Read Online Darcy and Anne by JUDITH BROCKLEHURST - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: JUDITH BROCKLEHURST
Ads: Link
walking, allowing her to see more of the park.
One morning, a few days after the walk to the rock face, when the two of them got back, they learned that Mrs Caldwell had gone out driving with Mrs Darcy, but since the pony carriage would only hold two, the others had decided on a walk. Darcy, it seemed, had business letters that would not wait. Colonel Fitzwilliam said he would follow the walking party and catch them up. Anne was disinclined to walk, and went to Georgiana's room to practise at the piano. She had but just begun, when the butler approached her and murmured, “A person to see you, miss.”
“Who is it, Forrest?”
“I understand he is your respected mother's agent, miss.”
“Oh! very well, I will see him.”
The agent was in the library. “Good day, Mr Colby.”
“Good day, miss. I was expecting…”
“Yes, of Course; you were expecting to see Lady Catherine. Well, she is at Burley; she was taken ill, you see, on the way here.”
“Yes, miss, so I understand from Mr Forrest. I shall go there, of course. I will be on my way—but there is just one thing, since you are here, miss. It is regarding the usual business at this time of year,” and, smiling kindly, he withdrew from his case a pile of papers. “If you would just sign over the income, as per usual, your signature is wanted here, and here…”
Anne looked at the papers. “What is this, Colby?”
“Why, miss, you sign it every year, it is just as usual.”
“Yes, but what do I sign? I think I should read it, first.”
Mr Colby looked a little agitated. “Lady Catherine wishes it
Signed, ma'am.”
“But I am not sure that I should sign it, without understanding what is in it.”
“There is nothing different, miss, you sign it every year.” “
Well, that may be so, but I think I should not have signed it, Without understanding it.”
“It is just your name, miss, and it makes over the income.”
Anne began to feel confused, and frightened. Mr Colby seemed So sure; why was she being so stupid? It must be right, to sign; but why could she not know what she was doing?
Just at that moment, Mr Edmund Caldwell came in. “Oh! Excuse me, Miss de Bourgh. I was looking for Darcy.”
“I believe he is in his study,” said Anne; and he made to leave. Suddenly she called out “Oh! pray, Mr Caldwell, do not leave, pray help me.”
He came back into the room. “What is the matter, Miss de Bourgh?”
“It is only… Mr Colby has brought this document for me to sign, and I do not know… I do not understand… I am sure it is right, but should I sign something I do not understand?”
“Certainly not,” he replied, calmly. “Mr… Colby, is it?… that seems to be a legal document that you have there; can you not explain its nature to Miss de Bourgh?”
“Oh, sir,” the agent replied, smiling patronizingly, “young ladies do not want to understand the intricacies of such things, young ladies and legal language do not mix.”
“Then young ladies will be swindled, as older people have been before them,” Mr Caldwell replied, holding out his hand for the papers. He perused the top ones swiftly.
“This seems to be a document handing something over three hundred pounds into Lady Catherine's keeping,” he said. “How comes this about, that Miss de Bourgh should be in possession of such a sum? And this being the case, why should she be expected to surrender it? Do you know anything about this, Miss de Bourgh?”
“No, sir.”
“Excuse me, sir,” the agent said, “but this is a private family matter, and…”
“You are right,” said Mr Caldwell. “It is a family matter, and Miss de Bourgh needs the advice of a member of her family,” and ringing the bell, he ordered the butler. “Request Mr Darcy to come here immediately. Miss de Bourgh is in distress, and needs him.” The butler disappeared. “Oh, do not leave me,” Anne whispered, almost ready to sink. “Do not be afraid, Miss de Bourgh,” he said. “I
One morning, a few days after the walk to the rock face, when the two of them got back, they learned that Mrs Caldwell had gone out driving with Mrs Darcy, but since the pony carriage would only hold two, the others had decided on a walk. Darcy, it seemed, had business letters that would not wait. Colonel Fitzwilliam said he would follow the walking party and catch them up. Anne was disinclined to walk, and went to Georgiana's room to practise at the piano. She had but just begun, when the butler approached her and murmured, “A person to see you, miss.”
“Who is it, Forrest?”
“I understand he is your respected mother's agent, miss.”
“Oh! very well, I will see him.”
The agent was in the library. “Good day, Mr Colby.”
“Good day, miss. I was expecting…”
“Yes, of Course; you were expecting to see Lady Catherine. Well, she is at Burley; she was taken ill, you see, on the way here.”
“Yes, miss, so I understand from Mr Forrest. I shall go there, of course. I will be on my way—but there is just one thing, since you are here, miss. It is regarding the usual business at this time of year,” and, smiling kindly, he withdrew from his case a pile of papers. “If you would just sign over the income, as per usual, your signature is wanted here, and here…”
Anne looked at the papers. “What is this, Colby?”
“Why, miss, you sign it every year, it is just as usual.”
“Yes, but what do I sign? I think I should read it, first.”
Mr Colby looked a little agitated. “Lady Catherine wishes it
Signed, ma'am.”
“But I am not sure that I should sign it, without understanding what is in it.”
“There is nothing different, miss, you sign it every year.” “
Well, that may be so, but I think I should not have signed it, Without understanding it.”
“It is just your name, miss, and it makes over the income.”
Anne began to feel confused, and frightened. Mr Colby seemed So sure; why was she being so stupid? It must be right, to sign; but why could she not know what she was doing?
Just at that moment, Mr Edmund Caldwell came in. “Oh! Excuse me, Miss de Bourgh. I was looking for Darcy.”
“I believe he is in his study,” said Anne; and he made to leave. Suddenly she called out “Oh! pray, Mr Caldwell, do not leave, pray help me.”
He came back into the room. “What is the matter, Miss de Bourgh?”
“It is only… Mr Colby has brought this document for me to sign, and I do not know… I do not understand… I am sure it is right, but should I sign something I do not understand?”
“Certainly not,” he replied, calmly. “Mr… Colby, is it?… that seems to be a legal document that you have there; can you not explain its nature to Miss de Bourgh?”
“Oh, sir,” the agent replied, smiling patronizingly, “young ladies do not want to understand the intricacies of such things, young ladies and legal language do not mix.”
“Then young ladies will be swindled, as older people have been before them,” Mr Caldwell replied, holding out his hand for the papers. He perused the top ones swiftly.
“This seems to be a document handing something over three hundred pounds into Lady Catherine's keeping,” he said. “How comes this about, that Miss de Bourgh should be in possession of such a sum? And this being the case, why should she be expected to surrender it? Do you know anything about this, Miss de Bourgh?”
“No, sir.”
“Excuse me, sir,” the agent said, “but this is a private family matter, and…”
“You are right,” said Mr Caldwell. “It is a family matter, and Miss de Bourgh needs the advice of a member of her family,” and ringing the bell, he ordered the butler. “Request Mr Darcy to come here immediately. Miss de Bourgh is in distress, and needs him.” The butler disappeared. “Oh, do not leave me,” Anne whispered, almost ready to sink. “Do not be afraid, Miss de Bourgh,” he said. “I
Similar Books
