Chapter Thirteen
“Get your sisters out of the parlour,” Darcy instructed, “take them back upstairs, and keep Mrs Forster with you, if you can. Quickly, Elizabeth; I will try to head her off but we don’t have much time.”
She caught his meaning at once; they both knew that Lady Catherine had not arrived on a mission to welcome Lydia to the family, and she was likely about to create quite a scene. A confrontation Lydia was utterly unprepared for.
Elizabeth ran, throwing the study door open and rushing to the parlour even as a banging commenced at the front door. “Jane, Lydia, come with me at once!” she said sharply. “Quickly, there is no time to lose, upstairs!”
“Why? Who is that at the door?” Lydia demanded.
“It’s Lady Catherine de Bourgh,” Elizabeth said, and saw Colonel Fitzwilliam pale. He shot to his feet, drawing Lydia up with him from where she sat beside him on a couch.
“Go with your sisters, Lydia. Please. I’ll introduce you to my aunt later, but not now.”
Jane was already on her feet; of course, Elizabeth had shared quite a few anecdotes about Lady Catherine’s antics with her, and Jane had no wish to witness the lady’s infamous temper at first hand.
Mrs Bennet appeared about to protest, but Elizabeth gave her no time to, grabbing Lydia’s arm and urging her from the room.
The three girls rushed for the stairs and had just achieved the first-floor landing, around the corner and out of sight from the front door, when Lady Catherine’s voice was heard in the hall.
“Where is Richard? I will put a stop to this nonsense, Darcy, I tell you! Marrying some chit he’s caught running about with in the middle of the night? I never heard of such a thing! Let me at the hussy; I shall soon see her off, never fear!”
“She sounds terrifying,” Lydia whispered as the sisters stood frozen on the landing, petrified to move lest a stray creak from a floorboard give away their position.
“She is,” Elizabeth whispered back.
A sound behind them made them look around, to find a door opening quietly and Harriet Forster beckoning to them.
“In here,” Harriet hissed. “Come on!”
With few options, they followed, finding themselves in a bedroom. Harriet grinned victoriously as she shut the door, very quietly, holding a finger to her lips.
“We’re directly above the parlour,” she whispered. “You’ll hear every word. I thought it was only fair to invite you to hear, since they’ll almost certainly be talking about you, Lyddie.”
Lydia looked at Elizabeth, who hesitated only a moment before shrugging.
Likely enough they’d hear every word out of Lady Catherine’s mouth anyway, since that lady’s shrill tones had a tendency to travel, but Elizabeth had to admit she was curious how Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam would handle their aunt.
The four sat in a row on the edge of the bed, listening intently as Lady Catherine continued her tirade from below.
“How did she find out, I wonder?” Lydia murmured. “Richard said he didn’t plan to write to her until he’d heard back from his parents.”
“Rosings isn’t so far from Brighton,” Elizabeth answered softly. “Very likely she has friends who live here. A letter could have reached her this morning and she would have ordered her carriage up immediately.”
Lady Catherine was indeed declaiming just that moment about a Lady Carshalton who had written to her ‘with great concern’ on hearing that her nephew had ‘embroiled himself with an adventuress’.
Nobody else had managed to get a word in yet, and Elizabeth winced as she thought of her parents and Mr Gardiner, trapped in the parlour with Lady Catherine ranting away.
Or was she still in the hallway? The sound of a door opening brought the lady’s voice a little closer, and then Darcy said loudly;
“Aunt Catherine, allow me to present Mr and Mrs Bennet, and Mr Gardiner.”
“I am not interested in meeting anyone just now, Darcy!”
“The parents and uncle of Miss Lydia Bennet, Aunt Catherine... Fitzwilliam’s intended.”
There was a brief silence. Lydia’s hand crept into Elizabeth’s; it felt very cold. Elizabeth squeezed gently, leaning into Lydia’s shoulder, trying to comfort her.
“This cannot stand,” Lady Catherine said finally. “I have never heard of these people, Darcy!”
“Of course you have,” Darcy said calmly. “You met their daughter Miss Elizabeth Bennet in March. Indeed, you invited her to dine at Rosings several times, commented on her as quite a clever girl, as I recall.”
“Richard’s Miss Bennet is a sister to that Miss Bennet?“ Lady Catherine snapped. “The one with all the sisters out? You are her parents?”
“It’s an honour to make your acquaintance, Lady Catherine,” Mrs Bennet said, and Elizabeth was pleasantly surprised by how calm and quiet her mother sounded. “Lizzy told us a great deal of you and of Rosings after her visit to Kent.”
“I daresay it was quite the most exciting event of her life,” Lady Catherine said spitefully, “at least, until her sister attempted to ensnare an earl’s son!”
“There is no question of ensnaring, Aunt Catherine,” Colonel Fitzwilliam said, sounding weary already of the conversation. “I chose to offer for Lydia of my own free will - indeed, I was not her only eligible suitor - and I am honoured she has chosen to accept me.”
Lady Catherine harrumphed, but Elizabeth suspected Darcy and Fitzwilliam’s calm demeanours were throwing her off her stride rather. Lady Catherine seemed to want a screaming match which she could dominate, and their refusal to participate frustrated her.
“And what of her dowry?” Lady Catherine changed tack. “Miss Elizabeth admitted to a paltry portion indeed; you are a second son, Richard, you cannot settle for less than fifty thousand pounds!”
“Nonsense,” Fitzwilliam rebutted in a cheerful tone.
“I have a very pleasant estate near Leicester from my mother, as you will no doubt recall. Nothing to Rosings or Pemberley, of course, but I have an income of some four thousand a year from it - as Mr and Mrs Bennet will no doubt be pleased to hear. Since I have been living on the army’s largesse and on my salary for the last few years, I have been able to invest quite significantly in the Funds, too. ”
“Oh my,” Mrs Bennet said, almost too faintly to be heard.
Lady Catherine made another angry sound. “Oh, the girl has quite fallen on her feet, then! This is ridiculous, Richard! I know your father bought you a commission because you were restless...”
“He bought me the commission because the King needed soldiers and I wished to do my duty,” Fitzwilliam cut her off sharply.
“If you say so! But I know he hoped you would sell out soon and return home... he’s been negotiating with the Duke of Livesey, you know, the man has five daughters to fire off...”
“I know just how he feels,” Mr Bennet said dryly.
Lady Catherine continued as if Mr Bennet hadn’t spoken. “The duke thought one of his girls might suit you very well.”
“I’m afraid the duke is destined to be disappointed,” Fitzwilliam said amiably. “Since the first banns will be called tomorrow for myself and Lydia.”
Lady Catherine wasn’t yet done with her attempt to change his mind, however; she persisted.
“You will be disappointing your parents intensely, Richard! Come, if the banns have not even begun to be called, there will be nothing in this. Speak to the parson before service tomorrow and call off the engagement!”
“Even if I were willing to do so, there is still the announcement which has been sent to The Times in London. Monday’s edition will be being printed already, and that, it is too late to stop.
No, Aunt Catherine. The engagement is publicly known already.
.. since it has reached your ears, more widespread than just in Brighton, to be sure! ”
“Consider, Aunt,” Darcy put in then, “the scandal which would arise should Fitzwilliam jilt the young lady after the engagement has been made public! Far worse than his marrying someone who doesn’t happen to be a duke’s daughter.”
“Then she must jilt him,“ Lady Catherine snapped. “Come, sir,” she obviously spoke to Mr Bennet, “you must make the girl see reason. She cannot possibly hope to be accepted into the family!”
“On the contrary, Colonel Fitzwilliam has assured me that every member of his family will be pleased to see him happily settled with a young woman of good family,” Mr Bennet said, his tone exceedingly dry.
“Save for a certain aunt he mentioned as being particularly high in the instep and likely to be displeased that he had made a choice she did not direct.”
Lady Catherine’s intake of breath was so sharp it was clearly audible upstairs, before she said, “Well, I was never so insulted!” in outraged tones.
“Considering the insults you have heaped upon my daughter’s name, you have reaped what you sowed, madam,” Mr Bennet riposted.
Elizabeth’s lips pursed in a low whistle. She had never heard her father sound so coldly angry. Lydia and Jane both had eyes round with shock as they listened to their father’s defence.
“Well, I see that you are all set upon this ridiculous course,” Lady Catherine huffed, “but you need not expect my blessings, nor an invitation to Rosings, Richard! I am most severely disappointed!”
“I think you should reconsider, Aunt Catherine,” Darcy said evenly, and Elizabeth traded a surprised look with Jane. She had fully expected that he would just let his aunt leave in a huff, ending the conflict there.
“And why should I?” Lady Catherine barked in response.