Page 21 of I am Jael (Pride and Prejudice Variation)
“I fear Lady Catherine will not be pleased with our understanding,” Elizabeth stated with a twinkle in her eyes.
Darcy felt lightheaded from joy, but this statement caused a twinge of concern, “Do you fear her reaction, Miss Bennet?”
Elizabeth shook her head quickly, “My family will tell you that my courage rises with any effort to intimidate me. I do hope for the sake of your family relationship that she is not overly fractious about our engagement.”
Darcy held out his arm and was delighted when his new fiancée took it with a smile, “I fear that she will be quite upset, Miss Bennet, but I assure you that nothing she can say will mitigate my delight. You have made me the very happiest of men.”
“I am certain that I will be a very happy woman too,” Elizabeth assured him. “Do you intend to tell Lady Catherine about our betrothal, or do you wish to ask my father’s permission first?”
Darcy felt a sudden clutch of fear, “Do you believe he will deny me?”
His love chuckled softly and shook her head, “No, Mr. Darcy. He knows that I respect you and he honors you as an intelligent and hardworking man. He will be delighted at the news.”
“In that case, I will tell my aunt today. Perhaps I can settle Georgiana in tomorrow and ride to Longbourn the following day to ask your father’s permission?”
“That would be wonderful, Mr. Darcy.”
The monotonous voice of Mr. Collins broke into their conversation and the newly engaged couple separated slightly as the clergyman and a long suffering Colonel Fitzwilliam appeared around the corner of the building.
“So yes, Colonel, I believe that field will be excellent for planting corn unless, of course, her ladyship decides it is not appropriate ...”
Amidst the interminable droning of the parson, Colonel Fitzwilliam noted the glowing delight on his cousin’s face. It appeared, at last, that Darcy had managed to win the woman of his dreams.
/
“Does Mrs. Annesley speak French fluently, Georgiana?” Lady Catherine demanded.
“Yes, Aunt, she speaks French almost perfectly,” Georgiana replied courteously.
“It is regrettable that your brother allowed your companion to visit her sister. I would wish to interview the woman myself to ensure that she is providing the companionship and instruction that you need at your age. Anne would have spoken perfect French if her health had allowed it.”
Georgiana shot a wary glance at her cousin.
She didn’t know Anne particularly well, but this kind of spurious praise made her skin crawl slightly.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, Anne looked as apathetic as usual.
The pale and fragile woman was seated on the couch with her companion, Mrs. Jenkinson, staring at her worriedly.
Mrs. Jenkinson spent most of her waking hours fretting over whether Anne was too hot, too cold, thirsty, or hungry.
It sounded like a miserable existence for both of them.
“I am taught by masters both in town and at Pemberley,” Georgiana stated mildly, turning her attention back to her aunt. “Mrs. Annesley is an excellent companion and I am grateful for her service to me. I am also pleased that she is able to spend some time with her family.”
Lady Catherine sniffed at this, then turned as the butler stepped in with Darcy and the Colonel at his heels.
Georgiana looked up and noted the broad beaming smile on her brother’s face. A moment later, she was on her feet, her face flushed with excitement.
“Brother, did she say yes?”
“She did,” Darcy replied, surging forward to give his sister a hug. “She did!”
“Of what are you speaking, Darcy?” Lady Catherine demanded, rising to her feet. “Of whom are you talking?”
“Lady Catherine, Cousin Anne,” Darcy said, forcing himself to modulate the tone of his voice. “It is my honor to inform you that Miss Elizabeth Bennet has accepted my proposal for her hand in marriage.”
Fifteen seconds passed in total silence, and then Lady Catherine actually shrieked in outrage.
She followed her scream by gibbering in confusion and rage for another minute before she managed to snarl out discernible words, words of abuse and rage towards Elizabeth Bennet.
Darcy rose to his full height and assumed his most fearsome mien as he looked at the Colonel, “Richard, would you please escort the other ladies out? I need to speak to our aunt.”
“Certainly,” the Colonel replied with a distressed look at Lady Catherine. “Georgiana, Cousin Anne, Mrs. Jenkinson, come with me, please.”
/
“That trollop, that hussy! What did she do, Darcy? Compromise you? How could you be so foolish as to ...”
“Aunt!” Darcy bellowed once the door closed behind them. “You will cease insulting my fiancée this moment, or I will leave this room until you are ready to speak rationally!”
Lady Catherine, stunned at her usually quiet nephew’s passionate tone, fell silent for a precious ten seconds.
She was not a stupid woman and she well knew the iron core of determination that dwelt in the heart of Fitzwilliam Darcy. She would need to take another approach to deal with this utter catastrophe.
“Come, nephew,” she ordered with a saccharine smile. “Sit down and explain this impossible situation to me. Obviously you cannot be engaged to Miss Elizabeth Bennet, because you are engaged to Anne.”
Darcy took a seat as he shook his head, “I am not engaged to Anne, Lady Catherine.”
“Not formally, perhaps, but it was the greatest wish of both your mother and me, that Pemberley and Rosings be combined through the union of the scions of those glorious estates. You cannot deny me this, Darcy, nor can you break Anne’s heart.”
Her nephew’s eyes narrowed, “There were no engagement papers signed. Anne and I will not suit, and I am irrevocably committed to marrying Miss Bennet. You should let this rest, Aunt. I would not care for there to be a breach within our family, but I will not permit you to lambast and insult my betrothed.”
Lady Catherine de Bourgh stared in astonishment at her nephew. The words coming out of his mouth were the King’s English, but they made no sense to her.
“You have to marry Anne,” she repeated. “You must. This regrettable error with Miss Bennet can be dealt with rationally; I have no doubt the girl can be bought off. She is not worthy of you, Darcy. She is a grasping minx, seeking to wed you for your wealth and position. You must cast her aside. I insist!”
The man stiffened, his expression angry, his eyes blazing, “I warned you not to insult Miss Bennet. You must stop now or I will leave with Georgiana and take Miss Bennet with me to her family home of Longbourn.”
“You would not!”
“I will! You claim to be above Miss Bennet and yet you are abusing and maligning her. She is a wonderful woman – intelligent, compassionate, and already a good friend to Georgiana. I am delighted beyond all measure that she has accepted my suit.”
“Don’t you see, nephew?” Lady Catherine demanded, her voice rising in both pitch and volume, “she has been making up to Georgiana to entice you into making her an offer. You are still a young man, clearly in the throes of a plebian infatuation. Mark my words, you will regret this in weeks as you realize what you have thrown away.”
“I asked Miss Bennet to marry me four months ago, Aunt Catherine,” Darcy replied simply.
“She refused my offer in December because she too feared that my attraction was a passing fancy. We have been separated since her sister’s wedding to Mr. Bingley, and I have missed her more every day.
She is not a fortune hunter, Lady Catherine.
She is the woman of my dreams and I will marry her. ”
“She refused you?” the older woman cried out, her eyes wide with shock.
“Indeed she did,” Darcy murmured with a fond smile, “and I honor her for her convictions. She did not wish for a marriage of convenience.”
“She is clearly a fool! It was absurd and conceited when she turned down Mr. Collins, but to ...”
“What?!” Darcy interrupted, his eyes flaring open in disbelief. “Mr. Collins?”
“Yes,” Lady Catherine snarled, her already pink face growing red with anger.
“I sent Mr. Collins to his cousin’s estate in Hertfordshire with orders to marry one of his cousins so that their poverty would be alleviated when their father died.
He chose Miss Elizabeth Bennet and she refused him!
He proposed to Mrs. Collins a few days later and while she is a fine woman, he should have insisted that Miss Elizabeth marry him!
If he had, this disaster would have been averted! ”
Mr. Darcy felt faintly nauseous. Mr. William Collins? The man was a sycophantic fool, and he and Elizabeth would have been miserable together. Praise the Almighty that his love had been wise enough to refuse the man!
/
Georgiana Darcy stared at her cousin with a mixture of embarrassment and horror. Anne de Bourgh was seated on an overstuffed couch with tears running down her cheeks, even as Mrs. Jenkinson fussed about her, asking inane questions and handing her handkerchiefs.
“Mrs. Jenkinson,” Anne finally quavered.
“Yes, Miss de Bourgh?”
“Could you please go fetch me my paisley shawl from my room?”
“Of course, Miss de Bourgh, of course!”
“Can I get you some tea?” Colonel Fitzwilliam asked awkwardly, his eyes shifting between his sobbing cousin and the freedom of the door.
“Yes, please,” Anne muttered.
The Colonel fled happily, with Georgiana glaring after him resentfully. She also wanted to leave but she could not do that to her older cousin, who was clearly devastated.
“I’m so sorry, Cousin Anne,” she murmured meekly. “I should not have blurted out my question to Fitzwilliam. This must have been a horrible shock, to learn that my brother is betrothed to another.”
Anne, who had her kerchief over her eyes, lowered the scrap of lace fabric to peek at her young cousin.
“These are tears of joy, Georgiana,” she explained, hiccuping. “I’m afraid I cry when I am happy.”
The younger girl’s emotions swung from pity to indignation in a moment, “Happy because you aren’t marrying Fitzwilliam?”
“Absolutely,” Anne replied, sitting up slightly and gazing at Georgie gravely. “Do not be insulted, dear cousin – your brother is a wonderful man. But I never wanted to marry him and indeed I am a little afraid of him.”
“Afraid of him?” Georgiana repeated in distress. “Oh no! My brother may appear stern at times, but he is the very best of men.”
Anne leaned back against the sofa and sighed, “I have no fears of him in the physical sense. But he is, you must admit, a tall, remote individual. We have not interacted much during his visits here, but I rarely can gather his mood or thoughts on various topics, which unsettles me. No, I never wanted to marry your brother and now, thanks to Miss Bennet, I am safe. She is perfect for him, Georgiana. She has successfully managed Mother in all of her autocratic glory, so I have no doubt she will be a delightful wife to Fitzwilliam, and will bring much joy to your brother and Pemberley.”
Georgiana smiled slightly at this but her mind was fixed on one phrase in particular.
“You never wished to marry Fitzwilliam?” she asked tentatively. “Why did you not tell your mother of your wishes?”
“You have not been here in many years, have you, Georgiana?”
“No.”
Anne shook her head wearily, “Even in London, Mother is demanding and imperious, but here she believes everyone must bow to her will. I hinted several times that I did not wish to marry Darcy, but she either ignored or berated me. No, there was no hope of convincing her.”
“If my brother had asked you to marry him, would you have accepted him?”
Anne de Bourgh lifted a thin hand to her forehead as tears trembled on her lashes, “I fear so, Georgiana. My health is not good and I am not strong willed. I could not have stood against my mother in this matter. She would have harassed and reproached and admonished me and I would have given in, as I always do.”
“Your shawl, Miss de Bourgh,” Mrs. Jenkinson cried out, rushing into the room.
Georgiana smiled weakly at her cousin’s companion as her mind whirled. Poor Cousin Anne!