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Lady Catherine’s cries and complaints were drowned out by the cheers from everyone else in the room. Darcy was allowed to kiss the hand of Elizabeth before each was swamped in congratulations. The couple-to-be looked at each other with idiotic smiles on their faces. Happiness mixed with a certain rueful mien as they were informed of their blindness. None of it mattered.

Fitzwilliam Darcy was engaged to marry Elizabeth Bennet.

Chapter 28

“I feel there is so much to discuss. And at least this time we do not have an attentive audience.”

It was the next morning and Darcy and Elizabeth were walking through Hyde Park. It was early, hours before the fashionable time, and they were well wrapped up. They both knew this was not going to be a short conversation. Claire and Robert trailed them, out of hearing but within sight. Elizabeth nodded at Darcy’s opening statement.

“I agree completely. When I got home Claire and I thought about all the things we need to discuss and I have a short list.”

It truth it was closer to a long list than a short list. Darcy smiled at her preparation. She had informed him weeks earlier that she wrote notes at the end of every social event she attended. He expected no less.

“How do you propose to proceed?”

“I think dealing with my family and circumstances will take longer than yours. Should we address your family, and any potential concerns and then move onto mine?”

“I can see that makes sense. Where would you like to start?”

“Let us slay the dragon first. How was Lady Catherine after I left? To quote she felt ‘ill-used’ and was proclaiming this engagement would never stand.”

“I am glad I had spoken of her obsession with my marrying Anne. She claimed a cradle engagement agreed by her and my own mother. Yet she only starting spouting this nonsense after both my parents had passed on. It was something both Anne and I had to work around, and frankly it limited our interactions in the last five years. Anne suffered a severe illness when she was around 10 years of age and has been delicate ever since. She loves me, but as a cousin, and has no intention of ever marrying. Aunt Catherine can shout from the rooftops as much as she wants but it will never happen. Especially as all four Matlocks are supporters of you, and us.

“As to actually dealing with her last night, she sowed the seeds of her acceptance during her antics. She deliberately insulted Lady Maria, and if she was not so intent on bullying you, she should and would have realised it. To insult the sister and cousin of two separate Dukes? Idiocy. And my uncle was blunt in pointing that out to her. He also informed her that you and Desmond were acquaintances, met regularly at Lady Maria’s home and were frequent dance partners at private balls. She is bitterly unhappy at how everything turned out but recognised that there is nothing she can do. She is being despatched back to Kent this very day.

“Oh, and she really upset Lady Susan with her behaviour. She took great delight, almost pleasure, in reminding Aunt Catherine that she was the instrument that brought us together. There is a word I remember from my German classes, schadenfreude. It means taking pleasure in the misfortune of others. It is the only way to describe Aunt Susan last night. I thought Aunt Catherine was going to have an apoplexy.”

Elizabeth had to school her face not to exhibit similar tendencies.

“How was Richard?”

“Richard?”

“Your aunt rather overshadowed his day.”

Darcy smiled at her concern.

“He was fine. Andrew opened his bottle of brandy and the two of them had a very pleasant evening. None of us had a chance to thank you properly for those magnificent gifts.”

“We will come back to the brandy presently. How is Georgiana?”

“Mortified yet happy at the same time. The reason for her letter is that it was a response to a letter from Anne. Apparently, my regard for you was obvious even to her. And she has not even met you.”

Elizabeth blushed wholesomely.

“Anne wrote to Georgie regaling her with stories of my behaviour at Rosings Park and asking for her thoughts on the matter. It was this reply that Aunt Catherine stole from Anne. I do not think she actually read the whole letter, at least not properly. She saw the one section talking about us courting and she was furious. Thus her arrival yesterday afternoon. As you can imagine Georgie felt guilty that her, well gossiping, with her cousin caused the confrontation.

“Yet she is also congratulating herself as a matchmaking.” He stopped. “She is not a mama. Is there such a thing as a matchmaking maiden?”

They both chuckled.

“We will talk to her this week and remind her that letters can fall into the wrong hands. To follow on from your naming of a Shakespeare play, All’s Well That Ends Well.”

“I was wrong. It was not Much Ado About Nothing, more like The Comedy of Errors. But I agree we can provide some guidance in the use of initials and circumspection with regard to family matters. I will send a note today and invite her to call tomorrow. I should stop visiting Darcy House except at public occasions. There will be gossip as it is.”

Darcy did not disagree.

“Can we talk about more personal matters please? I know that you were not at your best in the autumn but you spoke eloquently about the need to ‘marry well’ not just for yourself but for Georgiana’s prospects. What changed? And why me?”