Chapter 9
The week after Lady Elizabeth was churched following the birth of her child she decided to hold a dinner party for the five couples who represented the Townsend's closest friends. As it turned out, because Darcy and Robert were so close during their college years, Darcy was friends with all five of the invited men and Kitty knew and was comfortable with all of the women. Colonel Fitzwilliam was the only gentleman attending who was not married but he was escorting the Earl's older sister who was a pleasant person and known to both of the Darcys. Darcy and Kitty were looking forward to this dinner until Richard visited one afternoon and confessed his part in possibly ruining what had previously been anticipated as a most wonderful evening. He had made the mistake of mentioning the upcoming dinner to his brother Edmund. When Edmund related this information to his wife Lady Marianne immediately set out to visit her dear friend Lady Townsend and wouldn't rest until she had also procured an invitation to the event. Elizabeth previously had no intention of including her; she had seen firsthand what Marianne was capable of in terms of intimidating others. However, a timid Lady Elizabeth was no match for a determined Lady Marianne, and before she knew what she was about she found herself extending the invitation in spite of her own misgivings.
Kitty was surprised to see how much Lady Marianne's attendance at this dinner dismayed both her husband and Richard. Darcy was concerned, very concerned, because he had never explained to his wife the circumstances that made her a particular target of Lady Marianne's animosity. There was silence in the room as Kitty looked at them both with a determined expression as she quietly waited. She would not rest until they explained themselves, and both men knew it. It was Richard who spoke first.
"Darcy, we have to tell her. Someone else is going to before long, you can be sure of that, and then they'll be hell to pay. Your wife may be one of the kindest and most forgiving women who ever lived, and I have first-hand knowledge of the truth of this." Richard paused at this point to give her a quick bow and a wink. "Regardless, we are both going to be in big trouble if we don't explain exactly what occurred to make her the object of the full force of my dear sister's nastiness. If you won't tell her, I will."
Darcy had always been more embarrassed than flattered by the attentions of the women who had pursued him and he was more than happy to allow Richard to explain his dealings with Lady Marianne Matterton. The previous spring the lady in question had decided that having arrived at her twenty-fourth year it was time that she grant some fortunate man the privilege of accepting her hand in matrimony. She would have preferred to confer this honour on a Duke, or even an Earl, but none of the present crop of London dandies met her fancy. The handsome and elusive Fitzwilliam Darcy did, however, and from the moment she set her sights on him he was a hunted man. She made no secret of her quest and had absolutely no doubt of her success. Her status as the daughter of a Duke and her dowry of thirty thousand pounds she felt would be irresistible to any man but to her amazement she soon realized that capturing him would be a bit more difficult than she had anticipated. Darcy eluded her as best he could but they unfortunately were members of the same social set. She was invariably at most of the function he attended and relentless in her pursuit of him. Richard also attended most of these events and was greatly amused watching the lady's determination at war with his cousin's resistance. His amusement quickly turned to alarm though one evening when he and Darcy were attending a ball given by Lady Marianne's father, Duke Matterton. His years in the army had honed his ability to sense danger even in its subtlest forms and there was something about the lady's behavior that evening that put him on full alert. He stationed himself at Darcy's side for the majority of the evening and all was well until Darcy did what he felt was his duty as a guest and requested her hand for a dance. Richard kept an eagle eye on them and could see that the lady did most of the talking and when Darcy returned he was obviously troubled by something. Lady Marianne had informed him that she had heard something quite important concerning his sister Georgiana that she believed he needed to know. This information was of a very personal nature and she felt they should have complete privacy when she told him of it. He had agreed to meet her in the library immediately after the supper and was quite baffled when he told his cousin of this and Richard began laughing.
"By God, Darcy, for a seemingly intelligent man you can be unbelievably stupid at times! Meet you alone in the library, eh? I guarantee you, cousin, that if you do so you will enter that room a single unattached man and emerge from it a man engaged to be married. How in the world could you be so daft as to accept such a proposition from her?"
Richard argued with his cousin in vain; Lady Marianne had attended the same finishing school where Georgiana was now and Darcy knew for a fact that she corresponded with several of teachers there. His sister had been unwell since contracting a cold in the winter and his first concern was that she had been more ill than he had previously believed. All the information that he and Richard had received concerning her health came from Georgiana herself and Darcy was afraid that the teachers were aware of something that his sister hesitated to tell them because she didn't want them to worry. His mind was made up that he would attend Lady Marianne in the library and nothing Richard said about traps and compromising situations could sway him. Richard was a stubborn man though and he had not reached the level where he presently was in the army by abandoning a campaign because the odds seemed to be against him. He spotted his father across the room and he steered Darcy in that direction. When he explained the situation to his father and informed him that Darcy was determined to hear what the lady had to say the Earl paused and then addressed his son in an admonishing tone. His voice was serious, but there was a twinkle in his eyes that convinced Richard that his father had reached the same conclusion he had concerning the nature of this library conference and that he had devised a clever way to keep his nephew safe.
"Richard, I am sorry to disagree with you, but Darcy has the right of it. I completely agree with his decision to hear what the lady has to say. However, you and I also have a very keen interest in Georgiana's wellbeing. So we will accompany Darcy when he goes to this assignation and I'm confident that the lady will have no objections to our presence."
Both Matlock gentlemen, of course, were convinced that the lady would most certainly have very strong objections to their presence and Darcy only conceded to their accompanying him because he could see that neither his uncle nor his cousin would permit him to enter the library alone. Indeed, Richard was so adamant that Darcy suspected that he would not hesitate to use physical force to restrain him. Lord Matlock and his son were quite convinced that what had previously been a rather tedious evening would quickly evolve into an extremely eventful one if what they suspected would happen in the library did indeed occur. Both men found it difficult to disguise their glee and solemnly assure Darcy that their only motivation in accompanying him to meet the lady was their concern for Georgiana.
At the conclusion of the supper the three men saw Lady Marianne give Darcy a meaningful look and then exit the room. They waited just a moment before they also left the room for the library, which happened to be quite close to the ballroom. Darcy entered the room first and was greeted by a wide smile from the lady which quickly turned to alarm when his cousin and Lord Matlock followed closely behind him. She knew her carefully laid plans had been completely foiled and frantically tried to get all three men out of the library as quickly as possible. She nervously assured them that what she had to relate about Georgiana did not warrant such concern on their part and that perhaps the hall would be a better place for her to discuss this with them. She was quickly crossing the room as she said this and heading for the door to make a hasty retreat when Lord Matlock gently but firmly took her arm and led her once again into the centre of the room. He solemnly assured her that whatever she had to say was of utmost importance to all three of them and they must immediately hear whatever it was she knew. He had carefully maneuvered their positions so that he was on the far side of Darcy. Richard saw what the Earl was about and placed himself behind his father so that he would also be undetected and if anyone entered the darkened room only Lady Marianne and Darcy would be apparent.
It was not many minutes before the library door was violently thrown open and Duke Matterton entered and began loudly accusing Darcy of compromising his daughter and demanding that he marry her to preserve her reputation. Lady Marianne sped across the room and attempted to get him to be quiet but he had his orders and he was determined to play the role that his daughter had so carefully coached him on. He knew exactly what was expected of him, and by god, he would not disappoint. The previous evening his daughter had tearfully explained that she very much feared Darcy would attempt to get her alone during the course of the evening and that he had even mentioned his desire to see her privately in the library after the supper. She begged her father to protect her from being compromised and if this was indeed the case to demand that Darcy do the gentlemanly thing and marry her. And so the Duke did exactly what was expected of him and his indignant demands had by this time drawn a curious audience to the library door and none of his daughter's frantic attempts could silence him. He was in his cups, as he invariably was by this time in the evening, and it took him quite some time to realize that Darcy was not the only gentleman in the library. By the time he realized it Richard was laughing uncontrollably and even the Earl could not suppress his smiles. Darcy was neither laughing nor smiling, but the relieved look on his face was evidence enough to the eager crowd in the doorway. They all surmised immediately exactly what had transpired in the library, or more accurately, exactly what had not transpired in the library. The news spread like wildfire through the ballroom and what had begun as an ordinary ball instantly became the most talked of affair of the season. Lady Marianne attempted to hold her head high in the face of the knowing looks and snide smiles that she encountered the following weeks, and her only comfort was that she had devised a plan that would not only ensure that she be a bride before the season was over but that she would make the Matlocks pay for their insult to her.
The Matlock's oldest son and heir, Edmund, was possessed of neither his brother Richard's charming manners and intelligence nor his cousin Darcy's handsome features and great wealth. He was quite shy, and when he attended a ball or dinner with Darcy and Richard he found himself unable to compete with the aplomb that they both exhibited when subjected to the persistent attentions of the ladies. So he was often on the sidelines at such events but the goodness of his nature made it impossible for him to resent the two men who had always been his dearest friends. As a future Earl he was afforded all the consequence that was due a man of his station but he entertained no illusions that his company was sought for any other reason than the title which would one day be his.
Two weeks after the Matterton's ball he attended a dinner party where Lady Marianne was also present and he was flattered when she sought him out and expressed particular interest in learning more about him. They both attended a ball not long after that and he found himself discussing with her a curricle that he had recently purchased. She remarked that she had never ridden in such a conveyance and before he knew it he had extended an invitation for her to ride with him the following afternoon in Kensington Park. The next day was warm and sunny and as he drove his curricle through the park with Lady Marianne at his side he could never remember feeling as happy as he felt at that time. He was surprised when she asked him to drive the curricle to a more secluded section of the park but quickly did as she requested. With many blushes and tear-filled eyes she began to make a confession that she said she otherwise would never have considered. She had hosted a ball the previous month and when she received his reply to her invitation that he was engaged elsewhere that evening she had impetuously concocted a plan to see if her fondest hopes – her dearest wishes – could ever come to fruition. At the ball she asked his cousin Darcy if she could see him privately because what she had to say was of such a personal nature she couldn't bear to have anyone else hear of it. And then she confessed, with hesitant words and many tears, that he, Edmund, had been the reason she had wanted to speak to Darcy. He had been the object of her fervent admiration for several years and she wanted to ask his cousin if he felt she had any chance of ever having Edmund return the deep affection that she felt for him. She had received two very advantageous offers of marriage this season and both of her beaux were pressing her for an answer. But how could she tell them that her heart was already engaged – that her affections were so fixed upon a man who seemed to be unaware of her existence? Lady Marianne was overcome with emotion at this point and wept quietly in her handkerchief. When she was once again able to control herself she explained how everything had gone terribly wrong. Darcy had entered the library with Richard and the Earl and she was too embarrassed to confess the true reason she had wanted this conference. Then her father had entered and made a scene before he realized that her meeting with Darcy was quite innocent and she was afraid that if he heard of it from others he might draw the wrong conclusion. She couldn't bear the thought of him thinking ill of her and she wanted him to know that even if he heard in the coming weeks of her engagement to another man that he was the only man she had ever admired. And here she looked up at him shyly through eyelashes that were shiny with tears and whispered that she just couldn't sacrifice herself in marriage to another man if there was a chance, however remote, that he could return her affections some day.
Edmund, awkward and tongue-tied as he always was in the presence of a lady, was never-the-less able to assure her that yes, indeed, there was every chance that he could come to care for her as she did for him. He wasn't sure how it came about, but before he knew what was happening she was in his arms and he was assuring her that not only did he feel he could some day return her affections, but that he already did. He was sublimely happy and before the hour was up he was in Lord Matterton's library and requesting Lady Marianne's hand in marriage. When he returned to Matlock Hall and joyfully related his news to his parents and brother he was dismayed by their reaction. They angrily related what had almost befallen Darcy at the ball less than a month previously but he was certain that his fiancé's explanation of the real reason for the interview with Darcy would calm their fears. It did not, quite the contrary, and though his family's disapproval dampened his newly found pleasure, Edmund never faltered in his resolve. In the early days of summer they were married, but in the triumphant smiles of the bride the Matlock family saw more than just happiness and knew that there would be difficult times ahead, especially if Darcy married any time in the near future. Darcy was indeed a married man in less than five months and they all knew that the woman he had married would be the object of Lady Marianne's particular attention, and not in a good way.
Darcy was made uncomfortable by Richard's explanation of what had happened with Lady Marianne, especially when he saw that his cousin and his wife found humour in how easily he had been duped by the lady. He was most displeased with his wife's reaction and he felt that his near entanglement with such a woman should evoke her sympathy rather than her laughter. When she made a remark about how much it must have galled a woman of Lady Marianne's pride to not have been chosen by Darcy to be his wife he spoke without forethought.
"Catherine, before you crow too loudly about Lady Marianne not being chosento be my wife you might reflect upon the fact that you also were not chosen for that position."
Absolute silence followed this comment and for many minutes not a word was spoken. Then Catherine rose slowly from her chair, mumbled something about a meeting with Mrs. Downton, and left the room. Richard left soon afterward and Darcy was unable to raise his eyes as he made his farewells because he was well aware of the anger he would see on his cousin's face. It was well deserved anger, and Darcy knew it. He had to see Catherine; he had to tell her how sorry he was for making such a thoughtless comment. He had painfully discovered in his past several months of being a married man that just because something was true did not mean that it should be spoken aloud.
As he had suspected, Kitty was not meeting with Mrs. Downton, so he climbed the stairs to their suite of rooms to look for her. When he found she was not in the sitting room adjoining his bedchamber he entered the mistress chamber. There he was arrested by sounds coming from her dressing room of someone retching quite violently. He froze and was undecided if he should enter to help her but then he heard her maid speaking softly to her. He left the room and went downstairs to his study. Darcy was hoping that he would be able to distract himself from what had happened and tackle the large amount of correspondence that had arrived that morning in the mail but he just couldn't focus and began pacing back and forth. Foremost in his mind was the fact that his words had affected his wife so strongly that she had become physically ill. He had much to atone for and he anxiously waited until he felt a sufficient amount of time had passed so that she could be well enough to receive him. When almost an hour had elapsed he entered her room to see that she was in bed and both Sarah and Mrs. Downton were attending her. Kitty's face was almost as white as the pillow where she reclined her head and the only colour on her face was the red that rimmed her eyes. He shooed his housekeeper and Kitty's maid out of the room, pulled a chair over to the side of her bed, and hesitantly took her hand.
"I'm sorry, Catherine, so very sorry. You once called me an idiot and I have managed to prove the accuracy of that description once again. Please tell me that you can forgive me. You look ill, so ill, and I know that my words have caused this."
"You needn't apologize for something that we both know to be true. You certainly have not hesitated to remind me of it several times in the past months. I don't want to discuss it."
Darcy shifted uncomfortably in his chair. It was unlike Kitty to be so caustic but he had early on learned one thing about his relations with his wife; it was much easier for him to bear her anger than her tears. "If this is what you truly wish then I will let it go. But what I cannot ignore is that you look so ill. I would feel more comfortable if Dr. Rushton could examine you."
"No, not yet. Perhaps soon, if I continue to feel this way."
"I'm reluctant to agree to this but I will if you promise to remain in bed until tomorrow morning."
"Absolutely not! Have you forgotten that we are engaged to attend the theatre this evening with two other couples?
"We are not going. And I will not budge on this."
"Yes, we are going. I am just fine and we cannot disappoint our friends in this matter."
With that Kitty flung back the counterpane and rose to her feet. But the moment she stepped away from the bed she felt a wave of dizziness and only Darcy's quick thinking saved her from sliding to the floor as she fainted. At this new evidence of his wife's indisposition Darcy became seriously concerned. A footman was hastily dispatched to return with Dr. Rushton and Darcy sought the aid of both women who had attended her earlier to revive her. Wet cloths and smelling salts brought her around quickly and she reluctantly conceded that seeing the doctor was perhaps a good idea after all. Kitty was quite convinced by this time of the cause of her illness. She was confident that the doctor would confirm her suspicions and she could finally share this wonderful news with her husband. She had had ample time to consider all the ramifications of being a mother and she was very happy to know that within six months she would be one.
Dr. Rushton needed very little time to confirm that Kitty's suspicions were correct. She seemed otherwise healthy, except for being a bit tired, and when he exited her bedchamber door he was able to reassure Darcy with a smile and a pat on the back.
"Go and speak to your wife, Darcy. She will be able to tell you better than I can what ails her."
When Darcy entered Kitty's room he was relieved to see that her colour had returned and she was sitting up in the bed and leaning against the headboard with just the hint of a smile on her face.
"Well? What did he say? He didn't seem concerned; it is nothing serious I surmise."
"Yes, I am well, very well. He told me something that I have suspected for some little time. How will you like being a father by early fall? We are to have a child, William, and I am so very happy!"
"What? I am surprised, shocked! However did this happen?"
There was a long pause as Kitty regarded him thoughtfully. "How did this happen? You, of all people, wonder how this could happen? You have so often teased me about my lack of knowledge about….well, about certain things…so surely you must know exactly how this happened."
"Oh yes, I guess I do know. But then I never expected such a thing. I thought perhaps eventually, but not so soon. You are so young and we have been married such a short time. I had hoped for a child some day, of course I have, but certainly not yet." Darcy realized at this point that he was babbling and stopped himself from saying anything more.
Kitty was disappointed by his response but her disappointment was tempered by her strong sense of what was causing such a reaction from her husband. He had never spoken of it to her, but Georgiana had, and she knew that his mother had died just three days after giving birth to his sister. Kitty reached out to take his hand and pulled him down to sit beside her on the bed.
"I am strong and healthy and the doctor feels there is no danger for either me or our child. All will be well, William; he says that the minor problems I am experiencing now are quite normal and will cease within a few short weeks." She saw that he was still troubled and felt it would be best to postpone further words until he had accustomed himself to the news. "But I am tired now and still feeling a little ill. I would like to sleep for a while if I can. Let's discuss this later when I have awakened."
Darcy was more than happy to agree and he went to his study intent on giving himself over to thinking this through. He needed time alone to ponder such unexpected news. He was chagrinned to realize that he had never, not even once, considered that this could be the result of the intimacy that he had so enjoyed with his wife since Folkestone. What a fool he had been! He was unaware if there were methods that he could have used to prevent such an outcome and he certainly could not regret what they had shared. His wife was obviously pleased with the news that she was with child and he determined that he must suppress his own misgivings and attempt to share her joy. Darcy knew that his wife possessed an unusual sensitivity and very much feared that pregnancy would further exacerbate this trait. He determined that from this point on he would subjugate his own concerns and act the part of a husband who was delighted with his upcoming fatherhood. And when Kitty awoke from her brief nap he set out to do just that. Before long he found it was not such an effort to do so and he began to conjure up the pleasant image of his wife with their baby at her breast. There was no denying that this development was completely unexpected but he soon was able to view his young wife's pregnancy with equanimity.
Unfortunately for them both, Darcy's preoccupation with her state led him to be so solicitous and protective of her that she soon felt completely smothered by his attentions. The Townsend's supper party was the night after Dr. Rushton had examined her and Kitty was sick again that morning. Darcy was adamant that they would not be attending the dinner party and nothing Kitty could do could change his mind. She scolded, wept, and even attempted seduction, a ploy which had never failed in the past to make him compliant. But he wouldn't be persuaded and he even forced her to spend the entire day in her bed. She scowled at him each time he came in to spend time with her and she was further incensed when he just laughed and warned her to accustom herself to such treatment because she would be subjected to it for the next six months.
Neither of them were laughing the next morning when Kitty awoke in a pool of blood. Dr. Rushton was sent for and he could not disguise the concern he felt from either of the Darcys. His examination revealed that she still carried the child but he was uneasy, and when the same thing happened the following afternoon he was even more concerned that this pregnancy would not have a happy outcome. The doctor shared his fears with Darcy and left it to him whether his wife should be informed of his apprehensions. Dr. Rushton felt there was a chance, albeit a small one, that the pregnancy could continue on successfully, and Darcy clung to this hope and decided to not upset Kitty unduly with the doctor's prognosis. He spent the remainder of the day with his wife in her room talking to her, reading to her, or just sitting quietly with her hand in his. The next two days Kitty was feeling so much better that Darcy finally agreed that she could dress and go downstairs to their sitting room. He continued to anxiously hover over her though and by the time lunch concluded she had had enough.
"If you continue behaving like a nursemaid I will go absolutely mad! Do you intend to act like this until our child is born? If you do have such intentions please let me know now because if that is the case I'm going to run away and join a gypsy camp until I give birth. I want you out of here right now…not just out of this room but out of this house. Go do something – anything. Go fencing, or to your favorite bookstore, or to your club where you can commiserate with the other unhappy husbands whose wives are also with child. Just go somewhere, anywhere but here!"
In fact, Darcy was feeling a bit house-bound and decided that a round of fencing was just what he needed to dispel the tension that had been his constant companion since learning that his wife was with child. So, much to his wife's delight, and surprise, he agreed to leave the house for several hours. Before he left he spoke with Mrs. Downton and instructed her that someone was to fetch him from his fencing club immediately if there were any problems. His housekeeper was aware that Kitty was pregnant; indeed, she had known even before her young mistress was certain of it. Sarah didn't know what to do when Catherine was ill several mornings and she consulted with the housekeeper in the hopes of finding a way to alleviate Catherine's distress. Mrs. Downton's advice was immediately implemented and dry toast and tea were fetched from the kitchen early each morning and ready for Kitty in her dressing room when she awoke. The housekeeper was also aware of the reason the doctor had been so frantically summoned two different times in the past week and she was able to promise Darcy that at the
smallest hint of trouble a footman would be dispatched to alert him that he was needed at home. This promise gave Darcy the assurance he needed to set off to his fencing club with a confident feeling that nothing untoward could happen in his absence. He could not have been more wrong.
Kitty was reading in her sitting room when a loud voice was heard emanating from someone ascending the stairs. It was Lady Catherine de Bourg and she was as angry as she had ever been in her life. Her fury the previous fall on learning of Darcy's upcoming wedding had been expressed in a barrage of incensed letters that she had dispatched to her nephew and younger brother, Lord Matlock. She had expected immediate compliance with her demands that Darcy repudiate the upstart woman in Hertfordshire who had dared to interfere with her own wishes for an alliance between her daughter and her nephew. When she was unsuccessful in preventing the wedding she found consolation in knowing what an embarrassment Catherine would prove to be under the vigilant surveillance of the ton. Catherine would be shown to be a ridiculously unsophisticated country nobody and Darcy would be made to look like a fool for marrying her. She knew that her brother had done all he could to prevent this union and she never doubted that the Darcys would be shunned by the Matlocks as well. This conviction gave her a perverse sense of satisfaction despite the fact that she had been thwarted in her own plans. She sat back and waited; she knew the gossip columns in the London newspapers would soon be filled with subtle hints concerning "A Mr. D from Derbyshire" and his disaster of a wife. His unexpected marriage had already been a rich source of material for speculation and Lady Catherine was certain there would be a veritable flood of condemnation once her nephew's young wife made an appearance. For over a month the papers were silent and then they contained news that she first felt must be a fabrication. The information related was that her own brother and his Countess had hosted a dinner party for the Darcys in order to present her to society! Even more disturbing were details of a toast that the Earl had given in which he warmly welcomed her into the family. From that point on at least twice a week there was some mention of the new Mrs. Darcy and Lady Catherine found to her horrified disbelief that all of it was favorable. The Darcys were generally regarded as THE couple of the London season and Mrs. Darcy was praised by one and all as a lovely young wife who was doted on by her husband and admired by all who met her. Lady Catherine had thought that nothing could equal the anger she initially felt when she learned of this upcoming marriage but the blinding rage she felt when reading of Mrs. Darcy's successful introduction to London society managed to make her so angry that she decided to act. She would go to London immediately to let her nephew and his wife know in no uncertain terms that not everyone looked upon their union with favor. She ordered her carriage, found a letter that she was determined to take with her, and set off for London.
Kitty's first impression when Lady Catherine entered the room was that she was in the presence of a madwoman. Darcy had mentioned very little about his aunt except one reference to the fact that she was opposed to their marriage and that was the reason his wife had not yet been introduced to her. Kitty was soon apprised of the fact that 'opposed' would be a mild term to describe the lady's position concerning their marriage. Lady Catherine informed her that Darcy had been engaged to her own daughter for years and that she was convinced that he had been lured into a compromising position and forced to marry so far beneath him. Darcy had not even had the decency to break the engagement in person and the first her poor daughter had learned of it was when they saw the engagement announcement in The London Times. She then withdrew from her reticule a letter that she had received from her brother, Lord Matlock, in the fall when Darcy's engagement had originally been made known to them. She gleefully read the letter aloud to Catherine and told her that any illusions she had that the family really welcomed her in their midst were just that – illusions. They knew her for what she was – a greedy harlot who had tricked Darcy into this disgraceful union and if the Matlocks seemed to accept her it was simply to save the family from any further embarrassment. Kitty was too shocked by this vitriolic attack to utter a single word, and Lady Catherine finally departed the room with the very satisfying conviction that she had made her sentiments known in such a decided fashion that the new Mrs. Darcy would not soon forget that there were those who understood her motivation for trapping Darcy and despised her for it.
When Lady Catherine had entered the foyer of Darcy House the doorman had attempted to prevent her from gaining access to the sitting room where he knew his mistress was reading. She had pushed past him and loudly announced to all who listened that she was not to be deterred and that she had been silent long enough concerning the insolence of her nephew and his disgraceful wife. Mrs. Downton heard her, as did almost every inhabitant of the house, and quickly dispatched a footman to alert Darcy of what was happening. She herself attempted to enter the room to support her young mistress, and used the ruse of supplying a tea tray to the ladies, but she was literally shoved back out the door by an incensed Lady Catherine. The shouting in the room continued and Mrs. Downton, realizing that Darcy's fencing club was over three miles distant and it would be quite some time before he could return, dispatched another footman with a note to Lady Matlock explaining what was happening.
Lady Matlock,
Please excuse the liberty I am taking by writing to you but I am concerned for my mistress. Mr. Darcy is from home and Lady Catherine is here. She is with Mrs. Darcy in her sitting room and is so very angry that her voice can be heard throughout the house. When I attempted to enter the room Lady Catherine refused to permit me to do so.
Mrs. Downton
When Lady Matlock read this note she was horrified. She knew what Lady Catherine was capable of when she was angry, having been on the receiving end of her hateful rants on more than one occasion. She had been able to hold her own against the formidable lady but she knew her new niece would not be able to. She quickly ordered her carriage and was out the door of it at Darcy House before it had even come to a complete stop. Lady Catherine's carriage was still at the curb and when she entered the foyer her sister-in-law was just descending the stairs with a triumphant expression on her face.
"Lady Matlock, how fortunate that you have arrived just in time to console that hussy Darcy has taken to wife. I have managed to convince her in no uncertain terms of the sham you and my brother have been acting in pretending to accept her. Look here; here is the letter my brother sent me where he described in explicit detail the advice he sent Darcy when this travesty of a marriage was first announced. Have you seen it? He advised Darcy to pay off the expectant bride as well as her parents and if that failed gave him specific details concerning how an annulment could be obtained and that he would support him in this endeavor. Your son Richard sent Darcy a similar letter. So by all means, go up and commiserate with your new niece but don't expect her to believe ever again that she has been accepted into the Matlock family."
Lady Matlock didn't even pause to remonstrate with Lady Catherine but hurried up the stairs and into the sitting room. Catherine was sitting absolutely still on the sofa and when the Countess sat down next to her and took her hands she was dismayed to feel that they were icy cold.
"Catherine, I am so very sorry that you had to be subjected to this. I didn't even know she was in town and I'm sure Darcy didn't know either or he would never have left you to face her alone. You mustn't take anything she said to heart; you mustn't let her upset you so."
Kitty was still so overwrought at having been attacked so cruelly that she couldn't even respond. The names she had been called, the accusations that had been hurled at her, were beyond anything she had ever experienced or expected. Her eyes filled with tears but she was as yet unable to speak of what had happened. Darcy rushed into the room at that point, and when she saw him she rose from the sofa and clung to him as she began sobbing. Lady Matlock knew that it was Darcy that Catherine needed more than anyone else and she quietly left to return to her own home.
