To the person who complained about the M rating for this story: my stories are not porn, they are romances with natural conclusions. Some writers start such M stories with a lower rating so that they are visible to casual readers and switch them up before chapters with sex scenes. I don't wish to draw anyone in who isn't fine with reading an M-rated chapter.
Yes, thanks, Windchimed. I think I originally meant to write 'in good health', and thank you for spotting those continuity errors, ilex-ferox.
Funniest autocomplete of the week—Lady Catherine was corrected to atherosclerosis.
Suggestions for the title of Chapter 24 were:
'Summoned to the Presence' or 'Principalities and Powers' by ilex-ferox,
"For want of a leg of Mutton" by FatPatricia515,
"Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?" by nanciellen,
"Officious Interference", "Fed Up", "Ain't no sunshine when she's gone", "You really got a hold on me", "I don't care about anything else", "But being with you, being with you", "I've been holding out so long", "I've been sleeping all alone", "Lord I miss you" by suddenlysingle,
"Reeding the Dragon's advice", "In the Dragon's lair", "Arrival of the White Knight", "Gilded cage" by guest,
"Maryment", "Mary, Mary, quite contrary" by beaty,
"Dinner for seven" by nessy22
Oh, some many good ones! I was torn between cleverness of the double meaning in 'Fed up' by suddenlysingle and "Mary, Mary, quite contrary" by beaty. It was a close call, but I do so like nursery rhymes.
Chapter 25 Enter the dragon lady
Darcy came to a sudden halt just inside the dining room. Elizabeth could have sworn she saw him blush, but perhaps it was just a trick of the candlelight.
"Darcy! Is aught amiss?" cried Lady Catherine.
Darcy hesitated a moment before pulling himself to his full height. "I beg your pardon, Aunt. I did not realise you were entertaining..."
"Is my bwother well? Do you bwing news of him?" prompted Lady Catherine.
"Forgive me, Aunt. The earl is well. All is well," he said emphatically. "I merely journeyed to Rosings to check on the bridge, among other things. I was delayed near Lambeth when one of my horses threw a shoe. Knowing you would be at dinner, I decided to come straight up in all my dirt. I beg your pardon. My man is organising my trunks. I can return to the dining room in twenty minutes in knee breeches."
"Do not wowy," said Lady Catherine graciously, throwing a triumphant look at her daughter. "The soup is on the table."
Darcy allowed a footman to divest him of his greatcoat, then withdrew to a corner to wash his hands in a basin. In the meantime, Lady Catherine's pointed looks at Mr Collins made the clergyman aware that he must give up his place at table. But instead of moving to the next vacant seat beyond Mrs Jenkinson, Mr Collins in turn stared pointedly at her until she shuffled along.
Watching these comical proceedings, Elizabeth wondered if she too might be asked to change her position at table, for she had remembered that Lady Catherine had plans for Mr Darcy and her daughter. But no such request was made. Finally Mr Darcy seated himself opposite her.
"Miss Bennet," said Lady Catherine, "this is my nephew, Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley. Fitzwilliam, this is Miss Elizabeth Bennet, the sister-in-law of Mr Collins."
Elizabeth smiled to herself. Longbourn and her grand relations in Piccadilly had not been mentioned.
"Miss Elizabeth and I are acquainted," said Darcy, picking up his spoon.
Lady Catherine turned her head to look at him narrowly.
"She and Georgie are both pupils of Signor Pastroni," said Darcy smoothly.
Lady Catherine raised an eyebrow at Elizabeth. "So you are pwoficient at the pianoforte?"
Elizabeth would like to have glared at Darcy for putting her on the spot, but she dared not meet his eye, lest she further provoke Lady Catherine's jealousy.
"I fear Signor Pastroni took me on as some type of challenge," said Elizabeth. "I am largely self-taught and my fingering is atrocious. He believes he can make something of me if I study to correct my deficits."
"Indeed?" said Lady Catherine. "Well, you must let us judge for ourselves after dinner!"
Lady Catherine then embarked on an almost private conversation with Darcy, enquiring for news of all their relatives and proceeding to estate matters, but interlarding these mundane topics with constant reference to her daughter. 'Anne was just saying...', 'Anne believes...' and 'Anne is of the opinion...' frequently issued from her lips, though her daughter chose not to elaborate and her presence was hardly acknowledged.
Keenly observing Darcy's tête-à-tête with his aunt, Lizzy struggled to detect any interest for his cousin on his part. Yet there was none of the haughty disdain she knew he was capable of either. Earlier, Lizzy had been inclined to think that Miss Bentham had been wrong about Lady Catherine's pursuit of Darcy for her daughter, based on her enquiries about Freddy, but it rather seemed the grand lady was pursuing several options.
Darcy answered all of his aunt's questions with civility and patience, despite the fact that his repeated attempts to turn the conversation to more general topics were constantly rebuffed. Elizabeth, in her turn, bore the snub well enough, making several remarks on the countryside and weather to Lady Catherine's daughter in an attempt to start a conversation on that side. When Miss de Bourgh's polite but short replies did not engender further conversation, Elizabeth gave it up and fell into quiet reflection.
On the whole, Elizabeth was rather surprised to see Mr Darcy at Rosings. During her last meeting with Georgiana, Georgie had apprised Lizzy of her intention to repair to Richmond during Lizzy's absence—for Signor Pastroni had gone off on a spring concert tour of various watering places such as Bath and Tunbridge Wells. Georgie's decision to go to Richmond had also been partly informed by her brother, who had apprised her he would be too busy with various business to accompany her to the theatre or any other evening function. Yet here he was in Kent! Lizzy could only suppose that he counted the Rosings estate as part of his business commitments.
Disposing of the topic of Mr Darcy, Lizzy's thoughts turned to Mary. Having come such a great distance to her sister's aid, it was annoying that Mary seemed reluctant to confide in her. Nonetheless, Lizzy hoped to gain Mary's confidence after spending more time together. Glancing occasionally at Mr Collins during the course of the meal, Lizzy could not help feel some repugnance towards him. His attention was entirely fixed on the conversation at the head of the table. Though he did not participate, Mr Collins alternately frowned in concentration and nodded sagely in agreement during the discourse, as if his attention mattered—for the speakers seemed entirely oblivious of his existence. For Mary, he spared not a glance.
Elizabeth was heartily glad when the meal was over and they repaired to the drawing room. Although the food had been good and plentiful, more enjoyment could have been had by eating it in solitude than in the presence of such self-involved companions. Mr Darcy and Mr Collins chose not to partake of port, following the ladies immediately.
Lady Catherine sat down directly at the card table with Mr Collins and her daughter. The grand lady clearly expected Darcy to make up the fourth, but he encouraged Mrs Jenkinson to take his place, saying he would be glad of the opportunity to stretch his legs.
Mary settled herself in a fauteuil near the hearth, close enough to observe the card game. Lizzy was about to join her sister when she was petitioned by Lady Catherine to display her skills on the pianoforte.
"You see, I have not forgotten your boast that you are a student of the gweat Pastroni, Miss Bennet!" Lady Catherine said loudly as Mr Collins dealt the cards. "Let us hope you are worthy of your master!"
Rolling her eyes privately at Mary, Lizzy got up and took her place at the instrument.
She decided not to play her favourite Clementi sonatina again, judging that Mr Darcy had heard it often enough. Elizabeth chose instead to play a newer piece she had been working on and almost perfected—a Storace sonata.
Mr Darcy retired to the hearth to warm his coattails. Without her sheet music, Elizabeth played from memory, but she was not so engrossed as to be unaware that Darcy was listening keenly and stole a glance or two in her direction as she played. As for the card players, they seemed hardly to listen at all, so engrossed were they with their play.
Elizabeth acquitted herself well and rose from the piano satisfied with her efforts.
"Is that all?" asked Lady Catherine, looking up from her cards. "I had hoped you would play for at least half an hour."
"Forgive me," replied Elizabeth. "I am a little tired from my journey and would not wish to tax you with an inferior performance."
She saw Darcy smile at this.
"Well, you play much better than your sister," pronounced Lady Catherine, "though you are far from exceeding Georgiana!"
Darcy's smile disappeared.
"Indeed," agreed Elizabeth, rather amused at the grand lady's judicial manner. "I do not cast my ambition so high. Georgie is a very superior player—the best of Signor Pastroni's pupils."
Lady Catherine seemed to be satisfied with this pronouncement and Elizabeth returned to the fireside, receiving a tight smile from Darcy as she approached, which she returned. She felt he was a little embarrassed by his aunt's imperious behaviour. Lizzy was rather surprised to see her sister sewing her sampler once more, which she must have had the forethought to bring in her reticule.
"You come well prepared," Lizzy whispered to her sister as she bent forward to take her seat.
"One might as well make use of the time," said Mary, not looking up.
The conversation thereafter was rather desultory, with the state of card play being the chief topic. Lady Catherine dominated throughout, ably supported by Mr Collins. Mr Darcy, on the other hand, seemed unusually withdrawn, even having to be roused on several occasions from his reverie by demands from his aunt. Lizzy supposed he had had a tiring day. Feeling herself beginning to flag, she answered Lady Catherine's further enquiries on her life in London with economy. This state of affairs continued for the next half-hour until the tea tray was brought in.
Finally, the carriage was announced and Lizzy was relieved from her state of intolerable boredom. Mr Darcy would have accompanied the visitors downstairs but Lady Catherine demanded he take Mr Collins' place at the card table for a final rubber. Complying, he bowed in their general direction as they departed.
Elizabeth's torture was not yet entirely over, however, for Mr Collins plagued her all the way home for her thoughts on Rosings. When it became apparent that short answers would not suffice, she reluctantly embroidered her replies to satisfy him, though she began to throw in the occasional barb and double meaning in her resentment. Of these, he seemed completely oblivious, though Mary turned her head in the darkness to look at Elizabeth after one of them.
In the closeness of the carriage, Elizabeth became aware of a lingering staleness—perhaps the squabs in the carriage needed to be renewed. She lowered the carriage window a fraction to breathe the fresh night air, cool though it was.
On arriving at the parsonage, Betsy sleepily opened the front door, having clearly taken a nap while waiting for their arrival. The occupants of the parsonage parted company at the top of the stairs, each to their own rooms to bed down for the night. Elizabeth was quite tardy in getting to her bed, for Betsy took an interminable time in returning with the pail of hot water Madeleine requested, clearly not used to such demands in the evening. Finally Madeleine went off to the tiny box room at the head of the stairs, which had been allocated as her sleeping quarters.
Although she had brought a novel with her, Elizabeth felt too tired to read. Blowing the candle out, she lay her head on the pillow, trying not to notice that the feathers had become compacted and lumpy. In her uncomfortable state, she lay awake for a full five minutes staring at the moon before her eyelids began to droop, only for them to fly open again at a creak in the hallway.
She was at first annoyed with herself for being so easily disturbed—it was likely just the house settling for the night. But a second noise seemed to confirm someone was creeping along the hall. Lizzy waited with bated breath as she listened. When the knock on the opposite door came, it was quite distinct.
Lizzy froze in horror, realising that Mr Collins was requesting access to Mary's bedchamber, likely on the presumption that Lizzy's advent had 'fixed matters'.
She reminded herself to breathe, all the while willing her cousin to go away. An eternity seemed to pass. Finally she heard what she thought was a small sigh and the footsteps, less disguised, retreated.
Mouthing a small 'thank you, Lord', Lizzy rolled over and fell asleep.
Footnotes
Aught—anything at all.