Lady Catherine’s mouth dropped. “Miss Elizabeth?! Are you speaking of Elizabeth Bennet?! But I thought she was some poor hoyden from the backwater country! She has no fortune!”
“She and her sister inherited recently. She said your daughter’s £30,000 is nothing and she easily has more than that. You truly know nothing, Lady Catherine. Go back to your home in Brighton. Mama will not miss you and she will be glad to be rid of your meddling ways. You have not changed at all in your irritating manners and you are no longer welcome to come into my home and order my servants about. My mother was tired of hearing you before and she is tired of you now.” Thorpe jeered. “This will be the last time you write to us to ask for a favour. I sent my carriage to you and allowed you to visit us this once because of your promise for a fortune but no more. You have no idea what is happening with your own family because they cut you off and you are now a poor woman with little means. Crawl back to your hole and do not come back out!”
John Thorpe called for her belongings to be packed up straightaway and readied his carriage to deliver Lady Catherine back to Brighton. She was ejected from his house within the hour and gone from Ramsgate forever.
~*~
“I received word that Lady Catherine has departed.” William announced. “Our theatrics worked as intended and I will let my father and uncle know of our actions today. Perhaps Lizzy might write about this in her book and include it in her adventures?”
Lizzy laughed, “I have already begun it, Will! What great amusement. I shall like a life on stage, I believe, but I do like delivering justice more.” She looked at Georgiana. “Next time, Georgie, we will include you in our acting. We only wished to keep you away from that scoundrel this time because he is not a good man. When you see him tonight, I give you leave to stick your tongue out at him!”
Everyone laughed and let out a sigh of contentment. Their time in Ramsgate had been filled with excitement and it had been a very memorable holiday already.
Later that evening, there was a knock at the door of the drawing room. “Mr. John Thorpe at the front door, sir.” The butler alerted the master.
“Show him to the sitting room but slowly, Morris,” Mr. Knightley instructed. “Everyone will need to take their places.”
Lizzy and Jane immediately left for the sitting room while the others stayed in the drawing room and kept quiet.
Mr. Thorpe was all smiles to see the two ladies waiting for him prettily in the room. “Ladies, how nice to see you again so soon. You both look beautiful.” He approached Lizzy and lifted up her hand to kiss it. “You, my dearest Miss Elizabeth, are a vision. My heart soars to see you smile and I have never known such contentment than to be in your vicinity.”
“Oh, you are too much, sir!” Lizzy smiled as she sharply pulled her hand away. “I truly mean it, sir. You are too much! Has your business gone well with Lady Catherine de Bourgh?”
Thorpe stuttered, “How... How do you know about Lady Catherine, Miss Elizabeth? Are you acquainted with her?”
“Yes, I certainly am.” Lizzy answered as they all sat down. “I made her acquaintance when I stayed at Rosings Park in Kent many years ago. She gave me quite an experience by slapping me across my cheek when I was but eleven years old and I am part of the reason why she lost the estate, most unfortunately for her.” She grinned. “Mr. Thorpe, I do not believe you have met the owner of this cottage yet. He and his wife are here with us, as well as his very dear friend.” She called out louder, “You may enter now, Mr. Knightley.”
Mr. Thorpe immediately stood to make a good impression to the owner of the large cottage and turned around. But he stood frozen when the man he knew as Mr. Smith and the lady he thought was Mr. Darcy’s betrothed walked in.
“I am Mr. Knightley and this is my wife, Mrs. Knightley, John Thorpe. I believe you know Mr. Darcy, my friend from Cambridge.” He stated.
William entered behind with a scowl, “We remembered your attempt to seduce Andover’s sister, Thorpe. You were an awful human being then and you are still a scoundrel now.” He walked and stood next to Lizzy to gather her hand on his arm. “We know about your gambling debts and spoke with the man who holds the marker on your house. Your mother is being notified of your loss right now and you will depart Ramsgate tomorrow to never return. Your disgrace will be made known to everyone you know here and if I ever see you again, believe me that you will be made very unpopular by your shameful conducts that I will reveal to your friends.” William lifted Lizzy’s hand and kissed it. “I have the means to destroy you if you ever attempt to fool an innocent lady.”
William’s bodyguard Matthews stepped toward him and softly growled. Thorpe, seeing that he had been completely tricked and had lost all respectability, he ran out of the house in fear, never to be seen by any
