by Jann Rowland
“For myself, I have come to esteem Anthony, and it is he whom I will have as a husband, and not William.”
It was Elizabeth’s estimation that Lady Catherine had never had words directed at her, nor had Anne ever stood up to her mother with such force and determination. For a moment, Elizabeth thought apoplexy might strike the woman, so red of face and furious did she become. The moment passed much too quickly, for the lady soon found her voice.
“No, you shall not! I utterly forbid you to marry Fitzwilliam! What is he but a poor soldier, one who has spoken incessantly of his need for a wealthy wife?”
“He is the son of an earl, Catherine,” retorted Lord Matlock, clearly at the end of his patience. “In fact, from the perspective of prudence alone, he is a much better match for Anne than Darcy is.”
“I do not wish to marry Anne for such reasons, Father,” said Colonel Fitzwilliam, never taking his eyes from the enraged form of his aunt. “I wish it based on nothing more than inclination.”
“Oh, yes, it is inclination very well,” cried Lady Catherine. “I know you have coveted your cousin’s wealth all these years, Fitzwilliam. Do not think I have been blinded by your continued visits to Rosings with Darcy to see if you can displace him.”
“Whatever your opinion, it matters little to me,” said Anne.
“I am your mother,” snapped Lady Catherine. “You will obey me.”
“You are my mother, but I am of age,” rejoined Anne. “I am my father’s heir. My inheritance is not subject to your sufferance, nor am I beholden to obey your every whim.
“Furthermore, should you persist in this irrational objection, I will banish you to the dower house when I am married, for I will not have you bringing disharmony into my home.”
“And I will support Anne,” said Colonel Fitzwilliam. “Do not think I will be moved by your tantrums, Lady Catherine. You should know me better than to suppose this show of temper will have any effect on me.”
For a moment, Lady Catherine said nothing. Her eyes flicked from Colonel Fitzwilliam to Anne, from thence to Darcy and then to Elizabeth herself. When she made eye contact with Elizabeth, her lids narrowed, and her anger boiled over.
“Very well!” snapped she. “If you are fixed on this course of action, it seems there is nothing I can do to prevent it. I hope you all realize what a mistake this is. When you feel the full weight of your decisions today, as I have no doubt this woman will prove herself wholly inadequate to the level she aspires, then you will crawl to me, begging for my forgiveness. I shall not listen.”
With those words and one final glare at Elizabeth, she marched from the room. As the door slammed behind her, Elizabeth thought it unlikely anyone would see her for the rest of the evening. The thought passed her mind that no one would repine her absence.
Chapter XVIII
“Well, it seems that particular problem has been resolved,” jested Fitzwilliam almost the moment the door impacted the jamb behind Lady Catherine.
It was a well-practiced move for the family members present to roll their collective eyes at Fitzwilliam’s irreverence, though Darcy noted that Miss Elizabeth laughed. The waggling of his eyebrows did nothing to return the atmosphere to the seriousness of the situation.
“Really, Anthony, can you not be serious for once?” asked the earl.
“Oh, aye, it is a serious business,” replied Fitzwilliam, his grin belying his words. “I do not know about Darcy, but I am relieved Aunt Catherine’s dissent has been removed from the equation.”
The earl guffawed and exclaimed: “Yes, I suppose that must be a reason for celebration!” He then paused and glanced between Fitzwilliam and Anne. “While I will own to some knowledge of the interest between you, I had not known of your determination to marry. Is this not a little sudden?”
Anthony and Anne shared a look and turned back to Lord Matlock, Anne winding her arm through Anthony’s. “Though it is still early, and we are far from an announcement, I believe both Anne and I know how it will end.”
“I agree,” added Anne. “As for the situation with Mother, I cannot repine what has occurred tonight. Since I have determined not to marry William, I have known this argument was inevitable.”
“It is for the best, I think,” replied Darcy, “for we shall both be happier with our chosen companions.”
The stiffening of Miss Elizabeth’s hand on his arm informed Darcy he may have been a little precipitous in stating his feelings before them all, but he supposed it was best she now understood his intentions. As the earl spoke, she remained silent, for now was not the time to discuss the matter.
“Then, I suppose the next step is to resign your commission. Your mother will be happy about that.”
“Yes, she will, though that might be a little hasty. Nothing has been decided yet, after all.”
“Anthony,” said Anne, fixing him with a look, “I believe you may safely resign, for I have no wish for the war office to call you to the continent and claim your duty requires it of you.”
With a brief glance at his future bride, Anthony turned back to his father. “It seems you have the right of it, Father. I shall notify my general tomorrow and begin the process of finding someone to purchase my commission.”
The earl nodded and turned to Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. “I will own I had no notion your own situation had progressed to such a degree.”
“It has not,” Miss Elizabeth was quick to say.
Darcy frowned a little when he looked down at her, but he sensed she was not averse to him as she might have been before and understood his comment had likely caught her more than a little by surprise. His uncle and mother shared in a moment of laughter at his expense, and when Miss Elizabeth noted him looking at her, she favored him with an impish smile. A weight seemed to fall from Darcy’s heart at the sight.
“Well, perhaps it would be best to leave you alone for a moment,” said Lord Matlock, “though we should take care we leave the door ajar. It would not do for rumors to spawn from your absence—or for them to gain any more foothold.”
“If you wish a few moments together,” said his mother, “I shall wait at the end of the hall and ensure no one intrudes upon you.”
“Please, Mother, if you would not mind,” said Darcy.
His mother must have given her agreement, for she nodded, rested a hand on Darcy’s arm and grasped Miss Elizabeth’s hand, and then led her family from the room. Darcy’s eyes never left the woman who stood by his side. At the moment, she was regarding him in much the same way as he was watching her, openly, frankly, and with a hint of a curve in her eyebrow, as if daring him to speak. Darcy decided it was best to wait for her.
“Do you mean to say nothing, Mr. Darcy?” asked Miss Elizabeth. “Love was not a word I had heard you speak before you announced it to the room.”
For a moment, Darcy wondered as to her meaning. “Would you, Miss Elizabeth, marry without affection?”
“No,” was her prompt reply. “However, I did not just announce to my uncle and my mother that I was in love with you.”
“Ah,” said Darcy, fixing her with a grin, “but if you recall, I did not specifically declare love for you. I merely said I would not give up the woman I love for my aunt’s demands.”
“Then are you hiding some other woman in here?” asked Miss Elizabeth, casting a lazy glance about the room. “Perhaps under the sofa or—”
“Minx!” exclaimed Darcy, cutting her off. “Then I shall own to it. Yes, I have found you worthy of love. In fact, I have found it nigh impossible to remove you from my heart and mind, you have taken up such permanent residence there. While I should find it difficult to let you go now, I will not proceed unless you can assure me of a return of my sentiment. Do you think you can find it within yourself to return my affection?”
For a long moment, Miss Elizabeth regarded him, and had her lips not been turned up slightly, he might be worried for her response. It was, he supposed, something of a large alteration for her, for his hea
rt had been engaged much longer than hers. In the end, he with her response did not disappoint.
“At present, I must own that it is all so new, Mr. Darcy,” said she. “But I believe you may proceed, for I have great hope of a favorable outcome.”
“Thank you, Miss Elizabeth,” said Darcy with great feeling, knowing what a boon she had given him. “Then I shall seal our agreement.”
Giving her no chance to respond, Darcy leaned down and captured her lips with his own, surprised and gratified when her arms snaked about his neck. Pulling her to him, Darcy was careful to keep his kisses light and playful, rather than releasing the passion which had built up in his breast and threatened to provoke him to actions highly improper.
It seemed Miss Elizabeth had no lack of passion herself, for though she was obviously inexperienced in the act, she more than made up for it in enthusiasm. When he pulled a little away from her and gazed into her beautiful dark brown eyes, he found them bright and peering back, lightly misted with the passion of their recent actions. Then her lips turned up in a slight smile, and she disengaged her arms.
“Had there been anyone present, I might have thought you eager to compromise me into accepting your suit, sir.”
“No, indeed,” replied Darcy. “But I would have you know, Miss Elizabeth—I mean to make you my wife. I will do everything in my power to ensure you believe me worth the risk of accepting.”
In place of a response, Miss Elizabeth rose on the tips of her toes and placed a kiss again on his lips. “I begin to think your chances of success are good, Mr. Darcy. Continue in this charming manner, and perhaps they will rise again.”
The sound of a cleared throat from beyond the door alerted Darcy to the continued presence of his mother and the fact they had been in that room alone for some time. It seemed Miss Elizabeth saw it too, for she inspected herself, ensuring there was nothing out of place, before turning to Darcy.
“Is my hair mussed?”
“It looks as beautiful as it did when we entered the room,” said Darcy as she turned her head this way and that. “There is nothing out of place that I can see.”
“Then you should escort me back to the ballroom, for I think we have been absent long enough.”
With a bow, Darcy offered his arm for her to take and gestured toward the door, leading her thither. His mother had situated herself at the end of the hallway, though she turned as soon as they emerged, and approached them, looking to Elizabeth for signs of damage to her appearance.
“It seems your conversation did not have quite the destructive effect on your coiffeur I had feared,” said she, regarding them with a grin she could not hide. “Then again, I know my proper and upright son would never trespass upon a lady’s good reputation. Would you?”
“Of course not, Mother,” replied Darcy, keeping a straight face. “Miss Elizabeth is entirely safe with me.”
“And are you safe with Elizabeth?” asked his mother with laughing eyes.
“Perhaps not as safe as he was a short time earlier,” replied Miss Elizabeth with her own brand of humor. “But I shall endeavor to keep myself under good regulation.”
“Excellent,” said Lady Anne. “Then we should return to the ballroom.”
If there was one thing Darcy despised, it was being the focus of the gossip of others. On this occasion, however, he looked upon the whispers which were winging about the room before they entered—and rose noticeably when they returned—with a certain fatalistic acceptance. In deciding to marry a young woman who was an unknown in society, Darcy knew he was inviting the speculation. It was fortunate he would have such great sources of happiness attendant upon his situation, being married to a woman as wonderful as Miss Elizabeth, that he thought himself equal to withstanding any gossip, at least if they could avoid gossip which was mean-spirited or suggestive.
The mean-spirited sort Darcy knew would be Miss Elizabeth’s cross to bear, for no one would say anything of the sort to him. There were enough men in society whose manners were not the best that Darcy knew he would be required to fend off suggestive comments not limited to the supposed passion of country girls. In this, Darcy was proven correct within minutes of returning to the room. Of course, not all the comments were of a bad sort. Some of his friends, in fact, were complimentary.
“I had thought you were wavering toward your cousin,” said Hardwick, a good friend of Darcy’s from his university days. “Not that Miss de Bourgh would have been a poor choice, as she is pretty enough and possesses a handsome dowry. But this sudden alteration is surprising, Darcy.”
Darcy shrugged, keeping his eyes on Miss Elizabeth, who was moving about the dance floor with another man who was a slight acquaintance of Darcy’s. “Yes, Anne is a good catch for any man, but I do not need her wealth, and managing another estate of such magnitude so far from Pemberley would be difficult.”
“That is true.” Hardwick laughed and slapped his back. “Though some will question your sanity for throwing aside a young woman of such advantages for a woman who, by all accounts, has little to her name, I cannot help but commend you. From what I have seen of Miss Elizabeth, she is a jewel of the first order.”
‘That she is, Hardwick,” replied Darcy. “I feel fortunate I have recognized her worth is above the price of any dowry.”
“And country girls are infamous for their passionate natures,” interrupted Dowd, another of their acquaintances. Unlike Hardwick, however, Dowd was prone to being in his cups from time to time and speaking when he ought to remain silent, for all Darcy counted him a friend. “You shall experience it firsthand,” exclaimed Dowd, throwing an arm around Darcy’s shoulders, proving he was already a little top-heavy. “Leave us all envying you, eh?”
“Have a care, Dowd,” said Darcy, divesting himself of his friend’s arm. “Miss Elizabeth is a lady. You should not speak of her in such tones.”
“I did not mean to cast aspersions on her character, Darcy,” said Dowd, staggering as he stepped away. “A damn fine woman. Damn fine woman, indeed.”
Hardwick shared a look with Darcy as their friend walked away. “It is a little early for him to be in his cups.”
“Perhaps his mother has been difficult again. I have heard she is demanding he marry this year, and you know he is much more interested in the benefits of remaining single.”
“Aye, that is true,” laughed Hardwick. “Perhaps I should also begin to reflect on the benefits of marriage, my friend, and I might if you informed me if Miss Elizabeth has any other sisters than the angel Bingley cannot keep his eyes from.”
“Three more,” replied Darcy in an offhand tone, his eyes once again finding Miss Elizabeth.
“Then you must introduce me, my friend,” said Hardwick, his jovial tone not hiding his seriousness in the slightest. “If they are in any way as pretty as your lady, I should be very happy to make their acquaintance.”
The thought of the younger Bennet sisters brought a smirk to Darcy’s face, which he noted his friend did not see, fixed as his attention was on the pair of Bennet sisters who were dancing close to each other. Though Darcy did not see any way those girls would be introduced to wider society anytime soon, the picture his mind painted was amusing.
“If there is an opportunity, I shall introduce you, my friend.”
“Excellent!” said Hardwick. “I shall hold you to it.”
Hardwick then turned away to seek a new partner for the dance while Darcy returned to his contemplation of Miss Elizabeth’s perfections. Perhaps he should attempt to be sociable, but watching the young woman was far more satisfying.
Though Darcy was not aware of it, Elizabeth was soon to be the subject of those spiteful young ladies who were seeing the master of Pemberley slip through their fingers. The chief among these was a pair to whom Elizabeth had not been introduced—they had not requested the introduction—but whom she had seen on several occasions. It took no great turn of thought to assume much would be said on her coming accord with Mr. Darcy, and as Elizabeth wa
s expecting it, it was not a surprise when it came.
“It shall be great fun when we are sisters!” exclaimed Georgiana when she was in Elizabeth’s company again. “I have always wanted one, you know.”
“Let us not put the cart before the horse, Georgiana,” replied Elizabeth, maintaining her calm. “I am not engaged to your brother yet, neither do I believe I am ready to accept a proposal.”
“No, but I believe you are moving in that direction,” said Anne, her tone teasing. “Else Mother would not have been so incensed.”
“Mr. Darcy has watched you closely, and his ardor has grown apace,” added Jane. “His looks are not possible to misinterpret.”
“Perhaps they are not,” said Elizabeth, a hint of embarrassment falling over her when she remembered their interlude in the library. “But I would not give the gossips material to fuel their whispers.”
“Then you should not have stayed in the library so long after we all quit it,” said Anne, casting a knowing glance at Elizabeth. “I suppose we should all be grateful your hair escaped serious damage and that your dress was not similarly affected, else it would have been plain for all to see.”
Elizabeth swatted at Anne’s arm, and she dodged it, her merriment ringing out over them all. The other two girls crowded in and offered their congratulations, though in a manner designed to tease.
“It will be so wonderful to all be related,” said Anne when these teasing observations had been offered. “Though in my case it will be a little more distant, I shall count on your society in the coming years.”
“I believe we may promise that, Anne,” said Elizabeth, squeezing her friend’s hand. “Regardless of what happens in the future, I hope to retain all your friendships.”
Her sister and friends chorused their agreement. It was when this small group began to disperse, Georgiana looking for her mother while Jane’s attention was caught again by Mr. Bingley, that the nastier elements of society struck.
“I will own I am not certain what Lady Anne was thinking,” said a cold, affected voice near to where Elizabeth stood.