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Chapter 21b
Lady Catherine arrived at Pemberley as expected the Friday before Easter and was greeted by the Darcys and their guests. She returned their greetings cordially, even Elizabeth's. She politely acknowledged Charlotte as Mrs. Collins, then turned her back and ignored her thereafter. It was less courteous than Colonel Fitzwilliam would have liked but more than Charlotte had expected under the circumstances, so she urged her betrothed with a gentle squeeze of his arm to let well enough alone.
In truth, it seemed Lady Catherine was little pleased to be there. She had finally grudgingly accepted the new Mrs. Darcy as the rest of the family - even her poor jilted Anne - had made it clear that they did not share her censure of the marriage. Her other nephew seemed to be following suit in marrying that conniving parson's widow - she never would have thought it possible of Mrs. Collins to be so mercenary - yet her own brother had warned her that it may not be prudent to let her feelings on this match be known. And why was that anyway? Just because he was gullible enough to listen to some wild gossip about the woman's brother? The more Lady Catherine thought about it, the more she felt herself foolish for ever giving his suspicions a second thought.
At least, that's what she thought before dinner, until she was seated directly across from Lewis Lucas and overheard him talking with her nephew.
"So Lewis," said Colonel Fitzwilliam, who was seated to Lady Catherine's left, "Have you heard anything from Court?"
"Not as yet, Colonel," Lewis admitted with a blush, "and to be honest, I do not dare to hope that anything legitimate will come from the Prince's office, but just to be brought to the Court's attention is an honor."
One could not begin to think what came unbidden to Lady Catherine's head when the words Prince and legitimate came into question in the same sentence involving Lewis Lucas. Well, perhaps one could, and they did; the woman blushed a deep shade of red and began gagging on her wine.
"Mother, are you all right?" queried Anne as all eyes at the table turned towards her, although the Colonel's eyes held more amusement than concern. Lady Catherine had no way of knowing that the Earl of Matlock had recommended Lewis as a surveyor to a friend of his at Court, a friend who just happened to be on the Prince Regent's staff and often was involved in awarding bids for various projects the Court undertook, including the surveying of recently acquired property.
Unable to speak as of yet, Lady Catherine nodded and waved her hand for the rest of the party to continue their meal. It was some moments before she could again continue her own. In the interim she made good use of her time by observing the gentleman across from her. She noted how much darker Lewis' complexion was from his elder sister Charlotte. It was much ruddier than she remembered; she would never have thought the two related had she not known it to be true. His hair was much darker, nearly black, and she guessed that he must be at least a half a head taller than his father. He was very soft spoken, something she would never accuse Sir William Lucas of being. For some reason he appeared almost shy of her, although to be fair he had no reason not to be. She could not recall taking much notice of him on his past visits to Hunsford; to her he had been just another of Mrs. Collins' many, many brothers.
For the remainder of the weekend the residents of Pemberley were subjected to some rather peculiar behavior from Lady Catherine; she often stared, almost as if studying, the faces of the other guests, particularly Charlotte and Lewis. She began asking the strangest questions out of the blue.
"Anne dear," she whispered to her daughter one evening as they sat in the parlor with the others, "Do you think Mr. Lucas and Mrs. Collins share the same chin?"
"I had not noticed, Mother," replied Anne, looking queerly at her mother, "As they are brother and sister, I should not be surprised."
"Well, I think not," she said decidedly. "Mrs. Collins' chin is slightly rounder and Mr. Lucas has a cleft in his."
Once as she passed her nephew in the foyer she remarked, "Darcy, you have been to Court more recently than I. Would you say the Prince Regent's eyes are more brown or hazel?"
"I would not say anything the like. I have never had cause to take notice."
"Hmm," she murmured to herself as she walked away. "Of course there are other possibilities..."
The next morning, finding herself alone with her other nephew in the breakfast room, Lady Catherine took the opportunity to quiz him on his superior knowledge of politics.
"Fitzwilliam?"
"Yes, Aunt?"
"Do you recall what color hair has Lord Liverpool when not wearing his Parliament wig?"
"I'm afraid I do not. Why do you ask?"
"Oh, no reason," she said, then went back to buttering her scone. The colonel smiled to himself; his father seemed to have planted that seed in the right place.
The rest of the Fitzwilliam family arrived on Monday, a day earlier than expected.
"I hope you don't mind, Darcy," apologized the Earl, "but I thought I might be needed."
"You are always welcome, Uncle Robert, you know that," Mr. Darcy assured him, then turned to greet his aunt, Lady Sarah, his cousin Edward the viscount, and his wife Julia and their children, Robert and Ronald.
"Oh my," said Elizabeth gleefully, taking a young Fitzwilliam from his mother. "The nursery will be overflowing once the Lucases arrive. I am sure it has not seen so many children in years!"
"But I am sure it will not be long before you two fill it with your own babies," remarked Lady Sarah. Elizabeth and her husband's eyes met briefly with a touch of regret; the lack of Darcy children in the nursery was not for their lack of trying. Mr. Darcy gave his wife a comforting smile, then ushered his new guests inside for refreshments.
Later that day Anne cornered the Earl as he was coming out of his room.
"Uncle, the wedding is but two days away. My mother knows nothing of our part in it. When are you to tell her of Lewis' and my plans?"
"Do not worry yourself, Anne. I have things well in hand. When the time is right, your mother will know of it."
"But she thinks Lewis and I are standing up for Charlotte and Richard - she doesn't know that we are standing up for each other."
"I am taking care of everything, my child. Trust me."
Anne did not look very reassured as she left him, but since she did not relish the task of telling her mother such news herself, she turned away and prayed her uncle knew what he was doing, as she had no idea.
The remainder of the Lucases arrived later that day, all 13 of them, including William's fiancée Miss Jones and the governess, Mrs. Alberts.
The children, especially young Harvey, were a bit restless after the long carriage ride. Colonel Fitzwilliam and Mr. Darcy escorted them, and any adults that cared to join them, on a tour of the gardens and grounds near the house. Mr. Darcy won an unexpected admirer when he pointed out what had been his favorite climbing tree in his youth. Naturally Harvey put it to the test when the others had moved on; it fully met with his approval. It did not, however, meet with Mrs. Jenkinson's.
The poor woman happened to glance out a window and saw the boy hanging halfway up the tree swinging from limb to limb. She rushed out to the base of the tree and in a calm but commanding voice ordered the lad down. Harvey completely ignored her. Threats to tell his governess, mother, and father fell on deaf ears. Eventually she was able to coax him down, but only after giving him promises of biscuits and a trip to the stable to look at a pair of foals. For the remainder of his stay at Pemberley Harvey was well behaved and never hard to find; he was either following Mr. Darcy around like a puppy, or leading Mrs. Jenkinson on a merry chase.
With the wedding only a day away, Anne decided it was time to take matters into their own hands; Lewis reluctantly agreed that they would tell Lady Catherine together. After some difficulty, Anne managed to find her mother in the east parlor reading a book. She nudged her intended through the door. Lewis approached Lady Catherine; hesitating he looked back to Anne who gave him an encouraging smile.
"Excuse me, my lady," he began. Lady Catherine raised her eyes from the Baronetage. "If I may have a word..."
"Oh Cathy!" bellowed the Earl, coming into the room and drawing his sister's attention away.
"What is it now, Robert." Lady Catherine was getting a bit put out; her brother was constantly popping up when she least expected it. She had barely had two words with Anne since he had arrived.
"Richard and Charlotte have let a house in Town not two blocks from the townhouse. Charlotte was hoping to get your advice on rearranging a few things in the front foyer."
"Can it not wait, Robert? I was just having a word with Mr. Lucas."
"Well you know there will be no time tomorrow. I'm sure Mr. Lucas won't mind me borrowing you for a bit."
"Um..." Lewis looked to Anne for help, but she was too busy glaring at her uncle. As Lewis did not think he was in a position to displease anyone at the moment, he relinquished the lady to her brother. "Of course Lady Catherine, don't let me keep you."
"Excellent! Come along, Cathy," exclaimed the Earl as he dragged his sister away. "We've made a sketch of the layout in the library."
"What was that all about?" Lewis asked Anne.
"I don't know," she answered slowly. "But I am getting the distinct feeling that my uncle has no intention of telling Mother about us."
The morning of the wedding found Colonel Fitzwilliam and Mr. Darcy in his study, Darcy at the window.
"It is a good thing Aunt Catherine has not gotten around to examining the younger Lucas children closely," remarked Darcy, "or she might have noticed a miniature of Lewis in Harvey."
"Luckily she has always tended to avoid small children - remember us?" said the Colonel. "It was years before she spoke directly to us instead of about us to our parents as if we weren't there."
"Had it remained so," Darcy said with a smile.
A knock sounded on the door then Mrs. Jenkinson peered in. "Excuse me, gentlemen, but have either of you seen little Harvey? Mrs. Alberts was looking for him; it is time to get him ready for church."
"I believe you will find him and his brother Tommy right ... there," Darcy pointed out the window, "Rolling down that little slope."
"Oh! The rascals!" She disappeared quickly, determined to get the boys before they disappeared again.
Both men watched out the window with amusement as the small woman herded the two boys toward the house. After they had gone from view, Darcy turned his eyes to his cousin. He paused in thought for a moment then asked, "And you, Fitzwilliam? Are you ready?"
The colonel reflected on what awaited him after the ceremony: the house and servants he had just contracted in London, along with the ledger book that went with it; the duties of his profession, some of which would take him away for weeks, perhaps months, at a time; his evenings at home with his new family and the responsibility that providing for their welfare entailed. He imagined he and Charlotte looking in on the nursery before making their way to the master chamber and all the promise that their private moments together had thus far held. He had always expected to feel the same doubts and misgivings going into marriage that he had had before a major campaign, but he had none - none at all. Perhaps because he knew he was going forward with the one companion that was truly meant for him, Charlotte.
"Yes, Darcy," he said confidently meeting his cousin's eye, "More than ready."
Rose stood beside Georgiana at the front of the church. She did not know why, but everyone in the room was standing up and watching Mama and Kerna talk to a man in the front of the room. Unka Lewis and Auntie were up there too, standing together on the far side of Kerna. Rose thought it was very unfair that because everyone else was so much taller than she, they could see what was going on but she could not. Well, she was going to find out what was so interesting up there, too!
She glanced up at Georgiana, who was listening intently to Colonel Fitzwilliam finishing his vows. Rose took an experimental step forward, then another. No one seemed to have noticed her, and for once she was glad of it. She slowly and unsteadily made her way up to her mother. With barely two steps to go she heard a few startled gasps and soft chuckles behind her; she didn't care, she had made it to her goal. She reached out and simultaneously grabbed Charlotte's dress and the Colonel's pant leg to steady herself.
Looking up at the Colonel she said, " 'Na?"
"Yes, Rosebud, I know," he said as he reached down and picked up the toddler. "I take you, too."
Turning back to his bride, he was rewarded with the most brilliant smile. He held Rose in his arms as her mother recited her vows to him. He could not recall ever being this happy in his entire life.
With that done, the minister turned to Anne and Lewis on his left. In a voice so soft Lady Catherine strained to hear, he began "Now do you..."
"Cathy!" whispered Lord Robert.
"Not now, Robert!" she hissed, "What is that man saying to the attendants? This is rather peculiar..."
"Cathy, you must see who has arrived."
Lady Catherine turned to see an extremely well dressed gentleman holding a parcel standing at the back of the church. As he was no one that she knew, she turned back and said dismissively, "It is most likely one of Fitzwilliam's acquaintances. Now what was the parson saying?"
"But Catherine," he whispered emphatically, causing her to turn once again to the back of the chapel as the minister continued to speak quietly to Anne and Lewis,. "It's him - or rather a representative from him."
"What do you mean by 'him!'"
"You know him," he inclined his head toward Lewis. "I told you I had the matter investigated."
"Him who? And why would he be here now?" Lady Catherine was rather confused.
"Would you not expect a father to acknowledge the wedding of his child, even if he could not be there in person?"
"Yes, of course, but what has that to do with this? You and Sir William are the fathers of the bride and groom; Lewis is not even getting..."
The realization of what was going on right in front of her with "the attendants" finally dawned on Lady Catherine. She snapped her head toward the front of the church just in time to hear the minister say "I now pronounce you man and wife, and you man and wife..." She opened her mouth to protest but was silenced by her brother gripping her arm.
"Hush, Catherine," warned Lord Robert. "You don't want to make a scene, not in front of his man. It could be a messy business for the family."
"But my Anne, I never consented..."
"I consented. As head of the family I gave them my blessing - there was nothing else to be done. She was determined and she is of age. Anne has married the gentleman of her choice and one with connections you could only dream of. Besides that, he's a good man. All will be well."
"Connections? Connections that I dare not mention! How will it look? As far as society knows she has married a tradesman's son, an unknown land surveyor!"
"Does it matter as long as you know different? She has married a gentleman, the son of a knight, and one who I have no doubt will do us all proud. Now come, let us welcome him into the family."
After the ceremony, Lady Catherine congratulated both newly married couples calmly, even pleasantly. Aside from rather frequent glances towards a gentleman that Anne was not acquainted with, her mother appeared relatively normal. From all outward appearances one would think that she had known of the double wedding all along. Perhaps her uncle had managed to inform her in advance after all.
Later that day, after some of the commotion had died down, Lord Robert stood by as the well-dressed gentleman presented his parcel to Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Lucas. The parcel contained a set of sapphire and diamond jewelry and papers indicating a large monetary gift. Lewis just gasped and was speechless.
"Uncle Robert, what is this?" asked Anne.
"A gift from your father, my dear," replied the Earl with a tear in his eye. "The jewels were his mother's favorites. Before he died, your father asked me to keep them for your wedding day."
As Lord Robert received a tearful hug of thanks from his niece, he heaved a great sigh of relief. He was extremely thankful that Anne had been an only child.