Chapter Eighteen
Before giving in to the urge to head to the Gardiners to call on Elizabeth, Darcy ordered his coachman to take him to his Aunt Catherine’s, the obligatory visit faced with much greater cheer now that he needn’t endure the underlying pressure of her expectation that he wed Anne.
Or perhaps the elevation in his mood stemmed from the expectation of visiting Elizabeth next.
He’d noted a propensity for increased joy of late.
The sort of giddiness he’d always frowned upon when observed in others, but which he must now admit seemed entirely right and natural.
He was shown into Lady Catherine’s favorite parlor for familial visits, a surprisingly airy room devoid of much of the ostentation liberally displayed in the majority of the townhouse.
His aunt sat at her writing desk, a massive yet simple piece set squarely before tall diamond paned windows and flanked by blue velvet curtains.
She rose when he entered and ordered tea, forgoing asking if he’d care for any, then turned to him.
“Darcy. I’d begun to worry a reprimand would be required before you’d do your duty and call on me in London.”
“We did journey to London in tandem, coming from residing under the same roof in Hertfordshire for several days,” he noted dryly.
“That is no excuse.” She gestured to the sofas and chairs hemming in a low table. “Sit. Tea will arrive shortly. The staff always has something on hand this time of day.”
A manifestation of both wealth and Lady Catherine’s certainty that callers would arrive, for although she could afford to, she wouldn’t waste foodstuffs.
Heading in the indicated direction, Darcy selected his usual armchair beside his aunt’s preferred sofa.
She crossed the room in a rustle of skirts, her lion headed cane thunking out a louder than usual rhythm, a sure sign the London winter didn’t agree with her.
That made her recent capitulations to Anne all the more surprising, and Darcy longed to ask about them, but first he wished for a fuller understanding of her temper. There was no point attempting to have a reasonable discussion with Lady Catherine were she in one of her moods.
Lady Catherine settled to her sofa, both hands resting atop her cane, and frowned at him. “At least you’ve come. I’ve seen neither hide nor hair of Richard. I’d begun to think I’d done something to offend the two of you.”
That surprised Darcy. Richard was normally quite diligent in his duty to their aunt.
“He asked permission to court Anne and then has not been to see her?” Could it have anything to do with why he’d come to Darcy House?
Georgiana had said that Richard seemed on edge when he arrived.
Had he reconsidered his bid to court Anne?
He’d always told Darcy he didn’t believe cousins should wed. “You don’t think he’s reconsidered?”
“He best not have. I’ve already begun making Anne over.”
Darcy raised his eyebrows. “Making Anne over?”
Lady Catherine nodded. “Which is why I didn’t send for her when you arrived. She and Miss Mary Bennet are with their drawing master.”
“I’d heard about Anne’s newfound desire to learn to draw,” Darcy said in a neutral tone.
His aunt cast him a disgruntled look. “Yes, well, that’s your doing, and she and Miss Mary are spending hours a day at it.”
“How can that possibly be my doing?”
Lady Catherine looked down her nose at him, in that way of hers, as if the explanation should be obvious. “In several ways. First, because you brought Miss Mary into Anne’s life.”
“Didn’t Mr. Collins do that, by rewriting his will and making you executor, and therefore requiring you to meet the Bennets?”
“A Bennet, and it all could have been handled in writing if that reprehensible Miss Bingley weren’t so infatuated with you.”
He didn’t think Miss Bingley was infatuated with him, but with his wealth and connections. He didn’t bother to point out that distinction, instead asking, “What makes you think that was her motive?”
“You mentioned Miss Elizabeth Bennet in two letters to me. Perhaps it meant nothing, but if you paid any notable attention to an eligible woman, Miss Bingley would consider her a rival.” Lady Catherine let out a heavy sigh.
“And so, I must meet many Bennets, because you couldn’t keep Miss Bingley from noticing your infatuation, and now I have two Bennets here in London and invited back to Rosings with us, which means Anne has been spending time with them and is influenced by them, so when I offered pianoforte lessons to Miss Mary and she asked to learn to draw instead, Anne sided with her. ”
“And you let her,” Darcy pointed out, wondering what his aunt’s second point would be, and if he even wished to know, as apparently, he’d forced her to permit the drawing lessons.
“Because of you.”
“I am neither courting her nor interested in wedding a woman because of her drawing skills,” he protested, worried that was where his aunt headed.
“Don’t be ridiculous. We already discussed your level of interest and decided Richard should court her.”
In mild exasperation, Darcy asked, “Then how am I to blame, assuming it’s a blamable offense, for Anne’s drawing lessons?”
“They are both improving more quickly than I thought they would,” Lady Catherine said speculatively.
“Aunt Catherine,” Darcy beseeched.
A swarm of maids entered with a tea service and Darcy strove to resurrect his cheerful mood while they worked.
“Which brings me to my second point,” Lady Catherine continued when the maids left. “You won’t marry Anne.”
Was this some elaborate attempt to make him change his mind? He’d thought their discussion on the matter had proceeded too smoothly. “I’m aware that I will not marry Anne, but not of how my decision results in her learning to draw.”
Lady Catherine shrugged, appearing touched with pity at his inability to understand. “Because you will not marry her, she must now learn to make decisions on her own.”
He’d been supposed to make all decisions for her, like her mother did?
Had Lady Catherine deliberately molded Anne into the meek, limp cousin he knew as a favor to him?
Didn’t his aunt realize that he wanted a wife with whom he could have reasonable discussions?
One who could run Pemberley? If Anne couldn’t make decisions, how could she run a household?
Yes, he had a very competent housekeeper in Mrs. Reynolds, but managing Pemberley was the role of Mrs. Darcy.
“Richard said he wanted to court her, but has yet to make a move to,” Lady Catherine continued, oblivious to Darcy’s consternation.
“I’ve lost all hope of you marrying her, so if Richard has changed his mind, I’ll have to permit other suitors.
I want Anne to be able to say yes or no, whatever is right for her.
Because I’ve overruled every decision she’s made when I disagreed with her, I’m worried that any man I don’t object to, she’ll consider as my choice. ”
“You would have browbeat her into wedding me, but if not me, you wish her to marry whoever strikes her fancy?” That seemed an impossible task.
Darcy had never known Anne to meet a man’s gaze, let alone speak to one unbidden.
How could she possibly form a worthwhile opinion on a gentleman?
As much as Darcy didn’t agree with Lady Catherine deciding for Anne, better Richard should be brought round. They knew him to be worthy.
“Not anyone. Certainly, I won’t permit gentlemen without sufficient wealth and connections anywhere near her. I’ve not gone mad.” Lady Catherine hoisted the teapot. “I simply want her to have enough input so that if she isn’t happy in her marriage, it is not my fault.”
Watching his aunt pour tea, Darcy couldn’t help but ask, “What if she’d been unhappy wedded to me?”
Lady Catherine looked up, then back down at her pouring. “Don’t be absurd. You’ve every good quality. Besides which, there’s always enough happiness to be found if one is properly connected and wealthy.”
Darcy raised his eyebrows. Lady Catherine set the teapot down and handed him a cup. They both drank their tea unadulterated.
She took up her cup and said, “So, because of you, I must now permit Anne to make her own decisions. I will admit that your Miss Bennet and her sister are good examples for Anne. They selected their own wardrobes for their own separate reasons. Miss Bennet insisted on sturdy shoes and Miss Mary wants sturdy gowns. Miss Bennet asked permission to borrow a book from me and Miss Mary asked permission to watch our cook make muffins. I granted both requests. Anne started off cautiously, but she is making more decisions of her own every day.”
What did his aunt mean, his Miss Bennet, Darcy wondered, but aloud he only said, “Bake muffins?”
“Yes. That surprised me as well, but they are of rather low origins, are they not? I assume Miss Mary rightly sees that she, at least, has little hope of marrying up and may very well marry down. In which case, she’ll need to know how to bake.
She has a surprisingly good head on her shoulders, that one. ”
“I hadn’t noticed.” To him, she was a young lady who put herself forward, by way of singing at events, when she should not, and nothing more. “Did Anne join her in learning to make muffins?”
“Surprisingly, yes.” His aunt put three small sandwiches on a plate and passed them to him. “And I must admit that, too, had been a surprising boon.”
“Anne baking is a boon?”
Lady Catherine sniffed. “I didn’t permit them to bake. Simply to observe and gain instruction. No daughter of mine will lower herself to cooking.”
“The boon,” Darcy reminded.
“Oh, yes. Anne’s decided she should select what she eats, not me.”
Darcy had no idea his aunt controlled what Anne ate. He thought back to various meals at Rosings, but realized he’d paid Anne so little attention, always on guard against encouraging the idea that they might marry, that he had no idea what his cousin did at meals.
“Now that she eats what she likes, she’s eating much more than she used to. I believe she’s finally putting on a bit of weight. When Richard does see her, he’ll be pleased. Perhaps that will reawaken his desire to court her.”
“That seems likely,” Darcy said, to cover his horror.
Lady Catherine decreeing what Anne could and couldn’t eat flirted with abuse, and his aunt had done it in some misguided attempt to mold Anne into the perfect wife for him?
Darcy looked down at his plate, his appetite gone.
He should have told Lady Catherine that he wouldn’t marry Anne years ago.
And his aunt should have taught Anne to make her own decisions years ago.
“I plan to let her and Miss Mary work with Rosing’s chef to set up meals when we return,” his aunt continued.
For once pleased Lady Catherine was oblivious to his judgment, Darcy said, “And when will that be?”
“Soon, I imagine. I’m paying handsomely to have the Bennet girls’ wardrobes finished quickly.
We’ll depart London as soon as they’re done.
” Lady Catherine leveled a hard look at Darcy.
“And I expect you at Rosings shortly thereafter, and you will bring Richard. Whatever’s come over him, he is not reneging on his obligation to Anne. ”
“I thought you said Anne must make her own choices now.”
“Yes, she must, and her very first one must be whether or not to wed Richard. I won’t permit any other men to court her until she decides.”
Darcy forewent pointing out that such action only slightly resembled giving Anne the freedom to choose, in no mood to argue with his aunt. “I would be delighted to visit and I’m certain I can persuade Richard to accompany me.” Or at least learn the truth behind why he would not, if he wouldn’t.
“Thank you. Now, finish your sandwiches. You’ve been here quite long enough. I want to be free for other calls.”
Darcy did as ordered and made his farewells, but much of his conversation with his aunt replayed in his thoughts as his driver navigated busy London streets, headed to the Gardiners’ residence on Gracechurch.
His thoughts spiraled around several topics.
Richard’s untypically inconsistent behavior.
Lady Catherine’s certainty that Darcy wouldn’t marry Anne.
Then, there was Elizabeth. Her wit. Her smile. The way she brought out the best in others. In him. He loved her.
And even after weeks in London, he still had no notion of how she felt about him.
Seated in his carriage, the rush of London a muted babble, Darcy scrubbed a hand over his face.
In the past, he would have been pleased that a woman without the breeding to tempt him wouldn’t have her expectations raised by reading attraction in him.
Now, his greater fear was that Elizabeth would discover his feelings and, not returning them, push him away.
That he would be denied even the small portion of her attention he claimed.
Maybe he should attempt to be less attentive, so she wouldn’t note his affection before he could inspire a like feeling in her.
Yet every day, he thought of new ways he might be of service to her.
And there were actions he could take on Elizabeth’s behalf, he realized.
Reasonable ones, which certainly wouldn’t betray how he felt.
He would ask his agent to hire people to investigate Mrs. Clegg.
They could find her and ensure she planned no additional attacks.
At the very least, she should be told that Elizabeth hadn’t written the letter.
He would also like to know if Mrs. Hurst was living up to her agreement to keep Miss Bingley from going in company.
If unchastised and unpunished, Miss Bingley might make additional attempts against Elizabeth.
As Darcy’s inability to hide his feelings from Miss Bingley was the root of her actions, the obligation to prevent future altercations rested with him.
And while he was at it, he may as well investigate Wickham.
From conversations with Elizabeth, Darcy was well aware of Mr. Bennet’s rebuke of Wickham and the extended engagements of both of the youngest Bennet daughters.
In view of the lack of forthcoming funds, Wickham would find a way out of his commitment to Miss Lydia.
Darcy needed to be ready to head off whatever his one time friend might try and to mitigate the damage Wickham’s actions would do to the Bennets, especially Elizabeth.