Update ch 35
The carriage ride was long, and multiple times Mr. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam wished they had opted to ride. The privacy of a carriage was instrumental for their initial plan to coordinate and plot Anne's rescue and marriage; however, they found themselves repeating the same phrases after half an hour. The rest of the time they sat in silence or feigned sleep. Mr. Darcy did not wish to discuss his engagement, while the colonel did not want to think about being the only bachelor in the family. His mother would become quite overbearing.
Their first stop was Matlock House. The imposing edifice stood proud and tall. Mr. Darcy looked up and wondered if Elizabeth would consider it daunting, but immediately dismissed the idea. Matlock House was a building, nothing more. She had complained a few times about Rosings furniture being too ornamental, and she might have similar opinions when she met this aunt. While the two matrons did not get along, they had very similar ambitions and taste.
They were shown into the drawing room where Lady Matlock had a tea tray prepared for them. She remained sitting with a look of boredom common amongst the ton. Mr. Darcy was not pleased by the lack of affection, though he expected it. He wondered what Elizabeth would make of his aunt. The memory of her polite returns to every statement uttered by Lady Catherine made him think she would simply store memories that they would laugh about later. He smiled, safe that his future held such felicity.
"Mother, how good to see you." The colonel began.
"Richard, Fitzwilliam, I am surprised you have come to call during visiting hours. You should know that I expect at least three more ladies to call on me with their daughters before the hour is done. Perhaps one of them will take your fancy, though I have nearly given up on your ability to entertain the idea of marriage."
The colonel was about to respond when the butler announced Lady Whistleton and her two daughters. Mr. Darcy and the colonel shared a look of abject horror as they realized they must now remain far longer than they had hoped in order for them to ask to see Anne. Each shifted uncomfortably as they accepted their fate with barely restrained annoyance.
Lady Matlock smirked at their antics. "Welcome, Fanny. Come and have a seat with me." she announced, leaving the two unmarried ladies no option but to pair up with the gentlemen. The look of delight on Lady Whistleton's face only matched that of Lady Jane as she sat beside the recently very eligible Mr. Darcy. She was close enough that her ostrich feather nearly hit Mr. Darcy, who scooted as far as he could without appearing rude. Lady Martha's face more closely resembled the gentlemen's annoyance as she sat beside the colonel. Her sister always enjoyed first pick of eligible gentlemen, and Mr. Darcy was the better catch.
The two matriarchs began speaking of the balls they had attended and the people they had seen. The colonel coughed slightly before he began his role of conversing with the ladies. Mr. Darcy sat still and barely offered comment when he was spoken to, worried more about the ostrich feather coming closer than offending his companion. The weather was not interesting enough a topic to keep his mind from wandering to his betrothed and what her reactions would be.
When the visit ended, Lady Matlock scolded Darcy for his reticence. "You must marry, and speaking to women must happen if you are to learn enough about them to choose a wife. Or perhaps you shall leave the matchmaking to me and propose to whomever I find agreeable. Lady Jane might just appreciate not having to speak with you before the wedding."
"No, aunt, I shall find my own wife in my own time." He blushed slightly as he thought of his aunt's likely reaction to meeting Elizabeth. Until he asked her father for his blessing, he could not announce his betrothal. "Why is Anne not with you?" He asked bluntly, before another interruption could stop him. "We need to speak with her."
Lady Matlock looked confused as she transferred her gaze from one gentleman to the other. "Why would she be here? She never leaves Rosings."
The colonel sighed heavily. Mr. Darcy hung his head in annoyance. The confusion meant Anne had not come this way yet. "She has left Rosings."
The butler entered before another word could be said. Lady Stanton and her only daughter followed the butler. Lady Matlock looked like she could barely contain her frustration as she smiled and welcomed their guests. She was intrigued by her son and nephew. Colonel Fitzwilliam greeted Lady Esther, taking the pressure off Mr. Darcy as he watched with increasing annoyance at a new conversation about the weather. Lady Esther had no choice but to sit with the colonel.
Mr. Darcy's attention was claimed by his aunt's conversation when there was mention of Miss de Bourgh. Lady Matlock eagerly encouraged the conversation and was not disappointed.
"My sister and her husband returned from Kent this morning, bursting with the news. Mr. Darcy and," She stopped abruptly as she remembered Mr. Darcy was in the room presently. Quickly changing her focus, she said, "Mr. Darcy, from what I hear, you and your cousin make quite the couple. You opened the ball with her, and you escorted her off the floor before the set ended. Should we be congratulating you on your betrothal?"
Lady Matlock forgot to breath as Mr. Darcy stated flatly, "That is rather premature. There are a few tasks to manage before I think of my own betrothal or make anything official."
"Oh!" Lady Stanton giggled, pleased to have confirmed her sister's account. "I suppose Lady Catherine gave her approval. She must be quite pleased to have her desire come to fruition. Perhaps you came to London for a special license?"
"Lady Catherine has been hoping for a betrothal for years." Lady Matlock looked at her nephew incredulously. Mr. Darcy slightly shook his head in the negative, hoping his aunt would follow his direction for once. Lady Catherine would never listen to advice, but Lady Matlock was more discerning. She took the hint and did not elaborate. Gossip of one betrothal, even the wrong one, was better than scandal.
"As I said, there are a few tasks to manage before it is time to purchase a license." Mr. Darcy said, hoping the matter would drop. He did plan on purchasing a special license if Mr. Warden had not done so yet.
The colonel roused himself before Mr. Darcy said more that could fuel a gossip chain. "Your sister must have left early after that dance. I was dancing with a very charming lady at the time, and after, I don't recall seeing your sister or her husband."
"His gout had acted up, and they left after the first set. Still, to see Miss de Bourgh open a ball is very impressive. Everyone knows Lady Catherine's opinion on the matter. Like her, I had hoped that," She paused, realizing she could not say that she hoped for an offer from Mr. Darcy for her own daughter in front of him, "Well, never mind what I had hoped. We shall of course wish you joy whenever you are prepared to accept it. Miss de Bourgh will make a fine wife."
"May her future husband find joy with her." Mr. Darcy stated, thoroughly confusing the two matrons.
As soon as the visit ended, Lady Matlock told the butler she was too tired for more calls. She then returned to her seat and demanded that they tell her what was going on. "You would never marry Anne, and if she was dancing with you less than twenty hours ago, she could not possibly be here."
The colonel sighed. "We had hoped she would have come here. After the first dance, Anne eloped with Mr. Warden to London. We have come to ensure they marry." After a pause, he added, "We hoped you had let them stay here, for their plan, according to a letter, is to announce their marriage at your ball. It implied you were complicit in their plans."
"She eloped!" She shrieked in a less than ladylike fashion. She leaned forward so that she was on the edge of her seat. "You must tell me everything. How could Catherine allow this?"
"Quite easily, once there was a ball distracting Lady Catherine." The colonel chuckled. "She was too busy speaking with Lady Metcalfe about whose carriage was bigger or some such nonsense to notice her daughter slip away."
"You did not notice it either." Lady Matlock added.
The colonel squirmed slightly, not sure the time was right to talk about Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. "I had made a promise to dance and flirt with the unmarried ladies, and I took my task far too seriously. I had also assumed that Anne would sit and rest after taxing herself with a dance. She apparently had enough energy to get to a carriage after instructing a footman to deliver letters at a specific time."
"That is odd. She might have simply waited for the end of the ball, and no one might have noticed her flight until morning."
Mr. Darcy shuffled his feet slightly. He also had no wish to discuss his affairs with his gossiping aunt. "If they are not here, we had best begin checking hotels. It is late, Aunt. I should be going."
"Tomorrow is Sunday. Will you share our pew? The archbishop would like to see you again." Lady Matlock innocently asked.
Mr. Darcy sighed. That would be for the best, as he could speak with the archbishop about a special license so that they were prepared when they found Anne. St. Mark's was cold, drafty, and filled with gossip, but it was also within walking distance of his townhouse. They ought not use a carriage and give the servants a day of relative rest. "Yes, Georgiana and I shall join you in the morning. Thank you for the invitation." He fled the room as quickly as his manners would allow and gave his cousin a shrug as he witnessed Colonel Fitzwilliam's misery at being left to manage Lady Matlock's intense desire to learn everything.
He instructed the carriage driver to walk the horses to the stables, for he was too close to his home to sit in the stuffy carriage. There were not many carriages, so he made it home quickly and without incident. His butler greeted him with polite indifference. Requesting a tea service be brought to his study, he also thought to ask after Georgiana.
"Miss Darcy is in the parlor with some visitors."
Mr. Darcy was glad for this intervention. He would greet his sister after the visitors had left. As she was not out yet, the visitors were likely Miss Bingley or someone from her boarding school. He had no desire to help his sister entertain. "Please tell my sister I have arrived after her visitors depart. I shall change quickly and wait in my study."
"Very good, sir." The butler took his master's great coat and stood ready until Mr. Darcy dashed up the stairs quietly. It was not the butler's job to wonder why Mr. Darcy would not wish to see his own family, so he thought about which footman would be best suited to getting the mud off Mr. Darcy's great coat.
Once cleaned of all traces of his travels, Mr. Darcy sat in his study and attempted to read through the letters that had piled up in his absence. Important letters had been forwarded, so these had been deemed unnecessary by his housekeeper and steward. His mind was not in it. He threw most of the invitations directly into the trash. The season was winding down, and he had no desire to parade around what was left. The tenant disputes he set into a pile to ponder when he was less tired. The letters from family and friends he set in another pile. He doubted anyone could give him information he wished to hear.
He was more than halfway through the original pile when the housekeeper entered with a servant carrying a small tea service. "Your sister wishes she could join you, but she is entertaining your cousin who is weary and wishes to avoid interference with family. Miss Darcy and I discussed it earlier, and we have put your cousin in the blue room where they will be very comfortable and promise not to disturb your peace for fear you would send them home. Miss Darcy is chatting very happily and asked that I inform you she is glad you have returned."
Though this message felt cryptic, he assumed the colonel had left shortly after he did and had begged his young cousin to give him clemency from his mother. He laughed as he thought of the colonel begging Georgiana to let him stay. The theatrics would lighten her mood, and he smiled as he decided to let them have their peace. He would confer with the colonel later about Anne.