Chapter 25 #2
“Is someone ill?” Georgiana asked fearfully, grasping Elizabeth’s arm and clinging to it.
The colonel’s eyes opened wide at the sight of his shy cousin looking to an unknown lady for comfort but said hastily, “No. No one is ill! It is merely that…”
Here he glanced around and glowered at the nearby servants, who all promptly retreated in pursuit of their own duties.
“It is merely that Lady Catherine is causing trouble,” he said quietly, which provoked a deep sigh from Darcy, who retorted, “Of course she is!”
/
“It is my fault,” Colonel Fitzwilliam said gloomily, pacing up and down Bingley’s office. He and Darcy had requested some privacy for the ensuing conversation, and Georgiana had begged to come along, so anxious was she to learn the worst about her imperious and intrusive aunt.
“What is your fault?” Darcy demanded from his seat on a settee near the cold fireplace. Georgiana was positioned next to him, clinging to his arm.
“It is my fault that Lady Catherine learned of our specific plans regarding the journey to Ramsgate,” Richard explained, turning toward his cousins. “I wrote you that she was on the warpath …”
“You did,” Darcy agreed, “not that I care particularly so long as I do not have to interact with her directly.”
“The problem is that you may be forced to do exactly that. I have been staying at Matlock House while stationed in London and was fool enough to leave one of your letters in a sitting room. My father read it and took it upon himself to inform Lady Catherine of your plans to stay here for a few days, journey to London for a short stay, and then travel directly on to Ramsgate.”
“Is that not incredibly rude?” Georgiana asked, staring at her brother in bewilderment. “I thought it impolite to read another person’s mail without permission.”
“It is very discourteous,” Darcy said, placing a long arm around his sister’s shoulders. “I fear that your uncle Matlock, as master of his house, has a domineering streak and probably considers it his right to read the correspondence of all those dwelling in his house.”
“Very much like Lady Catherine,” Richard concurred, wrinkling his nose with distaste.
“I do not remember your mother, Lady Anne, all that well, but she was a charming and delightful lady. I fear both her siblings are far more dictatorial and inclined to rule, or attempt to rule, all those in their orbit.”
“Why would Lord Matlock wish to have Lady Catherine bother us?” Georgiana asked timidly.
“Probably because he wishes Darcy to marry Cousin Anne,” Richard said grimly. “He has spoken on the topic more than once of late. He is eager for Anne to marry one of her cousins so that Rosings stays within the family.”
“If that is all he cares about, he ought to encourage you to marry Anne, not me,” Darcy returned in frustration.
“Ah, my father would be very pleased if I married the heiress of Rosings,” Richard said, “but Lady Catherine would not. Her precious daughter to marry a mere second son? She would consider that a degradation.”
“It seems very stupid to me,” Georgiana said plainly. “Fitzwilliam, you do not wish to marry Cousin Anne, do you?”
“I do not,” Darcy said, and his mind quickly shifted to a lively face with dancing eyes, framed by glorious chestnut curls.
“Does Anne wish to marry you?” Georgiana asked.
“No, I am confident that she does not,” Darcy said.
“Then Lady Catherine is being ridiculous!” the girl protested. “She cannot force even one of you to marry, much less both of you!”
“She is ridiculous,” Darcy said heavily, and stalked over to stare gloomily out the window. “Nonetheless, our aunt does not see it that way. I can only hope that Lady Catherine does not decide to come to Netherfield to harass me on the subject. It would be uncomfortable for the Bingleys.”
“Again, I am sorry,” Richard said remorsefully.
“Would it not be simpler to change our plans so that our aunt cannot find us?” Georgiana asked. “We could leave tomorrow directly for Ramsgate, avoiding London entirely.”
The two gentlemen stared at her, then at each other, and Darcy said, “That is an excellent idea.”
“So long as Elizabeth is able to leave so quickly,” Georgiana said. “I do not want to go to Ramsgate without her.”
“Of course,” Darcy agreed fervently, which provoked a curious look from his cousin. He needed to speak to Richard about Miss Bennet, soon, but not in front of Georgiana. His sister would not understand the complexities of the lady’s family situation.
“I do feel sorry for Anne,” Georgiana commented suddenly. “It must be very hard to live under such a rude and despotic mother.”
“It is hard,” Darcy agreed, “but unhappily there is not anything we can do about it, since every time I so much as speak to Anne, Lady Catherine speaks of calling the banns.”
“You cannot do anything about it,” Richard said, his forehead creased in thought, “but perhaps I can.”
Darcy quirked an inquiring eyebrow at this, but Georgiana said with urgency, “We must ask Elizabeth if she can come tomorrow.”