“That we may discuss later. It is time for you to throw off these fantasies that have ruled you.This girlcannot make you an adequate wife, not in the circles you must move in the future. You will denounce any so-called engagement at once, for I require you to marry my daughter.”
“So that you understand me, Lady Catherine,” said William, his tone firm and unfriendly, “I will do no such thing. Elizabeth ismyfiancée, and I will not do something so unreasonable as you suggest, ruining her and my reputation in the bargain.”
“Yes, you will!” shrilled the lady. “I insist upon it and will not be gainsaid. My daughter will bring you a grand estate and more wealth than you can imagine, access to the highest circles of society, and legitimacy you do not possess.”
“Yet I care nothing for these things.”
“Be silent and listen to me!”
“No, Lady Catherine!” said William, speaking over her diatribe. “I shall not listen to anything so unreasonable. If I did not question your very sanity, I might wonder why you are so insistent on me, a man you do not know well, marrying a woman I have never even met.”
“Because Pemberley is to bemine!” hissed the lady. She stalked toward William, her eyes ablaze with fanatical verve, and in that moment, Elizabeth wondered if the lady was completely sane. “I have planned the union between Pemberley and Rosings since my daughter was in her cradle; you will not deny me now. Youwilloblige me.”
SEVERAL THINGS CLICKEDinto place, though the why of it was still opaque. It was notDarcyshe wanted, though he played a part given his connection to the family. For whatever reason, Lady Catherine had long desired to influence Pemberley, and the death of its former master would not impede her designs. The depravity attendant on such willful misbehavior rendered the lady anathema to Darcy; when he forced her from this house, Darcy was determined he would never endure her again, would petition the earl to place her in Bedlam if she persisted.
“You have had your say, Lady Catherine, now you will listen to me.”
The scowl that descended over her features informed Darcy she knew he would not oblige her—that she had ever thought he would, was another black mark against her. Darcy did not care about that, so he ignored the thought and concentrated on his response.
“Listen to me, for I will not say it again.Nothingwill induce me to throw Elizabeth over for your daughter or any other woman. We have been engaged and will be married next week; I will allow nothing to stand in the way of that union.
“I would have you know that I am denying you entry into any property that I own and will not endure you in my life wherever we may meet. Do not approach me, for I will cut you, and do not write to me, for I shall burn all correspondence and return the ashes to you. Do I make myself clear?”
“And this is your last word?”
“Do I need to say it? For anyone with sense, the number of times I have addressed this must be enough to promote understanding.”
“You are not welcome here, Lady Catherine,” said Mr. Bennet. “I require you to leave at once.”
“Georgiana!” snapped the woman, though her eyes never left William. “I know not what you mean by visiting such a place as this, but you will accompany me back to Rosings now.”
Though her aunt’s attack frightened Georgiana, she took courage when Elizabeth squeezed her hand, though she could not speak. The only response she managed was a shake of her head, but it was defiance all the same.
Lady Catherine’s eyes blazed with affront, and she stalked forward, no doubt to lay hands on Georgiana, but William intercepted her and shook his head.
“You will release Georgiana to my care at once!” spat she.
“No, I shall not,” replied William evenly. “You are not Georgiana’s guardian.”
“Nor are you. In a contest between us,mykinship is by far the greater.”
“The closeness of our relationship may be as you say,” returned William. “Yet I shall be Georgiana’s guardian the moment the earl’s solicitor finishes the paperwork.”
Lady Catherine scoffed. “Youbecome the guardian to a girl such as Georgiana Darcy? Do not make me laugh!”
“Yet it is so. You may ask the earl if you like, but he will confirm it.”
For a long moment, Lady Catherine regarded William as if trying to determine how far he would go to deny her. Elizabeth knew she was wasting her time, for there was nothing in the world that would induce William to go back on his word. Georgiana was to be his ward, and he took such duties seriously. The longer Elizabeth regarded Lady Catherine, the less certain she became—either Lady Catherine was rational, as strange as that sounded, regarding William trying to understand him, or she was so angry she could not muster a response.
In the end, she did what Elizabeth had suspected, for she attempted to get at Georgiana anyway. Though William graspedher hands and forced her away, Elizabeth did her part to stand in front of Georgiana, denying the woman in the unlikely event she forced her way past William. She might not have worried, for Lady Catherine was so affronted that William had laid hands on her that she was now apoplectic with rage.
“Do you not know what I have the power to see you in prison?” hissed she.
“No judge in England would convict me for protecting my ward,” replied William, still keeping his calm.
“Enough of this,” said Mr. Bennet. “Lady Catherine, you will leave at once. If you do not, I shall call the constable. We shall see what your vaunted position in society avails you when he confines you in Meryton’s jail.”
“You can do nothing to me!” screeched the lady, losing all pretense of restraint.
