The elderly lady entered first, and her sharp gaze flew about the room’s occupants until it rested upon Elizabeth. “You!” She stalked closer, quite rudely ignoring everyone else. “Yes, it must be you. Just the sort to tempt him. Elizabeth Bennet, I presume?”
Elizabeth rose, composing a serene façade in the face of the lady’s brazen lack of civility. “I am, Madam. May I have the honour of knowing your name, Mrs…?”
Collins chose that moment to dart from behind the woman. “Cousin Elizabeth! You address a member of the nobility!Thisis Lady Catherine de Bourgh, my most honoured and esteemed patroness, mistress of Rosings Park and aunt of Mr Darcy himself! You must pay your respects!”
Elizabeth spared the most withering of glances for her cousin and a swift, curiously arched brow for Caroline Bingley, who remained near the door. Caroline met her eye with cool disregard, then looked away. She seemed to be both endorsing whatever the woman had come for and at the same time distancing herself from the great lady’s manners. In truth, Caroline would rather have been anywhere else. Still, the prospect of allowing Lady Catherine unrestrained freedom with her carriage, combined with the hope of witnessing the downfall of Eliza Bennet, had been enough to bind her to the lady’s company.
“Forgive me, my lady,” Elizabeth dipped her head politely as Lady Catherine seethed before her. She tipped her chin up again, meeting the peeress’ icy gaze with artless maidenly freedom. “May I present my mother, Mrs Bennet, my aunt Mrs Gardiner, and two of my sisters Jane and Mary… and my uncle Mr Gardiner,” she added as that gentleman entered the room.
Lady Catherine waved her introductions away. “I will speak with you in private, Miss Bennet!” Her tone was brittle and demanding.
Elizabeth glanced out the window at a cold rain beginning to pelt Caroline Bingley’s driver and horses, then traded brief eye contact with her uncle. She schooled her tones, forbidding herself to appear anything but genteel and refined for Darcy’s sake. She had watched Jane’s calm sweetness for years, after all. How hard could it be?
“Of course, my lady, we may retire to my father’s library. It is just through here,” she blithely walked past the black figure, extending her arm toward that room.
She paused as she moved by Caroline Bingley. “Miss Bingley, do, please invite your driver to take advantage of our stables. I should hate for your team to take a chill; it would be most terribly inconvenient.” Elizabeth thought she detected a flicker of triumph from Miss Bingley but would not allow herself the pleasure of witnessing how it was received by Lady Catherine.
“Weshall notbe here long enough for that,” Lady Catherine put in icily. She glowered back at both Elizabeth and Caroline.
Elizabeth pulled on a sweet smile and dipped her head. “As your ladyship pleases.” She was quite certain that Miss Bingley choked a little but spared her no attention to discern why as she led Lady Catherine out of the room. She opened the door to the library and allowed the lady to precede her.
“You can be at no loss, Miss Bennet, to understand the reason for my visit,” Lady Catherine began, bracing herself grandly upon her silver cane.
“Truly, your ladyship, I find myself quite unable to account for the honour of your call. I do trust you have had comfortable travels? I fear it is not the most pleasant time of year for such a long journey.”
Lady Catherine squinted in irritation. “I undertake what I must for my nephew’s sake, as I always do! Do not distract me from the point, Miss Bennet. A most alarming report came to me that you were expected to be united to my nephew, my own nephew Mr Darcy! Is that true?”
Elizabeth tipped her head, lifting her eyebrows in gentle confirmation. “Indeed, your ladyship, I had heard the same report.”
“Do not play coy with me! I demand satisfaction! My nephew must marry within his own sphere of consequence.Impossiblethat he should ally himself with one such as yourself! Now, tell me the truth—has my nephew made you an offer of marriage?”
Elizabeth’s cheek tugged slightly to the side. “Your ladyship has just declared it to be impossible,” she retorted obtusely.
“Impossible! It ought to be!” Lady Catherine fairly growled at the impertinence of this country upstart. “He knows the claims of duty, honour, and interest, and would not dare risk the displeasure of his entire family!”
Elizabeth tilted her head slightly in agreement. “As Mr Darcyissuch a man of duty and cares a great deal about his family’s pleasure, I must wonder why your ladyship undertook such a journey. What can you hope to accomplish by coming to me?”
“Indecent girl! I will have this heinous report universally contradicted! You have obviously drawn him on with your arts and allurements. Oh, yes, I know all about yourunchaperonedinterludes! I even know how you attempted to draw on your cousin to an illicit liaisonafteryou rejected him!”
“Your ladyship might refer to your parson’s lack of breeding and integrity, as ought to befit a single man residing in a house full of young ladies.” Elizabeth’s lips twitched, amused by the shocking memory despite herself.
“Aye, and sothatis how you conduct yourself! What spell have you cast over my nephew? You hoped to entrap him, but I will not allow it! I will see this nonsense categorically denied and rejected for the foolishness it is. I will not see his reputation debased further!”
“As your ladyship’s arrival can only confirm the report, then an immediate denial of it would certainlyharmrather than improve your nephew’s reputation as a gentleman.”
“A mere trifle to one of my nephew’s consequence! Men of his station are known to have their…” she sneered down her nose, “dalliances,” she finished distastefully. “He is born to the very best circles and cannot marry a woman who is not his equal.”
Elizabeth’s heart lurched as Lady Catherine touched upon her very own fears. She stretched her frame, standing somewhat taller and taking a little step closer. She kept her voice firm and steady. “He is a gentleman, and I am a gentleman’s daughter; therefore, weareequal.”
Lady Catherine’s eyes widened at Elizabeth’s subtle threatening manner. No one ever dared such presumption! “And those people I met just outside? Do not imagine I do not know who they are. They are in trade! Oh, yes, Miss Bennet, I knowallabout you! Your people are barely respectable; their only honour in society comes from their connections to your father’s meagre competence! Your little farm here is so small it can scarcely be called a gentleman’s estate, and allied with merchants besides.”
Elizabeth’s lip curved slightly at the corner. “It is a happy circumstance, is it not, your ladyship? Truly, the very prosperity of even Rosings Park must depend both upon farming and its connections to trade.”
Elizabeth could not have uttered a more provoking phrase. Lady Catherine’s face purpled, and her mouth dropped in open horror. “Shamefulgirl! To make such insinuations! Do youknowwho I am?”
“Were you not Lady Catherine de Bourgh of Rosings Park?” Elizabeth replied innocently.
“Insolent girl!” she spat. “Wewillcome back to the point! This match you aspire to cannevertake place! Mr Darcy is engaged tomy daughter!Now, what can you have to say?” Not one to be outdone, Lady Catherine took a great stride closer to Elizabeth, her fisted hands cocked behind her wiry frame in challenge.
