“I had no notion of your opinion, madam. I had no doubt of your love for my sister, but had you blamed me… it would have destroyed me.”
“Did it not occur to you that I love you, too?”
Elizabeth had never heard anyone confess affection in such a scolding tone. Even Darcy looked taken aback.
“Aunt, I…”
“Nephew.I am not going to dredge up your sordid past. You can, andshould,regret it. I shall regret my own ignorance just as keenly. That is the end of the matter; let us move on.”
Darcy’s throat worked, “Yes, aunt.”
“Very well. Tell me what happened here.”
Chapter 77
Lady Catherine made it clear that several matters needed to be ‘dealt with’ at once. Chief among her concerns were Georgiana’s care, the reputation of the family, and the vital importance that Pemberley would not be neglected out of carelessness, drunkenness or ignorance. She said this last word with a glance at Elizabeth - a kindly glance, all things considered, but one that Mrs. Darcy did not appreciate.
She had expected to be intimidated by Lady Catherine, and the few minutes she had spent with her so far had proven her correct. However, Lizzie did not find the other woman to be as monstrous as she had been painted. Her love for Georgiana and for Darcy was beautiful, and it was obvious that Lady Catherine made all of her decisions with their wellbeing at the front of her mind.
While Elizabeth did not relish the thought of Lady Catherine giving her instruction about the running of the estate, she had to admit that the lady had some right to be superior. She had been the mistress of Rosings Park for decades, and by all accounts it was a superb house. Had Lady Catherine offered her insights in a tactful manner then Elizabeth would have beengrateful. Her reference to ‘ignorance’, however, proved that any understanding between them would take time.
“What of my sister?” Elizabeth asked, when Lady Catherine had stopped speaking for long enough to enquire. When the older woman frowned at her, Lizzie awkwardly added: “My sister Jane, madam… your rector, Mr. Collins, believes that he has some claim to her. Indeed, we thought that was why you decided to visit us.”
“Collins! Is he here?”
“Yes, ma’am. He is staying in the dower house. I do not believe we shall see him until morning, for he drank a great deal at the ball.”
“Excellent, he is at his most tolerable when kept at a distance. Yes, Mrs. Darcy, he did petition me for assistance, but no, that is not why I am here. My goodness, you make it sound as if I am here at his command! You must understand, Mrs. Darcy, that isnothow such things are managed among the finer families.”
Elizabeth felt a wild urge to laugh. Lady Catherine’s opinions had been the focus of her life for so long that she had never stopped to consider the sheer audacity of Mr. Collins’s claims. It was not only that his esteemed patroness didn’tcareabout his plight. The notion that she was at his disposal, and that he could make her travel so far to serve his needs, wasdeeplyoffensive.
It was tempting to press the matter and make it clear that Collins was abusing his patroness’s good name. Elizabeth decided against it. Lady Catherine seemed content to ignore him entirely. Every minute that Collins was forced to remain in Pemberley, waiting for her attention, was another minute Jane could use to escape.
Lady Catherine had many questions about Georgiana’s ‘accident’. She asked them bluntly, like a bull stomping one foot against the ground. To protect Mary from both the unpleasant topic and the snorting orator, Elizabeth took her downstairs and sat her down in the parlour. For a few minutes they both breathed in silence, stunned by the violent emotions they had just witnessed and the clash of Darcy and his aunt. Then Elizabeth stood up.
“I will get the others. Kitty and Lydia will want to know about Georgiana.”
“Yes, but… Lizzie, wait.” Mary caught her sister’s hand, “This is bad timing, but it is theonlytime. I need to speak to you.”
There was such agitation on her sister’s face that Elizabeth sat back down at once. “What is it, my love?”
“Do you not wonder where Fitzwilliam has been all day?”
“Oh. I… um…” Elizabeth floundered. She could hardly tell her sister that the whole day had been a fever-dream. “Where is he, Mary?”
“He is… oh, I do not think you will understand. Let me try again. Elizabeth, last night I told Fitzwilliam that I would not dance with him. Instead, we walked through the garden for several hours.”
Mary’s face went very pink. Elizabeth had a horrible moment of déjà vu, remembering the expression on Jane’s face after she had spied on them in the woods. Her own face burned and she blurted out: “Did you see us?”
“See what?” Mary blinked, distracted from her poignant recollections, and let out a small scoff. “Were you reciting Shakespeare to the fairies? I saw nothing. You are not at thecentre of every story, Elizabeth. You must try to imagine a world where people have their own lives, even if you are not there.”
“No, I didn’t mean…” Elizabeth could not scold Mary for being so scathing. After living under her sisters’ shadows for so long, Mary had every right to value her time without them. “What happened with Colonel Fitzwilliam, dearest?”
“Alone? In the dark woods? Unchaperoned? What do youthinkhappened?”
Elizabeth felt dizzy. “You…?”
“He kissed me.”
