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The instant that Colonel Fitzwilliam stepped into the room and saw his entire extended family gathered for tea, he knew precisely what was about to unfold.

As if in slow motion, he watched Pelham notice Darcy by the window and had but an instant to shoot his cousin an apologetic look before his brother-in-law called out loudly, “Darcy! What’s this excellent news that Richard tells us—you are engaged?

!? Who is the lady and when are we to meet her? ”

Pelham looked around the room as if he expected Darcy’s fiancée to suddenly appear from behind a drape. The rest of the party held their breath; even those who had not been present on the previous evening knew to expect some outburst from that gentleman’s aunt.

Lady Catherine did not disappoint. Sensing that the particulars would not be to her liking, she stood up so quickly that her teacup slipped to the floor.

With a pointed look to his nephew, Matlock moved to take control of her elbow.

“Mind yourself, Cathy!” he whispered curtly before turning the practiced smile of a politician on his extended family.

“Well Pelham, I believe my nephew had planned to save his happy news for after the celebration of my birthday. However, now that the cat is out of the bag I suppose the present shall serve just as well.” The Earl turned toward his nephew and was slightly concerned by the closed look that the young man had turned upon the group. “Fitzwilliam?”

The younger man blinked at his uncle, rather stunned at how rapidly the general pronouncement of his betrothal had come about. However, he was a clever man and quickly discerned the respect that the Earl was paying him by putting his nephew forward rather than making the announcement for him.

After a moment of hesitation, Darcy nodded to his uncle before looking around the room at the familiar faces; some curious, some genuinely happy for him, a few disinterested. He avoided turning toward Lady Catherine altogether, hoping that the Earl would be able to maintain some control over her.

“Thank you, Uncle.” Darcy took a deep breath. “Aunts, Uncle, cousins… it gives me great pleasure to inform you, my dear mother’s family, of my engagement to Miss Elizabeth Bennet of Hertfordshire.”

It was lucky that he had no longer speech planned for he was immediately surrounded with hugs and kisses from his female cousins and handshakes and backslaps from the men. He was surprised when even Anne slipped up from behind and pressed his hand, whispering, “I am very glad for you, Cousin.”

As the crowd around him dispersed and his relatives returned to their tea and conversation, Darcy moved to stand before Richard while the Colonel looked like a boy caught out in some prank.

“It wasn’t me! Wyndham and I went out for a ride this morning and we got to talking about his wedding to Livie and naturally that led to your wedding this autumn. ”

Darcy raised his eyebrows in an excellent imitation of the Earl. “And one of the horses overheard you and told Pelham?”

The Colonel actually blushed a little. “Well, actually he was riding with us. I may have momentarily forgotten that he and Maggie did not arrive in time for your announcement last night.” He brightened. “But I say, Darce—it has all worked out perfectly well, hasn’t it?”

At that moment, Lady Catherine’s shrill voice cut through all other conversations in the room. “NO! I will not accept it! He is engaged to my daughter! I don’t know what arts and allurements that little country chit has used to infatuate him but I will not stand for it!”

Recognizing that it was time to face down the dragon, Darcy leaned closer to his cousin and murmured, “Richard, for all of our sakes, when you resign your commission, choose politics, not military intelligence.” He walked away before the Colonel could muster a response suitable for mixed company.

Darcy reached his aunt and uncle just as Matlock was heard to say, “But Cathy, I thought you liked the girl? Just last evening you were praising Miss Elizabeth Bennet to the skies!”

Sighing to himself, Darcy caught their attention and immediately became the target of his aunt’s vitriol. “You fool! You tricked me into praising that… that…”

Darcy spoke before Lady Catherine could think of a term that expressed her consideration of Miss Bennet. “Aunt, Uncle, perhaps we might conduct this conversation in private?”

The Earl agreed resignedly and the three adjourned to his study.

What followed was nearly three hours during which attempts at reason were met only with furious demands for obedience and increasingly wild proclamations of consequences.

Finally, Matlock simply pushed his sister out of his study, saying, “There is no further discussion to be had on this matter, Catherine. Darcy has made his decision and the Fitzwilliam family shall support him; I am head of the Fitzwilliam family and I declare it to be so. End of discussion.”

Shutting the door behind her, he went directly to the side table and poured himself a whiskey. After downing it in one gulp, Henry thought to offer one to his nephew but Darcy waved him off. The Earl poured himself another and went to slump tiredly in his chair.

“I don’t drink this early as a rule but dear Lord…

” He took a smaller sip and looked over at his nephew, realizing that the man had not spoken a word since finally exploding at his aunt just before the Earl had ended the meeting.

“Darcy, I owe you an apology. I’ve sent you and Richard down to Rosings each spring to check over the estate, but I didn’t really listen to your comments regarding Catherine. By God, she is nearly fit for Bedlam!”

Darcy’s shoulders seemed to relax slightly though his expression remained dissatisfied. “I should not have spoken to her so. I apologize for losing my temper, Uncle.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake, lad! She deserved all that you said and a great deal more! And I’m glad I was here to witness it! Had I not been, I might have actually believed some contorted version she told me.”

The two gentlemen sat silently for some minutes.

The Earl had just finished silently apologizing to Anne and George Darcy for not taking the time to know their son better when he heard a surprising sound, almost like a soft chuckle.

Turning to his nephew, he saw that the anger and hurt had lifted and been joined by a hint of amusement. Lord Henry raised his eyebrows.

Darcy was somewhat embarrassed by his merriment but eventually shrugged and explained, “When I first proposed to Elizabeth—we were both in Kent, you understand, and for some reason I felt it necessary to mention the very great sacrifice I was making in attaching myself to such a family as the Bennets. Mrs. Bennet is very silly, you see, and her youngest daughters take after her, though they are young and there is still hope they will grow out of it, I suppose.” He sighed.

“It never occurred to me that I had relations of my own to apologize for. More so, really, for Mrs. Bennet is only foolish, not vicious.”

The two men were silent for some minutes before the Earl spoke again.

“You had best send an announcement to the Times immediately. Express, in fact. And warn Miss Bennet and her family of Catherine’s reaction.

I’m not sure what she will do but I can’t imagine my sister will just sit down and quietly accept it.

” He was silent for a moment before adding, “And please send my best wishes to Miss Bennet and her family. Say that the Countess and I look forward to meeting her and shall invite her for dinner or some such.” He sighed and waved his hands in the air.

“Bah… just make it clear that not all of your family is like my sister!”

Darcy smiled. “Thank you, sir. I shall do so immediately.” He was about to search out some writing materials when a knock on the door announced the arrival of the Countess herself followed by a terrified-looking Miss de Bourgh.

Lady Eleanor eyed the two men and, although she raised an eyebrow at the glass in her husband’s hand, decided that they did not look too much the worse for wear.

“Well, I won’t ask how your little chat with Catherine went.

She burst out of here like an avenging angel.

Henry, I’m afraid that the blue vase your great-aunt gave us is no longer for this world. ”

The Earl rolled his eyes and unconsciously rubbed a small scar above his left eyebrow. “Cathy always did like to throw things when she was in a temper.”

The comment seemed to break the tension in the room and Miss de Bourgh was left standing wide-eyed in amazement as her relatives began to laugh all around her.

When Lord Henry was finally able to speak again, he looked over to his wife. When she nodded, he turned to his nephew. “Darcy, you are welcome to use my desk to write your letters while your aunt and I speak to Anne.”

He watched as his wife guided the pale girl into a chair.

He sighed and began, “Now Anne, I’m not sure exactly what your mother has told you, but there was never any legal contract requiring you and my nephew to marry.

I realize that Catherine has spoken of her desire for such a match often—in truth, I must apologize for not realizing how much of an obsession it had become—but regardless of her wishes, Darcy is not bound to you by law or honor.

As you have heard this morning, he is so bound to Miss Bennet of Hertfordshire. Do you have any questions?”

Thoroughly intimidated by this powerful bear of a man, Anne only managed to shake her head.

Seeing that her niece had retreated back into her shell, Eleanor spoke up.

“Anne and I talked this morning while you were with Catherine. At this time, she does not wish to marry at all, which I agree may be the best course for now, given her uncertain health. We discussed the possibility of her coming to London to see a specialist but Anne is uncertain as to her independence. Financial and otherwise.”

The Earl’s eyebrows rose. It had never occurred to him that his sister would not make her adult daughter aware of the specifics of her own inheritance.

“Well, you are over twenty-one so you are no longer subject to Catherine’s authority in the eyes of the law, at the very least.” He thought for a few moments.

“I’m not aware of the details of your father’s will, and rather than speculate I shall have my solicitor contact the de Bourghs’ and request the details. ”

To himself, Henry was mentally slapping his forehead.

It had never occurred to him that his sister might purposely withhold information in order to maintain control over her daughter, Rosings Park, and whatever fortune Sir Lewis de Bourgh had left.

Noting that his nephew had finished writing and was sealing the envelope, Matlock levered himself up out of his chair and moved to the desk.

“If you will wait for just a few minutes longer, Darcy, I shall have a second letter that the rider can carry to London. The sooner that my solicitor learns the details of de Bourgh’s will, the better, I think.

” The Earl looked up and caught his niece’s eye for just an instant. “Anne may be her own ‘master’ as well.”