Chapter 39 #2
Lady Catherine shot her a furious look, though the lady paid no attention to it.
Lady Catherine’s ill temper and her habit of speaking rather offensively to everyone were so well known that, paradoxically, they frightened no one any longer, while the story of the supposed agreement with Lady Anne sounded more like a private fantasy than anything of consequence.
“Congratulations,” said Anne at last, seeing that her mother’s tirade had produced no effect whatsoever.
Georgiana looked at her as though seeing her properly for the first time.
“Cousin Anne,” she said, then immediately continued, “would you care to come and show your horses to my friend, Miss Kitty?”
“What are you talking about?” burst out Lady Catherine.
It appeared, however, that Georgiana knew her aunt better than anyone present, for she immediately replied, “What horses, Aunt? Everyone knows you possess the finest horses in Kent.”
They were precisely the right words to distract her, for any reference to herself or her estate invariably occupied first place in Lady Catherine’s thoughts.
“Very well, go,” she said, only to call out almost immediately, “Who is Miss Kitty?”
Kitty turned at once and, with a graceful curtsey, replied, “I am Elizabeth’s sister, Kitty Bennet.”
And it was Mr Collins’s turn to be astonished, for he could scarcely recognise in the elegant young lady before him the girl he remembered from his visit to Longbourn. He recovered himself quickly, however, and said,
“Miss Kitty is to marry my father-in-law’s eldest son.”
“That remains to be seen,” replied Darcy in such a glacial tone that the servile smile disappeared from Mr Collins’s countenance. “Miss Kitty does not lack admirers in London,” Darcy continued.
The utter bewilderment upon Mr Collins’s face made Elizabeth silently thank her fiancé.
A letter would undoubtedly fly to Lucas Lodge that very evening, detailing the entire scene and, above all, Miss Kitty’s association with Lady Catherine’s family, which made her an even more suitable choice for James Lucas.
Judging by Mr Collins’s expression, he seemed suddenly inclined to think more highly of Miss Kitty than he ever had before, whilst her acquaintance with Lady Catherine had elevated her considerably in his estimation.
“It is you I wish to speak with,” said Lady Catherine, addressing Darcy.
But he rose to his feet. “You must excuse us. The colonel and I wish to show this magnificent estate to our fiancées.”
“And your fiancée?” said Lady Catherine at last, turning her eyes towards the colonel.
“Mrs Cooper,” the colonel reminded her, quite certain that his aunt had not retained the name.
“Mrs?” cried again Lady Catherine, obviously annoyed yet again.
“Yes, Lady Catherine, I am a widow and have two children—”
“And a lady of considerable fortune, possessing ten thousand pounds a year,” said Darcy.
Elizabeth turned towards him in surprise, for it seemed that her future husband had become the patriarch of the family and, in that role, protected all its members, whether near or distant. Darcy caught her eye, smiled mischievously, and lifted his shoulders with easy unconcern.
∞∞∞
“So my fiancée is malicious and vindictive,” said Darcy as he led her towards a part of the park where they had met several times before, whilst the colonel and Mrs Cooper walked off in the opposite direction.
“Yes,” replied Elizabeth with perfect impertinence.
“It is well to know it. I shall take care to keep out of your way whenever I offend you.”
“With you, the situation is different.”
“Different?”
Darcy was exceedingly curious, but for the moment, he was occupied with drawing Elizabeth towards a secluded side of the house where, hidden by several venerable trees, he could finally kiss her. It was all he had wished to do that day, and at last he was able to do it.
Her lips, which only a few days before had received their first kiss, were already eager and entirely willing to follow him wherever love might lead them.
Their kisses were always a trap from which neither wished to escape, and only the sound of a distant carriage persuaded them to part their lips, though not their embrace.
“You have become rather accomplished at kissing,” he teased somewhere near her ear. The touch more than the words made her stir lightly in his arms.
“Rather? Not very?” she murmured, though she would much have preferred another kiss.
“For very, we must continue our studies,” he replied gravely.
Elizabeth readily agreed, for any plan involving embraces filled her with delight.
“What schemes have you devised now, Mrs Collins?” he asked when they resumed their walk.
“Perhaps,” said Elizabeth.
“But we have gone in entirely the wrong direction,” he replied, glancing towards the Parsonage.
“When kissing is required, all other plans become somewhat less important.”
He immediately drew her into his arms once more, though they were no longer concealed by the trees. Such sentiments deserved to be celebrated.
“Why did we truly come here, Elizabeth?” he asked. “Neither Lady Catherine nor Mr and Mrs Collins are sufficient reasons for such a journey.”
Elizabeth rested her head lightly upon his shoulder. He smiled, already knowing that she was about to confide something sweet and secret to him.
“I wished our love to banish every memory of Kent. I shall marry you, Fitzwilliam Darcy, with all my love and confidence. I wanted this to be the beginning of Kent for us.”
“Then we ought to visit the Parsonage,” he replied playfully.
She tightened her hold upon his arm.
“We are both staying at Rosings now. It is enough that we decide upon our marriage here…it is still Kent.”