“Elaine! I was told that the interment took place without me. I am seriously displeased,” Lady Catherine de Bourgh snarled. “Where is my nephew? He will do his duty and marry Anne as soon as may be, just like my sister and I planned when they were in their cradles.”
“I had heard Miss de Bourgh is eighteen. Darcy is one and twenty,” Harold drawled. “How were they in their cradles at the same time when there are three years between them?”
Lady Catherine stood sputtering before she recovered. “Do you know who I am? I am not in the habit of brooking disappointment.”
“Catherine, where is Anne?” Lady Matlock asked when she recovered her voice. “Please tell me you did not drag her from pillar to post in this weather on your fool’s errand.”
“She is resting in the coach,” Lady Catherine sniffed.
Lady Matlock jumped up but first turned to the governess. “Take Miss Darcy to the nursery.” Afterwards, she left the room at speed to go see to her sickly niece.
“You there, prepare my niece to travel; she will be leaving with me,” Lady Catherine demanded of the governess, who thankfully ignored the woman and led her now sobbing charge out of the drawing room, Nurse following closely behind.
Harold nodded to Louisa, who closed the door so only they and the termagant were in the room. “Lady Catherine, unless you would like to lose everything and end up in gaol, you will cease this caterwauling in a house of mourning and leave forthwith.”
“I am a peeress; you can do nothing to me…” Lady Catherine began to screech.
“You are no more a peer than I am. I know you paid the men on the hunt to prevaricate to hideMrde Bourgh’s suicide. Yes, I know that he was stripped of his title even though you hid that fact,” Harold related matter-of-factly. “Do not test me, Madam; you know full well what the penalty forfelo de seis, do you not?”
Lady Catherine de Bourgh, who took pleasure in cowing others turned white and began to shake. Who was this man and how did he know about her husband’s shame?
“I see I have your attention. We do not have much time before we are interrupted. You will leave this house without your daughter as soon as I say so. In addition, you will never again mention this phantom engagement, and you will behave like the lady you are supposed to be. Cross me, and I will make sure that a full investigation is conducted by others who know the truth, and your courtesy title will be the least of the things you will lose. Do I need to repeat myself?” Harold hissed threateningly. The woman was a bully and needed to be treated as such.
As she did not trust herself to speak, Lady Catherine nodded her head weakly.
“Good. As soon as Lady Matlock returns with your daughter, you will leave. Until then, you will sit in silence and make no demands of anyone,” Harold commanded.
When Lady Matlock returned, she was ready to take her sister-in-law to task. She halted before she let loose her tirade. Instead of the bombastic, demanding, pretentious lady, she found a shell of the former Lady Catherine. Her sister-in-law looked like she had aged decades in the time she had been out of the drawing room to see to Anne and before her was a meek kitten.
Seeing the man who held her future in his hand nod, Lady Catherine stood. “I must take my leave. Convey my regrets.” With that, she was gone.
Just then Lord Matlock entered with the other three younger men following him. “Did I hear thedulcettones of mysister? Where is she?” He looked around the room and saw no one else.
“What happened while I was away?” Lady Matlock enquired. Had she not been such a well-bred lady, she would have scratched her head.
“Of what do you speak?” Matlock asked.
“Catherine barged in…” Lady Matlock told what had occurred which had led to her rescuing a very weak Anne from the de Bourgh coach. “When I returned, Catherine was not the same person. She simply left before making any more demands, so I repeat, what happened while I was away?”
“Nothing of note, your Ladyship,” Harold responded innocently. “I suppose she had a change of heart.”
Fitzwilliam had a very good idea what had caused the harridan’s withdrawal. He looked at Harry questioningly. The almost imperceptible nod told him all he needed to know; well, that and the look of pride Mrs Hurst was sending her husband.
“You may want to assure Miss Darcy that she is not leaving. Before your aunt changed her mind, she demanded that your sister accompany her,” Harold told Darcy.
Without another word, Darcy strode out of the drawing room to go see his sister. The three eldest Fitzwilliams looked about suspiciously. They were certain something had occurred in their absence, but they had no idea what. Someone had taken charge of Catherine, but who and how?
Chapter 7
“I calmed Gigi. She was sobbing uncontrollably, thinking that she was to be sent to Lady Catherine because she was too much trouble,” Darcy revealed when he returned from the nursery. “I am sorry, Uncle Reggie. I know she is your sister, but if that woman had not left on her own, I would have had the pleasure of throwing her from this house.”
“No apology needed, Son. I well know what Catherine is about, so I took no offence at your words, as they were nought but the truth,” Matlock assured his nephew. “You and Gigi will remain here for the three months of deep mourning, will you not?” He verified.
“Yes, it is my intention to be at Pemberley until the full six months of mourning is complete. As it will end in May 1804, the next time I will attend the season in London will be in 1805,” Darcy confirmed.
“And none of us will attempt to convince you otherwise,” Lady Matlock stated firmly, brooking no opposition. “I cannot believe that Catherine was initially so lost to all that is right and proper. Do you know she entered the drawing room demanding that you marry Anne as soon as may be? Even worse than that, I found my poor niece shivering in the coach!”
“You did a good thing by removing Anne from her mother’s care. As the executor of de Bourgh’s will, I should have acted sooner to see to Anne’s welfare,” Matlock lamented. “I had hoped that Catherine’s motherly instincts would override her avarice. I was wrong.”
