Chapter 8

The morning after the ball, Lady Denham decided there had been enough waiting for her infernal nephew to come to the point with Miss Bennet, and demanded that he propose to the girl forthwith. Sir Edward went to Longbourn, and made his addresses. Lydia did not even mind that she had to endure them, indeed she was relieved, for she could finally refuse him, and hope he would go away. The young man misquoted some poetry, then went on in a ghastly flowery manner for some minutes before he finally came to the point, and was politely but very firmly denied.

He was taking his leave, and collecting his hat and cane in the hall, when William ran into the hall alone and cried, "Mama, an angry man has hit poor Miss Templeton, and taken Fanny away!" then dashed back out the back of the house to lead the way up the path toward Oakham Mount where the children had been enjoying a nature walk with the governess.

Charlotte, Lydia, Sir Edward, and all of the household staff, hied up the hill in alarm, to find poor Miss Templeton unconscious with a terrible blow to her head. There was no trace of Fanny, and William had not thought to stay long enough to see the direction the "angry man" had taken. Sir Denham returned for his horse to bring word to Netherfield, and Sir William, the magistrate, that help was needed.

Lady Denham could not care less about a missing child, and as pandemonium began around them as people began to organise a search for Fanny, the woman demanded her nephew tell her whether he was engaged, immediately, and when she learned he was not, began to abuse Elizabeth quite energetically. Elizabeth ignored the woman, and instructed Mrs Nichols to pack Lady Denhams trunks and call her carriage, for her welcome had worn quite away.

When Elizabeth offered for Miss Brereton to remain at Netherfield to continue her courtship, Lady Denham, who was too self-absorbed to have noticed that Miss Brereton was being courted by Lord Rutherford, suffered an apoplexy right there in the drawing room, so incensed was she at the thought that Clara might not be planning to be at her beck and call forever, or that Esther may have been so insolent as to not gain the man's attention when she had been instructed to do so. She was carried up to her rooms.

Elizabeth, in a rare fit of ungenerosity, said that was just like her to fall ill at such a moment. When everyone else was needed to look for a child, Lady Denham must find a way to claim her share of the attention. The woman was left unceremoniously in the care of her maid, the apothecary was called for, and everyone else went to Longbourn to help search for Fanny.

Jane, and Mary, who were growing heavier with child, were remanded to Miss Templeton's bedside for the afternoon. Everyone else went out to search except Charlotte, who remained at home with her father to organise the efforts. Elizabeth was also growing too heavy with child to go out searching, but she stayed with Charlotte and bore her company all day. Hours passed, every road out of town was followed for miles, and then everyone was meeting again in Charlotte's drawing room, which was more filled with people than it had ever been. Dark had fallen, and Charlotte was beside herself when Mrs Dutton announced Mr Edmund Bertram and Miss Fanny Price to the room. Charlotte cried out, and swept the girl, who immediately began sobbing, into her arms.

Pandemonium reigned as the gentlemen began demanding an explanation from the young man. Darcy took charge. "Everyone please. This young man is Master Edmund Bertram. He is a cousin to Lady Darcy, as well as Fanny Price. I do not believe he would be here if he harboured any malice. Please allow him some privacy to explain these events to the magistrate." All the gentlemen except Darcy, Richard, John Lucas, and Sir William left the house, grumbling, and taking their leave.

Edmund coughed as he faced the remaining gentlemen, Elizabeth, Charlotte, and Lydia. "I thank you, Lord Darcy. Of course I mean no harm to Fanny, or anyone here in Hertfordshire. Sometime after I returned to Mansfield Park after calling here some weeks ago, I was told that my Aunt Norris received a letter from someone named Lady Lucas, stating that my cousin was a problem, and requesting that my aunt send someone to fetch her. My aunt instructed me that I would go to an inn in St Albans, where Miss Price would be delivered to me. I waited in the common room until a maid told me I was wanted by the stables. Miss Price was there with a rough looking, aggressive man, who demanded a payment from me for delivering her. I did not even know if I was supposed to give it to him, but I did in an effort to be rid of him quickly, for he was very intimidating, and Miss Price was hysterically frightened of him."

The young man continued. "After the man had gone, Miss Price told me a harrowing story about an assaulted and wounded governess, and a kidnap. This is not what I came here for. My father would never have countenanced it had he known, and I shudder to think how he will react when he learns of the matter."

Charlotte rocked Fanny and assured the girl that she was safe, as Sir William, Darcy and Richard asked the young man a series of questions about the event. Master Bertram alleged that he had not seen the letter from Lady Lucas, nor did he believe had his father. Mrs Norris had declared that the child was to be retrieved, and Lord Bertram acquiesced to the matter without question. The party discussed what was to be done. An express was sent to Lord Bertram, asking him to retrieve the letter from Lady Lucas, so it could be studied and to bring Mrs Norris with him.

The man had to forcibly bring his sister-in-law, so determined was she not to take accountability for her actions. Lady Bertram had taken to her bed when the express was read describing her sister's behaviour, and the woman's husband, Mr Norris, declared himself disgusted with his wife, and too sickly to travel to Hertfordshire. Lord Bertram and Mrs Norris made the journey alone, Mrs Norris insisting all the way that she was correct, because Lady Lucas had asked her to retrieve the girl, and Lady Lucas had a title.

The two stayed at the inn, since Elizabeth would not offer them hospitality. She had finally learned from Darcy that Mrs Price's dowry was still unpaid, and that the man, while outwardly showing a pious and moral face to society, profited from what was still considered to be slave labour in Jamaica by many. Though the slaves of all British colonies had been "freed" in 1834, the law had required them to continue to be "apprenticed" to their old masters for another four years before they could move about freely, and even then, they lacked the means to do so. Nearly two decades after the emancipation, the labourers of the British West Indies were still oppressed and exploited by the men who owned the plantations. Elizabeth loathed such noblemen. She extracted Darcy's promise that he would do something about the dowry. At his father's summons, Edmund Bertram left Lilac Cottage, and joined his family at the inn.

The letter was studied by Sir William, Darcy, Richard, and Lord Bertram, and they all agreed that while Lady Lucas had made it clear that Charlotte did not wish to part with Fanny, that she had not implicitly requested Mrs Norris to retrieve her so violently, nor to break the law. Indeed, her suggestion had been that Mrs Norris's nephew was ineffectual, and that Lord Bertram should come and use his influence and title.

The blame for the kidnap and assault of Fanny and Miss Templeton was all to be laid at the feet of Mrs Norris. Lady Lucas had known nothing of the plans put in place by Mrs Norris, and could not be held accountable, even if her request was impertinent, and she was never supposed to have sent it. Lord Bertram did not want to accept responsibility for his sister-in-law, but it was impressed upon him by his son that he must, or his wife would be devastated if the woman was transported, imprisoned, or hung. The career of her husband, the vicar of their parish, would be destroyed, and the reputation of the family would be in tatters.

Lord Bertram agreed that he would bring Mr and Mrs Norris under his roof in order to monitor Mrs Norris, her activities, and her mail, very closely, under the guise of Mr Norris's failing health. He would impress upon his wife that she must stir herself to be more outgoing, and also more forceful with her sister, who had been accustomed to managing her. Mrs Norris would also have a strict lady's maid, who was to also serve as a companion, and to keep Mrs Norris under control.

Darcy informed the man that if he wished to take responsibility for his sister-in-law, and have it kept quiet, he must pay the dowry and the accumulated interest that was due to his other sister and brother-in-law, totalling now over three thousand pounds. When Sir Thomas objected on the grounds that his father-in-law would not have approved of the match, he was asked if his father-in-law, a clergyman, would have approved of these funds being withheld while his grandchildren went poorly housed and ill clothed until their growth and health were threatened. Darcy was very convincing as he made Lord Bertram understand that he was perfectly willing to have Mrs Norris transported, and the story of the dowry and the kidnap disseminated throughout London. Bertram eventually acquiesced to the demands.

*****

Horror of horrors, Lady Denham's outrage had been too much for her to bear, and the woman had died before Elizabeth and Darcy returned to Netherfield late the night of Fanny's abduction. Elizabeth felt terribly guilty after the uncharitable words she had spoken immediately after Lady Denham's attack. Mary and Darcy discouraged these thoughts. It was not Elizabeth's fault that Lady Denham had been cruel and filled with self-interest. A child had been kidnapped, and a young governess assaulted, and still, Lady Denham's only consideration had been her nephew's marital prospects, and the fact that her cousin was taking her own affairs in hand without regard to her desires. She had not heard Elizabeth's words, and so they had no effect on the outcome of her collapse, though Elizabeth would continue to recriminate herself and pray for forgiveness for months.

The funeral was very quiet. It was difficult to have a household partly in mourning, for someone most of them were barely acquainted with and did not like very much, particularly when they were all there to celebrate a wedding. Everyone at Netherfield wore half-mourning for the rest of the week, all but Lady Denham's relatives throwing off their lavender and greys the day before Maria's wedding.

Esther and Clara were offered a small private parlour to use, so that they did not feel unseemly by socialising too much with the household. Instead, those whom they knew better, such as Elizabeth and her sisters, and a few kind gentlemen, could pay them short visits while they mourned. It was decided that Sir Edward, Esther, and Clara would attend the wedding ceremony, but not the breakfast, in consideration of their fresh loss. The bereaved would mourn for six weeks, though where they would do their mourning was still unclear.

Lady Denham's solicitor had been sent for. It was summer, and so her family declined to transport her body for burial. The lady was buried in the churchyard in Meryton. The funeral was held very quickly, Darcy making most of the arrangements, in a mad rush to conclude the matter before poor Maria's wedding, which now had quite the shadow hanging over it. The solicitor arrived from London the day of the funeral, and the will was read the next day. Elizabeth was impressed. For all Lady Denham's meanness and use of inheritances to control those around her, she had distributed her properties and one-hundred-and-sixty-thousand-pound fortune in a remarkably equitable manner.

First, Lady Denham forgave all of Mr Parker's notes, and so all of her investments in Sanditon's future became his, decreasing the man's debt significantly, and allowing him the ability to improve Sanditon even more. Several small tracts of land in and around Sanditon were also left to Mr Parker, for the future expansion of the town.

Fifteen thousand pounds were distributed amongst her Brereton relatives in London, and retainers of long standing. Miss Denham was left a small estate in Hampshire, which had been leased to a family for many years, and thirty thousand pounds. Miss Brereton was left with Sanditon House and its estate, and thirty thousand pounds.

Several large tracts of farmland that bordered Denham Park were left to Sir Edward, along with thirty-five thousand pounds. No one had expected her to leave the Hollis family anything at all, but the remaining fifty thousand pounds of her estate was distributed amongst her first husband's relatives, half of it, along with an estate in Scotland, to his closest living nephew.

Sir Edward was not very happy about his portion, having expected, as her most recent husband's only nephew, to have been left much more, the bulk of her estate in fact. The fact that the terms of the inheritance stated that the principal must remain in the percents, and he could only accept the interest during his lifetime was even worse. Lady Denham knew her nephew's inclinations, and had done what she could to prevent him gambling it all away. The same terms would be placed upon the ladies' funds as well.

Suddenly Lord Denham became quite hostile toward Lord Rutherford, and extremely interested in and solicitous toward Miss Brereton, thinking that with a bit of effort he might have his own portion and Clara's as well. Miss Brereton was alarmed indeed by the excess of attention upon her, particularly when she had lived with and felt great affection for her much older cousin, and felt the older woman's loss keenly. Elizabeth and Darcy felt that Sir Edward's display was indecorous. The man was invited by the gentlemen to return to his own estate, and he left Meryton in a snit, taking his sister with him.

The day before the wedding, expresses were sent to Mr Parker by Lords Rutherford and Berkeley, requesting that bachelor's lodgings be reserved for the two gentlemen, who would escort Clara and Caroline Whitman to Sanditon. Clara had invited Caroline to visit her at Sanditon House, at least until Clara's mourning was over and she decided what she would do next. The ladies had surprisingly become good friends over their embroidery. Lord Berkeley's mother accompanied them, and would stay at Sanditon House with the ladies. It was evident that when Clara's mourning was completed, that courtships, or perhaps even engagements might be announced.

A week after the ball and the incident at Longbourn, came the wedding. Maria was married with very little fuss, and in the end, recent events did not cast too great of a pall upon the celebrations. The neighbours all came to the church and to Longbourn to farewell the young couple, who would go to Sanditon and stay at Shannon View for four weeks before returning to Essex. Kitty had happily offered her seaside home to her old friend for her wedding trip. Mr and Mrs Chandler departed in the young man's small carriage, Elizabeth having promised to send the young man's mother to Essex in one of her spare carriages before the family left Netherfield.

*****

Elizabeth had an exceedingly unpleasant estate matter to address before the household left for Derbyshire. Amos and Ruth Mathers had been tenants upon the Netherfield estate since Elizabeth was a child. A puritan family, they had twelve children, the eldest of which was three and twenty year old Able, who was sadly less capable than his name implied. The family was the strangest mix of piety and vice that Elizabeth had ever seen. Mrs Mathers had been married at fourteen, and was still increasing, somehow much faster than she had in her youth. It was not known why, but a few years previous, it had become clear that something had broken within the Mathers' marriage, and suddenly Amos Mather one day announced that now his son was of age, he was turning the farm over to him and going away to make his fortune on the sea, leaving his wife with child when he went.

The village had laughed at Amos, but in all truth, he had worked aboard a vessel as a boy, having been a younger son, his parents had sent him off to sea with an uncle at the age of eight. He had come home at the age of sixteen for a brief visit to learn his father and brothers had died in an epidemic, and stayed to take over the family's tenancy, married his neighbour's daughter who was two years his junior, and started a family.

So, Amos had gone away, and while his son did his best, the farm struggled. All of Able's siblings were far younger than him. After his birth, his mother had not had children for some fourteen years before suddenly beginning to produce children dramatically, now increasing nearly every year. Able's next youngest sibling was a nine-year-old girl, Constance, who spent far too little time at the village school, and far too much time raising her younger siblings.

The problem was that since Amos had gone away, Ruth Mathers had become increasingly unhappy, particularly considering her husband came home but once a year, stayed but one week, and left her with child and with very little money each time he went away again. The woman fell into drink, and she was always pregnant. Her children went untended, and unwashed. Her son struggled to maintain the farm and keep his siblings fed, even though he took extra work from other farms. The problem was his mother, who constantly stole his wages, the money to feed the children and animals, and even the farm equipment, in order to buy drink.

Able had begged one of the innkeepers of a village eight miles away to stop extending credit to his mother, but the man refused to do so, coldly turning a blind eye to the family's plight, supplying the woman with bottles, and anything else she demanded. Ruth Mathers drank, and created debt, and when she would not pay, the man calmly called the bailiffs, and took her to the magistrate.

The village of Meryton and the other tenants would become distressed at the idea of a mother of so many young children going to debtors' prison, and take up a collection, saving the family from ruin time and time again. The tradesman ignored the calls for him to decline her business, time and time again. His business was made profitable by the poor who had no restraint. He knew he would be paid out eventually, the concerns of her neighbours assured it, and so the pattern continued.

Elizabeth had assisted the family many times, but it only seemed to make matters worse. She had chided the woman each year on her visits until she was hoarse. Sometimes she felt like she was becoming Lady Catherine with all of her harangues.

This time, Elizabeth held firm. The woman had accepted Elizabeth's help just last winter, made her promises, and then went out immediately to steal equipment from the home farm, and then stole some gowns from a line at Lucas Lodge, and sold off all of the goods immediately. Elizabeth had been obliged to pay Lady Lucas for the loss, and was grateful that Sir William was such a merciful magistrate. Mrs Mathers then set about making more debt than ever before, and in a shorter period of time. Now she owed over forty pounds. In the interim, she had birthed the twins that her husband had begotten upon her during his last visit, and now her children numbered fourteen.

The bailiffs had been looking for the woman again, and she had taken her twins and disappeared. A week after she left, she returned without her twins, and with enough money to pay ten pounds on her debt. Ruth Mathers had sold her two infants somewhere in London. The other tenants and the village parish were outraged by this news, and immediately placed the other two youngest children, also twins, who she had come back to take away, under the protection of the rector and his wife, who were older people, but had never had children, and were willing to take the little ones on. Able would no longer allow his mother onto the farm, and the woman became homeless.

Elizabeth had to finally accept that she could not help those who would not help themselves, and refused to pay the woman's debts. Her last assistance had only made the matter worse, now the woman believed she could manipulate her wealthy landlord, and her debts had accelerated wildly immediately after Elizabeth assisted her. The other tenants, and those in the village who cared, also finally accepted that by helping her and turning a blind eye to her vices, they were now putting her children at risk.

When Mrs Mathers was finally taken up by the bailiffs, her son breathed a sigh of relief, though he had been left at home with nine small children. Elizabeth found families in Hertfordshire who never had progeny, and the five youngest were taken in by good and decent people who wanted children, not servants and farm hands. Able set himself to making shift as best as he could with the oldest four, vowing never to marry, because marriage meant more children, and that was the very last thing he could afford.

When Amos returned from sea again, he found his wife and most of his children gone, his tenancy had been declared void due to abandonment, and awarded to his son, and a son who had finally hardened to the irresponsibility and selfishness of his parents. His neighbours had nothing to say to him, his son ran him off the farm when he appeared. He found himself unwelcome at church, and so since he did not even have the funds needed to free his wife from debtors' prison, Amos returned to sea again, this time never to return. Elizabeth sent funds to the prison to ensure that Ruth had decent accommodations and food, but word arrived in a few months that the woman died of a seizure, likely from an inability to acquire spirits.

*****

The Darcys and Fitzwilliams returned to Derbyshire immediately after the wedding, and having managed the aforementioned matters. Margaret's wedding was fast approaching in late July, and Kitty was expected to be brought to childbed sometime in early to mid-August. Then, Elizabeth would follow her in September, and Jane and Mary very likely in October. The sisters were all looking forward to being close to one another during their confinements, and Mr and Mrs Bertelli were coming with little Michael to Delaford to assist Kitty at her birth.

Louisa would stay at Tatton Hall to assist Jane after her delivery, and Elizabeth and Mary would have no lack of support at Pemberley. Aunt and Uncle Gardiner were to visit Tatton Hall for the festive season; Lord and Lady Matlock, the viscount and viscountess, Anne, and Lady Catherine would all visit Pemberley.

Elizabeth had broken the ice many years ago, writing to Lady Catherine often, including information about the twins and their progress and antics, occasionally including a sketch of the children or other family members drawn by Kitty or Georgiana from time to time. She had encouraged Darcy and Georgiana to do the same, and the family did travel often to Matlock to visit the family there. Lady Catherine became less officious and demanding, and now spent more time calling at Matlock upon Aunt Eleanor when the earl and countess were in residence.

Lady Catherine could still be imperious, but she took great interest in the grandchildren of her siblings, and Aunt Eleanor said that Lady Catherine often received her calls with her when she was visiting her brother's house, and that the society of other matrons and dowagers had been good for her. Anne visited with her mother but little, Lady Catherine could not help falling into chastisement, and Anne would brook no criticism of her new life or choices.

Anne had become well enough that she might even be able to safely bear children, but would not consider marriage. She had promised Rosings Park to Richard, and she had no desire for a husband, children of her own, nor to go back on her word. Anne was happy and had family enough to bear her company. She was welcome with any of her cousins, or her aunt and uncle for as long as she desired. She had money and friends. It was enough for her.

Some weeks after Sir Thomas, Mrs Norris, and Edmund Bertram took their leave of Meryton, Darcy received a letter from Mr Price, who said that the family was managing very comfortably in Manchester, needed nothing in particular, and had even hired an additional maid to assist Mrs Price with the housework and their littlest ones. He was keeping about one hundred pounds of the dowry, which Bertram had finally delivered, to buy new clothes and boots for all the family, and add to their domestic comfort. Mr Price wished to place the rest in the percents, to begin a nest egg for he and Mrs Price to retire on one day.

Darcy had Montague reply. Half of the funds were placed in the percents. The other half was invested in something that Montague said would grow very slowly, but was also very low risk, considering that the Prices could little afford to lose so much as a penny in a bad investment. Mr Price pledged to add something to the percents every quarter if he had anything to put by, and had hopes that even if he went to his reward early, he would leave something behind for Mrs Price to manage on.

Margaret, Aunt Josephine, and Elinor had done a marvellous job of planning the wedding. They had used less than half of the budget Elizabeth had promised them, declaring that Pemberley itself was a wondrous enough location without spending unnecessary funds on needless adornments. The flowers were kept simple, and to what could be obtained from Pemberley's gardens and hothouses. The menu was created from what was easily obtained from the home farm, and what the gentlemen could fish or hunt on the estate. Because the couple did not plan to spend much, if any, time in London in the near future, Margaret had not been lavish with her trousseau, either.

She had learned much from her time residing with Lydia and the other young ladies. She knew how to create elegance, good taste, and variety in a stylish wardrobe, using quality fabrics that would fit perfectly in any drawing room. Only a few relatives of the Russells were invited, as well as some of their closest neighbours and friends. Some of the local families who had been very friendly with the Dashwoods while they resided at Pemberley would also attend.