Page 15 of Mr Darcy’s Worth: Three Pride and Prejudice Variations
Darcy left the room, his aunt hurrying behind him. Georgiana was nowhere in sight, so he entered the library, waited for the lady to step through the door, then closed it.
“Would you like a cup of tea?” he asked, pouring a glass of brandy for himself.
“Yes, I would. And some port! And I need you to sit so I can speak to you at length.”
“Very well. Though I cannot understand what you wish to discuss that could not be expressed in a letter. What could prompt you to travel from Kent to Hertfordshire and then to London? Such an effort seems terribly inappropriate, especially since Anne was with you.”
“Well, Mrs. Jenkinson is visiting her sister, who is apparently dying. I suggested Anne stay at home — after all, she has an army of servants at Rosings — but she insisted on keeping me company, which I find to be very considerate of her.”
“I see… But the reason for your strange journey I still do not know.”
“The reason is — sadly — as laughable as it was worrisome. I heard that you were involved in some sort of sordid relationship with that country girl Eliza Bennet and that you were about to let yourself be trapped in an appalling engagement.”
Darcy almost dropped his glass. “What?”
“Yes! I understand your response. I knew it could not be true since everybody knows you are engaged to Anne. But I had to see for myself, and I am glad I did. You cannot imagine how horribly that obstinate, headstrong country nobody treated me!”
“You spoke to Miss Elizabeth Bennet?”
“Of course I did! How else could I have known? And she refused to oblige me! She said she was not engaged to you but refused to promise me she never would be. And she tried to dismiss me and send me away!”
“I cannot believe you did that,” he said, suffocated by disbelief.
“I most certainly did! That ungrateful girl! After all the kindness I showed her when she was in Kent! She should be grateful that I even spoke to her, considering her sister’s outrageous elopement with that officer.
She is nothing and deserves nothing. I did not even send regards to her family, of course. ”
“Lady Catherine, can you not realise how inappropriate your actions have been? In what position you place me, by association? You have insulted Miss Bennet so many times to me, and I am sure you did the same directly to her too! How could you do that? This is outrageous! Unspeakable! Why did you not ask me first?”
He sipped from his drink to remove the lump of fury from his throat.
“I thought I should talk to her since she was the one reportedly trying to trap you into this marriage.”
“Reportedly? What report? Where did you hear it?”
“Mr. Collins brought it to my attention, and surely you know his sources are to be trusted on the matter of that pathetic family.”
“I doubt there is anyone more pathetic than Mr. Collins — and stupid enough to misunderstand. Who else heard that nonsense? Was the Bennet family present?” Keeping an air of apparent calm was a struggle, and he prayed that his self-control would not betray him.
“Nobody else heard. I was careful, and I talked to Miss Bennet in a part of the garden. A very small and ugly garden! As shocking as the news of your engagement to that Bennet girl was, my purpose was to keep the secret. I knew I would find a way to break it before anyone else heard of it.”
As the conversation progressed, Darcy’s rage became unbearable, while Lady Catherine became calmer, speaking at length while rejoicing in her success with no concern for anything else.
“You were utterly wrong, Lady Catherine! Not only did you offend an innocent young woman, whose only fault was that she showed me and Georgiana genuine friendship, but you soiled my name — and my honour too! What sort of man allows his aunt to interfere in any of his relationships? How can you be so calm? How can you not see how shockingly improper your actions and your claims are?”
“What on earth are you talking about, Darcy? How dare you speak to me in such a manner? I have never interfered in your relationships, until now. You could not expect me to remain calm and wait for you to become engaged to Miss Elizabeth Bennet?”
“Are you engaged to Miss Elizabeth?” Georgiana’s little voice silenced them; the girl was looking at them with confusion and distress.
“Forgive me for interrupting you. Doctor Harris is here…Mrs. Gibbs directed him to Anne. He is examining her now. And my aunt and uncle Matlock will be here shortly. And Geoffrey.”
“Thank you, my dear,” he replied. “And to answer your question, no, I am not engaged to Miss Elizabeth. If I was, I would have certainly told you. Lady Catherine assumed I was, and she went to Longbourn to confront her.”
Darcy knew he should not show his frustration in front of his delicate sister, but his patience was at an end. He felt relieved by her interruption as he knew he would have behaved in a most ungentlemanlike manner were the conversation with his aunt to continue.
“I do not understand…confront Miss Elizabeth? But if you are not engaged…she must have been shocked…offended…”
“I am sure she was. I am certainly deeply ashamed simply imagining her response.”
“Oh, stop that nonsense,” Lady Catherine interjected.
“She was not shocked, nor offended enough to make her any less impertinent. I was the one who was offended, especially when that country nobody mocked my warning that such a union would ruin your reputation forever! She cared nothing for you, for your family, for your name — she told me so very clearly! She suggested that your marriage to her would be perfectly acceptable! The audacity of that girl!”
The last statement made a deeper impression on Darcy than the lady assumed — and in a completely different way.
His agitated mind understood that Elizabeth had refused to promise that she would never accept him and that she would give consideration to a potential marriage.
If she had been completely opposed to him — as she had been last April — she would have certainly not hesitated to tell his aunt as much.
“Lady Catherine, you apparently cannot understand your error, so I shall not continue this argument. I shall write to Bingley and ask him to apologise to Miss Elizabeth and her family for any offence. After all, they will soon be his family too.”
“You will do no such thing!” the lady shouted. “I shall never apologise to that harlot!”
“I do not expect you to, Aunt, but I shall — although the damage is already done. Let us cease this conversation. We should be more concerned about Anne’s health.”
“Anne’s health is as good as can be expected. Your concern, if it is genuine, should be proved by establishing a date for your wedding, as everybody expects, not by forming a questionable friendship with the impertinent Miss Elizabeth Bennet and taking her side.”
“What is wrong with Miss Elizabeth Bennet? She might be impertinent, but she is absolutely charming.” A new voice interrupted Lady Catherine.
With the door only half closed, Colonel Fitzwilliam and his parents entered with apparent haste.
“And you are impertinent in expressing your admiration for her, as you did in Kent, Geoffrey! Do not believe me ignorant of your behaviour,” Lady Catherine scolded him.
“Lady Catherine, what a lovely surprise to see you in London,” the colonel replied calmly. “I am sorry that I upset you, though I cannot remember when and how.”
“Oh, stop your irritating teasing,” the earl interjected. “Catherine, what on earth are you doing in London? You never sent word. Has something happened?”
“Where is Anne? How is she? Has the doctor arrived?” Lady Matlock added.
Darcy rubbed his temples, trying to soothe the sudden headache.
“Doctor Harris is with Anne. Let us go to the drawing room while we wait. May I call for some refreshments?”
“I know where the drinks are — I shall pour some,” the colonel offered.
Lady Matlock sat next to Georgiana, who looked quite distressed. Lady Catherine took an armchair, holding her cane and looking around the room with apparent displeasure.
“Catherine, would you tell us what you are doing in London?” Lord Matlock enquired.
“It is too difficult to understand this absurd story. We should wait for the doctor to tell us about Anne,” Darcy suggested.
“We were talking about Darcy deciding to marry Anne,” Lady Catherine responded.
“And you have come all the way from Kent for this?” Lord Matlock rolled his eyes. “Why are you even opening up this matter again? Is it not obvious to everyone that Darcy will not marry Anne?”
“I remember him saying so more than once,” Lady Matlock added. “Catherine, I know this is hard to accept, but you cannot force a gentleman of Darcy’s age into marriage.”
“I might have accepted that if he had made a better choice! If he was engaged to or at least courting someone prettier than Anne, or healthier or wealthier. But I cannot allow him to make a choice that will harm his name and reputation!”
“Catherine, I am sure you are wrong. One thing that defines Darcy’s character is his devotion to his family and his legacy. He would never do anything to ruin it, so I shall not even enquire further.”
“And there is nothing more immaculate than Darcy’s reputation!” The colonel laughed.
“I am glad you are all entertained, but the matter is rather delicate and distressing as it might harm a young lady’s reputation,” Darcy interjected, restless and vexed.
“Nobody cares about that lady’s reputation,” Lady Catherine replied spitefully.
“I shall explain it to you — it is quite simple. My clergyman, Mr. Collins, informed me about a rumour involving Darcy and the daughter of a country gentleman, whose estate is entailed upon him. He claimed that not only would Darcy’s friend soon be married to the eldest sister but that Darcy himself might have been forced into an engagement by the second sister’s arts and allurements! ”
Lady Matlock froze, her cup of tea in one hand and her eyes wide, while the earl and the colonel frowned.