Pride and Prejudice

Fan Fiction

I am My Father's Daughter

Previously;

"Did you get Mr. Bennet the note?" Susan's mother asked.

"Yes." Susan took off her jacket. "I just hope, if Lady Catherine kicks her out and she does need a job outside of Hunsford, he hires her."

"If he needs a servant, he will. Mr. Bennet does not give a fig what Miss Anne's mother thinks."

Lady Catherine's Arrival Home

Ch. 11

Lady Catherine's carriage rolled in to Rosings Park, followed by the Honorable Jason Chance. They had been due back after two weeks but, thanks to Jason's insistence Anne's mother meet his own mother first, the return trip had been delayed another four days. She was more than ready to get home and tackle the job of getting Anne married one way or another.

"I am certain you and Anne will get along just fine." Lady Catherine held herself erect as they climbed the stairs to her home.

The lady stepped into her home expecting the usual servants to be in attendance and was surprised to see Mr. Darcy standing in the foyer. "Why did you not tell me you were coming? I was not expecting you until next month. I have no rooms ready for you."

"I came to double check your books Aunt Catherine. A few of your creditors have made contact with me, and I have come to see whose side the errors are on." Mr. Darcy thought someone should give him an award for not cracking up laughing at the site of his aunt pursing up her lips and insisting it was not on her end of things.

If that was not enough of a shock to her system to be told about a possible book error on her end of things, Anne came walking down in a way that gave her mother the urge to look around for Sir Lewis. Not only that, but there was also no sign of any illness about her daughter, not so much as one hint of pale skin.

"I see we have a visitor." There was an undercurrent to Annes's voice that now resembled Lady Catherine's, and it made her mother stiffen back up. "Are you going to introduce him to Mr. Darcy and I?" Anne spoke formally only to drive home the point she was no invalid to Lord Chance's son.

"This is his Honorable Jason Chance, his father is Lord Fredrick Chance an Earl from up near Kendal. He asked for permission to court you and I gave it."

"I think, dear mother..." Anne's tone was firm and her eyes held no sign of weakness. "We all should go into the drawing room." She nodded to Mr. Darcy. "I take it you are capable of taking care of the books without our help?"

"Yes, of course." Again, her cousin thought he should get an award for his ability to act around his aunt for Mr. Darcy knew full well where he really would be during the trio's talk. "Shall we?" She walked regally, and just erectly as her mother ever had, into the drawing room - followed by her mother and the earl's son.

"Anne, I demand you tell me what is going on." Lady Catherine spoke as Anne sat down in a chair near the door with the sun shining over Rosings Park and the flowers were beginning to bloom. She did not flinch, not in the slightest at her mother's snapping -though Jason noticeably did.

He noticed the room was decorated with rich furniture imported from multiple countries around England, fine paintings hung on the wall, and expensive ornaments had been placed artistically in-between them. A large window overlooked the grounds of the de Bourgh's home, letting in the natural light and the fresh breeze. A fireplace was would have been burning on one side if winter had set in. However, all-in-all it still created a cozy atmosphere. A grand piano had been placed on the other side, waiting for someone to play it. A few books and magazines were neatly placed on a table, along with some embroidery and needlework. The room had been presented for those coming in as a place of relaxation and entertainment. However, for Anne, it had felt as if it were a prison for a very long time- one she was now determined to break free from.

"First, your guest may as well sit down, unless your honorable Jason Chance prefers to stand during all his conversations. And second, you may as well tell me what brings you to my humble abode, unless you prefer to keep me in ignorance? I assure you, I am not fond of surprises, especially when they involve my mother's schemes. Which, I happen to have known about long before she arrived in Kendal."

"Anne you are talking nonsense." Lady Catherine went to open her mouth and was instantly squelched when her daughter's eyes narrowed, again just like the late Sir Lewis'.

"On which matter? The fact you paid Lord Chance to turn a blind eye in allowing his son to come here to court a sickly woman, or the fact a so-called honorable man was bribed to court me and refuse to take no for an answer?"

Lady Catherine might have had hopes of scraping things together, if she had not allowed Jason Chance into the room. However, she had and he spoke before Anne's mother had a chance to 'fix' things.

'I thought you said your daughter was sick and weak. That she needed a protector!" Jason was instantly on his feet. "That woman!" He thrust out his hand towards Anne. "Does not need me! And for wasting my time, I demand half that money you said you would give me!"

Lady Catherine was mortified and quickly got him out of the room. What she did, or said to mollify him, Anne did not care. She knew he was probably being told it was just all an act and to go rest - for the man went upstairs. Soon enough her mother was back in the parlor.

"How dare you much such accusations, that was embarrassing."

"Because it was true? Or because I found out? Do not bother answering. I am not interested in your lies or excuses. I am moving out."

"You cannot move out. Where would you live? What would you do? What about your health?" Lady Catherine de Bourgh said, sitting on a sofa and looking at her daughter in complete disbelief.

"My health is just fine. I went to the doctor's while you were gone. I received a clean bill of health and papers to prove it. Any sickness I had is over and gone." Anne said, standing up and facing her mother. "I have been quiet far too long. I have let you dictate every aspect of my life - from the clothes I wear to the man you wanted me to marry. I endured your constant nagging, harsh criticism. The demands you have made throughout my whole life have always been absurd. I might as well have been a puppet. While I do thank you for taking care of me during the time I was sick, I now question how much you cared about my happiness or my heart over money and prestige. I acted ill after I was well because it was the only way to get you to pay attention to me."

"That is not true." Lady Catherine protested. "What about all those times I tried to get you with all your different suitors, and all the time spent trying to get you with Mr. Darcy? He was a good man, until he married Elizabeth." The tone in her mother's voice when she said Mr. Darcy's wife's name was not good.

"Mr. Darcy loves Elizabeth Bennet, and she loves him. They are a perfect match, far better than he and I would have ever made. I wished them well when they married, and I still hope they have a long and happy life together." Anne's words shocked her mother and Lady Catherine's daughter continued on, "I would not have ever dreamed of standing in their way, nor should you have tried. And you certainly should not have tried to bust up their marriage." Anne did her best to speak politely, though she did not waver in her conviction of what she was saying.

"You have not answered my other questions." Lady Catherine replied smugly, thinking surely, she had her daughter cornered on her ridiculous notion of moving out.

"Dearest mother." Anne spoke with more patience than many in her position might. "You always said any member of this family was welcome to stay in the Dower house as long as they so desire without paying rent, or even the guest house."

"And if I change my mind?" Thinking surely that would squelch this foolishness.

"I have been busy while you were gone. I have talked to a lawyer." That made her mother sit up. "Father's will may allow someone other than I to control most of the money so, yes, if I move out... they would have the power to keep anything above two hundred pounds a year from me while you yet live. However, the fact remains, I would have money each month to live on that you could not keep from me. Do not worry, Mr. Darcy would make sure you would still have your own two hundred." She then pointed out Lady Catherine was not being made to move. "You can even feel free to move into our other home in London if you so wish. It really is up to you. I am not going to tell you where to live."

"Two hundred pounds? That is but pauper money. It is even more reason for you to stay here, at Rosings Park. London was so we could be closer to Society even though, apparently, you have no interest in that." Lady Catherine thought she had won the fight only to have not only Mr. Darcy called in, but Colonel Fitzwilliam -who had just arrived, come into the room. 'It is up to you Mother but..." And this is where Anne played the game her mother had often played on others. "I want you to make the choice in front of family. Where do I live? The dower house, guest house, or do I go to one of my friends and see what places they have found while you were gone?"

"Fine..." Lady Catherine's jaw set hard. "You can stay in the dower house but the least you can do is let Jason court you."

"As long as Mr. Darcy tells him, face to face, he gets no money out of the deal." With that she walked out the door leaving Lady Catherine's face paling as her nephews glared at her for pulling such a stunt.

Anne walked down to the dower house and, for the first time she looked at the house, really looked at it. It was far too large in her book for one person. She would have preferred the guest house. However, Anne knew her mother's personality -not to mention mentality. What other choice did she have? She hated playing her mother's game but -in this matter- it had to be played. If Anne did not allow her mother to stay at Rosings Park, let her choose where to live, then all Anne's plans would crumble- she just knew it.