“Is that a yes?” he asked with a smile.
Anne nodded. “It’s a yes.” She didn’t want the moment to end. She loved him; she knew that now. He loved her and wanted to marry her.
However, two hindrances sprang to attention. One was James’ empty stomach, which protested loudly in that instant, and the other was her mother. They both looked towards the drawing room door as the sound of laughter reached their ears.
Anne pulled James by the hand down the hallway. “My mother can wait, you need to eat.” She giggled.
Anne had never before known the joy of being in love, and it excited her. She felt so full of life and did not want the feeling to end. James looked at her differently, and he spoke to her differently, too; she loved every second of it, and told him so.
“I confess…” James told her as he speared more cold pie for his plate. “…that I thought you to be far beyond my reach. But my heart would not be denied, my dear Anne. And when I saw how you looked at me in the hallway, I knew I had to take the chance and confess my love to you.”
She did not know how to react to such a confession and knew she was blushing, but she could not take her eyes off of his face.
She realised that James was trying to prolong the meal and their time alone together, but he was so famished that he could not help himself. Before long, he was finished eating and they reluctantly knew they had to return to the drawing room.
As Anne turned to the door, James caught hold of her hand and spun her around. “Miss de Bourgh, my dear Anne…” He said no more. He lowered his head and kissed her once again. This time it was less hesitant and he was more sure of himself. Anne relaxed into his embrace and placed her hands on his chest. A shiver of pleasure ran through her body and she knew there would never be another love in her life. James was the one for her.
* * *
As soon as Anne and James walked back into the drawing room, Lady Catherine knew there was something different about her. There was a glow to her cheeks, and a happiness in her eyes that she had never seen before.
Anne took her seat and Lady Catherine felt that she deliberately avoided looking at her.
James, however, remained standing directly in the middle of the room, facing her.
“I trust you enjoyed your luncheon, James?” Lady Catherine smiled at him.
“I did, indeed, and I thank you, Your Ladyship.” He wrung his hands in front of him.
Lady Catherine looked from Anne to James and back, and then to Henry, who raised his eyebrows at her. “Is there something amiss?”
“No. Not at all, Your Ladyship.” He bit his lip. “I wondered if I might have a word. In private.” He looked nervously around him.
“Is there a problem in the parish?”
“No. It’s of a personal nature, Your Ladyship.”
“Oh, come now, James! Why so coy?” Henry asked. “It’s not like you to behave this way. Spit it out, man!”
Lady Catherine saw Charles and Walter shift uncomfortably. “No need to leave, gentlemen. I am certain James’ matter can be resolved in an instant,” Lady Catherine declared. “Come along, speak up,” she demanded.
James looked despairingly at Anne and then cleared his throat. Lady Catherine could not imagine what the matter was.
“Your Ladyship, I am not a man of high rank or standing. I am a humble man of humble birth, but I work hard and believe deeply in what I do…”
“I am pleased to hear it,” she interrupted.
“I have a fortune from my mother, and a small house in country. The fifteen thousand pounds is invested wisely and will go a long way.”
“Indeed, it will. You are a wise man,” Lady Catherine agreed.
“Ever since I came to Hunsford, I have been more than content. In fact, I am very happy here.”
Lady Catherine smiled and nodded.
“And I have had the tremendous good fortune to fall in love, and have the lady in question fall in love with me.” He breathed a sigh of relief at getting the words out.
“Good grief!” Henry exclaimed with a laugh. “When were you going to tell your own father?”
Lady Catherine watched James look first at his father, then at Anne. “You said ‘lady’. Of whom do you speak?” she asked quietly, unsure of how she felt about the suspicions she now harboured.
“That is why I have come to you. To ask your permission…”
“So you should, it’s the proper thing to do.”
“…to marry your daughter, Anne.”
* * *
James’ words hung in the air and Anne did not know if her mother was about to explode, laugh, or scream. Her face certainly changed colour, as Anne rose to stand next to James. “I love him, Mama. I think Charles and Walter noticed it before even I did.” She turned and smiled at them both. She felt so vulnerable and scared of what her mother would say.
Lady Catherine rose, moved to the drink cabinet, and poured herself a glass of port. She drank it down quickly and breathed heavily. “I always wanted you to marry well, Anne.”
Anne remained silent.
“I wanted you to marry your cousin, Darcy, of course, but look how that turned out.” She poured another glass. “A title, at least.”
“That can be bought,” Henry said quietly. “I can see to that.”
“And land. What about an estate? Anne needs to marry a man with an estate.”
Anne grew concerned; her mother was mumbling and she feared the advent of the word “no”.
“An estate can be bought, or built. However, Anne does have one of her own.” Henry rose and moved to stand next to Lady Catherine.
Anne watched, uncertain of her future.
“What about elevating her in society?”
“Your Ladyship,” Henry said soothingly, “Anne has known little of society. I doubt she would be comfortable being thrust into it now. And if you mean rank, well, a title can be bought, as I said. What did you want for her? To marry the Prince Regent?”
Anne looked on with shock as her mother laughed.
“No! Lord, no!” Lady Catherine came and stood in front of Anne. She took hold of Anne’s trembling hands. “I thought I knew what was best for you, Anne. I planned and schemed, and it was all for nought. I almost forced you to marry a bounder and a cad. You would have been miserable, and it would have been entirely my fault.”
“Mother, I…”
Lady Catherine placed her fingers on Anne’s mouth. “Hush, child. I have learnt much in the past year, and painfully, too. Your cousin’s marriage and your narrow escape have taught me there is nothing quite as valuable in life as happiness.”
Anne could not believe her ears.
Lady Catherine turned to James. “Young man, you are not the husband I would have chosen for my daughter. However, that does not mean that I do not like you. You are a fine young man.” Her voice caught in her throat. “I am a proud woman, and I have been proven wrong frequently of late.” She smiled uncomfortably at Anne. “That is not an easy admission for a woman like me.” She looked up at James again. “James Watkins, my daughter’s happiness is the most important thing in the world to me now, and I will not compromise it.” She swallowed hard. “I will consent to the marriage so long as your father arranges for that title and I see that my daughter is happy. The instant I see that she is not, I will call the whole thing off. Am I clear on the matter?”
Anne and James nodded in unison.
“It will be a long engagement, of a twelvemonth’s duration.”
Anne felt relief wash over her.
“Oh.”
They all turned to see Henry, his face downturned.
“What is it, Mr Watkins?” Anne asked.
“I have to return to India within the month and I doubt I could manage to revisit England again within a twelvemonth.” He sighed.
His crestfallen face tore at Anne’s heart, whose eyes filled with tears.
“Is your passage booked, Father?”
“Aye, Son. It is.
I leave in a little over three weeks.”
“Three weeks!” Lady Catherine exclaimed.
Anne felt her panic rising. She looked desperately at her mother.
“Well, Anne,” Lady Catherine declared, “there is much to be done, and little time in which to do it!”
EIGHTEEN
_______________________________
The three weeks between the marriage proposal and the actual wedding passed in a whirl of excitement for Anne. She could not quite believe she was marrying at all, let alone for love.
Her mother was quite another creature from the woman she once was. She was no longer so austere, and Anne basked in the new friendship that grew between them.
Within days of the proposal, Anne built up her courage and told her mother that she had been corresponding with Mrs Elizabeth Darcy. At first, Anne thought her mother would explode. In fact, she did not speak to Anne for the remainder of the day, but the following morning, she asked Anne why she had disclosed the information to her.
Anne simply told her, “Because I would like my cousins to be at the wedding. For Georgiana to be my bridesmaid, and for Darcy to give me away in the stead of my father.”
Lady Catherine needed no more persuasion. Her eyes welled with tears and Anne knew she consented to their being invited. Then she furnished her mother with all the news from Pemberley. Later, when she was able, Anne wasted no time and wrote to her cousins immediately.
The elation Anne felt at receiving a letter back, almost by return of post, accepting the invitation, was tempered by her nerves as the big day drew near.
Unfortunately, she did not have much time to spend with James, as they were both so very busy. He engaged Reverend Oates from Westerham to preside over the ceremony, and the preparations were going smoothly.
Anne sat at the writing table in her mother’s study, checking her lists and double-checking that nothing had been omitted, when a sound at the door made her jump.
She turned around and almost cried with emotion at the sight that greeted her. Her cousin, Fitzwilliam Darcy, and his wife, Elizabeth, had arrived a day early.
“I trust we have not arrived too early to inconvenience you, Cousin.” Darcy smiled.
“Oh! Not at all!” Anne was out of her chair in an instant. She wanted to embrace them both, but forced herself to adhere to custom and curtseyed.
Darcy leant forward and kissed her cheek. “It’s good to see you looking so well, and I am very happy that you are to wed.”
“Thank you, Cousin.” Anne nodded at Mrs Darcy. “And I see that you have some news of your own!”
“Indeed, we do. But I must leave you and go in search of my aunt. We have much to discuss. May I leave Elizabeth in your capable hands?”
“Indeed, you may. Mama is in the garden giving directions to the gardener.”
After Darcy’s departure, Anne grew nervous. She had been in Mrs Darcy’s presence before, but never as equals. “May I congratulate you…”
“May I congratulate you…”
Anne could not help herself and burst into laughter as they both uttered the same thing at the same time. Mrs Darcy laughed, too, as she was relieved to see the awkwardness between them broken.
“Would you like to rest? Did you travel from Derbyshire straight here?”
Mrs Darcy smiled and shook her head. “No, I have been seated for hours. In fact, I would enjoy a walk.”
Together they left the house and took a walk in the formal rose gardens, as Mrs Darcy continued speaking. “We travelled down to Northampton, and then on to my parents’ home, Longbourn, in Meryton, Hertfordshire. We stayed there for two days and then on to Bromley, where we rested last night and then travelled the remainder of the distance this morning. So you can imagine my need for exercise.” She smiled.
Anne liked Mrs Darcy; she was a kind, affectionate woman with a friendly smile. “May I ask when you expect the new Darcy to arrive?”
“Oh.” Mrs Darcy smiled and patted her swelling stomach. “Not for four or five months, I am assured. And please,” she said as she linked arms with Anne, “call me Elizabeth.”
Anne’s heart was filled with happiness for them both. She hoped her cousin fared well with her mother.
* * *
Anne need not have worried for her cousin, Darcy. Soon her mother joined them and she was gushing praise for her nephew and prattling on about when he was a baby to his wife. It seemed that the disagreement between them was forgotten and Anne was amazed at how polite her mother now was to Elizabeth. At first, Lady Catherine was a little stilted when addressing Elizabeth, and Anne was concerned she was being false. However, as the day wore on, she could see her mother was overcome with emotion at the forthcoming arrival of the newest member of the family.
That night, the Darcys and the Watkinses were introduced, and Anne was pleased to see that her cousin hit it off well with James and Henry.
“I am so pleased for you, Anne,” Elizabeth whispered in her ear. “He is a perfect gentleman…and handsome, too!” The twinkle in Elizabeth’s eyes made Anne laugh and she knew then why her cousin loved Elizabeth so much.
Lady Catherine was amused to read aloud a letter from Mr Collins that Darcy brought with him, congratulating her on the nuptials of her daughter. The very words he used caused titters to circulate the room. Mr Collins may have improved, but he is still amusing.
There was, however, one dark cloud on the horizon. Anne received a letter from her cousin, Richard. He would not be present for the wedding, as he could not be spared from his duties in Spain. Anne saw Darcy frown at his missive and she suspected the real reason was that he was not yet over his heartbreak. She consoled herself with the knowledge that sooner or later he would come to visit and pay his respects.
* * *
The day of the wedding dawned bright and fair. Anne could not have been happier. She was so excited that she refused to eat anything before church. She was persuaded, however, by Elizabeth, who told her it would be a long time until the wedding breakfast, and she would not wish to hear her stomach rumble in the silence of the church. Anne quickly ate something for fear of that very thing happening. She did not want anything to ruin her perfect day.
Lady Catherine helped to dress her that morning. Anne could see on her mother’s face that just one word would upset the delicate balance of her emotions.
As she affixed the veil to Anne’s bonnet, she sniffed back the tears. “Your father would have loved to see you like this.” She sniffed again. “I could not be prouder of you, Anne, my beautiful, darling girl.” She embraced her tightly and departed before the tears fell.
Long after her mother’s departure, Anne stared at the closed door. She couldn’t remember the last time her mother embraced her, and she thanked God for the propitious change in her.
Anne’s train of thought was broken, as there was a knock at the door. It opened, and there stood her cousin, beaming down at her. “You look beautiful, Anne.” He offered her his arm and Anne knew this was it. There was no going back. Her wedding day had arrived; she was going to marry the man she was in love with. She thanked heaven for that miracle, which a few weeks ago seemed not only distant, but also impossible. She took a deep breath, put her arm through Darcy’s, and they set off to church.
* * *
The ceremony was perfect and Anne’s voice was never stronger or clearer as she said her vows that morning. She was the happiest woman in the land. James was all she had ever truly wanted, a man to love her for herself – not her money, land, or estate.
James, she thought, was handsomer than ever. His face was a picture as he watched her walk up the aisle towards him. She looked forward to a life of getting to know him.
Before they knew it, Reverend Oates pronounced them man and wife, they signed the register, and they were being cheered on their way out of the church and back to Rosings. It seemed that the entire population of Hunsford turned out to line the lane between the church and the entrance to Rosings. Anne felt s
o touched and honoured by their congratulations that she was rendered speechless. James, however, knew precisely what to do. He came armed with a bag full of pennies to shower upon the well-wishers.
Anne had not seen the finished arrangements in the garden for the wedding breakfast and they took her breath away as the newly married couple arrived back at the house.
* * *
Lady Catherine spared no expense. Anne insisted on a small wedding, despite all her protestations and reasons for the contrary. Lady Catherine reluctantly admitted that there was not sufficient time to arrange the grand affair she would have liked. James’ brothers – Henry and George – joined him and their father, Henry, at the parsonage, and they asked that a few relatives and friends also be invited. Anne wanted the Metcalfes, the Darcys, the Fitzwilliams, and the Collinses. Anne also insisted that Charles and Walter be present.
It was a short guest list; therefore, Lady Catherine felt it incumbent upon herself to be elaborate in the decorations and celebrations. However, once the guests arrived, Rosings felt so full of life and activity. Lady Catherine was overjoyed to welcome her brother and his wife to Rosings. She couldn’t remember the last time the Fitzwilliams had travelled south into Kent. Despite not being a grand wedding, she still wanted it to be comparable to her nephew, George Fitzwilliam’s, later that year – albeit on a smaller scale. With her friends and family around her, Lady Catherine was encouraged, and created the perfect event for her daughter.
Anne’s reaction and smile was all the confirmation she needed to know she had done the right thing. Anne’s favourite flower, the peony, was on everything and arranged seemingly to climb up every vertical surface imaginable. It was a floral paradise, and the four-piece orchestra completed the perfection. Lady Catherine nodded to herself. Yes, Anne is very happy indeed.
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