The Ladies of Rosings Park – Chapter 12

The Ladies of Rosings Park is now successfully published! Hooray! But in case you don’t have your own copy yet, I will continue posting chapters here every Monday until we finish Part One of the book (the time period covered in Pride and Prejudice). These early chapters read like P&P “missing scenes” – your favorite book from a different perspective.

Last week in chapter eleven, Lady Catherine received intelligence from Mr. Collins (Hmm. Isn’t that an oxymoron?) about the scandalous rumor of an engagement between Darcy and Elizabeth. We all know what happens next! Today in chapter 12, after failing to intimidate Elizabeth, Lady Catherine confronts Darcy. This ‘missing scene’ is the meeting that taught him to hope he still had a chance with Elizabeth.  (PS – I recently shared a large excerpt from this chapter at one of my blog-tour stops, so if it sounds familiar to some of you, that’s why.) To catch up first, see these previous posts: Prologue, Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapter Three, Chapter Four, Chapter Five, Chapter Six, Chapter Seven, Chapter Eight, Book Launch and Chapter Nine, Chapter Ten, Chapter Eleven

– 12 –

 Anne

On a Little Family Drama

Mama would not tell me much about why we must suddenly be off, only that she had business of some urgency in Hertfordshire and that she was taking me as far as London, where I was to patiently await her return. Fortunately, though, I called at the parsonage before we left and received a helpful dose of information from Mrs. Collins.

Taking me into her parlor, she invited me to sit, and then said, “How kind of you to call, Miss de Bourgh. I am afraid you must content yourself with my company alone, for Mr. Collins is studying for Sunday’s sermon in his book room and asked not to be disturbed. Although for you…”

“No, no,” I interrupted. “I would not have you bother him on my account. Mama only sent me to tell you we will be away for a few days. Some urgent business in Hertfordshire, she says, but that is all I know.”

Mrs. Collins glanced about and then got up to close the door. Returning, she looked me straight in the face and spoke quietly. “Miss de Bourgh, my husband would not like me interfering, but I think you have some right to know what this is about. I also feel some responsibility since it was a letter from my mother that has been the cause. Will you allow me to enlighten you?”

“By all means,” I said, instantly intrigued. “Do speak freely, Mrs. Collins.”

“Very well then, I apologize if what I say will injure you, for my motives are exactly the opposite. My feeling is that it will go better for you – any disappointment – if you are prepared.” She paused. “It concerns Mr. Darcy.”

“Oh! I hope he is not unwell!”

“No, he is quite well. I will come right to the point, Miss de Bourgh. There is a rumor circulating – how credible it is, I cannot be sure, but I am inclined to believe it – a rumor that Mr. Darcy and my friend Elizabeth are very soon to be engaged. That is what has Lady Catherine so vexed. No doubt she means to put an end to it, but I think little of her chances for success, if indeed the couple themselves are very determined to marry.”

All I could say was, “I see.”

“I hope I have not shocked you too severely, Miss de Bourgh.”

“No, not at all, Mrs. Collins.” I wanted to say more. I wanted to compare what I was already aware of with what she knew or suspected. I wanted to assure her it would not break my heart if the rumor about William and Elizabeth should turn out to be true, for I had indeed received prior warning already. But I was afraid of revealing too much, of violating my promise to William, so I kept silent. I only thanked her and departed.

Alas! I seemed doomed to miss all the best dramas playing out round about me – first the scene of William’s proposal being made and rejected, and now Mama’s confronting Elizabeth, for that was surely why she was going into Hertfordshire.

Oh, how I would have loved to witness it, to be a fly on the wall! Although I could imagine well enough how it must have unfolded between them, especially when further informed by Mama’s foul mood upon her return to me at our house in town.

“Get your wrap, Anne,” she told me when I asked how her business had gone. “We are off to see Darcy. Fortunately, I happen to know he is in town. For there is trouble brewing, and it seems it is up to me to steer my nephew clear of it. You may be of some use to remind him where his duty lies.”

So I would not miss all the drama after all.

We were lucky enough to find William at home when we arrived in Berkeley Street – lucky for Mama, that is, but unlucky for him. Although it was bound to be unpleasant, it could not be helped. Sooner or later the truth must come out. Even if William were not so fortunate as to succeed with Miss Bennet, he still had no intention of marrying me. And I had much rather that information came to Mama’s ears from his lips instead of mine.

William seemed surprised to see us but not particularly distressed. Judging from the conversation that followed, I collected that he had no prior idea what Mama’s business was.

“Lady Catherine, Miss Anne,” he said upon receiving us. “Please do sit down. To what do I owe this pleasure?”

“Anne may sit,” said Mama, which I did, expecting to be a mere spectator for whatever followed. “I will remain standing,” she continued, “for I am far too provoked at present to be comfortable.”

She thus obliged William to remain on his feet as well, watching her pacing and her other displays of displeasure. “I am sorry to hear it, Aunt. How may I be of assistance?”

“You may be of assistance by giving me the assurances I require. I have just returned from Hertfordshire where I had some serious words with Miss Elizabeth Bennet, who, I am sorry to tell you, was as perverse and contrary as any person I have ever encountered. I am not accustomed to such language as she inflicted upon me.”

William ignored Mama’s complaints to ask, “Miss Bennet? What business could you possibly have with her?”

“If you do not know, perhaps you are indeed ignorant and innocent in this contemptible affair. Very well, then, allow me to inform you. I received a report of an alarming nature two days ago, and it concerns you, sir. I was told that the whole countryside surrounding Longbourn is waiting in confident expectation of soon hearing the announcement of your engagement to Miss Bennet! There, now you see what has me in such a state. I naturally took the report as a scandalous falsehood and went straight to the source to silence any further gossip.”

William apparently required a moment to take this in, but he looked far less displeased than one (at least one disgruntled aunt) might have expected. Instead of outraged exclamations, as Mama obviously required, he only said, “I take it your efforts were somehow frustrated.”

“Darcy, how can you be so calm while the family name is being dragged through the dirt?”

“I have heard no evidence of that as yet, Lady Catherine, but I am ready to listen to whatever else you have to say. Miss Bennet failed to give you satisfaction?”

“Yes, in the extreme! I rue the day I distinguished her with my notice and condescension, receiving her at Rosings as I did. I surely would not have, had I suspected her true character. She has presumed upon my kindness and yours. And when I questioned her, she refused to oblige me at every turn. She not only denied she had originated and circulated the rumor herself – when common sense clearly shows that to be the obvious explanation – she even claimed to have never heard such a rumor before.”

“Perhaps that is true; I have never heard it myself.”

“If that were the case, then why would she make such a point of defending the idea?”

“Miss Bennet defended the rumor?”

“Not the rumor itself. I did finally force her to admit that no engagement currently existed, but she argued against its being an impossible match and flatly refused to promise never to accept you. And this after I informed her of your understanding with Anne! Can you imagine?”

“Yes, I believe I can,” William said slowly. He turned to look at me and winked in a way Mama could not see. “What about you, Anne?” he said. “You have seen enough of Miss Bennet to form an opinion. Can you imagine her behaving in such a disobliging way?”

It was pleasant to be treated by my cousin as a trusted coconspirator, a valued friend and confidant with a shared secret. I quickly apprehended that Mama’s information was not having the effect she intended. Instead of being appalled by Elizabeth’s reported conduct, William appeared… Well, I suppose he appeared hopeful.

Although I had intended to stay out of the fray, looking at William, I found myself saying, “Miss Bennet is a spirited young lady. I believe she is not one to be easily intimidated when she feels herself to be in the right.”

William smiled at me. “Exactly,” he said.

“But she is most definitely not in the right in this case,” countered Mama, “and her failure to admit it shows a very unbecoming obstinacy, a dangerous degree of willfulness, and a total disregard for the claims of duty, honor, and gratitude. And so I told her. The idea of such a girl having pretensions to marry into a noble family is… Well, I refuse to lower myself by using such language. You must have nothing more to do with her, Darcy. She has shown herself to be an unprincipled person; that should be reason enough to shun her. Beyond that, visiting Longbourn or even Netherfield again will only fuel these noxious rumors.”

“I think you overestimate their power, Aunt,” William said calmly. “If there is not foundation, rumors of this sort die away soon enough.”

“I wish I could agree with you, Nephew, but I will not have the honor of the family subjected to such a test. I will not have my daughter’s name or yours sullied by the gossip of the lower orders. No, the only solution is a clean break. Promise me you will never see that young woman or any of her relations again. Since she refused to give me satisfaction, sir, you must!”

Whereas Mama had stopped her pacing before making her final demand, my cousin now commenced his. William did not reply at once. His looks in my direction showed me he understood that how he answered could put me in an uncomfortable position, even more so than himself. He could walk away in the end and never see Mama again if necessary; I did not have that luxury. Still, I gave him a little nod of encouragement. There would be unpleasantness whenever the truth came out; it mattered little whether it was that day or another.

“Come now, Darcy,” Mama prompted. “This is not a difficult thing I ask of you, only what you owe to yourself and all the family. Not long ago you acknowledged the careful designs set in place for your future and assured me of your good understanding with Anne. This is simply the necessary extension of that commitment.”

At last, William came to rest. He drew a deep breath and spoke respectfully, but firmly. “Lady Catherine, in that conversation to which you refer, I told you I would always endeavor to do my duty and also to please my family whenever possible. I still stand by that statement.”

“There, now,” Mama said with a firm nod.

“But that does not mean I concur with all the rest you have said. I will on no account allow you or anybody else to dictate to me where my duty lies and how I must perform it. Nor will I allow any person to tell me whom I may see and whom I may not. In fact, I agree with Miss Bennet in standing up to this kind of interference, whether it comes from a stranger or a near relation.”

Mama opened her mouth with an objection, but William held up his hand to forestall it.

“You have had your say, and now it is my turn.” When he was certain she was listening, he went on. “I am truly sorry if it pains you, Aunt, but it seems there is no avoiding it now. Since you press the issue, it is time you became aware of the nature of my understanding with your daughter. It is something other than what you have presumed. Out of our mutual respect, Anne and I have agreed to each free the other from any perceived obligation to what our parents once planned for us. Therefore, Anne is not to consider herself bound to me, and I am also at liberty to make a different choice if I like. I hope I shall choose wisely. What constitutes a wise choice in a mate, however, may depend on factors beyond what you can comprehend.

“Miss Bennet has been truthful with you; we are not engaged. I agree with something else she told you, however. There would be nothing impossible or disreputable in such a match. She is the daughter of a respectable gentleman, and I have never seen anything in her own conduct to censure. That is all that I require. Anything more speaks of avarice and unbecoming ambition.”

Mama could be held at bay no longer.

“But her nearest relations – low connections everywhere, a mother totally in want of decorum, and a sister whose marriage came too late and only at the behest of others. Heaven and earth, Darcy! Are the very shades of Pemberley to be soiled by such as these? Are these people to henceforth make up the chief part of your innocent sister’s society?”

“These are things for me to decide, Aunt, not you. Perhaps I shall marry Miss Bennet and perhaps I shall not. That is really none of your affair. It is just possible, you know, that she would refuse me. Same as you, she may be put off the match for fear of acquiring unpleasant family connections.”

After an exclamation of disgust, Mama turned to me in desperation. “Say something, Anne! It is your future being thrown away here. Everything I have planned, everything I have hoped and strived for… I have done it all for you and your happiness. Think carefully before casting it aside like so much rubbish.”

Here was my last opportunity to change my mind, to attempt to correct the course William and I had recently diverted to. If I had any hope of saving my supposed betrothal to him, I must speak now. Otherwise, the chance to wed my cousin would be gone for good like so much castoff rubbish, just as Mama had said.

But no, that was untrue. I was not treating my connection with William as rubbish. By releasing him to follow his heart, I was doing a far better thing.

So I said, “I appreciate your solicitude on my behalf, Mama, but I will not be made happy by my cousin marrying me against his will. If he chooses to wed Miss Bennet or somebody else, I shall be the first to wish them both joy.”

His eyes shining, William took my hand and kissed it.

The confrontation having run its course, with little more to be gained on either side by its continuance, Mama and I abruptly departed.

Back in the carriage, I braced for the angry lecture I knew was sure to come. To my surprise, however, I escaped mostly unscathed. Although Mama’s wrath for William and Miss Bennet seemed unlimited, judging from her continuing tirade on the way home and beyond, she appeared to have exempted me from more than a token share of the blame. She seemed to believe that all this had come about against my will, that I was either too weak or too accommodating to prevent it, and that I was simply resigned to accepting the inevitable consequences.

There was a deal of truth in that, of course. I had not meant for it to happen at all, William’s departure from the plan. A few short months earlier, I would have married him if he had offered, and I felt some lingering regret over losing him. But I had no power to prevent his falling in love with Elizabeth and no inclination to try, by pressing my own feeble claims, to keep them apart once he had, even though the result was an uncertain future for me.

I only wished Mama could reconcile herself, as I had, to this fact. Despite its long history and hallowed treatment, the match between William and myself was never meant to be.

(Continue with chapter 13)

Oh dear! Things have reached a crisis point, and it looks like a full break between the Rosings and the Pemberley families is at hand. But that’s next week…

The Ladies of Rosings Park is currently available in paperback and Kindle, with audio coming soon. Learn more about Shannon Winslow and her books at www.shannonwinslow.com

At first glance, Anne de Bourgh doesn’t seem a promising heroine. But beneath that quiet exterior, there’s a lively mind at work, imagining how one day she will escape her poor health and her mother’s domination to find love and a life worth living.

Now Anne finally gets the chance to speak her mind. But Lady Catherine demands equal time. Even Charlotte Collins and Mrs. Jenkinson get into the act. Chapter by chapter, these ladies of Rosings Park take turns telling the tale from the moment Elizabeth Bennet sets foot in Hunsford, changing everything. Is Anne heartbroken or relieved to discover Mr. Darcy will never marry her? As an heiress, even a sickly one, she must have other suitors. Does Lady Catherine gracefully accept the defeat of her original plan or keep conniving? Will Anne’s health ever improve? And what really happened to her father?

Complete in itself, this work expands The Darcys of Pemberley series laterally, beginning during the timeline of Pride and Prejudice and carrying beyond to reveal the rest of Anne’s story. When a young lady is to be a heroine… something must and will happen to throw a hero in her way. (Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey)