Darcy's figure was naught but a shadow in the raging storm, but the rain was unnoticed by him. His jaws clenched in anger, and his nails digging into his palms, he pushed the doors of Rosings open without ceremony, ignoring the frightened maid jumping out of his path. He stormed into the sitting room, looking like a wild man with hair dripping and eyes flashing.
"Good Lord, Darcy, have you lost all sense of propriety?" Lady Catherine demanded loudly, properly offended by the untamed appearance of her nephew.
"I might ask the same of you! Have you no integrity? Will you ruin a family on a whim?"
"Ah," Lady Catherine pushed her breakfast plate aside and signaled to the maid to take it away. "I thought you might want to discuss this. We may as well be comfortable, get into some dry clothes and we can speak in privacy-"
"No! No, we will speak here and now, you will not shirk from this! You cannot hide behind your imperious façade!" Darcy continued to yell rather than speak, his teeth grinding in anger.
"If you insist," Lady Catherine replied coolly.
"I do!"
"I assume the affair you are referring to is that regarding the Bennet family," She spit the name out disdainfully. "I have always prided myself in being direct. I tried to prevent you from making the most foolish decision of your life by other means, but to no avail. You would not follow the counsel of one older and wiser than you. I only had one option left, which I acted upon Sunday last. As I'm sure you know, rumors spread like wildfire, and I was able to expose the girl while salvaging your reputation. So do not continue in your ungratefulness, Fitzwilliam Darcy. Surely now you can understand how lucky you are to be in this present situation rather than the disaster you had planned for yourself."
Darcy seethed with rage, so much that he was unable to speak for a few moments. When he did, it was in a dangerous whisper.
"I am sure you will be grateful enough for the both of us, Madame. Thankfully, I will not have to deal with this gratefulness any longer. I am leaving now. Feel no obligation to contact me again. You may consider the present situation to be the disowning of a nephew, while I can consider it the disowning of an Aunt."
With that, Darcy turned from his mother's sister, oblivious to her screeches of protest. He felt curiously like a caged bird, stretching his wings for the first time. Without family obligations, he was free. Free to associate with whomever he deemed appropriate. Free to go where he chose. Free to marry whomever he wished.
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