Judith Brocklehurst - Darcy and Anne

At this point, it was insisted by Mr Darcy that a moratorium should be called until everyone's feelings died down, and everybody separated, to exclaim, and advance their own views, and propose their own solutions.

Darcy and Elizabeth did not at all like the idea of their young friends going to Barbados; but Edmund's house, as well as being historic and beautiful, needed a good deal of money spent. Darcy was concerned for the roof, and Elizabeth for the furnishing. “And Anne has had no experience of running a house,” she said.

“But you knew very little,” her husband said. “Do you not recall your mother saying that only Miss Lucas knew how to cook, that you and your sisters had nothing to do with housekeeping?”

“That is true; but even so, I know more than Anne, for she has always lived either at Rosings, or here, great houses with butlers and housekeepers; as far as she knows, dinner comes to the table, and washing gets done by itself. She must have a capable housekeeper, at least, or she will have a terrible struggle, and it is all very well to say that she can earn some money by writing, but how is she to find the time to write? Especially if they have some children, as I hope they will. But where there are little children to care for, and very little money, a woman has no spare time at all; she is fortunate if she gets a few hours' sleep at night.”

Matters went on in this way for several days, with everyone making suggestions, and no one suggesting anything useful, for the fact was that, though his prospects were excellent, Edmund's income, at present, could not be thought sufficient to support a wife and children, as well as his parents. The best advice that anyone could give was that recommendation, so depressing to a lover's hopes, so killing of youth and joy: “Wait.”

Surprisingly, it was Lord Francis who saved the situation. He was not a clever man, nor particularly generous, but he was not unkind, and he knew his world. During their short acquaintance, he had liked Anne, and he bore her no resentment for her refusal of him, since he had made a far better match in her mother. Also, he was in an exceedingly good temper.

It had been agreed, as a condition of the marriage, that Rosings should be sold, for “What good does it do for one's standing in the world,” said Lord Francis, “to be shut away in the country, when you could live at Stilbury castle with my sister?” Lady Catherine, delighted at the prospect of living with a Duke and a Duchess, had consented; and a buyer, a rich manufacturer, had been found, and a very handsome price agreed upon, far more rapidly than could have been anticipated. In the course of subsequent financial discussions, Lady Catherine happened to mention that an advantageous saving had been made in the denial of Anne's dowry.

To her astonishment, Lord Francis told his bride that it was a d—d shame. “I don't like her choice of a husband,” he said, “but it ain't right to pauperize the poor girl. And don't think it won't be talked of,” he added. “People always know; everything gets known.

Girl marries a quarryman, they talk about her. You cut her off without a shilling, they talk about us. Sort of thing that gets in the papers. Don't want that. D_ it, ma'am, I won't have it. Let the girl have ten thousand. I'll see Colby about it tomorrow.”

Lady Catherine, on both of the occasions of her marrying, had thought nothing, standing beside her bridegroom, of promising to “honour and obey” with no intention of doing any such thing. Now, for the first time in her life, she actually found herself in a position of being obliged to do something, whether she wanted to, or no; and Anne's marriage was not long delayed.

Anne went to live at the house on the hillside, and the room with the wide-sweeping views was the beloved haven where she wrote her books. The little white cottage became the home of Georgiana's old nurse, Mrs Grainger.

The quarry prospered, and in a very short time Edmund had a quite sufficient income to support a family. Although they never made a large amount of money, the series of historic novels by “A. Caldwell” (publisher: John Endicott) enjoyed a good success with the more discerning members of the reading public.

Anne's impression that she might like Mary Bennet was well-founded. Mary, who had never received much affection from either her two silly sisters or her two clever ones, found a friend in Anne. By suggesting books that she herself liked, exchanging letters, and receiving Mary for the occasional visit, Anne was able to direct her mind, and actually persuaded her, rather than collecting extracts, to try a little writing. Mary wrote some pretty verses, and became more self-confident, and much happier. Her looks improved with the improvement in her spirits, with the result that she and her mother actually began to enjoy each other's company. They lived together with much more of mutual cheerfulness, and Mary, having got a few of her verses published in the kind of periodicals that ladies read, became something of a star in Meryton society, and received the admiration she had always craved.

Darcy and Elizabeth continued as happy as they had always been. Lewis Bennet Fitzwilliam Darcy grew up a beautiful, clever, and sweet-natured child, and had several brothers and sisters, all as delightful as he. Their favourite excursion was to ride their ponies up the track to see Cousin Anne, who read them the most wonderful stories, and spoiled them, their father said, quite dreadfully. The road to Pemberley was never made up for carriages, but that deterred none of them from making the journey very frequently, for Anne regarded Darcy and Elizabeth as a brother and sister, and Pemberley as her second home.

Georgiana had one season in London, enjoyed it very much, came home, and married Mr Rackham; thus becoming happily settled within two miles of Pemberley; and when Minette had a litter, Anne gave her a puppy.

Mrs Annesley, now Mrs Fitzwilliam, was, as her husband had suspected, a perfect soldier's wife. She went with him to every place that he was sent to, could make a home anywhere, in any circumstances, was never dismayed by bad weather, supply problems, or the sound of cannon fire, and was beloved by everyone in the regiment.

As to the happiness of Lady Catherine and her husband, it may be assumed that she reaped the reward of her marriage, in the opportunity it gave her, as the sister of a Duchess, to associate with those of the very highest rank. The happiness of Lord Francis may be inferred from the fact that, soon after they were married, he spent forty thousand pounds of her money to purchase the command of a regiment of cavalry.

Lady Francis Meaburn to Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy

Stilbury castle

My dear Nephew,

I was pleased to receive your letter, for it has been quite a period since we corresponded. However, I cannot accede to your request to forgive my daughter, come to Pemberley, and be reconciled, merely because she has given birth to her second child. Nor can I do so for the other reason you mention, to celebrate the publication of her new book. I cannot regard this as a fortunate circumstance, much less a cause for congratulation.

Nothing will ever induce me to countenance her marriage to that stonemason, and I absolutely refuse to meet him. Families like ours do not admit such people to our circle of acquaintances. Anne has betrayed her family by her disgraceful marriage, and she does not deserve to be received or acknowledged. If you choose to do so, I cannot prevent you, but I shall always look upon it as the lamentable result of your own marriage to a woman with no rank, and no money.

As for Anne's writing, I suppose I must be thankful that she publishes under her married name, and has not disgraced the ancient and honoured name of de Bourgh. I have not read any of her books, and do not intend to. If she had published a book of elegant extracts, it would have been perfectly acceptable; or she might have written pleasant little verses, as the Duchess' sister, Lady Augusta, does. But ladies of quality should not write works of fiction, to amuse the idle and the unlearned. Novels ought to be forbidden, for they are only read by women who spend their time uselessly and neglect their duties. I never read, except for the newspaper; I have better things to do, unless for any reason I am not able to go to church, when I read from a collection of sermons by the late Reverend Dr William Grisby, a friend of my late father's. When I have come to the end of the volume, I begin again at the beginning. This has been my practice for thirty years, and I see no reason to change it.

I am residing at Stilbury, as you see; and the poor dear Duchess is with me. The Duke's behaviour is becoming very strange. I can manage him; but she is afraid to be alone with him. I am not betraying a confidence in revealing this to you: everyone knows about it since the incident in Piccadilly, but he cannot be shut up, not yet, at any rate.

I dare say you saw the announcement in the newspaper, of Lord Francis' appointment to the command of the —th cavalry regiment. It is the finest regiment in the Army. The appointment cost a great deal of money, but no other regiment, and no other command, would do for a person of such lofty rank and distinguished family.

Since he was gazetted, Lord Francis has been continuously in London, working very hard in the service of his country. I expect you have seen those disgraceful articles in the newspapers, casting aspersions on his way of life. The wretched people who write these things should be arrested and punished, but it seems they cannot be stopped. He is not a spendthrift, as they say; military life is very expensive; you should see the bills I have had, for hundreds of pounds, and a note with them saying that they are for his uniforms.