Chapter 14
Lady Lucas looked around with greedy eyes. Very soon, all of that would be her daughter's, and she would finally be able to get revenge. Mrs. Bennet had always been the leading lady of the area, her husband the gentleman with the most important estate and her daughters the most beautiful. But none of that was important now because Mrs. Bennet had nothing, and she was there to remind her.
"Mr. Bingley was here and asked for you, Mrs. Bennet. It is a shame that you have not been here, and above all, our dear Jane. How is she? Is she getting used to her new life working?" Lady Lucas asked with pretend concern.
"My Jane is very well and happy with her new life," replied Mrs. Bennet. Months ago, she would have revealed to Lady Lucas that her daughter was a baroness, that she had a good and considerate husband, and that she was now the mistress of a beautiful estate in Somerset. But, she did not want to expose her daughter's life and create rumors. If Lady Lucas was there to provoke her, she was very mistaken.
"I am glad she is happy working. My dear Charlotte is also pleased with her husband, and even more so now that she will be the new mistress of this estate," said Lady Lucas proudly.
"And I am delighted that my successor is Charlotte. She has always been an excellent friend to my daughters and an intelligent girl. If she wishes, I shall give her all the advice she needs to adapt as quickly as possible to her new role."
Lady Lucas continued trying to provoke Mrs. Bennet, but her neighbor countered every ill-intentioned comment she made with a kind response and good wishes.
After almost half an hour, Lady Lucas left, not very happy. She could not see Mrs. Bennet mad, nervous, and desperate. For her part, Mrs. Bennet felt very tired but glad that she could control herself. Mrs. Gardiner taught her not to consider those who hurt her, and she now understood how wise that advice had been.
"Mama, I liked how you treated Lady Lucas. She came to upset you and failed," Mary said.
"You should have told her everything she deserved, Mama. Andrew is a Baron, and he is not ugly and ridiculous like Mr. Collins," Kitty and Lydia said angrily.
"Mary is right. Besides, I do not feel like arguing with anyone, my dear daughters. Similarly, Charlotte has always been very kind to me even though I was not always kind to her," Mrs. Bennet said affectionately. "I am very sorry, my dear daughters, but I feel exhausted. I need to lie down to recover."
"Mama, can we go to Meryton?" Lydia asked.
"I promise we shall return in one hour," Kitty added.
"Alright, but do not do anything that will attract the attention of our neighbors. Remember that we are still mourning."
Mrs. Bennet retired to rest while Kitty and Lydia prepared to leave. They had been stuck at home for a long time and were excited to tell their friends about all the entertaining things they had done in London.
For her part, Mary went to her room to write to Jane. She was worried about Mrs. Bennet because she looked exhausted most of the time. She understood that her mother was sad and that everything that had happened recently had had a significant impact on her health. Therefore, Mary considered that it was better for a doctor to examine her mother to ensure everything was well.
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"I thank you very much for coming, my Lady. Georgiana is very nervous, and her aunt's message left her very worried," Elizabeth said. She had sent a message to the Countess to help her make a decision.
Lady Margaret read the message and smiled. "Georgiana, I am certain your brother had a minor accident, and Catherine is using it as an excuse to force him to stay longer at Rosings."
"Aunt Margaret, Lady Catherine said that William should not move and that the doctor recommended that he rest for a month. That means the accident must have been serious," Georgiana explained through tears.
"If something really serious had happened, Georgiana, Richard would have told us. I am sure that all this is Catherine's doing; please do not be concerned anymore."
"Aunt, I want to travel to Kent to ensure everything is alright with my brother. Lizzy, can you please come with me?" Georgiana asked, sobbing.
"Of course, Georgiana, but I want Lady Margaret to authorize me. I do not want to have any problems with Mr. Darcy," Elizabeth explained.
"Alright, if you will be here nervous and crying, you better go and make sure your brother is well. Do not worry, Elizabeth; I shall write a letter to Darcy and another for Catherine. Georgiana, you better tell your aunt that Elizabeth is a friend. Otherwise, she shall not allow her a moment of peace and will provide her a room as far away from you as possible."
"I thank you for your help, Lady Margaret. My friend Charlotte is the wife of the clergy of Hunsford. I prefer staying with them to avoid inconveniencing Mr. Darcy or his family."
"I believe that is an excellent idea, Elizabeth. The further away you are from my sister-in-law, the better."
Elizabeth wrote a message to Jane to inform her what had happened and that she must travel urgently to Kent. That afternoon, the Countess asked the coachman and his assistant to have everything ready because they would take Georgiana and Elizabeth to Rosings the following day.
Georgiana hardly slept that night, worried about her brother's health. He was the most important person in her life, and she did not want to see him hurt or suffering.
The following day, Elizabeth and Georgiana traveled to Kent, hoping to find Mr. Darcy well and recovering from his accident.
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"Anne, you do not need to be here watching me work. As you can see, I am well," Mr. Darcy said to his cousin. He did not want Anne to be around him all the time.
"Do not get excited, Darcy; I am not one of your fanciers. I am here because otherwise, my mother will not leave me a minute of peace. 'Anne, you have to be where your betrothed is. Now he needs you, and you should demonstrate to him what a considerate lady you are," Anne said, imitating her mother's voice.
"Anne, if I were not looking at you, I would have thought it was Lady Catherine speaking," Richard said, laughing.
'Fitzwilliam, do not laugh like a peasant. Even though you are only a second son, you are still the son of an Earl,' Anne replied, causing even more laughter from her cousin.
"I am glad you are so entertained, but if you have not noticed, I am trying to work on these ledgers," Mr. Darcy said, a little annoyed.
He was upset because he still had some back discomfort, and his ankle was a little swollen. He blamed himself for that silly accident because he was distracted thinking nonsense. Furthermore, to his misfortune, one of Rosings' servants saw him and informed Lady Catherine. As expected, she had made a big fuss about a minor accident and told him that he should rest and extend his stay for two more weeks. But he just wanted to return to London, and even though his back and foot hurt, he preferred not to rest so he could finish the work as soon as possible and get out of there.
"Do you want something to drink, Darcy? Do you need a blanket or a cushion for your back? Please tell me what you need," Anne said.
"Why are you doing this, Anne? Please desist and allow me to work," Mr. Darcy replied angrily.
"I already told you because my mother told me to accompany you and ensure you have everything you need. It is what a good betrothed should do."
"You know very well that our engagement is only real in your mother's head. I hope you are clear about this and do not get your hopes up about something that will never happen," Mr. Darcy said emphatically.
"You just broke my heart, Darcy. But do not worry, I think I shall survive the pain of thinking that I shall never be your wife. Why do you not tell my mother what you just said? This way, I only have to endure the immense pain that your rejection has caused me and rest from my mother's constant complaints," Anne said in a sardonic tone.
"Anne has a point, Darcy," Richard added.
"I promise I shall do it before I leave, Anne. But I want you to know that I did not like the tone in which you spoke to me… Although it may be hard to believe, more than one young lady would be happy to be the future Mrs. Darcy."
"If they have seen Pemberley, heard about how beautiful it is, and know about your ten thousand a year, I have no doubt they must consider you a good catch. Since I have my own estate, I can see you as you are, and I do not like what I see," Anne laughed. "I admit you are handsome, but that is not enough for a clever woman, Darcy."
"I think you are very ugly and vain, Darcy, and I am also clever," Richard added, making his cousin Anne laugh.
"Not all women are ambitious and seek a husband with money and status. It would help if you did not believe everything your mother says, Anne," replied Mr. Darcy.
"And you, Darcy, would you marry a woman without fortune?" asked Anne.
"I am sorry, but I must continue working," Mr. Darcy replied.
"No, he would not," Richard added, winking at Anne.
"I think so too, Fitzwilliam. Darcy, you have an estate and a fortune, yet you want a wife who will add money and connections to your family. Fortunately, I can be independent, and I shall be free the day you tell my mother that you will never marry me or that you find a wife," Anne concluded. "Give me that book; I shall help you with expenses and income. If my mother would allow me, I assure you, you would not have to travel every spring."
Anne, Richard, and Mr. Darcy continued working on the ledgers and studying some maps for another hour.
Anne could talk openly and honestly with her cousins, something she had never been able to do with her mother. Since she was little, she had always been a sickly girl and learned to entertain herself by reading, writing, and learning new things through books. Anne was very similar in personality to her mother, with the difference that she had a good heart. Furthermore, Anne knew that it was much better to listen than to speak; in that way, she managed to survive at Lady Catherine's side and be content with her life.
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Beatrice White was the daughter of an influential banker, and although her husband was a prominent gentleman, she did not have many friends in the pretentious and exclusive London society. No one dared to reject her because they knew they might need her father's money one day. Therefore, when she went with her husband to dinner at the new Baroness Norton's house, she knew Jane could be a good friend.
Beatrice met Countess Matlock through Mr. Darcy, who was a good friend of her husband, so she decided to support Jane. For that reason, she accompanied her new friend in a courtesy visit. Jane wanted to meet the Countess to discuss an important matter with her.
"Thank you very much for having us, my Lady," Beatrice said.
"My dear Beatrice, you are always welcome. Furthermore, I am glad to have the opportunity to meet the new Baroness Norton, and you have done me a huge favor bringing her to my house."
"It is a pleasure to meet you, my Lady," Jane said nervously. In the room, there were other ladies who looked at her with great interest.
"The pleasure is all mine, my dear. Please call me Margaret, remember that you are a Lady now too. I do not understand why Lord Norton had you hidden; you are so beautiful that I have no doubt you will be the sensation of this season."
The Countess was happy with Jane's visit. She excitedly introduced her to all her friends and planned to become her sponsor. That season had been especially boring, and she needed something or someone to entertain herself. Plus, the Countess really liked attention, and Jane was the perfect person to help her achieve it.
Jane was cordial to all the ladies and tried to answer their questions to the best of her ability. Fortunately, Beatrice was alert and helped divert the impertinent and inopportune inquiries.
But Jane was in that house for a particular purpose. She felt satisfied with the life she was building and had great hope that her husband would come to feel for her what she felt for him. For this reason, Jane wanted to do everything possible to ensure that her dear sister Elizabeth would find love. She desired to help her meet a good man who would make her happy and give her everything she deserved.
When Jane had the opportunity to speak more privately with the Countess, she decided to explain her reason for being there. "Lady Margaret, I want to confess that I asked Beatrice to present us. I wanted to meet you to ask you a favor about something very important to me."
"Please, Jane, tell me how I can help you," the Countess said, a little surprised.
"I want you to assist sister Elizabeth."
"¿Elizabeth?"
"Elizabeth Bennet, she was working as Miss Darcy's companion."
"I am sorry, dear, I did not know Lizzy was your sister. I am not surprised, though; you are both so pretty and charming. I was with her yesterday, I imagine you know she had to travel to Kent."
"Yes, my husband and I asked her to stop working, but she does not want to abandon your niece until the family finds someone to replace her. Lizzy loves Miss Darcy very much and feels responsible for her."
"I know, and you do not know how grateful we are to her for everything she has done for Georgie. But tell me, how can I assist you?"
"My husband will discuss this topic with Mr. Darcy, and well, I hope he agrees. We want to tell people that Miss Darcy invited Elizabeth to spend time with her at Pemberley. Lady Margaret, my husband, and I prefer that no one learn that my sister had to work. That can reduce her chances of being accepted in society."
"I completely agree, my dear, and I am delighted to help. In fact, I shall say that I was the one who introduced Georgiana to Elizabeth and promoted the friendship between them. Do not worry about that. I am usually very convincing, and few dare to contradict me. Well, since we have settled that, let me tell you what we can do together to help Elizabeth," the Countess said. She was very excited at the idea of having two such lovely young girls around her and being able to assist them in society.
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"William, you do not know how glad I am to see you are well," said Georgiana, hugging her dear brother.
"Georgiana, what are you doing here?" Mr. Darcy asked worriedly.
"I told you, Georgie, that was the first thing your brother would ask you," Richard said, entering the office where his cousin was working.
Elizabeth and Georgiana arrived in Kent before dinner time. Once Elizabeth was assured that Georgiana was safe at Rosings, she asked the coachman to take her to her friend's house. The following day, Elizabeth planned to speak with Mr. Darcy.
"Lady Catherine sent me a message saying that you had an accident and that you would stay here for a month. I thought it was something serious, and I wanted to come and take care of you," Georgiana explained.
"Did you travel alone? And Miss Bennet, where is she?" Mr. Darcy asked, annoyed.
"Lizzy is at her friend Mrs. Collins' house. She traveled with me and wants to take advantage of these days to see her friend. Aunt Margaret wrote you this letter to explain why we are here and sent this letter to Lady Catherine."
Georgiana noticed that her brother had scrapes on one of his hands and was limping a little, but it was clear that the fall had been a minor accident.
Georgiana wanted to talk to her brother about Elizabeth and all the plans she had for the summer. Unfortunately, when Lady Catherine discovered that her niece was at Rosings, she stormed into the study and did not allow anyone else to say a single word.
That evening, Lady Catherine was delighted because her two nephews and niece were sitting at her table. So, she took the opportunity to give them advice and tell them everything she thought. For her part, Anne just watched and tried to imagine what her cousins were thinking.
"Georgiana, I do not understand why you came. Anne and I can care for your brother perfectly. Do you think, Anne?" said Lady Catherine.
"Yes, mother," Anne replied and continued eating.
"Lady Catherine, I do not need anyone to care for me. I had a minor accident, and I feel fine now," Mr. Darcy replied angrily.
"You are still limping, Darcy," Richard added, winking at Anne.
"If you do not remain at rest, Darcy, you will never recover. You will be limping for the rest of your life. I shall not allow you to leave this house until you are completely recovered," Lady Catherine said in a commanding voice.
Mr. Darcy glared at his cousin and then said to Lady Catherine, "I am sorry, aunt, but I came for two weeks, and in two weeks, I intend to return to London."
"I do not understand why you cannot spend a month with us. What do you have to do in London that is more important than your family? Here is Anne, and you should spend more time with her…" Lady Catherine continued talking non-stop for several minutes, but no one listened to her.
Anne thought it would be unpleasant for her if her cousin Darcy stayed any longer. Meanwhile, Georgiana lamented coming and spending a week with her aunt.
"Fitzwilliam, tell your mother not to write to me again. I hope that one day, she will understand that she cannot give me orders or tell me what to do. I believe sometimes she forgets that I am the daughter and sister of an Earl," Lady Catherine told her nephew. She hated her sister-in-law because she was a vain woman who thought she was superior to everyone.
"Lady Catherine, my mother is the daughter of a Duke and the wife of an Earl," Richard replied. He knew how much it hurt his aunt to be reminded that Lady Margaret was her superior on the social scale.
"Georgiana, I want you to play the piano after dinner. I would like to perform to see if you have practiced as I have suggested and give you some advice so that you can perfect your technique."
"No… I can… I am tired…" Georgiana said, nervous.
"Lady Catherine, Georgiana is exhausted after traveling for hours. After dinner, you had better go and rest, my dear," said Mr. Darcy.
"Also, Lady Catherine, what advice can you offer Georgiana if you never learned to play the piano?" Richard did not want his aunt to continue pestering Georgiana, so he decided to sacrifice himself. He knew that after saying that, his aunt would attack him mercilessly.
"How dare you speak to me that way, Fitzwilliam. You are just as insolent as your mother, and you are not the son of a Duke..."
"I am the son of an Earl…" Richard tried to explain, but his aunt was too angry to listen.
"The second son of an Earl, do not forget it. But let me tell you, Fitzwilliam, although I never learned to play the piano, if I had learned, I would have been a true proficient. Everything I do, I do well. And you, what have you done all these years in the military? If I were in your place, I would be General in charge of the war office recovering all the territories we have lost..."
Lady Catherine could not stop talking, and Anne had to try hard not to laugh. Unfortunately, Georgiana felt very uncomfortable listening to her aunt yelling at her cousin. Nevertheless, she felt better when she saw that Richard was relaxed and smiling. For his part, Mr. Darcy wondered how Elizabeth was and ignored his aunt's rant.
Once dinner was over, everyone looked for an excuse to retire to their rooms. No one wanted to spend another minute tolerating Lady Catherine. Anne went to Georgiana's room and conversed with her for a few minutes before sleeping.
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After breakfast, Georgiana, Richard, and Mr. Darcy went for a walk in the garden so they could talk without their aunt's interference. Georgiana wanted to tell her brother everything that had happened in the last few days.
"William, I am so sorry I came and caused trouble for you and Richard. But I was so worried. Please do not be angry at Lizzy or me for coming without your authorization."
"Do not worry, dear; I understand you were concerned. But if this happens again, remember that Lady Catherine always tends to exaggerate."
"I suppose you are correct. I shall keep that in mind. Thank you for understanding, dear brother."
"And you do not thank me? If I had not intervened yesterday during dinner, Lady Catherine would have continued insisting that you play the piano," Richard explained, smiling.
"Fitzwilliam, you cannot deny that you truly enjoyed provoking Lady Catherine. But I advise you to be more careful next time. When you told her that Aunt Margaret was the daughter of a Duke, I thought she would have apoplexy," said Mr. Darcy to his cousin.
"I had never seen her so angry; I confess I was a little scared," said Georgiana.
"Today, I paid the price for my insolence and daring behavior. Lady Catherine told her servants not to serve me ham or potatoes because I was too plump, and she said that I had inherited that from my grandfather, who, although was a Duke, was fat," Richard explained, laughing and making everyone laugh.
"Good morning," Elizabeth said. "I came to ask about Georgiana and your health, Mr. Darcy. Mrs. Collins informed me that you were recovering, but I see you are just fine, sir," Elizabeth said.
"Miss Bennet, I am delighted to see you," Richard said. Did you walk here?"
"Yes, it is less than a mile between the parsonage and Rosings," replied Elizabeth.
"Good morning, Miss Bennet," Mr. Darcy said nervously. Elizabeth was no longer in mourning and looked very pretty. Her eyes and smile revealed joy; although she was still a little thin, she looked much healthier.
Elizabeth told Mr. Darcy and Richard that she felt more comfortable at her friend and cousin's house, and for that reason, she decided to stay there. They also thought it was best that she not stay at Rosings to avoid Lady Catherine. Richard and Georgiana continued walking, and Mr. Darcy took the opportunity to chat with Elizabeth.
"Miss Bennet, I thank you very much for accompanying my sister. Next week, we shall all return to London."
"Mr. Darcy, have you had a chance to speak to Georgiana?"
"Not much; yesterday, she was tired and went to bed early. Is there anything special I should know?"
"Well…" Elizabeth saw that Mr. Darcy was looking at her with interest and preferred not to talk about that subject. If Georgiana had not told him, she probably had a good reason. Perhaps it was best to wait until they returned to London. "I suppose we can talk about that later. We were worried about your health; I am glad to see that the accident was not serious."
"Were you worried about my health?" Mr. Darcy asked.
"Yes, of course," Elizabeth replied, not quite understanding why he was asking her that.
"I am pleased to know that… Miss Bennet, I think I owe you an apology. Our last conversation in London was… It was quite unpleasant, and I think I said things I should not have said…"
"Do not worry, Mr. Darcy, I already forgot it. Let us walk with Georgiana and the Colonel. I think this part of the garden is beautiful."
"Of course," Mr. Darcy said, offering his arm to Elizabeth.
From the window of her room, Anne carefully watched her cousin Darcy converse with a very pretty young lady.
'Who will that woman be? I shall have to investigate. Maybe she will be the woman who helps me achieve my freedom,' thought Anne as she observed her cousin's smiling face and how he looked at the beautiful young lady with longing eyes.
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Thank you to everyone who leaves supportive comments and follows the story with enthusiasm.
In the next chapter, the Bingleys will learn a great surprise, while at Rosings Mr. Darcy will have to make a decision.
See you soon!
Saludos,
YO