Mr. Darcy's Daughter by Rebecca Ann Collins Read Free Book Online Page B

mother; their
violent father was now safely in the hands of the constabulary.
    "Thanks
mainly to the prompt action of Mr. Elliott, the new Member of Parliament. He
seems to be a most resourceful man," Mr. Darcy told them.
    They
were pleased to be able to relate that Josie's condition seemed to have
improved quite markedly in the past few days, confirming the belief of both
Richard and Mr. Darcy that it had been a malaise brought on by disposition
rather than disease. Cassy still had some reservations, of which she chose not
to speak to her parents, but hoped to put to her husband when an opportunity
arose. Now, she decided, was not the right time; there were far too many things
happening.
    Her
mother had even more interesting news.
    "The
same Mr. Elliott who rescued the Sutton children is now engaged to Anne-Marie
and they are to be married before Christmas!" she announced. "We have
had letters from Jonathan and Anne-Marie."
    All
this had taken place in the space of a week! Richard was astonished and his
wife absolutely delighted. She had been well aware of the romance between
Anne-Marie and Mr. Elliott, Cassy said, and was exceedingly pleased with the
news.
    Ever
since she had learned the truth about Anne-Marie's desolate marriage to Mr.
Bradshaw, Cassy had prayed that her cousin would, one day, find happiness. She
fervently hoped that this marriage would be the answer to that prayer.
    Of
Mr. Colin Elliott, they had had excellent reports from their cousin Emma Wilson
and her husband James, who sat in the Parliament with him. More recently,
Colonel Fitzwilliam and Caroline had spoken in glowing terms of his courage and
determination to leave the Tory Party and join the Reformists.
    Earlier,
they had met at Pemberley, when both Mr. Elliott and Anne-Marie had been
visiting Derbyshire, separately but at the same time. Seeing them together,
Cassy and her mother had been convinced that he at the very least was very much
in love, while she was probably on the verge of it, even if she did not appear
to be aware of it at the time.
    The
news of their engagement was, for Cassy, the very best news of all. So pleased
was she, and so much did she have to say about it to her family, it helped push
the problems of Julian and Josie into the background for a while.
    *
    As
if that were not sufficient, Summer brought a further distraction, with the
return from London of their younger son Darcy. He came bearing plenty of news,
as he always did. There had been much excitement in April and May, with the
visit of Mr. Garibaldi from Italy bringing his supporters into the streets,
followed by the clear and unequivocal declaration by Mr. Gladstone of his
support for the Reform Bill, giving working men the vote.
    "Everyone
says Mr. Gladstone will soon be Prime Minister," Darcy declared, as he
joined his parents for breakfast.
    "Your
uncle Fitzwilliam may have a different view," said his father, reminding
them that Colonel Fitzwilliam remained a staunch admirer of Palmerston. Young
Darcy was sceptical. "Palmerston's finished; he has little support even
among the Whigs, and Gladstone is the favourite of the Liberals.
    No
one doubts that he will soon be Prime Minister," he said, with the
confidence of the young that will brook no contradiction.
    His
parents smiled, aware that things were rarely that simple.
    Darcy
Gardiner's interest in politics was, as yet, somewhat peripheral. He enjoyed
listening to the big speeches in the Parliament and seemed to revel in the cut
and thrust of debate. But, like many other young men of his age, he was unsure
if he wanted to endure the tedium of Parliamentary membership and all that it
involved. It was something he expected to have to decide sometime in the
distant future.
    His
uncle, Jonathan Bingley, once a distinguished Member of the Commons, had urged
him to take it seriously, because, as he had said, "The Parliament needs
young, active men, and the people deserve better representatives than men who
have few