The Heart of Marriage Chapter 1

“The de Bourgh family line can be traced back over fifteen hundred years in England.” Longwell turned and smiled at Richard who was now gripping the arms of his seat to remain calm.

“We can skip the history lesson. I was most recently ambushed in an argument and will leave in the morning for Rosings. I do not wish to be ambushed there,” Richard explained, raising an eyebrow.

Mr. Longwell grew flustered, turning the pages and shaking his head. The solicitor hurried through generations of names until they came to a particular entry that sent Richard reeling back like a boxer hit with a right hook. Anne’s name was inscribed beneath that of her father, Sir Lewis de Bourgh, the issue of Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Next to the entry, was George Wickham’s name inscribed at the same level, as her half-sibling, the issue of Sir Lewis de Bourgh, and a woman’s name he did not recognize.

“What is that bastard’s name doing there?”

Octavius Longwell, Sr. sighed with exasperation as the man in front of him greatly mimicked his father’s temper. Mr. Longwell infinitely preferred another male head of the family, Richard’s cousin, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy. When Mr. Darcy came to handle the family business, the meetings were always much more professional and less emotional. “I explained all of this to your father and cousin,” he said, trying to invoke the man he preferred in the family. “Is Mr. Darcy coming to visit me as well?”

“Not bloody likely, he is back in Pemberley with his wife,” Richard explained, making a note to reread the woman’s name listed as Wickham’s mother: Elizabeth Burrell. Irrationally, he felt anger that the solicitor was asking for his cousin, who should rightly have nothing to do with Rosings. So he began his inquisition. “Why would my cousin give a farthing about what happens to Rosings? He is not concerned.”

“No, but Miss Georgiana, I beg your pardon, Mrs. Wickham should be concerned.”

Richard frowned and closed the book of genealogies that Mr. Longwell had been reading from. “Perhaps I was too hasty in asking you to skip the family histories. I know there was a question about who would inherit Rosings between Anne and Wickham, but now that Anne is married and expecting a child, that should not be a question.”

Mr. Longwell began to pale. “Forgive me, but let me call in my son.”

“Ovi?” Richard asked, recalling the man who was close friends with Darcy. He had enjoyed the man’s company numerous times when he was in London at Darcy’s townhouse but did not believe the man was high enough to handle the family’s account.

“Your father and cousin did not object last time. It is best for your family that our business on this matter does not die with me.”

Richard held up his open hands and shrugged to signal he also held no objections, just disbelief. Another ring of the silver bell and without delay, the younger Longwell appeared and greeted Richard. Then he sat down and nodded to his father.

Octavius Longwell Sr. dove deeper into the story than ever before, explaining to Richard how both Sir Lewis de Bourgh and one of the Burrell sisters were both in deeply unhappy marriages. Richard found himself sympathizing slightly with his deceased uncle as both he and Anne would have easily been made to marry others they did not love if they had not eloped.

“It was decided the bastard child of their union would be raised at Pemberley so that Lady Catherine would be spared the embarrassment since she had not yet had a child of her own.”

“And because the child was male, in case de Bourgh needed an heir,” Ovi interjected, revealing his disdain for the affair. Richard agreed with him, but his father scowled.

“You do not know how things were then, much as they are now. Marriage is business. This book is full of trysts and progeny raised and named by the wrong father. Everyone looked away, in most cases, the children that survive find their way in the world,” the elder Longwell explained. When both of the younger men shrugged at his generation’s morals, he continued with the tale about how after Sir Lewis died, his wife Lady Catherine was given the right of Rosings for her lifetime.

“And your wife Anne, her daughter, is the sole heir of Lady Catherine de Bourgh’s last will and testament,” Longwell, Sr. announced, pointing to the scroll with an emerald green ribbon closure.

“So Anne has inherited Rosings,” Richard said, sighing in relief, and both Longwells made sounds of objection. Richard grew confused, but the younger Longwell deferred to the older to explain.

“When your father was last in my office, after your marriage, your cousin left before he could hear my explanation. Your aunt and father wanted to contest this will by Sir Lewis de Bourgh on the grounds that he was mad from syphilis when he signed it. They even produced a letter from the de Bourgh family in support of the measure.”

“What is the difference between this will and the previous one?” Richard asked, looking to Ovi for the answer. This time, the younger solicitor took the query.

“Sir Lewis de Bourgh’s will dated 1789 did not include the name of any other children than his daughter, Anne.”

Richard thought for a moment, holding up the palm of his hand to make both attorneys wait while he puzzled out the meaning of the two wills. “Wickham is older than Anne, this does not make any sense. Unless . . .” Richard’s voice trailed off as he tried to understand his uncle’s logic, and could not. He suddenly wished Darcy had been with him for the meeting after all as he was much better at this. Frustrated, Richard stood up to help himself to another drink and blatantly asked why his uncle would not have George Wickham in the first will, but have him named in the later will.

Mr. Longwell, the elder, offered a theory. “After your aunt had borne him one child, he reasonably expected there to be more. A son.”

“Ah! And my aunt was not keen on living up to an heir and a spare,” Richard said, swaying in his gait back to the leather chair. In his haste to leave the Matlock townhome after losing the argument, he recalled that he had not eaten any food since breaking his fast that morning. 

Anne had cried uncontrollably when the black-lined express reached their home, and he had held her as she sobbed. Then, much like her husband and his military ways, she abruptly stopped and began the flurry of activity in preparations to return to Rosings. Her first action was to fetch Dr. Sims, the mentor of Dr. Matthews, who had much greater experience in difficult pregnancies, and inquiring if it was safe for her to travel. Richard’s head throbbed in pain as he realized he was dangerously close to being inebriated, a state that came much faster now that he lived as a gentleman and not as a Colonel in His Majesty’s Finest.

“Would you like me to call for some refreshments?” Ovi asked.

Richard shook his head. “No, just tell me the last of what I need to know. Why is Georgiana concerned in all of this?”

Mr. Longwell pulled out a letter that looked similar to the one Richard and Anne received announcing Lady Catherine’s death. “She wrote to me, asking for access to her funds and a letter attesting that her son is the rightful heir to the estate.”

“But the rightful heir is my wife!” Richard said, angrily, reaching for the letter from Georgiana, but Mr. Longwell put it away.

“That’s why it no longer matters about the last testament from Sir Lewis. Both wills placed Anne as the primary heir if she had produced a child. As she has not, yet, George Wickham and his line was only to inherit if Anne’s line died out, after inheriting.”

Richard closed his eyes, finally beginning to understand what was being said. Since his wife had not yet birthed a live child, she could not inherit Rosings. She was mistaken that the Wickhams inherited in her place, they could only inherit if she inherited and then died. Finally, Richard understood the question he needed to ask. “Who inherits Rosings if Anne is ineligible?”

Mr. Longwell grimaced. “Understand, when this document was drafted, the anticipation that Miss Anne would not yet have produced a child was thought that she would be young, too young to run an estate.”

Richard kept his eyes closed but nodded along. He found it far easier to understand the challenging legal situation without all of the distractions of the room. “You helped Sir Lewis draft his last will then?”

“I did.” Octavius Longwell, Sr., took off his glasses and cleaned them with his handkerchief before replacing them on the bridge of his nose. “Sir Lewis was of a mind to include his son, Mr. Wickham, for many years, long before Mr. George Darcy favored the boy with his generosity.” 

Feeling an unpleasant twist in his stomach as his Uncle Darcy was brought into the mess, Richard forcibly pushed speculations as to why Darcy’s father and their Uncle Lewis would have favorable dealings for a bastard son. Did Rosings hold a Darcy family secret in return for a child born on the wrong side of the marriage bed? Shaking his head, he refused to think more about it. “You still haven’t answered me about who inherits the estate now.”

Mr. Longwell cleared his throat. “Frederick de Bourgh, Sir Lewis’ brother. I have already written to him and expect he will arrive soon. He and his son live in Gillingham.”

Richard pressed his hand to his forehead and slid it down over his features that had weathered battles and warfare. He preferred an army camp over the drawing rooms and solicitor offices of London, but he could not escape his role now. “Have you written to my cousin, Georgiana?” he asked, hating to call her by her married name.

“We were hoping that when you visit Rosings, you would be willing to break the news to her about the inheritance,” Ovi explained. 

Richard’s eyes flew open. “On one condition,” he said. 

The two Longwells looked at each other, and then at Richard. Unable to think of anything untoward about the man’s request, the younger Longwell shrugged and his father asked for Richard to name it. 

Pointing at Ovi, Richard tried to hold back a hiccough and failed. Then, he paused for a moment to make sure another would not arise before speaking. “You come with me, Ovi, to Matlock House, and gently explain all of this to my wife.”