Mr Darcy's Cottage of Earthly Delights

by Beth Massey

  Blessing House was directly across Grosvenor Square from Darcy House. There was a bit of an autumn nip in the air, and Darcy enjoyed his walk through the park. He imagined taking this walk with Elizabeth. She would tell him the Latin name for all the trees as she had once done during a stroll in the grove at Rosings. Could he hope that the two sisters would be situated so close? Would their children play together in this very park? Chastising himself for imagining things when he was only planning to delve into possibilities with the viscount, he knocked on the door of Lord Blessing’s home in town. He was shown into the Earl’s study, and after about fifteen minutes Lord Colton joined him.

  “I apologize for the delay Darcy, but I was finishing my breakfast. Obviously, I am more indolent than you. Circumstances have not yet forced me to assume the responsibility for Blessing as you have for Pemberley. However, I will be chained by responsibility soon.” Darcy noticed that he did not seem anxious at the prospect of that particular burden. “My father’s health has been failing for the last six months.” His eyes went to a family portrait on the wall across from his father’s desk. “I have been spending more and more time with him in Derbyshire… learning from him and our steward. They have excused me to come to London to participate in the Little Season. My father wants me to find a wife before he dies”

  Darcy looked directly at Lord Colton with a serious mien, “Ah, you prompt me to solicit the information for which I came. Do you see Miss Lydia Bennet as a possible choice? Your flirting, I am certain, is the talk of the town this morning.”

  The viscount did not look anywhere near as serious as Darcy when he replied, “I do. I wish I could be in all the drawing rooms around the square and listen to their tittle-tattle. I wonder if we made the scandal sheets?”

  “Why would a man, who is soon to be a peer, choose a compromised daughter of a county squire for a wife?”

  “Because she is delightful to behold, she is without pretension and I believe she loves to laugh, or at least giggle, as much as I do. Last night at the theatre my aunt told me her story, and I empathize enormously with what she has gone through. She calls to mind my aunt, who I adore, and as you know my family is already slightly tarnished—at least with the fathers of eligible debutants. Why did you choose her sister?”

  Darcy smiled at the opportunity to speak of Elizabeth. “Because she is delightful to behold, she is without pretension, and she can put me in my place with a delicious mixture of sweetness and archness that I enjoy immensely.” He thought of finding her in the rain and blushed. “However, she is also feisty and I have felt her wrath—that too was enjoyable. Most importantly, I know she loves me, and not my property or my connections. Her father has only daughters. His estate is entailed to my Aunt Catherine’s sycophant of a parson.” A pause and a smile accompanied his next statement. “None of the daughters have much of a dowry, yet she refused me the first time I asked.”

  “Oh my, this family sounds like a treasure trove of marriage prospects for our sort. How many are there? My brother is in want of a wife.”

  “They are five, but I must let you know that Bingley is enamoured with the eldest.”

  “Where does Miss Lydia fit in?”

  “She is the youngest. I believe she is about to turn sixteen.”

  “Hmmm… she appears older…” Lord Colton’s face became a somewhat angry sneer as he continued with his train of thought. “My aunt tells me you feared this fellow, who duped her into believing they were eloping, was going to sell her to a brothel.”

  “He was set to receive a bounty for her from a Mrs Fanny Rogers for fifty pounds. What breaks my heart is that she submitted to Wickham because she thought it her duty, as he was going to marry her. It was uncomfortable, and there was no enjoyment for her. Her humiliation is great, and she believes his disappointment in her was the reason he was selling her.”

  Darcy watched as the usually ebullient Lord Colton became overcome with a sadness that quickly transformed into fury. “Oh my, she would have been diseased within weeks. I know the place. What a despicable man. The cruelty to women by our society is sometimes overwhelming. I know all the stories of those at my aunt’s place, and each one is more horrifying than the last. I feel a particular disgust for Susan’s father. To be responsible for delivering Christ’s message of hope… what a hypocrite. How could he do that to his own child?”

  “Jon, are you serious in your intentions? Does the fact that she is no longer a maiden, change your mind about her as a prospect?”

  “Of course not! I was quite certain this cad had tumbled her. I assume every husband would prefer to be the first and only; but that is, I believe, immaterial to a successful marriage. Widows marry all the time.”

  “What if she is with child… and the child is male?”

  “What you raise is a consideration. However, to answer you… the child would be mine and my heir. I spent all of last night thinking this decision through. Of course, I hope she is not… I would be dishonest if I did not admit that to be the truth. If Wickham and this woman were negotiating a bounty with Fanny Rogers, they probably had been warned against impregnating her. Let us hope the rat had the good sense to withdraw in order to protect his investment.” Lord Colton had not a trace of a smile on his face as he said, “Please, I would like to speak of more pleasant things. What is your opinion of Miss Lydia as a potential spouse?”

  “I believe with some tender loving care she could make a good wife. The maturity she has exhibited since surviving her ordeal has impressed me. She is still a hopeless romantic and thinks life should be like a Mrs Radcliffe novel. However, I do believe she is over her infatuation with red coats.”

  Mirth returned to Lord Colton. “Oh everything you tell me makes me more and more pleased with Miss Lydia. I have read every one of Mrs Radcliffe’s novels to my aunt. I indulge her, because her eyesight is failing. We both enjoy them immensely. Since I started, we have also read all the novels of Fanny Burney. My Aunt Sarah is a true connoisseur of women writers. She even cajoled me into reading Mary Wollstonecraft to her.

  Darcy laughed at the returned good humour of his friend. “My Elizabeth has one to recommend. It is called Sense and Sensibility by a lady. She gave a copy to Georgiana because it deals with a rake that created expectations and then abandoned the young woman for another with a large dowry. She seems to write about the real tragedies that women face and not the fantastical. Georgiana recently gave a copy to Miss Lydia to ease her pain.” Darcy searched the face of his friend before he spoke again. “But we are not here to discuss literature. Please Jon, tell me the truth. Are you considering her?”

  “Yes, I believe I would very much like to marry her. She would make a far more companionable partner, and hopefully if I can overcome the cad’s damage, lover than any woman of the ton with whom I am acquainted.”

  “Speaking of lovers, what will you do about visiting your aunt’s establishment? I do not think it appropriate for a man to dishonour his wife with those kinds of liaisons.”

  “My aunt and I have been discussing just that contingency.” Lord Colton looked at his watch before he continued, “In fact she should be arriving within minutes to discuss what is to happen with her business. She wants to sell it and retire to the dowager cottage at Blessing, in order to be near my father during his final months. I suggest you stay and listen to our discussion. She has some history to impart to you as well… something involving your aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh.”

  “Hmmm… that sounds interesting. Recently your aunt gave me the impression my aunt was someone with whom she had tangled.”

  “I believe you may be right. Tell me more about Miss Lydia and your Miss Elizabeth while we wait.”

  “One thing you will enjoy knowing is that Miss Lydia kneed Wickham in order to escape. According to my cousin, it must have been a very hard blow as he was on the floor writhing when Richard got to him.”

  “I am certain I could enjoy being married to this woman.”

  �
�Yes, she learned the efficiency of the move by eavesdropping on some members of the militia. I think she had been chastised often for listening in on other’s conversations by her older sisters.”

  The hearty roar of Lord Colton’s laughter was heard. “Lucky for her she did not listen. Would your Bennet sister have been so audacious?”

  Darcy chuckled at the thought. “I do not believe so. Instead, she would have probably given him a very thorough and erudite tongue lashing.”

  At that moment there was a knock on the door, and Lady Sarah was shown into her brother’s study. The two men stood and Darcy bowed to the older woman while her nephew gave her a peck on the cheek.

  “Darcy, what a pleasure to see you so soon. Are you discussing marriage terms with my nephew?”

  “Terms will be the sphere of her father. I was testing seriousness. This young woman does not deserve to be trifled with.”

  “Were you satisfied with the sincerity of my Jon’s intentions?”

  “I was.”

  Lady Sarah smiled at Darcy as she began the tale he had been promised by her nephew. “You and Jon have a similar legacy. Your parents and his, both married for love. Lady Anne and your father were relative equals in status. Jon’s father and mother were not. My brother married a parson’s daughter. Her father had the living for both Blessing and Colton. They were moderately prosperous; but there was not a title in sight and their family was not an ancient one like the Darcys. Reverend, Mr Goodfellow, had gone to Cambridge with my father, and they enjoyed each other’s company. He bestowed the living at Colton to his friend soon after he became Earl. When the incumbent at Blessing retired, the second living was added.”

  Lady Sarah directed her gaze toward her nephew. “Jon’s grandfather, Mr Goodfellow, was truly what his name implied. He was kind and compassionate to his parishioners. He and his entire family were exemplary with regards their charitable works for those in need. My brother fell in love with his daughter, Susan, when he was but fourteen and she only twelve. My father did not approve, and Edward was forced to begin participating in the Season to find an appropriate bride.”

  Lady Sarah assumed a far-off look and concentrated on a portrait of a couple on the far wall, as she reflected on the past. “I was five years his junior, but I still remember the heated arguments he had with my father. Being rebellious and romantic by nature, I was on my brother’s side and vowed I would never worry about appearances… since I would never inherit a title. Your mother and her sister had been known to our family since we were children, because of the closeness of the estates.”

  Her eyes moved from the portrait back to her nephew. She smiled lovingly at him, and then brought her eyes back to Darcy. With a chuckle, she said, “Your aunt had hoped to be married to the Duke of Devonshire, but of course Georgiana Spencer was brokered for that arrangement. When the possibility of being a duchess seemed out of her grasp, she decided to secure a position as countess, and my brother was her avenue to that goal. She pursued him relentlessly. Both of you know what it is like to have someone haunt your every move in the quest for matrimony. Dear Edward was still pining for his Susan, and he ignored your aunt as best he could. Of course, my elopement smeared our family name; and your aunt cooled in her admiration for one Season… only to be back attending my brother at every event the following year.” Lady Sarah chuckled as she said, “I believe she was becoming desperate, and he was her only option for the title she was trying to capture.”

  Her eyes moved back to the portrait and Darcy could see sadness etched into her face as she continued, “As I told you both before, my father did not approve of Captain Rowley, and was very angry when I eloped. He threatened to write me out of his life. The problem is; I was his favourite—precisely because of my spirit—and he was heartbroken when I was away from him in Jamaica. The pain of knowing he died lamenting the loss of me is a heavy burden I must bear. We did eventually forgive one another through correspondence… that at least was some comfort.”

  Her interlude of sadness ended, and she became resolute in making her point. “Every year my brother attended the Season, but adamantly refused to become attached to any woman of our set. Edward had very serious discussions with my father about why I had eloped, and convinced him to forgive my precipitous act. These conversations allowed them the opportunity to talk about the nature of love and marriage. Our parents had been reasonably happy; and Edward finally persuaded my father that Susan was a worthy addition to our family. I believe my father feared the loss of another child if he did not concede. Your aunt was furious at his marrying a parson’s daughter with no connections. She has been harbouring resentment against our family since that time. Prepare yourself for a hard time at her hands once this marriage of your betrothed’s sister to Jon becomes common knowledge.”

  Darcy’s face ndicated Lady Sarah had given him much to think about. “Her greater objection will be to my betrothed. Lady Catherine has perpetuated the myth that she and my mother had arranged for my cousin Anne and I to wed. Luckily, my father told me numerous times that her contention was false, so I have not been susceptible to her claims… other than having to endure them. My father also told me she had been opposed to my parents’ marriage because he had no title. However, when she was forced to settle in marriage to the very wealthy, but lowly baronet—Sir Lewis de Bourgh—she became obsessed with saving face by brokering a marriage for her daughter that would combine two great estates.”

  The former Mrs T’s face lit up with a smirk, “Ah, so the gorgon settled for wealth to compensate for her lack of success with consequence. My brother has told me the same story about Catherine’s opposition to your parent’s marriage. I was already in Jamaica at the time they wed, but I was aware of your father’s intentions to marry Lady Anne before I left. He was besotted before she was even of age.”

  Darcy paused to look out the window, and twist his ring before he spoke again. “Through my aunt’s parson and his wife, I am certain she has heard of Miss Lydia’s running away with Wickham. The Reverend Collins is Mr Bennet’s heir and is married to one of my betrothed’s best friends. Miss Elizabeth wrote to her father that all of Meryton, their local village, is gossiping about Miss Lydia’s disgrace.”

  Darcy’s face reflected a deepening of his concern. He asked with some hesitation, “Does my aunt know of your business?”

  “I am unsure. I believe your other aunt, Lady Elderton, might know. Both your cousins—the viscount and the colonel—have spent time at my establishment. Your uncle has not, but I believe your father was the one who convinced him to send his sons to me. Your Aunt Cassandra is pleasant… perhaps a bit reserved and complaisant. I have known her, as well, since she was a girl. I do not believe your aunt and uncle had the passion of your parents, but I think their marriage is based on strong affection.”

  Darcy’s tongue tip of contemplation appeared. “I know what you mean about my Aunt Cassandra. Neither Georgiana nor I have been able to develop a close relationship with her. Richard on the other hand adores his mother. There have been times, since my mother died, that I would have liked to have a woman with whom to discuss things… particularly concerning my sister. Do you think she would have confided about your business to Lady Catherine?”

  “Not in the spirit of malicious gossip, but something could have slipped during conversation between sisters-in-law. I have long held the fear that Catherine might come to London, and make trouble for my niece and nephews. Her animosity is great. Jon and Lawrence, I do not worry about, but Jon’s sister Eleanor only came out last year. I had great fears at the time; she might be tarnished because of her connection to me.”

  Darcy’s face became earnest in his quest to determine the suitability of this marriage for his sister-to-be. “Tell me of your plans for Teasewell House. I told Jon that I believe it wrong for a married man to frequent a brothel. If we profess to believe in love, then our devotion should be to the one we have chosen.”

  “I agree with you wholeheartedly.
As you know, my main motive for starting my house was to provide a clean and safe place for young men like Jon, and you, to indulge and get an education in the bargain. In truth, I have not turned away married men, but I am very discreet about who I allow as customers. The major reason for my clandestine ways was to minimize any gossip that might harm my brother’s family.”

  Once again, Lady Sarah’s face became saddened. “My brother Edward has a cancer in his stomach… at least that is what the doctors have speculated. He is in some pain, and has lost a great deal of weight, but remains alert and active. Today, Jon and I finalize a deal with the MacFurtive brothers to buy my business. I am certain they will not run the business as discreetly or as cleanly as I have. Both Jon and I had already decided to cut all ties with the establishment, once the sale was complete. I plan to spend my time taking care of my brother in Derbyshire.”

  There was a lull in the conversation as all three seemed to be thinking about the future. Lady Sarah was the first to speak. “By the way, I am certain Edward will adore Miss Lydia. My brother is truly the best of men; and he was made even better by being married to the most compassionate, forgiving and lively woman I have ever known. Luckily, I arrived back from Jamaica, and was able to spend time with her before her demise.” She reached over and took her nephews hand—much as he had taken hers at the theatre—and bestowed a kiss.

  Darcy was touched by the love these two had for each other. It was a side of Lord Colton he had never observed. He smiled at the two and said, “So, when would you like me to introduce you to Mr Bennet?”