“No, my father passed away these many years,” William Bennet agreed.
“And my father is standing right there,” Mary pointed to her smug looking father.
“That being the case Mother, you have no authority to stop them marrying,” Anne de Bourgh stated.
“I can still sack him!” Lady Catherine screeched.
“Excuse me, Mr. William Bennet, I must have missed something,” Darcy interjected. Like his cousin before him, he was fighting not to smile.
“What is that Darcy?” William Bennet questioned.
“How dare you address my nephew thusly…” Lady Catherine attempted to say but the conversation continued as if she had said nothing.
“Has my aunt been appointed the Bishop of Kent, or mayhap Charles Manners-Sutton,The Most ReverendWillowmere, by Divine Providence Lord Archbishop of Canterbury has relinquished his position and Lady Catherine has ascended to be head of the Church of England?”
There were not a few coughs as those other than Lady Catherine tried to cover their laughing.
“Not only did this Bennet chit use her arts and allurements on you, but you are addled in the brain, Fitzwilliam. How can you speak such nonsense, I will have to come run Pemb…” Lady Catherine closed her mouth as she saw the faces of both nephews grow red with anger directed at her.
“There is only one here who is delusional. I was making light of the fact you have no power to remove a clergyman from his living, the appointment is for life,” Darcy barked. “At last, we hear your true motivation for your lies about Anne and me being engaged. In your mind you thought not only would the marriage take Anne away fromherestate, but you would get your grubby hands on Pemberley.” Darcy turned to Anne. “We need to speak to Uncle Reggie and Aunt Elaine; I think your mother needs to be in an asylum.”
As soon as she heard her brother’s name, again ignoring that which did not fit her desires, Lady Catherine saw a way to assert her will.
“My brother will never accept that…” Seeing the fury on Darcy’s face, Lady Catherine ceased her tirade.
“Insult the woman I love again and so help me I will physically throw you from this house,” Darcy growled.
Lady Catherine shrank back. She could see she had pushed too far and Darcy meant every word of what he had just threatened.
“Aunt dear,” Tiffanny added, “Mama and Papa both know and approved of William’s plan to try to win Lizzy’s hand. The only one they would disapprove of is you and your horrendous behaviour here today.”
“Well said Sister,” Richard agreed proudly. “Tiff has the right of it. If Father was here he would have ordered you to Bedlam long ago.”
“As you well know, Mother, I am already five and twenty and I am now asserting my ownership rights over my estate, the de Bourgh fortune, and de Bourgh House. You have a choice, the dower house or you will leave my estate with nothing but what remains of your dowry and fend for yourself,” Anne asserted firmly.
The blows kept on coming and Lady Catherine was reeling. If only she had never sent her then snivelling parson to heal the breach and find a wife among his cousins. Before she could unleash the pent up vitriol, she felt a sharp pain in her head, then a flash of light, and then nothing.
“Fanny, take the ladies out of the room please. Hill, have Mr. Jones summoned,” Bennet instructed on seeing the termagant’s eyes roll back and her fall to the floor unmoving.
Fanny and the five younger ladies—Anne de Bourgh had insisted on remaining—exited the drawing room. As they did, Giana leant over so Jane could hear her. “Mr. Bingley wanted to come, but he decided it was a family affair, he will arrive in about an hour.”
Jane squeezed the younger girl’s hand in thanks. She had been wondering where her fiancé was.
Darcy felt for a pulse and then placed his hand over his aunt’s mouth in order to attempt to detect a sign of her breathing. There was none of either. He shook his head.
A few tears rolled down Anne’s cheeks. She had not liked her mother very much, but she was still her mother, or had been. It seemed she had attempted to meddle in someone’s life one time too many.
It was not too much longer before Mr. Jones arrived. He quickly confirmed the fact Lady Catherine de Bourgh was beyond his assistance—or the assistance of any other in the mortal world.
“Was it an apoplexy?” Bennet inquired.
“With the speed it occurred, I do not believe so,” Jones opined.
“When I was training to be a doctor, I read a treatise by Lancisi about something called an aneurysm. My guess is the deceased had one, possibly in her brain, which ruptured,” Jones explained.
“Bennet may I use your study to write to my parents and brother?” Richard requested. Bennet nodded.
“It is cold enough so we will be able to return the body to Rosings Park for burial,” Darcy told Anne once Richard had made his way to the study.
