“Mr. Collins?” Elizabeth could not believe she was bringing him into their conversation and realized that Lady Catherine assumed their marriage would be annulled if it had not already been.
“The disgrace of it all! First I receive a letter from my clergyman informing me that he is planning to ask for your hand in marriage. Naturally I was pleased that he had found someone to marry. Then, to my horror, this is placed in my hand, and I find that not only is the object of his intention already married, but she is married to my nephew!”
“Please, Lady Catherine, you must understand. I never intended to marry Mr. Collins. In fact, I refused his proposal.”
“You refused his proposal? Who do you think you are, you unpolished country girl, to aspire to keep my nephew yoked to you? Heaven and earth—of what are you thinking? Are the shades of Pemberley to be thus polluted? Insolent girl! Tell me, has my nephew annulled this marriage?” Lady Catherine asked in a commanding voice.
“I would beseech you to apply to Mr. Darcy for that answer!” Elizabeth replied, her voice edged with the turmoil building up inside her.
“Do you know to whom you are talking? I insist on you telling me! Tell me, once and for all, has my nephew annulled the marriage?”
Though Elizabeth would not, for the mere purpose of obliging Lady Catherine, have answered this question, she could not but say, after a moment’s deliberation and refusing to be intimidated by this woman, “No, he has not, nor does he intend to. I love him and he loves me!”
Elizabeth watched as Lady Catherine’s face grew red with rage. “Not annulled! Obstinate, headstrong girl! You cannot even know what marriage to my nephew requires!”
“I beg to differ, madam.”
Suddenly, a gleam appeared in Lady Catherine’s eyes and a cruel smile etched her face. She leaned in closely to Elizabeth. “Ah yes. Now I fully understand.” Her bulging eyes narrowed. “He had planned all along to annul the marriage. For whatever reason, you married with the intent that it would be annulled.” She nodded to herself as she let her mind speculate. “It must have been platonic. He must have determined to keep things chaste so he could easily annul it.”
Elizabeth watched a harshness sweep over the woman’s face as she raised her voice. “But you tricked him! In a moment of weakness, you tricked him into succumbing to your enticing wiles… and now he feels he must honour the marriage.”
“I did not trick him, your ladyship. Your assumption is the furthest thing from the truth!” Elizabeth interjected, greatly affronted by the accusations and assumptions of this woman. She held on to the fabric of her dress with tight fists as she struggled to maintain her composure. “I would never do such a thing, and he was always the perfect gentleman.”
“So you are saying this marriage has never been consummated?”
Elizabeth gasped at her question. First she questioned her very morality and now she demanded to know the most intimate details of their marriage. She grasped her hands together tightly and softly answered, as a blush crept across her face, “I beg your pardon, Lady Catherine, but that is something that I refuse to answer.”
Lady Catherine’s eyes narrowed. “By the looks of you, I will assume it has not!” Suddenly, a rather pleased, sardonic smile came across her lips.
Elizabeth watched her as a great pain began building up inside of her.
Lady Catherine stood erect, straightening her bonnet and looking Elizabeth directly in the eye. “It is most apparent that you have no regard, then, for the honour and credit of my nephew! Unfeeling, selfish girl! Do you not consider that a connection with you must disgrace him in the eyes of his family and society?”
“Lady Catherine, it will not disgrace him in the eyes of anyone who is truly a friend. I have nothing more to add. I have said all that I wish to say to you on the matter.”
“It is well. You refuse, then, to oblige me. You refuse to obey the claims of duty, honour, and gratitude. You are determined to ruin him in the opinion of all his friends and make him the contempt of the world!”
“No principle has been violated by my marriage to Mr. Darcy!”
“And this is your final opinion! This is your final resolve! Very well. I shall now know how to act. You need not worry whether my nephew annuls this marriage. I shall do it for him. I will make certain that it is annulled and that there will never be a trace of it having ever existed!” She raised a finger at Elizabeth. “And do not think… or hope… young lady, that you shall ever have any connection with my nephew again! I have influence and power that you could not even dream existed.”
Lady Catherine turned and stormed off, taking no leave of the distraught Elizabeth. She stood motionless: trying to grasp what had just happened, what she had just been told, and wondering what, if anything, she could do. With a wave of distress and unsteadiness threatening to consume her, she walked over to the bench that was nearby and collapsed onto it.
***
After spending the night in a small town, Darcy and Georgiana awoke early and began the half-day journey that would return them to Netherfield. He was eager to see Elizabeth again and for Georgiana to renew their short acquaintance. He only hoped Wickham had not done anything that could not be undone.
When they arrived, Darcy escorted Georgiana in and they were greeted by one of Netherfield’s servants. “It is good to have you back, Mr. Darcy. But I am sorry to say that you missed seeing your aunt, who stopped by earlier.”
“My aunt?” he exclaimed. “My aunt was here? Which aunt?”
“A Lady Catherine de Bourgh, sir.”
“Heavens! What was she doing here?”
“I am afraid I do not know. She inquired as to your whereabouts, and when we informed her you had left for Pemberley for a few days, she then inquired about Miss Elizabeth Bennet’s household and directions to it.”
Darcy’s heart stood still in shock as he heard these words. Very slowly, he asked, “How long ago was that, please?”
“No more than a few hours ago, sir.”
“Have one of Bingley’s horses, a fresh one, readied for me! I shall be down in a moment!” he said to the servant and then turned to Georgiana.
“Georgiana, I must go to Elizabeth. Do you mind if I leave you here?”
“Fitzwilliam, I shall find my way around, and I am sure Miss Bingley is somewhere and more than willing to assist me. You must go.”
Darcy leaned over and kissed her. “Thank you!”
“Go, brother,” she reassured him. “She may need your help more than I.”
Darcy gasped in a quick breath. “Thank you, Georgiana, but first, I must check my room!”
He turned toward the stairs and she followed him, along with Durnham. Darcy opened the drawer and saw that it contained only a book. Their marriage certificate was gone.
“What is it, sir? Did you discover something else missing?”
He dropped his head and then slowly nodded.
“What is it, Mr. Darcy? What is it that you find missing?” Durnham waited patiently until Darcy finally answered.
“Merely a piece of paper that, if placed in the wrong hands, could be to me merely a minor nuisance, but for a young lady, it could cause more serious distress.”
Durnham looked at him with a look of confusion in his eyes. “Sir, if it is not any of my business, I understand, but I am not sure I know what you mean.”
Darcy put up his hand to stay the conversation as he heard Bingley come upstairs.
“Darcy, I heard you and Georgiana had returned. Miss Bennet and I are visiting with my sisters in the sitting room if you wish to join us.”
“Thank you, no, Bingley. Georgiana will join you shortly, but I have an urgent errand I must attend to!”