padding out of the room and down the stairs. She knew very few people, but she understood her mother most of the time. And at the moment, her mother needed the eager ear of the parson. She wondered how Charlotte could bear the man, but he had a way of assuaging her mother in a strange way. Although she visited Charlotte often, she rarely ever entered the house, choosing to stay in a shaded corner in the garden. After all, she was rarely allowed to go outside when her mother watched with eyes sharper than a falcon's.
She knocked at the door, and a maid opened the door. Like her mother, she was never one to converse in the circuitous route of social protocol. She stated, "If Mr. Collins is in, please send him Rosings Park as I believe my mother would want his presence. And inform Mrs. Collins that I shall be sitting in the garden." The maid bobbed as she turned to obey the Miss Anne de Bourgh's directions. Anne, in the meantime, turned from the front door and made her way to a corner of the garden that Mr. Collins did not frequent very often. She seated herself, noticing the favorable weather and the delicate scent of young roses in the gently breeze.
Not long after, Mrs. Collins appeared with the maid trailing after with a tray of tea and refreshments. "You are looking quite well, Miss de Bourgh," Mrs. Collins commented as she seated herself on the bench opposite of her.
"Thank you, but you must call me Anne," was the reply. "I believe your advice about walking more in the fresh air has done me much good. I do not feel as tired as I have in the past."
"Has your mother found out of Elizabeth's betrothal?" Charlotte responded, pouring the tea and offering a cup to Anne. "Sugar?"
"Yes to both. She scowled even more so than the usual, and I couldn't tell if she was turning into a beet or a ghost. I do not think she relished the news."
Charlotte laughed, "Indeed, but I hope all goes well for you. What will she say when she finds out your outings?"
"I hardly think she notices me. I am usually so quiet, and my governess provides an excellent alibi."
While Anne sipped tea with Charlotte in the vicarage garden, Lady Catherine was busy making plans. She had a journey to make. She barked out orders to her servant, pausing to exclaim her frustrations to the willing ear of her dedicated vicar. The next day, she travelled to Longbourne, only to find the girl she wished to speak with was in London. With a scowl that would split the full moon into half-moons, she returned to Rosings Park to plan her next steps.
The curious thing about Lady Catherine de Bourg was that she was a little more than what she appeared to be. True, she strongly advised (ruled) her parson and held her estate more a grip tighter than an iron fist, but she was also well-versed in botany. Why else did she order her parson to plant and tend the vicarage garden? Hidden among colorful blooms and fragrant herbs were a few plants that were poisonous upon ingestion. And that was not all, she descended from the cunning folk and kept her ancestors' notes in an overlooked book in an overlooked corner in the library. From time to time, she herself added her personal discoveries into that not-so-little, nondescript book. Not trusting Collins to bring her the right plant, she visited the vicarage when the parson and his wife were on their rounds to the parishioners. For the following weeks, she prepared a special gift for her daughter's groom's chosen bride (that is, a certain Miss Elizabeth Bennet). While the preparation of the gift was quite simple for her, the tricky part lay in delivery and ensuring digestion.
While Lady Catherine was steeped in wickedly cunning plans, Miss Bennet and Mr. Darcy were busy preparing for their wedding and getting married. Although Miss Bennet had little wealth and connection to contribute to the Darcy name, she had plenty of laughter and wit. It was those qualities that boosted the Darcy into more favor with the Ton upon their marriage. Very few could find it in themselves to strongly dislike the new couple, for they found that Mr. Darcy was much more approachable and Mrs. Darcy was fair in giving new acquaintances the benefit of the doubt. As for Miss Anne de Bourgh, she was finally welcomed into society with her cousins' help and without her mother's knowledge or approval. She was considered a delicate lady, but she had a strength of character that sparkled through her eyes. After all, no one but her cousins knew of the emotional and even physical difficulties of her upbringing.
By the time Lady Catherine de Bourgh was prepared to offer her gift of peace, which meant revenge in her vernacular, more than a year and a day had passed. In fact, she found that Darcy had been married for nearly two years to the farmer girl and had already gained an heir. It is safe to say to she railed against the world a solid fortnight to Collins or an empty room. She was still quite oblivious to fact that her daughter had also been presented to society for nearly two years as well. When she brought herself to a more peaceful state of mind, she prepared to make a surprise visit to Pemberley.
Author's Note: Well, here is the first chapter of the slightly expanded version to Echoes on the Stairs! Don't be surprised if you see a couple of similarities between this version and the original, but I can promise that it's not going to be the same.
