Page 40 of The Shades of Pemberley

Elizabeth paused, and a mischievous expression he knew so well emerged in the grin she directed at him. “This Miss Bingley of whom you speak must be a veritable paragon, yet I have not made her acquaintance. Tell me, William, when is she to arrive?”

Understanding her meaning at once, he turned to mirth. “Why, the day after tomorrow.”

“Then if you can be at Longbourn when Lady Catherine arrives, I can see no reason I cannot visit Netherfield when Miss Bingley is to grace the estate with her presence.” Elizabeth presented a casual picture for her future husband, one that did not mislead him in the slightest. “As I am not yet acquainted with her, I should like to rectify that oversight at the first opportunity.”

“Trust me, Elizabeth,” replied William, again catching her hand and pulling it to his lips, “I am eager to witness the spectacle.”

“Lizzy! William!” came the voice of Longbourn’s mistress, interrupting their tête-à-tête. “You have had enough time for your reunion—we must still discuss the last few details of your engagement ball, for there is little time left.”

Elizabeth fixed William with a look and rolled her eyes; he endeavored to hide his reaction from the company.

If the grins were any indication, no one in the room outside Mrs. Bennet misunderstood his disinclination for the subject.

As a dutiful future son-in-law, however, he joined Elizabeth in giving every appearance of interest and attention to the subject at hand, which was how they spent their time for the next hour.

That these details were nothing more than a review of what they had already decided did not escape Elizabeth’s attention—everything was decided before William ever left for Derbyshire.

Still, her mother was not to be denied, and Elizabeth did not even try.

At length, the sound of a carriage on the drive alerted the company to a visitor, prompting a series of glances between everyone present. Before the sound of the conveyance even ceased, Mrs. Bennet sent for Mrs. Hill and instructed her to have Mr. Bennet summoned, while requesting a tea service.

“While that is admirable,” said Mrs. Darcy, “I doubt Lady Catherine will pause so long as to accept a cup of tea.”

“That is the truth,” said William, shaking his head with disdain. “Georgiana, please sit beside Elizabeth. When we frustrate Lady Catherine in her design, she will turn her attention to you.”

Georgiana did not protest, even though she had been with the younger Bennets in animated conversation since their arrival.

Sensing the girl’s distress, Elizabeth caught her hand and squeezed when William rose to allow her to sit, taking position before them like a sentinel on duty.

By this time, the sound of the carriage halted, and Mr. Bennet stepped into the room, though he did not portray his usual anticipation for folly.

“Let us send this woman on her way in the most expeditious manner possible,” said he in greeting to William. “While I can laugh at stupidity as much as the next man, I suspect this Lady Catherine will not bring us to mirth.”

“In that, you are correct, Bennet,” replied William, his voice sounding tight.

Within moments, the sounds of raised voices reached them, and a heavy step approached the door.

Flung open a moment later, the tall, imperious figure of Lady Catherine de Bourgh stood framed within, the plump figure of Mrs. Hill lurking behind.

The lady took in the company’s composition at a glance, her eyes narrowing at the sight of William standing before them, his stance one of a man waiting for the gale to fall upon him.

That gale did not delay, for it set upon them in a storm of winds lashing them, no less violent than had it been an actual tempest.

“Darcy!” boomed the lady as she marched into the room. “What do you do among these miserable people? I might have guessed you found it necessary to protect them, for they are not suited to do it themselves!”

“You may not respect me,” snarled Mr. Bennet, “but you will not ignore me in my house.”

Mr. Bennet turned away from her in an action calculated to insult—effective if the flaring of Lady Catherine’s nostrils were any sign—and addressed William.

“Might I suppose this insolent woman is the one of whom you have told us?”

“Be silent before your betters!” snapped Lady Catherine.

“Trust me, I will offer all the deference due to my betters the moment they present themselves. What you have failed to consider is that you are in my house, and an invader no less. If you suppose I am the sort of man who would allow you to assault my family, then you know nothing of me.”

Lady Catherine glared at Mr. Bennet with nothing less than contempt. “I see the truth of what my parson told me.”

“And I see the truth of everything I have heard about you.” The two combatants stood proud and tall, neither giving an inch. “You sent your odious parson here to assail my daughter. By all rights, I should take you by the scruff of your gown and deposit you in the dust of the drive.”

“Do you not know who I am?”

“You are an obnoxious virago who has poked her nose into matters that do not concern her and set vile events into motion against all decency,” retorted Mr. Bennet.

“Do not claim to be the virtuous party in this, Lady Catherine, for anyone who hears of your actions must know that you are a woman without honor.”

“I shall not listen to the mewling of a ruffian.”

Lady Catherine turned away from Mr. Bennet as if he were of no consequence and glared at William. “If you consort with such people as this, you risk your standing in society. It would be best if you sold your estate here and took up permanent residence at Pemberley.”

“Pemberley will be my home,” replied William, “but I shall not sell Netherfield for any price. Not only has it been in my family for decades, but it will serve as an inheritance for a second son.”

Though she regarded him for a moment, and Elizabeth thought Lady Catherine would again try to impose her authority, she decided it was not the battle she wished to wage. Instead, she came to the point at last.

“That we may discuss later. It is time for you to throw off these fantasies that have ruled you. This girl cannot make you an adequate wife, not in the circles you must move in the future. You will denounce any so-called engagement at once, for I require you to marry my daughter.”

“So that you understand me, Lady Catherine,” said William, his tone firm and unfriendly, “I will do no such thing. Elizabeth is my fiancée, and I will not do something so unreasonable as you suggest, ruining her and my reputation in the bargain.”

“Yes, you will!” shrilled the lady. “I insist upon it and will not be gainsaid. My daughter will bring you a grand estate and more wealth than you can imagine, access to the highest circles of society, and legitimacy you do not possess.”

“Yet I care nothing for these things.”

“Be silent and listen to me!”

“No, Lady Catherine!” said William, speaking over her diatribe. “I shall not listen to anything so unreasonable. If I did not question your very sanity, I might wonder why you are so insistent on me, a man you do not know well, marrying a woman I have never even met.”

“Because Pemberley is to be mine !” hissed the lady.

She stalked toward William, her eyes ablaze with fanatical verve, and in that moment, Elizabeth wondered if the lady was completely sane.

“I have planned the union between Pemberley and Rosings since my daughter was in her cradle; you will not deny me now. You will oblige me.”

SEVERAL THINGS CLICKED into place, though the why of it was still opaque.

It was not Darcy she wanted, though he played a part given his connection to the family.

For whatever reason, Lady Catherine had long desired to influence Pemberley, and the death of its former master would not impede her designs.

The depravity attendant on such willful misbehavior rendered the lady anathema to Darcy; when he forced her from this house, Darcy was determined he would never endure her again, would petition the earl to place her in Bedlam if she persisted.

“You have had your say, Lady Catherine, now you will listen to me.”

The scowl that descended over her features informed Darcy she knew he would not oblige her—that she had ever thought he would, was another black mark against her. Darcy did not care about that, so he ignored the thought and concentrated on his response.

“Listen to me, for I will not say it again. Nothing will induce me to throw Elizabeth over for your daughter or any other woman. We have been engaged and will be married next week; I will allow nothing to stand in the way of that union.

“I would have you know that I am denying you entry into any property that I own and will not endure you in my life wherever we may meet. Do not approach me, for I will cut you, and do not write to me, for I shall burn all correspondence and return the ashes to you. Do I make myself clear?”

“And this is your last word?”

“Do I need to say it? For anyone with sense, the number of times I have addressed this must be enough to promote understanding.”

“You are not welcome here, Lady Catherine,” said Mr. Bennet. “I require you to leave at once.”

“Georgiana!” snapped the woman, though her eyes never left William. “I know not what you mean by visiting such a place as this, but you will accompany me back to Rosings now.”

Though her aunt’s attack frightened Georgiana, she took courage when Elizabeth squeezed her hand, though she could not speak. The only response she managed was a shake of her head, but it was defiance all the same.

Lady Catherine’s eyes blazed with affront, and she stalked forward, no doubt to lay hands on Georgiana, but William intercepted her and shook his head.

“You will release Georgiana to my care at once!” spat she.

“No, I shall not,” replied William evenly. “You are not Georgiana’s guardian.”

“Nor are you. In a contest between us, my kinship is by far the greater.”

“The closeness of our relationship may be as you say,” returned William. “Yet I shall be Georgiana’s guardian the moment the earl’s solicitor finishes the paperwork.”

Lady Catherine scoffed. “ You become the guardian to a girl such as Georgiana Darcy? Do not make me laugh!”

“Yet it is so. You may ask the earl if you like, but he will confirm it.”

For a long moment, Lady Catherine regarded William as if trying to determine how far he would go to deny her.

Elizabeth knew she was wasting her time, for there was nothing in the world that would induce William to go back on his word.

Georgiana was to be his ward, and he took such duties seriously.

The longer Elizabeth regarded Lady Catherine, the less certain she became—either Lady Catherine was rational, as strange as that sounded, regarding William trying to understand him, or she was so angry she could not muster a response.

In the end, she did what Elizabeth had suspected, for she attempted to get at Georgiana anyway.

Though William grasped her hands and forced her away, Elizabeth did her part to stand in front of Georgiana, denying the woman in the unlikely event she forced her way past William.

She might not have worried, for Lady Catherine was so affronted that William had laid hands on her that she was now apoplectic with rage.

“Do you not know what I have the power to see you in prison?” hissed she.

“No judge in England would convict me for protecting my ward,” replied William, still keeping his calm.

“Enough of this,” said Mr. Bennet. “Lady Catherine, you will leave at once. If you do not, I shall call the constable. We shall see what your vaunted position in society avails you when he confines you in Meryton’s jail.”

“You can do nothing to me!” screeched the lady, losing all pretense of restraint.

William and Mr. Bennet exchanged a look, and in tandem, they each grasped one of Lady Catherine’s arms and marched her from the room, the woman’s insults spewing behind her as she left.

That she did not kick out and fight like a lioness was a surprise to Elizabeth, for she had not supposed they would remove her without provoking something more.

“What an odious woman,” said Mrs. Bennet when she was gone, though they could still hear her beyond the door.

“With that, I cannot but agree with you,” said Mrs. Darcy.

“Lady Catherine has ever been thus,” said Georgiana, her voice steady though a little weak. “No one controls her, for she is a force unto herself.”

“Do you suppose she will go to London to her brother?” asked Mrs. Bennet.

Georgiana shrugged. “Perhaps. Uncle will not listen to her, but she is delusional enough to suppose she can prevail.”

“It would be curious if anyone listened to her,” said Mrs. Bennet.

“Well, this is a surprise and no mistake!” said Elizabeth. “It is a rather laconic conversation after what just happened, is it not?”

“Perhaps it is,” said Mrs. Bennet. “If you will excuse me, I prefer not to give the lady more of my attention than necessary. We should return to our discussion of the ball.”

That was how the gentlemen found them when they forced Lady Catherine to depart. It was for the best, Elizabeth supposed, for Lady Catherine was a most disagreeable subject.