"Fitzwilliam Darcy! I insist on being satisfied! Come away at once!"
The crowd of people had parted to expose him. Darcy stepped forward into the void, followed by Elizabeth.
"This is neither the proper time nor place, Aunt. Let us speak of it elsewhere. We are at a private party and you are making a scene."
She looked about her and gave a disdainful sniff as she replied, "I care nothing for the opinion of this low company. These people mean nothing to me. But we will discuss this matter in my carriage as we go to retrieve Georgiana and remove her from this horrible village. Mr. Collins told me you have her here."
He had tried, Darcy thought. There was no help for it now. They would provide the good people of Meryton with enough gossip to chew on for years. From somewhere in the crowd Darcy heard a voice suspiciously like Bennet's say, "I wonder if SHE can claim a headache to excuse her poor manners?" It was followed by a ripple of laughter.
As Darcy considered how best to respond to his aunt, Lady Catherine apparently recognized Elizabeth, whose bruised face must have been described to her by Mr. Collins in his letter.
"Is that her? Is that the shameless hussy who seeks to turn you from your duty? How can you appear in company with such a face, girl? The nerve!"
"The only shameless one here is you, Aunt!" Darcy said with force. "Miss Elizabeth received those bruises you decry while protecting your niece from a vicious attack!"
"That Georgiana was attacked is your fault for bringing her to this dreadful country in the first place. There is no need to reward the girl by marrying her. If you must reward her, give her some money. I dare say that is all she wants anyway!"
A gasp of affront spread through the room.
"I am marrying her because I LOVE HER!" shouted Darcy, "although my reasons are no concern of yours."
"NO CONCERN! I almost your nearest relative and have the deepest interest in your concerns. You cannot marry this CHIT! You are engaged to MY DAUGHTER!"
"No, madam, I AM NOT!" At this point Darcy was standing directly in front of his aunt. In his fury he had forgotten the other occupants of the room. He startled as Elizabeth took his arm and gently started to pull him away from the conflict. He startled again seeing Mrs. Bennet step into the place he had occupied.
"Who do you think you are to come into MY HOME and insult MY DAUGHTER?"
"I am Lady Catherine de Bourgh of Rosings Park. Darcy is MY NEPHEW and I will remove him from your fortune-hunting daughter!"
"You are nothing but a sour-faced, meddling old woman!" shouted Mrs. Bennet in return, surprising Lady Catherine with her vehemence. "Leave my house at once and take that ridiculous Mr. Collins with you. All he can do is praise you to the skies. Now that I have met you I see what a complete fool he is. MY daughters are too good for him to marry! I want both of you gone!"
"But..." Lady Catherine began.
"NO! You say my neighbors and I are nothing to you. Well you are LESS than nothing to US! You come here without invitation, invade my home and insult everyone in it. I will not have it! Not in MY HOUSE! You will leave NOW! And so will he!"
From the corner of his eye Darcy saw Collins, who must have been approaching to support his noble patroness. The man's jaw had dropped and he stared in dumb astonishment at Mrs. Bennet's words.
Mr. Bennet stepped forward to take his wife's hand and pat it approvingly. Several other men stepped up and formed a semi-circle around Lady Catherine, leaving only the route to the door open. They appeared intent on herding her back out the door.
Darcy drew away from Elizabeth and stepped through the line of men to grasp his spluttering aunt's arm. Her anger and affront seemed too great for words. Followed by his apparent honor guard, Darcy firmly escorted Lady Catherine out to her carriage. Mr. Turnwell came up dragging a protesting Mr. Collins with him. He shoved the parson into the carriage after Darcy's aunt.
After closing the door, Darcy instructed the coachman to take Lady Catherine to her London townhouse with all deliberate speed and not to return to Longbourn or Hertfordshire without his express approval. Darcy reminded the man that he managed the books at Rosings Park and pay raises only happened when he insisted on them. The coachman nodded in agreement.
Bennet came up and looked into the carriage at his cousin, who continued to offer mumbled protests between abject apologies to Lady Catherine. "I will have your luggage packed and sent to you at Hunsford. Do not return until after I am dead. Maybe not even then." He turned away and went back inside along with the other men. Darcy told the coachman to leave then followed Bennet inside.