Page 77 of The Crown’s Gift

"My mother is loud and loyal. My sisters are educated, loved, and improving. Mr Collins will inherit Longbourn lawfully, while my father has made it more valuable for him. And the Queen did not look as though she merely tolerated us when she welcomed Mary."

"You are impertinent."

"You came to my father's house before breakfast to insult every member of it. My civility has exceeded yours."

Lady Catherine drew herself up. "Will you promise never to enter into an engagement with my nephew?"

Elizabeth thought of Darcy's hand at Pemberley, of the question interrupted in the library, of his answers to Sir Thomas the night before—whatever they had been.

"I will make no such promise."

"Then you admit it!"

"I admit only that Mr Darcy is free to choose and so am I."

"You will be censured. His family will reject you. Society will say you pursued him because a royal grant taught your family ambition."

"Society has said stranger things and survived."

Lady Catherine's voice lowered. "He will regret you."

The cruelty of it reached an old fear. Elizabeth did not answer immediately.

Then she remembered Darcy at the toll house lowering his fist because Georgiana asked, Darcy in the bookshop mud, Darcy refusing to treat the Gardiners as a test.

"That would be his judgment to make," she said. "Not yours."

They returned toward the house.

Darcy waited on the terrace with Sir Thomas. Lady Bennet stood visibly behind the drawing-room window, a curtain held aside in one hand.

Lady Catherine addressed her nephew. "You will return to Rosings with me."

"No."

"You permit this girl to speak to me with insolence?"

Darcy turned to Elizabeth. "Miss Elizabeth does not require my permission to speak."

The answer warmed her more than defense would have.

"Your mother expected you to marry Anne."

Pain crossed Darcy's face at the invocation, but he did not yield. "My mother hoped we might. She did not command it. Anne does not wish it. Neither do I."

"You would abandon your family for people such as these?"

Sir Thomas stiffened. Lady Bennet came through the terrace doors.

"People such as what?" she demanded. "My husband saved your king. My daughters have behaved with greater manners than you since you arrived, and breakfast is cold because you insist upon shouting in the garden."

"My dear," Sir Thomas murmured.

"I am not vulgar, Mr Bennet. I have not mentioned her hat."

Elizabeth covered her mouth. Darcy looked abruptly toward the lawn.

Lady Catherine appeared unable to decide which insult had been offered.