“Yes, she is. I believe she liked you, as well, as did my uncle, though I doubt he is ready to admit as much.” Darcy laughed. “I believe you impressed him far more than he ever anticipated. I was very proud of the way you handled yourself with him. He can sometimes be difficult.”
Elizabeth smiled somewhat sadly. “I gathered as much by his speech today, but I can hardly blame him. It is obvious he loves you a great deal and is only trying to protect you. For all he knows, I could be a fortune hunter interested only in Pemberley, your annual income, and your position in society. He is right to be cautious. You know you would do no less for your sister.”
Darcy’s brow furrowed. After several minutes, he asked, somewhat hesitantly, “Did you enjoy your shopping excursion with your family and Georgiana today?”
Elizabeth grew pensive. “It was fine, Fitzwilliam. I very much enjoyed spending time with your sister. She is a remarkable young woman.”
Though Darcy was pleased to hear she liked spending time with his sister, he was not convinced Elizabeth had enjoyed herself otherwise. In fact, he knew it to be quite the opposite, and he longed to speak to her of what had really taken place at Mrs. Duval’s shoppe. Darcy had thought Elizabeth had seemed rather subdued when she and Georgiana had arrived back at Darcy House that afternoon, though she did appear to recover quickly enough, enchanting his relations with her wit, her vivacity, and her natural grace. After speaking with Georgiana after dinner, however, he had a much better understanding as to why she seemed out of sorts.
Throughout the rest of the evening, Darcy had watched her closely, looking for any further signs of distress or melancholy, but, if there were any, Elizabeth—whom he had never known to dwell upon the negative—endeavored, however unsuccessfully, to hide them. If given a moment alone, he had hoped she might open up to him, confide her feelings and her hurt, but, even now, she appeared to have little inclination to do so. If anything, she seemed to be taking comfort from his presence and his love, and for that, Darcy found himself ever grateful.
Chapter 15
They dined the following evening with Elizabeth’s Aunt and Uncle Gardiner in Gracechurch Street, where they—the Bennets, the Gardiners, the Darcys, and Bingley—passed many happy hours in extremely pleasant company. Though their house was not half so large nor so grand as his own—being in Cheapside rather than the fashionable Grosvenor Square—Darcy found himself invariably impressed by the elegant manners and intelligent conversation of the Gardiners, who, to his complete surprise, turned out to be brother and sister-in-law to Mrs. Bennet.
When they arrived back at Darcy House, it was well past midnight, and everyone was anxious to retire for the night. While Elizabeth’s parents and sisters went directly to their respective rooms to commence with their bedtime routines, Elizabeth and Miss Darcy stood together, finalizing plans they had made to visit Hyde Park in the morning. Darcy was seeing to some last-minute business in his study. Tired from their long day, the two ladies were just about to bid each other good night when the door to the drawing room was thrown open to reveal none other than Lady Catherine de Bourgh.
“Where is my nephew!” she demanded as her gaze swept through the room. As soon as her gaze came to rest on Elizabeth, her eyes narrowed with distaste. “And I suppose you are the insolent girl who has drawn him in!” It was not a question.
Georgiana gasped and looked on helplessly as her aunt advanced toward Elizabeth. She somehow forced herself to take a step forward and say, though somewhat meekly, “Aunt Catherine, may I present Miss Elizabeth Bennet of Hertfordshire?”
“I already know who she is!” she hollered in a voice that made her niece cringe. Then, turning to Elizabeth, she exclaimed, “I know it all, Miss Elizabeth Bennet! I know how you refused a perfectly good proposal of marriage from a respectable man whose prospects and station are far better suited to your meager situation in life in order to ensnare my nephew! Oh, yes! I have it on very good authority you have used your many charms and allurements in a shameful manner to seduce him—yes, seduce him, Miss Bennet!—into offering you marriage. Such disgraceful behavior will not be tolerated by his family. Whatever scheme you have been aspiring to will never take place. Mr. Darcy is engaged to my daughter. Now, what have you to say to that?”
Normally, Elizabeth would have found quite a bit to say, but she was currently so stunned to discover that any of Darcy’s well-bred relations could possibly act in so deplorable a manner, it took her several moments to find her voice. Shaking only slightly, she spoke in as calm a manner as she was able. “If that is true, your ladyship, then Mr. Darcy certainly should never have made an offer to me; however, as I understand it, there is no prior commitment between your nephew and Miss de Bourgh. Mr. Darcy has denied the existence of such an arrangement, and therefore, as he has always been a man of his word, I must believe him over others who may feel far more of an inclination to be biased on this subject.”
Lady Catherine gasped.
“As to the other charges you have laid at my door, they are disgraceful indeed, but I shall never dignify them with a response. You have insulted me at every turn, and I beg you would excuse me. You cannot possibly have anything further to say that I would wish to hear.” She turned and made to leave, but Lady Catherine had not done. She reached out and actually caught Elizabeth’s wrist to detain her.
“Not so hasty, Miss Bennet! You refuse to acknowledge the fact that your cousin, Mr. Collins—my very own trusted parson—witnessed you in a compromising position of the most offensive nature with my nephew, and still, you will not answer for it? Shall this be borne? No, it certainly shall not! You, Miss Bennet, have shown yourself to be a woman of the worst kind—wild, wanton, and totally unfeeling for all you shall make my poor nephew suffer! Perhaps you have managed to mislead him, but I am not so easily fooled. I see you for what you are—nothing but a fortune hunter who is no better than a common woman of the night!”
“Enough!” Darcy’s voice rang loudly throughout the room as he stalked over to his aunt. By his expression, all present could tell he was furious, his body practically shaking with his contained rage. When he turned his gaze upon the two women who meant more to him than anything else, he was further angered to see Elizabeth’s eyes swimming with unshed tears. He took his place beside her and moved to encircle her waist with his arm, but to his surprise, she pulled away and, without so much as a glance at him, walked swiftly from the room. Casting a wary look at her aunt, Georgiana followed her.
Darcy fixed his aunt with a look of loathing she would not soon forget and, through gritted teeth, demanded, “How dare you accuse my future wife of such a disgusting machination! What evil demon has robbed you of your senses and induced you to speak such vile filth in my home? Of what could you possibly be thinking?”
“Come, Nephew! You cannot possibly know of what you speak. Admit it. You have been taken in, duped, if you will, by this scheming little upstart. Can you not see that she cares nothing for you? It is only your money she wants. You have been blinded by her charms and her favors. When word gets out you intend to marry a woman you have taken as your mistress, we shall all be disgraced! Is such a woman to be sister to Georgiana? Are the shades of Pemberley to be thus polluted? Your parents would turn over in their graves to see you behaving thus!”