Chapter 23 Lady Catherine has her say, while causing a great delay. #2
“Lady Elizabeth is already well accepted among the ton,” Lady Matlock added. “Her past has only served to make her more interesting to those who wish to court her favour. It would be to Anne’s advantage to maintain her connection to Lady Elizabeth; it would help her make a good match.”
“Catherine, we were friends for a long time,” Bennet said, “and you were a friend to Olivia. Can we not become family on good terms? My family would like your blessing on this marriage. Elizabeth would like it, and I am sure your daughter would, too.”
“Anne deserves to be married in the first circles,” Lady Catherine said.
Darcy agreed. “A duke with considerable land holdings would do well for Anne.”
But Lady Catherine was not finished. “But what of your fanciful masquerade, Shelton? What think the ton of that?” she challenged.
Lady Matlock responded, “The ton is not aware of the true identity of Lady Elizabeth’s guardian.
They think she is a ward of a quiet and reclusive country squire named Thomas Bennet and has only recently discovered Lord and Lady Shelton were her parents, to her own surprise as well as that of society in general.
I hope you will join with the family in keeping our secret.
The concealment is in all our best interests. ”
Lady Catherine would not be gainsaid. “Shelton, you are not sensible of your own good, to have quit the sphere in which you were brought up. What say you to that?”
“I am content to be a gentleman and will remain so. I have no desire to return to my former title.”
“I am vexed that you disappeared for these twenty years with no contact with those you considered your friends,” Lady Catherine said crossly.
“Can you not see my position? Malcolm and his father were very influential, and I was shamed by being the one left alive in an illegal duel. The real Thomas Bennet knew he was dying and needed a protector for his wife when he passed, and I needed a mother for my daughters. An exile, a deception, and a marriage of convenience were the only choices I had at the time.”
“You should have let us know. We would have kept your secret—if not for you, for Olivia,” Lady Catherine said, then suddenly realized she may have been the only one not privy to the secret. “Good G-d, did Elinor know?”
Lady Matlock was quick to reassure her. “That Shelton was Thomas Bennet? No. Until today, I, too, thought he was dead. And I did not know Lady Jane and Lady Elizabeth as adults until I was introduced to them this week.”
Lady Catherine was not easily mollified. “But Elinor was Olivia’s sister, and little Jenny’s godmother! How could you have kept her nieces from her?” she asked of Bennet.
“I felt it was for the best. Perhaps I was mistaken, but I wanted to save the girls from fortune hunters and protect them from any harmful effects resulting from the duel. That is why I waited so long to divulge their heritage.”
“Fitzwilliam and Anne have been pursued for their fortunes, and it is not pleasant to see it happen,” Lady Catherine conceded. “Is the house of Malcolm still a threat?”
“I would not believe so,” Darcy said. “The current Marquess of Malcolm is a good man. He is a friend of mine from Cambridge.”
“The duel was over twenty years ago,” Lady Matlock added. “The family has no esteem for the man whom Shelton duelled; they would rather forget they were related to a man known as such a licentious villain.”
“Then why continue this charade?” asked Lady Catherine.
“The duel is long forgotten, and Lady Jane and Lady Elizabeth have the connections to make them acceptable in society.” She once again turned her attention to Darcy.
“No matter how much I begrudge you the match, Fitzwilliam, the connection is a good one for our family. I have decided that I shall give you my blessing, but I am severely put out that you told me in a letter instead of summoning me here for something of this much importance.”
Bennet noticed Darcy’s lips holding back a smirk. They knew this was as much as they could expect from Lady Catherine regarding Darcy and Elizabeth’s engagement.
“As you have rightly pointed out,” Bennet said, “I am concerned that the response of the ton to my true identity will be harmful to my daughters. As much as a part of me abhors this disguise, I cannot change things now.”
“You should not have taken Longbourn from that sycophantic toad of a parson either, but he does not deserve that pleasure. He will inherit when you are dead. Lord knows how long that will be. I should expose you just to get the man off my hands.”
“I do not know what to say. My life at Longbourn is crucial to avoiding a scandal that would affect the family.”
“Very well, Shelton. I shall know how to act. I suppose that if you are to be family, I must keep your secret. I am quite put out that you saw fit to tell Elinor and not me. I may not be Olivia’s sister, but I was almost her dearest friend in the world.”
Bennet thought it best not to argue with Lady Catherine on the status of her friendship with Lady Shelton; Lady Anne Darcy had been Olivia’s closest friend.
“Elinor happened upon us just now in the same way you did, Catherine, while I was discussing a pressing matter with Darcy.” Bennet hoped, but not necessarily expected that she would understand the need for privacy to deal with their concerns.
“And what would this pressing matter be?”
Darcy responded, “I have some letters of business to write. I am acting in Mr. Bennet’s stead that he may remain anonymous.”
Bennet was concerned that the time they were spending in discourse with Lady Catherine would be better spent looking for Wickham.
He cast a frustrated look towards his friend.
Although he had comfort in telling Lady Matlock about their problems with Wickham’s treachery, he was less willing to acquaint Lady Catherine with the details.
He was fearful that her need to control any situation would hamper their progress.
Lady Matlock helped him to that end. “This is all gentlemen’s business, Catherine. What say you to tea at my home?”
“Nonsense, Elinor. I have managed Rosings for more than ten years since Sir Lewis passed on, and I am quite capable of dealing with men’s business.”
“Lady Catherine, respectfully, we have already determined the arrangements to be made,” Bennet said.
Darcy added a new thought to which Lady Catherine was certain to be receptive. “Perhaps if you accompany Lady Matlock to luncheon, you can discuss how to make known Bennet’s identity to Lord Matlock and provide my uncle with your ideas for keeping this information as our family secret.”
Fortunately, the distraction worked on Lady Catherine’s sense of importance and duty to her relations, and the ladies departed.
“Darcy,” said Bennet, “Harold will never forgive you for setting her upon him to discuss strategy. You know how overbearing she can be.”
“Yes, but her loyalty is very strong. She will do all in her power to protect your identity now that she is amenable to my marriage to Elizabeth.”
“Only because you suggested that Anne should marry a duke!”
“I own to it,” said Darcy with a chuckle. “She does always aspire to the highest of stations. But she has a strong sense of family, and now that you are to be a greater part of it, there is nothing she will not do to protect you.”
“Yes,” Bennet said drily, “but now I shall have to suffer through hearing how she has the best knowledge and judgement in the country on how to remain an unknown country gentleman.”