Chapter 23. The Catherine is out of the Bag
Catherine de Bourgh did not like the feeling that she was losing control of her empire, or her little business as she liked to think of it. She knew that if her family found out they would be so shocked, but it was merely business, there was a demand and she filled it, if it was not her it would be someone else. At least she brought class to the operation, her girls were top class and not some down and out prostitutes selling themselves for a better future. And with this firmly in her mind and a total confidence that she was a total mastermind, no-one would ever figure out she was the head of the operation, she waited impatiently for her nephews to bring her the key to her apartment. How dare Anne change the locks! She really did not know why her late husband insisted on pro-creating. Anne was a total disappointment, no spine, no backbone, no spirit – and then the stupid girl falls for George Wickham of all people. She, Catherine would never be caught out like that.
Anne is going to marry William Darcy and that is all there was to it. Then she, Catherine would finally have control of her late sisters everything, except George Darcy who had passed away. George should have loved her, not her sister. Anne was always such an insipid little creature and yet the men flocked to her like bees to pollen on a flower. No-one ever saw Catherine, strong and powerful, men were always so intimidated by her. Except for Arthur, her late husband, bless his soul, he adored her and she adored his money. After his death she realised he did not have the kind of money she wanted, and she had to find something to top up her bank account and create an investment portfolio to keep her into her later years.
She watched as her nephews drove up in Williams car. She immediately got irritated with her daughter; William was one of the most handsome men she had ever seen in her life, and yet he was still single because her daughter could not get him to marry her. He was rich and good looking, what more could a woman want?
She felt yet another flicker of irritation when she saw her other nephew, why William insisted on keeping company with Richard was beyond her, he was so infuriating! He was a perfect blend of her arrogant older brother and his ridiculous wife.
"Hello, Aunt Catherine" Richard called out.
'Richard, William" she greeted them both, not noticing that William had not greeted her, she stood there with an expectant air, looking from one nephew to the other.
"Oh the key!" Richard suddenly reached into his pocket and retrieved the key Anne had given them.
Catherine took the keys, looking at them as if they were infected with some great disease. Anne had cut keys for her mother and put them on a sweet keyring of a bunch of roses, but her mother did not look pleased.
"We will accompany you to the apartment, just in case George Wickham is hanging around" William told his aunt.
"That will not be necessary." His aunt snapped "I am quite sure he is long gone by now."
"Well better be safe than sorry Aunt" Richard backed up his cousin, as the two of them picked up her luggage and flanked their aunt, heading towards the building entrance.
She seemed to think better of fighting them on the matter and allowed the two men to accompany her up to the apartment.
William thought Richard got way too much pleasure out of Catherines dismay and horror at the changes that Anne had done. She seemed to desperately search the lounge area, even looking behind the door. With a look of annoyance, she headed to her bedroom; they hear a definite sigh when she realised her room had not been touched. Catherine seemed relieve that somethings were still as she had left them.
She closed the door after putting her luggage in the room and returned to the lounge.
"Richard, don't just stand there looking useless, go and make your aunt some tea." She commanded.
Turning to William "What has Anne done with my things? Where are my cabinets? And the items that were in them, not all of those were mine, some of them were in my care for safe keeping!"
"You will have to ask Anne, Aunt Catherine, by the time we got here Anne had already totally redecorate this room." William was glad he did not have to lie to his aunt; not because he felt any sort of loyalty towards his aunt, but that woman could just sense fear and dishonesty in others.
After Richard had bought the tea things, and coffee for himself and William, Catherine set about making herself some tea, she had some very set rituals around her tea making and only her precious staff knew exactly how to do it, she would never expect William to make her tea, and Richard was considered to useless for that.
A flash of inspiration hit William and he decided to just run with it and hoped that Richard would understand.
"Aunt Catherine, I don't want to alarm you, but I feel that I need to make you aware of what Mr Wickham is capable of."
His aunt paused and looked at him, a look of apprehension swept her face.
"What do you mean?" she demanded.
"A few years ago, Wickham convinced Georgiana to run away with him, he drugged her and planned to sell her on the dark web." William managed to keep all emotion out of his voice. "We did not tell you because we got her back and knowing how fond you are of Georgiana; we did not want to upset you." The last part was not a stretch, even Anne thought her mother valued Georgiana, and William for that matter, more than her.
Richard was throwing WTF looks at William.
"WHAT?" Her teacup tumble to the floor, leaving a large wet mark on Annes new carpet. "That…that..I am going to kill him!" The last time William saw his aunt that upset was when his father refuse to allow his aunt to take over care and guardianship of Georgiana, after his mother died.
After a short while Catherine gathered her composure, turn to her nephews, and said, "You need to leave, I am feeling quite put out and need to rest." Her attempts at a feeble and tired voice failing dismally.
Catherine waited a good 20 minute after her nephews left, just in case they took their time in leaving and she did not want to poke her head out of the window like some common gossip to see if they were gone.
She changed into her "Madame" outfit, thinking it made her blend in, black was after all the colour most people wore. Instead, she looked like a turn of the century schoolteacher mourning her dead husband. Long black a line skirt, severe button up blouse with a black suit jacket and black boots, even the undergarments were black to match the theme. All that was missing was the hat, but even Catherine knew that would look stupid.
She hurried downstairs, and without even checking the street, she got into her car and drove off.
Whilst waiting for their aunt to appear from the apartment, William quickly explained to Richard that he realised that his aunts one weak point was himself and his sister, mostly his sister. For some reason Catherine de Bourgh had coveted guardianship over Georgiana, perhaps it was her large inheritance seeing as her wonderful husband had made sure that Annes portion of inheritance was watertight and not even Catherines cleverest lawyers could get around it. Or perhaps it was because Georgiana was a carbon copy of her dead sister, but William seriously doubted that.
They had never told her about the whole Georgiana Wickham episode purely because it would be just another thing she would use to try and get Georgiana under her control. Now that Georgiana was older it was a calculated risk, he was willing to take.
William suspected that despite any working or other relationship his aunt might have with Wickham would fly into the wind when she found out what he had done to her niece. Judging by her reaction, it was a good call.
Richard called William Lucas for backup to follow Catherine, just because she was not cautious leaving the apartment, she would become more vigilant the closer she got to Wickham.
They were right, after driving for thirty minutes, Catherine started to drive evasively, doubling back several times, she even drove a traffic circle for three rotations before leaving on the same road she entered.
At this point the car/s trailing her had switched out three times, they were pretty sure she had not spotted her tail but was just being careful. William and Richard were being updated as to her location and despite her evasive manoeuvres she seemed to be heading north, resulting in the two men heading in that general direction.