Page 126 of Shields and Roses

Stepping back from Charlotte, Peter Fitzwilliam greeted Sir William with a hearty handshake. Another round of greetings followed from the others in their group and the newcomers took their turns complimenting Lizzy, Anne, Charlotte, Lydia and Georgiana on their fine looks and lovely gowns.

After all the greetings were exchanged, their group decided to head out into the gardens, which had been augmented for the occasion with tables and chairs strategically placed for the comfort of the guests. The side door would remain open for the duration of the party to encourage the guests to wander freely between the house and grounds. The windows of the sitting room and music room, both of which faced the main formal garden, would also be open. In this way conversations could be carried on between the two spaces even as some guests remained inside.

As they moved through the room on their way to the door Darcy asked Bingley and Mary to join them outside. Mary politely declined.

"I prefer to stay indoors where I am safer from the insects that roam our garden," she said with a gentle smile.

"I shall join you, however, if you do not mind," Lady Sheldon said from nearby. Her husband was deep in conversation with Mr. Bennet, Mr. Damask and Mr. Gardiner, so she accepted Peter's arm along with the opportunity to catch up with him on his most recent travels.

"It seems a completely different place from our quiet haven of this morning," Darcy said as he and Lizzy headed almost automatically towards their favorite bench.

"It is certainly more crowded," Lizzy agreed. "While I like having the sunrise to ourselves, I also enjoy the plan to make this a combination dinner and garden party. The last time Mama held a big dinner the house felt terribly cramped. Even more people will be present tonight."

"I see some of them arriving now," Darcy said, looking up to see two carriages coming along the main drive down the hill.

"Ah, yes, so they are. Well, I appoint us as the greeters in the garden. Mama let the guests all know the evening will be both indoors and out, so some may simply walk around to join us here rather than passing through the crowd in the house."

Lizzy's prediction proved true. Over the course of the next hour Darcy guessed that probably half of those arriving headed for the garden first. Others came out of the house to see who was outside as well. The couple kept busy greeting newcomers from whichever direction they came. Lizzy introduced Darcy to more people than he would have expected. It seemed that gossip spread very effectively in the neighborhood, as every one of them already knew of not only his betrothal to Lizzy, but also his connection to the Fitzwilliams, the location and approximate size of his estate and even a fairly accurate guess at his annual income, if the whispers he heard as some of the more chatty matrons walked away were any indication.

Without Lizzy at his side to help manage the interactions, Darcy was now sure how he would have gotten through meeting so many people without losing his calm. He was not the only one to consider that either. As the flow of new arrivals slowed, Richard and Charlotte drifted over to their post near the easiest access to the garden from the drive, close to the damask roses that filled the air with their perfume.

"You are holding up better than I expected, cousin," Richard greeted him. "Usually by this point in the evening you are trying to hide behind a pillar or potted plant while calculating how soon you can leave without excessively offending your host."

Darcy chuckled even as he accepted the truth behind Richard's tease. "That is one of the drawbacks to a party outside," he said genially, "plenty of plants, but none of them potted and nary a pillar to hide behind."

Despite his surprise at the manner of Darcy's response, Richard looked like he was about to provide a bit more teasing. Before he could, Mrs. Bennet bustled up to them, looking quite happy with how the evening was going so far.

"Come along, all of you," she said, motioning towards the house with her most elegant lace handkerchief, a gift Lizzy had brought to her from London. "I think everyone has arrived and I want to say a few words in celebration of all our good fortune. If we all gather near the house, I can be heard inside and out."

Darcy saw the other guests in the garden were moving to congregate near the windows on the side of the house. He assumed that the guests inside were doing the same.

Whatever announcement Mrs. Bennet intended to make was interrupted by a familiar voice from the area of the garden they had just left. Darcy groaned inwardly as he heard Lady Catherine loudly ask, "What is the meaning of this uncouth display?"

To Darcy's surprise, and probably that of everyone else, Mrs. Bennet answered very genially, "Why, Lady Catherine! Surely you recognize a party when you see one. I am sorry we did not think to invite you, but you are so nearly family that you are welcome all the same."

His aunt received the comment in stunned silence as she stood staring with outrage and displeasure etched on her features. The rest of the guests, perhaps sensing the potential for conflict, quieted. For a moment, it was as if the gathering held its collective breath, just waiting to see what would happen next.

Chapter 57: Angered

Lady Catherine could not remember ever being so angry, not even when the villagers of Boxwell had cruelly deceived her regarding the identity of Anne's new husband. Of course, she had not yet gotten over that incident and all the other frustrations of the time, and now one thing after the other kept deepening the simmering well of anger the collapse of her plans had engendered.

First, there was her unsuccessful trip to Boxwell where the Countess took amusement at her expense. Had she learned Anne's location it would not have been so annoying, but that had been denied her. How dare Lady Ferrell make sport of her in such a manner? That woman knew exactly what she was doing. Well, one day she would pay.

Then, to be denied entry to Darcy House and the Fitzwilliam townhouse as well? It was insupportable! Both Darcy and her brother, who she knew must be behind the Earl's orders, would feel the full force of her wrath when she finally caught up to them. She could only hope that time would be soon.

Her night at the hotel had been no less frustrating. The officious clerk had placed her in rooms far too close to the portion of the hotel given over to the public taproom. The sounds of boisterous groups of revelers intruded into her rooms and soured her mood even more. When she complained, she was given no satisfaction whatever. Those were the only rooms available, she was told. If they were not acceptable, she could leave. Had it been earlier in the evening, she would have. She almost did anyway, despite the likelihood of ending up somewhere even more objectionable. After her argument with the clerk, she had returned to her room in a state near apoplexy at the utter disregard the man showed for her rank and position in society. He had behaved as if she was no more than some trollop off the streets!

Between the noise of the public house patrons and her own anger, it was several hours before Lady Catherine fell asleep. As a result, she woke much later than she had intended. To top it off, she was faced with one minor delay after another, including damage to her carriage wheels that her coachman noticed only as they were about to depart. By the time repairs were made, it was well into the afternoon.

Nevertheless, Lady Catherine determined to continue with her plan to vent her now greatly increased wrath upon the Bennet family. She needed a target that would not fight back and they seemed the likeliest. They were also the only ones she knew where to find.

Traffic leaving the city was far more congested than she would have expected. It was summer, after all, and most people of quality had already removed to the country. Yet, somehow, she seemed trapped in a crush of vehicles exiting London. That part of the trip took full twice as long as she had expected.

The road outside the city seemed almost as bad. Heavy carts lumbered along, kicking up choking clouds of road dust while blocking the progress of all other vehicles. A few times they slowed to such a crawl that Lady Catherine even considered giving up the trip and making a hasty retreat to her nice, safe, quiet home in Kent. Realizing the traffic would be just as bad if she turned back, staying on course seemed the best option.

As the journey dragged on, Lady Catherine occupied herself planning all the cutting remarks she would make to each member of the Bennet family. No one would escape her censure. It almost lifted her mood to think on how they would be crushed by her disapproval, particularly Mrs. Bennet. She would love to see that silly woman's face crumple in despair at the insults laid upon her.

She had nearly come to the end of her ideas when, finally, they turned off the main road and the flow of traffic thinned. With fewer vehicles, the dust cleared somewhat and she could once again open the curtains for a little bit of air to cool the interior of the carriage. As they passed the inconsequential village near the Bennet estate, she drew a deep breath, satisfied that the moment of her triumph was near at hand.