Imperative: Volume 2, A Tale of Pride and Prejudice (72 page)

“An offer, obviously.”  Anne smirked into her glass.

“Do not look so smug, dear sister.  If it were not for your money and vested interest in keeping our secrets, do you think my brother would have elevated you from spinster to wife?”  Cathy said acidly.

Anne shrugged.  “Jealous?  Your dowry has done nothing for you.”

“Dowry has nothing to do with it.  I am a victim of gossip and speculation.”  She looked at Lady Catherine accusingly, “Something you are skilled at employing to your personal benefit.” 

“There are times when it is useful.  When I have erred, I have admitted it and repaired the situation.” 

“Everyone knows that to marry, one must be in the right place at the right time.”  Lady Matlock looked between them.  “
That
obviously did not happen.”

“So I may wind up a resident of Matlock forever, and under my brother’s care.”  Cathy said grimly and turned to Anne.  “You and I will share a home.”

“I am not leaving Rosings, and neither is my husband.” 

“If my brother dies, you certainly are!”  Lady Catherine set down her glass.  “You were born to this, Lady Gladney, and you will take your rightful place!”

“I thought that she was born to be Mistress of Pemberley.  My, how she blew with the wind.”  Cathy said sweetly, “At least I seek a mate from outside of the family circle.”

“Darcy did not want you.”  Anne snapped.

“Darcy was too busy avoiding
you
to even consider me.  He chose a woman worlds below himself rather than take you.”  Cathy met her eye. 

“Why are you two sniping at each other?”  Lady Matlock demanded and turned to Anne.  “It is entirely unbecoming.  If this is how it will be, I hope that you go and purchase a suitable wedding gift for Richard and remain here instead of journeying to Derbyshire with us.” 

“Another cousin you could have had . . .” Cathy whispered.

“Who would want a soldier?”

“He is not a soldier now.” 

“Because of my husband’s generosity!”

“Your husband?”  Cathy laughed and pointed at the closed door.  “Gladney belongs to Father!   It is his generosity that places Richard there!  It is he who has allowed him to marry at all!”

“And it is my husband who is furnishing it!”

“Well, he should,
he
emptied it!”

“He has been making up for his indiscretions.  He is living cleanly and contentedly.  If you begrudge him that then you are a narrow-minded shrew and I hope that no man ever takes you.  You may live your dried-up existence alone.”  Anne lifted her chin.  “While I enjoy the fruits of marriage.”

Cathy’s eyes narrowed and she leaned forward, “How can you enjoy fruit when the tree has not ever been plucked?”  Unbecoming blotches of red spread over Anne’s pale face. 

“Cathy!”  Lady Matlock cried.  “Enough of this!  Your bitterness toward your brother is understandable, but I will not tolerate your descent into vulgarity!”

Lady Catherine considered her niece, “Would you prefer to have left Matlock to the wolves?  The creditors were circling; in fact, my brother tells me that the wedding came in the nick of time.  Matlock’s shine is tarnished, but it will be restored.  Obviously one Season was not enough to repair the damage Gladney’s behaviour wrought.  It is no reason to heap your disappointment for failing upon my daughter.”  She sniffed and looked her over appraisingly.  “What have you done to make yourself attractive?  I see nothing of it before me.” 

“What do you mean?  I went to the same modiste as Mother and Elizabeth use.”  Cathy looked down at her gown.

Anne pounced, “So now she is Elizabeth.  A moment ago you were sneering at her.”

“Quiet, Lady Gladney.  You have had your chance to crow.  You are above this now; you are the wife of a viscount.”  Lady Catherine turned back to her niece.  “I was not referring to your dress.  If you displayed this complete absence of modesty before any man who approached, I daresay they ran from
you
, not your family’s reputation.”  She spoke with authority, “They want a lamb, not a tigress.” 

“Then how did you ever marry?”  Cathy demanded and looked at her mother, “And you?” 

Lady Catherine and Lady Matlock exchanged looks. 

“I always was curious about that.”  Anne joined Cathy in her examination.  “I hardly remember Aunt Anne, but I do remember that she was rather opinionated like you Mama, she was always telling me what was expected of the mistress of a great house even when I was a little girl.  I assumed that it was because I was to marry Darcy.  But at the same time, she was much softer.  I could see how she would win Uncle Darcy.  How
did
you attract Papa?” 

“With her dowry, of course.  And an arrangement between the parents.”   Lady Matlock focussed on her sister.

“Exactly the same as between you and my brother.”  Lady Catherine snapped.

“Is that what it all comes down to?  Money?”  Cathy said dejectedly.  “If that was the case, I would have been married years ago.”

“You were hoping for Darcy, too.”  Anne poked at her.  “Cousins united.” 

“He married no lamb.”  Cathy muttered.

“No, he did not.  And his marriage was no arranged affair, he wanted her.”  Anne said quietly. 

The four women grew silent, considering the Mistress of Pemberley. 

“Mrs. Darcy expressed her admiration for the gift of funds from Rosings to repair the damage to Gladney.  She correctly pointed out that while Rosings’s accounts are somewhat depleted, by putting Matlock and Gladney on firm footing, all of our family will benefit.  I can find no fault in her reasoning.” Lady Catherine picked up her sherry.  “Mrs. Darcy also fully recommends Miss Kelly as an excellent wife for Fitzwilliam.  He needs a woman with fortitude to stand up to him, and Mrs. Darcy assures me that he has found a woman of worth.”

Lady Matlock nodded.  “She said much the same to me.  Miss Kelly is precisely the woman that Richard needs.  She will not hold with nonsense, but she loves him, and he feels equally towards her.” 

“Love?”  Cathy sighed.  “If it is as obvious as Elizabeth displays with cousin Darcy, I am afraid that I will make my permanent home here in London.” 

“Watching your brother in love is not the same as watching a man you hoped for, dear.”  Lady Matlock assured her. 

“It is when you are not receiving the same for yourself.” 

“The Darcys’ displays are unfortunate.  It is one thing in the privacy of the home, but on the streets!”  Lady Catherine waved at a window.  “It is most disturbing.  However . . .”  She glanced at Anne.  “I have noticed that affection expressed is not . . . ineffective on a man’s well-being.  I have thus encouraged it to my daughter.”

“Mama!”  Anne hissed.

“It is not a lost cause, Daughter.  I believe that an heir may be had by you and Gladney.  You simply must apply yourself.  It is up to you to achieve.” 

Cathy put her hand to her mouth and stared at Anne’s crimson face.  She burst out laughing.  “You must practice!” 

Anne rolled her eyes.  “That is not amusing.” 

“I wonder if Darcy and Elizabeth still practice . . .”

“That she is not with child yet amazes me.”  Lady Matlock said frankly.  “My husband asked Richard when he last visited how they were getting along and Richard said that they were quite companionable.  I thought that marrying a country girl would give him a good breeder.”

“I will advise her when we meet at Matlock.” Lady Catherine declared.  “I know that she will be grateful for it.”

“You had how many children, Catherine?”  Lady Matlock noted.

“If I had wished for more than one child . . .”

“Cathy, pass me the sherry.”

“THERE YOU GO, LITTLE GIRL.”  Harding said softly and patted Hope’s belly after setting her down into the cradle.  “Now, you behave and mind Miss Debbie.”  He glanced at the young woman standing nearby with folded hands and her eyes cast down.  Clearing his throat, he stepped away.  “How are you getting on?”

“I am fine, sir.”  She said quietly.  “I am in a good place.”

“Good, then.”  He nodded and smiling once more at the bright-eyed baby, he left the nursery and walked down the stairs to find Susan putting the finishing touches to her dress.  “Hope sends her best wishes.”

“Does she?”  Susan laughed.  “Did she blow a bubble or coo it into your ear?”

“She spoke eloquently, as well as any lady reading a passage from a favourite book before a library full of her peers.”  He touched her shoulder and then turned away to the window. 

Susan followed and slipped her hand into his.  “How are you feeling, dear?  You seem to be returning to yourself a little more each day.” 

“I do not even know what that means.  Who are you talking about?”

“The man I met at a dance all those years ago.”  She smiled. 

“That will be a stretch.  I was nobody then, just a young barrister.  I have seen and done too much to ever return to that young man again.”  He looked at her and smiling, touched her face.  “You, however, look as lovely as you did then.”

“Oh yes, with greying hair and crows’ feet by my eyes.”

“Yes.”  He kissed her.  “That is my girl.” 

“Your girl is upstairs in her cradle.”  She hugged him and he sighed.  “Will you come with me to meet Elizabeth’s family this afternoon?” 

“The tradesman and his wife.”  He felt her stiffen and let go.  “What would my brother say?  What would my father say?  To have people like that under Pemberley’s roof?”  He smiled at the frown she wore.  “I am only sorry that they are not here to witness it.  None of us in this family have any business judging any person’s origins ever again.  Not when our girl is upstairs in her cradle.”  Watching a smile appear, he kissed her cheek.  “Did I surprise you?  I am glad that I still can.”

“SHALL WE WALK, or would you care to ride?  I highly recommend Fitzwilliam’s new phaeton, he is quite proud of how it flies, but I dare not touch it myself!”  Elizabeth laughed when she saw him look up at her from across the room with a crease in his brow.  “He has been giving me driving lessons and only trusts me with the simplest of traps drawn by the oldest and most exhausted pony.” 

“What are you conspiring over there?”  Darcy called and winced when the hook from the fishing lure he was tying jabbed his thumb.

“We were discussing touring the grounds.  You and Uncle are to go fishing, and I was thinking of a way to occupy Aunt while you are away.  She wants to see the park.  Shall I take her for a drive?”

Removing his thumb from his mouth he gaped, “Without
me
?” 

Mrs. Gardiner hid her smile behind her hand and caught her husband’s chuckle.  Elizabeth looked at Darcy innocently, “If you are knee-deep in a stream, I suppose it
would
be difficult to direct a carriage.  Your voice carries admirably, however I doubt that the grizzled animal you assign me could hear a word of your commands unless you were riding his back and leaning down to his ear.  Perhaps a trumpet would be useful.”  She tapped her chin thoughtfully and her eyes sparkled as he stood from his chair and walked deliberately across the room.  “Then again, you never look forward to say which way to go, even though you are forever telling me to do that very thing.” 

“
I
know what I am doing.” 

“Hmm.”  She took his hand and examining his thumb, kissed it before letting go.

Darcy met her eye and bowed to Mrs. Gardiner.  “I would be delighted to lead a tour of the grounds in one of our larger carriages tomorrow, madam.  My dear wife has had little opportunity to learn the intricacies of the pathways, and while I believe she is accomplished enough to make a direct journey, say to the dower’s house . . . with company . . .,” he noted Elizabeth’s lips pursing, “I shudder to imagine the search I would have to conduct over this estate when she undoubtedly becomes lost.”

“Have you so little faith in my sense of direction, Fitzwilliam?”

His hand rested upon her shoulder and his thumb began gently rubbing her throat.  “I know how in a state of panic, all trees look alike.” 

“But if I remained on the road, eventually it would lead somewhere.  If nothing else I would surely come upon a tenant’s home or some worker who would set me straight?  I am not afraid to ask for help.” 

 “Elizabeth, must you always argue your point when you know I have only your best interests in mind?” 

“Oh, yes.”  She looked up to him and smiled with his sigh.  “Am I incorrect?”

“I have given you the dower house, is that not far enough to test my nerves?  I am certain that Aunt Susan would be delighted for your company, and then tomorrow I will be glad to play guide to you all.”  He turned when Mr. Gardiner joined them, “Perhaps we might plan a picnic for the whole family?”

“That sounds like a fine idea.  I look forward to meeting the judge and your cousin.”

“Will young Mr. Darcy be able to join us?  His time is not his own.”  Mrs. Gardiner asked.

“That is true, but he will join us for dinner one night before you depart.  He has been working very late hours.  Mr. Mayfield is making him pay for his holiday in Scotland with us.  I have no doubt he will do the same when we attend the colonel’s wedding.”

Elizabeth watched her uncle laughing softly, “After that I do not foresee any other events that will take him away, do you?  So he will not be punished further?”

“No, but he will be as ink-stained as ever.  It was the same when he worked for Mr. Easterly, dear.  Like any job, you learn by doing.  He is simply being immersed in it.  One day he will look back at this time fondly, when he is torturing a clerk of his own.”  His fingers worked up the back of her neck and into the tendrils of hair that escaped the combs.  “I thought that you admire such dedication.”

“I do.  I just wish that he was as free as we.” 

“I think that he is quite happy with his lot, dear.  He has expressed innumerable times that he does not want my position.  It is a matter of perspective.  In some ways, I daresay that I work longer hours than he.  When he arrives home, he knows that his day is over.  As long as I have a candle to burn, I can be at my desk, and often am.”  Noting the shadows under her eyes, he bent and kissed her.  “If you visit your aunt, please drive carefully.”