His Uncle's Favorite (45 page)

He considered whether he should go to the music room but decided that fresh air would be more beneficial to his present state. He went to the stables and was pleased to find Bingley and both his cousins ready for a ride.

When they returned to the house an hour and a half later, they received the surprising news that Lady Sinclair and her husband had to return to London immediately. Lord Sinclair’s sudden departure was regretted by all the gentlemen, as the earl was known as the soul of any successful hunting party. But, after all, as Lord Matlock wisely concluded, the hunt was over.

***

After three more days spent in pleasant and less agitated company at Matlock Manor, the entire party returned to Town.

Elizabeth and Jane were expected to remain with Mrs. Gardiner for only a couple of days before returning to Longbourn together with Mr. Bingley, his sisters, and Mr. Hurst.

Mr. Darcy settled his plans to return to Netherfield with Miss Darcy, which brought much joy and happy anticipation to all those involved.

The evening of their arrival in town was spent by each family at their own house with a peaceful dinner and pleasant recollections, so it happened that neither Jane nor Elizabeth succeeded in sleeping until well after midnight as they found countless things to share. With complete trust in her sister, Elizabeth did not hesitate to reveal the extraordinarily news of her own engagement.

After the first moments of surprise and disbelief, Jane’s happiness was all the reward Elizabeth needed. Jane declared she had always admired Mr. Darcy, and she was certain he would be an ideal match for Elizabeth; the animated, happy conversation continued until late into the night, keeping the sisters awake until dawn.

On the other side of town, the Darcys did not sleep either but for different reasons.

After the many days and nights spent in Elizabeth’s company, Darcy bore the silence and solitude of his large dining room with great difficulty. He was alone with Georgiana, attempting to have a pleasant conversation during dinner, but that easy task suddenly seemed difficult unless the subject of the conversation included Elizabeth.

As the second course was served, the housekeeper rushed in unceremoniously.

“Mr. Darcy, excuse me for interrupting you, sir. Miss Anne de Bourgh has just arrived,” she managed to explain before Anne entered the room.

Anne’s appearance surprised them exceedingly, and Darcy, after a moment of disbelief, hurried to offer her a chair and a glass of water. She looked exhausted; her face was pale, her eyes surrounded by dark rings and her gown in disorder.

While Darcy looked for Lady Catherine and wondered why she remained behind, Anne spoke weakly, pleading with her voice as well as her eyes.

“Forgive me for coming here at this hour, Cousin; I did not know where to go… I had a violent argument with Mama and left Rosings. May I stay here for a while?”

Darcy was certain he did not hear her rightly. Did she say she had left Rosings?

“Of course you may stay here; there is no need to apologise! This is your home for as long as you want, but who brought you here? Where is your luggage? Does Aunt Catherine know you are here?”

“I came alone in my phaeton,” she declared, and Darcy exchanged a shocked look with his sister. “I have no luggage,” she added while Darcy and Georgiana were still unable to reply. “And no, Mama does not know I left; I think she believes I only went for a ride.”

She paused a long moment, then continued to speak in a low, trembling voice, her face coloured with embarrassment.

“Mama received a letter last night by express. It said that you are involved in a relationship with Miss Elizabeth Bennet. You cannot possibly imagine how angry she was and what she said. I argued with her because I could not bear her tirade any longer. I never argued with her before, and it affected me so! You cannot possibly imagine…”

Darcy smiled warmly at his cousin, attempting to calm her distress while struggling to conceal his own anger; then he gently squeezed her hand in comfort and support.

“I can easily imagine, my dear. Please do not worry about this unpleasantness. You must rest now, and tomorrow I shall take care of everything.”

Chapter 18

The next morning found Elizabeth speaking animatedly with her aunt while the others slept. She was aware that her aunt had long suspected the truth about her and Darcy, but she still owed Mrs. Gardiner the entire truth.

As Elizabeth expected, her aunt responded with a tender embrace and trembling voice, declaring she had not felt so much happiness in years.

“My dearest girl, I cannot say how much joy your words bring me and how proud I am of you. I feel so grateful that you found your proper match! You could not possibly bestow your affection on anyone more deserving, and I am certain you will prove yourself worthy of the great honour of being Mrs. Darcy. Oh, your uncle would be so proud of you! You deserve nothing less, Lizzy!”

Elizabeth’s tears were impossible to stem. She embraced her aunt, and for a few moments, they sobbed in each other’s arms, laughing at each other’s folly.

Shortly, Mrs. Gardiner regained her composure, and she immediately recollected how intensely Elizabeth disliked Mr. Darcy when she came to London in December and held him responsible for every misfortune in the kingdom. Tearfully, Elizabeth laughed, admitted how wrong she had been, and promised never to contradict her aunt again.

“I imagine my brother Bennet will be pleased with this news, dearest. And your mother—the day she received the news that her two eldest daughters became engaged to such remarkable gentlemen must have been the happiest of her life.”

Elizabeth looked at her aunt hesitantly.

“Mr. Darcy wrote Papa a week ago—immediately after he proposed to me. We begged Papa to keep the secret for a while. We wished to allow Jane and Mr. Bingley to enjoy their time. We will inform Mama soon.”

“I see.” Mrs. Gardiner laughed. “Very clever, indeed. So, the invitation to Pemberley might have a greater importance than we thought. This should be a lovely summer.”

Their conversation turned lighter when Mrs. Gardiner begged her niece not to forget to invite her to Pemberley for Christmas and to offer her a phaeton to ride around the estate. They were in the middle of a pleasant conversation about the beauties of Pemberley when a servant suddenly announced Mr. Darcy.

With surprise and no little emotion, Elizabeth rose to greet him. However, his countenance and his evident haste were not what she expected, and her smile faded.

“Forgive me for this inappropriate visit,” he addressed Mrs. Gardiner while he glanced at Elizabeth. “I am afraid we will not be able to keep our previous engagement for today. Something unexpected has happened.”

“Is everyone well? May we be of any help?” Elizabeth inquired, her face pale.

“You are very kind, but no, there is nothing you can do. We are all well, only…” He hesitated a moment, then said in a lower voice. “My cousin Anne unexpectedly arrived in town last night. There seems to be a conflict within the family that needs to be solved.”

“Oh…” Elizabeth replied, her pallor growing more visible.

“There is no need for worry; I shall take care of everything as soon as possible.”

“Will you… I imagine you will have to postpone your plans for travelling to Netherfield tomorrow,” Elizabeth concluded, and his hesitation was apparent.

“I hope it will not be necessary. I am afraid I cannot stay longer. If everything proceeds satisfactorily, I hope you will allow me to call again later.”

“You are welcome at any time, sir.” Mrs. Gardiner smiled with perfect politeness.

He thanked them and made his farewell with a fond look at Elizabeth. When the door closed behind him, a claw of doubt gripped Elizabeth’s chest. She felt things were not as easy as he pretended them to be. She knew she was being ridiculous and childish, but she could barely fight the tears that stung her eyes.

She spoke little during breakfast and even less afterward. Her mind was seized by countless questions and speculations regarding Miss de Bourgh’s visit. Was Lady Catherine also in London? Why was Anne staying at Darcy’s townhouse? They were relatives, of course, but it would have been a more natural choice for her to stay with Lord Matlock or Lady Selina. Was it possible that Lady Catherine had devised a scheme to force Darcy finally to marry her daughter? Elizabeth was aware of the absurdity of such a thought, but somehow it did not appear impossible.

A couple of hours later, Mr. Bingley called, and his presence brought joy to one Bennet sister and equal disappointment to the other. He was queried, but he seemed oblivious to what had happened at the Darcys’ home. Elizabeth had little to do except wait—and hope.

***

The earl’s library was much too small for such a heated debate; it became increasingly strident and harsh, every thoughtless word spoken in anger. The argument had begun in the drawing room, but the earl was certain that every servant was listening behind the doors, so he moved the battle to the library, where he hoped to handle it better.

“Catherine, you shall not convince me by shouting. We should at least attempt to speak normally if we intend to accomplish anything at all.”

“There is nothing to accomplish, Henry. I have little else to say to you. I must go to Darcy, recover my daughter, and make the proper arrangements. She spent the night in his house; we must make the announcement immediately.”

“Are you out of your mind, Catherine? You have taken this entirely too far. Even you must comprehend by now that Darcy will never marry Anne.”

“Of course he will; why would he not? Besides, there is little he can do now. Anne has spent the night alone in his house!”

“Yes, Aunt,” said the colonel, “you mentioned that a moment ago. As father said, it means nothing; Darcy will never marry Anne, and he has no reason and no wish to do so. And I dare say neither has Anne.”

“Quiet, Robert! You cannot possibly understand what duty means; I dare say you never will after indulging yourself for so many years in wild, careless activities. I am leaving now; I have no time to waste here. I shall make my opinion known, and I am sure Darcy will agree with me. I must speak to him immediately.”

“That is fortunate, as I wish to speak to you too, Aunt.”

Darcy’s appearance in the doorway startled all of them. His appearance was its usual perfection as was his composure. At his right, holding his arm, was Lady Selina, greeting her aunt with proper respect. Lady Catherine ignored her entirely.

“Darcy, thank the Lord you are here! Where is Anne? I must speak to her this instant; I do not have a moment to lose. Where is she?”

“Anne is at Lady Selina’s, and she is resting. She was properly accommodated into a large apartment in the guest wing more than adequate for her comfort.”

“What is she doing there? We must fetch her at once. I made arrangements for us to return home immediately. You will accompany us, I presume. During the ride back to Rosings, we will have time to discuss all the necessary details.”

“Anne has no desire to return to Rosings for the present. She has told me she wishes to stay in Town until the end of the season.”

“Stay in Town? What kind of nonsense is this? Anne cannot stay in Town; her health will not permit it. What has happened to that girl? Has she lost her senses? She runs away like a wild wanton, and now she refuses to return home? I must talk to her this instant! She will not dare disobey her mother!”

“Anne insisted she wished to rest undisturbed. She said she does not want to speak to anyone, at least for the moment.”

“Nonsense,” Lady Catherine repeated as she walked towards the door.

“Aunt Catherine, I promised Anne I would respect her wishes, and I intend to do so. We shall not disturb her today. Hopefully, before tomorrow we can all judge the situation more properly.”

“Darcy, it is not for you to speak for Anne. In order to do so, you first must wed her! And speaking of that, I hope you will carry out your duty as soon as possible; you must realise she is utterly compromised after spending the night in your house. I am sure the rumour has spread around the entire Town by now.”

Darcy looked at Lady Catherine, preoccupied and severe. Suddenly it was silent in the library, so silent that each breath could be heard.

“I am not speaking for Anne; she can speak for herself perfectly well. I only intend to respect my cousin’s wishes. As for wedding Anne—that matter has long been settled between us. I have no intention of marrying Anne—not now or ever. And about Anne’s being compromised—it is too ridiculous to mention.”

Lady Catherine’s stupefaction was equalled only by her fury; red-faced with her eyes wide in utter shock, she seemed unable to speak. When she finally found her voice, the torrent of her anger was impossible to interrupt.

“You have no respect for your parents’ memory or for your duty or your legacy! How can you show so much disdain for your mother’s wishes? You and Anne have been meant for each other since you were infants; no other settlement is possible. Anne cannot think properly, but you—I expected much more from you!”

“Aunt Catherine, it pains me to see that you are unwilling to accept the truth, as well as my wish and Anne’s.” Darcy replied with serenity and perfect politeness, as though Lady Catherine’s words had not affected him in the slightest. “I have great hopes that you will shortly change your mind for the benefit of our family”Darcy’s calm attitude seemed to increase Lady Catherine’s anger, and she continued her offensive tirade until he interrupted her politely but decidedly.