Chapter 16

Sixteen

The time had come for the colonel to resign his commission, along with the carefree lifestyle and privileges of his past and become the happiest man in all of England. It was that spirit that led to his asking his cousin Anne to accept his hand in marriage and her doing him the great honor of saying ‘Yes.'

It was now time to share their joyous news with Lady Catherine de Bourgh. As the lovers approached the drawing-room, they found it starkly silent, save for the steady ticking of the ornate clock on the mantel, which only heightened the anticipation of revealing their happy news.

They settled on the sofa nearest her ladyship, who was, as ever, perched on what Colonel Fitzwilliam likened to a velvet-covered throne. Holding Anne's hand in his, he told his aunt all that had unfolded, leading to his offering her daughter his hand. The colonel concluded his speech by saying, "We would be most honored to receive your blessings, your ladyship."

The grand lady's countenance twisted into rage. "Never!" she declared, pounding her fist on her chair's armrest. "What on earth has got into the two of you? How dare you come to me with such a preposterous request, knowing the frankness of my character would never abide such foolishness?"

"Mother!"

"Hush, child. By all rights you should not be present for such a discussion, but you are here, and it is just as well, for it will spare me the trouble of having to repeat myself."

"But, Mother," Anne said, only to be silenced by a look from Lady Catherine that broke no dissent.

"And you, Nephew!" she declared, directing her wrath at its rightful recipient. "How dare you go against the inclinations of your entire family? What will your father, my own brother, say to you attempting to destroy the favorite wish of us all? Everyone knows my Anne was designed for your cousin Darcy and he was designed for her. Have you no consideration for his feelings, or have you been willfully deceiving him all this time—coveting what is rightfully his?"

"At the risk of being impertinent, what on earth are you going on about? You, Anne, and I sat in this room and heard him declare he will not marry her!"

"That is only because in a moment of what he supposed to be clarity, he once again forgot what he is about. He is far too shrewd to walk away from all this! Again, I say, it is solely a matter of time before he comes to his senses and appreciates the immense power that combining the two great estates of Pemberley and Rosings Park will entail. My nephew is nothing if not ambitious."

"If you genuinely believe such supposed ambitions are what motivate Darcy, it goes to show you do not know him at all. I posit such materialistic and strategic considerations are the underpinning of your own outdated aristocratic bearings."

Lady Catherine's expression hardened, a deep-seated pride flickering behind her eyes. She had long regarded herself as the unwavering protector of her family's illustrious legacy, certain that the sacrifices she made were not only warranted but essential to preserving the rank and distinction they rightfully held. Any challenge to her authority was deemed an affront. "I suppose it is easy for you to sit in judgment of my upbringing despite your having enjoyed every privilege that being born into a noble family as ours can bestow—save those inherent in being a second son, but I shudder to think how either of you would fare if not for such advantageous births. Heaven knows I endured my own sacrifices, what with having married a mere baron. But look at me now!"

She let out an indignant snort. "Speaking of which, what of your own motives? Do you deny your primary aim is and always has been to marry a woman with her own fortune? Have you not often cited a younger son must be inured to self-denial and dependence? That your habits of expense make you too dependent, and there are too many in your rank of life who can afford to marry without some attention to money? Can you swear that is not your reason for pursuing my Anne and persuading her that you are in love with her? I wager you would change your tune soon enough, were my Anne as inconsequential as the Bennet woman who insinuated herself into our presence last spring."

The colonel and Anne threw each other questioning glances. Her ladyship either did not notice their silent interrogation, or she simply did not care.

"You dare not deny your attraction to Miss Bennet and that you two spent a prodigious amount of time in each other's company discussing secret affairs. Why, even your cousin Darcy suffered suspicions about the nature of the acquaintance between you two!" Lady Catherine's eyes gleamed with a mix of accusation and triumph.

"Mother, you know not of what you speak! I shall not have you maligning Cousin Richard or his intentions." Anne's voice, usually so gentle, trembled with a mixture of defiance and distress.

Lady Catherine paused, her eyes narrowing as she regarded her daughter. "Enough, child. You know nothing at all about men like the one sitting next to you. You are far too ignorant of the world to know and understand what men like him are about. I shall not stand idly by and watch you be made a fool of for the sake of someone else's convenience!"

Anne stood her ground, her voice steady, though her hands clasped tightly in her lap betrayed her nervousness. "You go too far, Mother. I am not a child. I know my cousin far better than you think I do."

Once again, she threw her daughter a silencing stare. Lady Catherine would not relent! The standoff between mother and daughter was palpable, with the colonel sitting and calculating his next argument, his expression one of stoic support for Anne, yet his mind raced with concern over the potential fallout of this confrontation with his aunt.

He found himself momentarily lost in thought, reflecting on the many years he had spent observing Lady Catherine's overbearing presence in Anne's life. From childhood, he had watched as his aunt overshadowed her daughter at every turn, every decision made for her under the guise of care and protection. Lady Catherine's dominance had always been cloaked in a sense of duty, yet it had stifled Anne's growth in ways her ladyship would never comprehend.

In her own mind, Lady Catherine was nurturing her daughter, preparing her for a future befitting their family's noble status. But to him, it had always been clear that her controlling nature was a hindrance, preventing Anne from blossoming into the strong, independent woman she could be. Anne had learned to be quiet, to acquiesce, fearful of questioning her mother's wishes, even as it chipped away at her own sense of self. Lady Catherine could not discern that the very manner in which she exerted her will had done more to suppress than support her daughter's potential, leaving Anne trapped in the shadows of her mother's ambition.

At last, Anne's days of silent submission are over , he considered.

"Lady Catherine, my feelings for Anne and her feelings for me are righteous and just. We are not bound by obligation. We are in love. I ask you to respect that, for your time will be better spent accustoming yourself to the truth of it. One way or another, we will be man and wife."

"I have heard all I need to hear from both of you. I am not used to having my will subjugated by the feelings of others and especially not either of you!" Her voice echoed off the walls, filling the room with the weight of her authority.

Her ladyship's eyes blazed with indignation. "I will not allow such an unsanctioned alliance as the one you aspire to unfold!" she declared, her hand slamming down on the armrest of her chair as if to punctuate her command. "There is too much at stake to permit everything to be undone by a foolish romantic whim! You are playing with the future of this family!"

The air in the room grew heavier with tension as her fingers curled into fists, her rigid posture signaling that she was on the verge of further confrontation. Just as she prepared to lash out once more, a sudden, sharp knock at the door halted her tirade.

A servant entered the room, his steps cautious and deliberate, as though he sensed the tension in the atmosphere. "Your ladyship, a correspondence from London," he said, his voice steady despite the palpable unease, before handing the letter to Lady Catherine with a deep, respectful bow, his eyes cast downward as he awaited her acknowledgment.

As she broke the seal, her stern countenance grew unreadable. The colonel and Anne exchanged anxious glances, wondering whether the contents of the letter might bear news significant enough to sway Lady Catherine's stance or embolden her opposition.

Her ladyship perused the missive's contents, her expression shifting from vexation to consternation. She looked up, her face suddenly aghast. "It seems," she began, her voice unsteady, "that events concerning our family's standing are unfolding rapidly elsewhere, events that are far more consequential than anything the two of you have to say."