Lizzie and Jane departed for home with no more information on Darcy's departure. Jane had asked Bingley, Lizzie asked the Colonel but both remained vague in their reason. Just urgent business, they said he should hopefully be back soon.
Lizzie felt uneasy, she shouldn't care about his opinion this much but it seemed she had done something to offend or disturb him and couldn't think what. She hated to think he was out in the world somewhere thinking ill of her.
Days passed with no word, even though Mr Bingley came to the house to call on Mr Bennet, he had no update for them. After a week Lizzie was losing hope and becoming resentful. If he didn't want to be friends, her life would be no worse off without him.
At least that is what she told herself, but she slept worse every night he was away.
Attempting to focus on reading in the morning room, Lizzie was distracted by a sudden commotion in the entry hall. Without warning the door swung open and a gaudily dressed older woman stormed in. She was obviously of money, the jewels she was wearing were worth more money than Lizzie would likely see in her entire lifetime.
"Ms Elizabeth Bennet," She barked, demanding to know.
"And you are?" Lizzie asked, not confirming her suspicion intentionally.
"I am Lady Catherine DeBourgh," Lizzie was shocked, not only at the woman's presence but also how astonishingly good Mr Collins' impression of her had been. "Are you Elizabeth Bennet?" she was losing her patience.
"I am, how can I help you ma'am?" Lizzie said, attempting to look unphased.
Lady Catherine looked momentarily satisfied, "There is a prettyish sort of garden on the side of your house, you will show it to me."
Lizzie agreed, uncertain what else to do.
"Why is she here?" Lydia asked the rest of her sisters and her mother who were all attempting to listen in to the conversation.
Mary looked incredibly nervous. She suspected she knew why Lady Catherine was here.
"To what do I owe this honour?" Lizzie asked, once she and her companion were outside.
"It is no honour girl, I have come here to dispel an awful rumour that is circulating, I suspect you are aware of it as I am certain it started from this house." Lady Catherine spat.
"I wish I could claim to have some knowledge, but you are continuing to surprise me." Lizzie said, remaining as casual as possible.
"You will be so obtuse? I had hoped we could be more civil, but if you insist." Lady Catherine criticised, "You are engaged to my nephew, are you not?" She accused.
"Mr Darcy?" Lizzie questioned, utterly shocked.
"Of course, who else? Are you or are you not engaged to him?" She would not relent.
"I am not," Lizzie stated frankly, which left Lady Catherine DeBourgh taken aback. She had not expected such an easy victory.
Meanwhile, while Lizzie's family was wondering and attempting to listen in to the conversation, Colonel was hearing about his family's presence in this part of the country. He was shocked, even more taken aback to hear she was calling on the Bennets. Before he ran out of Netherfield, he bid Mr Bingley to send word to Mr Darcy.
Whatever their aunt was doing it would not be good.
Back in the garden the conversation continued between the two women. "So he has not ridden into town in order to attempt some feeble effort of getting you a special licence."
Lizzie let out a shocked laugh, Lady Catherine looked offended to be laughed at. "If he has, ma'am, he has done so taking you into confidence of his intentions and giving no word to me." Lizzie couldn't help feeling slightly amused at how wrong this woman, who obviously felt she knew everything, was about this situation.
"I will not be laughed at or lied to, this engagement you presume to is impossible, Mr Darcy is already engaged." Lady Catherine finally won a point against LIzzie, she was shocked by that admission, "I see you feign ignorance, but allow me to confirm, Mr Darcy is to marry my daughter."
Lady Catherine gestured to the carriage behind her, which had Anne DeBourgh sitting in the back seat, looking around slightly clueless. "Then ma'am, I wonder at you coming all this way to interrogate me? If what you say is true, then there would be no way for this alleged rumour to be true."
"The engagement between them is of a peculiar kind," Lady Catherine sputtered, "It was the express wish of her mother as well as his." She continued to defend, but her tone made it clear that she was not even fully convinced of her words. She decided to pivot, "You say alleged rumour, as if you are not the source."
Lizzie shook her head, "I have no idea who has been spreading such ideas, I have had no involvement."
"It has come from your own house! I have it on Mr Collins authority he was explicitly told by your very own sister, you claim no involvement in an obvious plot, however poorly planned." She yelled, pointing aggressively to the house. The household looked around at each other, Mary shrinking further into the wall and Kitty looking at her knowingly.
"Whatever that ridiculous man has read into statements that were made are likely down to his own lack of sense and inflated pride, rather than some sort of scheming from this house." LIzzie yelled back, then realised her impropriety and calmed. "I rejected his proposal, and now he is spreading harmful rumours about me. It does not take a sharp mind to determine his goal."
Colonel Fitzwilliam heard Lizzie's raised voice as he rounded the lane into the Bennet family home. He pushed his horse to ride faster.
Lady Catherine squinted her eyes at Lizzie, still not believing the young woman. "Not everyone is as devious as you and your family, Ms Bennet." She remarked, before Lizzie could protest she continued. "But you swear to me that you are not engaged to my nephew?"
"I am not."
"And do you promise never to enter into such an engagement?" Lady Catherine looked pleased with herself, feeling this would finally put an end to it.
"I do not, and I will never make such a promise. You have no right to dictate my behaviour, I will always be guided by my own conscience and with the best interest of the involved parties, but I will not act solely to not offend you." Lizzie said indignantly.
"Are the shades of Pemberley to be thus polluted!" Lady Catherine yelled and Colonel Fitzwilliam rounded the corner to interrupt. Lizzie was surprised to see him but it barely affected her. There had been so much shock up to that point.
"Aunt!" The new guest yelled, "You will not harass a friend of ours in her own home!" He demanded. Lady Catherine was shocked to say the least, he had never stood up to her.
"I am defending our family. Go stay with Anne while I deal with this harlot." Lizzie couldn't help herself, she laughed at the accusation.
"I think your nephew is right, Lady Catherine, you are no longer welcome in my home. You have insulted me in every way known possible, and you will not get what you are after. If your nephew were to ever make a proposal to me, my decision would be based on the chances of his happiness and mine, nothing to do with you." Lizzie said defiantly and turned back to the house.
"He would be cut off, from society and from funds! I would leave you both penniless and homeless!" Lady Catherine shouted after her.
"That would be a great tragedy indeed, but I have gotten by with little money up until this point in my life, I shouldn't think it a great loss to continue in the same way. The real loss would be your society, I would hate to never be insulted to my face in my home ever again." Lizzie responded sarcastically, "Fitzwilliam, please remove her." Lizzie directed to the Colonel and watched as Lady Catherine's face turned red.
She yelled about "never being treated thusly in my life" and about how Lizzie was a "horrible girl" the entire time she was loaded into the carriage and as it drove away.
Upon entering the house, Lizzie found a captive audience. Everyone went quiet, she nearly ran to her bedroom to process what had just happened alone. A couple of minutes later there was a knock on her door, "Not now Jane." LIzzie called back.
The door opened, it was Mary. "I need to confess something, I think it was my fault." Mary said, Lizzie was interested to say the least. Mary recounted what had happened, and the couple of letters she had exchanged with Mr Collins since. She apologised profusely.
Lizzie was understandably mildly irritated, but she forgave her sister quickly. "I know you were well intended, but Mary I did think you had more sense."
"I'm sorry Lizzie, I should have thought it through, I just thought maybe if Mr Collins understood you weren't available, like he heard about Jane, then maybe he would…" Mary started.
"Continue down the line? Oh Mary, you deserve better than a man who would spread such gossip for his own benefit, you must see that now." Lizzie comforted her younger sister.
The household ignored what happened in the morning for the remainder of the day, Mr Bennet asked if Lizzie was alright, she responded shortly, making it clear she didn't want to discuss it.
Even Jane had no luck getting her to talk, which was alarming. Lizzie just wanted to forget it, have things go back to normal.
Mr Darcy got word of his aunt's visit within a couple hours, he immediately departed for Netherfield but arrived too late in the evening to call on Lizzie.
Colonel Fitzwilliam poured him a drink and gave him the full summary, at least what he saw. "She was impressive, Aunt was not happy but she wouldn't sway Ms Bennet in the slightest. It was refreshing to see someone stand up to her."
"How was Ms Bennet?" Darcy was worried.
"She didn't seem shaken, a little shocked maybe, but she was very composed."
"Why did Lady Catherine even come?"
"She said she'd heard from the cousin, Mr Collins, that you were going to propose to Ms Bennet and couldn't allow that to stand." Fitzwilliam explained, watching his cousin closely to study his reaction.
"How could he know such a thing?!" Darcy was shocked this time, then he had a realisation. "It is my fault, when I was talking to him at the ball I must have given too much away." He covered his face with his hands in frustration. "She must truly hate me now." He said, defeated.
Fitzwilliam laughed, "I doubt it, you should have heard her. Aunt was demanding she promise never to become engaged to you, and Ms Elizabeth basically stated she would never promise that and would only consider your happiness when making that decision." Darcy looked more optimistic, "And then, Aunt promised to disinherit you," Darcy scoffed, she had no power to do such a thing. "I think she thought it would dissuade Ms Bennet, but if anything it just made her stand by her position further. She said something along the lines of, 'I have never had much money, I don't think it would be a problem to continue in the same way.' which obviously floored our aunt."
"She is a force to be reckoned with." Darcy smiled, thinking of Lizzie putting his aunt in her place.
"Indeed." Fitzwilliam said expectantly, "So, was Aunt right?" He asked, raising an inquisitive eyebrow.
"On?" Darcy played dumb.
"Are you going to propose to this woman or am I free to do so?" Fitzwilliam goaded Darcy, it had the desired effect of momentary panic.
Regaining his composure, "You are looking to propose to her then? Poor choice for a second son."
Fitzwilliam laughed, "I think her wit and wisdom would be worth more than a sizable dowry in the long run."
"Easy to say while you have friends who keep you in this lifestyle, and Aunt is more than capable of cutting you off, so I think you would do her a disservice by marrying her." Darcy countered.
"You're right, so then it must be you." Fitzwilliam said as if it was a foregone conclusion.
"Fitzwilliam, you know my responsibilities," Darcy said seriously, "Georgiana, the Darcy line, I don't know I can make such a foolish choice. Wickham also shared that he was in league with Ms Bennet, I can't risk it."
"Darcy, there are significantly easier rich men to marry." The Colonel dismissed his concern, "Wickham obviously wants to continue to spoil your happiness, and Lizzie has already helped with the responsibility of Georgiana. If you would like to be too proud to be happy I know better than to try to stop you, but I don't think you will find a better woman." Darcy was silent, pondering what his cousin said. "And so if you don't marry her, I will probably have to." Fitzwilliam jested as he stood to depart.
Darcy stayed up late into the night, trying to reason all of the reasons he should just depart without seeing Ms Bennet, they could go their separate ways, he could fulfil his duty. But as much as he reasoned, came up with lists of why it would not be good for either of them, he couldn't make himself leave.
The next morning, Mr Bingley found him. "Caroline and Lousia have already tried to talk me out of it, I know you won't agree with this choice but I am determined, I am going to propose to Jane Bennet today and I hope we will have your well wishes." He had obviously rehearsed this speech, and didn't realise until halfway through that Darcy looked a mess.
Darcy stood, "I'll come with you, give me a few minutes to dress." He said simply and left. Bingley was left shocked.
Lizzie looked equally unrested when they arrived. She was shocked to hear Mr Darcy's name announced. Attempting to make herself look more presentable, she stood to greet them with her sisters and mother, their father was in his study.
"We thought we might take a walk to enjoy the morning, it is unseasonably warm." Bingley awkwardly offered, Lizzie and Darcy were exchanging looks and the rest of the room was mostly consumed by watching them.
"Excellent idea!" Jane jumped on the offer to get them out of the house.
The party departed, Mr Bingley proposed within a minute of leaving the house, which Jane heartily accepted. They continued walking in bliss.
Darcy and Lizze walked in silence for minutes, then finally they both started talking at once. "I must apologise for my Aunt." He said.
At the same time she said, "I apologise if I caused any offence." They then both apologised for interrupting each other.
"You first," Lizzie offered.
Darcy bowed in acceptance, "I must apologise for my Aunt," he started again, Lizzie attempted to dismiss this apology but he insisted on continuing, "She was incredibly rude to you and your family, she told you some falsehoods and treated you terribly, I am sorry I caused such disruption."
"It was not your fault!" She interjected, "There was a miscommunication from my sister and my cousin, he misunderstood and shared this misunderstanding with your aunt. You owe no apology. If we were all responsible for our families misdeeds then conversations would only consist of apologies."
"You are too generous, I hope you know that I deeply respect you and her perspective is not only flawed but also quite the opposite to how I feel about you." Mr Darcy said, slowing his pace.
"I do, and I appreciate your kind words." Lizzie said, getting nervous.
"You must know, they are not just kind words." Darcy was struggling, "You are too kind to trifle with me, we have had misunderstanding and harsh words in the past, it is my understanding that at one point you have a very poor opinion of me, if that is still the case please tell me so at once and I will depart and never darken your doorstep again."
Lizzie softly laughed, "We did have a rather poor first impression, did we not? I will say, my opinion of you was not always positive, but since I read your letter, I found my analysis of your actions to be quite reversed."
"I have tried, Elizabeth, to convince myself that I should not do what I am about to, there are many reasons it doesn't make sense, for both of us. But I could not find a reason that overruled the joy and happiness I know you would bring to my life, and what I hope to bring to yours." Darcy took a breath, "I will not take offence if you do not see it the same, however, but I must ask, dearest Elizabeth, will you marry me?"
Lizzie smiled, and attempted to maintain her composure, "Only you, Mr Darcy, could tell me that I should probably say no at the same time as proposing." He looked worried, he had offended her, he hadn't meant to, just to share that he had thought it through and this was not a rash decision. He had ruined it, he knew it. Seeing the panic on his face, Elizabeth took his arm comfortingly, "Luckily Sir, I rarely listen to your advice." She beamed at him, and watched his face shift in recognition of her answer.
"You are saying yes?" He wanted to confirm he wasn't dreaming.
"I am saying yes." Propriety went out the window as he embraced her and spun her around before remembering himself and setting her down.
They were a very happy party walking back to the house, Mr Bennet was shocked, and a bit concerned when Lizzie shared her news, but he could see her genuine happiness and so readily accepted the man.
Once married, Lizzie and Darcy travelled to Pemberley together. He had never seen a more beautiful moment than the first time she saw her new home. In that moment, any small doubt he had had about their happiness disappeared. She would have the same expression anytime they returned to their home, and everytime he watched her feeling pure joy.