The lady responded in an angry tone, “You ought to know, that I am not to be trifled with. You, Darcy, are to marry Anne, as promised before you left England for that vile penal colony, whatever it is called. That you should so disgrace your heritage!”
“When was such a promise made?” said Darcy, striving to remain calm. “When you imperiously called me to Rosings to have me act for your sycophantic, unctuous parson, Mr. Collins? No, ma’am, such is a fiction, invented by you to cover your gross indebtedness. You look to Pemberley to rescue you. Shame on you.”
“How dare you speak to me thus!”
“I dare,” said Darcy, “because I can see deceit when it stands before me. You fail to realise, Lady Catherine, that I have been a judge these past three years. I rule from the bench in military and civilian tribunals alike. I am prosecuting magistrate, jury, and sentencing judge—were you not Matlock’s sister, I would take you now before a magistrate andhave your dissembling exposed.” To fight a bully, he must be one. He continued,
“Never was any promise made to marry Anne. Who do you think the magistrate would believe? You, a bankrupt commoner, or me? Lieutenant governor, judge-advocate, adviser to Lord Bathurst.”
Lady Catherine hesitated for a moment and then replied,
“What are you, Fitzwilliam? You are not the man who left England. You’ve come back infected by the vulgar felons with whom you lived these past four years—where are your manners? You have lost all decorum.”
Furiously, she turned to Darcy’s father, “And you, George, standing there like a fool as your son insults your wife’s memory. You well know his engagement to Anne was planned in the cradle, that it was both sisters’ dearest wish. To see the great estates of Pemberley and Rosings united.”
Abruptly, Lady Catherine arose. “Enough! A room should be prepared by now. Anne, let us retire. I am weary from the road and need to refresh myself.”
Darcy and his father looked at each other in astonishment. Then, taking a glass, they sank into the cushions to recover their equanimity, the brandy as astringent as Catherine’s diatribe.
“She’s mad, utterly deranged. No acknowledgement of the debts she has accrued, no contrition. I can see why Matlock gets nowhere with her. This is a disaster, for how does one deal with a lunatic? From whence does this madness come?” Darcy cursed under his breath.
“We cannot deal with her,” said his father. “We must obfuscate until Elizabeth returns. There is little else we can do. I fear, however, that Matlock will increase his pressure on you to offer for Felicity. For he sees your marrying Anne the better match because Rosings would be yours under the settlement.Otherwise, the mortgages would need to be paid out and proceedings started to take control of the estate. A messy and possibly public business.”
Darcy winced, then laughed. “’Tis only hypothetical. Shortly, you’ll cradle Pemberley’s heir in your arms. And all this sorry mess can be left for Matlock to untangle.”
***
“I’m so looking forward to meeting Elizabeth. You’ve told me so much about her. At last, having sister and being an aunt! ‘Tis ever so thrilling.”
“You’re not upset that I’m not marrying Felicity?”
“Oh, no. She’s already a cousin—with Elizabeth, I gain a sister—‘tis what I’ve always wished for.”
Georgiana sat with Darcy in the library, the smell of leather-bound books their long-time friend—they both immensely enjoyed reading. In this room, they were unlikely to be disturbed. Aunts Alice and Catherine thought bookishness was unladylike.
Both siblings took a moment to contemplate Lizzie’s coming. Her arrival was only days away; they awaited word of theGrosvenor’sarrival in the Thames estuary. There were horses stationed at each of the major posting inns between Pemberley and London—Darcy could be in town in less than four and twenty hours, in time to meet her at the wharf.
Hearing a disturbance in the hallway, they were unsurprised when Winthrop entered. “My apologies, but more unexpected guests have arrived.” He grimaced, so unlike his normally unflappable self. “Mr. and Mrs. Hurst, Miss Bingley, and Mr. Bingley, who said that you had invited him.”
“Bingley? What the devil is he doing here? Oh, very well, show them into the west parlour. And please have Mrs. Reynolds prepare bedchambers in the guest wing.”
“Did you knowMr. Bingley at Cambridge?”
“You’ve a good memory, Georgiana. Yes, we were at university together for two terms. I recently met him again in London, in July; by chance, he saw me in the street.”
Darcy thought for a moment. This visit could be to their advantage. “Georgie, I believe you can assist me. I was introduced to Miss Bingley at a soiree at the Hursts’ house in Grosvenor Street. Mrs. Hurst is Bingley’s sister. At the soiree, my rank of lieutenant governor and my being heir to Pemberley made me a target for Miss Bingley, a social climber of the first rank. Of course, she is outclassed by Lady Felicity, the daughter of an earl, and by Cousin Anne, an heiress. But she suffers from the delusion that her dowry of twenty thousand pounds and her attendance at an exclusive seminary compensate for her family being in trade. Ironically, my being a barrister—which was all that I was—would have made her an eminently suitable wife.”
Georgiana laughed, a knowing smile brightening her face. “I understand completely, William. We wish to throw a cat amongst the pigeons and have Miss Bingley compete for your attentions against Felicity and Anne. This is so wrong of me. ‘Tis not proper for a lady, but I will enjoy the diversion immensely.”
***
Dinner was all that could be expected from such dissimilar people. Precedence was easily determined, with Lady Matlock, Lady Catherine, Lady Felicity, Miss de Bourgh, Mrs. Hurst, Miss Darcy, Miss Bingley, and Mrs. Annesley being handed into the small dining-parlour on the arms of Mr. Darcy, lieutenant governor Darcy, Mr. Hurst, and Mr. Bingley. Of course, Lady Matlock sat at the head of the table, with Mr. Darcy senior at thefoot.
The Art of Seating, thought Darcy, recalling how Elizabeth had ensured that, at table, all were seated so as to avoid acrimony and create harmony. ’Tis similar to Sun Tzu’sThe Art of War—subdue the enemy without fighting.
Caroline Bingley, much to her displeasure, was seated between Mr. Hurst and Mrs. Annesley, opposite her brother. Having Anne next to Lady Matlock and opposite Darcy, with Felicity opposite Lady Catherine, who was next to her nemesis, George Darcy, had caused some annoyance. Lady Matlock wished Felicity opposite Darcy, while Lady Catherine wished to impose her oversight on Anne’s conversation.
What a joke! Darcy glanced at his father, who was chuckling at the scene unfolding before them. Certainly, as each of the ladies and their minders vied for priority, Darcy was left mostly unmolested. He felt sympathy for Anne, who knew nothing of society apart from dinners with neighbours at Rosings, hosted by her mother. She looked bewildered. Mrs. Annesley, seated next to her, gently led the conversation. Between her and Darcy, the discourse was carried on, but Anne was surprisingly well informed. And, as she gained confidence that her views were taken seriously, she joined in their discussion of politics, the war against the tyrant, and the latest novel bya Lady, just published in town.
