Author's Note: Managed to get another chapter written today. We'll see how this next week goes; I hope it will be less busy than the last.
Chapter 34
Tuesday, 18 March 1812
Rosings
As they arrived at Rosings late Monday afternoon, Anne was struck by an unfamiliar sensation of belonging. It was no longer her mother's domain; it was now hers, and she was the one in charge. The feeling was odd and empowering, stirring a newfound sense of pride within her. However, this pride was tinged with a nearly equal measure of apprehension at the task that lay before her.
Though her uncle and cousins had attempted to prepare her, and she trusted the competence of the steward at Rosings, Anne suddenly grasped the weight of her new responsibility. She was now officially accountable for the livelihoods of all those who depended on Rosings for their sustenance. Again, this was a heady feeling, and she saw how such a feeling could go to one's head, but in the last two months, she had heard more of the responsibility of estate ownership instead of her mother's typical claims about the power one had in this position.
She was determined to do a better job than her mother, especially when she noticed all the servants watching her cautiously from the time she arrived until she settled into the mistress's chambers, formerly her mother's, that evening. It was quite a surprise when, not long after she had dismissed the maid who had helped her prepare for bed, a knock came on her door. Quickly, she donned her dressing gown and went to answer it.
"Anne, we need to talk," Fitzwilliam stated directly, also less formally attired and holding a decanter of brandy with two glasses. "I know we have only just arrived, but I have been thinking about what you proposed at my mother's ball Thursday night. I want to talk it over with you, and it cannot wait. I only have leave for a sennight, and we need to make some decisions."
Eying the decanter, Anne turned her eye to her cousin. "How much of that have you drunk already? You cannot think it is a good idea to discuss this in the middle of the night in my bedroom? If we were discovered, I would be compromised."
"I meant for us to speak in your sitting room. We are cousins, so it can easily be explained away if we decide not to marry. Besides, who would discover us? If Miss Mary or Georgiana were to find us, we could explain it easily, and they would not speak of it to anyone else," Richard defended his actions.
Anne rolled her eyes a little at his presumptuous attitude. "Go to the sitting room, and I will meet you there in a few moments. I need to retrieve my slippers and a shawl so I will be a little more properly attired."
A few minutes later, she opened the door to the sitting room. She looked around the room in distaste. "This will be one of the first rooms I renovate, I think. It is hideous in here. I am not certain I have ever been in this room since my father died. Mother never wanted me in here, but I do not know how often she used it either."
Fitzwilliam chuckled lightly. "I think you will spend a lot of time over the next year making changes to the decor in the hour. With luck, some of the items from when your father was alive are stored in an attic somewhere. Otherwise, you may have to proceed slowly so as not to bankrupt the estate."
"Mrs. Gardiner thought her husband might have contacts to help me sell some of the more ornate items. A segment of the population appreciates uncomfortable furniture since they believe it makes them appear wealthier and more important, as my mother did. I am glad the servants could exchange the furniture in my room for what my mother had. Mary and Georgiana can help as we check the various rooms to see what we can find that is not hideous."
Struggling to hold in his laugh, Fitzwilliam released a snort instead. "Your mother spent a significant amount of Rosings' income to decorate the house as she preferred. Fortunately, I think she focused on the rooms she used the most often, so there may be rooms she did not decorate to her taste."
"This is a pleasant conversation, Richard, but not the reason you are here. We can discuss the decoration of Rosings tomorrow. What do you want to talk about?"
He sighed deeply. "Anne, I do care about you, have always cared about you. But I am uncertain that what I feel for you is what you are hoping for. You mentioned wanting what Darcy and Elizabeth have, but then the next minute, suggested that you and I marry. Which is it? I never really thought I would marry, and while marrying you would certainly be to my benefit, how is a marriage to me any different than marrying one of those … men who were discussing compromising you?"
"Well, for one, I am asking you instead of you taking advantage of me. I am offering you a … a partnership of sorts. If we married, legally, you would have control of my estate, but I think we would word the settlement in a way that would benefit us both equally. I already know you and trust you, and care for you as a cousin. Could that become more someday? Perhaps, but even if it does not, we already care for and respect each other. That seems to be a good basis for marriage. As I said at the ball, I am practically a spinster, and the only reason I had partners at the ball was due to my inheritance. I cannot invite eligible gentlemen to Rosings to get to know them, and I do not care for London."
Fitzwilliam closed his eyes and reflected on what his cousin said. After a moment, he opened them, stood, and poured a drink for Anne and himself. She accepted it with a raised eyebrow.
"Even though I have thought on this for days, I do not know what to say. My mother would favour anything that got me out of the army, which this certainly would. Would you mind if I spoke to Darcy about it? He would be in favour of it as well, at least I think he would, but he would be less biased and able to consider it from all angles. They are coming for Easter, and I will see if I can come with him. We can discuss it further then if that works for you."
Nodding, Anne took a sip of the drink he had given her. "I am in no rush," she finally said. "Speak to William if you think that would help, and let me know when you return at Easter."
It was Fitzwilliam's turn to nod. The two finished their drinks in silence, and immediately after, Fitzwilliam made his excuses and sought out his own bed.
Anne took longer to settle enough to return to her chamber. She cared for her cousin far more than she was willing to let on. However, she had impulsively made her offer at the ball and now felt unsettled and a little hurt by what she had heard that night. It bothered her a little that her cousin did not immediately agree, but at the same time, she felt gratified that he would not rush into marriage for material reasons. A more avaricious man would have jumped at her offer, but Fitzwilliam was not like that. She briefly contemplated writing Elizabeth a letter explaining what she had done but decided that any letters could wait until the morning.
Tuesday, 18 March 1812
Gracechurch Street, London
Reluctantly, Elizabeth admitted to her husband that she felt a fair amount of trepidation at meeting with her mother. The letters they exchanged had been pleasant, but her uncle reported that Mrs. Bennet had expressed dismay at learning what had been planned without her knowledge. She had been pleased to learn of Elizabeth's marriage but disappointed at not being permitted to participate. Mr. Phillips had attempted to explain some of the reasoning behind it, but Elizabeth felt it would be an awkward conversation that morning.
The day before, Elizabeth had gone with Lady Matlock to pay several visits, and they had attended a dinner party the night before that lasted beyond midnight. Because of Elizabeth's and Darcy's social obligations, they were visiting the Gardiners' home early, and Elizabeth was already exhausted, which did not make the idea of this visit any easier. She was glad her husband was accompanying her and that Jane and Mrs. Gardiner would be there for additional buffers.
"My dear Lizzy," Mrs. Bennet cried as soon as the couple entered the room. "Mr. Darcy, how nice it is to see you again. I am shocked to learn of my husband's actions and refusal to agree to your request to marry my daughter. I confess that I was never aware of any partiality of yours toward my daughter, seeing as you thought her only tolerable, but she is a pretty enough girl. I am sure that Jane or Lydia would have done better amongst your society, but I suppose it is too late now."
"Mother!" Elizabeth exclaimed, her face flushing brightly in both mortification and anger.
"Madam," Darcy said sternly at almost the same time, "I swiftly came to regret my intemperate words at the assembly. I assure you, Elizabeth is precisely the woman I desired as my wife. If you failed to perceive my partiality, it is my own fault, as I did attempt to disguise it initially. It was not until I departed for London that I admitted it to myself, let alone to Elizabeth. Elizabeth is more than pretty; she is beautiful. She has received nearly universal praise for both her appearance and intellect from those who have met her. She is exactly what I desired. While I do care for all my new sisters, the only one who would have suited me as my wife is the one I have married."
Mrs. Bennet was not used to being addressed so seriously or contradicted in such a way and, for several minutes, did not know how to reply. Fortunately, Mrs. Gardiner did. "Yes, and Elizabeth is ideally suited to be your wife. The two of you are perfectly paired, and I cannot imagine any of my other nieces suiting you as well. They will all find their own matches. Jane has met a few gentlemen over the last few months and will continue to meet additional men as she attends events with Mr. and Mrs. Darcy. I feel certain she will make a good match. Mary is doing very well with Anne de Bourgh and Georgiana Darcy and is becoming far more confident. Miss Darcy is tutoring them both on the piano, and Mrs. Annesley and Mrs Whitman are helping all three girls learn how to present themselves in society. With Kitty and Lydia doing well at school, all four girls will eventually find good matches, especially with the connections they now have."
Again, Mrs. Bennet was flummoxed and wondering how to reply to her sister. Mrs. Phillips filled in the gap. "Of course, all the Bennet girls will do quite well. My husband is looking into who will inherit now that Mr. Collins has passed away; one of the girls may inherit Longbourn. Not only that but thanks to Lizzy and Mr. Darcy, all the girls have a larger dowry than before …"
Mrs. Bennet's eyes were huge. "Dowries? What do you mean? Mr. Darcy, did you settle money on my girls? How kind of you! Despite your severe demeanour when in company, I always knew you were a good man. How much money did you give them?"
"Mama!" Elizabeth replied at the same time as Mrs. Philips and Mrs. Gardiner cried, "Fanny!"
Mrs. Phillips was the one who continued. "Mr. Darcy has not settled any money on your girls. The girls have a dowry due to Lizzy's efforts at Longbourn. She has been investing the excess profits the estate earned due to her oversight for the last several years. My husband and Mr Gardiner have both contributed small amounts as they could, so the total fund will continue to grow until one marries. Mr. Darcy chose not to accept Lizzy's portion, allowing it to remain invested to provide for the other girls. Since Mr. Bennet signed over the care of all the girls to his brothers, a larger portion of the funds will be invested, allowing the fund to continue to increase."
"Oh," was all Mrs. Bennet could manage. "Well, it is still a fine thing for my girls. Mr. Darcy, was it not mentioned in Meryton that your uncle is an earl? Surely, such connections will benefit my daughters greatly."
Everyone in the room sighed. Finally, Darcy tried to reply as gently as he could while impressing upon Mrs. Bennet how distasteful her comments were. "Mrs. Bennet, it is my great hope that I will be able to aid my new sisters in moving in society. However, you must not aspire to impossible matches. Each girl will be encouraged to seek the match she desires. Jane is already attending events with Elizabeth and me and attended events occasionally with my aunt before we returned from Pemberley. Mary is so far uninterested in attending any events and is with my cousin in Kent. None of the girls need to marry if they do not wish to, as they have enough money to provide for their care and, of course, they will always have a home with us. So, please, calm yourself, as such discussions will not aid them whatsoever in society. Were anyone else to hear you, they would assume your girls are fortune hunters, and most men would avoid them entirely."
For the third time that morning, Mrs. Bennet stared at the person speaking to her, her mouth agape. After a moment, she stammered out. "What … what do you mean, Mr. Darcy?"
"No man wants to be pursued for his wealth alone. One of the things that captured my attention was that Elizabeth did not flatter or fawn over me. She was interested in my character, not my possessions. Her beauty I withstood, much to my detriment, since it caused me to make the ill-founded statement about her at that first assembly. However, when mixed with her good character and proper behaviour, her wit, her liveliness, and her impertinence did attract me. I am most happy with my choice of wife, not because she is a mere decoration on my arm, but because she is an equal partner with me. I do find her beautiful, but I also respect her. We are friends as well as husband and wife, and that is what will sustain our marriage for the rest of our lives."
Elizabeth smiled gently at her husband and placed her hand on his arm. She wanted to kiss him, but it would have been improper in any company, though it might have been overlooked in Mrs. Gardiner's drawing room. Instead, she spoke. "Mama, please do not worry so much about my sisters marrying. We will ensure they — and you — are well looked after, regardless of what they choose in the future. Just the other day, Mr. Darcy and I discussed purchasing a cottage or a house in Meryton for you to live in whenever you choose."
Mrs. Bennet looked at her least understood daughter in wonder. "Thank you, Lizzy," she said quietly. Mr. Darcy excused himself after a few more minutes to search out Mr. Gardiner, who was awaiting him in his study, and the ladies continued to speak about their plans for another half hour until the Darcys and Jane had to depart. If Mrs. Bennet was subdued during the rest of the visit, no one commented on it.