Chapter 26

After sending the newly married couple off to their new life together—which Elizabeth hoped would not end in a terribly disastrous way for her sister—Elizabeth and Jane returned home with the Gardiners. Now she could look with joyous anticipation toward a new day tomorrow.

After returning from church services the following day, Elizabeth visited briefly with her family until it was time for her to take her leave. She had not felt such nervous anticipation since that day she first arrived at Pemberley. Her heart beat vigorously, and her smile never left her face.

The carriage ride to Mr. Darcy’s home took her from the unfashionable Cheapside neighbourhood into a more fashionable district. The duration of the journey took approximately twenty minutes, providing her with ample time to calm her heart and collect her nerves. When the carriage came to a stop in front of a fairly large, stately home, any success she previously had vanished, for her heart quickly returned to its fervent pulsing.

While the house itself was not as large as some of the others in the neighbourhood, its grounds covered a greater expanse. Several large trees were interspersed about the lawn with small flower gardens surrounding their bases and bordering the house. When the carriage door opened, Elizabeth stepped out, smoothing out her dress with one hand and nervously fingering her necklace with the other.

She walked to the house slowly, her eyes taking in everything about her. When she knocked on the massive wooden door, it was opened directly. She introduced herself to the gentleman who stood before her and informed him that she had come to see Miss Darcy.

“Come in, Miss Bennet. We are expecting you. I am Mr. Harrington. Unfortunately, Miss Darcy has been delayed, but she should return directly.” He looked down the main hall, a trace of agitation on his face, as a woman hurried toward him. “This is Miss Bennet,” he told her as she approached. Turning back to Elizabeth, he said, “This is my wife, Mrs. Harrington, who is the housekeeper.”

Elizabeth readily noticed the same harried look on her face, but dismissed it when she saw the striking resemblance to Anna, the young servant girl who had ridden with her to London. Of course! She said her mother was the housekeeper and her father the butler!

“I am so pleased to make both your acquaintances. I met Anna, who I understand is your daughter, on my journey from Pemberley. I truly enjoyed her company.”

They both expressed their appreciation for her kind words, and then Mrs. Harrington gently took Elizabeth’s arm, guiding her down the hall.

“I know Anna will be delighted to see you. Unfortunately, we have had an unexpected guest arrive who has thrown everyone into fits. I shall inform Anna you are here. Come, you can wait for Miss Darcy in the parlour.”

Elizabeth put out her hand to bring her to a halt. “Mrs. Harrington, if this is an inconvenient time, I can certainly make arrangements to visit another day.”

The housekeeper shook her head. “I would not think of sending you away without hearing first from Miss Darcy. It is only a minor difficulty.”

The look on her face told Elizabeth otherwise, but she dutifully followed her through the house to the back parlour. She heard a commotion coming down one of the halls and saw two maids rushing toward her, their faces pinched with exasperation. This was not like anything she witnessed at Pemberley, and she wondered who caused such turmoil.

As Mrs. Harrington walked out, Elizabeth leaned back in the chair and cast her eyes about the parlour. In addition to the few pieces of furniture that dotted the room, several large paintings were hung on the wall, and a cabinet with wood and glass doors housed a myriad of crystal, china, marble, and wooden accessories. Curiosity prompted Elizabeth to walk over and take a closer look at them.

As she eyed figurines and vases, hand-painted plates, and framed miniature portraits, she again heard the sound of hushed but troubled voices and hurried footsteps. When she looked toward the door, she saw Anna carrying a tray with her tea.

“Oh, Anna! It is good to see you again!”

“Miss Bennet, I am pleased you were able to come.” She walked toward Elizabeth and set the tray down on a table. She poured the tea and handed the teacup to her. A worried glance cast unwittingly toward the door alerted Elizabeth to her distress.

“Anna, tell me, has something happened? I feel as though this is the most inopportune time for me to be here.”

Anna took in a sharp breath but shook her head fervently. “I know Miss Darcy would not want you to leave before seeing her. Unfortunately, she is not here, and neither is Mr. Darcy. That is why everyone is in an uproar.” Her eyes turned to the door. “She will just not see reason.”

Elizabeth looked confused. “Miss Darcy?”

“Oh, no! Not Miss Darcy!” Her nervous laugh was accompanied by a creased brow.

The sound of strident footsteps approaching grew louder, and Anna’s eyes widened. A singular pounding of one foot signalled that someone had stopped. Elizabeth turned to see who had prompted such a look of fear on Anna’s face.

Elizabeth’s jaw dropped as she beheld the woman before her. A look of anger mixed with great suspicion swept across her features as she noticed Elizabeth. In a loud voice directed at no one in particular, she exclaimed, “What, may I ask, is she doing here?”

Elizabeth politely curtseyed, and when she lifted her head, she pursed her lips and swallowed to moisten her suddenly dry mouth. “Good afternoon, Lady Catherine. It is an honour to see you again.”

Lady Catherine threw her shoulders back and stood erect, her eyes narrowed, and her lips puckered tightly together before saying, “You are Miss Elizabeth Bennet!”

“Yes, madam, you are correct.”

Lady Catherine’s grey eyes almost appeared closed save for the glint that peered through. She took several steps forward, bringing her into the room. Looking at Anna, she told her, “You may go. We have no need for you here.”

Anna looked at Elizabeth as if waiting to be excused. Elizabeth gave her a resigned nod.

Lady Catherine turned back to Elizabeth with a stern look etched on her face. “I come expecting to find my nephew or my niece, and instead I find you!”

“I have also come to see Miss Darcy.” Elizabeth tried to smile, but knew it was a futile attempt. “I understand she has not yet returned from an unexpected errand.”

“What business have you with my niece?”

With a start, Elizabeth readily recollected the insolence this woman exhibited when she met her at Rosings. “This is a social call. She invited me for tea.”

Lady Catherine let out a disgusted huff. “This is insupportable!” The cane Lady Catherine held tightly in her fist pounded to the floor. “My niece has no reason to take notice of a mere governess! Yes, I know that is what you are. Why would she invite you to tea?”

Elizabeth’s eyes widened, appalled at her words. “I beg your pardon, Lady Catherine, but my current vocation as a governess was only prompted by my good father’s death, and…”

“That does not signify!” Her words were unleashed in fury, a frown settling across her features. “I am well aware who you are… and who you are not! The Darcy family is esteemed well above your insignificant family. The associations of my niece and nephew must be kept to those of distinction of rank or fortune! Your family has not even the slightest connections worthy of anyone’s notice.”

“Perhaps Miss Darcy should be allowed to make her own choice of associations.”

Lady Catherine shook her head for emphasis. “Headstrong girl! I cannot believe that my niece, for no other purpose than a social call, invited someone so far beneath her to her home for tea!”

“I am aware of no other purpose that Miss Darcy may have had in inviting me,” Elizabeth replied.

Lady Catherine studied Elizabeth with an unwavering gaze for a brief moment, and then began wagging her finger at her. “Do not think that I do not know what you are about, Miss Bennet! I am not unaware of your recent stay at Pemberley.” In a severe tone, she voiced her dreaded suspicion, “Was it your design to use your arts to draw my nephew in whilst you were there?”

Elizabeth coloured as she listened with increasing astonishment. “I had no part in the decision to go to Pemberley. The family for whom I worked was invited. I knew nothing of it until it was a settled matter!”

“You expect me to believe that you journeyed to Pemberley without any thought of how you might secure my nephew’s notice?”

Elizabeth let out a breath, almost a chuckle, and shook her head. “When I departed for Pemberley, I had no reason to believe, no designs or even hopes, that he would harbour even the slightest regard for me. I went dutifully and solely as Miss Emily Willstone’s governess.”

“Then you must know that any aspirations you may have to secure his regard, any arts you employ, would be futile.”

“You assume that I intended to use feminine wiles to secure Mr. Darcy’s regard. You cannot be further from the truth.”

“Do not trifle with me, Miss Bennet! You know you can never marry him!”

While the sound of muffled footsteps and hushed voices outside the door suggested to Elizabeth that some of the servants were perhaps listening, she steeled herself to reply, “Lady Catherine, whether or not I marry your nephew will solely be determined by whether or not he asks me, not by your empty threats!”

“You are an insolent girl!” she cried out. “Have you no respect for our family? He has been promised in marriage to my daughter since their birth! Both his mother and I wished it!” Lady Catherine’s body shook with the fervency of her words.

“I came to know of that even before my visit to Rosings,” she answered, her voice steady. “If Mr. Darcy chooses to honour that wish, then you ought to have nothing to worry about.” Elizabeth paused. “If his understanding is compatible with yours, I wonder why you feel so inclined to caution me.”

Lady Catherine again pounded her cane sharply against the floor. “Tell me, Miss Bennet, whether or not you harbour any designs on my nephew! Do you seek to become engaged to him?”

Elizabeth felt her ire rise, but made a concerted effort to suppress it. “You claim that to be an impossibility. If he is engaged to your daughter, how can he become engaged to someone else?”

Lady Catherine threw her shoulders back and lifted her chin in the air. “You must promise me this, Miss Bennet! If my nephew asks for your hand, you must not accept him!”

The pounding of footsteps coming toward the room abruptly stopped. Elizabeth hoped it was someone coming to rescue her from Lady Catherine’s abuse. But no one stepped in.

Elizabeth swallowed and straightened her shoulders. She lifted her head and looked directly into Lady Catherine’s eyes. “I may be insupportable and headstrong, but one thing I am definitely not is easily intimidated. You insist that I refuse an offer of marriage from your nephew. I cannot promise anything of the sort. I will only reply that I would be more than delighted to accept an offer if he were ever to make one.”

“This is not to be borne! I have never met with one so devoid of propriety! Do you not know…?”

“That is enough!”

The voice boomed across the room with such force that even Lady Catherine started. They both turned to see Mr. Darcy stride with determined steps toward them. He came to a halt at Elizabeth’s side, his breathing ragged, his eyes glaring.

“I will hear no more of your tirade against Miss Bennet. What right have you to treat her—a guest in my household—in such a rude, disparaging manner?”

Without waiting for his aunt to answer, he turned to Elizabeth. “Pray, forgive me for the reception you received here.”

His aunt seemed momentarily stunned by his unexpected appearance, and her nose flared as her upper lip curled under. She directed an accusatory glare toward Elizabeth. “Miss Bennet is a pretentious woman with no connections, rank, or fortune. Stay as far away from her as possible. She has aspirations that would ruin you and dishonour your family name.”

Darcy’s eyes narrowed and he took a moment to compose himself. Elizabeth readily saw the turmoil in his face, the tension in his body. Suddenly his features softened, and he seemed to relax slightly.

“I fear that is impossible,” he said slowly.

“Impossible?” his aunt asked. “Why?”

Darcy turned to Elizabeth. “It is very simple. She made a promise to me and has yet to keep it.”

Both Lady Catherine’s and Elizabeth’s eyes widened, and their brows were raised in surprise at his statement. Lady Catherine boldly asked, “What promise? Whatever do you mean?”

He smiled softly, reassuringly, at Elizabeth. “She promised to watch the sunrise with me from the ridge behind Pemberley.” He cast his eyes down and shook his head. “I fear that I must hold her to it.”

Elizabeth’s heart beat relentlessly as she tried to conceal a smile, much like she believed Mr. Darcy was doing, while Lady Catherine did not make any attempt to conceal her anger. “I have never heard anything more disgraceful! You are to marry my Anne, and this sort of behaviour…”

“I fear that will be impossible,” another strong voice interjected.

Lady Catherine and Elizabeth turned toward the door to see Colonel Fitzwilliam walk in, followed by Miss Darcy and Miss de Bourgh.

As he walked in, he greeted his aunt with a brief kiss and turned to Elizabeth. “Miss Bennet, it is a delight to see you again.”

Elizabeth nodded and softly replied, “It is good to see you, as well.”

“Whatever do you mean?” his aunt insisted upon knowing. “Why is his marrying my Anne impossible?” She turned to look at Anne and asked, “Where have you been? You know how much I dislike not knowing where you are!”

Elizabeth watched as Anne slightly shielded herself behind Colonel Fitzwilliam. “She has been with me!” the Colonel announced. He drew in a breath and took a rigid soldier’s stance. “And the reason my good cousin cannot marry Anne is because… I intend to marry her!”

The colour drained from Lady Catherine’s face, and her body was wracked with tremors as she came to understand his words. Her voice cracked as she said, “You? You cannot marry Anne!”

“And why not? We care deeply for one another. We love each other!”

Lady Catherine shook her head violently. “No! This cannot be! You have nothing to offer her!”

“He loves me, Mother,” Anne’s voice, although weak, was firm. “And what is more important is that I love him.”

“I have never heard anything more absurd in my life! You have no idea of what you speak!”

As Lady Catherine continued her tirade, now aimed at Colonel Fitzwilliam, Mr. Darcy drew Elizabeth quietly out of the room. Miss Darcy followed, tucking her hand through Elizabeth’s arm.

In a hushed, fervent voice, she said as they walked out, “Pray, forgive me for not being here to welcome you when you arrived. This whole affair between my two cousins came about so suddenly.”

“Think nothing of it,” Elizabeth replied reassuringly, patting the back of Miss Darcy’s hand.

“I know how my aunt can be. I cannot imagine what she must have said to you.”

At that moment Mr. Darcy stopped and turned around. “Whatever she said, it will all be forgotten now. She has a greater concern that is going to occupy her thoughts for quite some time.”

“The Colonel marrying her daughter?” Elizabeth asked.

Darcy nodded. “I am convinced she will come to see the good in it.” Darcy stopped at the door to a spacious room. “As your visit today was an invitation from Georgiana, I shall leave you two here and send for some refreshments.” With a slight shrug of his shoulders, he added, “Then I shall be off to ensure my cousin does not have to resort to some military manoeuvre to subdue our aunt.” With a wink at Georgiana, he added as he walked toward the door, “Please refrain from revealing to Miss Bennet too many of our family secrets.”

Once Mr. Darcy stepped from the room, Georgiana eagerly turned to Elizabeth and gave her a charming smile. They began talking at first about very general subjects. To Elizabeth’s discerning eye, it appeared as though Miss Darcy exhibited a bit less shyness than she had witnessed at Pemberley. She hoped that it was an indication the young lady felt at ease in her company.

The time passed quickly as they talked about their families. Elizabeth sensed that Georgiana felt a bond with her in that they had both lost their fathers. They shared with each other what they remembered most and how much they missed them.

At length, Elizabeth noticed that Darcy was standing in the doorway to the room, casually leaning against it. She quietly wondered just how long he had been there watching the two of them.

“All is well,” he said softly, giving no indication that he overheard anything. “They have returned to my aunt’s home to discuss that which both my cousins wish and that which my aunt will fight for several more days. She will eventually concede, and all will be well.”

Georgiana reached over and grasped Elizabeth’s hand. “I am so sorry you had to witness such a mêlée in our family. Would you care for a tour of the house?”

Elizabeth heartily agreed.

When they finished walking through the beautiful home, Miss Darcy made a suggestion. “The day is very pleasant. Would you enjoy taking a turn about the grounds behind the house?”

“I would love to,” Elizabeth softly answered.

They walked to the back of the house and stepped out. The grounds were lush, with a lawn that stretched out before them and trees that formed a barrier to the outside world. They walked toward a bench that was covered with a lattice canopy filled with wisteria blossoms. The scent was heavenly. Mr. Darcy gestured toward the bench, inviting Elizabeth to sit down.

Elizabeth took a seat, and when she looked up, she was startled to see Miss Darcy gone. Only Mr. Darcy stood next to her. His brown eyes were warm and his smile tender.

Elizabeth’s heart pounded and her mind began to spin as he sat down on the bench beside her.