by Kara Louise
Elizabeth politely curtseyed, and when she lifted her head, she pursed her lips and swallowed to moisten her suddenly dry mouth. “Good afternoon, Lady Catherine. It is an honour to see you again.”
Lady Catherine threw her shoulders back and stood erect, her eyes narrowed, and her lips puckered tightly together before saying, “You are Miss Elizabeth Bennet!”
“Yes, madam, you are correct.”
Lady Catherine’s grey eyes almost appeared closed save for the glint that peered through. She took several steps forward, bringing her into the room. Looking at Anna, she told her, “You may go. We have no need for you here.”
Anna looked at Elizabeth as if waiting to be excused. Elizabeth gave her a resigned nod.
Lady Catherine turned back to Elizabeth with a stern look etched on her face. “I come expecting to find my nephew or my niece, and instead I find you!”
“I have also come to see Miss Darcy.” Elizabeth tried to smile, but knew it was a futile attempt. “I understand she has not yet returned from an unexpected errand.”
“What business have you with my niece?”
With a start, Elizabeth readily recollected the insolence this woman exhibited when she met her at Rosings. “This is a social call. She invited me for tea.”
Lady Catherine let out a disgusted huff. “This is insupportable!” The cane Lady Catherine held tightly in her fist pounded to the floor. “My niece has no reason to take notice of a mere governess! Yes, I know that is what you are. Why would she invite you to tea?”
Elizabeth’s eyes widened, appalled at her words. “I beg your pardon, Lady Catherine, but my current vocation as a governess was only prompted by my good father’s death, and…”
“That does not signify!” Her words were unleashed in fury, a frown settling across her features. “I am well aware who you are… and who you are not! The Darcy family is esteemed well above your insignificant family. The associations of my niece and nephew must be kept to those of distinction of rank or fortune! Your family has not even the slightest connections worthy of anyone’s notice.”
“Perhaps Miss Darcy should be allowed to make her own choice of associations.”
Lady Catherine shook her head for emphasis. “Headstrong girl! I cannot believe that my niece, for no other purpose than a social call, invited someone so far beneath her to her home for tea!”
“I am aware of no other purpose that Miss Darcy may have had in inviting me,” Elizabeth replied.
Lady Catherine studied Elizabeth with an unwavering gaze for a brief moment, and then began wagging her finger at her. “Do not think that I do not know what you are about, Miss Bennet! I am not unaware of your recent stay at Pemberley.” In a severe tone, she voiced her dreaded suspicion, “Was it your design to use your arts to draw my nephew in whilst you were there?”
Elizabeth coloured as she listened with increasing astonishment. “I had no part in the decision to go to Pemberley. The family for whom I worked was invited. I knew nothing of it until it was a settled matter!”
“You expect me to believe that you journeyed to Pemberley without any thought of how you might secure my nephew’s notice?”
Elizabeth let out a breath, almost a chuckle, and shook her head. “When I departed for Pemberley, I had no reason to believe, no designs or even hopes, that he would harbour even the slightest regard for me. I went dutifully and solely as Miss Emily Willstone’s governess.”
“Then you must know that any aspirations you may have to secure his regard, any arts you employ, would be futile.”
“You assume that I intended to use feminine wiles to secure Mr. Darcy’s regard. You cannot be further from the truth.”
“Do not trifle with me, Miss Bennet! You know you can never marry him!”
While the sound of muffled footsteps and hushed voices outside the door suggested to Elizabeth that some of the servants were perhaps listening, she steeled herself to reply, “Lady Catherine, whether or not I marry your nephew will solely be determined by whether or not he asks me, not by your empty threats!”
“You are an insolent girl!” she cried out. “Have you no respect for our family? He has been promised in marriage to my daughter since their birth! Both his mother and I wished it!” Lady Catherine’s body shook with the fervency of her words.
“I came to know of that even before my visit to Rosings,” she answered, her voice steady. “If Mr. Darcy chooses to honour that wish, then you ought to have nothing to worry about.” Elizabeth paused. “If his understanding is compatible with yours, I wonder why you feel so inclined to caution me.”
Lady Catherine again pounded her cane sharply against the floor. “Tell me, Miss Bennet, whether or not you harbour any designs on my nephew! Do you seek to become engaged to him?”
Elizabeth felt her ire rise, but made a concerted effort to suppress it. “You claim that to be an impossibility. If he is engaged to your daughter, how can he become engaged to someone else?”
Lady Catherine threw her shoulders back and lifted her chin in the air. “You must promise me this, Miss Bennet! If my nephew asks for your hand, you must not accept him!”
The pounding of footsteps coming toward the room abruptly stopped. Elizabeth hoped it was someone coming to rescue her from Lady Catherine’s abuse. But no one stepped in.
Elizabeth swallowed and straightened her shoulders. She lifted her head and looked directly into Lady Catherine’s eyes. “I may be insupportable and headstrong, but one thing I am definitely not is easily intimidated. You insist that I refuse an offer of marriage from your nephew. I cannot promise anything of the sort. I will only reply that I would be more than delighted to accept an offer if he were ever to make one.”
“This is not to be borne! I have never met with one so devoid of propriety! Do you not know…?”
“That is enough!”
The voice boomed across the room with such force that even Lady Catherine started. They both turned to see Mr. Darcy stride with determined steps toward them. He came to a halt at Elizabeth’s side, his breathing ragged, his eyes glaring.
“I will hear no more of your tirade against Miss Bennet. What right have you to treat her—a guest in my household—in such a rude, disparaging manner?”
Without waiting for his aunt to answer, he turned to Elizabeth. “Pray, forgive me for the reception you received here.”
His aunt seemed momentarily stunned by his unexpected appearance, and her nose flared as her upper lip curled under. She directed an accusatory glare toward Elizabeth. “Miss Bennet is a pretentious woman with no connections, rank, or fortune. Stay as far away from her as possible. She has aspirations that would ruin you and dishonour your family name.”
Darcy’s eyes narrowed and he took a moment to compose himself. Elizabeth readily saw the turmoil in his face, the tension in his body. Suddenly his features softened, and he seemed to relax slightly.
“I fear that is impossible,” he said slowly.
“Impossible?” his aunt asked. “Why?”
Darcy turned to Elizabeth. “It is very simple. She made a promise to me and has yet to keep it.”
Both Lady Catherine’s and Elizabeth’s eyes widened, and their brows were raised in surprise at his statement. Lady Catherine boldly asked, “What promise? Whatever do you mean?”
He smiled softly, reassuringly, at Elizabeth. “She promised to watch the sunrise with me from the ridge behind Pemberley.” He cast his eyes down and shook his head. “I fear that I must hold her to it.”
Elizabeth’s heart beat relentlessly as she tried to conceal a smile, much like she believed Mr. Darcy was doing, while Lady Catherine did not make any attempt to conceal her anger. “I have never heard anything more disgraceful! You are to marry my Anne, and this sort of behaviour…”
“I fear that will be impossible,” another strong voice interjected.
Lady Catherine and Elizabeth turned toward the door to see Colonel Fitzwilliam walk in, followed by Miss Darcy and Miss de Bourgh.<
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As he walked in, he greeted his aunt with a brief kiss and turned to Elizabeth. “Miss Bennet, it is a delight to see you again.”
Elizabeth nodded and softly replied, “It is good to see you, as well.”
“Whatever do you mean?” his aunt insisted upon knowing. “Why is his marrying my Anne impossible?” She turned to look at Anne and asked, “Where have you been? You know how much I dislike not knowing where you are!”
Elizabeth watched as Anne slightly shielded herself behind Colonel Fitzwilliam. “She has been with me!” the Colonel announced. He drew in a breath and took a rigid soldier’s stance. “And the reason my good cousin cannot marry Anne is because… I intend to marry her!”
The colour drained from Lady Catherine’s face, and her body was wracked with tremors as she came to understand his words. Her voice cracked as she said, “You? You cannot marry Anne!”
“And why not? We care deeply for one another. We love each other!”
Lady Catherine shook her head violently. “No! This cannot be! You have nothing to offer her!”
“He loves me, Mother,” Anne’s voice, although weak, was firm. “And what is more important is that I love him.”
“I have never heard anything more absurd in my life! You have no idea of what you speak!”
As Lady Catherine continued her tirade, now aimed at Colonel Fitzwilliam, Mr. Darcy drew Elizabeth quietly out of the room. Miss Darcy followed, tucking her hand through Elizabeth’s arm.
In a hushed, fervent voice, she said as they walked out, “Pray, forgive me for not being here to welcome you when you arrived. This whole affair between my two cousins came about so suddenly.”
“Think nothing of it,” Elizabeth replied reassuringly, patting the back of Miss Darcy’s hand.
“I know how my aunt can be. I cannot imagine what she must have said to you.”
At that moment Mr. Darcy stopped and turned around. “Whatever she said, it will all be forgotten now. She has a greater concern that is going to occupy her thoughts for quite some time.”
“The Colonel marrying her daughter?” Elizabeth asked.
Darcy nodded. “I am convinced she will come to see the good in it.” Darcy stopped at the door to a spacious room. “As your visit today was an invitation from Georgiana, I shall leave you two here and send for some refreshments.” With a slight shrug of his shoulders, he added, “Then I shall be off to ensure my cousin does not have to resort to some military manoeuvre to subdue our aunt.” With a wink at Georgiana, he added as he walked toward the door, “Please refrain from revealing to Miss Bennet too many of our family secrets.”
Once Mr. Darcy stepped from the room, Georgiana eagerly turned to Elizabeth and gave her a charming smile. They began talking at first about very general subjects. To Elizabeth’s discerning eye, it appeared as though Miss Darcy exhibited a bit less shyness than she had witnessed at Pemberley. She hoped that it was an indication the young lady felt at ease in her company.
The time passed quickly as they talked about their families. Elizabeth sensed that Georgiana felt a bond with her in that they had both lost their fathers. They shared with each other what they remembered most and how much they missed them.
At length, Elizabeth noticed that Darcy was standing in the doorway to the room, casually leaning against it. She quietly wondered just how long he had been there watching the two of them.
“All is well,” he said softly, giving no indication that he overheard anything. “They have returned to my aunt’s home to discuss that which both my cousins wish and that which my aunt will fight for several more days. She will eventually concede, and all will be well.”
Georgiana reached over and grasped Elizabeth’s hand. “I am so sorry you had to witness such a mêlée in our family. Would you care for a tour of the house?”
Elizabeth heartily agreed.
When they finished walking through the beautiful home, Miss Darcy made a suggestion. “The day is very pleasant. Would you enjoy taking a turn about the grounds behind the house?”
“I would love to,” Elizabeth softly answered.
They walked to the back of the house and stepped out. The grounds were lush, with a lawn that stretched out before them and trees that formed a barrier to the outside world. They walked toward a bench that was covered with a lattice canopy filled with wisteria blossoms. The scent was heavenly. Mr. Darcy gestured toward the bench, inviting Elizabeth to sit down.
Elizabeth took a seat, and when she looked up, she was startled to see Miss Darcy gone. Only Mr. Darcy stood next to her. His brown eyes were warm and his smile tender.
Elizabeth’s heart pounded and her mind began to spin as he sat down on the bench beside her.
Chapter 27
In the relative seclusion of the bench, Mr. Darcy turned toward Elizabeth. “Miss Bennet, I had hoped your visit here today would have been a pleasant one. I am deeply grieved over the behaviour of my aunt.”
“As I told your sister, it was not her fault; neither is it yours.”
He reached out and took Elizabeth’s hand, cradling it in his own. He lightly stroked the back of it with his fingers. “My sister truly enjoyed your company. You have been very kind to her.”
His gentle touch and close proximity produced such light-headedness in Elizabeth that it made it difficult to even think. Her heart pounded so strongly, she felt it up in her throat, making words difficult to express. “She is a wonderfully sweet young lady whose company I truly enjoy.”
“For that, I am most grateful.” He looked down at their hands. “It is apparent she feels equally toward you.”
“I could not be happier,” Elizabeth reassured him.
Mr. Darcy pressed his other hand upon hers. “As am I, but to own the truth, I do not wish to talk about my sister.” His eyes searched hers and grew warm.
“Miss Bennet…” he began. His voice was noticeably unsteady, but he turned and looked at her with a demeanour of hopefulness. “Elizabeth, there is much I would say to you today, but being a man of few words, any that come to mind seem inadequate.” He took both of her hands in his. “I have acknowledged to you that my feelings and wishes over the duration of the past year and a half have not diminished or changed, despite attempts over the course of the past year to talk myself out of them.” He paused briefly and then added, “Not because I felt they were wrong, but due to how things were left between us when we parted at Rosings.”
Elizabeth broke in, “I am so sorry for my words that day. If I had known what I know now…”
Darcy lifted one hand and pressed it briefly to her lips to silence her. “No. I needed to hear what you said to me. It pained me at the time, but as I reflected upon it, even that first night, I knew that you spoke the truth about both my behaviour in Hertfordshire and my actions regarding your sister.”
“I have often regretted how I spoke to you that day…”
A crooked smile appeared and he swallowed, taking in a deep breath. “I do not wish to speak about Rosings, either.” He pursed his lips and closed his eyes briefly. “Elizabeth,” he said as his eyes opened and gazed intently at hers. “My love and regard for you is so fervent that at times I can hardly bear it. I am convinced that life without you would be painfully empty and hopeless.”
He paused and studied her face. Very slowly he said, “I would be honoured if you would consent to become my wife.” He reached out and stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. “There is none other with whom I want to share the sunrises or explore the many paths at Pemberley. There is none other with whom I want to read Cowper’s poems and Shakespeare’s sonnets.” Taking her hand again in his, he asked, “Will you marry me, my dearest, loveliest, Elizabeth?”
Elizabeth fought back the tears of joy that threatened. She bit her lip as she considered that he still wished to marry her. She thought for a moment before answering.
She whispered his name. “Fitzwilliam, you know my heart, but I cannot help but consider the truth of what your au
nt said to me earlier. Marrying someone in my position… one who is merely a governess, could readily cause a great deal of gossip. Your standing in society…”
His face drained of all colour and she felt his hands tighten about hers. “Elizabeth, you must know that I do not care about any of those things. I…”
With her hands enclosed in his, she brought them up to her lips and kissed each one, bringing a halt to his words. “You may not care what it means to you, but there is your sister you must consider. She may have a more difficult time in society due to your marriage to one so beneath you.” She looked down briefly, and then looked up into his eyes. “Therefore, while I do agree to your offer and desire most heartily to become your wife, I ask that we not announce our engagement until after I have spent sufficient time living with my sister and Mr. Bingley in their home. Perhaps in a relatively short amount of time, I will become known as the esteemed Mrs. Bingley’s sister, rather than a mere governess, and consequently, more worthy of your hand.”
Darcy let out a sigh of relief, but the look of apprehension still remained. “There is truly no need for this.”
“Perhaps, but I must insist upon it all the same.”
Darcy eyed her curiously. “What do you consider to be a relatively short amount of time?” he asked. “A week? Two weeks?”
Elizabeth chuckled and tilted her head as she paused to consider her answer. “Hmmm. Since it is entirely out of our hands, we shall have to wait and see.”
Darcy drew nearer. “I have waited this long; I suppose I can wait a little longer. But I shall do everything in my power to introduce you to everyone I know as the finest young lady in my acquaintance. I am convinced that all London will soon be aware that a very fine, eligible woman has captured the notice… and the affections… of Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley!”
Elizabeth’s heart beat rapidly as Darcy grasped her fingers and brought them close to his lips. As he spoke, his warm breath poured over them. “I regret that I will be occupied for the next several days with my cousins and their wedding. It is going to be a small ceremony in Rosings church, which I would be delighted for you to attend as my guest, but…”
