the servants were perhaps listening, she steeled herself to reply, “Lady Catherine, whether or not I marry your nephew will solely be determined by whether or not he asks me, not by your empty threats!”
“You are an insolent girl!” she cried out. “Have you no respect for our family? He has been promised in marriage to my daughter since their birth! Both his mother and I wished it!” Lady Catherine’s body shook with the fervency of her words.
“I came to know of that even before my visit to Rosings,” she answered, her voice steady. “If Mr. Darcy chooses to honour that wish, then you ought to have nothing to worry about.” Elizabeth paused. “If his understanding is compatible with yours, I wonder why you feel so inclined to caution me.”
Lady Catherine again pounded her cane sharply against the floor. “Tell me, Miss Bennet, whether or not
Elizabeth felt her ire rise, but made a concerted effort to suppress it. “You claim that to be an impossibility. If he is engaged to your daughter, how can he become engaged to someone else?”
Lady Catherine threw her shoulders back and lifted her chin in the air. “You must promise me this, Miss Bennet! If my nephew asks for your hand, you must not accept him!”
The pounding of footsteps coming toward the room abruptly stopped. Elizabeth hoped it was someone coming to rescue her from Lady Catherine’s abuse. But no one stepped in.
Elizabeth swallowed and straightened her shoulders. She lifted her head and looked directly into Lady Catherine’s eyes. “I may be insupportable and headstrong, but one thing I am definitely not is easily intimidated. You insist that I refuse an offer of marriage from your nephew. I cannot promise anything of the sort. I will only reply that I would be more than delighted to accept an offer if he were ever to make one.”
“This is not to be borne! I have never met with one so devoid of propriety! Do you not know…?”
“That is enough!”
The voice boomed across the room with such force that even Lady Catherine started. They both turned to see Mr. Darcy stride with determined steps toward them. He came to a halt at Elizabeth’s side, his breathing ragged, his eyes glaring.
“I will hear no more of your tirade against Miss Bennet. What right have you to treat her—a guest in my household—in such a rude, disparaging manner?”
Without waiting for his aunt to answer, he turned to Elizabeth. “Pray, forgive me for the reception you received here.”
His aunt seemed momentarily stunned by his unexpected appearance, and her nose flared as her upper lip curled under. She directed an accusatory glare toward Elizabeth. “Miss Bennet is a pretentious woman with no connections, rank, or fortune. Stay as far away from her as possible. She has aspirations that would ruin you and dishonour your family name.”
Darcy’s eyes narrowed and he took a moment to compose himself. Elizabeth readily saw the turmoil in his face, the tension in his body. Suddenly his features softened, and he seemed to relax slightly.
“I fear that is impossible,” he said slowly.
“Impossible?” his aunt asked. “Why?”
Darcy turned to Elizabeth. “It is very simple. She made a promise to me and has yet to keep it.”
Both Lady Catherine’s and Elizabeth’s eyes widened, and their brows were raised in surprise at his statement. Lady Catherine boldly asked, “What promise? Whatever do you mean?”
He smiled softly, reassuringly, at Elizabeth. “She promised to watch the sunrise with me from the ridge behind Pemberley.” He cast his eyes down and shook his head. “I fear that I must hold her to it.”
Elizabeth’s heart beat relentlessly as she tried to conceal a smile, much like she believed Mr. Darcy was doing, while Lady Catherine did not make any attempt to conceal her anger. “I have never heard anything more disgraceful! You are to marry my Anne, and this sort of behaviour…”
“I fear
Lady Catherine and Elizabeth turned toward the door to see Colonel Fitzwilliam walk in, followed by Miss Darcy and Miss de Bourgh.
As he walked in, he greeted his aunt with a brief kiss and turned to Elizabeth. “Miss Bennet, it is a delight to see you again.”
Elizabeth nodded and softly replied, “It is good to see you, as well.”
“Whatever do you mean?” his aunt insisted upon knowing. “Why is his marrying my Anne impossible?” She turned to look at Anne and asked, “Where have you been? You know how much I dislike not knowing where you are!”
Elizabeth watched as Anne slightly shielded herself behind Colonel Fitzwilliam. “She has been with me!” the Colonel announced. He drew in a breath and took a rigid soldier’s stance. “And the reason my good cousin cannot marry Anne is because…
The colour drained from Lady Catherine’s face, and her body was wracked with tremors as she came to understand his words. Her voice cracked as she said, “You? You cannot marry Anne!”
“And why not? We care deeply for one another. We love each other!”
Lady Catherine shook her head violently. “No! This cannot be! You have nothing to offer her!”
“He loves me, Mother,” Anne’s voice, although weak, was firm. “And what is more important is that I love him.”
“I have never heard anything more absurd in my life! You have no idea of what you speak!”
As Lady Catherine continued her tirade, now aimed at Colonel Fitzwilliam, Mr. Darcy drew Elizabeth quietly out of the room. Miss Darcy followed, tucking her hand through Elizabeth’s arm.
In a hushed, fervent voice, she said as they walked out, “Pray, forgive me for not being here to welcome you when you arrived. This whole affair between my two cousins came about so suddenly.”
“Think nothing of it,” Elizabeth replied reassuringly, patting the back of Miss Darcy’s hand.
“I know how my aunt can be. I cannot imagine what she must have said to you.”
At that moment Mr. Darcy stopped and turned around. “Whatever she said, it will all be forgotten now. She has a greater concern that is going to occupy her thoughts for quite some time.”
“The Colonel marrying her daughter?” Elizabeth asked.
Darcy nodded. “I am convinced she will come to see the good in it.” Darcy stopped at the door to a spacious room. “As your visit today was an invitation from Georgiana, I shall leave you two here and send for some refreshments.” With a slight shrug of his shoulders, he added, “Then I shall be off to ensure my cousin does not have to resort to some military manoeuvre to subdue our aunt.” With a wink at Georgiana, he added as he walked toward the door, “Please refrain from revealing to Miss Bennet too many of our family secrets.”
Once Mr. Darcy stepped from the room, Georgiana eagerly turned to Elizabeth and gave her a charming smile. They began talking at first about very general subjects. To Elizabeth’s discerning eye, it appeared as though Miss Darcy exhibited a bit less shyness than she had witnessed at Pemberley. She hoped that it was an indication the young lady felt at ease in her company.
The time passed quickly as they talked about their families. Elizabeth sensed that Georgiana felt a bond with her in that they had both lost their fathers. They shared with each other what they remembered most and how much they missed them.
At length, Elizabeth noticed that Darcy was standing in the doorway to the room, casually leaning against it. She quietly wondered just how long he had been there watching the two of them.
“All is well,” he said softly, giving no indication that he overheard anything. “They have returned to my aunt’s home to discuss that which both my cousins wish and that which my aunt will fight for several more days. She will eventually concede, and all will be well.”
Georgiana reached over and grasped Elizabeth’s hand. “I am so sorry you had to witness such a mêlée in our family. Would you care for a tour of the house?”
Elizabeth heartily agreed.
When they finished walking through the beautiful home, Miss Darcy made a suggestion. “The day is very pleasant. Would you enjoy taking a turn about the grounds behind the house?”
“I would love to,” Elizabeth softly answered.
They walked to the back of the house and stepped out. The grounds were lush, with a lawn that stretched out before them and trees that formed a barrier to the outside world. They walked toward a bench that was covered with a lattice canopy filled with wisteria blossoms. The scent was heavenly. Mr. Darcy gestured toward the
