“Hand me over a page as well, Darcy,” Henry said, standing to cross to the desk. “I’ll write the magistrate.”
“I think I must write a letter too,” Richard said. “I have an idea. Does anyone recall the name of Aunt Catherine’s doctor?”
“I do,” Anne replied.
After handing over the requested sheets, Darcy set out several before himself. “Before we left London, Mr. Gardiner asked me if I knew where Lady Catherine’s London agent lived or worked. He said he might be able to get some confirmation of Elizabeth’s kidnapping. That could be helpful.”
Feeling grim, Darcy offered pens and ink, and they set to writing.
KENT
Lady Catherine has been a thorn in the side of this community for too long.
Chapter Twenty-Three
They had to cancel the plans for Anne’s birthday, for she insisted they set out the next morning to begin making arrangements to take hold of Rosings, and those arrangements would take several days. She and Bingley were to go first to Netherfield Park to gather any servants who were willing to move, then on to London to collect the others they would need. Before they left, to be followed shortly by Darcy, Richard and Henry, Bingley assured them he had a gift for Anne and would make her birthday special, no matter where they were.
Henry went to Kent to enlist the aid of the magistrate. It didn’t surprise Darcy that Henry expected to meet Mr. Veitch without anyone noticing him. Henry’s only concession to his safety and rank was to have his long-suffering valet go with him. Two riders, only packing what could be conveniently carried on their horses, wouldn’t attract any attention.
Darcy and Richard headed to London where, with Mr. Gardiner’s help, they began investigating Lady Catherine’s agent there. They shortly received a letter from Henry informing them where to meet him and Mr. Veitch. He also enlightened them on his conversation with Lady Catherine’s doctor, following up on Richard’s letter to the man. Darcy and his cousin completed their investigation, a corroboration of Mr. Gardiner’s findings coupled with a fruitless attempt to discover more, and headed to Kent. Before leaving London, they passed along their findings and Henry’s information to Bingley and Anne, selecting a time to meet near Rosings.
When Darcy and Richard arrived at the magistrates, they found him and Henry waiting. “Henry, Mr. Veitch,” Darcy acknowledged as the two settled themselves in his carriage. He directed his gaze to the magistrate, who’d taken the place across from him, beside Richard. “I hope you’re firm in your resolve to aid us?” Darcy knocked on the roof, signaling they were ready to continue on to where they expected to find Anne and Bingley, and their caravan of carriages and wagons.
“I am.” Mr. Veitch tugged at his cravat, but his expression was resolute. “Lady Catherine has been a thorn in the side of this community for too long.” The magistrate looked about the carriage, appearing quite worried. He cleared his throat. “You should know, one of Lady Catherine’s tenants came to me saying his twelve-year old son saw two footmen force a woman into Lady Catherine’s carriage. The woman fought vigorously. From the description, it sounded like Miss Bennet. One of Mr. Collins servants said Miss Bennet arrived at the parsonage a few hours after this incident with fingermarks on her arms, and with a dirty and torn dress. I didn’t have enough information to act, but I was wondering if you know anything about it?”
“I do,” Darcy said. He detailed Elizabeth’s abduction, trying to keep his voice calm. Mr. Veitch listened with mounting grimness. “We also have proof Lady Catherine sent a note to her agent in London to expect Miss Bennet to arrive there, hours before the kidnapping.”
Henry nodded, looking satisfied by the news.
“I see. Miss Bennet’s testimony and the agent’s collaboration add considerably more information than I had.” He nodded several times, looking thoughtful. “I would be willing to consider prosecution.”
“So would we,” Henry said, though Richard looked uncertain.
“I don’t think we should make a decision on that yet,” Darcy said.
It didn’t take them long to reach Rosings, and they had only a short wait before Anne and Bingley appeared, staff in tow. Darcy’s carriage led the caravan up the long drive. Reaching the imposing front façade, Darcy, Henry, Richard and Mr. Veitch got out. Anne and Bingley disembarked a moment later. Henry walked down the line of vehicles, waving a group of footmen out of one and gesturing for them to follow.
Darcy half-feared they would have to knock the door down, but it swung open as they neared. Ignoring the rest of them, Lady Catherine’s butler fixed his eyes on Anne. “Welcome back, Miss de Bourgh.”
“She is Mrs. Bingley,” Bingley said.
“You’ve just lost your job,” Henry said. “I suggest you pack your things.”
“You can’t--”
Henry pushed his way past the butler, the man’s offended voice stuttering to a halt. The butler pressed himself against the wall as Darcy, Richard, Mr. Veitch and the Bingleys followed Henry into the ornate foyer. Four of the footmen they’d brought came in behind them. The butler, his eyes wide, turned and scurried away. Darcy hoped he wasn’t going for reinforcements.
Henry stomped his way across the marble inlayed entryway and stopped. He looked back over his shoulder at Richard. “Which way?”
Richard moved to the front of the line, leading the way to Lady Catherine’s favorite parlor. Idly, Darcy hoped Anne would toss out every bit of furniture in the room. None of it was comfortable, and all of it was ostentatious. Of course, Anne might prefer it. It was difficult to say what her tastes were, since she’d never been permitted to express them.
They all followed Richard into the crimson and gold themed room, forming a line of defiance between Lady Catherine and the door. She sat in her usual place, her skirts arranged about her in a grand billow of dark silk. To one side of her stood her steward, appearing almost like a guard beside a throne. Mrs. Jenkinson sat on her other side, looking pale.
Anne stepped forward, her spine ridged. “Mother, I have come to take my rightful place as mistress of Rosings. In view of your reaction to my marriage, I am requiring you to move to out. Have Dawson pack your possessions.”
“No, you insolent, ungrateful child. This is my home. I am not leaving.”
Bingley stepped up beside Anne. “I’m sorry, Lady Catherine, but you’re wrong.”
Lady Catherine didn’t look at him, keeping her eyes on Anne. “Furthermore, I am ordering these cretins, these treacherous nephews of mine and other riffraff you’ve permitted to accompany you into my home, to depart immediately.”
“No, Mother. This is my home and I have invited them here.”
“This is not your home. You stupid, stupid girl. Can’t you see your cousins have tricked you?” Lady Catherine surged to her feet. “They’ve married you off to some fool who will take Rosings from you, along with everything else you have. Then he’ll cast you aside for that Bennet girl he was ogling last winter. Don’t think that just because I don’t gallivant about London that I don’t know the truth. It was the talk of the season. How can you be so foolish as to think that man loves you? Look at you. No one will ever love you.”
Bingley put a hand on Anne’s shoulder. “You are wrong. I cannot imagine how you haven’t noticed how wonderful your daughter is. I love her.”
Anne looked at her husband in pleased surprise, but quickly turned back to her mother. She raised her chin. “That is enough, Mother. You are leaving.”
“Mr. Veitch, tell these fools Rosings is mine,” Lady Catherine cried, turning to the magistrate.
Mr. Veitch shook his head.
“You would take their side?” Lady Catherine screeched, and Darcy noticed he wasn’t the only one who winced at her tone. “You imbecile. I will ruin you for this. I will see you hang.”
“That’s enough.” Henry strolled forward. “I would order the footmen to do this, but it gives me great pleasure to see to it myself. Richard, Darcy.”
Darcy and
Richard moved toward Lady Catherine, following Henry.
She glared at them, her lips pulled back in a snarl. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“In fact, I would.” Henry grabbed one of her arms.
Darcy took the other. Bodily, they lifted her off her chair. When she let her feet drag rather than walk, they carried her from the room. Richard went ahead, waving the footmen to follow, and ensured no one attempted to stop them. Lady Catherine fought and screamed all the way to Darcy’s carriage.
Darcy and Henry put her inside and climbed in after. They went about it as gently as they could, though Darcy could still vividly recall the marks on Elizabeth’s arms after her carriage ride with his aunt. Henry took a seat beside Lady Catherine, preventing her from attempting to get out. Richard joined them a moment later. The house Lady Catherine owned was just a mile away. She didn’t stop belittling and berating them once during the drive.
When they arrived, Lady Catherine refused to disembark, forcing them to carry her inside. The home’s caretaker was waiting, looking frightened and distraught. Darcy and Henry placed Lady Catherine in the first chair they saw, in the front parlor. The caretaker hurried forward with a glass of wine. She took it and threw it at him, staining his clothing and the carpet. Richard pulled the man into the hall and spoke to him too low for Darcy to hear, coming back a moment later alone.
Darcy, Henry and Richard took up seats about the room. Lady Catherine didn’t attempt to leave, launching into a new series of rants against them and what they’d done, with particular emphasis on her view of their intelligence, or lack thereof. Rosings’ servants began arriving, their possessions in tow. Darcy knew Anne planned to let most of them go, with a quarter’s wages. Then a wagon came, loaded with Lady Catherine’s possessions, including the furniture from her suite of rooms and her favorite parlor.
Those weren’t the last rants Darcy and his cousins endured over the next few hours. They stayed with Lady Catherine, half to ensure she remained and half out of concern for her. Darcy weighted his feelings as such, at least. He was relatively sure Henry stayed only to keep their aunt from causing trouble, and that Richard was the most sympathetic toward her of the three of them. Enough food was brought over from Rosings to last Lady Catherine and her servants for a week. Darcy hadn’t thought of that and appreciated Anne attending to it. When Lady Catherine seemed to have calmed somewhat, he sent a message to Bingley.
Bingley marched into the parlor, his stern look at odds with his pleasant face. He came to a halt before their aunt and bowed. “Lady Catherine.”
Lady Catherine stared straight ahead, ignoring him.
Bingley’s expression darkened. “Lady Catherine, do you still refuse to recognize Anne’s and my marriage?”
“Do not refer to my daughter in that vulgarly familiar manner. She is not your wife. If you have touched her, I shall have you brought up on charges of assault.”
“Really, Aunt Catherine,” Richard said. “Try to be reasonable. Anne is twenty-five. She is legally permitted to make her own choices and fully able to do so. You’re only making yourself miserable with this.”
“Traitor,” Lady Catherine spat out, glaring at Richard.
He sighed, shaking his head.
“I will take that as a yes,” Bingley said. “In view of your refusal, I’ve come to inform you that you will not be permitted access to Rosings until you publicly acknowledge our union and Anne’s change in status.”
“Never,” Lady Catherine said.
“Furthermore, several of the servants you were sent have agreed to keep us informed of your activities. Of course, we can’t tell you which ones,” Bingley said.
“What? That is intolerable. I’ll let them all go and start over again.”
“That is your choice,” Bingley said. “We’ve thought of that possibility and will recruit new informants from anyone you hire.”
“I’ll keep them all here,” Lady Catherine said. “No one will be allowed to leave.”
“We’ve also talked to your doctor about declaring you of questionable mental stability,” Henry said. “That might involve appointing a trustee to oversee your household.”
“I suppose you bribed him,” Lady Catherine snapped.
“Oddly enough, no,” Henry said with a smile.
Darcy understood the smile. Henry hadn’t offered the doctor money, but he was also bluffing. He’d included his full conversation with the doctor in the note he’d sent to London. The man had said he wasn’t going to declare Lady Catherine insane. He’d gone on to make it clear he wasn’t any more willing to do so than he was willing to declare Anne incompetent and added that he wished wealthy and titled people would stop trying to use him to solve their problems.
“Another thing,” Bingley said, his tone hard. “Your coachman said he would testify against you concerning the abduction of Miss Bennet. Mrs. Bingley is keeping him on.”
“Two people against three, and one of them a lady,” Lady Catherine said with contempt.
“Three against three. There was a witness. We also have proof you sent a note to your agent in London to expect Miss Bennet to arrive there, hours before you abducted her.”
Darcy smiled grimly.
“Elizabeth Bennet deserved it, the conniving hussy. It is your treatment of me that should be considered mad.” Her eyes swept the room.
“You had her thrown in a carriage,” Darcy said.
“The lot of you threw me into one. Me. Your own aunt.”
“At least we didn’t attempt to pack you off to London, alone, uncertain as to whether you would have cab money,” Darcy said.
“What do you mean uncertain? I told her it would be attended to. She would have been well enough. Her sort knows how to handle themselves around all manner of low creatures.”
Darcy had heard enough. “Her sort?” he repeated, his voice coming out a low rumble of anger.
“Still entranced with the hoyden?” Lady Catherine asked. “Lift her skirts for you, did she?”
Darcy surged to his feet before he could stop himself. He clenched his fists at the smug smile on his aunt’s face, wishing he hadn’t let her know how well she was goading him.
“I see.” Lady Catherine’s tone was snide. “The real question is, how many came before you, and how many will there be after.”
“Darcy,” Henry said, putting out an arm.
Darcy looked down, realizing he’d taken a step forward. He shook his head. There was no reason to move any closer to his aged relation. He couldn’t attack a woman, and he wouldn’t sink to raising his voice. She would derive too much satisfaction from his loss of control. “If you’ll excuse me,” he said. He bowed to the room and stepped outside.
He didn’t go anywhere, merely leaning against the wall beside the doorframe, just out of sight. He took several deep breaths, trying to regain his composure.
“Really, Aunt Catherine.” It was Richard’s voice. “That was uncalled for.”
“He wouldn’t react with such force if he didn’t think it true. I’m helping Darcy out, making sure he faces up to what kind of woman she is before he does something irreparable.”
“The kind of woman she is, Aunt Catherine, is kind, intelligent and good natured, and you’d do well to remember that.”
Lady Catherine answered that by launching into another screaming rant.
“You’ve done all you can for the time being, Bingley,” Richard said, his voice pitched loud enough to carry over Lady Catherine’s. “In fact, I think we all have. You two can go to Rosings, or Pemberley, or where have you. Darcy too. Give me a moment with Aunt Catherine.”
There was some shuffling inside the room. Henry and Bingley came out.
Seeing Darcy leaning against the wall, Henry gestured for him and Bingley to stay. “I want to wait a moment to make sure Richard can handle her.” Henry’s whispered voice barely reached Darcy’s ears through Lady Catherine’s screeching.
Darcy nodded, sharing Henry’s concern. Lady Catherine
wasn’t a frail woman. If she became violent, Richard would have a time restraining her alone without harming her, something he wouldn’t do. Darcy had no desire to see is aunt harmed. They’d already won. She wouldn’t have another opportunity to do injury. The scheme with Wickham had involved stealth. With so many eyes on her, it was unlikely she would be able to clandestinely recruit someone to attack any of them.
Still gesturing for them to remain, Henry walked to the front door and opened it. Closing it rather forcibly, he returned on silent feet, taking up a position alongside them. The moment Henry slammed the door, Lady Catherine’s tirade broke off. Darcy realized she no longer had her intended audience. The yelling wasn’t for her benefit, but to torment them. Richard had been correct to send them away. Then, he’d always been closest to her, if anyone could be considered close to their cantankerous aunt.
“I have every right to run Rosings.” Lady Catherine’s tone was peevish now. “I’ve run it well since Sir Lewis died. I ran it before he died.”
“If he wanted you to have it, he would have willed it to you,” Richard replied evenly. “You married Sir Lewis de Bourgh, not Rosings. You were left very well off. You know I’ve looked at the books. You’ve lived well at Rosings expense for years.”
“I haven’t cheated anyone. I paid for my own purchases and my personal maid.”
“You’ve invited the guests you wanted, not the ones Anne wanted.”
“Anne could have--”
“No, she couldn’t have. Don’t make me remind you how you’ve treated her.” There was a long silence. “Anne corresponds regularly with Agatha, you realize,” Richard continued. “All else aside, my sister knows you’ve never invited a single eligible man to Rosings. Not one who wouldn’t repulse Anne, at least. Agatha has been very angry with you for that.”
“Anne was supposed to marry Darcy,” Lady Catherine muttered. “I didn’t want to distract her.”
Courting Elizabeth: A Pride and Prejudice Variation Page 24