Darcy could not indulge in his overwrought feelings for long. Nearly as soon as his empty glass hit the table, the distant sound of his aunt's voice roused him into motion. There would be much explanation on his part. He might need to send for the Bennet family or for a physician from town. There was the potential too that his aunt would be inhospitable or get in the way of Elizabeth's care, and he would need to be at his best to combat her without giving his attachment away. Mrs. Collins would be on her way soon and he did not want to add to her shock with his gruesome appearance. If controlling his feelings to play a disinterested gentleman was the best way he could help Elizabeth, then he would simply have to do it.
While he washed his hands and face, Elizabeth's blood turned his basin water pink. He was reminded for a moment of Lady Macbeth's madness. "Would these hands ne'er be clean?" He could never be clean from guilt for giving her the letter that led to her harm, or the ghastly proposal beforehand. In fact, every interaction he had ever had with her led to this.
Last night, he had replayed each moment of their acquaintance and had seen only her scorn for him. He had comforted himself in the self-righteous assertion that she was willfully ignorant of his merits. Now, he wondered if he had always been causing her pain; if truly, while she gifted him with her intelligence, vibrancy, and joy, he had returned to her nothing but pride, haughtiness, and the "selfish disdain of the feelings of others". He found that the recalled words did not elicit anger, or even embarrassment, as they had last night, but rather a profound sense of shame.
If he truly considered it, he had not been thinking of Miss Bennet's feelings when he proposed; he sought only to gratify his own. He felt the truth of her words for the first time, and was surprised to find gratitude among his feelings. He felt as though up until this moment he never knew himself, and it was Elizabeth's courage and honesty which allowed him to do so. He vowed to change, to be a man worthy of her respect and regard, even if she would never give it. Though he knew such a thing would be a process, done not in a moment, he would start now, both for her and for himself.
Despite the tumult of his mind, Darcy was able to wash himself off and don not only a clean cravat, but his familiar coat of indifference. He was met by Mr. Williams, who assisted him in dressing and gave him news of the house.
"Lady Catherine is asking for you sir. She does not know what has transpired with Miss Bennet nor your involvement, but I believe she can sense that there is something amiss. She accosted Lucy, a young housemaid, to discover the source of unrest, and though Lucy did not say anything, the poor girl was quite distraught."
"I expect her silence only served to make my aunt more determined."
The image of Lady Catherine fuming and fairly shrieking for the absent Mrs. Worthington came to Williams' mind and caused him to smile. "Ahh, yes, sir, quite right. If I may be so bold, I think it may be best to confront the Lady before the situation escalates."
"I agree Williams. It will not do to have the doctor arrive and be delayed by her interference."
Remembering his resolution, he thanked Williams and asked if he wouldn't mind checking in on the girl, Lucy, to make sure she was alright. With that, Darcy swiftly departed. He was a man of action, he reminded himself, and there was nothing to do but be direct with his aunt. It was not difficult to find her, as her heightened state of disturbance carried her voice.
"Richard Fitzwilliam, I insist that you discover your cousin. I demand to know what is the matter. First Darcy misses breakfast, and you know it is very unlike him to disappoint Anne, and now Mrs. Worthington has disappeared and the housemaid is blubbering about. This is poor repayment indeed for my benefaction! To be kept in the dark in my own home! It is not to be borne. You find your cousin, Richard and you tell him that I am very put out. Very put out indeed. That will make him come."
"There will be no need for that, Aunt, I am here." Had Darcy entered the breakfast room under any less dire circumstance, he would have struggled to hide a smirk. The image of Lady Catherine towering over a seated Colonel Fitzwilliam, who was desperately trying to avert her gaze by cramming a roll into his mouth, would have reminded him sharply of all the times they received scoldings from their aunt as children. As it was, he had little emotional capacity for humor.
"Darcy! Where have you been? We have been worried about you. It is very unlike you to keep poor Anne waiting. She has left breakfast to rest, but I am sure if I call her down she will come. There has been quite a commotion this morning you have missed." The shift in her demeanor from intimidating to soothing was as immediate as it was sickening. Ever since his father's death, Aunt Catherine had treated him as a very precious possession. Richard, who always found the contrast in her treatment of the two of them amusing, shot his cousin a roll-filled grin, which was not reciprocated.
"Aunt I have distressing news to share that I believe will explain your commotion. You may wish to sit to hear it. Richard, I expect you would like to know as well." Lady Catherine was unaccustomed to taking an invitation to sit from anyone in her own home, even from her future son in law, and she might have told him so if not for the very desperate desire to know what transpired. Richard, expecting a retort, only raised his eyebrows when his aunt wordlessly sat.
"This morning I went for a walk and I found Miss Bennet . . . " Darcy suddenly found his throat and chest constrain. The image of Elizabeth laying at the foot of the cliff, the feeling of horror at thinking she was gone, the panic and guilt and deep pain and relief and worry momentarily overpowered him. Anyone who had not spent their entire adult life carefully guarding their emotions might have been unable to continue, but Darcy, a master of restraint, merely cleared his throat. "Ahem. I found Miss Bennet unconscious at the base of a rocky hill. She appeared to have fallen and hit her head. She is here now and I have sent for a doctor. I believe Mrs. Worthington is caring for her directly." Exhausted by this speech, Darcy sat.
"She is here! Under my roof and without my knowledge? Where is she Darcy? I demand to see her!"
"She was taken to a guest room and I believe she remains unconscious, Aunt. There would be no point in you seeing her."
"To think I should have my parson's poor cousin staying as a guest in my home! What has she done to earn such distinction but fall on a rock? Why was she not taken to the parsonage directly? And what was she doing walking out by herself at all? It seems very improper."
"Aunt, she is a gentleman's daughter, she should be treated as a guest. And I'm sure Darcy only took her wherever was closest. Is there anything I can do for her Darcy? I can ride out to fetch a physician or send word to her family?" Colonel Fitzwilliam, in his earnest attempt to help, failed to realize his error, though Lady Catherine picked up on it right away.
"Took her? What do you mean he took her? Darcy explain yourself. How did Miss Bennet come to be in my house?"
"I carried her here. As I said, she hit her head and was unconscious. Her life was, and likely still is, in danger. There were no other options."
"Carried her? Unaccompanied? There are always other options Darcy! You should have ran back and sent footmen with a carriage or gone and fetched Mr. Collins, as the girl is his responsibility, not yours. The mercenary little chit likely expected this to happen and will make a claim upon you Darcy, mark my words."
"Aunt Catherine you go too far! Miss Bennet is a respectable and very intelligent young woman. It is impossible to think she would risk her own safety in the hopes that Darcy would run along and save her." Colonel Fitzwilliam exclaimed at the lady's accusations but Darcy remained silent, fists and jaw clenched tightly. He could feel anger creep up his neck into his face. He made an effort to calm himself by remembering his former resolution. If Elizabeth were here in this room, how would she want him to behave?
"You both are ignorant to the lengths a poor woman will go to force herself ahead in society. It all makes sense to me now. I understand her surreptitiousness far more than either of you for I have information that you do not. Miss Elizabeth Bennet is one of five daughters and her father's estate is entailed away to my parson, Mr. Collins. She has no money, little education, a fearful impertinent streak, and only meager charms to recommend her. I sent Mr. Collins to Longbourne, her family's estate, with the express intention that he choose a wife from among the five daughters. And here is the information you cannot know, nephews. He offered for her! Mr. Collins gave that girl a chance to keep her family's estate and she refused. He told me in a letter that he was saved from a most unacceptable match by the impertinence of one of the Bennet girls and chose the current Mrs. Collins instead. Who else could he possibly mean? It made no sense to me then how a girl with no prospects could throw away her future so carelessly, but now I understand! She had already set her cap at you, nephew, and was plotting to advance well above her station. There is no other explanation for it. And what do you say now?"
"Your story rather indicates that Miss Elizabeth could not be swayed by material concerns and perhaps would choose to marry only where mutual affection and respect exist, something I would think impossible with the likes of Mr. Collins." Darcy tried to remain cool but found himself failing. How dare Lady Catherine call Elizabeth mercenary! How dare she disgrace Elizabeth with her disgusting and ironic accusations! And how dare that oaf of a parson think for a moment he was worthy of her hand! Darcy found it more difficult to retain his composure than he expected.
Lady Catherine stood and cried: "The girl has nothing to recommend her! She has nothing to bring to a match but poverty and disgraceful relations! She has an uncle in trade and the other an attorney! Who could rejoice in such lowly connections? She has no hope of moving up in society and will be forced to marry outside the gentry if not for some scheming compromise such as this! I expect she is not even badly injured, and only means to separate you from Anne! But no matter. No one here will corroborate her story. She will be removed to the parsonage at once and never recognized here again."
It was amazing to hear the arguments which had kept him from offering for Elizabeth's hand emerge from his aunt's mouth. How foolishly had he decided the inferiority of her connections was not related to money! Was his aunt not proof that shameful relations came in all circles? How proud had he been of his position in society and now how sick was he to realize how similar he was to Lady Catherine! Mrs. Bennet might have been mercenary but she wouldn't deny an injured girl a bed in her home. The silliest of the Bennet girls would not concoct such a dramatic tale of duplicity as his aunt insisted on. And Mr. Bennet, though perhaps aloof and unwilling to reign in his family, was certainly preferred to the extreme scrutiny and presumptuousness of his aunt. Elizabeth's perceived inferior position was nothing, nothing to the superiority of her person.
Darcy felt a sharp pang of rage, both towards himself and his aunt, and his patience with both had run out. He stood and shouted, resolution be damned.
"She will not be moved! Miss Elizabeth Bennet is in grave danger and she will stay here with the highest degree of comfort and care until she is fully recovered. You will not interfere, in any way Aunt, nor make such abominable claims against her character to anyone! She is a young lady, a gentleman's daughter, who has shown herself only to be deserving of kindness and respect, not the fiction I have heard you spew today. Is that clear?" Though Darcy spoke no threat, his look and voice were murderous. Lady Catherine was too dependent upon him for the oversight of her estate to endanger the connection, and her hopes that he would still marry her daughter prevented her from protest. Richard, who rarely saw any emotional displays from Darcy, had a moment of wonder and then comprehension dawned. Of course Darcy would go and fall in love with the woman he seemed to detest.
There was a moment of dreadful silence where each party held themselves back from exclaiming farther, when the presence of Mrs. Collins was announced.
"Lady Catherine, Colonel Fitzwilliam, Mr. Darcy, where is Elizabeth?" Without a word, Darcy exited the room with Mrs. Collins quickly following behind.