“I would say both Georgiana and Kitty have enjoyed themselves this evening,” he said as he continued to watch the dancing couples before them.
Elizabeth nodded her head, “Yes, I believe you are right,” was all she said.
Darcy stepped over closer to her. He leaned his head down and whispered softly into her ear. “I would ask you to dance, Mrs. Darcy, but I fear you will refuse me,” he said sadly.
Elizabeth felt his warm breath on her neck. “It would be very sad if your own wife were to refuse to dance with you, Mr. Darcy,” she said softly as she turned and looked up at him.
“Alas, it is my lot this evening, I suppose,” he said as he gazed into her eyes. “Unless you will take pity on me?” he asked, pretending to plead with her.
Elizabeth smiled just a little, “Oh poor William, you look so miserable. Of course, I will dance with you,” she whispered tenderly. “If you will forgive me…”
Darcy took her hand in his and said, “What have you done, my dear, that is in need of forgiveness?”
She leaned just a bit closer to him, “I was behaving just a little bit like my mother, for which I am very sorry,” she told him. “You are right; my attempting to match make for Caroline was not at all like our helping Georgie and Kitty.”
Darcy smiled, “I have been thinking about what happened earlier today,” he began to say. “And I realize it was wrong of me to say what I did. Even if you were behaving just a little bit like your mother, I should never have said so. And I certainly should not have sent you from my study without letting you finish speaking. I am sorry, my darling.”
Elizabeth arched her brow, “I do believe this has been our first real disagreement,” she told him.
Darcy furrowed his brow, “Is it?” he asked her. “Well then, we must spend time making amends later.”
Elizabeth smiled mischievously, “Oh Mr. Darcy, I do believe you just read my mind,” she teased.
Darcy pulled her along with him, “Come and dance with me, Mrs. Darcy,” he said to her as he guided her out to join the other dancers.
Chapter Ten
Darcy was just finishing his meeting with Mr. Fletcher when Richard came into his study. “Do you have a moment that we can talk?”
He nodded his head, “Yes, come in,” Darcy told him. “Is this about Wickham? Has he been seen again with Lady DuVernay?”
Richard shook his head, “No, I have gone and talked with the innkeeper myself, and Wickham has not returned in the past few days, although he still has a room. Has Mrs. Darcy said anything about him? Did he, by chance, call on the Gardiners to see Mrs. Wickham?”
“I do not believe so,” he told him as he motioned for him to come in. “Close the door, will you?” Darcy turned from the window and walked back over to sit down at his desk. “No, Elizabeth has not said anything. Of course, Mrs. Wickham only arrived in town yesterday.”
“I have always known Wickham was a selfish being, but to treat his own wife this way when she is carrying his child is even worse than I thought he was capable of.” Colonel Fitzwilliam said as he walked over and sat down across from Darcy.
“Sadly, nothing about Wickham astonishes me any longer,” Darcy said as he took in a small breath. He looked at Richard, “If this is not about Wickham, then I can only assume it has to do with Lady Catherine?”
Richard nodded his head. “I wondered if you have decided how you wanted to proceed with her meddling the way she has,” he asked. “I do not believe you can ignore her abuse of Mrs. Darcy or the mischief she is attempting to cause for you and Georgiana any longer.”
Darcy sighed, “No, you are quite right,” he agreed. “I plan to go and see her later today while Elizabeth is having tea. I believe Lady Lucas and Miss Lucas are to come, as well as Elizabeth’s mother and younger sister.”
“Will Mr. and Mrs. Collins come as well?” Richard asked. “I thought I heard from Miss Catherine Bennet that they were in town as well.”
“Yes, I believe they are here,” Darcy told him. “It is possible that Elizabeth has asked them to come as well.”
“What do you plan to say to Lady Catherine?” Richard asked.
Darcy sighed, “I am not sure,” he told him. “I cannot allow her to continue spreading this ridiculous notion that I have somehow ruined Anne’s life. Nor will I allow her to disparage Elizabeth as she has done,” he commented. “I think what has me the angriest, though, is her spiteful actions against Georgiana. She has done nothing to Lady Catherine.”
“Would you like me to go along with you?” he asked.
Darcy shook his head, “No, I am more than capable of dealing with her on my own,” he told him. He looked up at his cousin, “From what I hear, you are expected to remain here and take tea with Captain Hathaway and the other ladies. According to Elizabeth, you are quite the favorite of several of the ladies.”
Richard rolled his eyes, “I am certain that is not the case,” he told him. “However, I did tell Owen I would be here today. He suggested he might call upon us around teatime. My mother has been working so hard to draw him out of himself; it is good for him to be around people again.”
“Indeed, I can attest to that myself,” Darcy told him. “Elizabeth plans to have a dinner party for Mr. Godwin and her sister the day after next. I will suggest she ask Owen to come along with my aunt and uncle,” he commented.
“Good,” Richard replied. “Being in the company of others will do him good.”
Elizabeth sat in the drawing room with Jane as they sipped their morning tea, “I had the strangest talk with Caroline last evening.”
Jane nodded her head, “She spoke with me as well,” she told her. “It was very odd, but I must say, I felt as if we truly could become friends now.”
Elizabeth smiled, “I am so glad to hear it, Jane,” she said. “Because I have promised William that I will stop meddling in Caroline’s romantic life,” she said. “Although, I must say, I do not feel as if I ever really got started.”
Jane laughed, “Oh Lizzy, do not worry. I believe Caroline and I will get along better. She has promised to be more tolerant when she comes to stay with us at Netherfield,” Jane told her.
“Does she not plan to be with you always going forward?” Elizabeth asked.
Jane shook her head, “I think not so often,” she said. “She does not like the countryside as much, and she would prefer to be in the city with Louisa and Mr. Hurst.”
“Perhaps that is better for her, then,” Elizabeth said somewhat surprised.
“It is the oddest thing, though,” Jane commented. “She said she owed it to you for helping her to decide what it is she wants going forward…”
Elizabeth furrowed her brow, “Me?” she shook her head in confusion, “I wonder what she could be talking about. I have given her no real advice or been of any help at all as far as I can see,” she said.
“She did not say it was advice that you gave her, but rather, it was a question that you asked that got her thinking for the first time in a very long time,” Jane told her. “It was such a strange thing to say. I asked Charles what he thought she meant, but he said he could not say.”
“Caroline said a question that I asked her has brought about all this change?” Elizabeth repeated what Jane had said. She tried to think about the conversations she had with Caroline. “I do not recall ever asking her anything of any consequence.”
“I must admit, Lizzy, I became more curious about Caroline’s behavior, so I asked Charles what he thought about the things she said to me and her attempts to make amends. He grew very quiet and even a little emotional when he talked about her. He spoke fondly of having memories of their time together when they were children. He mentioned that Caroline was not always so hard of heart. He said there was a time when she was very different, almost carefree by nature,” Jane told her.
“I cannot imagine Caroline being any different than she has always been to me,” Elizabeth commented.
“Oh, he did say Caroline has
always had an eye for the finer things. She has always appreciated a lovely gown, a fine piece of jewelry, and wanting to be a part of the upper Ton of London, but not to the extent that she is now. There was a time when she would laugh with him. A time when they would share one another’s secrets, but that all changed rather abruptly.”
Elizabeth could not help her curiosity, “What happened to bring about this change in her?” she asked.
Jane furrowed her brow a little, “He said she went away one summer to stay with his aunt, and that by the time she returned, she was so very altered that he hardly knew her. He said she was like another person. She was bitter, cold, distant, and determined from that time on.”
“Determined, that is an odd way to describe one’s own sister,” Elizabeth said. “Determined in what way?”
Jane shrugged her shoulders, “He did not say for certain. I am not sure even he knew,” she said. “He only said that things between them changed, and it was then they began to drift apart.”
Elizabeth felt for her brother-in-law, “How very sad,” she commented. “And for Caroline as well.”
“That is exactly what I thought,” Jane sighed. “But perhaps now with this change happening again, they can rekindle those bonds they had when they were children once again.”
Elizabeth smiled, “Oh Jane, you are forever the hopeful one,” she told her. She thought about the things Caroline said, “It had to be a man that hurt her,” she said out loud without thinking.
Jane shook her head, “Lizzy, do remember, you promised Mr. Darcy not to meddle,” she reminded her.
Elizabeth smiled, “I am not going to meddle,” she told her. “However, I wonder; did you take notice of how attentive Mr. Fitzwilliam was to Caroline again last night at the ball?”
Jane rolled her eyes, “Oh Lizzy, do let it go,” she scolded her. “If Mr. Fitzwilliam and Caroline are to find one another, let it be in their own time.”
Elizabeth nodded her head, “You are right,” she agreed. “I did give my promise not to meddle, so I will not. I did, however, ask Mr. Fitzwilliam to join us for tea, but that was before I made the promise to William.”
Jane laughed, “Do be careful, Lizzy,” she warned her. “You do not want to get a reputation of becoming…”
Elizabeth’s eyes opened wide as she shook her head and began laughing, “No Jane, do not speak it!” she begged her.
Jane laughed harder, “Speak what?” she asked her. “Lizzy, what did you suppose I was about to say?”
Elizabeth shook her head, “You were going to compare me to Mama,” she accused her as she took in a deep breath to keep from laughing.
Jane furrowed her brow, “Mama!?” she repeated her word, “Heavens no, I would never say such a thing,” she told her. “I was going to say you will get a reputation for being a matchmaker.”
Elizabeth laughed, “Oh thank goodness,” she sighed with relief. “I was beginning to think I really was turning into our dear mother.”
Chapter Eleven
Darcy stood in Lady Catherine’s drawing room looking out the window. He knew his visit with his aunt would not be long. He was not there for pleasantries; he wanted one thing from her. If she could not accept his wife, so be it; but he would see to it that she would at least stay out of his affairs. It was the sound of the door opening that interrupted his thoughts. He turned around to see his aunt as she came into the room.
Lady Catherine glared at him spitefully. She narrowed her eyes and said, “Fitzwilliam.”
Darcy bowed his head to her, “Lady Catherine,” he said to her as she walked over and sat down.
After a few moments of silence, she motioned for him to come and sit down. “I expected you to call on me sooner. It has already been a week since I have written to you informing you of my arrival,” she commented as she feigned looking about the room. “Where are my niece and nephew? Why have Georgiana and Richard not called to pay their respects? Surely you must have received my letter and sent my regards to them?”
“I did receive your letter a few days ago. And I did convey to them both your wish that they come to see you,” he told her. “But I chose not to respond to your neglect of Mrs. Darcy. As I am sure you are aware, Lady Catherine, this is not a social call,” he informed her. “Your request that I call on you without my wife accompanying me was unacceptable. That your intention was to give slight to Elizabeth did not go unnoticed by me. I am only here now because of what happened last night at Lady Knowles’s ball.”
Lady Catherine shrugged her shoulders and arched her brow, “I do not know what you are speaking about,” she said, pretending to be unaware of what had transpired.
“I highly doubt that,” Darcy remarked. “I can very well imagine that both Lady Knowles and Mrs. Peary have already called on you this morning to inform you of all that went on last evening.”
Lady Catherine made light of his accusations. “Yes, my friends have called on me this morning,” she commented. “But I cannot see what that should have to do with you or that woman you married!”
“It has everything to do with me!” he snapped at her.
“Do not raise your voice to me, sir!” she scolded him. “You will do well to remember your place!”
Darcy stood up and began pacing back and forth, “That is exactly the trouble, Lady Catherine. You think me a child who is answerable to you and your whims,” he told her. “I am not! Elizabeth and I are happily married, and I do not look kindly on the things you have been saying to those who are given to gossip here in London.”
Lady Catherine arched her brow, “I did warn you, Fitzwilliam. I told you if you married that girl you would be cut off from all respectable society!”
Darcy shook his head in disgust, “You think so very ill of Elizabeth. You consider her beneath you,” he said raising his voice in frustration. “And yet it is you whose behavior is unacceptable. Can you not see, Lady Catherine, how unbecoming it is for you to be spreading falsehoods and lies, to be gossiping to whoever will listen? For what purpose are you doing this?” he demanded to know. “What can you possibly hope to gain?”
“I have done nothing of the sort!” she yelled at him. “Everything I have said concerning Elizabeth Bennet is true!”
“Her name is Darcy!” he said sarcastically. “And no matter how you try to disparage her, she is still my wife.”
Lady Catherine rolled her eyes and shook her head in disgust. “If only it were not so!” she cringed.
“How can you hate her so?” Darcy demanded to know. “She has done nothing to you.”
“She is beneath you, Fitzwilliam. She is not your equal and should not bear the Darcy name!” Lady Catherine said in a high-pitched, angry voice. “She will never be good enough!”
Darcy grew more impatient. “Tell me, what did Lady Knowles say to you of Elizabeth’s conduct and behavior last night?” he demanded to know. “Were Elizabeth or her sisters so ill-mannered that either Mrs. Peary or Lady Knowles found fault with them?”
“It does not matter how she conducted herself!” she responded indignantly. “What are her connections, I ask you? A father who could not produce a son and a mother that does not know when to keep quiet!” Lady Catherine said, her voice filled with contempt. She shook with anger and continued on, “Do you deny having to arrange the marriage of Miss Lydia Bennet to Mr. Wickham? A girl so wild in her behavior that she ran off with a man and was seduced and bedded all without the covering of her father there to put a stop to it! Upon my word, Fitzwilliam, she was not yet sixteen!” she shouted. “Shameful! The entire affair was a shameful disgrace, and I know every sordid detail on the matter! I know you had to go to that rake George Wickham and pay off his gambling debts in order to persuade him to do right by the girl,” Lady Catherine lowered her eyes and shook her head in disgust. “To think you, a Darcy, having to go to the likes of George Wickham to patch things up so that you could make Elizabeth appear respectable enough to marry you! How low you have sunk, how she has pollute
d the very name of Darcy…”
“How is that you have come by this information? Who told you these things?” he demanded to know.
“It is of little consequence how I know,” she told him. “It does not change anything! Upon my word Fitzwilliam, I am thoroughly ashamed of you! I ask you again, how could you stoop to such a level as to go to the son of your father’s steward and beg him to marry that hussy! All so you could marry that …”
Darcy lost his temper, and cut her off. “Lady Catherine, you have no idea what you are talking about…” he told her in a cold and calculated voice. “Yes, I did arrange Wickham’s marriage to Lydia Bennet to help Elizabeth. I did what I did to help Elizabeth because I wanted to make amends for my own failure in not making Mr. Wickham’s character known. If I had done as I should, Miss Lydia Bennet would not be in the situation she now finds herself, of that I am sure! Elizabeth has always conducted herself in the most respectable manner possible. No one could ever accuse her of any impropriety regardless of her younger sister’s actions! I saw no reason she or her family should suffer for the actions of her sister Lydia.”
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