Reunited at Rosings (Sweet Standalone Pride and Prejudice Variations #5)

Chapter 3

December 1, 1812

“If only this cursed rain and sleet would stop.” Darcy muttered under his breath. He was going mad being cooped up in this house. The last two months of being confined to Rosings had pushed his patience to the breaking point.

He could not resent his cousin for calling on him in her time of need. It was only that he still pined for Elizabeth. He had not been able to go to her as he had planned after setting Bingley straight about Jane Bennet’s regard for him. Bingley had made plans to go to Longbourn straightaway, and Darcy had intended to go with him — only to be forestalled by Ann’s letter begging him to come to Rosings. Imagining what Elizabeth might be doing in the meantime was nearly enough to drive him mad. Had there been a change in her feelings since last April? Did she think he had forgotten her? And would she care if she did?

Darcy paced back and forth in the guest room that he had been staying in since coming to Rosings. After several dreary days of not being able to go for his usual ride about the grounds, he was growing ever more restless. He was nearly mad with love for Elizabeth, and with missing her. How much longer could he stand to be away from her before he snapped?

Patience, Darcy reminded himself. There was simply nothing to be done about it. With his aunt’s slow recovery, it was impossible to say when he might be able to leave.

At least now Lady Catherine was able to speak, albeit in halting sentences. She was still bedridden and weak. The doctor had not given them much hope that she would ever recover enough to learn to walk again, nor regain the use of her hands so much as to even feed herself.

Between comforting her and Anne, helping to run the estate, and teaching Anne what she would need to know in order to run it in her own right, Darcy was exhausted. The thought that he could not leave for some time only made his restlessness worse. The fear that Elizabeth would move on, forget him, and marry someone else was becoming an increasingly troublesome companion. He had considered writing to her, but had thought better of it. It was not only the impropriety of writing to an unmarried woman that deterred him. Despite his longing for her, he simply could not afford to send Elizabeth another disastrous letter.

A knock sounded at the door, interrupting his reveries. Darcy sighed and called for them to enter, thinking it must be his valet coming to help him get ready for dinner. Georgiana’s face was a welcome surprise. No matter how low his mood, he was always happy to see his little sister.

“Ahh, how pleasant it is to see a friendly face,” Darcy said as she came in, leaving the door slightly ajar. “What news?”

“You act as if we are trapped in the Tower, brother.” Georgiana leaned up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.

“Do not repeat this to anyone, but sometimes I feel that way. I love our family and feel for our aunt, but I wish to be away.”

Georgiana nodded. “I know. But at least I am here now.”

“That is true,” Darcy said, and hugged her. He had sent for her after a month of being at Rosings, and he had been so grateful when she arrived a fortnight past. Georgiana had been like a breath of fresh air, bringing a change, if not of scenery, then of conversation. It was good to have her at Rosings with him for company and as support for Anne during this trying time. Nor could Darcy fail to be grateful that the three of them had grown closer over the last few weeks. The visit had revealed parts of Anne’s personality that Darcy had never seen before. Out of the shadow of Lady Catherine’s constant domination, he could see Anne coming into a level of confidence he had never expected to find in her.

“Aunt Catherine wished to speak to you,” Georgiana announced haltingly.

“Oh, she does?” Darcy asked. “And what is it about this time?”

His aunt had made somewhat of a nuisance of herself with her constant worry over the estate. Lady Catherine simply would not believe that things were being handled as they should be. No doubt her constant stewing and fretting was slowing her recovery. Darcy had tried to be patient with her and assure her that all would be taken care of. All she had to focus on was healing and growing stronger. And the sooner, the better.

“I cannot be sure. She would not divulge her plans to me,” Georgiana said. “Aunt Catherine treats me as if my mind is still that of a four-year-old.”

“She has a habit of doing that,” Darcy said dryly. He rolled his eyes heavenward and wrapped an arm around Georgiana’s shoulders. “Come, you can be my rear guard.”

Georgiana giggled as they walked out of the room and into the hall. They walked from the men’s hallway down to the ladies’ quarters, knocked on the door, and were admitted almost immediately. He was surprised that Anne was not within. Whatever Lady Catherine had to say, he was sure it had to do with her daughter. Was she still worried about Anne’s health? Surely she could see now that Anne was equal to the task. She had never trusted her to take care of the running of the estate, let alone the house, and had never allowed her to learn — which had been a mistake from the beginning. But Darcy had seen how capable Anne was. He would not allow Lady Catherine to wrest the reins from her again. It was perfectly clear that his aunt could not handle the strain of running such a large estate anymore.

“Lady Catherine,” he greeted her softly as he neared the bed. “You look well today.”

She reached out her hand. Darcy took it, surprised by the strength of her grip. He knelt at the bedside and waited for her to begin. She wet her lips and cleared her throat in preparation for the ordeal of speaking.

“I — have asked you — here to discuss — something most urgent,” she said, her voice low and gravelly. It was not only the effects of age. The apoplexy had stolen her voice for a time, making her slow to recover the use of her vocal cords.

“I am listening, Aunt,” he said gently.

“I know — that you will honour the request — I am about to put to you, as you loved your mother — and would want to honour — her dearest wish,” she said between short, gasping breaths.

Darcy raised a brow. He had not expected this conversation. He glanced up at Georgiana, who looked surprised to hear of something her mother had wished to be so. “And what is that?”

“It is time — you and Anne take — your place. Together.” Lady Catherine gripped his hand even tighter, no doubt afraid he would jerk away and leave the room.

If Aunt Catherine said that she and his mother had planned his marriage to Anne since they were children, he had no wish to doubt her. Darcy would not, however, allow such a wish to determine anything as important as his selection of a partner in life. Besides, now it was utterly impossible, given his feelings for Elizabeth. He nodded, covering his aunt’s hand. He would deal the blow as gently as he could. “I will not be marrying Anne, Aunt.”

His aunt’s face turned an angry red. “You cannot — walk away from — duty!”

“I never have, nor will I walk out on my duty to this family, Aunt Catherine. But marriage to my cousin is not among those duties. I will continue to offer my help and protection to Anne until she is ready to run Rosings on her own.” Darcy gently pulled his hand free and rose, standing his ground. His aunt was used to getting her own way and directing the lives of everyone around her. But he refused to be one of them. She had made her decisions in life. Darcy would not base his future or his happiness on what she wanted simply to keep the peace between the families. Lady Catherine would not live forever, and he could not base his decisions on her demands or wants. He hoped Anne had seen that, and would act out of her own confidence, even when he was not there to stand up for her anymore.

“You — cannot seriously be — considering that Bennet — woman over Anne — still?” Lady Catherine asked. She gasped for breath, the strain of so much talking catching up with her.

He moved back slightly. Lady Catherine looked so helpless and small in the bed, not at all how he had seen her when he was young. Back then, she had been a force to be reckoned with. And that prowess had only grown as she had taken over the running of the estate when his uncle had passed. Before her attack, she had been almost legendary. It was strange to see her looking so frail.

Georgiana came to stand beside him for moral support, which he appreciated. “Our cousin Fitzwilliam will be here soon. That will give you comfort, will it not, Aunt?” she asked, trying to divert the conversation to safer waters.

Their aunt immediately saw through the ploy. “I care not — what Fitzwilliam does. I need Darcy — to see the error — of what he is doing.”

The door opened, and Anne entered. Upon seeing their faces, hers fell. She frowned and strode toward the bed. “Mama, I told you not to speak to him about the marriage,” she said gently, but firmly. Darcy was sure he had never seen anyone, let alone Lady Catherine’s quiet daughter, ever scold her before.

“It has been — planned since your infancy!” Lady Catherine railed.

Anne came up beside Darcy, and he stood aside so she could get nearer the bed. She sat on the edge of the mattress and took her mother’s hand. “I love you, Mama. But my cousin and I understand each other perfectly.” She paused to look up at him, giving a small smile. “There will not be a wedding to join our two families. There is no need.”

“What do you mean, there is no need?” her mother asked. For once, she did not have to pause to draw breath. However, she seemed to pay the price as she took a long time to catch her breath. “There is every — need —”

“No, Mama. There is not,” Anne went on firmly. “If you have not seen how this family has pulled together over the last months and weeks, then you will never see it. Darcy has been so kind and patient with me, helping me as no other would have done. We are blessed that he has come to stand beside us in our hour of need.” She halted, again smiling up at him. “He did not have to come, and yet he did. I daresay he will come if ever the need arises, as long as there is breath in his body. We do not need a marriage to secure that. It is already how we live our lives, to be there for each other no matter what.”

Lady Catherine was so red in the face, he was afraid she would have another spell. Anne did not allow her to speak again. She brushed the silver hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear tenderly. “Now, you must rest. If you are to be up by Christmas, you need to focus all your energy on getting better.”

She nodded to him and Georgiana, and they exited the stuffy, lavishly appointed room. He had not realised how over-warm it was in the room until they escaped into the more comfortable hallway. He felt as if he could take a deep breath again. “Thank you for what you said in there, cousin. I do not think she would have received it from anyone else.” Darcy took her hand and pressed it. “And you are quite right. We do not need to marry for me to give you protection and offer my help whenever you may need it. We are family.”

Georgiana beamed up at him, and she took each of their hands. “Family.”

They stood together for a long moment, then went down to the drawing room for tea. Darcy felt as if a weight had been lifted off his chest. At least one of the weights. There was still the matter of Elizabeth for him to sort through. He went to the window and looked out across the green. If the rain ever let up, he would go for a ride to clear his head. Whilst he watched the rain make streams down the glass windowpanes, he spotted a carriage pull around the bend of the country lane and stop in front of Mr and Mrs Collins’s parsonage. Curious, he tried to press closer and make out who alighted from the carriage. A solitary man jumped down and began unloading trunks from the carriage, but no one climbed down. He assumed it was Lady Lucas. Likely she had come to see to her daughter during her birth and confinement and had sent the bulk of her things ahead. No doubt the guests would arrive in a day or so, with their things already put right by their maids or valets.

Darcy’s heart skipped a beat at the thought of being so close to acquaintances from Meryton. Perhaps he would go down for a brief visit to see if he might find out any news of the village. If he was fortunate, perhaps he might even learn how Elizabeth fared.