by Jann Rowland
“Is that so?” asked Lord Arundel. The way he looked at Lady Catherine showed the same mixture of amusement and aggravation they all possessed, though it seemed to Elizabeth her father tended more toward annoyance. “Elizabeth is the daughter of a baron. Though Darcy’s father did marry the daughter of an earl, I should not think my daughter to be a less brilliant match for him.”
“You know I was saying nothing of her standing,” said Lady Catherine.
“And yet, you have made it sound like Elizabeth is the lowliest scullery maid in all Derbyshire.”
It was ever thus when Lord Arundel and Lady Catherine were in the same room together. Lord Arundel seemed to think the lady was crass, intrusive, and an unrepentant busybody, and Lady Catherine thought he was unserious, sardonic, and poor excuse for a peer.
“In fact,” said William, interrupting their argument, “I am certain there could be no better match for me than Elizabeth. Not only is she the daughter of a baron,” Mr. Darcy fixed his aunt with a pointed look, “but in terms of compatibility, I have found my perfect wife. There is nothing anyone could do to improve her, nor could I find someone better if I searched my whole life.”
“Well said, sir,” replied Lord Arundel, his challenging glare at Lady Catherine daring her to speak.
It was a challenge destined to remain unmet, for Lady Catherine fell into brooding and said little for the rest of their time together. Elizabeth did not miss the lady’s poor attitude and biting comments, and she knew the rest of the company did not either.
A short time later, the company was treated to the long-awaited return of the newlyweds flown to Gretna. That was not without its own surprises, for when Uncle Gardiner led them into the room, Elizabeth saw she was not the only one who had not known of his involvement.
“Gardiner,” said Lord Arundel, though his gaze did not leave his youngest daughter. “It is now clear why you ignored my letter asking you to come to Longbourn and take counsel with me.”
“Indeed, Brother, I apologize,” was Mr. Gardiner’s reply. “When I discovered Lydia’s disappearance, I followed them to attempt to prevent their precipitous match.”
“I thank you for the attempt, though it seems like you were unsuccessful.”
Mr. Gardiner grunted in reply. “I was less than an hour late, else I should have stopped them.”
The focus of the party’s interest turned to Mr. Darcy and the new Mrs. Darcy, who stood behind, relieved that Mr. Gardiner had been the first to speak. Lady Catherine scowled at them, as if they were the reason for her disappointment, while Lady Margaret stood and approached her daughter, placing a kiss on Lydia’s cheek. To everyone’s surprise, Lydia sobbed and buried her face in her mother’s shoulder.
“I hope I can conclude these are tears of happiness, Mr. Darcy,” said Lady Margaret, a hint of steel underlying her words.
The way Mr. Darcy regarded her mother told Elizabeth the gentleman had not expected the baroness to confront him instead of the baron. A darted glance at the aforementioned peer informed him he had best answer the question at once. Mr. Gardiner seemed disinclined to assist.
“Lady Margaret,” said Mr. Darcy, with only a hint of a quaver in his voice, “it is my privilege to call your daughter my wife now, and while the manner in which it was accomplished is regrettable, I have no reason to believe Lydia is unhappy.”
“Of course not,” said a sniffling Lydia, pulling away from her mother. “Our departure was as much my doing as Mr. Darcy’s. I am pleased to be Mrs. Darcy.”
“They appear to be happy,” drawled Uncle Gardiner. “Disgustingly so, in fact. It seems to me if they can rein in their impetuosity, they will do very well together.”
“Lydia’s happiness will always be my first priority,” said Mr. Darcy.
“That is good to hear,” said Lady Margaret. “But we are all afire with curiosity about how it happened and eager to hear your story. Do not think you are freed from the necessity of accounting for yourselves.”
“And remember,” said Mr. Gardiner, “once you have satisfied my family, you must go to Pemberley and see Mr. Darcy.”
That task appeared more daunting to the newlywed couple than coming to Longbourn had been. Soon they took their places among the company to tell their story, Mr. Gardiner, Elizabeth noted, choosing to sit with Anne. The tale was similar in many respects to that Elizabeth and her Mr. Darcy had told only a few days before. The major difference was that Lydia and Mr. Darcy had conducted most of their illicit activities in or near Lambton, which made it all that much more amazing that they remained undetected as long as they had.
“I understand you have a similar story, Lizzy,” said Lydia. “I hope you will not think less of me, considering how you were facing the same difficulties with which I contended.”
“No, Lydia,” said Elizabeth with affection. “Blame is not mine to apportion. Had matters continued as they were, I might have contemplated a similar solution.”
“Please, no more elopements!” exclaimed Lord Arundel. “One in the family is enough. It is fortunate that most of society does not seem to concern themselves with your actions, though I do not suppose you will escape scrutiny the next time you venture into society.”
“I believe I may safely promise you I have no intention of eloping, Papa,” said Elizabeth.
“Unless relations once again turn sour,” said William with a laugh. “If that happened, I will not be responsible for my actions.”
Lord Arundel laughed. “Considering the way you dote on my second eldest, I am not surprised, sir.”
“I find it ironic,” said William’s younger brother. “Having endured all of your lectures concerning proper behavior, I should not have thought you would meet a young lady in such an improper manner.”
“As I informed you at Thorndell,” said Darcy, “I had little to say about your tendency to seek out your wife. I was uncertain what I thought, but I did not think you possessed the level of affection for your wife you obviously do. For that, I apologize for misjudging you, Brother.”
“Well, all is well that ends well,” said Colonel Fitzwilliam. “I, for one, am grateful this ridiculous fighting between your families has ended. Had it gone on much longer, I might have taken to knocking some heads together.”
Though Colonel Fitzwilliam delivered his final comment with some humor and the company obliged him by laughing, no one could disagree. It was nothing less than the truth.
Chapter XXXIV
While the rest of Hertfordshire breathed a sigh of relief at the end of the hostilities between the two families, there was one who did not appreciate it. Then again, Elizabeth knew Lady Catherine did not dislike the warming of relations between the two families, notwithstanding her disinclination for the baron. To be more accurate, it was a matter which did not concern her, so she did not think about it at all. But the circumstances of that change concerned her, and she was not hesitant about sharing her opinions.
It would have taken the sudden loss of her sight for Elizabeth to misunderstand Lady Catherine’s feelings toward her. The lady’s glare upon catching sight of her when she entered the room at Pemberley during a morning visit would have rendered any lingering question of how Mr. Darcy’s aunt had taken the news obvious had Elizabeth not already known of it. The only mitigating factor was how Lady Catherine remained silent and brooding in the face of the Bennet family’s invasion of Pemberley that morning.
Upon seeing the woman, Elizabeth’s thoughts turned to another woman, wondering how Miss Bingley, the other surely to resent her felt on hearing of the engagement. The thought passed swiftly, for it did not bear considering, in Elizabeth’s opinion. She would become aware of it at some time or another, she supposed.
The other inhabitants of the house welcomed them, though the elder Mr. Darcy remained reserved as she might have expected. The Bennet sisters greeted their youngest sibling with affection, and soon it seemed like nothing had changed, for Lydia sat with Kitty nearby, whispering between themselves
, giggles punctuating their discourse. That Lady Catherine was a frequent target of whatever comments were passing between them was not lost on anyone, least of all by the lady herself.
Elizabeth was more than happy to put the bitter woman out of her mind and give her attention to her betrothed, and William no less happy to receive it. In this manner, they passed half the allotted time for a morning visit. It was in the latter part of their visit that the interesting events took place.
It seemed Lady Margaret had taken a liking to Georgiana Darcy, for she sat by the girl asking her questions about herself, to which Georgiana responded with a certain measure of diffidence. This did not deter Lady Margaret, for her kindly attempts to come to know the girl better did not cease, and soon Georgiana was speaking with more, if not perfect, composure.
“It seems I must plan a wedding for three of my girls,” observed Lady Margaret, “for they have determined that they wish to marry together.”
This finally broke through Lady Catherine’s moody silence. “A triple wedding! Whoever heard of such a thing?”
Lady Margaret, who had not been insensible to Lady Catherine’s unhappiness, ignored the other woman. “I will, of course, wish to solicit your opinion, Miss Darcy, for you must know your brother’s preferences. As his nearest female relation, your assistance would be invaluable.”
“I am eager to help in any way I can,” said Miss Darcy, to the sound of Lady Catherine’s disdainful snort.
“Thank you, my dear,” said Lady Margaret. “You should visit Longbourn next week so we may discuss the details.”
“It seems I am the only Bennet daughter who has remained unattached,” complained Kitty, by now a familiar refrain. “It is most unfair, for Lydia is younger than I.”
“I will take you to the season next year, Kitty,” said Lydia, squeezing her sister’s hand in support. “We shall be very merry together, I am sure.”
“Do not concern yourself, Kitty,” said Lady Margaret, her reply also one which had been repeated many times. “Think what the next season shall bring: you shall experience your coming out and will not have your sisters to pull attention away from you. I think you will do very well next season and will have many admirers.”
Lady Margaret turned and regarded Miss Darcy. “Perhaps you and Miss Darcy will enjoy the season together, for you are to come out next year also, are you not?”
The look with which Miss Darcy regarded her father set the man to chuckling. “I do not believe we have made that determination yet, but it seems as good a time as any.”
“Then we shall plan Miss Darcy and Kitty’s coming out together. A joint ball in London would be lovely.”
“There is no need for you to put yourself out for my niece,” said Lady Catherine, finally voicing her opinion. “I am her nearest relation and will have matters well in hand.”
“Yet you live in Kent, Lady Catherine,” said Mr. Darcy, “and Lady Margaret lives close by. In fact, I believe it would be beneficial to further show society that our difficulties are behind us by introducing our unmarried daughters together.”
“Thank you, Mr. Darcy,” said Lady Margaret, again ignoring Lady Catherine’s annoyed huff. “Of course, I welcome the aid of all your relations in our planning. Perhaps we should include Lady Susan Fitzwilliam, for she has experience debuting her own daughters—I am certain Miss Darcy would welcome another friendly face.”
“Susan has always spoken of assisting Georgiana,” agreed Mr. Darcy.
“Then it is settled.” Lady Margaret regarded Miss Darcy with a friendly, open smile, which the girl returned. “I hope you will come to consider us all your family, my dear, for you are gaining my daughters as sisters.”
“I should like that, Lady Margaret,” said Miss Darcy.
“There is nothing to be done, I suppose,” said Lady Catherine, though her tone suggested she wished fervently there was something she could do to alter what was already decided. “Miss Elizabeth Bennet, come and sit with me for a time. Since there is no way to stop this . . . marriage from happening, I suppose I must work with what I have.”
“You have my apologies, Lady Catherine, but I would ask you to clarify what you mean, for I do not understand you.” Contrary to her assertion, Lady Margaret’s harsh glare suggested she knew very well what the other woman meant and did not like it at all.
“Why,” said Lady Catherine, her insolent tone deepening Lady Margaret’s frown, “that if your daughter is to be my nephew’s wife she must be trained to move with the proper decorum in society. I cannot have my brother’s family disgraced by a young lady who does not know how to behave.”
By her side, William shook his head, while Mr. Darcy appeared to be willing his sister to desist by the force of his eyes boring holes through her. Lady Margaret ignored the chuckles and shaken heads of the other members of the party to reply in a manner so frosty to Lady Catherine, that Elizabeth wondered why the other lady was not sporting icicles.
“Elizabeth is the daughter of a baron, Lady Catherine. There is no need to teach her how to move in society, as you say, for she not only possesses all the necessary ability but has been out in society for more than two years.”
Lady Catherine’s eyes raked over Elizabeth with contempt. “Considering how she was willing to meet in private with my nephew, not to mention your youngest daughter’s infamous elopement with my other nephew, it seems to me your instructions have been deficient.”
“Though I wish they had been more circumspect,” said Lady Margaret, “I cannot argue with the results. In the end, no harm has been done, and my daughters have found their happiness.”
“Of course, you would argue the ends justify the means when it benefits your family.” Lady Catherine sniffed with disdain. “But we Fitzwilliams hold ourselves to a higher moral standard.”
“And your nephews were not meeting with my daughters?” asked Lady Margaret. “Branding my daughters as improper when your nephews were engaged in the same behavior is more than a little hypocritical.”
“I believe she has you there, Aunt,” said Colonel Fitzwilliam with a chuckle and a shake of his head.
Lady Catherine did not deign to respond to her nephew, instead looking to William. “There is still time to extricate you from this entanglement, Darcy.”
“It is time to drop the subject, Aunt,” was William’s even reply. “I have no interest in marrying Anne, and she will not have me. This fantasy you have perpetuated so long is at an end.”
Though she regarded him with pursed lips, Lady Catherine was not ready to confess defeat. “If you are not to marry Anne, you should aim for at least the daughter of an earl, if nothing else than to honor your late mother.”
“Could there be any greater honor to my mother than marrying a woman who will make an excellent mistress of Pemberley?” asked Darcy.
“You know to what I refer,” spat Lady Catherine. “A marriage to the daughter of an earl would gain a useful connection. Marrying this . . . woman’s daughter,” Lady Catherine waved at an irate Lady Margaret, “gains you nothing, as your brother has already imprudently connected himself to the family. What of the Earl of Carlisle? It is my understanding he has several daughters, any of whom would do as a wife.”
As Darcy shook his head in exasperation, Fitzwilliam spoke up, saying: “Carlisle is also an unmitigated ass. Father would disown Darcy if he married one of the man’s daughters.”
“There are many earldoms to which we do not possess a connection,” rejoined Lady Catherine.
“And none of their daughters are Elizabeth Bennet,” said Darcy, fixing his aunt with a pointed glare. “Before you say anything further, Lady Catherine, let me remind you I am my own man and care little for alliances and titles. I have chosen Miss Elizabeth because she suits me in every particular. I would ask you to cease your objections, for they will have no effect on me.”
Mr. Darcy took up the argument, smiling, though faintly at Lady Margaret, saying: “I apologize for allowing you to be import
uned so. I am old and the weight of change is difficult to bear; it appears it is doubly so for my sister by marriage.
“The point is,” continued he, turning back to a seething Lady Catherine, “that the reconciliation between our families is a blessing, and I see no reason to deny my eldest son his happiness when my younger son has already married into the family. And before you say it, let me inform you I care as little about titles and connections as William. Why, half of those to whom we are connected I would not even greet if I had the choice!”
“Let me also be understood without any confusion, Aunt,” said Alexander, speaking for the first time and fixing Lady Catherine with a withering glare, “I will tolerate no unkindness toward my wife. If you persist, we shall retire to Thorndell.”
It seemed Lady Catherine had no reply for her brother and nephews’ words, though her glare was hateful. How the argument might have proceeded Elizabeth did not know, but it was interrupted by the exclamation of one who had rarely held her tongue.
“Upon my word, Alexander,” exclaimed Lydia, “I do not know how you withstood this harridan all these years.”
While Lady Catherine purpled with rage, snickers burst forth from most of the rest of the room, and Lady Margaret looked on her rival with smugness. Seeing she was outnumbered, Lady Catherine decided retreat was the best option.
“It seems no one here wants my opinion.”
“At last, she understands,” muttered Lydia, to further tittering of the group.
Though Lady Catherine shot Lydia a hateful glare, she addressed her daughter. “Come, Anne, it seems there is nothing left for us in Derbyshire. We shall return to Kent to plan for your future. Since Darcy has spurned you, I see no reason we cannot capture an earl at the very least.”