Chapter 30

For the third time since their arrival, a carriage arrived unannounced at Pemberley. This time, the occupants of the house were all gathered outside as the newly married couple prepared for their departure.

Lady Catherine was in a fury. Even before she stepped down from her carriage, Darcy could hear her demanding, "Where is my nephew? I demand to see him at once. Why is he not here waiting to greet me?" She was followed by her daughter, her daughter's companion, and her fool of a rector. Mrs. Gardiner, seeing how exhausted the young lady appeared, asked to have her shown inside the house, and Lady Eleanor went to speak to the housekeeper and her niece to ensure that all was easily arranged.

Oblivious to this happening around her, the grand lady strode directly toward those gathered in front of another carriage. "Nephew, what is the meaning of this? Why is Miss Elizabeth Bennet here at Pemberley, and why is her hand on your arm? You cannot have married the chit, since you are engaged to my Anne."

Both Darcy and the earl sighed heavily. "I am not engaged to Anne, Aunt, nor have I ever been. My father refused to sign the marriage contracts between us, and I have told you often enough that I did not intend to marry her. Anne has also told you it is not her wish to be married to me or to ever leave Rosings. Miss Elizabeth Bennet is no more, since she is now Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy, and we are just about to set off on our honeymoon."

"It cannot be. I have heard that Mr. Bennet refused his consent, so you cannot have married the trollop?—"

"Aunt, I suggest you not even attempt to finish that sentence. You will never be welcome at Pemberley again if you insult my wife. We are married. There is nothing you can do about it now, and the rector is well aware of your claims of a cradle betrothal that is backed by nothing but air. You have been told often enough and by enough people that any claim you make is instantly suspect. Desist at once," Darcy roared.

Lady Catherine appeared so shocked by her nephew's tone that she could not speak. Unfortunately for all those standing near, it did not last long. Once she spotted her brother, she tried a different tact.

"James Fitzwilliam, will you stand there silently while your nephew speaks to me in such a way? It is disgraceful. The marriage between Darcy and Anne was decided more than two decades ago while they were both children. How can you stand here and allow him to claim he is married to that …" Darcy stepped towards her menacingly, and she trailed off.

"No, Catherine, what is disgraceful is that you insist on peddling the lie that your daughter and our nephew are engaged. It was no one's wish other than your own. You have always been the only one to desire the match, and I am telling you once again, it will never take place."

"Why not?" Lady Catherine asked, her tone cantankerous. "I am the only surviving parent of my nephew and daughter. My wishes must be obeyed. Surely, the fact that I am the only surviving parent clearly indicates how things ought to be."

Lady Matlock's eyes rolled, clearly showing her exasperation. "Catherine, I must say, I have seldom encountered a more preposterous notion. Your survival is not evidence of a grand design orchestrating the union of my niece and nephew, though it seems stubbornness can indeed prolong one's life. Sir Lewis and Anne succumbed to illnesses, while George Darcy, on the other hand, perished from a broken heart, never fully recovering from Anne's loss. Your resilience, Catherine, lies in your unwavering desire to maintain control, as it seems you never had a heart to be broken."

That lady huffed in indignation. "How can you say such a thing, Eleanor? It is my love for my daughter and my nephew that makes me desire their union."

"Tell me, Catherine, where is the daughter you claim to love? Did you drag her to Pemberley knowing her health was poor? Where is she now? Did you leave her in the carriage, or did you leave her behind somewhere? Why is she not standing here with us if she travelled with you?"

These questions caused Lady Catherine to deflate somewhat. "She asked to be shown to a room," she lied. "Anne is exhausted from the travel and will need to remain at Pemberley for several months to recover her health. While she is here, we can begin to prepare for the wedding. Since you are also at Pemberley, brother, you can give Anne away and sign the marriage contract. I brought the papers with me, and my parson accompanied me to perform the ceremony. He is prepared to marry the couple as soon as can be arranged."

Darcy was about to speak again when the earl stepped in front of him and confronted his sister with the simple truth. "You have come on a fool's errand, Catherine. Darcy, as he already informed you, is married. My wife and I stood as witnesses to the marriage earlier today. I agree that Anne should remain here. If she truly needs time to recover her health, then it is best she not attempt another long journey for some time. We will return to Matlock in a few days, leaving the newlyweds to themselves for a month. You will not be here when they return."

"I will not leave until I get my way," Lady Catherine said with a stomp of her foot. "I cannot countenance that you would condone a marriage between our nephew, one of the wealthiest men in England, to a fortune-hunting hoyden. Did you know that she rejected the proposal from my parson, her own cousin and the heir to her father's estate, only a few months before accepting my nephew's? She somehow convinced his wife to invite her to Rosings and timed her visit to coincide with Darcy's. It was there that she worked her wiles on him to ingratiate herself with him. Clearly, she had her eyes on the bigger prize all along."

Darcy's anger rose yet again, but Elizabeth held him back from responding by rolling her eyes in his direction.

Lady Catherine had more to say, however. "And that is not the worst of it. I have also heard from another source that the girl is carrying the child of some militia member. The two conspired to force Darcy to claim the child as his. The heir of Pemberley will not have a drop of Darcy blood in his veins."

Lady Matlock could only shake her head. "And what source told you this?"

"Caroline Bingley, the sister of our nephew's tradesman friend," Lady Catherine replied. "She claims to have heard it all directly from our nephew."

Darcy again attempted to defend his wife, but his uncle would not allow him a word before he harangued his sister. "How could she have heard it from our nephew? Is she risking her reputation by engaging in a clandestine correspondence with a man who, according to you, is engaged to your daughter? What do you think this woman's intention is in writing to you? Did it never occur to you that Miss Bingley desired Pemberley for herself? Would you have our nephew marry her?" Lord Matlock asked. "Sister, this conversation is done. Mr. Thorne will escort you back to your carriage—your trunks are still on your carriage, though Anne's were removed. You will not be allowed to stay at Pemberley and disrupt the household. Georgiana certainly does not need to be exposed to your vitriol, and you will not disrupt the newlyweds when they return in a few days."

Lady Catherine turned to look at her carriage and saw that several men were standing near it, and were even now ensuring that the straps attaching the trunks to the back of the carriage were firmly in place.

"I will not leave. If Anne is staying, then I will remain with her," Lady Catherine asserted stubbornly. "Darcy must set this other woman aside and marry my Anne."

Darcy was baffled at his aunt's lack of sense, while his uncle was simply unfazed. Heaving a sigh, Lord Matlock looked directly at his sister and said in the commanding tone he used in the House of Lords. "One more word suggesting that Darcy and Anne marry, and I will have you thrown into Bedlam. Darcy is married, and nothing you can do will change that. Do not say one more word about the matter!"

"You cannot expel me from my sister's home!" she insisted.

"You arrived uninvited and are unwelcome," the earl demanded. "Find a way to accept our nephew's choice or be cut off from the rest of the family."

Lady Catherine looked at her brother in shock. "You cannot mean such a thing!"

"I do. I have heard enough from you, and you have proven unreasonable. I cannot understand your insistence on a match that no one wants or your temerity in insisting on a lie for so long. Again, if you continue in this vein, I will call a doctor and have you committed."

Mr. Collins, who had been standing there listening to all that was said, interjected timidly, "But, sir, Lady Catherine is never unreasonable. She is only insisting on what is right. My cousin should have never attempted to entice Mr. Darcy away from Miss de Bourgh. I will add my own humble influence to Lady Catherine's petition for an annulment for this travesty, and I will convey all my cousins back to their home at Longbourn so they will no longer impose on this grand family. Cousin Elizabeth has no business here and cannot compare to the jewel that is Miss de Bourgh. Surely, my cousin must have committed some travesty to tempt Mr. Darcy away, but I will see that she is properly disgraced for her brashness."

Before he could continue, Darcy finally erupted, his words in a near growl. "Cease spouting your nonsense at once, Mr. Collins. As my uncle has already said, I was never engaged to my cousin. Neither her father nor my parents, nor she nor I wished for the connection, despite what my aunt attempts to claim. My aunt has proclaimed her nonsense to all and sundry for years, and the family and most of the ton have always known she was spouting lies. If you do not cease speaking, I will have you physically removed from the house."

Mr. Collins could only splutter in reply. "But, Mr. Darcy, your aunt, she…"

Lord Matlock stepped up to put an end to any further argument. He took his sister by the elbow and spoke in a commanding tone. "You have done enough damage here and will be departing Pemberley this minute. For you to have arrived so quickly, I have little doubt that both your men and your horses are in need of rest, so I suggest you make for Lambton and arrange to take a room there. You will depart for Kent tomorrow, and I will accompany you now to ensure that is exactly what you do."

Though still angry, Lady Catherine was unable to do anything other than what her brother commanded, boarding the carriage and allowing him to send her to the inn in Lambton.

Shortly after Lady Catherine departed,the Darcys left for a brief wedding trip at a cottage in the Peak District, about twenty miles from Pemberley.

Despite its short duration, Elizabeth had become comfortable with the touches her husband-to-be had exposed her to during their courtship. They had kissed as often as they could, and some of those kisses had been rather passionate in nature, though their hands had generally remained in what society would have viewed as appropriate locations.

However, the first part of their journey, Elizabeth employed every lesson the man who was now her husband had taught her as she attempted to soothe his anger and frustration at their wedding day being marred by his aunt's visit. Before too long, they were lost to the newfound freedom they were discovering in their solitude and married state.

Elizabeth began by closing the curtains in the carriage and encouraging her husband to sit by her side, instead of across from her as propriety dictated. She began placing tender kisses along his jawline and exposed places of his neck, and soon, Darcy surrendered to his wife's influence. Before long, the kisses she granted him were not enough, and he pulled her into his lap. His hands began caressing her body over her clothing, causing Elizabeth to writhe in his lap, adding to the urgency Darcy felt.

A large bump caused them both to startle and separate a bit, though Elizabeth remained where she sat.

"Liz, we must stop," Darcy whispered after several moments. "I should not … your first time should be in a bed, not a carriage. I have allowed my desire for you to override my sense. It is just … I adore kissing you, but now that we are wed … well, it is best we cease this for now."

She pressed her forehead against his chest. When she recovered her breath, she looked at him, a sparkle of mirth in her eyes. "I have noticed in our, um, more passionate moments"—she paused to grin at him—"you have twice now called me Liz. Why is that?"

He chuckled, and Elizabeth, enjoying the sound, decided to elicit it from him often, especially when in his lap.

"Would you think me terrible if I told you I am not overly fond of the nickname ‘Lizzy'?"

She laughed, having not expected that response. "Why is that?"

"It sounds childish, and, well, everyone else calls you by that name. I prefer Elizabeth to Lizzy and when it takes too much time to say, I prefer to use Liz. Is that alright?"

She squeezed his waist a little. "I like that you have a name for me that no one else uses. I like it when you call me Elizabeth, and I have adored the moments when you called me Liz."

Several moments later, they parted again, both breathing heavily. "Dearest, perhaps you should return to your own seat for the rest of our trip."

Reluctantly, Elizabeth moved from her comfortable spot on Darcy's lap. "As long as I might still snuggle close, William," she whispered, leaning against him with her head on his shoulder, her hand held tightly in his.

Neither spoke for a short time as they merely enjoyed being in one another's company. Before long, they both drifted off to sleep.

They slept through the change of horses and only awoke when they arrived at the cottage Darcy had borrowed for them to stay in. It was a lovely home, though slightly larger than the cottage conjured in Elizabeth's mind. The house had a small staff, and Elizabeth and Darcy's personal servants had left before the couple to prepare for the newlyweds' arrival. Before long, they were ensconced inside their chambers, where they finished what they started in the carriage. Though they intended to spend some time exploring around the house during their stay, they did little more than thoroughly explore each other.