Chapter XIX
How Lady Catherine might react to learning that her cherished dream would not come to pass had always been a matter of conjecture for Darcy. A sigh of frustration, however, was not among the reactions he had ever considered.
“You are mulish, Darcy,” said she, looking at him, disappointment evident in her voice and gaze. “But I cannot say that I did not expect this.”
Darcy regarded her, trying to understand the lady’s reaction. “You are not angry?”
The woman regarded him, a trace of asperity mingled with amusement in her steady look. “Would it make any difference to you if I were?”
It was impossible to understand her, so Darcy responded without thinking. “No, it would not. Yet you have spoken about this matter for years without ceasing. I might have expected a more . . . heated response upon learning that I will not oblige you.”
“Then it appears you do not know me so well as you suppose. There is only one thing I would like to know, Darcy.”
“And what is that?” asked Darcy, this conversation already surreal enough for him to wonder if it was truly happening.
“Though I would not injure you by supposing otherwise, may I assume she is respectable?”
Darcy gaped at her. “Who?”
“This woman who has tempted you away from marrying my daughter. I cannot suppose you would reject Rosings for a scullery maid, so I must assume she is a gentlewoman. Am I correct?”
“You suppose there is another woman?” asked Darcy, uncertain what to make of it all.
“Considering you have avoided the subject all these years and have only come to me now, I must assume you have met a young lady; otherwise, you would have remained silent. Now, answer me—is she respectable?”
Darcy almost wished Fitzwilliam were here, for he doubted his cousin would believe his account when he learned of this meeting. Lady Catherine appeared to have considered everything and understood Darcy as well as he understood himself; yet Darcy had misjudged her.
“Yes, Lady Catherine,” said Darcy, knowing he could say nothing else, “Miss Elizabeth is quite respectable.”
“Miss Elizabeth, you say,” echoed Lady Catherine.
The name, it appeared, was not unknown to her. Of course, Mr. Collins had spoken of his cousins in Hertfordshire.
“May I assume she is the same Miss Elizabeth who rejected my parson’s proposal?”
“She is.”
Darcy wondered how Lady Catherine would greet this news. Again, she confounded him.
“Well, it seems at least that she is intelligent. She had the good sense to refuse him.”
By now, Darcy was completely at sea. “Did you not send Mr. Collins to Hertfordshire to get a wife from among Mr. Bennet’s daughters?”
“I sent him to mend the breach in the family.” Lady Catherine sniffed with disdain. “I cannot abide such disharmony as you know. That the man had five daughters I knew, but the notion of marrying one of them came from Mr. Collins, not me.”
Lady Catherine shifted a little in her chair.
“When he began blathering about his cousin’s daughters, I thought finding a wife among them might help him, provided she was sensible, but I did not require it of him.
If his account is to be believed, the woman he has chosen is a practical sort.
Perhaps now I can cede oversight of his activities to her. ”
“It sounds like you do not trust Mr. Collins.”
“You have met the man, have you not?”
“I have. I stood up with him at his wedding yesterday.”
At Lady Catherine’s demanding look, Darcy clarified. “Miss Elizabeth Bennet is Mrs. Collins’s particular friend. As she was to stand up with Miss Lucas—”
“You agreed because it meant you would also be in Miss Elizabeth’s company,” Lady Catherine finished for him. “Then your interest in this woman is not casual.”
“When have you ever known me to take a casual interest in a woman?”
“Touché.”
“Then I have your approval?” asked Darcy.
“I suppose you must, for you do not require my blessing.” Lady Catherine appeared resigned, though Darcy did not suppose she was truly happy. “This Miss Elizabeth Bennet will require a sponsor in society. Have you spoken to Susan?”
“Not yet,” said Darcy. “There are still months remaining before anything will be decided.”
“You cannot consider such things too early, Darcy. As I suppose she has not had a season, she will need to learn how to move among those at our level of society.”
“For that, Lady Catherine, I have no concern whatsoever. When you make her acquaintance, you will understand.”
“Very well,” said Lady Catherine. “Since I assume you wish to return to Hertfordshire as soon as may be, you no doubt plan to return at once. If you wish, you may remain here and return tomorrow.”
“That is acceptable,” said Darcy.
“Good. Then you may accept the duty of informing Anne that she will not have you for a husband.”
“Trust me, Aunt—Anne will be relieved.”
A rare smile crossed Lady Catherine’s lips. “Yes, she might at that.”
“THEN SHE HAS ACCEPTED your strictures at last?”
Bingley, who sat across from Darcy, nodded, appearing relieved.
“She has. Whether the threat of many more months in the hinterlands has convinced her, or she has given over all pretense of gaining your attention, I do not know, but she has agreed to consider any suitors that present themselves.” Bingley paused and muttered: “To own the truth, it is far more than I had expected.”
They were speaking of Miss Bingley, of course, who had been staying with Bingley’s family since he escorted her there in early January.
There was no reason to consider his feelings for her, as that had been a matter Darcy had reflected on ad nauseam.
Were he to guess, his knowledge of Miss Bingley’s preference for London and her disdain for her roots had taught him that even if she could not have him, any man of society would be preferable to wasting away in York.
“Then when will she arrive?” asked Darcy.
“One of my uncles will escort her here before the end of the week.”
Darcy nodded, distracted. “Can I assume you wish to be rid of her care before your wedding?”
Bingley shrugged. “That may be too much to ask, for I would not give Caroline away to the first man who asks without concern for her feelings. Any man who wishes to marry her with such alacrity must have ulterior motives. If she is agreeable to other men, I can afford to be patient. But the moment I see her, I will inform her that Miss Bennet will be my wife and the mistress of my home, and Caroline must defer to her.”
“That is well, Bingley,” nodded Darcy with approval. “If she understands you will not tolerate poor behavior, that will make the chances of her contemplating it more remote.”
“That is my thought, too.”
Of more importance to Darcy, he would not need to endure her.
They returned to London at the start of the season, and now two weeks later, they had settled in the city.
Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth were staying with the Hursts, having deemed Bingley’s house more convenient to attend events of the season than their uncle’s.
As his fiancée was staying at his house with his sister and brother, Bingley could not live there, so he was staying with Darcy and Georgiana.
It was a simple arrangement, and one they both appreciated, as it kept them close to the Bennet sisters to whom they were betrothed.
Of course, when Miss Bingley returned, that must change, for her residence in the same house as the Bennet sisters could not be contemplated.
Even with that arrangement, they saw the Gardiners at least once a week, for both men had grown to esteem the Bennets’ relations.
The other Bennets remained in Hertfordshire.
From Elizabeth’s letters, it seemed their youngest sisters still chased after the officers, and Mary moralized, but Darcy did not suppose they were beyond amendment.
When they were married, the Bingleys and Darcys had agreed to take a hand in Kitty and Lydia’s reformation, taking them into their homes and teaching them what they must know to move in society without embarrassing them all.
“When shall you travel to Kent?” asked Bingley.
“The week before Easter.”
Darcy did not know what to expect this year at Rosings.
Lady Catherine had confounded him with her acceptance of his interest in Elizabeth, and her connection with Mrs. Collins had provided the excuse to insist that Elizabeth visit Rosings that year so Lady Catherine could make her acquaintance.
What Lady Catherine meant to do, Darcy could not say.
Lady Catherine had a cordial relationship with Mrs. Collins, yet he could not forget that she was a commanding lady who spoke and expected obedience.
Perhaps it was all innocent, but Darcy suspected she had, at the very least, planned to ensure Elizabeth met her standards.
“Well, Darcy,” said Bingley, setting his glass to the side, “I believe I shall retire. Though I enjoy your company, dreaming of Miss Bennet until I am with her again is a much more pleasant way to pass the time.”
“With that, I cannot disagree, Bingley,” replied Darcy.
“YOU APPEAR SMUG, WILLIAM,” said Elizabeth when her fiancé entered the room at the parsonage.
William grinned, proving her supposition correct.
Elizabeth was only to stay for two weeks with Charlotte, and as much as she was enjoying her reunion with her friend—and even Mr. Collins was tolerable—she enjoyed spending time in his company.
They were together for several hours every day; that very day, they were to dine at Rosings, and Mr. Darcy had departed from the parsonage to prepare for the evening several hours before.
Now, however, he was back when she would not have expected to see him again until they arrived.
“Yes, I suppose I am,” said William, then greeting Charlotte.