October 1, 2014 – When you live in Arizona, October means the heat is almost over and you will be able to wear long pants again soon without overheating. Cold showers are once again a reality, and you can open your doors in the morning and not have to worry about letting out the a/c.

There were lots of reactions to Lady Catherine's 'confession' in the last chapter, as I expected. She was a very fascinating character to write because she is so flawed. Time for a little freak-out and then see what Stuart has to say for herself.

Chapter 20

Darcy had a good idea where his wife had fled. It was their favorite retreat, the place where he had asked her to marry him, the place where they had shared their first kiss, and the place where they had finally declared their love to each other.

Darcy had just returned to Kent prior to the wedding. Since the engagement, he had been to Town and to Pemberley to prepare to take Anne as his bride. The changes he had deemed necessary to welcome Anne as the new mistress of his possessions were now complete. The legal documents pertaining to the match were signed. All that was left to do was to wait until the month before the wedding had passed.

Both Anne and Darcy struggled to keep their passions in check. Two months before, they had discovered how much they desired each other. Being satisfied with a mere kiss was becoming more and more difficult.

Wanting to be alone, they agreed to go for a walk. As always, their footsteps led them to their favorite glen. So many precious memories were associated with the spot that they went there by silent agreement. Once assured of their privacy, they were in each other's arms.

"I have missed you so!" Anne whispered as her lover trailed kisses down her neck.

"No more than I have you." His lips had reached the fabric of her bodice. He wished to explore lower but knew it was dangerous. Instead he reversed his course and eventually came to repossess her lips. Their mouths did battle for several minutes until Darcy realized he must stop them. He knew she could feel his 'reaction' against her stomach.

He ended their kiss and pulled her more tightly against him. Disguise was useless now, so instead he would relish the feel of her body against his.

"Forgive me," he pleaded.

"For what? For giving me as much pleasure as you took? We marry in a month." Then she added in a whisper, "I do not know how I can wait either." Her response pleased him beyond measure. She struggled as much with her desire for him as he did with his desire for her.

Darcy looked down at her and she lifted her chin to look at him.

"Would you allow me to tell you how much I have come to love you, my dearest Anne?"

Anne's face was radiant, full to overflowing with extreme joy. "Oh Fitzwilliam, only if you allow me to return the sentiment. I love none but you – fully, completely and passionately."

Far from restraining their ardor, their declarations only increased it. Suddenly their hands were exploring places they had never been given freedom to explore before. They came to be lying next to each other and Darcy was beginning to reach down to lift Anne's skirts when rationality returned. He found himself apologizing again. Anne would not let him shoulder the blame alone, but it was sobering enough that they realized the danger they were in and stopped before they went too far.

Darcy also remembered how they had returned to their glen after they had married. They gloried in reliving their encounter and enjoyed seeing it to its natural end as a husband and wife could.

He slowly ambled toward the sanctuary. Darcy knew his wife needed time to consider all she had learned over the course of the past four days. Until today, they held out a slim hope that this was all a gross misunderstanding, but Lady Catherine's admission of her daughter's unknown parentage had shattered the last encumbrance to the acceptance of Anne's true birthright. To this point, she had managed to remain calm, but in the face of Lady Catherine's confession, Anne had finally lost her composure. He wondered what was going through her heart and mind.

Sure enough, Darcy found his wife exactly where he expected. She sat on a bench he had placed there on their last visit. Anne must have heard him approaching because she looked at him when he appeared.

"I knew I would find you here in our refuge."

Anne bit her lip and turned her head to look away from him. Darcy was afraid she might react that way. He strode over and sat next to her on their bench.

"Please, dearest, do not turn from me now."

Anne stood up and walked a few paces away. She still would not face her husband and her arms hugged her body.

"I should not have come here. I thought in this place I might find peace. Instead I feel like an interloper and an impostor."

Darcy moved behind her and put his hand on her shoulder. "Anne…"

She whirled away, "Please, please do not touch me. It only makes it more difficult for me, especially here where there are so many memories.

"I… I have come to a decision. I will not challenge it if you wish to annul our marriage. I fully understand if you wish to repudiate Elizabeth as your lawful heir. I plan to ask Mr. and Mrs. Bennet if I may seek refuge with them as their daughter…"

"Stop it, Anne."

"Elizabeth, Elizabeth Bennet!" Anne cried.

Darcy had had enough. Before Anne could react, he had his arm around her and pulled her sobbing body to his. His words tumbled out. "No. You are Anne Darcy. I thought we had already discussed this. You may have been born Elizabeth Bennet but you were christened and raised as Anne de Bourgh. I took you as my wife, and until death do us part, you will remain Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy."

Darcy ceased speaking for a moment and relaxed his grip on Anne. She did not try to escape his embrace. When he began again, his tone was much gentler. "I know why you are reacting this way, but I am not going to allow you to doubt me. I love you, Anne; I have for a long time. You may not be my cousin by birth, but you are my wife by covenant and it will remain that way. I will allow nothing else."

He kissed her then, a possessive kiss leaving her in no doubt of his intentions. At first Anne tried to break away but he would not allow it. Before long she was kissing him back with equal desperation. Soon they were in a frenzied renewal of their vows.

Within minutes it was over and they were shocked at the spontaneity and intensity of their encounter. It was what they had most needed to reassure each other that they would remain faithful to their love.

After righting themselves, Darcy and Anne made their way back to the house. Upon entering, they were told both the Bennets and Lady Catherine had retired to their rooms.

"We should go to our rooms as well before we see Mrs. Stuart," Anne suggested.

"No, I think it is better that she sees you as you are."

"My clothing is in disarray, not to mention my hair, and I desperately need to wash my face. Anyone who sees me will know I have been crying."

"Which is why I think we should go and confront Stuart now. She knows the truth about your adoption. She's fiercely loyal to you and the signs of your distress may induce her to say more than she would otherwise."

Anne really did not want to face her devoted servant as she was, but she acquiesced to her husband's wishes.

~~~/~~~

Maggie Stuart was shocked when the Darcys arrived. They always sent word well in advance when they returned to Rosings. This time, however, no one had any warning that they were coming. Maggie was delighted to catch a glimpse of the baby before she was whisked upstairs to her newly decorated nursery. Only then did Maggie take a look at the people who had accompanied her master and mistress. She could barely keep her jaw from dropping when she saw the unknown girl. The shock was that the girl, while a stranger, was recognizable. Suddenly Maggie knew these people must be Miss Anne's true family. Somehow they had stumbled onto each other. This day had become the day of reckoning.

Quickly schooling her features, Maggie did as she was instructed and saw the two young girls to their room. From there, she made her way to the library, leaving directives that she was awaiting the Darcys and was not to be disturbed unless necessary until she had seen her employers.

In the solitude of the library, with books as her only witnesses, Maggie had to decide what she would do. She had no doubt that Lady Catherine would adhere to the story that the entire plot was Sir Lewis' idea. They had spent years perfecting the tale; Maggie knew it as well as Lady Catherine. Thus she could corroborate Lady Catherine's story or she could reveal the truth. Either way, Anne would be unhappy with her mother.

However, if she did stick to her bargain with Lady Catherine, Anne would eventually direct her anger towards her father and the relationship with her mother would be spared. She would also be saving her own position in the household. Maggie could still very well be turned out for her role in the deception, but if she supported Lady Catherine's position, she would stand a good chance of remaining Rosing's housekeeper.

Despite the motive of self-preservation, Maggie was nearly ready to confess. The years of bearing such a great secret had taken their toll, and the opportunity to purge her conscience was a powerful temptation. But just as powerful was the fervent protectiveness she felt for her "Little Anne." Maggie Stuart was resolved to say only what she believed was best for Anne de Bourgh Darcy to hear.

Her mind was made up when the Darcys finally appeared in the library. Their housekeeper stood in deference to their position of authority. Maggie saw that Anne had been crying and that they both appeared bedraggled. How much had her dear girl endured? They sat; she remained on her feet, hands held behind her back.

"Mrs. Stuart, in the unlikelihood that you have not yet guessed why we are here, I must inform you of the substance of our interview with Lady Catherine.

"While in Hertfordshire, we came to suspect that the circumstances of my wife's birth were not as we were led to believe. In fact, we came to the conclusion, after some startling evidence came to light, that the people who have arrived at Rosings with us today are Anne's true family. When confronted with this evidence, Lady Catherine confirmed that she did not give birth to Anne herself and that Anne was secretly brought to Rosings to become her daughter. Furthermore, she told us that you knew Anne was not her real daughter and that you helped conceal this fact for months before Anne was born."

"That is true, sir."

"Then I would like to know all that you know. Now."

Maggie nodded her head and looked at Anne; she knew then she would go to the grave with Lady Catherine's secret.

"I was Lady Catherine's maid then, as you know. She came to me and told me that Sir Lewis had asked her to claim another's child as their own. Lady Catherine believed the baby to be a relation of Sir Lewis, and an illegitimate child. However, she needed my help to pass the infant off as her own. I knew that this sort of thing happened and was willing to assist her. I made sure that all signs of her not being with child were hidden. When the baby was born, I helped bring it, you, Mrs. Darcy, into the house. Sir Lewis was gone across the sea at the time, so it was fairly easy to hide the truth from everyone."

"Who else knew?"

"The midwife knew, of course. She helped make it look as though a birth had occurred. And there was one other maid who was participated. She was sweet on a footman and he helped a bit, too. The wet-nurse knew; she was the one who brought the child to Rosings."

"Do you know what became of them? Are they still in service to Rosings?"

"No, sir. The midwife was from London, but I did hear that she had died about five years ago. After Miss Anne was weaned, the wet-nurse, Sally Robinson was her name, was given a generous dowry and she married her beau from Essex. He was the father of her baby, the one who made it so that she was forced to become a wet-nurse in the first place. I heard they were very happy, but that she died in childbirth, unfortunately."

"What of the other maid?"

"Sarah Simmons was a chambermaid. She married the manservant, Bobby Weeks. They asked for and were given passage to America, as well as a nice sum to get them started in their new country. I received word about a year after they left that they had arrived and then later that they were intending to go west into the wilderness, but I have not heard from them since."

"Everyone who knew is gone?"

"No, not everyone. Lady Catherine needed the assistance of a seamstress. I could sew some of her clothes, but not enough. I knew of a young lady who wanted her own shop, but lacked the money to establish herself. Lady Catherine's generous patronage allowed it to happen. You still shop at Mrs. Langley's, Mrs. Darcy."

Anne gasped. "She has known all this time?"

"Yes, ma'am. Though she would never tell a soul. You are not the first child brought up in the Quality to have been born on the wrong side of the blanket. Mrs. Langley told me, back during your first season, that there are others, but she would not say who, of course. She is a very discreet woman."

"Can you think of anything else?"

"Only that Lady Catherine was relieved once your father came home and you were christened in the Hunsford church. She thought he might change his mind, but he did not."

"Neither of them said where Anne came from?"

"No sir, I assumed what my mistress told me about Miss Anne being the product of some illicit union to be true."

"You never thought she might have been a foundling?"

"I had no reason to doubt the word of Lady Catherine, sir."

"What if I told you that Mrs. Darcy was not illegitimate, that she was cruelly removed from her real family and brought here?"

Maggie gasped. She had never truly known where the midwife got Anne from, but she had always assumed she was actually a foundling. "I had no idea, Mr. Darcy! I swear to you, Mrs. Darcy, I never knew you were anything other than a girl who had the great misfortune to be born to the wrong parents, but the greater fortune to be reared by the right ones. Sir Lewis and Lady Catherine never thought of you as anything other than their own offspring. Your father loved you; your mother loves you still."

Anne finally broke into tears. "But she lied to me! All these years have been a lie."

"No, ma'am, they have not! You have a lot to learn about love if you think it matters to your parents, or to me, that you were adopted."

Maggie took a deep breath and kneeled before her mistress. "I have loved you, protected you, cared for you all the more because I feared for you should you ever find out. No, you were not born a de Bourgh, but you became one. You are the pride and joy of your mother, your family and even this household. I have kept your secret for so long and I was prepared to keep it for as long as I lived. I will continue to do so, if you ask, even if you throw me out this very day."

She felt a man's hand on her shoulder and looked up through her tears at Mr. Darcy.

"Thank you, Stuart. You may go now."

"Go?"

"To your quarters. You must rest a while so you may resume your duties. I am afraid things may be chaotic for a few days and we will need your wise guidance of the household at this time."

"I am not being dismissed?"

"Only to rest. We will discuss your continued employment later, once the emotions of the day have had a chance to calm down."

Maggie rose and then dropped a deep curtsey. "Thank you, Mr. Darcy, Mrs. Darcy." With one last, long look, Maggie left her for her room, still housekeeper of Rosings Park.

~~~/~~~

Anne Darcy was exhausted. It had been an emotional day. Combine that with a poor night's sleep and a half-day in a carriage, and she wanted nothing more than to retire early. She had no desire to see her "mother," but her other mother and father, and two of her sisters were her guests. After an hour's rest, she appeared in the drawing room. All the Bennets were there. Darcy had preceded her downstairs.

When she entered the room, her husband smiled and came to escort her to an empty sofa. Aware that much needed to be said, but could not be as long as Anne Bennet was a part of their company, Anne Darcy asked the two girls about their wandering through the garden.

"At first, everything was fine and manicured, not at all like our gardens at Longbourn. I told Kitty it must take a small army of men to keep everything looking so perfect. But then we passed into a more wild area. I liked the contrast."

"My sister," Kitty explained, "likes to ramble about the countryside exploring all woods and glades and clearings in the vicinity."

"When I was younger, my… Lady Catherine and I disagreed on the styles of the gardens. She wanted more controlled and orderly plots while I preferred a more naturalistic approach. You saw the compromise."

"Your grounds here are beautiful. I should be thankful to live in such a grand place." Anne Darcy thanked the girl and they talked at length about the history of the house and the surrounding park. Anne offered to take them all on a tour the next day. Such an offer provided many topics to discuss until Anne Bennet was sent to bed.

"Now that we have the freedom to discuss what has occurred today, I must ask if Miss Catherine has been informed of the events of this afternoon?"

When he was told that she had been, Darcy addressed her directly. "Miss Catherine, I must ask you to not share anything you hear now without your father's permission."

She agreed and Darcy recounted what his housekeeper had told him.

"What happens now, Mr. Darcy?" Mr. Bennet asked.

Darcy was sitting next to Anne holding her hand. He looked to her for direction. She shook her head and shrugged her shoulders.

"I had planned to send an express to my uncle, the Earl of Perryton, tonight. He is currently residing at Alton House in Town and should be able to come to Rosings tomorrow. He should be able to help us formulate a plan of action."

"He is far enough removed to be objective, yet he is an interested party. I believe your choice to be sound. But until then, what about my daughter Anne? Should she be told?"

"She should be told something. Tomorrow Anne has promised a tour of the house and she will see the portrait in the music room. Unless you plan to skip that room, or remove the painting, she must be told something."

Darcy understood that there was an underlying issue that needed to be addressed. "Excuse us," he said, and led Anne to the window.

"Anne, I need to know. Are you resolved to claim these people as your parents and family?"

She sighed. "They must be, I can think of no other explanation."

"Then you must acknowledge it to them, at least."

"This is so hard, Fitzwilliam. They are total strangers."

"I know, but we must start somewhere. Will you claim them now?"

"Yes, since you believe it necessary."

"I am sorry."

"Come, let us be done with it."

Anne walked over to stand before the older couple. They rose to meet her.

"My husband has suggested, and I have agreed, that it is time to embrace what we all know must be true. I believe that I am your daughter, Elizabeth Bennet, who was taken from you when I was but a few days old. I ask that you accept me as your daughter and welcome me into your family."

Mrs. Bennet fell upon Anne, tearfully embracing her. "I had given up hope of ever seeing you again, Elizabeth. God has been good to us at last."

Mr. Bennet was no less moved. He placed his hand on Anne's shoulder as his wife was loath to release her daughter. His smiled sadly, mourning all the years they had been denied, but overjoyed at the prospect of getting to know his daughter in the years to come.

There was one member of the party who had not moved. Mr. Bennet addressed his other daughter. "Catherine, come and meet your sister."

The young woman, not yet eighteen, came to stand before Anne. "Catherine—or do you prefer to be called Kitty?"

"I should not mind if you call me either one," she said hesitantly.

"Then I will call you Catherine, for it is my own mother's name." A frown momentarily crossed Anne's face. "As hurt as I am by my mother's – my adoptive mother's – hiding the circumstances of my birth, I do love her. She is a great lady, the daughter of an earl, and she has been as good a mother to me as I could ever wish.

And it is a lovely name."

"Thank you, Mrs. Darcy."

"None of that. We are sisters, you know. You must call me Anne. Oh dear, this might become confusing. We have another sister Anne." It was the first time Anne had smiled that day. "I would say call me Elizabeth, but that is my daughter's name."

"I think Anne would be best, dear," Darcy interjected. He caught Anne's attention and looked towards Mr. and Mrs. Bennet.

Anne understood his hint.

"I would have you call me Anne as well, at least in private."

"Thank you, dear. I am afraid I may slip and call you Elizabeth from time to time," Mr. Bennet admitted. "But how shall you address us? I will not be offended if you choose to continue to call us Mr. and Mrs. Bennet. Lady Catherine is still your mother."

Ann was relieved by his suggestion. She did still think of Lady Catherine as her mother.

"That sounds like the best solution for the present," Anne agreed.

Darcy then insisted he be called "Darcy" by his new family. That issue settled, they were about to discuss the situation when the door was opened and Lady Catherine was announced.

Yeah, I left you with another cliffie. Can't be helped, I'm afraid, if I want to keep consistent chapter lengths. I'm sure you have more opinions on what was revealed today. I never said this was a simple story. ;-p

Thanks for all the kind words about my son. The car was replaceable; he is not.