What has happened; William and Elizabeth got engaged, the Fitzwilliam family attended the ball at Netherfield, Charles and Jane are courting, Richard Fitzwilliam is being sent to Copenhagen (well in a few chapters), William and Elizabeth was caught in the rain and got sick which made Elizabeth sleepwalk, straight into Williams bed. And of course, a letter from Rosings arrived.
AU: Constrictive Criticism in reviews are appreciated, flames are NOT!
Chapter 22: Troubles of the Past
Elizabeth was standing stubbornly in front of her father, "I am not running away, father."
"Elizabeth, this letter was penned three days ago, she could arrive tomorrow! I shalldeal with my sister once and for all." Her father replied sternly.
Elizabeth did not move an inch, but repeated herself,
"I am not running away from her. She has ruined most of my childhood, and I will not hide and prove that I am still that frightened child, I was. I want to prove that I am… a more mature woman."
William stood by her side, he wanted mostly for her not to deal with Lady Catherine, but he also understood her wishes to prove that she was a strong and mature woman.
"Uncle, I hardly think anything can happen as long as you and I face Lady Catherine, while Elizabeth is there also. The rest of the family can go to Longbourn while we deal with Lady Catherine." William explained reasonably.
The Earl looked at his nephew and daughter, "I really would prefer not to have Elizabeth anywhere near her mother."
Elizabeth exclaimed to her father,
"She is NOT my mother!"
The whole family looked at her like she had grown an extra head.
Elizabeth turned to her aunt, and said, "You are my mother, Mama, in every way possible."
Constance Fitzwilliam went over to her youngest daughter and said, "And you are my daughter. But you are unfortunately related to Lady Catherine, and I would prefer that you came with us to Longbourn and avoided seeing her tomorrow, sweetheart."
"Mama, try and understand that I have to acknowledge my past, and put it behind me as I am more mature and grown now, from when you took me from Rosings." Elizabeth said calmly, as she met her mother's eyes.
Patrick walked over to his wife and put his arm around her waist, as Constance answered,
"I do understand sweetheart, but I do not want you to face that horrible woman on your own."
Elizabeth smiled and said, "Then I shall agree for you, father and William to stay with me."
Constance Fitzwilliam simply shook her head at her resolute daughter and only prayed that she had the strength to face Lady Catherine when she arrived.
The next morning
Finally a footman came into the drawing room and said, "A carriage have been spotted, it has a coat of arms on it."
William, Richard, Elizabeth and her parents tensed at that pronouncement.
"Thank you."
The Earl said and the footman returned to his post.
Not long after, the door was opened and the butler announced, "Lady Catherine De Bourgh."
William gave Beth's hand a quick squeeze, before the dreaded voice of Lady Catherine sounded,
"Where is that ungrateful brat?!"
Elizabeth did not shudder or show any emotion whatsoever at that, she did not even tremble at the once fearful voice.
The Earl said, "Catherine, what are you doing here?"
"I am here to stop that horrible brat from stealing my home and my daughter's rightful future husband." Lady Catherine pronounced.
"Catherine, you know very well that the engagement between Elizabeth and Darcy has been a long standing one. Besides, it has been official for nearly three weeks now. Anne never had a chance to get Darcy as her future husband."
William, Elizabeth and Richard had decided on what to say and when, William looked at Beth and saw nothing but coldness in her eyes.
He was glad that it was not fear which was shining in her eyes. He had been worried about her reaction to the sight of her mother.
William met Richard's eyes and he nodded and indicated Elizabeth, who stood tall and looked completely indifferent.
Elizabeth held her eyes on Lady Catherine. Lady Catherine had said that William was Anne's rightful future husband. She wanted nothing more than to let her temper get the best of her, and yell and scream at the woman. But she knew better now.
Patrick continued,"Catherine, I am glad that my brother is not alive today to see the monster you have become, you beat an innocent child!"
"She was a horrible little brat, not worthy of the ancient name of De Bourgh."
Constance Fitzwilliamsnorted a little, and said, "Ancient?! Ha! De Bourgh was barely ancient; they had been landed gentry and only became noble when Lewis's father got a title from the King for a speech!"
Lady Catherine finally saw the young woman who was standing next to Darcy and her nephew Richard
"How dare you show your face, you ungrateful little brat?! You should be on your knees, begging for mercy!"
She pulled out a whip from her gown
Elizabeth met her eyes and said,
"I dare as I am no longer the child you beat within an inch of my life. I dare because I am a better person than you! I dare because this is my family, and my future." Elizabeth replied calmly, but with a deadly expression in her eyes.
William put his arm around her waist, and leaned in and kissed her temple.
Lady Catherine began lashing the whip out against Elizabeth, and took no notice of anyone else but the girl.
Elizabeth side stepped the whip, she knew what it could do if it hit on the right spot.
Her father took the whip from his sister's frantic hands,
"This is the last straw, Catherine. You are not yourself, and therefore I will have you removed as Anne's guardian, and put you into a place where they can help you."
They all knew that he meant Bedlam.
Constance Fitzwilliam was furious as she rounded on her sister-in-law,
"How dare you try and hurt MY child, my daughter! You horrible woman!"
The silence only lasted for a short while until Lady Catherine shrieked,
"Do not touch me! I am a Lady! How dare you side with that horrible brat, she should never have been born! She is not worthy of being anything, she should be beat and kept away from perfectly normal people! She is a little monster!"
Patrick then pulled the servant bell, and a footman entered, bowed and said, "My lord rang?"
"Please send in several footmen to take Lady Catherine away to the Magistrate."
The footman bowed and said, "At once, My Lord."
Several footmen tried to take her away to the magistrate.
"How dare you, you little brat! I am your mother!"
Elizabeth stood right in front of her and hissed with an icy look in her eyes,
"You are not and have never been my mother, Madame."
She turned to the footmen and said, "Take her away."
Lady Catherine was removed from Netherfield, and Elizabeth sank down into a chair behind her, as her legs gave out from under her.
Her father, mother, brother and fiancée hurried to her.
William asked, "Are you all right, Beth?"
Elizabeth smiled relievedat him and said,
"I am as all right as I can be. I feel nothing but relief that it is over."
William placed a kiss on her fingers.
Her father looked at her with a firm glance, which she returned as to show that she was fine; her mother's hand was resting on her shoulder in silent support.
Her father said, "I shall make sure that she is locked away for good. It might also mean that Richard have to give up his career after this to start learning the ropesof being the Master of Rosings rather sooner than we all anticipated."
"He shall never forgive you father, if you do not let him get his promotion which is coming up to him in the next few months." Elizabeth explained.
"I would rather see him as a Captain, instead of a Colonel and dead on a battlefield in Spain." Her father replied seriously.
Richard put his hand on his father's shoulder and said, "I am not being sent to Spain, father. I am only going to Copenhagen in Denmark. I do not think the General Secretary wants me too far away. He wanted me on Wellington's staff, especially now with Napoleon and all that."
"I do know that son. But I am more ready to buy you a colonelcy and have you here in England, than on Wellington's staff wherever he is at present." Their father replied. "Besides you have Rosings, and you have to learn to manage it somehow."
William then spoke up and said, "I have already offered Richard to learn with me. I am still learning a great deal at Pemberley, and about the other holdings. I would be more than happy to teach Richard the finer aspects of being a gentleman of leisure."
"And I have already accepted the offer, Darce, for when I get back from Copenhagen. I really want to earn my Colonelcy first before I end my career." Richard replied.
"But first we have to celebrate Christmas together. Maybe I will be so lucky as to see a certain wedding take place before I leave?"
He raised his eyebrows suggestively at Darce and his sister.
William and Beth both blushed, a brilliant shade of red which left the Earl and Countess to laugh at them in good humor.