One Thread Pulled: The Dance With Mr. Darcy (79 page)

“I can think of no possible reason to deny it, your ladyship.” Elizabeth said sweetly. “I am engaged to Mr. Darcy.
 
It is, much to my happiness, a fact.”

“It is a lie and an outrage! Mr. Darcy is engaged to
 
my daughter
 
through a decades old contract. A retraction of the error must be printed within the week. If it is skillfully worded, no lasting damage will have been done. I will see to the details myself.”

“You should confer with your nephew before you publicly contradict him, your ladyship. I know him well enough to judge that he would be most displeased with the interference.” Elizabeth pressed her lips together.

“Darcy displeased? He has no right to be so! He ought to have turned to
 
me
 
before he became entangled with such a family as this!” Lady Catherine looked scornfully at Mrs. Bennet. “I would have reminded him of his duty, the honor of the Darcy name, the high expectations of society and the debt of gratitude he owes. To fall so profoundly from that which is his birthright is an error I would never have ascribed to my nephew before this! It is plain that you are a Delilah come to ruin him! I shall not stand idly by while his eyes are closed to your true nature!”

“Nevertheless,” Elizabeth said resentfully, “you must consult with him before you take any public action in this matter. To fail to do so would be unwise.”

“I shall do no such thing! Why must I consult with him? I am as a mother to him, and have every right to act on his behalf!” Lady Catherine sputtered. “More of a mother than his own has been, for he knew her but a few years before she left him, while I have watched over him and seen to his interests in all the many years since that unfortunate day.”

“Do not speak ill of Lady Anne!” Elizabeth fumed. “Your nephew has made his choice and his course is set. I shall be his wife, and I look forward with pleasure to the day when I shall be known to the world and to my husband as Mrs. Darcy, wife of Fitzwilliam Darcy, mistress of Pemberley and sister to Georgiana Darcy.”

“You will destroy him!” Lady Catherine bellowed. “You are not fit to walk the halls of Pemberley, let alone be the mistress of that grand estate. To think that you would take the name that belonged to my sister, and which has been owed to my very own daughter from birth, is not to be borne! I shall have my nephew declared mad—unfit to govern his own affairs.”

“You cannot be serious.” Elizabeth laughed, mocking her gently. “Anyone can see that he is the sanest of men. Come, come, Lady Catherine, I do not wish to antagonize you, but I will never allow you to claim any authority over me, even when I am married to your nephew.”

“Not over you, perhaps, but I am nearly my nephew's closest relation! It will not stand for him to defy his duty to his family with such an alliance as this! You, a ridiculous country maiden, have the pretension to aspire to a marriage that is far beyond your reach. No, Miss Bennet—this wedding must never happen.”

“You know as well as I do that he cannot back out of the commitment now even if he so desired. To do so would bring unthinkable dishonor to your family. Just a moment ago
 
you
 
spoke of the importance of preserving that very honor. No, your ladyship, there is nothing to be done. You cannot undo what is already set in motion.”

“That is not completely true,” Lady Catherine said coldly. “My nephew may not honorably break the engagement, but you have more latitude than he.”

“I have not the pleasure of understanding you,” Elizabeth said calmly.

“You are clearly a lady of
 
some
 
intelligence,” Lady Catherine replied. “Surely with such wit, you can ascertain my demand that you break the engagement immediately. Today is not too soon.”

“You astonish me!” Elizabeth cried out. “I am not the sort of woman who would trifle with a man in such a manner. What you suggest is abhorrent to my character and to all my feelings.”

“Set your feelings aside, child—they serve you ill in this case. You cannot have any idea of the obligations of the position of which you so lightly speak. It is impossible for you to comprehend the workings of the social sphere in which you will be required to circulate. They will reject you before you are even seen in their circle, simply for what you represent. You will be the contempt of the world!”

“This means nothing to me. The acceptance of a society who would reject me without just cause is of no interest to me. I am quite content in the society of Mr. Darcy, his immediate circle of friends and any other thinking persons who will fairly judge the situation for themselves.”

“This engagement may well cause him to lose those very friends!” Lady Catherine pointed an accusatory finger at Elizabeth. “They will question his judgment and wonder at the soundness of his mind in making an alliance with one such as you—a wench of no consequence, no fortune, no family name or connections. They will believe that you have drawn him in with your arts and allurements! I am resolved to bring an end to this charade!”

“Your ladyship, I must inform you that although you bluster and insinuate evil against my character, you still have not the power to end anything,” Elizabeth said, unperturbed.

“An astute observation, and unfortunately, true. That is why
 
you
, Miss Bennet, must break the engagement immediately and preserve my nephew's honor in so doing. Although it should not even be a consideration, I am more benevolent than you might suppose and not without sympathy or recognition of your sacrifice. In recompense for any inconvenience you might suffer, I will pay you handsomely to break with him. Tell him that you have made an error and that you cannot in good conscience marry him. Do this, and I will pay sufficient that your family will never want, your properties will once again prosper, your mother and sisters will be clothed in finery, and you will afford fine carriages and always have an abundance of tea and meat on the table. The funds will be paid as an annuity that would keep you in comfort even if you never marry. Name your price, and I will make the arrangements in London tomorrow.”

“Elizabeth,” Mrs. Bennet whispered beseechingly, “do not answer rashly. Now is not the time for your foolish, impetuous ways. For once, set aside your selfishness and think of your family instead! Consider what she offers. Think what it would mean to all of us. You will have other suitors…”

Elizabeth, ignoring her mother, raised herself to her full stature, and stood before Lady Catherine, her eyes coldly upon her betrothed's aunt. “Lady Catherine, I believe that in such a situation as this, many would be tempted to accept the generous terms you have offered, but I assure you that I am not so inclined. I am not moved by fortune, nor do I waver in the face of intimidation. My courage, madam, always rises against every such attempt, and it is strengthened by the tender feelings I hold for Mr. Darcy and by the anticipation of a joyous life together with him. I do not fear for the comfort of my family—I was raised in the household of a gentleman, and I assure you that Longbourn has sufficient resources to provide an adequate home and income for its dependents for many generations to come. Your wretched attempts to bribe me into rejecting Mr. Darcy are shameful—an act of deceit beneath your station. I shall not repeat them to any soul nor ever mention them again. May God forgive you for your sin, and I shall attempt do the same. Good day. Come, Mama, we must be on our way.” Elizabeth bobbed a curtsey and spun on her heel, her mother scrambling out the door behind her.

“Not so hasty, if you please…” Lady Catherine's voice trailed after them, her sentence unfinished as Elizabeth pulled the door closed behind them.

~*~

The day of Jane's wedding dawned cold and sunny. Mrs. Bennet was in an uproar from the moment she arose until they finally stood inside the church. Mr. Bennet set aside his bad temper, and Mary looked quite pretty in her new bridesmaid dress, a detail that was not lost on the parson, Mr. Timmons, when the party of Bennets entered the church that day. Kitty and Lydia were both pleased with the fine dresses with trimmings more handsome than any they had previously owned, and many in Meryton were surprised to note that the behavior of the three youngest Bennets was not silly at all on that day.

Elizabeth looked well, her bloom and health seeming to have returned quite suddenly in just a few days. The village gossip was that Mr. Darcy had paid for a city doctor to come to Meryton and cure her, but the Bennets were blissfully unaware of such things, as they were quite engaged in the wedding festivities. Only Elizabeth knew that her rally was the direct effect of the challenge from Lady Catherine.

Mr. Bingley cut a fine figure in a pale green suit, which suited his fair complexion nicely, while Mr. Darcy stood-up with him in a muted dark green ensemble. Jane's dress was a shimmering gown of silver-trimmed white, easily the finest gown anyone in Meryton could recall seeing in their village… at least that is what the Meryton ladies said to Mrs. Bennet.

The simple wedding ceremony was quickly performed. Only those with an observant, watchful eye noted the meaningful, bold glances Mr. Darcy directed toward Elizabeth Bennet during the Bingleys’ vows or the rising color in Elizabeth's cheeks due to his silent attentions. The family and close friends who had attended the ceremony were met by a contingent from the village and some of the militia officers outside the church, all there to wish Mr. and Mrs. Bingley joy.

The wedding breakfast that day filled Mrs. Bennet with pride as her guests marveled that she had managed to procure fruits and vegetables out of season for the feast. The bride’s cake was a beautiful, pristine white, and several of the guests, perhaps a bit tipsy from the wine, were thrilled to discover a certain alcove in the parlor that merited their attendance.

A number of prominent families from Meryton shared in the wedding breakfast festivities, including Charlotte Lucas and her parents. Notably absent was her fiancée, Mr. Collins, who, although he was widely known to be a relation of the Bennets, was reputed not to be welcome at their house. Few knew that he had been removed from the county two days previous by his patroness, the Right Honourable Lady Catherine de Bourgh. What was known by nearly all was that Charlotte was to marry Mr. Collins, the ceremony to be performed by Mr. Timmons in four weeks' time to allow for reading of the banns.

Kitty had finished packing her trunks before the day of the wedding had arrived, which completed her preparations to depart with Jane and Mr. Bingley on their honeymoon. She had been honored when Jane had invited her. The position of traveling companion to newlyweds was traditionally reserved for the unwed sister closest in age to the bride, but with Elizabeth scheduled to go to London, the fortunate opportunity had fallen to Kitty. The honeymoon party set out in two days' time for a leisurely three-month winter tour of the seaside resorts, including a brief visit to see Caroline and Annabelle Bingley on the Isle of Wight.

The day after the wedding, Mr. Bennet, who had always expected that Mary would remain at home and care for her parents in their old age, was surprised in his study by the approach of Mr. Timmons. The parson
 
had come to seek permission to marry the third eldest of his daughters, a request which Mr. Bennet granted with only slight hesitation. Mrs. Bennet, listening at the keyhole, was obliged to suppress the squeal that threatened to expose her espionage. She raced to the kitchen where she exclaimed to the cook, “It is going exactly as I planned! Mary is to wed the parson! Oh, what distinction she will enjoy! Whoever would have thought that all her spouting of philosophy and verse would come to this? And Mr. Timmons! I do believe he is the most amiable and handsome parson in all of Hertfordshire! Mary has done well, very well indeed!” Her cries of joy, overheard by everyone in the household, merely elicited indulgent smiles.

The wedding date for Mary and Mr. Timmons was set for six weeks from the day of their engagement. To their credit, Darcy and Elizabeth said nothing of the unfairness of this arrangement when compared to their own six-month engagement stipulated by Mr. Bennet, although the complaint most certainly crossed their minds.

In the days leading up to Jane's wedding, and for the week afterward while the Darcys remained at Netherfield, Lydia spent every spare moment with Georgiana Darcy. Some days, Georgiana was at Longbourn, others, Lydia spent at Netherfield, but the two girls were very nearly inseparable, although Colonel Fitzwilliam, who seemed to take great pleasure in their conversation, sometimes joined them in company. Lydia's liveliness emboldened Georgiana, suppressing the timidity that had overtaken her since the unfortunate incident at Ramsgate. In Lydia, Georgiana discovered bonds of friendship she had never before experienced. Lydia was terribly impressed by Georgiana's accomplishments and begged her tutelage on the piano, drawing and in speaking certain phrases in French—a game reinforced by the colonel's delighted laughter at Lydia's attempts at a French accent. The affinity that developed between the two girls came as a great surprise to those who knew them. Their temperaments were as opposite as two persons could be, and, yet, the combination appeared to bring out the best in both. To Georgiana was added a spark, while Lydia's impetuous and sometimes bawdy behavior was tempered by her desire for Georgiana to think well of her.