22. Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Two

April 10, 1812 Rosings Park, Kent Elizabeth

S he did not have a decision before tea. Elizabeth fretted endlessly the rest of the morning. She did not walk, for fear she would encounter Mr. Darcy and not know what to say. She remained in her room until tea. Jane kindly sent a tray up for luncheon, but she picked at it listlessly.

Everything in her rebelled against marrying for convenience, but she forced herself to carefully consider Jane’s words. She mulled over Charlotte’s story, too. Wickedly, she thought Mr. Collins deserved the discomfort her friend’s presence bestowed upon him. Served him right for treating her so shabbily.

Still, though, she wrestled with the decision she needed to make. How can I do it? Would it not be a betrayal of the worst kind, to marry a man I do not even like? What would my friends and neighbors say? What would I say to them?

She knew their opinions did not matter. If she married Mr. Darcy, she would leave Meryton and her neighbors’ gossip behind. If she did not… that did not bear considering.

Elizabeth trailed behind Mr. and Mrs. Collins, hoping if she walked slow enough that she could delay the inevitable. Rosings Park loomed ahead and there also Mr. Darcy.

Far too soon the great doors opened, and they were admitted. They followed Brisby to the sitting room and entered as he announced them. The double doors closed slowly, and Elizabeth’s gaze flew around the room.

Not everyone was there. Lady de Bourgh sat next to Anne and Mrs. Jenkinson, her walking stick in her hands. Sir Andrew stood off to the side, hands clasped behind his back and a smug smile on his lips. Mr. Darcy and the colonel had not yet arrived, however, and she wondered at their delay.

Lastly, her gaze landed on Lady Catherine. The lady had her head tilted to the side and Martha stood next to her, whispering furiously in her ear. The look of fury on Lady Catherine’s face was a sight to behold.

Oh no. Elizabeth kept her expression neutral and held her breath, waiting for the incoming explosion.

“Stand by the wall,” Lady Catherine told Martha. “Do not leave until I dismiss you.” She turned her gaze to Elizabeth. “What have you to say for yourself?”

Elizabeth’s courage returned in an instant. “What do you mean, madam?” she asked politely.

“I am not to be trifled with! A report of an alarming nature has just reached my ears, brought to my attention by a very reliable source. I have heard just now that you, Miss Elizabeth Bennet, are engaged to my nephew. I knew in a moment that such a thing was impossible, and I demand to hear it refuted immediately. Is it so?”

“To whom do you refer? Your ladyship has three nephews to whom I have been introduced.” She fought to keep the smirk off her face.

“Do not be coy! I have been told you accepted an offer from Fitzwilliam Darcy. I repeat, is that so? ”

“Your ladyship has declared it to be impossible.” She would not be spoken to in this horrid manner, nor would she satisfy the lady who spoke so rudely to her.

“If I may, Lady Catherine—” Mr. Collins began.

“No, you may not!” She interrupted him before he could continue. “I am speaking to Miss Elizabeth Bennet, not to you. ” She turned back to Elizabeth. “You must see how this alliance cannot be. You, a lowborn woman with no dowry, no connections, marry Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley. It is not to be borne! Are the shades of Pemberley to be thus polluted?”

Elizabeth bristled. She did not consider herself beneath Mr. Darcy and said so. “He is a gentleman, and I am a gentleman’s daughter. So far, we are equal!”

“You may pretend so, if you like, but who is your mother? Who are your aunts and uncles?” The lady stood up and came forward. Her superior height did little to intimidate Elizabeth. She stood her ground.

“If Mr. Darcy does not object, then what does it matter to you? He has asked me to marry him—”

“He is engaged to my daughter! Now, what have you to say?” she raged.

“Only this, that if it were so, you would have no fear of him making an offer to me!” She kept her tone ladylike, though a bit of her pique could be heard in her voice.

“I am not engaged to Darcy, Mother.” Anne de Bourgh stood up shakily. Sir Andrew came around the settee and took one of her arms to support her. Mrs. Jenkinson stood and took the other.

The smirk on Sir Andrew’s face irritated Elizabeth. She thought him quite rude to allow this abuse with no intervention. But perhaps he had his reasons.

Anne drew her shawl around her shoulders. “I am of age, mother, and I will not be forced into marrying my cousin. I have no need. Rosings Park is mine now, and I can do with it what I will until I die.” She coughed wetly. “I do not believe that time is too far in my future.”

“Do not be morbid, Anne. You are well.” Lady Catherine waved her hand dismissively.

“I am not well, Mother, nor have I been for some time. You refuse to see it, so intent are you to have your own way. I will not marry my cousin so that you can continue to live at Rosings, running it into the ground with your stubborn refusal to allow my steward to do his work!”

“Enough, Anne! We shall speak on this later.” Lady Catherine said sharply. She turned to Martha and barked, “You! Go find Brisby and tell him to fetch Darcy here at once. We must sort this matter out immediately.”

Martha scurried off, even as Anne protested. “We will not speak of this later, Mother! Today is my birthday; have you forgotten? I am five-and-twenty. Your tenure as mistress of Rosings Park is at an end.”

Martha must have been quick, for the doors to the room opened again and the gentlemen entered.

“What is the meaning of this, Aunt?” Darcy asked. He sounded angry. He must have understood the reason for his aunt’s pique. Charlotte said he knew Martha was being paid to report to Lady Catherine.

“Are you engaged to that seductress, Darcy?” she demanded.

Elizabeth glanced around the room as Mr. Darcy faced his aunt’s wrath. Mr. Collins cowered next to Jane. Her sister’s hand was placed comfortingly on her husband’s arm. Charlotte watched the spectacle with an amused look on her face. She shared a look with Sir Andrew who seemed equally amused. Lady de Bourgh watched it all from her seat, walking stick still in her hands. The lady’s eyes twinkled.

At least I have managed to make tea humorous, Elizabeth thought somewhat bitterly. Though, why I am forced to defend myself without aid from anyone else is beyond my comprehension.

“Enough, Aunt!” Darcy said loudly, cutting off the tirade Elizabeth had missed amidst her musings. “Elizabeth and I are engaged, and your incessant complaining will do nothing to deter me from marrying her. He stepped forward and stood next to her. “I have never been engaged to Anne. The cradle betrothal is a product of your imagination. Elizabeth may have relations enough to cause embarrassment, she may have no dowry and no connections, but she has one thing no other lady possesses.”

He turned to her and took her hand, lifting it to his lips. “She has my heart,” he said quietly. His gaze bore into her, and her breath hitched. “And I am sorry I was not here to defend her when you began your tirade. Elizabeth, forgive me.”

“Defend her! How ridiculous. Come to your senses, nephew. She will not be recognized by anyone of quality!” Lady Catherine declared. “Lady Matlock is not alive to sponsor her, though I doubt she would if she were. I certainly shall not.”

“As if you could present the new Mrs. Darcy to anyone worth knowing.” Lady de Bourgh spoke, her derision obvious in her words. “When was the last time you were in town, Catherine? If I recall, it was soon after you married Lewis.”

Lady Catherine colored. “I have plenty of acquaintances in town,” she insisted. “Lady Crawley—”

“Dead. She passed on to her reward last year. Did you not know?”

“Lady Jennings—”

Lady de Bourgh interrupted again. “Consigned to the dower house after her son married. I believe she is rotting in Nottinghamshire.”

“Lady Louisa, Lady Maria, Lady Moreland!”

“Dead, dower house, and ailing. None of them dwell in town. Goodness, were all your acquaintances such sickly or disagreeable creatures?” Lady de Bourgh tut-tutted. “Really, Catherine. No, I had better sponsor Miss Bennet. I live in town most of the year and can introduce her to the right people.”

“Of course you would do it! You are as lowborn as she, no matter how you parade about, putting on airs as if you were born to nobility!” Lady Catherine looked wild, and Elizabeth wondered if she would have an apoplexy.

“I will not listen to this a moment longer.” Mr. Darcy released Elizabeth’s hand and turned toward the door. Her hand tingled where he had touched it. “Come, Elizabeth.”

She blinked, irritated that he commanded her when he had no right. She glanced at Jane, who nodded, encouraging her to go. Mr. Darcy stormed out of the room, and she followed, wondering what she would do now.

“Do not let my aunt’s vitriol trouble you,” he said when they were outside the parlor. He offered her his arm and they walked toward the front doors.

“It seems we both have relations who do not behave as they ought,” she quipped.

He looked at her sharply. “My aunt’s reservations are understandable,” he countered. “Her manner of delivery leaves something to be desired, however.”

“Then perhaps it would be best if you followed her edicts, since you are so aligned in opinion.” She said it harshly, her day of ruminations forgotten in her pique.

“The only thing that matters is that I love you.”

His response confirmed her words. How readily he confirmed his alignment with his aunt’s views. How easily he asked her to not give the lady’s vitriol any mind while simultaneously defending the harpy. It was utterly ridiculous.

“Where are we going?” she asked as he led her away from the manor

“We can walk the garden while we wait for the rest of your party. Lady Catherine will calm herself if we are no longer in the room.”

She did not reply. He led her around, pointing out plants that began as cuttings from Pemberley’s gardens. “These roses were cultivated at Pemberley. They’re called Derbyshire Darlings. Mother crossed an orange rose with a pink one to give it the unique pattern and coloring. Lady Catherine often attempted to replicate my mother’s choices in flora and fauna. My mother’s taste is so different, though. Her gardens were arranged in a more natural manner than these.”

“Did Lady Catherine ever reside at Briar Court?” Elizabeth asked.

“No. The estate attached to the baronetcy is smaller, about the size of Netherfield Park, if I recall. My aunt did not deem it fine enough for her status.”

“I can well imagine it,” she murmured. Netherfield Park was larger than Longbourn by quite a bit. While not a massive estate, it was respectable, bringing in four thousand a year. The daughter of an earl would be ashamed to live in such a ‘hovel.’ “How dismayed your aunt would be to see Longbourn.”

“Yes, she would be.”

He had not understood the sarcasm in her voice. She fell silent again.

After a few minutes, she spoke. “Will you escort me back to the parsonage? I feel another headache beginning.”

“Of course. After your megrim yesterday, I would not wish to overtire you.” He escorted her thither and Elizabeth sat in the sitting room, waiting for the others’ return.

She did not have long to wait. Thirty minutes had passed after Mr. Darcy departed when she heard voices outside. Mr. Collins could be heard speaking quite loudly. His words were indiscernible until the door opened.

“…harboring such a Jezebel beneath my roof! I will not have it! She must be gone immediately, and Miss Lucas along with her! Both are despicable, seeking to entrap men with their wiles.”

“I take exception to your insinuations, Mr. Collins. It was not I who sought to entrap you! You sought my company before throwing me over. And Elizabeth did not entrap Mr. Darcy either!”

Charlotte’s defense warmed her heart.

“You will not speak such falsehoods in my presence again, Miss Lucas! Lady Catherine’s word on the matter is final and can be nothing but the truth. You and my devious cousin will pack your trunks and go immediately to the coaching inn at Hunsford. I shall not have you as my guests for a moment longer.”

“You have said quite enough, sir.” Charlotte said icily. “Your words and manner have illustrated the type of man you are. I can only pity Mrs. Collins, for you are no gentleman.”

“What would a plain spinster with nothing to recommend her know about what constitutes gentlemanly behavior?” Mr. Collins spat angrily. “You have never had the attention of one long enough to understand the intricacies of our sex.”

“Enough, husband.” Jane finally spoke. “I believe our guest comprehends you fully. Charlotte, go pack your trunk. I shall find Elizabeth. Mr. Collins, we must make haste if they are to be gone this evening.”

Elizabeth stood and Jane pushed the door open. Her husband’s protests at her interference could be heard in the hall. “Come with me, Lizzy.” Jane took her hand and led her from the room and up the stairs, Mr. Collins still squawking in the background.

Safe in her chambers behind a closed door, Jane drew Elizabeth close in a tight embrace. When she pulled away, there were tears in her eyes.

“You act as if we shall never see each other again,” Elizabeth jested. She sobered when Jane’s tears came faster. “What is it?”

“Miss de Bourgh fainted after you and Mr. Darcy left. Sir Andrew and the colonel carried her from the room. Lady de Bourgh followed with Mrs. Jenkinson. After they had gone, Lady Catherine demanded Mr. Collins turn you out. He has included Charlotte in her edict. I tried to convince him to wait until the morrow, but he insisted during our walk back that you be gone tonight. He felt Lady Catherine’s disapprobation keenly, for she did not call the carriage for us.” She gasped a sob. “Oh, Lizzy, he says I cannot write to you.”

“Surely, you will not comply!” Elizabeth said in shock.

“He is my husband. I shall do what I can to find a way around his commands, but, as I told you earlier, Lady Catherine is his first love. His loyalty is to her before me, and I have not had enough time to change his allegiance.”

“You must not let him command you so, Jane! You cannot let him keep you from my company!” Elizabeth felt her eyes fill with tears. “Please!”

“I will do what I can,” Jane promised. “Do not count on me to stand up with you. Lady Catherine will not attend, and my husband will follow suit. And promise me you will show Charlotte compassion. Invite her to Darcy House. Introduce her in town. She is worthy of some gentleman’s regard, though my husband disdains her so. I shall try to send a message to Mr. Darcy, informing him of the situation.”

Elizabeth nodded, tears falling freely now. Jane’s advice to pack her trunk proved to be inspired, and she helped her sister shove the last of her belongings into the top as Mr. Collins banged on the door.

“Come, wife!” His manservant stood waiting to take the trunk. Elizabeth secured her reticule to her wrist, following Jane and her husband from the room and down the stairs. A cart awaited outside the garden gate. Charlotte’s trunk had already been secured and Elizabeth joined her friend in the garden.

Mr. Collins took Jane’s arm and retreated into the house. He tucked his wife behind him and stood in the doorway. “I take no leave of you, ladies. I send no compliments to your relations in Meryton, for you—and they—deserve no such attention.” He slammed the door, leaving both ladies standing in the garden in the fading light.

They glanced at each other. The manservant cleared his throat and gestured to the waiting cart. Both Charlotte and Elizabeth climbed into the back and sat on their trunks, for there was no place for them next to the driver. With a crack of the reins, the cart set off. In ten minutes, the ladies and their trunks were deposited before the coaching inn. It took no time to learn that the last coach to London had departed an hour previous.

Charlotte and Elizabeth paid for their tickets and a room for the night. Elizabeth pretended her older friend was her paid companion, hoping to lend the whole debacle an air of respectability.

They spent a restless night in a shared bed and before eight in the morning, they were aboard the coach to London. Elizabeth sighed in relief. They would be safely at the Gardiners’ residence before tea.