August 22, 2014 – I wrote this story about five years ago so you won't have to worry about it not being finished. I'm reviewing it as I post, cleaning up the bits and pieces as I go along but there will be the inevitable typos and misspellings. My beta goddess divine never got her hands on this one.
Time to spring forward a bit to see 'Anne' as an older teen.
Chapter 3
The next five years saw many changes in Anne de Bourgh's life. She grew from the awkwardness of a girl into the grace of a young woman. It was not an easy transformation. Like any maturing female, she had her share of moodiness and dismay as her body lost the angularity of a child and rounded into the more curvaceous form of an adult.
Handling traumas such as the onset of her courses was left to the wise counsel of Anne's governess and the faithful housekeeper. Her mother had not thought to warn her of what was to begin and when she saw blood on her under things and petticoats, Anne panicked, certain she was dying. A fair amount of tears later, Mrs. Stuart had managed to calm the hysterical girl down and then told young Anne that she would survive, and that from now until the day she became with child that the same plague would visit her each month, as it did all women. Anne was embarrassed by her lack of knowledge and wondered if and when her mother had ever planned to speak of such things to her.
By the time Anne was fourteen, she was dining with her mother whether in company or alone. These meals were not easy for Anne. Much to her chagrin, it was made perfectly clear that until she was older, she was to be seen and not heard when other adults were present. If she had been a quiet and reserved young lady, such restraint would have been as natural as breathing. However, Anne was not such a shy creature. Her personality was lively and outgoing. Many times, she was forced to literally bite her tongue to refrain from commenting on some absurd utterance of her mother or her mother's guests, or to feign a cough in order to suppress a giggle. After such evenings, Anne regaled her maid with stories of the oddities she witnessed amongst those who were supposedly of greater maturity than she.
On the subject of men and marriage, well, suffice it to say that as Anne grew into a woman, the concept of the male/female attraction began to claim its charm on her. The first male to garner her attention was a footman. Anne began to take notice of the handsome young man who often helped her with her chair at mealtimes. Over the course of several weeks she would sneak looks at Thomas (she had learned his name) when she thought no one was looking. This could not continue forever and when, one evening in the course of dining Lady Catherine caught her daughter eyeing the servant, and then saw her lower her eyes and blush, the grand dame's gaze hardened. All the servants were immediately dismissed.
"Servants are servants, Anne. They do not deserve your notice."
"Pardon?"
"Silence! Do not prevaricate. I saw where your gaze lay. I witnessed also your ensuing blush. Your duty rests elsewhere, with gentlemen."
"Such as my cousin?"
"Yes. Fitzwilliam Darcy is exactly he to whom I refer. The sooner you accept your future, the better. You will not waste your time mooning after your social inferiors! The man is a servant. He was born a servant and he will die a servant. He understands that better than you, I dare say."
"I know exactly what he is. I only look to admire."
"And admiration can lead you into foolishness. Enough. Do not let me catch you in such an indecorous display again."
"Yes, Mama."
"Your dinner is over. Retire to your room immediately."
Sometime later that evening, Mrs. Stuart brought Anne a tray through the servants' entrance to her rooms.
"I thought you might still be hungry. Lady Catherine ended dinner rather abruptly."
"She thought I had lost my appetite."
"Had you?"
Anne did not reply.
"Lady Catherine spoke to me this evening."
Maggie's voice carried a hint of disapproval.
"I swear I did nothing wrong. Please do not be angry with me."
The housekeeper sighed.
"Miss Anne, I have to dismiss Thomas. I have no other choice; your mother will not be moved on the subject. At least I was able to convince her to provide a reference for the poor lad. I'll send inquiries to some of the nearby estates and see if I can find him a place."
Anne gasped.
"I had no intentions of harming anyone… I feel horrible!"
"I believe you, but you must learn from this. I lost a good servant today because of your lack of self-control. Think of what could have happened if you had allowed your fascination of him to lead you to initiate contact with the man. For Heaven's sake, learn your place and leave unsuspecting servants alone!"
By this point Anne was sobbing softly into her handkerchief. Maggie put her hand on the young girl's shoulder.
"Forgive me for upsetting you. But you must understand the error of your ways and not repeat your mistake."
"I promise; I will never do it again."
"Good, now have some food. Your mother would not be pleased if she knew I have brought it for you. I'll stay until you have eaten your fill and then remove the evidence."
"Why did Mama have to send Thomas away? He is innocent. It seems so cruel."
"Lady Catherine felt there was no choice and frankly I agree with her."
"You do?"
Anne was surprised.
"After what she saw tonight, she could not have him remain in her household, yet she did agree with my scheme to find him a new position. Miss Anne, I know I should not speak ill of your mother, but I know you do not always – shall we say – see eye to eye with Lady Catherine. She seems harsh and unbending in her ways. Please consider that she has been her own master for many years and she has always done what she believed was right for you from the very beginning. You owe everything to your mother; never, ever forget that."
"I know, and I owe just as great a debt to my father."
"Sir Lewis loved you very much."
"Tell me what you remember of him"
And so the servant told the young miss about the father she never knew. Anne had heard it all before, but somehow the remembrances of a missing parent helped to sooth her resentment over her living one.
There would be other males that Anne would notice. A stable hand caught her attention for a few weeks, but Anne had learned her lesson from Thomas the footman well. She never let any signs of her favor escape until the day she spied him kissing a scullery maid, a discovery that cured her of that inclination. Later, she thought well of a neighbor's son. He was her partner for dancing instructions. And although she would never admit it to herself, the most handsome man of her limited acquaintance was her Cousin Darcy. It was too mortifying to agree that the man her mother would have her marry was, in form and face, very appealing. No, it would not do at all!
~~~/~~~
Not all of the changes in Anne's life were confined to her maturing into womanhood. The most difficult, and the one Anne still had difficulty accepting, happened the February following her twelfth birthday. What she was too naïve to understand at the time was that the change in her godmother's body was the result of a very unexpected pregnancy. The result was tragic. Lady Anne Darcy died in childbirth: the infant, a girl did not survive. In one fateful day, Anne de Bourgh lost a cousin, an aunt, a godmother and a confidant.
Little Georgiana Darcy, just eight years old was devastated. Aunt Catherine insisted her brother-in-law bring his daughter to visit Rosings at least once a year at Easter and then that Anne return the visit to Pemberley in the autumn. Although there was a four-year age difference, Anne and Georgiana developed a bond of affection that seemed stronger than that of being merely cousins. It would serve to help Georgiana when, in the winter of 1806, her father died just as unexpectedly as her mother had done. This proved to be of greater significance to Anne than she would realize at the time. Her uncle had changed his will, and his arrangements as Anne's guardian and Rosing's trustee. Upon his death, her Uncle Fitzwilliam became her guardian and her cousin Darcy was named trustee of Rosings and other de Bourgh properties, a duty he held alongside his Uncle Harold Fitzwilliam, seventh Earl of Perryton.
~~~/~~~
When the news of George Darcy's death reached Rosings, Lady Catherine immediately took Anne with her to Pemberley.
"In such times, a woman's presence is needed, Anne. Men have no idea what to do," Lady Catherine pontificated in the carriage as they made their way north. "Your cousin Darcy is too young to bear such a responsibility without guidance. If this had happened in another two or three years, you would have been by his side as his wife and seen to such things yourself."
"Mother! I will not marry my cousin."
"Hmmph! I will not argue with you now, but when the time comes, I fully expect you to bend to your duty."
Anne crossed her arms over her chest and, with a scowl on her face, stared out the window. She had expected this conversation to come up during the journey. How she wished it had not! Her concern was her younger cousin, not her elder. Georgiana had been so distraught after Aunt Anne had died. Anne was worried about how she would react to the loss of her father.
"Poor Georgiana," Anne finally said, breaking the silence between mother and daughter.
"She will, of course, come to live with us at Rosings."
"Has this been decided?"
"There is nothing to decide. She needs a parent. My nephew certainly cannot raise her. I will tell him of my offer after we arrive."
Anne rather doubted that her cousin would relinquish Georgiana to the care of her mother. She sighed. It would be an interesting fortnight.
At last they arrived and it became clear even before they left their conveyance that Pemberley was in mourning. Black was draped everywhere one would expect, the servants were even more subdued than normal, and there was an unnatural silence. It was as if the estate itself knew that its caretaker had passed away.
Fitzwilliam Darcy was there to greet them, his sister at his side. To Anne, Georgiana looked as lost a soul as anyone she had ever seen. Her brother… Anne hardly noticed.
The rest of the family had already gathered. The funeral had already taken place. There was no need to wait for Lady Catherine's arrival since, as a woman, she would not have been allowed to attend. Anne paid her respects to her relative before escaping to search out Georgiana. The girl had disappeared after they had entered the house, but Anne had a pretty good idea of where to seek the eleven year-old.
She found her in the old tree house. It had been built by Uncle Darcy for Fitzwilliam when he was a boy. Georgiana had discovered it when she was little and loved to bring Anne when the de Bourghs visited. Anne was rather fond of the hideaway herself, and though it may not have been her mother's idea of a proper place for a girl, would agree to Georgiana's schemes to play there.
Anne climbed up the old ladder into the tree house. Georgiana sat on the floor with her knees drawn up to her chin and her arms clasped around her legs. Her back was to the steps. In front of them both was a magnificent view of the house.
"Hello, Cousin," Georgiana said. "I watched you coming from the house."
"I knew I would find you here."
"No one bothers me here. Brother knows I where I am in any case."
Anne did not know what to say to the girl. She had lost her father too, but as an infant. It was not the same. So instead of talking, she sat next to Georgiana and put her arm around her shoulders. Georgiana did not speak, but soon Anne noticed the tears begin to stream down her cousin's face. With her free hand, Anne retrieved her handkerchief and handed it to Georgiana who sniffed and dabbed at her cheeks and eyes.
They must have sat like that for nearly a half hour. Georgiana calmed and leaned her head against Anne's shoulder.
"Thank you, Anne."
The words were but a whisper.
"You are welcome."
"Sometimes I miss him so much I can hardly breathe. And then I think about Mother. How can they both be gone?"
Anne blinked back a tear.
"I do not know, but I miss them too."
The two girls remained high in the trees in the place Georgiana's father had built. They talked about the events of the past week and the changes that were sure to come. Anne was well aware of the gap in their ages, but she also knew they shared a burgeoning bond between them. When Georgiana was ready, they returned to the house walking arm in arm. They had loved and lost two very special people. The hurt from the loss would take years to go away, but for now they would face the family party together.
~~~/~~~
In the years since Anne's twelfth birthday, her Fitzwilliam cousins were not idle. Martin Fitzwilliam had done what needed to be done and married new money. It was a good match for both families. The lady's dowry would help further reverse the financial losses from his wastrel grandfather and his title would buy the respectability her family craved. Thus far their union was blessed with both a boy and a continued amicable relationship between the child's parents.
Martin's younger brother had finished his studies at Cambridge and accepted the captain's commission Lord Perryton had purchased in the army. He had since seen action in the peninsular campaigns and had risen to the rank of major; therefore, it was somewhat of a surprise when he was appointed co-guardian of his young cousin Georgiana Darcy, a position he shared with her older brother.
Anne's education was conducted within the household. This had been a spot of contentions between her mother and her first guardian. Her uncle Darcy was of the opinion that Anne should have been sent to the finest of the seminaries established for the daughters of the wealthy. Lady Catherine was opposed to allowing Anne to live away from her. On this point she would not budge and, eventually, Mr. Darcy relented. After Mr. Darcy died and Anne's other uncle took his place, Anne hoped she would be allowed to leave for school. Alas, the Earl was not nearly as adamant about his preference to send Anne away for her final education. Thus, she remained under her mother's rule. Anne's dream of some independence, and some female friends, died with the Earl's capitulation. Furthermore, in the effort to control her headstrong daughter, Lady Catherine employed a companion for Anne once she was deemed too old (and too advance in her studies) for a governess. Mrs. Jenkensen was a colorless individual, in Anne's opinion. And while Anne did not question her companion's desire for her wellbeing, she knew her mother had chosen a woman whose first loyalty was to her employer and not to her charge.
~~~/~~~
One glorious summer remained before Anne de Bourgh turned seventeen. Lady Catherine decided that a return to her childhood home was in order. Perryton, the seat of the Earldom of Perryton was situated in northern Lincolnshire. In other words, the estate sat in the middle of the breadbasket of England.
Under the late Earl's watch, the land had not produced as it should. The estate had suffered. This mismanagement, along with a weakness for gaming and horses, had severely depleted the coffers of the earldom.
The current Earl was ashamed at the meager dowries of his sisters upon their marriages. A daughter of an earl should be worth more than a mere fifteen thousand pounds! This deficiency in dowry was the main reason for which both Lady Anne and then Lady Catherine had accepted offers from suitors of untitled family lines. True, Sir Lewis was, by the time of their courtship, a knight, but his offspring would be born as title-less as he had been.
Much like the rest of Perryton, the house showed some signs of neglect. While the lawns and gardens were well manicured and the grounds were neat and tidy, there were yet some repairs that had been put off due to lack of funds. The servant's entrance was in in want of attention and more than one location beside the stables desperately needed a new coat of paint. Lady Catherine had been steeling herself against childhood memories of dilapidated boards and muddy puddles. She was pleased to see that such things were gone and that the house in general looked better with each visit. When her brother had become earl, the whole family had breathed a sigh of relief. They would miss the last earl, but they would not miss the steadily declining wealth. It had taken Harold Fitzwilliam time, but Perryton was recovering. The influx of cash from Martin's bride's dowry would mean that the next generation would not suffer the same uncertainty over the financial solvency that Harold Fitzwilliam and his siblings and offspring had.
Of these Fitzwilliam family misfortunes, Anne was not aware. Her mother was not as fanatical about visiting Perryton as she was of their yearly pilgrimage to Pemberley. Anne was not one to compare the three estates as a child. Her eyes did not notice the disparity in wealth between her Fitzwilliam cousins and herself and the Darcys. Each place, and family, held its own charms. This visit would change that, for there was now in residence at the family seat the next countess of Perryton – the Viscountess Newman – the former Miss Matilda Harris. Her father was a very, very rich merchant who aspired to match his only daughter with peer. Her dowry was large enough to tempt Martin Fitzwilliam into matrimony. To be fair, Martin's motives were not entirely mercenary; he found Miss Harris to be a highly accomplished young woman. She was not what one might call a "real beauty", but to not grant her the description of "pretty" would be a disservice.
Unfortunately, the future countess did not always get along with the current one and when both were living under the same roof, tempers were bound to flare.
Thus was the situation when a carriage bearing the de Bourgh crest arrived at the manor. It did not take Lady Catherine long to see that mother and daughter-in-law would rather be anywhere but in the same drawing room together welcoming the newest guests. Anne was as perceptive as her mother and struggled to school her features least she give her diversion of the matter away. Lady Catherine noticed her daughter's struggles. It was at times like these that she forgot that Anne was not her own flesh and blood, so similar was their ability to find their amusement in the folly of others. What set the pair apart were their opposite manners of expression. Lady Catherine tended to be patronizing, while Anne was more forgiving of the foibles of her fellow man and favored the ironic approach. She was always respectful of her Aunt Alice Fitzwilliam, but in her playful moments, Anne could also be mischievous.
This was one of those times.
"It is so good to be back at Perryton, Aunt Alice. And with most of the family in residence! So many people these days take family for granted. With the wars on the continent, one can never know when families of our station – with sons serving the crown – will be able to meet on their estates. Do you not agree, Lady Newman?"
"We are all pleased Major Fitzwilliam will be joining the party, Miss de Bourgh."
Alice Fitzwilliam pursed her lips.
"I for one will be glad to see the whole family here." She stared at her daughter-in-law and then added, "Andrew has his leave and Darcy has promised to bring Georgiana. Speaking of Georgina, she is growing up quickly. I remember the year you turned twelve, Anne, and the family gathered at Rosings to commemorate the event. That was before you met Martin, Matilda."
Anne noticed her cousin's wife flinch. As far as Anne knew, Matilda Fitzwilliam never called any of her family by their Christian names and she expected everyone else to call her Lady Newman.
"Oh, that must have been three years ago? I first made the Viscount's acquaintance shortly after then."
"Nearly five years ago. Anne is will be seventeen in September," Lady Catherine clarified, clearly displeased at the slight of her daughter.
"I am sure Matilda meant no disrespect, Catherine," her sister assured her, "she is not used to seeing beautiful young women who look younger, instead of older than their age. You certainly aged well and I do believe Anne is following in your footsteps."
With a wicked gleam in her eye, the countess turned to her son's wife and continued thusly –
"You see, my dear, if your children take after the Fitzwilliam line, they too have hopes to retain their looks like their aunts. Lady Anne Darcy, God rest her soul, was another Fitzwilliam who looked years younger than her actual age."
Left unsaid was the fact that Lady Newman did not share the great fortune of aging well. She was three and twenty but if Anne did not know that, she would have guessed the woman closer to her thirtieth birthday than her twentieth.
Satisfied with her daughter's mischief, Lady Catherine declared that she was tired and asked to be taken to their rooms. Equally pleased with her niece's bit of fun, Lady Perryton quickly agreed.
On the way to their quarters, Lady Catherine admonished her daughter. "It is a little early in the visit to be baiting your cousin."
"Matilda is an insufferable social climber. As if she were born the daughter of a gentleman, much less a titled one!"
"Nevertheless, you must display to her your superior breeding. And do think of dear Martin. He had to marry her, or someone like her, for her wealth. At least I hear the boy is partial to her. Poor Alice. Promise me you will behave for the rest of the day?"
"Yes, mother."
There were times when Anne and Lady Catherine got along famously. Today happened to be one of them and Anne decided that for once she would acquiesce to her mother's request. She knew they would be back to their accustomed battles soon enough. Mama was home again; today would be hers to enjoy without any disagreements with her independent-minded daughter.
That was fun.