“That is a surprise,” drawled his mother while Elizabeth nodded her eager acceptance. “It seems I anticipated you, William, for I suspected we would not sup at the inn tonight.”
“Nor shall you any night, I should say,” said Darcy. “My cousin, Georgiana Darcy, is wild with anticipation to make your acquaintance, and her cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, has expressed similar excitement.”
“Then I dare say we shall be a merry party,” replied Elizabeth.
Rememberingwho elseresided there at that moment sobered Darcy, and he knew he could not set off without warning them. “Shall we sit for a moment? There is something I should tell you.”
Though appearing mystified, the three ladies did not disagree.
“There is an unlooked-for addition to the party at Pemberley, and I dare say she will prove a most unwelcome presence. To own the truth, she has already made herself unwelcomesufficient to provoke me to consider commanding her to return to her home.”
“Oh?” asked his mother, showing no little curiosity. “It cannot be your cousin’s uncle, since you referred to a woman.”
“Not her uncle, but her aunt.” Darcy grimaced at the thought of the objectionable woman. “Lady Catherine de Bourgh is a woman larger than life, intent upon pushing her large facial feature into matters not her concern,andpossesses enough vinegar and grit to make herself unwelcome the moment she opens her mouth. As she is not shy about sharing her opinion, her ability to offend is incalculable.”
“That is quite amusing, William. Tell me, did you invite this lady to stay at your estate?”
“No, I did not,” replied William. “The lady assumed her invitation and arrived last week. To own the truth, now that I consider it, I am surprised that she waited as long as she did.”
Darcy informed them of the lady’s stay, her behavior, her demands, and something of her criticisms and her laments about his engaged state. Darcy’s mother looked on this all with amusement, and if Elizabeth appeared no less diverted, there was about her a hint of disquiet, though he knew she would not allow Lady Catherine to intimidate her.
“That is quite the tale, William,” said Mrs. Darcy when he had explained all. “As I recall, you have spoken of this lady before.”
“I did, but that was only through hearsay as I never made her acquaintance. Trust me, mother, the stories of Lady Catherine do not do her justice. Even Fitzwilliam has spoken at length of her ways, for the family tolerates her but little.”
“Do you suppose she will assault me the moment I pass over the threshold?” asked Elizabeth, uncertainty replaced by her resolve. “Should I carry a parasol with which to defend myself?”
Kitty giggled at Elizabeth’s quip, and Darcy allowed a grin. “Perhaps you can put that fencing lesson to good use, though I suspect you will need something a little sturdier. Lady Catherine carries a cane, an affectation, though much more solid than a parasol.”
“Perhaps we can find a sturdy branch on the road to Pemberley,” said Elizabeth.
His heart already lightened by her resilience, Darcy chuckled. “Perhaps we shall at that. There is no further reason for delay; Lady Catherine will remain no matter how long we dither, so I suggest we leave at once. Do you feel equal to making her acquaintance?”
“Without a doubt,” replied Elizabeth.
WHEN THEY ENTERED THEproperty, any consideration of Lady Catherine de Bourgh departed from Elizabeth’s mind in favor of the delights she saw before her. What was a bitter termagant next to the glories of nature that Pemberley boasted in abundance? The woods and fields they passed filled Elizabeth with a longing to sample something of what she saw before her—that she would one day know these woods with the intimacy of a lover, awed her, but she could not prevent the longing to begin at once from welling within her breast. If the scenes before her and the length of the road from the lodge at Pemberley’s boundary did not astonish her, the sight of the house in the distance completed the task.
“Thatis Pemberley?” gasped Elizabeth when the carriage crested a rise and the house in the distance appeared before her eyes.
“It is,” said William, appearing gratified by her awe. “I will own that I had much the same reaction when I saw it for the first time.”
“I never thought I would be the mistress of such a place as this.”
“Yet I do not doubt your competence,” said William, drawing her attention from the edifice before her. “If I can manage the estate, I cannot think the house will give you any trouble.”
“Of course, it will not,” said Mrs. Darcy. “It is a house like any other, though larger and finer than even Netherfield.”
“I could never imagine living in such a place,” said Kitty, her voice strangled by her astonishment.
“If you wish,” said William to Kitty, “you are welcome to stay with us at any time. Then again, I suppose you will need to vie with your sisters if they are of a like mind.”
Kitty threw him a pleased look, but the carriage was now making its way down the other side of the small hill, and the house was growing larger in the distance. The courtyard, when they entered it, was paved with large flagstones, the house built of the same stone Elizabeth suspected was common to the area. The two great wings of the house rose on either side, blocking out the waning light of the sun that was already setting. In the middle, there arose a grand staircase leading into the house, and thereon stood three people, all tall and erect, a man and two ladies.
Though knowing one of them was Lady Catherine, Elizabeth put such thoughts from her mind for the moment in favor of what was happening. The carriage slowed as it approached the stairs and then turned until it drew up to the side, and the footmen alighted, opening the door with alacrity. After Mr. Darcy stepped down, he turned and handed the three ladies from the coach, first Mrs. Darcy, then Elizabeth, and finally Kitty. Then William took Elizabeth’s hand and put it in the crook of his arm, and turned to face those waiting.
“Lady Catherine, Fitzwilliam, Georgiana, please allow me to introduce our guests.”
With that, William performed the introductions, first introducing Elizabeth and her party as was proper, then reciprocating with his relations, though one was notable in that she wasnothis relation, and Darcy appreciated it more than he had ever thought possible. Colonel Fitzwilliam greeted them, his manners as jovial as Elizabeth had expected from William’s letters. Georgiana was shy yet eager, and as for Lady Catherine, she appeared larger than life, watching them with a distinct scowl etched on her brow. For the moment, the lady said nothing, likely for the best, for Elizabeth suspected they would not wish to hear her pronouncements. When the introductions were complete, they entered the house and went to the sitting-room where they could become better acquainted.
