Mr. Darcy's Daughter (32 page)

That
Mr. Carr loved her as fondly as she loved him, she was now assured.

For
some weeks, she had been aware that a new and exhilarating emotion was
directing her life, but even she had not imagined it would make one person,
whom she had known for not much longer than a year, more important to her immediate
happiness than anyone else on earth. Yet, it was not with any trepidation, but
with some wonderment and not a little delight, that she contemplated her
present situation.

That
her brother regarded the man she loved as a good friend and approved of their
affection for one another increased her joy. On learning of their secret
engagement from Mr. Carr, Darcy had sought her out and embraced her. "My
dear little sister, he is a fine man; I know you will be very happy
together," he had said and, for Lizzie, there was but one more step to
heaven: her parents'

blessing.
Her father would open Mr. Carr's letter tomorrow morning, he would send for
her, and Lizzie already knew exactly what she would say. This time, she
promised herself, she would not be tongue-tied. She had practised it carefully
and was word perfect.

However,
as on many occasions in life, when plans are made only to be confounded,
destiny decided otherwise.

Even
as the party at Pemberley ended and the Gardiners returned home in good
spirits, events were unfolding that were to inflict unimagined change upon
their lives.

Sometime
during that night, Josie suffered a relapse. By mid-morning on New Year's Day,
while flakes of snow were falling in the quiet city, she passed into a feverish
delirium and, despite the efforts of the best doctors her husband could summon,
never regained consciousness. Shortly before nightfall, with Julian, her
parents, and her faithful Susan beside her, she slipped away.

News
of Josie's death came less than a fortnight after the family had celebrated the
birth of Jonathan Charles, the first child of Anne-Marie and Colin Elliott. A
letter from Jonathan Bingley had reached them shortly before Christmas with the
news of the birth of his grandson. It had brought hope and happiness to end a
year that had been fraught with problems.

When
Julian's urgent message arrived, Mr. Carr was with them, having arrived to see
Dr Gardiner. He had been taking tea in the parlour with Cassandra and her
daughters, when the express was brought in. On opening it, Cassy cried out and,
having broken the news to her daughters, had rushed upstairs to her husband.
Weeping copiously, Laura Ann followed her mother, leaving Lizzie in tears.

It
was to Mr. Carr she turned for consolation and it seemed quite natural and
entirely right that he should take her in his arms and comfort her as she wept,
unable to understand why, after all these weeks of hope, it had come to this.
She had not known what her father had expected for some time; that a patient
with tuberculosis would often rally strongly and seem to recover just before a
fatal relapse.

Cassy,
coming downstairs later and seeing them together, sensed the intimacy and
tenderness between them and was reminded of her mother's words.

Clearly
she had, amidst all her other undertakings, missed something important that had
been happening in her daughter's life. She determined that she would speak with
her husband, at the earliest opportunity, but quite obviously, that was not
today.

Cassy
could not help wondering at the way a coincidence of joy and sorrow had often
marked their lives. Recalling, with a deep sigh, the day of her engagement,
forever bound up with the death of her beloved brother William, she wondered if
life was always like this. Would Lizzie, like her mother, retain memories of
Josie's death, linked to her own love? Was happiness too rich a draught to be
drunk without some bitter trace of sorrow in the cup?

The
funeral, which was held at Pemberley on a cold January afternoon, was a sad,
difficult occasion. Mr. and Mrs. Darcy looked strained and wan. The news coming
so soon after Julian's optimistic letters had them stunned and bewildered.

The
Tates were desolated and neither was able to speak without weeping.

Poor
Becky Tate, who had at all times encouraged her daughter in her ambitions and
hoped for great things from her marriage to the young heir to Pemberley, could
not absorb the blow that had been dealt them, while her husband was left to
wonder at the value of his material success and political influence. His
favourite child was gone and his life, for all its wealth and power, was empty.

Not
everyone knew the details of Josie's death.

The
younger people in the area, who had known her as a girl, wept, confused, unable
to comprehend the circumstances that had destroyed such a vibrant, young life.
Few could believe that Josie Tate, their childhood playmate, was dead.

Not
long afterwards, while Richard and Cassy were still trying to come to terms
with the swift reversal of fortune that had taken them in so short a time from
hope to despair, Julian, who had spent the last few weeks with his parents at
Pemberley, arrived to see his sister and brother-in-law.

Cassandra
was shocked by his appearance. He looked and sounded like a man resigned to his
fate, already aware that it had little in the way of happiness to offer him.
Refusing any refreshment, he thanked them for all they had done for Josie and
revealed that he had decided to renounce his inheritance in favour of his son.

As
Cassy gasped in disbelief, he explained, "Anthony will succeed as the heir
to Pemberley directly from his grandfather. I have asked only for a modest
income from the estate, which would enable me to continue my research work in
Europe, where I will live for most of the year. I am well paid there and do not
wish to draw upon the estate for anything more. Such resources as may accrue to
me will flow on to my son and can be used for his upbringing and education, as
well as the improvement of the estate.

"While
I do not intend to sever my ties with Pemberley, I have no desire to live there
permanently; there are too many deep scars and painful memories for me,"
he said, as Richard and Cassy listened, unable to say a word.

Julian
went on, in a voice that suggested he had made up his mind a long time ago,
"My work in bacteriology is now the centre of my life, and I shall devote
most of my time to it. You will understand, Richard; it is an absorbing and
important field, and I am committed to it."

He
pleaded with them to understand and forgive him for what he had done.

"I
am well aware that I will be condemned by some, who are ignorant of my motives,
for letting my family down, by not taking on the role and responsibilities of
the future Master of Pemberley. But, I am convinced that it is not a role which
I could carry out with distinction as my dear father has done these many
years."

As
his sister sought to protest at his words, denying that he would be so
censured, he held up a hand, and continued, "Hear me out, Cassy, please;
it is true, though it is kind of you to attempt to defend me. I need no such
defence, for I know I am not the man to fill my father's place. I hope,
however, that with his great example and advice, my son will do so with the
same degree of dedication and success. I think you will agree, Cassy, that
Pemberley and its people deserve the best master our family can give
them."

Seeing
the tears that had filled his sister's eyes, he went to her and embraced her.
Richard, he was sure, would agree with him; in time, his practical wisdom would
prevail and Cassy would be comforted, when she came to understand that he was
right.

Julian
had seen his attorney and, with his advice, drafted the necessary legal
instruments renouncing his rights, together with a brief letter explaining his
reasons for so doing; he handed copies of these documents to his sister.

Relinquishing
all his rights to the estate in favour of his son, Anthony Fitzwilliam Darcy,
whose care he entrusted to his sister, Mrs. Cassandra Gardiner, Julian had
written:

That
my son, when he attains his majority, will live chiefly at Pemberley,where he
will receive such training and further education as he may needto fulfill his
future role as the Master of Pemberley, unencumbered by anyobligations to
myself.

Should
he be required, by an untimely event, which I hope with all myheart does not
occur, to take up his inheritance at an earlier age, I ask thathe be guided in
the task by my sister Cassandra and any other person whomshe may appoint to
assist her in this regard.

Until
Anthony is considered ready to assume full responsibility for theestate, he
will, in all matters concerning the estate, be advised by my sisterMrs Gardiner
and my brother-in-law Dr Richard Gardiner, or anyperson they may appoint to
advise him.

Placing
the letter in his sister's hands, he said, "Cassy, I have already spoken
to Mama and Papa. They understand my reasons. My father has been most generous
with my allowance; he has granted my request, though he could not hide his
disappointment. I know he will realise soon enough that it is for the best--for
myself, for Anthony, and for Pemberley, which he loves so dearly.

Richard,
I shall never forget how much I owe you both, and my dear little Lizzie,
too," he said, turning to her as she sat a little apart, tearful and
silent. "Josie was especially grateful for your kindness, Lizzie. She
spoke of you often and wished you would be very happy. Thank you all, from the
bottom of my heart; I wish I could have been as devoted to my duties as you
have been to my family. God bless you."

And
with that, he embraced them all and bade them farewell.

Two
days later, having said his farewells to his parents and the many men and women
he had known at Pemberley, Julian Darcy returned to France.

END
OF PART TWO

Part
Three

WHEN
CASSANDRA WENT DOWNSTAIRS to her husband's study, it had been with the hope of
finding him there alone. It being Sunday, she knew he would not go to the
hospital, unless of course, there was some dreadful emergency; consequently,
she had resolved to speak with him about their daughter Lizzie.

Everything
that had happened since New Year's Eve, when she had returned home from
Pemberley determined to broach the subject with him, had conspired to prevent
her doing just that. Each time she had decided this was the moment, some
unforeseen circumstance had arisen and embroiled them in a series of events
that made any rational discussion of Lizzie's future impossible.

This
time, however, she was quite single-minded about it. She knew Lizzie and Laura
were gone with Anthony, James, and their new governess to church and were
unlikely to return before midday. Her husband, having returned from his morning
ride, had changed and gone down to breakfast, after which, he would, as always,
read his papers in his study for an hour or so.

When
she arrived at the door of the room, she heard voices within, Richard's and
their son Darcy's. Vexed at being frustrated again, Cassy retreated upstairs,
but only as far as the landing, from where she could hear the door open and shut
as Darcy left the room. She was about to go downstairs Rebecca Ann Collins

when
the door to the study opened again and Richard came out; he was coming upstairs
himself.

Determined
not to let this opportunity slip, she approached him, as he reached the top of
the stairs. "Richard, I really must speak with you; there is something
that has been on my mind this last fortnight, about which I need your advice. I
should have spoken earlier, but with the sorrow and the shock we've suffered,
it never seemed to be the right time."

Her
husband had in his hand a letter. As she stopped speaking, he said,

"You
are quite right, my dear. I have had much the same problem; an important matter
has come up, on which I must have your opinion, and for the very same reasons,
it has been held in abeyance for some ten days or more. I know I should have
responded earlier, but it is, as you have said, a matter of the appropriate
time. Besides, I did have to make some related enquiries, which I have now
completed, so perhaps we could resolve both questions at the one time."

Cassy
was confused--she had no idea what problem he had been attempting to resolve,
but before she could ask, he said, "Why do you not begin, my love? Tell
me, what has been troubling you for a fortnight?"

"It's
Lizzie," she began.

Her
husband appeared astonished.

"Lizzie?
Why, what has she done?"

Cassandra
interrupted him."There, you see, you did not know either. Here was I,
berating myself for not noticing what was going on in my daughter's life..."

He
stopped her and asked gently, "Noticing what, Cassy? Has Lizzie done
something untoward? Has she displeased you in any way? If she has, it must have
been unwittingly done, because that is certainly not like our Lizzie."

He
sounded concerned and Cassy was rather put out by his questions.

"Well,
I do not really know, Richard, that is the problem," she began, and he
took her by the hand and sat her down, realising she was by now becoming
unusually agitated.