Page 24 of Stranded at Michaelmas

A few weeks before the engagement, Mr Collins, Mr Bennet’s distant cousin and heir to Longbourn, had arrived somewhat unexpectedly for a visit. Upon discovering Mr Darcy’s marked attentions towards Elizabeth, he had made every effort to convince her that Miss de Bourgh possessed a far stronger claim to the gentleman. His arguments had proved unsuccessful.

Mr Collins departed only a few days after a ball at Netherfield, clearly dissatisfied with the Bennet family as a whole, and promptly carried news of Mr Darcy’s attentions back to his patroness. Lady Catherine did not act immediately, but the prospect of an engagement evidently proved too much to bear. She arrived at Longbourn the day after Mr Darcy’s proposal, in a considerable furore.

That lady proved no more successful than her rector had been and departed exceedingly displeased. Mr Darcy arrived not long afterwards, having apparently endured a similar confrontation, and immediately apologised to Elizabeth for his aunt’s behaviour.

“She did not trouble me, William,” Elizabeth assured him. “It is fortunate, is it not, that I have never been particularly troubled by meeting peers—even when all they possess is a courtesy title?”

He regarded her with a mixture of amusement and curiosity. “Where did you acquire such confidence, Elizabeth?”

“I never did tell you who owned Netherfield, did I?”

She laughed, watching him absorb the unexpected answer.

“No,” he said slowly. “I asked, but you told me they preferred their privacy.”

“They did, and I saw no reason not to respect it.” Her smile deepened. “However, now that we are engaged, I suppose I can tell you. Lord and Lady Glenross resided at Netherfield for nearly four years, until her health required them to return to Scotland. Lord Glenross still owns the estate.”

For a moment, Mr Darcy merely looked at her.

“Lord Glenross?” he said at last. “The Marquess of Glenross?”

A laugh escaped him. “And all this time, you allowed me to believe your acquaintance with the former tenants of Netherfield was quite unremarkable.”

“I do not recall ever saying it was unremarkable,” Elizabeth replied. “Only private.”

Darcy shook his head at what she had revealed—and how casually she had revealed it.

“You will never cease to astonish me, Elizabeth,” he said.

After a quick glance assured him they were alone, he drew her into his arms and held her close for a long moment, apparently quite content simply to have her there.

Their trip to London proved unremarkable in most respects. Lord and Lady Matlock had already endured a visit from Lady Catherine, but they were predisposed to think well of Darcy’s choice, if for no other reason than that his aunt so vehemently objected to it. Lord Matlock, in particular, took considerable pleasure in vexing his sister, and his ready acceptance of Elizabeth appeared to owe at least something to that inclination.

The next development came in the form of a letter Elizabeth received while staying with her aunt and uncle in Gracechurch Street.

Even after his wife’s death, Lord Glenross had continued to correspond with Elizabeth, and news of her engagement had evidently reached him quickly. His letter contained congratulations, but also something Elizabeth had never expected.

My dear Elizabeth,

The news of your engagement, and to such a well-regarded young man, has given me greater pleasure than I can readily express. I knew your Mr Darcy’s father only a little, and he was a very good man, and I have heard that his son has followed in his path. My only regret is that my dear wife is not here to share your joy, for I know how delighted she would have been to see you so happily settled.

There is, however, one matter of which she insisted I should tell you only when the proper occasion arose.

As you know, we were never blessed with children of our own, and my nephew will eventually inherit both my title and the greater part of my estate. My wife therefore asked, not long before her death, that twenty thousand pounds from the fortune settled upon her at our marriage be set aside for you. It was her wish that the money should become yours upon your marriage, to be included in whatever settlements were made for your benefit.

I confess that I saw no reason to oppose her in this instance. She loved you very much, Elizabeth, and I believe she regarded you, in some small measure, as the daughter we were never fortunate enough to have.

The money has therefore been held for you these several years, and I shall instruct my solicitor to communicate with Mr Darcy’s without delay.

You may object if you feel compelled to do so. I assure you, however, that neither my wife nor I ever intended to allow you any choice in the matter.

Elizabeth was astonished. Had Lord Glenross been standing before her, she would undoubtedly have objected most strenuously. Yet she could not ignore the affection behind the gift, nor the knowledge that it had been Lady Glenross’s wish.

Mrs Gardiner eventually persuaded her that the wisest course was simply to accept it.

“If nothing else, Elizabeth, it considerably lessens the disparity between your fortunes. You were already a perfectly respectable match for Mr Darcy, whatever his aunt might choose to think, but now even his relations can have considerably less to object to.”

Elizabeth smiled faintly. “I rather doubt twenty thousand pounds will silence Lady Catherine.”