August 20, 2014 – I decided to post today like I normally would if I were posting three times a week. Congratulations! You're still reading, it means you have divined my intent for this tale. From the reviews left, most of your have; a few have not. As I said before I will neither confirm nor deny anything about certain obvious plot points until chapter 17. (wink) I will also refrain from adding any characters to the story description until then either. (another wink)
Which means expect a long author's note when we get to chapter 17.
Cheers!
Chapter 2
In the weeks that followed the arrival of Anne de Bourgh to her new family, Lady Catherine spent as much time as she could with the newborn. It could be supposed that a spark of maternal affection was the catalyst for this behavior, but that would put too noble a light on the lady's actions. It simply would not do for her husband to come home and see the child screaming whenever her mother held her. It would also be unfair to fail to note that Lady Catherine's attitude towards her daughter did soften. She no longer thought it odious to hold and comfort a child. Amazingly, she was quite pleased when the little one would settle and fall back asleep in her arms. All said, the situation was surprisingly… tolerable!
Lady Catherine's parents were the first to arrive. Lady Catherine had still not forgiven her mother for the advice she had given before the wedding. In some strange twisting of blame, Lady Catherine laid at her mother's feet all the fault for forcing her to go to such extreme measures to produce a child. Therefore, she derived an inordinate sense of pleasure when her mother pointed out certain Fitzwilliam family characteristics in the face of little Anne. None of the rest of the family was so effusive in their praise of Miss de Bourgh as her mother, but her sister Lady Anne Darcy's comments on the beauty of the child were the one Lady Catherine coveted the most. She had plans for her sister's son – and his estate.
Sir Lewis arrived back at Rosings unaware of what had occurred. The letter his wife had written was passing in one direction across the Atlantic while he was sailing in the other. He was anxious for news of his wife and child and so, once his ship had docked in England, he traveled with all haste to his home.
He found his family in the refurbished nursery, his wife leaning over the bassinet.
"Is it a boy or a girl?"
Lady Catherine jumped at the familiar voice of her husband.
"We have a daughter, Lewis. Come and meet Anne."
She retrieved the sleeping child and gave her to her father and held her breath. This was the moment. Everything depended on his reaction.
For Sir Lewis, there was no doubt. One look into the bright eyes of the child awakening in his arms was all he needed to fall hopelessly in love with the girl. Here was his daughter. The muscles in his face relaxed and a gentle smile pulled at the corners of his mouth.
"Hello my precious Anne. I am your Papa, just come home from a long journey."
The tenderness in his voice surprised Lady Catherine. She had never heard such a thing from him before. Theirs was a made-match, one to combine her connections as the daughter of an Earl with his wealth and knighthood. There was a substantial gulf in age; he was nearly twenty years her senior. But with her relatively modest dowry of fifteen thousand pounds, she had reached for the most advantage match she could get. So far, with the obvious exception of the activities undertaken in their bedroom, she was satisfied. He was rich enough to support her as she wished and he was a kind man. She may have wished he were more dashing and handsome, but really, she had made her choice and would do her best not to regret it.
Now, with the prospect of rearing a daughter as she saw fit, Lady Catherine was at last delighted with her situation. The inability to conceive a child had given her the opportunity to pick a girl, a girl who would someday inherit Rosings. Lady Catherine no longer had to fear being sent away from her home when her husband died and he left his estate to a nephew. Now, he would leave it all to Anne. If Lady Catherine had anything to say about it, Anne would be the only heir.
Fortunately for her, while Lady Catherine was exulting in her success, Sir Lewis was drowning in his daughter's eyes. Nothing was to be spared to bring about her happiness. He would send instructions to his attorney in the morning; Anne was to be formalized as his new heir. He sincerely hoped that one day she would have brothers and sisters reap the benefits of the trip he had just made. He hoped Catherine would agree to more children. He would love his daughter all the days of his life. Being a father was glorious!
~~~/~~~
Unfortunately, Sir Lewis did not live long enough to see his daughter learn to walk. An influenza epidemic swept through Kent and Sir Lewis, weakened by some tropical disease he had picked up the previous year, succumbed to death. Just a year old, Anne de Bourgh inherited all of her father's assets. Her mother and her uncle Darcy were her guardians, with her uncle appointed as trustee of the estate.
In the years that followed, Anne grew from a precocious toddler into and even more precocious child. Lady Catherine paid minimal attention to her, instead delegating the task to the paid help. As long as her daughter was able to show the proper respect to her mother, Lady Catherine was content to leave child rearing to the nursery maids.
Anne loved those who provided her care, and strived to please them. In turn, the adults in her life found her to be a bright child with a strong will. When Miss de Bourgh set her mind on something, heaven help the person who had to tell her "no."
During this time Maggie Stuart, or Mrs. Stuart as she was now known, became Anne's champion of sorts. Maggie developed a great fondness for the child and became devoted to her. Maybe it was the fact that Maggie knew Anne had been born into a different family and that she felt guilty for depriving those unknown souls of such a lovely child that moved her. Perhaps it was a distrust of her mistress. Whatever the reason, Maggie shielded Anne from her mother as much as she could. Lady Catherine rarely heard of the harmless pranks Anne devised, nor saw the torn and muddied skirts the girl frequently returned to the house in after an adventure in the park. It was not until Anne turned twelve that the trouble between mother and daughter really began.
~~~/~~~
Anne's twelfth birthday proved to be a watershed event in her life. Up to that point, she had been allowed to grow up with a minimal amount of interference from Lady Catherine. A governess had been selected when she was old enough to begin formal her formal education and Lady Catherine was content as long as Anne made the progress that it was assumed she should make. Various masters were consulted as needed and Anne began to learn to play the pianoforte at a young age. She drew very well and was fluent in French and to a lesser extent, German.
To celebrate, and to more importantly, display this paragon of youthful accomplishments, Lady Catherine had arranged a celebration in honor of Anne's birthday. All of her Darcy and Fitzwilliam cousins, as well as a few of her more distant de Bourgh relatives, were in attendance.
In accordance with her mother's lectures of the entire week previous, Anne had done her best to display "proper" deportment. Lady Catherine was adamant and Anne was indignant; her mother had never taken her to task like that before. Her mother never was bothered with her that much before. Why start now? Miss Anne de Bourgh, heiress of Rosings and other extensive properties, was not some insignificant little girl. She was nearly a woman and her mother's implication that she did not fully comprehend what was demanded of her was insulting! She was the one with a great fortune, not her mother, and if that woman thought she was in some way deficient, she had few things to learn about her daughter! Anne would show her mother she was ready to take her place in society just as soon as she was old enough. Filled with such righteous indignation, Anne had gone searching for someone other than her younger cousin Georgiana to display her poise and sophistication.
She heard the somewhat familiar voices of her three eldest male cousins in a room down the hall. Before she entered to greet them with the most proper of curtseys, she stopped to listen to their conversation. Eavesdropping was one of her weaknesses.
"Darcy, have you met your future bride yet today?" she heard her eldest cousin, Martin Fitzwilliam, the Viscount Newman, say.
"I am not engaged to Cousin Anne, as you well know. She is just a child."
"Stop teasing Darcy; you are just jealous that Aunt Catherine didn't pick you to fixate upon, Martin." Andrew Fitzwilliam, the younger brother of Martin, replied. He was Anne's favorite cousin.
Anne heard the men snort. She had nearly snorted as well. Her mother expected her to marry her cousin Darcy?
"That's because Aunt Catherine knows Darcy is worth more than me. I have the title, but he has the superior estate."
"Do not be so modest; your father has done much to revive Perryton since he inherited it from our Grandfather." Darcy said in sympathy.
"If our grandfather had not been such a wastrel it would never have been necessary. I think Father's greatest motivation was to be able to offer larger dowries for my sisters than he was able to give to his sisters."
"That will never be a problem for Anne. She'll eclipse them all. I would think that would be enough incentive for you to make the match, Darcy," Martin Fitzwilliam said in earnest – Anne could tell by the tone of his voice that he had said it in earnest.
Darcy took his time answering and Anne stewed in the background. Insufferable man!
"I admit that the prospect of such match should not be dismissed without a great deal of thought. It would consolidate two fine estates and make us a very wealthy couple. But as I said, Anne is just a child. I have no idea what kind of a woman she will mature into. You have to admit she is not a pretty as she was when she was younger. And marrying Anne would mean that Lady Catherine would become my mother as well."
Somehow Anne could feel the men shudder. Not that she blamed them.
"I do not wish to marry some vapid, insipid creature. I would wish for a wife who is lively, yet submissive. And let us not forget that, while I am not yet twenty, she I but twelve! Gracious, it will be at five years before she is even out. Much can happen in the intervening time."
"You would be a fool to dismiss it out of hand." Martin countered.
Yes he would! I am more than an acceptable match for him! My father had a title, his does not! I own an estate as great his. My mother… perhaps he has a point there. But how dare he think so poorly of me. Not as pretty as I used to be. Hah! A child? I will show him! Someday he will regret his disregard when I make an even more splendid match. Wait! Who said I had to get married? I do not even want to get married. I want to continue here at Rosings as Mistress of this place, beholden to no man!
Anne was so engrossed in her ruminations that she missed her Cousin Darcy's response.
"I am not dismissing Anne, only giving her time to grow into womanhood. When she is older and ready to think about such things, and if I am not yet married, we will see. Truly, I have no idea if we would get on together, but for my mother's sake I would be willing to explore the possibility."
"Shall we go and find the rest of our party?" Andrew asked.
The sound of men getting out of their seats brought Anne out of her reverie. While the men took their time in leaving the room, Anne hurried to escape. In fact, she ran upstairs and hurried her way right into a very surprised Aunt Anne Darcy.
"Slow down, child." Lady Anne saw the stricken look on her goddaughter's face. "Has something upset you?"
Not wishing to make a scene in front of the footman, or anyone else for that matter, Anne grabbed her aunt's hand and pulled her into a private sitting room. After she closed the door she wrapped her arms around her aunt and started to cry. Aunt Anne felt a little softer around the middle but Anne did not seem to notice.
"Shhhhhh, it is your birthday! Nothing can be that awful."
"Oh yes is can!" came the sobbing reply.
"Anne, darling," her aunt placed a finger under the distressed girls chin and forced her to look up at her. "Tell me what is wrong. I cannot help you fix what you do not tell me."
"Is… Is it true that my mother wants me to marry Fitzwilliam?"
"Where did you hear that?"
"Someone was just mentioning the fact."
"You were listening to someone's conversation? Anne, you know better than that."
"Well, (sniff) I did not mean to, it just happened. I do NOT want to marry my cousin."
Anne suddenly remembered who her cousin's mother was. Her hand covered her mouth in horror.
"Oh, I am so sorry. He is your son, and a fine man. I…"
Lady Anne was amused.
"I know you meant no disrespect," she said. "I think you could do a lot worse than marrying Fitzwilliam."
"It is not just Cousin Fitzwilliam. I do not want to marry any man! I do not need to marry any man. I am perfectly content to live life on my own. I may not be pretty like you, but I am intelligent enough to run Rosings someday all on my own."
Lady Anne was starting to have some suspicions about what Anne had overheard.
"Not pretty? Anne, you are a very pretty young lady and soon you will be a beautiful woman."
"Do you think so?"
"Of course, dearest. You are in that wonderful and awful stage of life where you are no longer a girl and not yet a woman. I promise, this will soon pass and you will look back on this time and laugh."
"But will I have to marry my cousin?"
"Only if you want to. Yes, your mother has long made it known that it is her wish, and I too would love to have you for a daughter, but no one will force you into something you do not wish, least of all my son."
"Oh, Aunt Anne, thank you! I only hope that my cousin's heart will not be crushed when I tell him I do not wish to marry him, or anyone else."
The lady gave the girl a good squeeze before releasing her from her grasp. She looked down at the girl in front of her and took out her handkerchief to dry the last of her tears. With a twinkle in her eye she told Anne, "I hope you are gentle with him then. Come, let us go to my room so you can wash your face and be presentable for company."
As they walked down the hall to Lady Anne's rooms she imparted one last bit of advice: "Never say never, Anne. I said never once."
~~~/~~~
That night, when Anne retired to her room, her mother came in to speak to her.
"You will be moving out of the nursery and into your own rooms very soon. I will order the suite at the end of the east wing to be made ready. It is my main birthday gift to you. The decorators will be here the day after tomorrow to begin. In addition, from now on you will take all of your meals with me. It is time I begin your final education. Well, what do you say, child?"
"Thank you, Mama," was Anne's unenthusiastic response. Her spirits were still subdued due to learning of her mother's plans for her future.
"You sound ungrateful!"
"No, you misunderstand me. I am excited to be moving into my own rooms. I am only a little sad to be leaving these rooms."
Lady Catherine seemed mollified by her answer.
"It is time you begin to grow up. You are no longer a child. All too soon it will be time for you to come out and be presented in court. I have much to do to see you are ready to assume your position in society."
"Does that position include becoming a wife to Cousin Darcy?"
Lady Catherine peered intently at her daughter.
"Why do you ask?"
"It was only some conversation I overheard about the expectation that you have that we will be married."
"I see."
Lady Catherine pursed her lips.
"It would be a fine match for you. I have long dreamed it would take place," she owned at last.
"What if I do not wish to marry Cousin Darcy, nor him me?"
"Nonsense! When the time comes, you will both do your duty."
"But…"
Lady Catherine glared at Anne before she could finish.
"While you have done well acquiring those accomplishments necessary to all women of good breeding, I see you have not been taught the importance of duty. Very well, I know what course to take with your education now. We will speak more of this later. For now, think on what I have told you and be prepared to learn what you must learn. Good night, Anne."
A few minutes after Lady Catherine left, Maggie Stuart crept into Anne's room. As expected, she heard sniffles.
"Miss Anne?"
"Mrs. Stuart?"
Anne sat up and wiped her tears away. The housekeeper sat on the edge on the bed and smoothed a curl away from her young mistress's forehead.
"There now. No one should cry on her birthday! Did you not like your presents?"
"They were lovely. No, the problem is Mama."
"Has her ladyship said something to upset you?"
"Did you know she wants me to marry my cousin?"
"I have heard her mention it before."
"But I do not want to marry anyone!"
"Of course not, you are only just turned twelve."
"Not now, silly, ever!"
"Well… ever is a long time, Miss Anne. I think you should stop worrying about it for now and enjoy becoming a young lady. Soon enough you will have beaus of every kind at your feet. You may feel a bit differently, then."
"I will not!"
"As you say, Miss Anne."
"My mother told me I will be moving to my own apartments very soon."
"Your mother spoke to me about it a few weeks ago."
"Do you suppose she will allow me any say on how they are decorated?"
"Let us strike a bargain. You promise me not to worry too much about who and when you marry and I will promise to use all of my influence to see to it that your tastes are taken into consideration."
"Mama will just have her way."
"Not if I can help it. I am very resourceful, you know."
"Yes I do know, Mrs. Stuart."
"Then we have an agreement."
Anne beamed.
"Certainly!"
"Good, now it is time for you to get your beauty sleep. Goodnight, Miss Anne."
"Goodnight."
Maggie was just getting ready to leave when Anne stopped her.
"Mrs. Stuart, why did you never marry?"
"I am afraid I have been too busy seeing after you and this household to have time to marry."
"But would you if you ever had the time?"
"I suppose that would depend on if I ever met the right man. I have a pretty good life here. It would take a man of some means to provide me with something as satisfactory. And surely such a man as that would never stoop to marry a servant, even a housekeeper of such a grand house. That is not something that will ever hinder you, Miss Anne."
"I am sorry, I never stopped to think. You are happy here?"
"Yes, I am. I will not leave you. I promise."
Anne did not respond for several moments.
"I will not fail you, Mrs. Stuart."
"Goodnight, Miss."
"Goodnight."
Still with me?