by Wynne Mabry
“That would have been a waste,” Mr. Darcy observed.
“It certainly would have been an unsatisfying life. I cannot imagine not being constantly busy with some sort of experiment or invention. My stepfather is always experimenting or building something. As a child, I used to observe with fascination. It was my greatest delight to be allowed to assist him. Those were very happy days. I went from utter misery to deep contentment.”
“It sounds ideal.”
“It was indeed. I still very much enjoy visiting him and seeing what he is up to, and he is always greatly interested to hear what I have been working at. I do not think I will tell him about my latest invention though. It has been fascinating to see that the theory was correct, but I think I had better destroy the machine.”
“I expect that will be for the best. We shall never see each other again, which will be a pity from my perspective, but travelling between realities is certainly a risky business.”
An Unpleasant Encounter
In the morning, everybody was up early except for Miss Bingley.
“She has never been an early riser,” Mrs. Hurst said. “We do not need her though.”
Mr. Bingley interrupted the servants’ morning work and explained the task which he wished them to undertake instead. After Mr. Darcy described the missing piece and showed them a diagram, they all set to searching with great thoroughness.
“We shall probably find it in no time at all,” Mr. Bingley said reassuringly to Mr. Darcy.
But nothing was found. All the servants looked most apologetic, but Mr. Bingley assured them that he was very satisfied with their efforts. Mr. Darcy stormed upstairs though. He returned a few minutes later dressed to go out.
“I am going to Meryton, and further if necessary, to find some replacement part,” he said. “Do not expect me back until I have it.”
The three of them looked at him with concern, but they let him leave without trying to talk him out of it.
“I just hope he does find something,” Mr. Bingley said. “I dread to think what sort of a mood he will be in if he does not.”
They went into a late breakfast, along with Miss Bingley and Jane, who came downstairs just after Mr. Darcy left and was given the impression that both he and Mr. Hurst had gone out on this quest. She had understood that the servants had searched for the missing piece, but had fortunately missed seeing Mr. Darcy’s black mood.
After eating, they all sat in the morning room, Jane included. Mr. Bingley was very solicitous of her health, but she assured him that she was not at all tired. In fact, she was more alert than the three who had been up early. With that, and concern about Mr. Darcy’s well-being, they were not especially talkative this morning.
After they had been sitting for about an hour, a carriage was heard to arrive and in a moment a footman announced Lady Catherine de Bourgh.
Having no idea who this person was, Elizabeth hoped that she would not be required to take much part in the conversation. It would be awkward if she was expected to know things of which she had no knowledge.
A tall person of commanding appearance came into the room. “Which one of you is Miss Elizabeth Bennet?” she asked in a peremptory voice.
“I am,” Elizabeth said, feeling rather alarmed. Had her other self done something to offend this lady?
“You are the person to whom my nephew is engaged?”
“Yes,” Elizabeth replied, realizing with some shock that this must be Mr. Darcy’s aunt, who apparently did not care for his engagement. There was more than a suggestion of disapproval in her expression and tone. It was a fair guess that the lady had not come to offer her congratulations or to make a friend of her nephew’s future wife.
It did not appear that she was the only one to gain this impression. Mr. Bingley was looking astonished. Mrs. Hurst was giving her a comforting look, and Jane gave her hand a sympathetic squeeze. Their presence was welcome support, but she could have done without Miss Bingley, who was smiling derisively. She seemed to be back to her usual self this morning.
The inquisition which followed confirmed her suspicions of being held in disapproval. Lady Catherine wanted to know all about her family. The size of her father’s estate and her mother’s connections were matters of particular interest.
Aside from finding this impertinent, Elizabeth struggled with the difficulty of answering these questions. In talking with Jane, she had learned that some things were consistent with her own circumstances, but she could not be certain that there were not some great differences as well. She did not want to give this lady any false information, and more importantly, she was concerned about revealing herself to Jane.
Mrs. Hurst provided some assistance by giving some very slight nods or shakes of her head, and she spread out four fingers in her lap when Lady Catherine asked how many sisters Elizabeth had, but she did not know everything either. There were times when all that Elizabeth could do was give the answer which was correct for herself and hope that things were the same. Fortunately, Jane did not give her any glances of astonishment.
After her background had been thoroughly delved into, her accomplishments were questioned next.
“Do you play and sing?” Lady Catherine asked.
Mrs. Hurst nodded, but Elizabeth confined her answer to, “A little.” In case her other self had the same degree of ability as herself, she did not want to be giving any great expectations.
“And do you draw?” was the next question.
Mrs. Hurst shook her head so slowly that she could have just been stretching her neck.
“No,” Elizabeth said, giving the answer which was true of herself as well.
“Do any of your sisters?”
Mrs. Hurst made a face which indicated that she had no help to offer in this instance, but Elizabeth felt it safe to reply that none of them did.
“Your governess did not instruct you in the art of drawing?”
Mrs. Hurst shrugged almost imperceptibly, but there was an embarrassed look on Jane’s face which gave Elizabeth the confidence to say, “My sisters and I did not have a governess.”
“What! No governess. Five daughters and no governess. It would appear that your education has been dreadfully neglected.”
“We were always encouraged to read,” Elizabeth said in defence of parents whom she did not know.
“It takes much more than just reading to make an accomplished lady,” Lady Catherine pronounced, giving Elizabeth a little amusement in the middle of an uncomfortable situation. Her Mr. Darcy would not care to hear this dismissal of reading, and she was sure that the other one would feel the same. “A thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing and dancing is essential. I presume that your mother did not take you to London for the benefit of instruction by the masters there.”
“No, she did not.”
“She should have done. Have you any knowledge of the modern languages?”
“None at all.” Elizabeth admitted this without shame, but she wished that it had not been necessary to meet Mr. Darcy’s aunt under the scrutiny of Miss Bingley, who was obviously taking pleasure in witnessing this examination of her rival.
“Have you acquired any skill in the feminine arts? Watercolours? Painting tables? Screens?”
“No,” Elizabeth replied, thinking that it was a bit much to judge her on such unimportant things. Miss Bingley looked as though she was longing to jump up and say that she could do all these things and much more
“Netting? Embroidery?”
Here at least was a chance to say yes instead of no, and this time Elizabeth did not clarify that her skills, and probably those of her counterpart, were minimal.
But this was not enough to appease Lady Catherine. “You seem to have a shocking lack of accomplishments,” she said. “That is not what my nephew is accustomed to. I will have you know that my niece is an exceptionally accomplished young lady.”
“So I have heard,” Elizabeth said. That information had come from the Miss Bingley in
her own world, but it seemed evident that Miss Darcy possessed the same talents in both realities.
“Mr. Darcy is very proud of her accomplishments.”
“He is,” Elizabeth agreed, assuming that he probably was, and not just because she had always thought her Mr. Darcy a very proud man. It was natural to be proud of a sister’s abilities.
She was half expecting Lady Catherine to tell her that she ought to hastily acquire some more accomplishments in time to start her married life, but instead she was asked if any of her other sisters were out in society. Mrs. Hurst flashed five fingers as though she was stretching them out.
“They all are,” Elizabeth replied.
The answer shocked Lady Catherine dreadfully, but that was not surprising. By now, it was clear that she had only come for the purpose of finding fault. Elizabeth felt sorry for her other self. It was a pity that she would acquire such an unpleasant relative. At least they would not be living in close proximity.
She was a little surprised when Lady Catherine suggested that they take a walk in the garden. Her ladyship had not required privacy to deliver a great deal of criticism already, and she was clearly not looking for an intimate connection. Elizabeth felt that it was more of a demand than a request though, so she went to fetch her cloak.
“Now, we may come to the point,” Lady Catherine said once they were in the garden. “I cannot understand how it is that my nephew came to engage himself to such an inferior person, but it is not to be tolerated. I have come to tell you that I will not permit you to marry him.”
This declaration startled Elizabeth. She had not been expecting such an outright objection to the match. Very much offended by this on behalf of her other self, she willingly took up the battle, declaring in an angry voice, “Your permission is not required, and the marriage is going to take place in spite of your objections.”
“Selfish, unfeeling girl! It is outrageous that you have so little regard for the wishes of his family.”
Elizabeth thought it astonishing that Lady Catherine could use the word outrageous so easily. She was remarkably oblivious to the outrageousness of her own behaviour. “I think it deplorable that his family has no regard for his wishes,” she said. “That is where the selfishness lies in this case.”
“It is not selfish to prevent him from making a dreadful mistake. It is the duty of his relatives to prevent him from throwing himself away, as he certainly would be by marrying somebody so inferior to himself. You are lacking in family, connections, and fortune, as well as all the graces that Mrs. Darcy should possess.”
“If none of those things matter to Mr. Darcy, then they can be of no concern to you.”
“They are of the greatest concern. It would be a degradation for you to take the position which was once held by my sister. You are completely unsuitable to follow in her footsteps.”
“I do not mean to attempt it,” Elizabeth said. “I shall prefer to carve my own role as mistress of Pemberley.”
“Insolent girl! You shall never be mistress of Pemberley.”
While she herself had no such expectation, Elizabeth continued to be spirited in her defence, feeling it safe to assume that her other self would choose to do the same. “I certainly shall be,” she said. “Your objections will not persuade me to give up Mr. Darcy.”
“You are without honour or decorum. But I have another reason why you cannot marry my nephew. He is already engaged to my daughter. Now what do you have to say to that?”
“Only that Mr. Darcy is too much of a gentleman to have made me an offer if he was not free to do so. I am astonished to hear you suggest that his behaviour has been duplicitous.”
“Of course I am not suggesting that,” Lady Catherine snapped. “The engagement between them is peculiar in its nature. It was the dearest wish of both their mothers. We planned the union while they were still in their infancy.”
“Which clearly demonstrates that Mr. Darcy is not bound to anything,” Elizabeth said firmly. “The plans of others do not dictate his choices.”
“He has no right to disregard the wishes of his own relatives.”
“He has every right. A man should be entitled to determine for himself what will constitute his own happiness. The wishes of his relatives may be taken into consideration, but he need not be entirely guided by them. I have no doubt that Mr. Darcy did give careful thought to your wishes in the manner of dutiful nephew, but evidently he decided that the marriage which you had planned would not suit him.”
“There is no reason why my daughter would not suit him,” Lady Catherine cried in outrage. “Indeed, she is imminently suitable. Her descent is far superior to yours, as is her fortune. She is heir to one of the grandest estates in England. You are the one who has nothing to offer him.”
“He believes that I have a great deal to offer him. I do not think that you understand your nephew very well, Lady Catherine. It is things like love and loyalty which matter to him, not fortune or superior descent.”
“Love,” scoffed Lady Catherine. “Love has nothing to do with great alliances.”
“But it makes for happy ones,” came a voice from behind her. “Miss Bennet is quite correct, aunt. I am sorry to have disappointed you, but love does matter to me, and your ideas of suitability do not. I am going to marry Elizabeth, and I will not tolerate any objections from my relatives. That is to be the last word on the subject.”
“You are making a terrible mistake.”
“I do not think so, but even if I were, it is my mistake to make.”
“You are a fool,” she cried. “I am most displeased with you. And with you, Miss Bennet. If you do marry him, I will take no notice of you.”
“I very much hope that you will not if it is your intention to continue insulting her,” Mr. Darcy said, coming to Elizabeth’s side. “I do not wish to see any more of you unless you mean to be civil to my future wife. And that really is the last word. We are going inside now, and you are no longer welcome.”
He took Elizabeth’s arm and hurried back to the house with her, leaving Lady Catherine with no choice but to return to her carriage and depart.
“I am dreadfully sorry that you had to suffer such appalling treatment,” he said.
“Do not be,” Elizabeth replied. “I did not mind speaking up on behalf of your fiancée. I only hope that it was the right thing to do. I thought that she would approve of my stand, but I could not be certain.”
“She would undoubtedly approve. The two of you are quite alike. She would not have endured such insult without making a strong protest.”
“And you.”
“Oh, I am very glad that you stood up to my aunt. With any luck, my Elizabeth will have less to endure as a result.”
“Did you find a replacement part?” she asked, feeling hopeful of it since he had spoken so confidently to his aunt of being soon married.
“No, but I did have some time to think. I hate not being able to do anything, but I am compelled to accept that it is not possible. I shall have to put all my faith in Mr. Hurst, but it helps that I have the greatest confidence in him. All we can do now is wait, and I will to try to be less impatient.”
Elizabeth could understand that it would be a difficult wait for him. Besides being desperate for the return of his fiancée and his friend, he was obviously the sort of man who liked to be in command of a situation.
It would not be easy for her either, but at least she was not suffering the same sort of pain. She wondered whether her presence only added to his burden by constantly reminding him of her other self. Perhaps it would be better if she were not at Netherfield. There was another place where she could go. It might be a little strange, but she had the impression that it would be much like home.
“I am thinking that I should go to Longbourn in the meantime,” she said.
He understood at once. “You wish to spare me from any discomfort, but that is not necessary. I do not mind your being here, and it is simpler for you to stay.”
&
nbsp; As that was true, she did not pursue the idea, but something soon happened to make her change her mind. She was just glad that Jane was not there when the unpleasantness began.
A Bargain Must Be Made
While Mr. Hurst and Mr. Darcy were out, Elizabeth did go downstairs with the intention of going into the library for a while, but that was not possible. In the hall, she was waylaid by Miss Bingley, who pressed her to go for a walk in the garden. She agreed to this with great reluctance. It was doubtful that Miss Bingley wanted to have a pleasant conversation, especially after the hints which she had given yesterday. Indeed, it was more likely that she meant to say more on the subject of her guests’ departure.
That suspicion was proven correct, but in a way which Elizabeth had not anticipated.
“You do not belong here,” Miss Bingley said once they were outside.
Elizabeth was startled by these words. “What do you mean,” she asked, hoping that Miss Bingley did not know anything and was only expressing her dislike in a very direct way.
But that was not the case.
“I heard you and Mr. Darcy talking in the library. I know that you are a different Elizabeth from another reality.”
“I think you must be confused,” Elizabeth said, in the faint hope that Miss Bingley had only heard a few words in passing. “What you are saying does not make sense.”
“It is no use trying to fool me. I heard you talking about your own sister in your reality. And about the other Elizabeth being there. I do not know how this is possible, but I do not care to understand it. What I do know is that you are deceiving Jane.”
“For her own good,” Elizabeth said, dropping all pretence. “There is no need for her to suffer any distress. I will not be in this reality very long. A few days at most.”
“I am glad to hear it, but you will not spend that time at Netherfield.”
“I need to be at Netherfield in order to return to my reality.”