Voices in the Dark Read online

  "I can imagine," Anne chuckled. "We will need to find an alternative as well as replacing some of the staff who have left."

  "Actually, Anne, it might be better not to replace the staff at all," Lizzy suggested. "Currently Rosings Park is run as if a house party might descend on it at any time and all to support one woman who is not even leaving her room. I say send a new housekeeper with instructions to close down most of the house. Place the furniture under dust covers and let the formal gardens grow a little wild. Reduce the staff to the minimum needed and put the resources into supporting the tenants. Sir Lewis' will says Lady Catherine is allowed to live there. Nothing says she has to be served like a queen."

  "I like that idea," Richard said with a grin. "We let the rest of the staff go with an extra payment for their work and a recommendation to help them find other positions. Even if Aunt Catherine emerges from her rooms, she will be able to do little harm."

  "Lizzy is correct the focus should really be on supporting the tenants, not the house," William added. "They will keep the property profitable even as we isolate our aunt and weaken the power of the shadows. Then when we confront her, she will be less likely to have power enough to harm us."

  "Do you mind if Anne and I stay with you at Pemberley for a few months while I heal?" Richard asked.

  "Of course you are welcome to stay with us," William replied. "We can give you a suite of rooms you can treat as your own home. There is certainly plenty of space."

  ~o~

  Between them Richard and William found a house for the curate and he was quickly installed in Hunsford to minister to the spiritual needs of the village while Mr. Herbert remained bedridden. Mrs. Carroll helped Anne hire a new housekeeper for Rosings and all the suggestions Lizzy made were put into place.

  Once that was done, they decided it was past time to leave London. The usual summer stink was becoming unbearable. The three Darcys and two Fitzwilliams headed out of town one morning and made their way to Pemberley.

  Chapter 21: Pemberley

  Richard healed well with his wife's care and the restful atmosphere at Pemberley. While he would never regain full use of the shoulder and arm, the pain was minimal, and he could manage most everyday tasks without assistance. He adapted how he handled tasks that gave him pain and he learned how to ask for help when needed.

  Anne's recovery had been nothing short of miraculous. Away from her mother and the shadows she became healthy. The weak spells, pains, coughs and fevers to which she had been prone disappeared. Now that she had the energy, she often walked with Lizzy around Pemberley's lovely grounds and found she could enjoy the exercise even as the weather cooled.

  With help from Georgiana and Lizzy, Anne was also able to indulge her love of music. She made steady progress in her study of the pianoforte and displayed a natural aptitude for the instrument. She and Richard planned to return to London after the Christmas season and take up residence in the de Bourgh townhouse. Once there she would work with a music master to continue improving her skill.

  With help from Mrs. Reynolds, Lizzy stepped into her duties and was already gaining respect as the Mistress of Pemberley. William supported her decisions and helped her learn about their tenants and the Darcy family history. All the sisterly love Lizzy had once expended on Jane now found a welcome home with Anne and Georgiana. The three spent much time helping each other learn and grow.

  ~o~

  As it turned out, the dreaded confrontation with Lady Catherine never came to pass. A few weeks before Christmas, as Richard's injuries were healing to the point that he and William thought it might be safe to make the attempt, word came from Rosings that their aunt was dead.

  Even Anne heard the news with relief. Her mother's fight for control had ended. After reading the book all of them had wondered what would happen when the shadows finally took Lady Catherine. It seems they did not absorb her body as feared. All they took was her spirit. Despite her dark activities they decided she should be laid to rest in the Hunsford churchyard with her husband. Mr. Miles oversaw the funeral during which they buried her wasted frame.

  Although William was detained at Pemberley by business, Anne and Richard quickly traveled to Kent for the funeral. They did not stay in the house. They had no desire to encounter either the shadows or a new ghost with a familiar form. They stayed at a nearby inn and found it much more to their taste.

  With Lady Catherine gone, Richard and Anne decided to close the Rosings manor house entirely, like a field left fallow. They would work out how to sow a crop of laughter and love in a few years' time. Without anyone to feed on, the shadows would lie quiet and no harm would be done. Before returning to Pemberley for Christmas, Anne and Richard would check on the tenants and make sure the steward had all the support he needed. After a winter spent in London, they would return to the Rosings estate again for the spring planting and wanted everything to run smoothly until then.

  ~o~

  A day or two before the expected return of the Fitzwilliams to Pemberley, Lizzy sat with William in the study as she often did as he sorted through his mail.

  "Here is one for you, Lizzy. I think it may have come from Longbourn."

  Lizzy took the letter from her husband. "Yes," she confirmed, "that is Mary's hand."

  "I was a little surprised you wrote to her after our wedding. This is your first letter from her since then, is it not?"

  "She responded to my note informing her of our marriage with a short letter of congratulations. I also told her about Jane's marriage to Mr. Bingley since I was not sure the Gardiners would say anything. She said they had heard the news from Aunt Phillips. I asked her to write if there was any news of note. It seems there must be. This is quite a thick letter." Lizzy broke the seal and began to read.

  After a few moments reading Lizzy said, "Well, she starts with Christmas greetings and best wishes for the new year to us both. It seems she is in the family way and they expect the newest member of the Collins family in the spring."

  "Is there still an entail on Longbourn?" William asked.

  "I believe it goes for one more generation. My father mentioned it once in passing."

  "I expect they will both be hoping for a son, then."

  "No doubt. I hope Mary has better luck than Mama did." She returned to the letter.

  "Oh my!" she said after a few more moments. "She writes of Mama and our younger sisters. I can feel her disgust in every word written here. It almost permeates the ink."

  "What have they done, my dear?"

  "It seems Mama encouraged Lydia and Kitty to behave in what Mary considers an outrageous manner with the officers of a militia unit that has taken up winter quarters in Meryton. I expect that meant blatant flirting and gowns displaying too much décolletage. Mary writes that Mama, herself, entrapped a certain Captain Carter into marriage by misrepresenting the amount and nature of her widow's portion."

  "Richard says the officers are often on the lookout for wealthy widows, although normally they dally with the older ones for company and gifts instead of marriage."

  "This one must have been well and truly fooled. Or maybe he was foxed at the time. Mary says our new stepfather was quickly disabused of any notions of her wealth and became irate when he learned he could not access her trust fund or sell the cottage. His temper frayed further when Lydia disgraced herself with one of the junior officers. To reduce the scandal Captain Carter used his position to force a marriage although the officer has little to keep them and Lydia has even less. Apparently, Lydia proudly brags of being Mrs. Denny, but everyone in the unit and the village knows how the marriage came about and treats her with well-deserved contempt."

  "What about Kitty?"

  "It has not gone well for her. Between Lydia's disgrace and the constant arguments between Captain Carter and Mama things became very uncomfortable for her. She begged Mary to take her in and was so desperate she agreed to every condition Mr. Collins made without any hesitation. Mary says Kitty has settled down and stay
s quietly at home now without complaint."

  "Would you like to invite Kitty here? She and Georgiana are close enough in age they could be good company."

  "Georgiana would be a good influence on Kitty, although I do not think the reverse would be true. Of course, I am not really sure who Kitty is when she is not being ordered around by Lydia. She could surprise us all."

  "I say we invite her and find out. We will insist on some rules of behavior just as Mr. Collins did, but probably less restrictive. I think the girls would be good for each other. If worst comes to worst, we take a page out of your uncle's book and find some young man to marry her. I am sure with our connections it would not be too difficult to find a man who will be kind to her. I can easily sweeten her dowry if needed."

  "That may be necessary even if she does do well here. I will write to Mary and Kitty with our invitation. Will we send a carriage if she accepts?"

  "That would be best. I would not want her traveling post by herself. We can have two maids travel with her for safety."

  "Perhaps with the example she will have here of a loving family, Kitty may turn out to be a blessing. Thank you, William." Lizzy smiled at her husband.

  "I am glad to do anything that might make you happy, my dear."

  "You always do."

  "Then why do you suddenly look so sad?" William asked with concern.

  "Your mention of Uncle Gardiner reminded me of all the Christmas visits they made to Longbourn. They would come every year about this time and would bring the children. We always had the happiest times then. I still do not understand what happened."

  "I have some idea," William said thoughtfully. "You have told me how your mother, once she got an idea in her head or took a dislike to someone, could not be swayed in her opinion no matter what arguments or evidence contradicted her notions. She would persist, even if it was not in her best interest, rather than admit she might be wrong."

  "Well, yes, but I always thought Uncle Gardiner was far more sensible than Mama."

  "In general, I think he probably is, but he clearly shares that personality trait. When faced with your father's death I think he chose to protect himself from your mother, as you guessed, by deciding he had always disliked those of you still at Longbourn. Once he took that stand, he could not let go, no matter how circumstances changed, and he probably did direct your aunt to go along with his new view of things. Even when it would have been in his best interest to change his response to take advantage of our marriage, he could not do it."

  "That makes more sense than believing that he always held me in contempt," Lizzy said with relief. "I have seen Mama behave exactly that way."

  "It is a dangerous character trait for a man of business. He has lost several good opportunities in recent years through his inflexibility, to the detriment of his finances."

  "You have investigated him?" Lizzy asked in surprise.

  "Of course. I wanted to understand his treatment of you as well. The pattern of behavior is clear in his business decisions. He is not failing, but he is also not doing as well as he might have if he were more open to adapting as situations change."

  "Well, your explanation makes sense and I do feel a little better," Lizzy told him with a smile.

  "While we are on the subject of irrational behavior, I recently heard from Bingley. He must have missed the wedding announcement when it was printed in July, or he thought it wise to wait for a while after our last meeting before attempting a reconciliation. He apologized for any misunderstanding that might have arisen between us from his suggestion that I ought to marry his sister," William in a tone filled with sarcasm.

  "Does he really believe he can pass his actions off as a misunderstanding?"

  "He appears willing to try. He may believe I am so desperate for a friend I will overlook the past. He knew he was one of very few people I was close to. What he does not understand is that now I have you, as well as Georgie, Richard and Anne in my life. I am content."

  "Did he have anything else to say?" Lizzy asked, wondering about her sister.

  "He asked for my assistance in finding a suitable property to purchase. With my experience as a large landowner he could think of no one better suited to offer advice than his brother by marriage. He added that Jane missed her dearest sister and hoped to visit Pemberley soon."

  "Dearest sister, indeed," Lizzy snorted. "After how she spoke to me at Gunter's?"

  "I take it you do not wish to restore the relationship?" William chuckled.

  "Jane showed her true nature in the aftermath of Papa's death. Like her husband with you, she must think me desperate for sisterly affection. I am secure and satisfied in the love of Anne and Georgiana. Even Mary proved a truer sister to me than Jane and Kitty may do the same. I would not turn Jane away if she were truly in need, but I think they simply hope to exploit the connection. I would prefer to reject their offered friendship as it carries too high a price."

  William nodded agreement. "I will respond to Bingley, so he knows I received his letter. In terms that allow for no misunderstanding, I will decline any further contact with either of them. Will that suit?"

  "Yes, William. I think that plan is best."

  "When you have your letters for Mary and Kitty ready, I can send them by messenger. He can be there before Christmas if you wish to include some small gifts."

  "I would like that. Thank you, William. You do so much for me. Is there anything I can do for you?"

  "I can think of some things we might do together later," he said with a slight smirk. "For now, though, would you sing for me?"

  Lizzy began to sing the ballad that served as their introduction at Rosings. As before, he joined in at the refrain and they finished together, voices blending in harmony. William smiled happily as the last note died away. He said, "I know the subject of that ballad is a sad one, but hearing you sing that song always brings me great joy. I have tried to tell you before, but words can simply not convey how it lightened my heart when I sat despairing in the darkness of that cell."

  "I still do not know what prompted me to sing it that day, but I will always be happy I did," Lizzy smiled back at him.

  "And I am happy I spoke to you for it helped us both find our way. Who would have guessed our life together would begin from the simple sound of our voices in the dark."

  ~the end~