Page 65 of Shields and Roses

Sir Phillip and his mother had apparently been watching for Anne. Before Darcy had even pulled the horses to a stop outside the front door, both came around from the side of the house to greet their new arrivals. No matter what the rumors might say, Darcy knew there was no doubt that Sir Phillip was a de Bourgh. His features and coloring were so close to being a male version of Anne's that the two could be mistaken for siblings. Sir Phillip approached the carriage closely, while his mother stayed back at the edge of the drive. Both were smiling, presumably realizing that this was part of the plan to get Anne to her wedding without her mother's interference.

"Cousin Anne, it is good to see you today. You as well, Mr. Darcy," Sir Phillip said loudly enough to be overheard by any of the servants who would be watching to report to Lady Catherine. In a whisper, he added, "Are you on the way to Boxwell now?"

Anne nodded, and Darcy said, "It is good to see you as well on this fine day. My cousin and I are out for a lovely spring drive. We have her future to consider, you know. Since we were driving by the dower house, we thought it polite to stop for a moment and greet you."

"I am glad you did," Sir Phillip replied. "I am certain Mother and I will see you later when we can all visit a bit more. We wish you both a pleasant excursion."

Darcy bowed his head politely. Mrs. de Bourgh curtsied to the two in the carriage.

"We will follow soon," Sir Phillip whispered as he made his bow before stepping back to join his mother.

Anne offered the two at the side of the drive a slight wave as Darcy signaled the ponies to start on their way again. Soon they were back on the lane, headed to the turn off that would eventually get them to the church at Boxwell.

"That went well," Darcy said with relief when they were well on their way. "We got the message across, but anyone watching only saw us making a brief, courteous stop."

"The way the gossip flies around here, I am sure he had already heard that you and Richard arrived yesterday. Sir Phillip will have guessed you came in response to my request for help. We had discussed the possibility a few weeks ago. Given the date, it was very likely that the drive together was an excuse to get me out of the house and deliver me to my wedding. All he had to do was confirm."

"All the same, it went far more smoothly than I had expected."

"Mother will be furious when she discovers what we have done today. I fear they will be able to hear her displeasure from Hunsford village. Hopefully, Richard and Mrs. Jenkinson were able to make their escape without problems."

"Have no fear, Anne," Darcy assured her. "Richard is a wily one and used to campaigning in enemy territory. I expect he has contingency plans for his contingency plans. We will see them in Boxwell without fail. In fact, they will probably be waiting for us when we arrive."

Anne nodded. "I am certain you are correct. It just seems strange to finally be leaving Rosings Park in a way that will take me firmly beyond Mother's control. I am hopeful and fearful all at the same time."

"Are you certain that is not just a case of pre-wedding nerves?" Darcy teased.

"Are you certain you are my boring, stick-in-the-mud cousin?" Anne teased back. "Honestly, I am too occupied by worries about Mother to be distracted by pre-wedding nerves," she added.

"I am looking forward to meeting my soon-to-be cousin by marriage," Darcy answered, ignoring the jibe about his personality, "although I expect he will be too distracted by the thought of marrying you to spend much time talking with me."

"You can get to know him later. That is, if you and whoever you manage to convince to marry you will invite us to make a visit to Pemberley."

"Whether I convince the person I have in mind to marry me or not, you are always welcome at Pemberley. Georgiana would love the chance to get to know you and your new husband as well."

Anne smiled in response as they both lapsed into silence. Darcy found himself wondering if he would be able to start over with Miss Elizabeth, wiping away the bad impression he had unknowingly made before. Richard and Anne might enjoy the tease, but it was a very serious matter to him.

It was nearly another hour's ride to Boxwell. The three in the phaeton spent the remainder of the drive lost in their own thoughts except for the short moments when Anne had to offer directions. Darcy found himself wondering what it would be like going to his own wedding. He supposed Anne's description of being fearful and hopeful at the same time probably described how most people felt when making such a major change in their lives. For good or ill, life would not be the same for Anne after today. When his own marriage came, if it ever did, it would mark a similar change in his life.

Eventually, Anne pointed him to a lane leading off the road to the left. He turned onto it and before too long, Boxwell village came into view. Centered between the huddle of houses and shops and the wall surrounding the estate grounds was a substantial Norman-style church and a graveyard filled with a variety of stones and monuments.

Several people were moving around the church. Darcy spotted his carriage amongst a group of others in a field to the side of the churchyard.

"As I thought, Richard made it first," he said.

"Did he?" Anne asked happily, craning her neck slightly to search among the people for any sign of Richard or Mrs. Jenkinson.

"Yes. I see my carriage in the field. There Richard is, too, just coming around from the other side of it."

Darcy directed the ponies to an open space near his carriage. As he brought them to a stop, one of his men came over to hold their headstalls and eventually see to their comfort.

"Hadley told me you three managed to slip away without any problems," Richard said as he walked over to meet them. Hadley was the name of Darcy's coachman. "I think my choice to leave so soon thereafter raised some eyebrows, but no one tried to stop us."

Richard assisted first Anne, then Polly to alight from the phaeton. Darcy tossed the reins to his servant and clambered down to join the others.

"Sir Phillip was not at all surprised to see us," Darcy told his cousin. "We were in and out of their drive in just minutes. He and his mother should be here soon as well." He turned to Anne. "I forgot to ask, what do you plan to do with the phaeton and ponies now, Anne?"

"Martin said I could bring them with me. He knows I enjoy driving. They were gifts to me from Uncle Peter, so it is not like I am stealing them from Mother, even if she may not see it that way."