Through the Window 2

by Mary Jane Ballew

  Lady Catherine shouted. “You have no remorse for what you have done!? No concern for your cousin, my daughter, Anne,” she looked at him with renewed anger. “To think I looked upon you as if you were my own son, and this is how you repay me! You think nothing of the pain and heartache you have brought to your cousin. She, who has been waiting all these years for you to fulfill your mother's dearest wish and marry her! Instead, you go off and marry that girl who is so clearly inferior to my daughter! It is not to be born!”

  “I never gave you or Anne any reason to believe my intention was to marry her!” he told her again. “I am sorry if Anne has been hurt by the falsehoods you have deceived her into believing. But any heartache she may be feeling now is by your hand, Lady Catherine. You have made her wait, and you have caused that pain, not I!”

  Lady Catherine raged at him, “You will regret your decision to marry that upstart social climber! When all of London society turns their back on you and Georgiana, you will regret it!”

  Darcy finally understood, “This is all about revenge for you,” he concluded. “You want to make me suffer for going against your wishes,” he said, his voice filled with disdain. “You would spread lies and gossip about Elizabeth; you would purposely try to destroy Georgiana’s chances in finding a husband, all so you can punish me for following my own heart…”

  Lady Catherine leaned back in her chair, “I have done nothing,” she told him coldly. “You have brought it all on yourself. What happened last night was nothing compared to what those from our social circle will say once they have met the mother and Lydia Wickham. I dare say, even my brother’s wife, Lady Fitzwilliam, will not be so generous with her invitations once she spends a moment in their company! You have brought ruination to your family name; you will be shunned. Georgiana will be cast-off! No one of respectability will ever allow a match with such a family of low connections. Your father would be ashamed of you, Fitzwilliam!”

  Darcy clenched his fist in anger, “You are nothing but a bitter, hateful old woman who knows nothing of love or kindness,” he said seeing her for what she truly was. “I feel sorry for you, Lady Catherine; you will end up alone. None of the things you have just said will ever come to pass. Elizabeth is a wonderful woman, and those who truly take the time to know her will know how superior a woman she is. Elizabeth will always be surrounded by people who truly love her, who respect her and care for her. But you will sit at Rosings alone and empty, with nothing but your hate, bitterness, and a cold heart to keep you company,” he said as he turned to leave.

  Lady Catherine stood up and shook her fist at him. “Do not walk away from me!” she shouted out after him. Darcy ignored her and kept walking. As he slammed the door shut behind him, he was determined to have nothing further to do with her ever again.

  Chapter Twelve

  Elizabeth was delighted to see Charlotte again, but a little less so when it came to seeing Mr. Collins. In fact, there was a part of her that wished very much that Mr. Collins would have remained with Lady Catherine instead of coming to join them all for tea. As she looked around the room, she thought perhaps things were not going so very badly. Her mother and Lady Lucas were chatting like two old hens in the hen house with Mary. The topic was, of course, Mary’s upcoming wedding. Lady Lucas seemed delighted hearing about all the little details, and her mother was happy to share them. For her part, Mary sat and listened politely, but it was easy to see she was not at all interested in discussing her wedding yet again. Elizabeth imagined her sister was likely beginning to feel as she did before she married William, wanting the day to hurry and arrive. Of course, Mr. Godwin, along with his father, the Colonel, Captain Hathaway, and Charles all went out to go riding for the afternoon. Elizabeth had planned that some of the gentlemen would remain and take tea with the ladies, but they did not stay long. Once it was determined that the topic of discussion would be wedding clothes, dinner parties, and balls, they hastily departed. Mr. Collins and Mr. Fitzwilliam were the only two who stayed to spend the afternoon with them. Elizabeth lifted her teacup up and sipped her tea as she did her best to listen to Mr. Collins drone on.

  “I told Lady Catherine how very pleased I was to be able to join her in coming to London. I cannot tell you how delighted we both were. Is that not true, Charlotte?” Mr. Collins said for the third time.

  “Yes, it is very true,” she said as she sighed heavily.

  “To be so favored by someone of such rank and privilege was beyond what I ever would have expected,” Mr. Collins said. “Of course, our coming offers Lady Catherine, as well as her most beloved daughter, some companionship while they are away from home.”

  “Does Lady Catherine not have companions here in town to keep her company enough?” Elizabeth asked.

  “Oh yes,” Mr. Collins quickly amended his earlier remarks. “Lady Catherine has many acquaintances who have called on her since coming to London. We have met so many truly worthy people since arriving. Why, Lady Knowles called again on Lady Catherine only this morning, although I did not converse with her personally.”

  “We attended a ball that Lady Knowles gave only last night,” Elizabeth remarked. “I thought it odd that Lady Catherine did not attend, nor did Miss de Bourgh. I had understood that Lady Catherine and Lady Knowles were such good friends. I wonder why they did not come.”

  Mr. Collins sniffled in and arched his brow disapprovingly, “I believe she would have attended,” he said somewhat snidely. “However, Lady Catherine was uneasy about seeing you and Mr. Darcy,” he told her. “And poor dear Miss de Bourgh has been so heartbroken since Mr. Darcy broke off his engagement to her. Why I do believe it has taken a toll on her health, she is so very ill.”

  Elizabeth’s eyes narrowed just a little, but before she could respond to such false remarks, Charlotte turned to him and said. “I told you, Mr. Collins, that Mr. Darcy did not have an understanding with Lady Catherine’s daughter!” she said, snapping at him just a little.

  Collins reached out his hand and gently patted his wife’s hand, “I promise you, Mrs. Collins,” he began to say. “I clearly heard her Ladyship say that there was an understanding between the two of them,” he said condescendingly.

  Charlotte took in a small breath and rolled her eyes, “She said it was an understanding of a peculiar nature!” she snapped at him again.

  Elizabeth’s mouth turned up into a smile as she arched her brow and said, “It was indeed one of a very peculiar nature; one in which Mr. Darcy knew nothing about.”

  Collins looked over at Elizabeth and feigned a smile, “Of course, I meant no offense by bringing up such a painful reminder to you of how Mr. Darcy has been separated from his family. I am sure you must feel some regret most keenly for bringing about the end to such strong family connections.”

  Elizabeth took in a deep breath and did her best to keep her temper under control. “Knowing as you do, how very upset Lady Catherine is about Mr. Darcy having married me, I should think you must have weighed heavily whether to come here at all,” she told him. “After all, by coming here, it is possible that you will only further rouse Lady Catherine’s sorrow. As you so favor her condescensions and patronage, perhaps you should reconsider calling here or at Pemberley in the future, if it is so distressful for her Ladyship, as you say. Perhaps in the future, you should allow Charlotte to call on me alone.”

  Mr. Collins swallowed hard as he began to sweat just a little. “Of course, Mrs. Darcy, I would never want to give slight to you, or Mr. Darcy,” he said realizing he may have gone too far with his comments. “After all, we are family. Better to keep the familiar bonds of family relations intact, I believe.”

  Elizabeth smiled, “True Mr. Collins, very true,” she agreed with him.

  After a few moments of awkward silence, Collins cleared his throat, “Oh Miss Bennet,” he called out to Mary as he stood up and made his way over to her. “I have not congratulated you yet on your upcoming wedding. Please allow me to do so.”

  Elizabeth sippe
d her tea as she watched him go. She turned to Charlotte and asked her, “Tell me, Charlotte, are you feeling quite well? You look so very tired.”

  Charlotte shook her head, “I am, Lizzy,” she admitted. “I am so very tired all of the time.”

  “Mr. Collins should have allowed you to remain at the parsonage,” she told her. “It was very thoughtless of Lady Catherine to insist you come along.”

  Charlotte smiled, “Oh Lizzy, I do so wish we would have stayed at Rosings. Coming here has only served to rile Lady Catherine. She has been in high dudgeon since our arrival, and I fear she will continue to be so,” she told her.

  Elizabeth could see the distress her friend was feeling. “Come Charlotte, let us take a walk in the garden so that we might talk freely,” she suggested softly.

  Charlotte nodded her head. “I will get my shawl,” she said as she stood up and followed Elizabeth to the door.

  Once they were out in the garden where Elizabeth was sure they could not be overheard, she turned to her friend and said, “Charlotte, this cannot be good for you or your baby,” she told her. “Perhaps once we depart from London, Lady Catherine will return to Rosings and things will settle down once again.”

  “In truth Lizzy, I do not care to return to Rosings Park right now,” she said as she wrapped her shawl up around her shoulders. “In fact, I am determined to return to Lucas Lodge with my mother instead.”

  Elizabeth was surprised to hear her say so, “Will you stay at Lucas Lodge for the remainder of your confinement, then?” she asked.

  Tears shimmered in her eyes as she hurried to blink them away, “Oh Lizzy, I do hope to stay there until after the babe comes,” she confided in her. Charlotte looked over towards the house for a moment, before she turned back to Elizabeth. “I am sorry to say that my emotions are so very unpredictable right now and…” she leaned over and whispered softly, “Things that I have been able to overlook before now seem to agitate me to no end. I am often annoyed and prone to bickering with Mr. Collins,” she told her. “Sometimes, just the sight of him makes me feel distressed.”

  “Well, that is to be expected,” Elizabeth said, hoping to make her friend feel better. “After all, so much is changing for you right now. It cannot be easy.”

  “You are so right. Oh, Lizzy, it is not at all easy for me,” Charlotte sighed, as she sniffled in just a little. “To be frank, I find myself feeling so much pressure that this baby should be a boy. All Mr. Collins speaks of is wanting a son. He talks about the entail to Longbourn and the need for the child to be a boy so that he can bring about an end to it,” she said without thinking. When she saw the sudden look of shock on Elizabeth’s face, she shook her head. “Oh Lizzy, forgive me for saying that just now,” she pleaded with her. “I did not mean to speak out of turn.” Charlotte reached out and took Elizabeth’s hand in her own. “I know that must have sounded terribly insensitive of me, considering your family’s situation and the fact that Mr. Collins will inherit Longbourn. I know it is unfair of me to speak with you about this, but I know not what to do or where to turn. I have no one to talk to about this. Even Lady Catherine goes on about how I must give Mr. Collins a son. She says it is my duty to do so. Oh Lizzy, what am I to do?”

  Elizabeth felt sorry for her friend, “Dear Charlotte, you must not allow this to distress you so,” she said trying to calm her friend. “Do not be uneasy about this. It is ridiculous for Lady Catherine or anyone else to place such burdens on you. Why you can no more make this baby a boy than you can spin straw into gold.”

  Charlotte laughed a little and sniffled in, “Thank you, Lizzy,” she told her as she dabbed at her eyes to dry them. “If I do return with my mother to Lucas Lodge, I have told Mr. Collins he should return to Rosings with Lady Catherine and to his parishioners. I do not think my confinement will go so well with Mr. Collins always there lecturing me about having a son.”

  Elizabeth hesitated for a moment, “But would it be better for you to be so very near your Mama?” she asked her. “I know you have not always liked being at home either.”

  Charlotte thought about it, “I cannot explain it Lizzy, but right now, feeling as I do,” she began to say, “I believe I will do better surrounded by old familiar things. I believe at least some time with my mother would be very good for me.”

  “What does Mr. Collins have to say about this?” she asked. “Does he mind your returning home to your mother for your confinement?”

  Charlotte shook her head, “No,” she told her. “In fact, he is the one who has encouraged me to do so,” she commented. “Truly, Lizzy, I think my being uneasy makes him so.”

  Elizabeth said nothing more. She could not help but think how very odd an arrangement Charlotte had with her husband, but decided it would be better not to say anything more on the matter. “Well then, I do hope it all works out,” she said as they walked through the garden maze. “At least, if you are at Lucas Lodge, I may come and see you as I like without fear of rousing the wrath of Lady Catherine. If you were to remain at the parsonage in such close proximity to Lady Catherine, it would be that much more difficult for you, I think.”

  Charlotte smiled, “That is true,” she said, beginning to feel better. “I feel better having talked to you, Lizzy. I almost feel more like my old self just being with you.”

  “Well I am very glad to hear it,” she said as they turned and followed the path back to the house.

  Mrs. Bennet smiled as soon as she saw Lydia, Kitty, Jane, and Miss Darcy come back into the parlor, “There you are girls!” she cried out. “I began to think you got lost looking around Lizzy’s house; you were gone so very long.”

  “Well it is a rather large house, Mama,” Jane told her.

  “Yes, and Lydia wanted to see each room,” Kitty told her.

  Lydia walked over and sat down next to her mother, “Mama, Lizzy is rich!” she announced so that all those present could hear. “I do not understand why she gets so upset with me for asking for the little bit of help as I do from time to time. For Mr. Darcy to have such a grand house right in the heart of London, she must be very wealthy!”

  “Perhaps Lizzy gets upset because she knows you will only use the money to buy hats and other silly things instead of paying your debts!” Kitty said accusingly.

  Lydia looked at her and laughed, “Why should she care if I buy hats?” she demanded to know. “With how rich Mr. Darcy is, Lizzy probably has hundreds of hats and gowns, so why should I not have them as well?”

  “Because Mr. Wickham cannot afford to buy you gowns and hats!” Kitty shot back at her.

  Mrs. Bennet rolled her eyes, “Enough!” she shouted causing everyone in the room to look over at her. “Really, Kitty, I am sure you can think of something better to do with your time than to bicker with your sister,” she said. “Perhaps you could go and speak with Mr. Fitzwilliam,” she encouraged her. “I am sure he would not mind.”

  Kitty’s eyes opened wider with embarrassment, “Mama,” she whispered, trying not to draw any more attention to herself than her mother already had. “Mr. Fitzwilliam is talking to Miss Darcy and Miss Bingley.”

  Mrs. Bennet looked over and narrowed her eyes. “Kitty, you will never marry well if you do not try harder!” she snapped at her. She arched her brow as her mouth turned up into an odd sort of smile. “I have just the thing,” she practically yelled as she took Kitty’s hand in hers and pulled her along.

  Kitty’s embarrassment was only furthered when her mother rudely interrupted Mr. Fitzwilliam’s conversation with Miss Bingley and Miss Darcy. Mrs. Bennet’s smile broadened as she said, “Mr. Fitzwilliam, I was just speaking with Kitty and saying that she should give us all the pleasure of hearing her sing. I believe you would enjoy hearing her sing, would you not sir?”

  Owen smiled as he looked over at Kitty, “I would indeed, Mrs. Bennet,” he nodded his head politely. “Of course, that is only if Miss Bennet wants to sing.”

  Kitty was just about to respond when Mrs. Bennet waved her h
andkerchief in the air, “Oh, of course, she wants to sing!” she enthused. “Kitty loves to sing; she lives to sing for everyone and to please us all with a song!”

  Kitty sighed heavily as she leaned over closer to her mother. “Mama, I cannot sing for you now,” she tried to tell her. “Mary is speaking with Mr. Collins and Lady Lucas. It would be rude to interrupt their conversation. Besides, they are still having their tea.”

  Mrs. Bennet rolled her eyes in annoyance, “Oh, I would so love to hear my dear girl sing!” she cried out. “Mary, you must come and play a song for Kitty so that Mr. Fitzwilliam and I may hear her sing.”

  Mary stopped her conversation with Lady Lucas and Mr. Collins. “Mama, I am not sure it would be proper for me to play just now. Lizzy and Charlotte have not returned from their walk in the garden, and we are all having our tea.”