“Laugh if you will, Cousins,” Fitzwilliam replied bitterly, his voice tight with barely restrained emotion. “But I can scarcely hate my father more than I do at this moment. What makes this even worse is that I can do nothing to rectify the situation—not now, with the earl collapsing the instant we confronted him about his treachery. Because of his actions, my family is in ruins, and I am forced to abandon a career I once loved to take up one for which I am wholly unprepared.” He began to pace, his thoughts spiralling.
His jaw tightened as he continued, anger laced with frustration. “The burden of the estate falls to me—with no guidance, no preparation—only the wreckage of his failures to contend with. It will take years to restore Matlock to its former glory, years that should never have been necessary if he had simply fulfilled his duties as a responsible master.”
The room remained cloaked in silence for several long moments. At last, Elizabeth rose from her seat and stepped forward, placing herself firmly in his path and compelling him to halt his restless pacing. Her voice was steady, laced with quiet conviction. “While it might be hard to see now, good may yet come from this. You will not face these challenges alone—you have family and friends ready to support you. Though this might not be the life you once envisioned for yourself, you are more than capable of rising to meet it.”
She looked up at him, her expression earnest, willing him to see the truth in her words. “Your strength, Richard, lies not in your ability to command, but in your capacity to adapt. You have faced difficult odds before, and this will be no different. The burden might be heavy, but you are not meant to carry it alone.”
Fitzwilliam frowned at her. “What good can possibly come of my inheriting Matlock? I am trained as a solider, not a landholder. I know nothing of planting and tenants.”
Darcy rose and went to stand next to his wife. “The knowledge might not be yours just yet, Fitzwilliam, but you are not without resources. You have us, along with your mother and grandfather, to help guide you through it. You have the ability to learn what is needed and the strength of character to do so. Besides, you learned the same lessons I did at my father’s knee. You spent enough time at Pemberley to see how things are done, and I have no doubt you are capable of extraordinary leadership.”
Fitzwilliam shook his head, his anger momentarily subsiding into a weary resignation. “I appreciate your words, but I feel utterly unprepared for what lies ahead. The weight of it all… it is overwhelming.”
Elizabeth’s gaze softened with empathy. “I know it feels that way now, but you will find your way, just as you always have. The road ahead will not be easy, but you do not have to walk it alone.” Elizabeth resisted the urge to introduce her eldest sister’s name into the conversation, but she also knew her sister would be delighted to provide whatever support the colonel needed as well.
“We will help you, Fitzwilliam,” Darcy said, clasping his cousin’s shoulder. “We will not allow you to go through this on your own. Now, let us rest for the afternoon, and then at dinner, we can make plans together. With the threat of reprisals no longer hanging over our heads, you need to finish resigning your commission, and you might wish to accompany us to Rosings to see what we might learn there. With luck, we can finish our business quickly and depart for Pemberley in just over a se’nnight.”
A few days later,the three journeyed to Kent. They were greeted warmly by the Hargroves, who had expected their arrival. Once pleasantries were exchanged, they began to speak of the discoveries that had been made over the last weeks.
“I was surprised to learn how deeply Mother was involved in this business with her brother. Unlike him, she did not squander the funds but hid them away in case the worst should happen, and she lost control of Rosings. I believe she was on her way here to retrieve these ledgers when she was killed,” Anne said.
“There is some money left over, then?” Darcy asked.
“Yes, and from investments separate from the ones with Lord Matlock,” Hargrove replied. “Once she had restored Rosings’ prosperity, she began to invest in more respectable ventures, expanding into other avenues of trade. It did not have quite the same return as those with Lord Matlock, but they were much safer. There is a little over fifteen thousand pounds in the accounts, if the ledgers are accurate.”
Fitzwilliam blew out a slow breath. “That is precisely the amount owed to my father’s partners. Not owed but demanded. Astounding, is it not, that Lady Catherine had amassed such a large sum while Father lost an equal amount. It would have been just enough, but now, it is not needed, and you, Anne, have quite the windfall. What will you do with it?”
She laughed. “Give it to you,” she replied simply. “Rosings does not need it while Matlock does. As I understand it, you have two homes in dire need of furnishing, and that amount, when combined with the sale of your commission, will be quite enough to set you up comfortably and give you enough to get started restoring the estates. This way, you will not need to borrow funds from anyone although I know Darcy would have willingly given it.”
“I… I cannot, Anne,” Fitzwilliam stammered. “That money rightly belongs to you and to Rosings. I cannot… I will not accept a handout.”
“It is not a handout,” Anne declared coolly, her tone clipped and unyielding. “Call it a payoff, if you must. I have decided you are no longer to be my heir since it is evident you no longer need an estate. Besides,” she continued with startling bluntness, “my husband and I have determined that we ought to attempt to make one of our own.”
Her words landed like a stone dropped into a still pond, sending ripples of discomfort through the room. Nearly everyone blushed at her tactlessness, and a tense silence followed.
Fitzwilliam and Darcy both shifted uncomfortably, their jaws tightening nearly in unison, while Elizabeth could not quite suppress a small giggle at the boldness of the statement.
“Anne,” Hargrove said, his voice low and laced with both warning and exasperation.
Anne turned to her husband and scowled, utterly unfazed by his gentle reprimand, her expression unapologetic. “They knew we did not intend to consummate our marriage—at least notat first—so I thought it better to avoid shocking them later if I announced I was with child.”
Her matter-of-fact tone sent a ripple of astonishment through the room. Elizabeth bit her lip, trying—and failing—not to laugh. Her eyes sparkled with amusement even as she fought to maintain her composure. Anne’s unvarnished honesty was both mortifying and unexpectedly entertaining. In contrast, her husband seemed paralysed, his ears burning red as he stared resolutely at the floor, avoiding everyone’s gaze.
“Are you with child, Anne?” Elizabeth ventured, her tone laced with curiosity and a touch of caution.
“No, not yet,” Anne replied, her candour unwavering. “In fact, we have merely decided that someday we wish to have a child or two. I am not yet well enough, but I have been consulting with a physician who believes that, with proper treatment, I will eventually be capable of carrying a child safely. For now, he has recommended more exercise and a diet rich in red meat and green vegetables. He also advises frequent doses of mineral water from Tunbridge Wells. I must say, these changes have left me feeling revitalised. I am stronger than I have been in years. There are other signs of improvement,” she added, hesitating briefly, “but they are even less suitable to discuss in mixed company. Elizabeth, perhaps we might speak privately another time?”
Elizabeth smiled warmly at Anne’s earnestness. Though Anne was a married woman and older than Elizabeth, there were moments like this when she seemed so much younger. Elizabeth suspected her sheltered upbringing and her mother’s brusque nature had left her ill-prepared to navigate the subtleties of social interaction.
“Of course, Anne,” Elizabeth said gently, reaching over to pat her cousin’s hand. “We will talk whenever you like. Perhaps we might encourage the gentlemen to play billiards or otherwise occupy themselves after dinner.”
The conversation shifted to other topics after that, easing some of the tension Anne’s bluntness had created. Talk of lighter matters filled the room—Elizabeth’s opinions and renovations at Pemberley, her sisters, including Georgiana’s latest musical accomplishments, and the work needing to be done at Matlock. The mood lightened, and laughter began to flow more easily.
The conversation continued, gradually returning to the pressing matters at hand. With gentle but persistent encouragement from his family, Fitzwilliam began to reconsider his initial resistance to accepting the funds Anne was offering.
Darcy provided a thoughtful explanation, detailing how the money could be used to stabilise Matlock’s finances and secure its future. His clear and pragmatic reasoning helped to ease some of Richard’s lingering doubts. Anne, uncharacteristically subdued, added her own assurances. She emphasised that the offer was not charity but a gesture of familial duty and support, especially since her mother’s mismanagement had played a significant role in creating the current difficulties.
Her quiet sincerity, paired with Darcy’s logic, wore down Richard’s objections, leaving him better able to see the wisdom in accepting the assistance. Before he left, Richard was persuaded to accept the money. Though his pride made the decision difficult, the heartfelt appeals from his cousins—and his growing sense of responsibility for the estate—had swayed him into swallowing that pride and accepting the offer in the spirit it was intended.
