Chapter 27
Tuesday, 3 December 1811
On their final visit to the modiste, Lady Matlock accompanied her three nieces with an unusual air of anticipation. Though she preferred gowns of a more elaborate style, she was pleased to see that Elizabeth had chosen dresses in refined but simpler designs that flattered her and suited her new station as Mrs. Darcy. There was a certain elegance to the younger woman's choices—graceful yet understated, much like Elizabeth herself.
Lady Matlock had discovered over the past few days that her new niece was remarkably different from most young ladies of the ton. Elizabeth was warm and spirited, treating everyone, regardless of station, with an effortless kindness. Yet, as Lady Matlock quickly realised, this gentleness concealed a formidable will. Elizabeth was not one to bend under pressure, even when faced with her new aunt's most persuasive arguments.
The carriage ride to the modiste had barely begun before Lady Matlock broached the subject once more, unable to let go of her desire to keep the Darcys in London through the Christmas season and well into the spring.
"Elizabeth, dear," she began, her tone genteel but unmistakably pointed. "You must understand that a prolonged stay in London would benefit you greatly. The ton will need time to become acquainted with you, and it would set the foundation for you to have a lasting influence within society. Darcy is very wealthy and has considerable influence, despite his lack of a title."
Elizabeth offered a polite smile, though a hint of amusement glimmered in her eyes. "I appreciate the thought, Aunt Julia, truly I do. But we intend to spend our first Christmas at Pemberley rather than to London's drawing rooms and all the events here. And Fitzwilliam would hardly thrive being idle here all season. We need time to establish ourselves in our marriage and to get to know our new roles."
Lady Matlock's lips pursed, her resolve unshaken. "But as a new bride, Elizabeth, you will find that establishing yourself among society's elite is essential. It will not only enhance your standing but will prevent ... well, misunderstandings. It is no secret that rumours spread quickly and your marriage was rather sudden."
Elizabeth tilted her head thoughtfully, her tone still light but obviously resolute. "Rumours are like weeds, Aunt—they tend to flourish whether one is in town or the countryside. And as I understand it, some weeds cannot be rooted out, no matter how carefully one tends to the garden."
Lady Matlock blinked, momentarily caught off guard by Elizabeth's clever retort. A faint smile tugged at her lips despite herself. "You have a gift for argument, my dear," she admitted. "Still, it is a waste for such a charming young lady to remain hidden in Derbyshire. Imagine the connections you could forge—the influence you could wield as Mrs. Darcy."
"Perhaps," Elizabeth replied, her voice softening but losing none of its conviction. "But I have no desire to become someone I am not, nor to court those who might value position above all else. I would far rather build relationships founded on sincerity, even if they are fewer in number. I know that Fitzwilliam feels the same way and we are in agreement that we will depart on Thursday as planned. We will return for perhaps a month in the spring, but no more than that."
Lady Matlock exhaled, glancing at Georgiana, who watched her sister-in-law with quiet admiration, and Anne, whose usually reserved expression softened with respect. Both young women seemed to draw strength from Elizabeth's resolve, and Lady Matlock realised her arguments would go unheeded.
After a pause, she chuckled, inclining her head slightly in grudging respect. "Very well, Elizabeth. It seems the Darcy stubbornness has not only survived in my nephew but has also made a formidable alliance in his new bride. I will not press further—for now."
Elizabeth's smile widened, her eyes twinkling with warmth. "Thank you, Aunt. You are most gracious. We will be happy to have your support when we return to town in the spring."
Ordinarily, such stubbornness might have made Lady Matlock despise her new niece—and indeed, had it been directed at another aunt, it likely would have. Yet, despite herself, she could not help but admire Elizabeth's resolve. Knowing her nephew's unyielding nature, Lady Matlock wondered if it was precisely this spirited defiance that had captivated Darcy so many years ago. As Master of Pemberley, he was accustomed to having his way with little opposition, and it was clear that Elizabeth would not hesitate to challenge him—or put him in his place—whenever necessary.
Upon arriving back at Darcy House, Lady Matlock gratefully accepted Elizabeth's invitation to take tea with them to extend their visit. To her surprise, not long after the ladies sat down, Darcy entered the room, accompanied by her son and other new nephew.
"Mother," Fitzwilliam greeted her with a kiss to the cheek. "How are you today?"
"I am surprised to find you still here," she replied. "I thought you returned to Hertfordshire after our last meeting."
Fitzwilliam frowned at her. "That is what I wanted Father to think. How much of his dealings are you aware of, Mother? Do you know that Matlock is nearly broke?"
She gasped. "I knew that things were not good and that Andrew has become a problem and has indebted his own estate to an unmanageable level. Silas said he was taking care of things, but he has grown decidedly more frustrated since last Thursday."
"He hoped that I would invest in some scheme he suggested. Not only that, but I have heard rumblings that he is trying to do what he can to get Rosings under his control once he learned that Anne's marriage settlement leaves its management to her," Darcy informed her.
"Can he do that?" she asked her nephew.
"I suppose he could but it would not be through legal means," Fitzwilliam informed her. "Mother, I am concerned that Father is growing desperate. We have found Lady Catherine—she is in a gaol in Gravesend on the south side of London. She did not have money to change the horses, who were nigh on exhausted by the time she stopped, nor for food and water. She demanded obedience on account of her status as a peer, when someone informed her was not, in fact, a peeress.
"In retaliation, she used her cane to beat the man several times, injuring him significantly in the process. The townspeople were not forgiving and wasted little time in holding her accountable. I believe they seek to have her thrown into Newgate as quickly as possible and are hoping that someone will arrive soon to take her away. They are rather tired of her incessant demands and her constantly complaints that she cannot be accountable for her actions since she is the daughter of an earl. Fortunately, they do not believe her and are inclined to throw her in Bedlam if she continues."
This news further shocked Lady Matlock, who had witnessed her sister by marriage at what she believed to have been her worst. "Will either of you step in to help her?" she asked her son and nephew.
"No, we will not," Darcy said, his tone hard. "She has injured my family and sought to injure them further by ordering the kidnapping of my wife and my sister. Had she her way, she would have forced me to marry Anne, regardless of either of our thoughts on the matter, all for the sake of keeping Rosings under her control. Long before this happened, I had broken with her, although not publically, for I did not want to invite the talk that would have caused. No, I will not lift a finger to help that woman."
"If I were to help Mother, she would view it as her due. She ought to bear the punishment for what she has done. For too long, she has attempted to rule Rosings and the obeisance she has demanded has come at too high a price. In her mind, she is royalty and ought to be treated as such. Her actions now make me think of a small child who has heard the word 'no' for the first time," Anne replied softly. "I have asked my cousins not to act on her behalf, even if they had been inclined to do so."
"I have a man keeping a watch on her, and ensuring that she has the most basic comforts provided for her, since I cannot, in good conscience, allow her to starve or freeze to death," Darcy replied. "He remains close, but not always in sight, and he has heard much through her rantings. If what she says is true, Lord Matlock is not only aware of the actions she has taken throughout the years—which, by the way, include bribing Elizabeth's father to refuse my suit and attempting to force Elizabeth to wed where she did not wish it—but has subtly encouraged her. It was only in the matter of Wickham that he felt she went too far and he attempted to reign her in."
"I do not understand," Lady Matlock said, her voice soft and so unlike her normal tone.
"Lord Matlock has been syphoning money from Rosings for years, which is the only reason Matlock has managed to stay afloat. Lady Catherine was probably not even aware of this, because she would simply hand him the funds. This was kept in a separate ledger, which I was never permitted to see on my visits. She has been giving him money to 'invest' since Sir Lewis died. At first, she did see gains, but over the last five years, it has all been losses," Darcy said. "Now, that source of funding has been cut off with Anne's marriage and he sees no way to recoup that income."
"My dowry?" Lady Matlock asked. Elizabeth, seeing her distress, moved to sit beside the lady and offered her hand, which she gratefully took.
"Is intact. Your settlement protected it and much to Lord Matlock's frustration, he is unable to touch the principle. Your pin money was likewise dictated by your settlement, and he could not change that amount. Had he done so, you would have gone to your father, and the repercussions to your husband would have likely been extreme," Darcy said gently.
Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully as she took a long moment to consider. "No, my father would not be pleased to hear of any of this." Her brow furrowed as she met her son's gaze, studying him intently. "Why are you telling me all of this, Richard? Are you expecting me to act, or are you merely putting me on my guard?"
"We intended to do both, Mother." Fitzwilliam stepped closer, then knelt in front of her with a quiet intensity. "Neither Darcy nor I believe you to be complicit in any of Father's plans, but I fear for your safety if you remain with him. Could you perhaps find a reason to visit your parents' estate for a time?"
She nodded slowly, her eyes darkening with understanding. "I believe I can manage that. But what of you all?" She looked around the room with worry etched across her face. "I know you will not stay in London much longer, but how do you plan to protect yourselves in the meantime and once you leave? Would you not be safer if you remained where you are?"
Darcy moved forward and rested a hand on Elizabeth's shoulder as though he needed her strength. "We have already taken measures. While we remain in town, additional footmen are posted in and around the house at all hours, ready to accompany any of the ladies whenever they step outside—more than anyone will see. My greater concern, however, is that our house has been under surveillance. It is obvious, even clumsy, but the watchers are certainly there."
He paused, squeezing Elizabeth's shoulder briefly as he steadied himself. "I am glad we are soon to leave, for it will be harder for Lord Matlock or anyone else following us to do so if we are out of London. We plan to spend a few days at Bingley's leased estate in Meryton; Anne and Hargrove will join us. Once there, they will inform Collins that if he wishes to retain the living, he must leave Hertfordshire and stop bothering the Bennet family."
"Anne plans to involve the Bishop," Fitzwilliam added, his expression grave. "Given what I have learned of Collins, I cannot fathom how he managed to finish university, let alone receive orders. I am slightly concerned how he will react when he finds out his patroness has been … deposed, and he will no longer have her support at Rosings."
"He is a fool," Anne interjected. "Entirely under my mother's control, which is an all too common problem around Rosings. She was far too willing to hire sycophants who would do her bidding and never think to question anything she said. Mr. Collins is a prime example of such a man. I was able to fire many of these people, but I cannot remove the rector from his position without cause. However, I wonder if the Bishop finds fault with him, if I cannot petition the church to remove him since Mother should not have been able to appoint him at all."
"Let us return to the matter at hand," Lady Matlock said, overwhelmed by this discussion and needing to focus on the imminent threat. "What is to be done about Lord Matlock? And Andrew? I knew Ashworth's coffers were empty, but you are saying the same is true at Matlock?"
"Father has been trading on his name to gain credit for some time. Andrew's debts are of greater concern because of who he owes money to. He is presently at Matlock under lock and key to both keep him safe and to keep him from adding to what he owes," Fitzwilliam said. "That is why you cannot go there, but it would be better to return to your father's home. Tell him as much or as little as you like, for I know he will not say anything that would discredit his family."
Slowly letting out her breath, Lady Matlock patted her son's hand. "You are right," she said. "I will go to my father's home, but I will say nothing to my husband. Darcy, do you have a carriage I might use? Richard, I do not know if you have the time to accompany me there, but if you could, I would greatly appreciate it."
Darcy and Fitzwilliam exchanged a glance. "I believe I will, Mother. I have spent very little time with you in the last few years and will enjoy the opportunity to spend a few days in your company. Darcy, I will return to Netherfield as soon as I can and your carriage can follow behind. I should be there early next week."