Page 19 of Till Death Us Do Part
“What are you getting at?” she asked angrily.
Unperturbed, he continued relentlessly, “Let me ask you something. Take yourself out of the question for a moment and thinkrealisticallyabout Anne’s desires. She is an admittedly sickly girl, though I believe she will grow out of that as soon as she is not coddled. She wants a man with money. With the size and scope of the hole in Rosings finances, it needs to be a man withreal money.So, let me ask: what would a man, with that kind of finance want with Anne?”
Lady Catherine at least had the grace to give the question its due, and finally, after several minutes, said, “It sounds like you are describing a man withnew money. A banker or tradesman or something like that. He would want Rosings, even if it consumed all his capital, because he would move directly into the landed gentry. He will naturally assume he can make it profitable. His children would be gentlemen. If he bought an estate without a high-status wife, it might take two or three generations, but by marrying Anne, he could speed the process—”
With a gasp, the lady’s ears finally caught up with what her mouth was saying, grabbed her chest with her fists. “What have you done?”
“I have done nothing, aside from introducing two people and getting out of their way. I happen to know a man who met all her criteria, who had recently been disappointed in ‘love’ to the extent that he gave up on the idea altogether. He resolved that awealthy man could not depend on such fleeting emotions, since he was as likely to be taken advantage of as not.”
Much to his surprise, Lady Catherine jumped to her feet as if she might run out the door, grabbing a battle axe on the way. “I repeat!What have you done?”
Darcy stood up and stared her in the face. “Ihave done nothing. On the other hand,Anne, who is well past her age of majority, has taken charge of her own life”
“What do you mean?”
Darcy glanced at the clock. “If things went to plan, as of twenty-three minutes ago, Rosings has a new master. You might want to return to Kent to welcome the happy couple: Mr Charles and Mrs Anne Bingley.”
The lady gasped in shock and leaned forward. “You are a snake in the grass. You have destroyed this family. You will taint Rosings with the son of a tradesman!”
Darcy was not intimidated. “Where do you think that last loan you took came from. You are using trade money to build nonsense on the estate. My friend will use trade money to restore Rosings to what it should be. Your pretensions do you no good. You would be best served by getting on his good side, but since he has a sister that is just a younger version of yourself, I am certain he has the skills to weather any stormyoucan throw.”
“You are just like all the rest. You think a woman cannot think for herself,” she replied angrily.
“To the contrary,” he replied calmly. “I find little difference between the sexes when I think rationally. Anne can think for herself quite well and has taken charge of her life. She is late to the game but making a courageous choice and I applaud her for it, and you should too since she is simply emulating your own stubborn independence. Georgiana has made a few girlish mistakes, but she is much smarter now than anybody gives hercredit for. Aunt Margaret is twice as capable as Uncle Hugh, and the less said about the soon to be departed viscount, the better. Even my future wife, as much as I despise the circumstances of our marriage, is cleverer in many areas than most of the men I went to Cambridge with. I have no strong opinion about male versus female—but Idohave an opinion aboutcleverversusstupid. I am fed up with the latter, including my own, and anxiously awaiting evidence of the former.”
“You will pay for this. I shall not recognise your new wife.”
“So be it. I will be gone for months. When I return, you are welcome to reestablish contact or not as you choose.”
Lady Catherine jumped up angrily, called loudly for the butler, demanded her carriage post haste, and left, running as fast as possible to see if she could somehow disrupt the abomination that had already occurred at Rosings.
Darcy shook his head, wondering if he hadfinallymanaged to move one problem off his plate and onto his friend Bingley’s. He could only hope!
It suddenly occurred to him that he was, in a small way, happy he was getting married. He could not in any way imagine how insufferable the level of fawning would be for Caroline Bingley once her brother was master of such a significant property.
With a grim chuckle, he returned to his desk and his toil, wishing to ensure that everything was done properly for a voyage of three to six months, or the very real possibility he would not return at all. Travelling into a war zone was never a capital idea.
10.Lesson of the Day
As Elizabeth stood up from the table, Baker said, “Miss Bennet, I hate to be indelicate, but I must take charge of any money you have hidden away. We will be two days on the road, and I find ladies without a farthing less likely to break away. Will you give me your word you will hand itallover to me, including whatever you may have sewn into your dress and smallclothes or tucked in a boot, in exchange for my word that I will not search you or your luggage?”
Elizabeth frowned, but as much as she enjoyed the idea of taking the thief-catcher down and escaping, she could see the futility. This was her first attempt at flight but just one more in a long line of people he returned against their wills.
She thought a few moments, then grumbled, “I suppose.”
The man nodded and held out his hand to suggest she precede him up the stairs.
She went as directed down a long, narrow corridor, preceded by the innkeeper’s wife. The matron opened the last door on the right and gestured Elizabeth inside. The room was small and sparsely furnished, but otherwise clean, tidy, and acceptable enough.
The innkeeper’s wife said, “Your maid, Molly Hatcher, will be along in a few minutes, ma’am. The bathwater will be about twenty minutes.”
“Thank you,” was all Elizabeth could manage.
She thought she would have to start learning to appreciate small gestures and modest pleasures, as the goodwife bustled off to her next task.
Baker said, “I will be in the next room. I sleep very lightly. Miss Hatcher should be along. She will return your dress and valise to me. I shall have the dress brushed down. There is no time to have it laundered.”
Elizabeth nodded, not bothering to answer. Mr Baker had everything under control, and she just thanked whatever fates were responsible that she had a kind jailor, while cursing the same fates that she had an efficient one. Once inside, she simply sat on the bed waiting for the bath water.
