The Heiress of Rosings

Everyone agreed that lady Catherine de Bourgh was to be greatly pitied. Her own nephew Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, of whom she had such high expectations, had gone against her advice and was to be married today to a woman of no wealth and low connections, Miss Elizabeth Bennett. And in so doing, Mr.Darcy had jilted her own daughter Miss Ann de Bourgh as his intended bride. So if that great lady seemed a bit irritable this evening at the dinner party she had organized to keep her mind off of her great disappointment, it was only to be expected. As for her daughter Ann, it appeared to all as if the wedding taking place just 40 miles away at Longbourne didn’t bother her in the slightest. Her composure did not slip even once, and was actually seen to have smiled occasionally when her mother was looking elsewhere. She was obviously sensible to her mothers chagrin, and didn’t wish to anger her further by appearing to be less than distraught over the loss of her fiancée. The evening party was small, naturally. The neighborhood of Hunsford in which the great estate of Rosings Park resides was a small one, and did not contain many persons of status or wealth. The Collins’s were in attendance mainly because Mrs. Collins was expecting and therefore was unable to travel to Longbourne to attend the wedding of her particular friend, although Mr. Collins did assure Lady Catherine most strenuously that they had no desire to be anywhere else this evening. Lord and Lady Metcalf were also in attendance along with a widowed Mrs. Norris and her niece Miss Mary Bertram, as well as Dr. and Mrs. Wallace, and Mrs. Jenkins. In general the evening was a quiet one, where the great lady did much of the talking. A great deal of the conversation revolved around Mrs. Collins pregnancy with much advice given to ensure the best outcome, with Mr. Collins assuring Lady Catherine and Dr. Wallace that they would follow their advice explicitly. Naturally, everyone afterwards claimed the evening to be much more entertaining than it actually was, though there had been no merriment, no card games, and only young Miss Bertram had quietly played a few musical pieces at the pianoforte, which none of the guests had attended to. Three days later, a letter arrived at Rosings Park from her elder brother Edward Fitzwilliam, the Duke of _, delivered in person by his second son, colonel Henry Fitzwilliam. My dear Catherine, I am sorry that you will likely find this missive to be rather distressing to you and to Ann. The wedding of our nephew to Miss Bennett is now fait accompli, and the young people appear to be very happy indeed. I suggest you resign yourself to this, and find it in yourselves to forgive him his happiness, as it was never his intention to slight either of you. In fact, he would like to make amends to his cousin in some small way, by inviting Ann to stay in London for the winter season, and assisting her by introducing the young lady to several wealthy and respectable single men of his acquaintance in hopes that she might choose one of them as suitable as a marriage partner. He is hoping to also introduce his sister Georgiana into society at the same time. I also offer an alternate plan that might be to your liking. My son Henry would be a very suitable match for your daughter, and he is not opposed to the idea. If you find this idea to be at all appealing, give him a nod and we can start making plans straight away. Your loving brother, Edward, Duke of _ Lady Catherine read thru the note three times, thinking deeply about the contents. Colonel Fitzwilliam, second son of a duke as her son in law? The idea had not occurred to her before, but it was an eligible match to be sure. He was no where near as rich as Mr. Darcy, but then few people were. The Darcy’s family estate of Pemberly in Darbyshire was one of the finest in the country! Rosings Park, while a great estate indeed, was a hovel in comparison to Pemberly, despite Lady Catherine’s improvements over the years. It wasn’t too long before Lady Catherine was convinced that Henry Fitzwilliam would make a respectable alternative husband for her only daughter. In addition to his military rank, her nephew was also the Earl of Matlock. He was 26 years of age to Ann’s 21. He had a small estate of his own with an income of nearly 2100 pounds per annum. And there was the fact that he and Mr. Darcy had been overseeing the running of the Rosings Park estate ever since her husband Lord Rupert had passed away 5 years ago, so he would be an excellent steward of her daughters wealth, which included the sizable estate of Rosings Park. The more she thought on it, the more she came to like the idea. Her nephew, she noted, was sitting patiently near the window of the sitting room waiting for any sign from her. Her daughter sat on a settee opposite reading a book while Mrs. Jenkins worked on her embroidery next to her. A slight nod in the direction of Henry, and he was suddenly commenting on the fine weather, and wouldn’t Ann like to take a walk in the garden with him? “So, our cousin Mr.Darcy is now married, and very happy?” Ann asked as they slowly meandered thru the Fall garden, stopping to admire some brightly colored dahlias and chrysanthemums, then picking a handful of cone flowers, bachelor buttons, and dusty miller to arrange into a bouquet. Mrs. Jenkins was following along at enough distance to chaperone while also giving some measure of privacy. “Yes.” “I am indeed happy for them, and wish them well!” Ann told Henry, to his great surprise. “Miss Bennett, or should I now say Mrs. Darcy, is a lively young lady with many excellent qualities and will make our cousin very happy. Far more happy than I would have.” “You have many excellent qualities, as well!” Henry insisted, but not in a way that entirely convinced Ann. She raised an eyebrow at him. “It is universally known that a single young woman of great wealth is automatically the loveliest and most charming woman in the room, and yet when Miss Bennett stayed in Hunsford last spring, both you and cousin Darcy seemed to flock towards her, despite her lack of wealth. You can’t deny it!” “Even my wealth along with my so called excellent qualities cannot compete with a poor woman with low connections amongst her peers, so what hope do I have of attracting the attention of any man who isn’t a fortune hunter?” “I would happily marry you! Do you consider me to be a fortune hunter?” Henry asked, sounding slightly hurt. “Is this a marriage proposal?” “Oh, well that was my intention in bringing you out here,” Henry confessed, “But it seems to have gone wrong somehow.” Ann laughed and began to tease him. “Oh, poor cousin Henry! Have I ruined your declaration of undying love for me? Were you working up the courage to confess all your deepest feelings and desires for me?” Henry stared at her for a minute. “Do you have any idea how your smile transforms your entire face? It is one of your best features! And this walk in the garden has added a bit of pink to your cheeks. You could be one of the most beautiful and captivating women of my acquaintance if only you didn’t always appear so sickly and cross.” “Our cousin didn’t fall in love with Miss Bennett because of her beauty,” Henry continued. “It was due entirely to her happy disposition, her playful wit, and the genuine affection she has for the people she cares about. Elizabeth Bennett didn’t ever pretend to have a high regard for anyone unless they earned it, and not because it was due to them by some circumstance of birth or situation.” The couple walked on silently for several minutes until they came upon the Greek temple, where Ann decided to take a seat on one of the decorative stone benches that lined the interior. Henry remained standing. “You have many attractions besides your wealth, but I feel as if you keep your true self hidden. Why is that?” A look of sadness crossed her face, and she said nothing for a moment. “I guess I’ve never really been given the opportunity to be myself. Mother is always there, telling me how to behave, what to wear, what to read, who to be friends with. Even what to eat and in what quantities. I sometimes feel as if she only ever had a daughter so she would have someone to lord over for eternity!” “I’m sorry to have brought it up. I knew what she was like, but had no idea it was that bad!” Henry sat down beside her and took her hand. “I promise I would never treat you badly if we married. I would be a considerate husband, and wish only for your happiness. What do you think? Do you think you could marry me?” “Honestly,” she began slowly, “I should wish for it above all things, IF this proposal was a result of your deep regard for me. However, I suspect the idea was not your own and instead the result of pressure placed on you from either friends or family. Tell me truly, who desires our union?” “It was talked about between myself, cousin Darcy, my father and brother George right after the wedding, and there may have been drinking involved. So I don’t recall exactly who’s idea it was originally. But I’m not at all opposed to the idea! It has merit.” “Yes, it does,” Ann stated sadly. “From a purely indifferent perspective, it makes perfect sense! I have money and property. You have a title as well as just enough money and property yourself to not be considered a fortune hunter. And in addition to all this, you are quite tall and have a pleasing appearance. Anyone would consider you to be quite a catch!” “And yet I sense that you do not.” “Actually, I do! But the difficulty is that we do not love each other. And I desire love. I only just now escaped one betrothal to a man my mother wanted me to marry, and have little desire to jump into yet another betrothal to a man my mother wants me to marry.” Henry gave her a kiss on the forehead. “You deserve to be loved, and I’m sure love would come in time.” “Maybe.” Ann stated softly. “Were there any other options brought forward? Or am I to be left moldering here at Rosings Park for the rest of my lonely days? Companion to my aging mother. Being told constantly how to behave, and reminded of all my failings as a woman. Why was I not born a son, with the ability to go forth in the world and choose my own destiny?” “Very few people have that ability, man or woman. But you are in luck! The Darcy’s will be spending the season in town with the intention of introducing Georgiana into society. They wish to invite you as well. They have many rich and single friends amongst their acquaintances, so perhaps you might meet someone interesting.” “So might you! Will you be in town, also?” “Absolutely! I’ll be there to dance with you at every ball and sit next to you at every play and opera performance until you realize I am the best man of all your acquaintance!” He said with a laugh, as they started their walk back to the manor house. Ann was left confused as to whether he was serious or not.