“It was a fairly frightening sight, and the windstorm extended far beyond the house,” said Frederica pointedly.
“Well, I will consider that. Perhaps draining some magic just before bed would help. But in the meantime, I must speak to my mother. Although the Dower House is pleasant, Rosings Park belongs to me. I will not live in the same place as her, but I should be the one in possession of the main house, and she should have nothing but the Dower House.”
Lady Frederica touched her napkin to the corners of her mouth. “She is likely to be unhappy if you tell her that.”
“I have been unhappy for years because of her. It is her turn now, and I intend to tell her so today.”
Elizabeth looked down at the untasted food on her plate. “Perhaps it would be wise to speak to Mr. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliamfirst. They could provide support if Lady Catherine becomes distraught.” She was more concerned about outright violence from Lady Catherine, but it seemed unwise to say so.
“I do not need them to claim my heritage. I am strong enough to face my mother. I would appreciate it if both of you would be witnesses, though.”
“I would be happy to, as long as you plan nothing beyond speaking to her,” said Lady Frederica carefully.
“You need not worry that I plan to attack her as I did my father. Even if she deserves it, it will take me days to recover all the power I used yesterday.” Miss de Bourgh sounded completely untroubled by this talk of killing her parents.
Frederica pushed her plate away. “Are you certain Lady Catherine is well enough? She may not be fully in her right mind yet.”
“There is nothing wrong with her mind,” said Miss de Bourgh. “She has always insisted that I eat dinner with her, even while she has been locked in her rooms, and she sends a servant for me if I do not appear. Last night she did nothing. Someone must have told her the binding spell has been removed. The servants are her spies, you know. I will allow her to take a few of them with her, but I will hire all new servants for Rosings, ones who will be loyal to me, not her.”
“It might be wiser for me to stay here,” Elizabeth said carefully. “My name alone seems to provoke Lady Catherine into a rage, and after her attempt to ruin me, I may have difficulty keeping my temper if she provokes me.”
“All the better,” said Miss de Bourgh. “She would not be so angry if she were not also afraid of you.”
It seemed Miss de Bourgh did not plan to waste any time.
The walk to the main house took no more than ten minutes, but they seemed very long minutes. Elizabeth did not know what she dreaded most: seeing Lady Catherine for the first time since she had been ejectedfrom the parsonage, Lady Catherine’s inevitable fury about being displaced, or Mr. Darcy’s reaction when he discovered her presence. Would he think she was seeking him out? Was he angry with her about the previous night or shocked by her shameless behavior? She already knew Lady Catherine despised her, but that did not matter to her. She now cared about Mr. Darcy’s good opinion.
Inside Rosings she could hear Lord Eversleigh’s voice in the drawing room. Was Mr. Darcy with him? She was destined not to know since Miss de Bourgh led them straight past it in a determined manner. The route to Lady Catherine’s rooms was all too familiar to Elizabeth after the days she had spent tending to her ladyship, the service for which Lady Catherine had punished her so severely. Perhaps Lady Catherine deserved whatever Miss de Bourgh was about to say to her.
She was surprised to see Mr. Darcy’s valet sitting outside Lady Catherine’s rooms. Apparently Mr. Darcy did not trust the servants at Rosings either, and preferred someone he could trust to keep the door locked. The valet did not hesitate to let them in but warned them to beware of flying crockery.
Lady Catherine greeted them with a beaming smile. On this occasion she was apparently prepared to overlook the presence of the witch who should not be suffered to live. Miss de Bourgh must be right about her ability to understand what was happening.
“My dearest Anne!” cried Lady Catherine. “How I have missed you!”
“Stop it, I pray you,” said Miss de Bourgh coldly. “You are no doubt aware the binding spell has been removed, and I am myself again. I am taking my position as mistress of Rosings Park. I expect you to move to the Dower House immediately.”
Lady Catherine clasped her hands to her chest. “You cannot mean it! I have devoted my life to you. No one could have cared for your every need as I did.”
Miss de Bourgh wrinkled her nose as if smelling an unpleasant odor. “You have kept me under a spell which took away my free will and my ability to think. You are an unnatural mother, and I want nothing more to do with you.”
“I had no choice! Was I to allow you to attack me as you did your father?”
Miss de Bourgh’s upper lip curled. “As I attacked Sir Lewis for sorcery and his mistreatment of me. Goodbye, Mother.” She turned to leave.
“Wait!” shrieked Lady Catherine. “If I cannot have Rosings, neither can you. You have no right to it. You are nothing but one of Sir Lewis’s by-blows by some loose woman. Look at you – small and scrawny. You look nothing like me.”
Pausing in midstride, Miss de Bourgh looked back at Lady Catherine with an odd smile. “I am delighted to hear it. Nothing could make me happier than knowing you are no relation to me.”
“I shall not permit it!” Lady Catherine yanked at the drawer in her bedside table and scrabbled with the contents. She pulled out a paper, held it close to her face, and began to mumble.
Miss de Bourgh made a gesture, and the paper crumbled to dust in Lady Catherine’s hands.
“No!” Lady Catherine cried in despair.
“Surely you did not think I would allow you to use that,” said Anne coldly. “I expect you to be at the Dower House tonight.” She left the room, followed closely by Elizabeth and Frederica.
Elizabeth closed the door behind them just as some unfortunate piece of crockery slammed into it. It was oddly satisfying to know it was Lady Catherine’s turn to be cast from her home. She exchanged glances with Frederica as they hurried after Anne. For such a small person, she moved very quickly.
