26. Chapter 26
T wo days later, Elizabeth and her sisters went to Darcy House after breakfast. Georgiana had invited them to spend the morning with her and to also stay for luncheon.
Elizabeth and Jane were standing beside the pianoforte, laughing with Georgiana and Mary, who were seated at the instrument playing short melodies.
They had each been taking turns inserting humorous words and phrases into songs they knew and singing the altered versions when the butler interrupted them.
“Pardon me, Miss Darcy . . . Lady Catherine . . .”
They all turned to look, first at Mr. Brandon, and then at the older woman who was studying them.
Elizabeth glanced at Georgiana and saw how uneasy she had become.
“Lady Catherine, what a surprise. I hope you are well?”
The older woman was very formally attired. She walked to a chair with a cane in her hand, that she did not appear to need for balance.
“Are you here to see William?" Georgiana ventured timidly. "I am afraid he is out.”
“So I have been told. It is no matter. I shall wait,” Lady Catherine said, and promptly sat down.
Georgiana appeared to be at a loss for what to do next when the older woman decided it for her.
“You may introduce these young ladies to me,” Lady Catherine said imperiously.
“Of course! Aunt, this is Miss Jane Bennet, Miss Elizabeth Bennet, and—”
“You!” Lady Catherine snarled and immediately came to her feet again. “You are Miss Elizabeth Bennet?”
Elizabeth looked at the woman with confusion. “I am.”
Lady Catherine looked her over with an expression that was meant to demean. “So, you are the penniless upstart who has dared to aspire to take my sister’s place!”
Georgiana had called her “Aunt,” but Elizabeth did not care who this woman was.
She had no right to attack her, and before this conversation was over, Elizabeth would make her know it!
Fitzwilliam cared for her and admired her.
If her lack of fortune was of no concern to him, whatever this aunt thought about it was immaterial.
“I have aspired to no such thing, madam. I assume you refer to the late Mrs. Darcy?”
“I do!”
“She was a beloved wife and mother. I could never replace her in the eyes of her family, nor would I attempt to do so,” Elizabeth said calmly.
Lady Catherine fixed her with an icy glare. “You know what I mean! You have drawn him in with your arts and allurements for one purpose. You wish to be the next mistress of Pemberley!”
“You speak as if the reward in marrying Mr. Darcy is his property,” Elizabeth said.
“I am sure there are many ladies who would view it as such, but I am not one of them. I will not marry without affection, Lady Catherine. Therefore, the reward in marrying your nephew would be his love, not his possessions.”
“If you were sensible of your own good, you would not be attempting to rise above your station!” Lady Catherine spat disdainfully.
“Oh, do not worry! Since he is a gentleman and I am a gentleman’s daughter, there is no need for you to concern yourself over that,” Elizabeth replied with a sly smile.
Looking as if she would explode with rage, Lady Catherine struck the wood floor with her cane. “Obstinate, headstrong girl! You will be disappointed! Darcy is already engaged to my daughter! Now, what have you to say?”
“A few things, actually. The first being, you have no right to speak to me this way. You call yourself a lady, yet you come into this home, which does not belong to you, and attack a guest! That is not the behavior of a lady. That is the behavior of a tyrant! Do not presume to know me, and do not ever presume to speak to me in such a disrespectful way again. If you feel Mr. Darcy has injured your daughter, take it up with him, not me!”
Lady Catherine’s jaw went slack and a look of shock came over her face before she gathered herself enough to speak again. “I will have you know—”
“Lady Catherine!” Fitzwilliam called. “That is enough!”
As soon as he and Fitz entered the house, Brandon alerted Darcy to Lady Catherine’s presence. Why had he not remembered to inform his staff that Lady Catherine was not to be admitted? He should have done it weeks ago!
As they approached the drawing room, they could see the door was open. Darcy was just about to enter when Fitz stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.
“Wait a moment,” Fitz said quietly.
They stood there and listened to every word spoken.
Darcy treasured Elizabeth even more when he heard her say his love was worth more than his possessions.
He and Fitz grinned at the way she stood up to his aunt.
Lady Catherine was about to deliver a retort, but Darcy had heard enough from her and told his aunt so as he entered the room and walked directly to Elizabeth’s side.
Gently placing a hand on Elizabeth’s back, he looked at her and asked, “Are you well?”
When she nodded, he turned a thunderous gaze on his aunt.
“Who do you think you are to come into my home and insult Elizabeth this way?”
“Darcy, I am ashamed of you!” Lady Catherine said accusingly. “How dare you treat this woman with the care that should only be shown to Anne? She is your betrothed!”
“Lady Catherine, I have told you repeatedly that I will not marry Anne. I have never offered her marriage, nor will I ever do so. Just because you wish me to marry her does not make her my betrothed!”
“You would go against the wishes of your own mother?” Lady Catherine asked.
“My mother told me of no such wishes.”
“You were just a boy when she—”
“My father told me of no such wishes, and I was no boy when he died.”
“Nephew—”
“Lady Catherine, you and I both know it was not my mother’s wish that I marry your daughter. You began peddling that nonsense soon after my father died. Did you think that, in my grief, I would not know what you were about? I am no fool, Aunt. Nor can you bend me to your will.”
Lady Catherine’s face reddened with anger, and her eyes seemed to bulge as she looked at Darcy.
“To connect yourself with a woman who is neither of good family or fortune?! You are a fool, Darcy! Our family will not support you in this! Her name will never even be mentioned among us.”
“In fact, Lady Catherine,” Fitz interjected with a tone of good humor, “not only does he have my support, he has the support of my brother as well as that of my parents.”
She shifted her glare to Fitz. “Impossible!”
“It is time for you to leave, Lady Catherine," Darcy demanded. "I will allow no one to disparage Elizabeth in my home, and that includes you. You are no longer welcome here or at Pemberley!”
Lady Catherine looked at Darcy and then again at Fitz. After that, she stormed out the door.
Darcy turned to Elizabeth and took her hands. “Elizabeth, I am so very sorry for the way you have been treated.”
“Thank you, Fitzwilliam, but you cannot control your aunt,” she replied.
He sighed. “That is true, but I should have taken measures to ensure this would not happen. I knew she would descend on Darcy House as soon as she learned of our courtship. It just never occurred to me that you might be here when she did. She will not gain entry to this house again.”
“You do not need to bar her on my account,” Elizabeth replied.
He nodded. “I do, for your sake as well as my own.”
Elizabeth's brows pinched together slightly. “How is she related to you?”
“Lady Catherine and the earl are siblings. My mother was their younger sister,” Darcy explained.
Elizabeth nodded.
Fitz shook his head. “Well, you ladies have now met Aunt Catherine. I assure you she spreads such good cheer wherever she goes.”
Later that afternoon, they saw Elizabeth and her sisters off. Darcy and Georgiana then accompanied Fitz back to Matlock House.
“You just missed Catherine,” Aunt Sophia said as they entered the drawing room.
“She returned to Kent?” Darcy asked.
“After I made it clear I would not stand against you, she was too angry to stay the night,” Uncle Byron replied with a grin. “It appears your Miss Elizabeth was not intimidated by her in the least and gave her an earful for her trouble.”
“Darcy and I were standing just outside the drawing room and witnessed the entire thing,” Fitz said. “Miss Elizabeth held back as best she could, but Lady Catherine kept attacking and insulting her. Eventually, Miss Elizabeth had enough and defended herself admirably.”
“I do not doubt it,” Uncle Byron said. He looked at Darcy. “Her insistence that you marry Anne is just as ridiculous now as it was when she first said it, and I told her so for the twentieth time!”
“And I told her that we met Miss Elizabeth and liked her very well,” Aunt Sophia said. “Needless to say, she was not very happy with us.”
“I appreciate your support,” Darcy said.
“Not at all, Darcy,” Uncle Byron replied.
“Fitz, I believe you need a little support yourself, do you not?” Stafford asked, inserting himself into the conversation as he walked into the room.
Fitz shot his brother a look of annoyance.
Stafford merely grinned in response.
Raising a brow, Uncle Byron looked from Stafford to Fitz. “What is this?”
Looking back at his father, Fitz said, “There is a young woman whom I wish to court.”
“There is? Who is she?” his mother asked, appearing pleased.
“Wait,” Uncle Byron said, holding up a hand, “let me sit down first.”
Darcy and Stafford laughed.
Once the earl was seated, he looked back at Fitz and indicated for him to continue.
“She is Miss Jane Bennet. Miss Elizabeth’s elder sister,” Fitz said.
Uncle Byron did not appear to be surprised. “I take it you have had an interest in her since you were first introduced?”
“Yes, sir, I have. I have taken the time to get to know her better, and everything I know, I like.”
“You say she is the eldest daughter?” Aunt Sophia asked.
“Yes, Mother. She is a beautiful and sweet-tempered young woman who tries to see the good in everyone. She is intelligent, but also a bit shy,” Fitz said.