Jane in January: Lady Catherine’s Treasure

In honor of our Jane in January Scavenger Hunt, I present you with a Quiz, and a Story!  Quiz first.  Can you name the books from which these quotes about “Treasures” came from? (I prefer to use the word Treasure in this exercise, because Jane Austen never does seem to use the word Scavenger.) Some are obvious, but answers to all will be given at the very bottom of this post.

It is not necessary to take the quiz to enter into the Giveaway, which will be by random drawing. To enter, put your name and email address in the Comments section. (If you don’t wish to give your address here, just email it to me, Diana Birchall, at birchalls@aol.com.)

1) “Mrs. Collins, did I tell you of Lady Metcalfe’s calling yesterday to thank me? She finds Miss Pope a treasure. ‘Lady Catherine,’ said she, ‘you have given me a treasure.’ Are any of your younger sisters out, Miss Bennet?” 

2) “She held the parcel towards her, and Emma read the words Most precious treasures on the top. Her curiosity was greatly excited.”
 
3) “Well, if he have nothing else to recommend him, he will be a treasure at Highbury. We do not often look upon fine young men, well-bred and agreeable.”
 
4) “If I could explain to you all this, and all that a man can bear and do, and glories to do, for the sake of these treasures of his existence! I speak, you know, only of such men as have hearts!” pressing his own with emotion.”
 
5) “On reaching home Fanny went immediately upstairs to deposit this unexpected acquisition, this doubtful good of a necklace, in some favourite box in the East room, which held all her smaller treasures; but on opening the door, what was her surprise to find her cousin Edmund there writing at the table! Such a sight having never occurred before, was almost as wonderful as it was welcome.”
 
6) “That Mrs. Whitaker is a treasure! She was quite shocked when I asked her whether wine was allowed at the second table, and she has turned away two housemaids for wearing white gowns.”
 
7) “The new mare proved a treasure; with a very little trouble she became exactly calculated for the purpose, and Fanny was then put in almost full possession of her.”
 
8) “At last, however, by touching a secret spring, an inner compartment will open — a roll of paper appears — you seize it — it contains many sheets of manuscript — you hasten with the precious treasure into your own chamber, but scarcely have you been able to decipher ‘Oh! Thou — whomsoever thou mayst be, into whose hands these memoirs of the wretched Matilda may fall’ — when your lamp suddenly expires in the socket, and leaves you in total darkness.”
The Story is the first I have written after a hiatus that was due to my husband Peter’s illness. He is thankfully recovered, and I have the happiness of writing stories again! For this one, I have returned to one of my favorite Jane Austen characters, Lady Catherine de Bourgh.
Lady Catherine’s Treasure

Lady Catherine de Burgh faced the mirror directly. It was a long cheval glass Venetian mirror, with a frame of gold rococo crescents, and her ladyship regarded it with approval before even looking at her own reflection. It was only right, and no more than she expected, visiting at Pemberley, that Darcy and his wife would give her one of the best furnished bed chambers. The mirror was one that an earlier Darcy had brought home from his tour of Italy in the last century, with little secret compartments that had once been used for poison by a Borgia, and Lady Catherine reflected complacently that it must be very nearly priceless. The image in the mirror pleased her too, for the ancient glass had a hazy patina that softened her harsh, angular features, and made her high-piled hair look like a smooth, dark cloud on her brow, which was incised from many scowls. Best of all, Dawson had done her hair very well. Really the Pemberley lady’s maid was a treasure, and she hoped Mrs. Darcy appreciated the recommendation, which Lady Catherine had made herself. Her recommendations were always good.

It was time to put on the ruby parure that had belonged to her late mother, the Countess. But now Dawson was nowhere to be seen. Turning her majestic head, Lady Catherine trumpeted out to her daughter. “Anne!  Brrrring me my par-OOOR!”  Anne nervously scuttled from the adjoining room, smaller and darker than Lady Catherine’s own. “Mama?” she interjected. “You are wanting your ruby parure?”

“Yes, you silly child. Don’t repeat what I say. Get me my jewel box.”

“But, Mama,” Anne protested, “Dawson had it, I know. Do you not remember, you traveled to Pemberley with the jewel-case containing the parure in your locked box, and Dawson had it in her case. She gave it to Darcy for safe-keeping, when we arrived.”

“Yes, yes I know all that,” her mother replied, annoyed, “Darcy returned it this morning when I said I wished it for the ball tonight. I am sure he is sensible of the honour I intend him, when he is so very obliging as to arrange such an entertainment especially for me. Wearing the family rubies is the least I can do.”

“To be sure, Mama, but you had better call Dawson. She knows where the jewel-case is. Has she not put it upon the lace on your dressing-table?”

“Dawson would not be so shiftless as that. Remember she came to us from Lady Scilly, recommended as a treasure; that is why I sent her to Mrs. Darcy, with the same. But where has she gone? She was in this room when I laid myself down for a little sleep.”

“Oh!  I did not know she was here. I saw her walking in the garden a little while ago, out the window; yes, I am sure I did.”

“Walking in the garden!” Lady Catherine was incensed. “Dawson walking in the garden! How can you tell such a story, Anne. She was on duty, looking after me and guarding the ruby parure. She would not walk in the garden, depend upon it.”

Anne went to the long windows, that let the soft spring late afternoon sunshine into the room. “Yes, I see her there,” she said, pointing. “Is that not Dawson? She is talking to a man.”

“Stuff and nonsense!” exclaimed Lady Catherine, but she pulled up her large body, lifted her heavy red velvet train, and thumped to the window as quickly as was seemly. “Can it possibly be?”

“I do believe so,” Anne faltered. “They seem to be – going into the wilderness. Yes, they among the trees now, you cannot see them any longer.”

“Preposterous!” fumed Lady Catherine. “Summon Darcy instantly!”

Anne, who was short sighted, stumbled helplessly into the dark corridor, but could see no sign of any servant to call. She was fumbling at different doors, when a slight figure glided toward her. It was the lovely Mrs. Darcy, slender and elegant in her lavender ball gown with Valenciennes lace, her dark hair woven with amethysts and purple flowers. “What is the matter, my dear Anne?” she inquired kindly. “Have you lost your way?”

“No, Mrs. Darcy – Elizabeth – but Mama has lost her jewel-box. She was wanting to wear her ruby parure tonight, and now it cannot be found. And, and Dawson has gone into the wilderness, with a man – I saw her!”

Elizabeth took in the situation quickly. “I will call Darcy, and if necessary he can summon the men to help.”

Half an hour later, the men were searching house and gardens, but neither servant nor jewel-box had been found.  Suddenly there was a halloo, and a young footman held up something he had spotted glittering under a dock leaf. It was a diamond brooch. He brought it over to Mr. Darcy who said tersely, “That belongs to Lady Catherine – I recognize it. It seems that two birds have flown, and perhaps dropped some more valuables in their flight. Spread out, men, it would seem that we must embark upon a treasure hunt. Has any one an idea of who Dawson’s companion might be?”

“She was friendly with a gent visiting in the village,” put in a groom. “Don’t know who he was, but they did say he come from London.”

Mr. and Mrs. Darcy exchanged a look. “A London thief, in collusion with Dawson! Keep searching, men.”

By evening, the first of the guests’ carriages had begun to arrive, and were turning one by one into the sweep. Darcy was forced to abandon the search, in order to receive his guests, and in any case the sky was darkening. Lady Catherine did not appear, and Anne had to report that she was keeping to her chamber, in too distressed a state to attend the ball.

One of her old friends, having arrived at the ball, compassionately visited Lady Catherine in her room, to see if there was any thing she could do for her. Lady Metcalfe seated herself by the bed, and Lady Catherine lost no time in making known her woes.

“I am still sure that Dawson is a treasure,” she insisted irately. “I could not be deceived on such a point. Lady Scilly could never be wrong. Make no mistake, Dawson has not gone; so loyal as she is, and so very fond of me.”

“To be sure,” said Lady Metcalfe collectedly. “Such a thing is not likely. She is not such a fool. If she stole the parure and was caught with it, she could be hanged, or sent out to Botany Bay. And rubies are so extremely eye-catching. She would steal something less gaudy. Why did you want to wear that particular parure tonight?” she asked curiously.

Lady Catherine was too upset not to be candid. “I wanted that girl – Mrs. Darcy – to see it. The rubies would become her rather well, with her dark hair, and I wanted her to covet them. To show her that she cannot have every treasure that she wants! That I still have some things she does not possess!”

“Is that so?” commented Lady Metcalfe, interested. “But I suppose Mr. Darcy could buy her all the rubies she wants. And now the parure is gone. What a pity. When did you see it last?”

“Oh, this afternoon. I laid it on the dressing-table, to wear tonight.”

“So.” Lady Metcalfe rose and inspected the rococo mirror. “What a fanciful object. Look at these little ornate scrolls. They would make me very uneasy; why, a snake could hide in them.”

“What are you saying, Lady Metcalfe,” cried Lady Catherine irritably, “there are no snakes allowed at Pemberley. Those were poison containers, that is all.”

“Only human snakes, I suppose, or poisonous people; which would exactly describe such villains as thieves hunting treasure,” replied Lady Metcalfe, “However, I do not believe that is the case here. There is something in this crescent – let me feel – why look!”

And a sparkle of red flashed out from the mirror’s curvature. “Why, I do declare, it is the necklace!” she exclaimed.

Lady Catherine sat up in bed. “The treasure!  The missing treasure! But where, then, are the ear-rings?” In her agitation, she pushed aside her stiff curls with shaking fingers, and they became undone.

Lady Metcalfe had to laugh. “Why, Lady Catherine,” she exclaimed, “they are upon your own ears! You must have put them on, and then dropped the necklace while you were dressing yourself!”

It was so. The men were called off, and Dawson, when questioned, explained that she had been walking to the village with her visiting cousin from London, to procure some almond cream that Lady Catherine particularly liked to use for her complexion.

“I always said she was a treasure,” Lady Catherine repeated to Darcy complacently, over the breakfast-table the following morning.  “Is is not so, Anne? Do you not agree, Mrs. Darcy?”

“Oh, certainly,” replied Elizabeth, calmly. “Her price is above rubies, undoubtedly.”

Lady Catherine beamed and basked as she poured more heavy cream atop her third muffin.

“I am glad you agree.  Some day, you know, you may have rrrrubies of your own,” she purred, rolling her rs. “I make no promises, of course; nothing can be certain, you understand,” she added hastily, taking alarm at her own generosity.

“I understand perfectly,” answered Elizabeth, with composure.

Answers to quiz:

1) Pride and Prejudice
2) Emma
3) Emma
4) Persuasion
5) Mansfield Park
6) Mansfield Park
7) Mansfield Park
8) Northanger Abbey 
 

37 comments

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    • Debbie Fortin on January 9, 2017 at 7:01 am
    • Reply

    What an adorable story. Lady Catherine sure got her comeuppance for trying to show Elizabeth up and attempting to make her jealous; like she could ever make Elizabeth jealous. I am so glad your husband’s health has improved and you are back to writing. The book about how the landed gentry (whether real or fictitious)earned their money sounds interesting. Thank you for the generous give away.

    1. Thanks, Debbie! Right, like Elizabeth 1)would be jealous of Lady Catherine, or 2)like she needs rubies?!

        • Deborah on January 11, 2017 at 8:24 pm
        • Reply

        Oops, forgot to leave my email. It is skamper25 (at) gmail (dot) com

        1. Got it! That’s why I’m waiting a day or two, to give everybody who wants to comment, time to do so.

    • Darah Gill on January 9, 2017 at 8:19 am
    • Reply

    You had me fooled… I was sure the mysterious man from London would turn out to be Wickham! Lol Thank you for the fun story, and for the fantastic giveaway; the book sounds very interesting.
    darahgill@gmail.com

    1. Glad you enjoyed it, Darah, and good luck with the drawing!

    • Pam Hunter on January 9, 2017 at 9:14 am
    • Reply

    Great story! Lady Catherine had a senior moment! I can sympathize….lol

    Thanks for the giveaway!

    Pamh5230 (at) yahoo (dot) com

    1. Thanks, Pam, and I might add that I find it all too easy to channel Lady Catherine’s “senior moments” myself, since I’m probably older than she was!

  1. A charming story — and I learned a new word “parure”! Altho’ there is another expression from the French that would suit the story: Honi soit qui mal y pense … The book sounds like a Must-Read. Many thanks for your generous giveaway.

    • Hollis on January 9, 2017 at 10:08 am
    • Reply

    Thanks for a story on Lady Catherine; still showing her heightened sense of self-importance!!!

    1. I’m glad you enjoy Lady Catherine stories, Hollis. They are extra fun to write, as you can always count on her to be awful!

    • Carol hoyt on January 9, 2017 at 10:33 am
    • Reply

    So the great lady condescendied to come to Pemberly where that impertinent chit is mistress!
    How the great fall!
    Lovely story! So glad your husband is well andvthat you’re writing once again!
    Carolchoyt (at) yahoo (dot) com

  2. Glad to hear you are back to writing. What a lovely story!

    1. It feels so wonderful to be writing again, thanks. And it’s so nice you enjoyed the story, Anna!

  3. Such a wonderful little story, Diana. Thank you!! Dawson is indeed a treasure after all, despite Lady Catherine’s momentary doubts.

    And she knows Elizabeth very ill if she thinks that the new Mrs. Darcy would envy jewels (especially such gaudy ones!).

    This book on Edward Knight looks fascinating! Thank you for this giveaway!

    Warmly,
    Susanne 🙂

    1. It was fun to write about “treasures,” Susanne, and I’m glad you liked it! Please let me have your email address, if you’d like to be entered in the giveaway. You can mail your address to me directly at birchalls@aol.com

    • Meg on January 9, 2017 at 12:16 pm
    • Reply

    Wonderful that your husband has recovered and you are back writing about our favorite characters. Thanks for sharing this cute story.

    1. It sure feels good and is such a relief, Meg. Jane Austen once wrote: “Composition seems to me impossible with a head full of joints of mutton and doses of rhubarb.” I writing impossible while I was so worried about my husband, and we both feel so much better now. Thanks for commenting.

  4. I loved your story. Hope all are well in your family. Illness can cause stress in all.

    1. Thank you so much, Charlotte! It is wonderful to be writing again, and yes, thanks, my husband is quite recovered. (He had angioplasty with stents, and it did him a world of good, he’s full of energy and back to his old self.) I had never experienced being a stressed-out caretaker before and it was no bed of roses!

    • Carole in Canada on January 9, 2017 at 3:29 pm
    • Reply

    Glad to hear your husband’s health has improved! I correctly answered all but the last one on the quiz.

    ‘Vanity, thy name is Lady Catherine!’ So how did the brooch wind up outside if the necklace and earrings were accounted for? Senior moment indeed!

    1. Thanks, Carole, I love that phrase, vanity is Lady Catherine. Perfect! Welllll….you will notice that the brooch found in the bushes is a DIAMOND brooch, not a ruby one. It fell off Lady Catherine’s jabot when she arrived the previous evening. The ruby brooch in the parure, was in the jewel-box, where she left it. Dawson had it, and brought it to Lady Catherine along with the almond-cream. And that, my dear Carole, is what they call a Quick Save! 🙂

    • Linda A. on January 9, 2017 at 6:04 pm
    • Reply

    I, too, thought it might be Wickham. Nice to know it wasn’t. We all have senior moments — we just don’t pull everyone around us into our little drama when it happens. Oh, to be Lady Catherine and not care a whit about anyone else’s feelings.

    1. Well, Lady Catherine is the end result of somebody so rich and bossy they have been dictating to others their whole lives. It never occurs to her that anyone else’s feelings might matter more than hers! And no, this story takes place not long after Darcy’s and Lizzy’s wedding. Wickham is still in the North with Lydia, and does not appear.

    • Erika Messer on January 9, 2017 at 10:00 pm
    • Reply

    Oh I saw the answers to the quiz I missed some! Oh well that was fun 🙂 Please enter me into the drawing! Erika Messer, hopefuldelights1 (at) yahoo (dot) com.

    1. You are entered, and I’m glad you liked the quiz!

    • Anji on January 10, 2017 at 4:49 am
    • Reply

    So glad to hear that your husband is well again, Diana, and that you’re writing again.

    I love this little story that you’ve written. Like a couple of the others, I was thinking that the mysterious man was possibly Wickham and that for once, Lady C. was mistaken about one of her “treasures”. Like Carole in Canada, I’m also curious as to how the brooch ended up outside. Another “senior moment” for Lady C? At least she seems to be beginning to appreciate the “obstinate, headstrong girl” at long last!

    Thanks so much for the giveaway; this book sounds most interesting. I already have a number of books about Jane Austen, life and times but not one written from this particular point of view.

    angmardee (at) hotmail (dot) com

    • Patricia Finnegan on January 10, 2017 at 1:58 pm
    • Reply

    Patkf2007@hotmail.com

    Patricia Finnegan

    I can tell what books quotes are from but can’t remember who said them except first one.

    1. Yes, the ones that are direct quotes are the toughest! #3) is Emma to Mr. Knightley, about Frank Churchill. 4) is Captain Harville to Anne in Persuasion. 6)is Mrs. Norris in Mansfield Park. Fun, huh?

    • Lex on January 11, 2017 at 8:35 am
    • Reply

    I am glad to hear your husband has recovered! Jane Austen is one of those authors I go to under stress and sorrow myself. I got 6 out of 8 right on the quiz. Not too bad. I think your depiction of Lady C. is spot on and very believable. Thank you for including the photos as well. It helped me visualize the story. I didn’t see a date for when the giveaway ended. Did I miss it? Thanks for the fun quiz, the giveaway, and sharing your writing with us!

  5. No, you didn’t miss the giveaway, Lex – I was just waiting until everybody who wants to comment has had a chance. I’m glad you enjoyed the piece, and thanks for commenting. Makes it all worthwhile!

  6. Glad to hear that your husband is well, Diana. I haven’t spend much time here due to my health situation last year. I hope I am not too late to enter the giveaway because I don’t know when is the deadline.

      • Diana Birchall on January 13, 2017 at 6:08 am
      • Reply

      Not too late, Luthien, though I’d need your email address if you win. I’ll do the drawing tomorrow probably. I hope your health is improving, all best wishes!

    • Ann Dawson on January 13, 2017 at 7:32 am
    • Reply

    So pleased for all that your family can enjoy the New Year after the scary time of being ill. I loved the quiz and had quite a search for the quote from Mansfield Park from Mrs Norris as she collects things from the housekeeper and gardener to take back to Mansfield Park. I enjoyed the story to and the explanations after to explain the diamond brooch in the garden. Thank you

      • Diana Birchall on January 13, 2017 at 7:35 am
      • Reply

      Thank you so much for your kind comment, Ann! It seems to be a tradition with me to make a little mistake or two in my stories, and when people point them out, I have to do a bit of improvisation to maintain it wasn’t a mistake! It’s fun.

    • Katherine Schmitt on January 13, 2017 at 10:13 am
    • Reply

    You seem to be living proof that emerging from a terrible challenge will make you stronger! Thank you for this story … I’m looking forward w more!

    • Diana Birchall on January 13, 2017 at 5:49 pm
    • Reply

    Thanks so much, Katherine. I’m looking forward to writing more!

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