Darcy in Want of a Wife

Chapter 22

Darcy House

London

Three Days Later

Darcy read the letter in his hands for the third time, which he had received by express from his Cousin Richard when he entered the house an hour previously.

Rosings

Darcy,

Well, cousin, prepare for a surprise! I will be escorting Anne to London tomorrow morning, very early, whereupon I will place her in the care of my mother at Matlock House. Since Rosings is hideously annoying at the moment – you owe me a great deal for putting up with our aunt for even a few days without your distracting presence – I intend to take one of your many guest rooms at Darcy House. My mother, of course, would welcome me with open arms, but I have no desire to be available for her to trot a herd of heiresses through their paces in front of me. I would much prefer to stay in the army than to wed a lady exclusively for her money.

But back to Anne. The very night I arrived at Rosings, she and her companion crept into my private sitting room to inform me that Anne has been hiding her improved health from her mother, because Lady Catherine does not wish for a healthy daughter. It startled me momentarily, but I am now certain she is right. Our aunt wishes to rule the roost at Rosings, and every time Anne has tried to express her own opinions, Lady Catherine has pressured her to take a tonic of laudanum. Indeed, she claims her recent improvement in health is due to Mrs. Jenkinson’s assistance in pouring the tonics away and replacing them with water instead.

Anne also has no desire to wed you. She is of the view that you and she are not well matched. As a great heiress, she will find plenty of interested single men in Town, which is why she wishes to attend at least part of the Season.

So I am taking Anne and Mrs. Jenkinson to London to stay with Lady Matlock. Incredibly enough, thanks to my smooth address and charming speech, I even managed to win Lady Catherine’s permission for such a stay, though our aunt thinks that Anne will be attempting to secure your addresses by demonstrating her ability to navigate society.

Of course, I would have brought Anne to London even if our aunt did not agree, but this way I hope that our irritating relation will stay in Kent where she belongs, while Anne enjoys some time away from Rosings.

Expect to see me on your doorstep midday tomorrow, and I look forward to finding out how your hunt for a wife is progressing!

Sincerely,

Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam

Darcy sat back in his chair, finally lowering the letter to his desk as he mulled over its contents. When he had received a letter from his Cousin Richard, by express no less, he had wondered what had driven the colonel to write in such haste. He had thought perhaps Lady Catherine had flown into conniptions when Darcy failed to present himself at Rosings. But no, the situation was both unexpected and better. Anne de Bourgh was on her way to London. Not only that, she was in good health and had no interest in becoming Darcy’s wife.

The revelation lifted a weight off of Darcy’s shoulders. Yes, he had come to the conclusion many months ago that he and Anne were not well suited, but he still felt ill at ease at the prospect of denying his cousin the marriage that he assumed she wished. It seemed now that she had possessed the same view on the subject as he did.

He felt rather foolish for not having spoken to her on the matter himself. It would have cleared up a good deal of uncertainty, and perhaps he would have been able to assist her in getting out from beneath her mother’s tyrannical rule before now. Darcy was accustomed to being a desirable marriage candidate to any young woman, due to his wealth, his connections, and his handsome face, but Anne was the heiress to Rosings and did not want for money or connections. Darcy was certain that she could easily find a husband who better fit her specifications. Anne had never protested – at least not while Darcy was present – when her mother had insisted that the cousins marry one another, though Darcy could understand not wanting to argue with her autocratic mother, especially when her health was poor.

Darcy was shocked and alarmed at the news that Lady Catherine had been regularly dosing her daughter with laudanum. While it was a common treatment, Darcy was well aware that too much could have adverse effects. Anne was already rather frail, and the thought of Lady Catherine forcing it upon her was chilling. Darcy was horrified that she would treat her only daughter in such a way, but perhaps she did not know of the side effects.

As for Richard’s final remark, well, Darcy would regretfully inform him that he was no closer to finding a suitable wife than when he first arrived for the Season. Though he had become acquainted with several women, many of whom were lovely and pleasant in company, none of them came even close to stirring his heart the way Miss Elizabeth Bennet did.

Her presence in Town was making it increasingly difficult for him to maintain his resolve. Yes, Miss Bennet was clever, intelligent, and utterly enchanting, but he could not marry her.

Could he? Bingley had told him that his life sounded sad, if he truly could not marry who he pleased, and Richard had called him ridiculous. It was true that Darcy had no concerns regarding finances, as many young men his age did. And Miss Bennet was clearly intelligent and well-read; she would undoubtedly thrive in the role of mistress of a grand estate. She even went out of her way to care for the least of her tenants at Longbourn, ensuring that a young girl impregnated by the dishonorable Wickham had a safe place to live and bear her child. But such were dangerous thoughts.

He tore his gaze from Richard’s letter, looking instead to the other letter that he had received today. This one was from his sister, Georgiana, telling him of her progress on the pianoforte and sketching, and wishing he would return to Pemberley soon. She was lonely there with only Mrs. Annesley and the servants to keep her company.

It seemed that Miss Bennet had no trouble making friends wherever she went. Darcy was certain that, if they were to meet, that she and Georgiana would get along well.

Darcy reached out to take a fresh sheet of paper, lifted his quill and began to write. He would send an express inviting Georgiana to stay with him in Darcy House, both to spend time with him and to meet his potential bride, whomever that might be. It was of vital importance to him that she and his prospective wife get along. And, perhaps, she would have the opportunity to meet Miss Elizabeth Bennet as well.

/

Greenstoke House

The Next Evening

“Mr. Darcy.” Lady Susannah said, offering him a sweet smile. “I am ever so pleased that you were able to join us tonight.”

Darcy met her eyes politely, swallowing his bite of pheasant before he responded, “As I am glad to be in attendance.”

“I hope your time in Town has been enjoyable so far.” Lady Susannah continued, her green eyes glimmering in the candlelight, and Darcy gave her a noncommittal smile and a nod, taking another bite in order to avoid having to answer.

Darcy had been invited to a dinner held by the Earl of Greenstoke in his London home. Given that the Marquis’s daughter, Lady Susannah Morgan, was one of Darcy’s four choices for a potential bride, he had accepted the invitation so that he could spend more time with the lady.

Greenstoke’s house was, as expected for an earl, ornate and richly decorated. The dining room alone was made up of hundreds of pounds in furnishings and decor. The table was spread with a variety of expensive dishes, including pheasant and quail, smoked salmon, jellies and tarts, and a well-cured ham. This was the third of three courses, each one more elaborate than the last.

The earl sat at the head of the table, with his wife Lady Greenstoke on his left, and Lady Susannah beside her. Darcy was one of seven guests, though the others, three gentlemen and three ladies, were all related to the earl in one way or another. He had been seated between Lady Susannah and her cousin, Miss Priscilla Creed. He had not been acquainted with Miss Creed before now and found her pleasant enough, but his focus was on Lady Susannah. He had not expected to be the only person in attendance who was not of relation to the family, nor had he expected to be seated on Lady Susannah’s right.

Lady Susannah was dressed in an elaborate evening gown, pale pink, with a delicate gauze overdress. Her hair was piled atop her head in an elegant updo, pinned with shimmering pearls, with perfect blonde ringlets falling around her ears. She was utterly polished, and her manners were impeccable, but Darcy unfortunately found her to be a boring conversation partner. She only wanted to speak of mutual acquaintances, or trends of the London Season, or the food, or their opulent surroundings. It was nothing like the delightfully witty banter of Miss Elizabeth Bennet.

After some time, the dinner drew to a close, and Darcy and the other gentlemen were supplied with a round of port, while Lady Greenstoke led the ladies from the room.

“Mr. Darcy,” the earl said with a genial smile, “I am so very pleased that you were able to join us this evening.”

“Thank you, my lord. It is my honor to be here.”

“I hope you enjoyed the company at dinner?” the earl continued, his blue eyes gazing intently into his own.

Darcy was not gifted at reading the atmosphere of a scene, but even he could feel that something unusual was happening.

“Yes, very much,” he replied and took a nervous sip of his port.

“I am pleased to hear it!” the earl said.

/

The Library

Darcy House

Later that Evening

Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam propped his feet up on a hassock, took a draught from his glass of brandy, and gazed into the hearth where a warm fire crackled. An irritable mutter came from over his shoulder, and Richard glanced back to where his host paced to and fro at the far end of the library. Richard turned back to the fireplace, taking another sip of his brandy as he settled into his chair. Darcy would tell him what was on his mind when he was ready.

Richard was relieved to be safely installed in London, far from his aunt and her egotistic tantrums and endless pontifications. He had traveled from Rosings with Anne de Bourgh and her companion, Mrs. Jenkinson, this morning, and the weather had been cloudy but dry. He had accompanied Anne and Mrs. Jenkinson to Matlock house, and then continued on to Darcy House. It was raining by the time he arrived, and upon settling into his rooms, Richard had indulged in a brief nap. By the time he had awoken, Darcy had left for an event of some sort, and Richard had dined by himself before retreating into the library.

He had been enjoying a particularly interesting book when Darcy returned, announcing his presence by bursting into the library and beginning to stalk up and down on the carpet without so much as a word. It was obvious that the master of Pemberley was up in arms about something or another, but Richard knew, from experience, that sometimes Darcy needed to cogitate in silence before sharing whatever was on his mind.

“You will never believe what happened tonight!” Darcy finally barked, causing his cousin to jerk in sufficient surprise that he sloshed a little brandy onto his coat.

The colonel pulled his handkerchief out of his pocket, rubbed at the spot, and said, “I will not know unless you tell me.”

Darcy marched over, dropped into a chair across from Richard, and said, “I was invited to dinner at Greenstoke’s house tonight.”

This caused Richard to give up patting his coat. “So Lady Susannah’s father, eh? She was on your list of possible brides, was she not?”

“She was, yes,” Darcy said grimly.

“But no more?”

Darcy clenched his fists and turned to look into the dancing flames in the hearth. “No.”

Richard waited again, patiently, until Darcy said, “Greenstoke is ruined, I think.”

This caused the military man to sit up so suddenly that once again, the brandy came perilously close to sloshing out.

“No!” he exclaimed.

“Yes,” Darcy replied and continued resentfully, “I ought to have known. There were only six other guests, and all of them are relations to Greenstoke. Moreover, I was placed next to Lady Susannah herself at dinner. During port, her father hinted that an offer from me to his daughter would be most welcome thanks to some ‘unfortunate reverses in the Change’ apparently.”

Richard grimaced expressively. “That is not good, not at all. But Greenstoke is hardly the first gentleman to seek a wealthy husband for his daughter.”

“No, of course not, but I will confess that I put Lady Susannah on this list partly because she is so high born and reputedly well-dowered, that I thought that my wealth would not affect her views of me. But that is obviously not true.”

“Do you like her?”

“Not at all,” Darcy said with a shrug. “I do not dislike her either, mind you. She is like most Society misses. She speaks of the weather and of Hyde Park and of her accomplishments. It was all painfully boring.”

“You should, perhaps, marry a more interesting young lady,” Richard replied in his most innocent tone. “Perhaps one without wealth or connections.”

Darcy glowered at him and then produced a rueful grin. “I think you are right.”

“Do you have a lady in mind, then?”

Darcy hesitated and then nodded decidedly. “Yes, of course I do. Miss Elizabeth Bennet.”

Now Richard could not help but beam at his cousin. “Truly?”

“Well, possibly, anyway. I wrote to Georgiana, asking her to travel to London to take part in a few small dinner parties. If she likes Miss Bennet and Miss Bennet likes her, then I think…”

“You think you will allow yourself to be happy?”

Darcy hesitated and then said, “I have been pursuing various eligible ladies for weeks now, and none of them have sparked even the slightest passion in my heart. When I think of Bingley’s joy with a lady he loves, and the unhappiness of many of my fellows who have wed based on fortune and position alone, well…”

“You realize that all this time I have been entirely right, that you should marry Miss Elizabeth Bennet?”

Darcy cast his eyes heavenward. “Yes, as usual, you are right about everything.”

“Well, I am,” the colonel said smugly.