Chapter Thirty-Nine
"Lizzy. Lizzy."
Elizabeth looked up, pen in hand.
"Lizzy!"
It was Jane's voice and it sounded uncharacteristically agitated.
Lizzy put down her pen and quickly blotted the sheet of paper she had been writing on. She was halfway through a letter to Georgiana.
"Lizzy!"
Elizabeth had just got to her feet as Jane entered the room looking agitated.
"There you are."
"What is it, Jane?" She had never known her sister to raise her voice in such a manner.
"Come with me, Lizzy. I want to show you something."
Elizabeth quickly got to her feet and followed Jane. It was not like Jane to be so mysterious. Jane led her into her own bedroom which was at the front of the house.
Elizabeth was surprised to see a carriage coming along the lane. It wasn't just any carriage. It was grander than any carriage they had ever seen around Longbourn. There were four horses and four men driving the horses and standing on the back of the carriage.
She stared harder. It couldn't be. It was. As the carriage slowed to a halt she recognised the crest. It was Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Elizabeth suddenly felt a little nauseous. She could not think why she was there.
"Who is it, Lizzy?" asked Jane.
"A friend of Mr. Collins," she muttered. "Although I don't know why she would be here. We must go down."
As they left the room and started down the stairs, they could hear a commotion downstairs.
"Where is she?" asked an imposing voice.
"Who, ma'am?" asked Mrs. Hill, trying to bar Lady Catherine's way.
"Miss Elizabeth Bennet. I want to see her at once."
Mrs. Bennet had joined them to see what the noise was. "I think my daughter is upstairs…" she murmured, completely in awe of Lady Catherine in her dark coat, and hat with a large feather and a dead bird in it.
"I am here, Mama." Elizabeth took the last few stairs followed closely by Jane.
Lady Catherine glared at her. "Good day to you, Miss Bennet."
Elizabeth inclined her head. "Good day to you, Lady Catherine."
She said nothing more, waiting for Lady Catherine to speak. It was rather awkward with them all standing there not knowing quite what to say.
"Perhaps you would like to come and sit down, ma'am," suggested Mrs. Bennet
Lady Catherine ignored her and glared at Elizabeth. "I suppose this lady is your mother."
"Yes it is. Mama, this is Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Lady Catherine, this is my mother, Mrs. Bennet, and my eldest sister, Miss Jane Bennet."
Both Jane and Mrs. Bennet bobbed curtseys, which Lady Catherine acknowledged with a nod.
"May I offer you some refreshment?" asked Mrs. Bennet tentatively.
"No, you may not. I am here to talk to Miss Elizabeth Bennet."
"Of course." Mrs. Bennet nodded at Elizabeth.
"Miss Bennet, perhaps you would do me the courtesy of talking to me outside. On the way in I saw you have a walled garden to the south. We should be able to talk there undisturbed."
Elizabeth had no chance to answer as Lady Catherine turned and swept out of the door which Mrs. Hill held open for her.
"What does she want?" asked Mrs. Bennet.
"I don't know, Mama," said Lizzy quite truthfully.
"Perhaps she is here to congratulate you on your engagement."
"Perhaps."
Lizzy fetched a small jacket as there was a nip in the air and then followed Lady Catherine who was walking towards the walled garden.
There were several seats but Lady Catherine ignored them all, rounding on Elizabeth, her face a picture of fury.
"Miss Bennet, disturbing news has reached my ears and I have been forced to come here at once."
"What is it, Lady Catherine?"
"I understand that you are engaged to my nephew Mr. Darcy. Tell me it is not true."
Elizabeth gave a faint smile. "Why would I deny it, Lady Catherine. Yes, it is true. I am engaged to your nephew."
Lady Catherine looked as if she was about to faint. "No... it cannot be. You will break your engagement at once. You will not bring disgrace upon our family."
Elizabeth was astonished. She already knew that Lady Catherine was an unpleasant, arrogant woman, but she was still shocked she had travelled to Hertfordshire to make such comments.
"I will not be breaking my engagement, Lady Catherine. Your nephew asked for my hand in marriage and I accepted, and that is all there is to be said on the matter," said Elizabeth
"Oh, you wicked girl. How dare you speak to me in such a manner. Do not think I have not made enquiries about you, Miss Elizabeth. My nephew has been deceived. I saw at Rosings how you were trying to worm your way into his affection."
Elizabeth said nothing. She had no wish to indulge in a verbal fight with Lady Catherine.
"No real lady would have behaved like you did when you knew he was already engaged."
Elizabeth was startled. "To whom, ma'am?"
"To my daughter, Lady Anne de Bourgh. What do you say to that?"
Elizabeth did not flinch from the beady eyes trained on her. "There is nothing I can say. You know your nephew. If he was engaged to your daughter, then he would not have made an offer to me."
Lady Catherine looked slightly disconcerted. "Their engagement is of a peculiar kind. They have been promised to each other since they were small. It was the wishes of his mother and myself that they would eventually marry."
Her words were comforting. It was as she thought. Mr. Darcy had never been engaged to Anne de Bourgh.
"But it is a wish that is not going to be fulfilled, Lady Catherine." Elizabeth turned and started to walk back towards the house.
"Stop there. Stop at once, Miss Bennet," shouted Lady Catherine waving her carved stick in the air. "Do you think he would marry you if her knew there was madness in the family?"
Elizabeth stopped, her heart beating fast. "What do you mean, Lady Catherine?"
Lady Catherine strode towards her, a gleam in her dark eyes. "Oh yes, do not think I am ignorant of your family history. Mr. Collins has appraised me of the true facts. There is madness in your family. You have even displayed signs of it yourself. Do you think Mr. Darcy would tolerate that?"
"I do not know, Lady Catherine, but it is no business of yours."
Her ladyship gave a disdainful sniff. "Oh, yes it is. I will not allow you to disgrace the family name in such a way. There have never been any signs of insanity in our family."
Elizabeth found it difficult not to smile. The manner in which Lady Catherine was glaring at her with those dark beady eyes, the line of sweat near her forehead, and her nostrils which flared out every time she spoke, certainly made her appear to be mad.
"I am sorry, you are mistaken, Lady Catherine, as is Mr. Collins. There is no madness in our family. That is a tale I told him to deflect a proposal of marriage."
Elizabeth stood patiently while Lady Catherine considered what she had said. She was rather alarmed when Lady Catherine started to smile. "How interesting, Miss Bennet. I thought you might say that. Your friend Mrs. Collins confirmed for me that there was no truth in the story."
Elizabeth wished Charlotte had not discussed it.
"However, Miss Bennet, what this tale proves is that you are nothing but a liar and one who would perpetuate a fraud on an innocent man."
"There was no fraud," said Elizabeth angrily. "I admit I lied, but I did that to stop Mr. Collins proposing to me. And that was for the best. He is very happy with Charlotte."
"You lied and that shows you are from bad stock. You cannot be wed into our family. Who knows what else you are capable of. If you try to continue with your engagement I shall instruct Mr. Collins to lay claim to this house immediately and throw your mother and sisters out."
"You would not do that," whispered Elizabeth.
"I would, and I would do more," said Lady Catherine triumphantly. "I will also let it be known there is madness in your family. Do you think the Bingleys would willingly allow your sister into their family?"
"But it is not true." Tears of frustration stung her eyes. Elizabeth was almost as angry as Lady Catherine.
"And who do you think they will believe? Your entire family will be disgraced and your sisters and yourself will not have a home. I understand you have family in London, perhaps they can support you."
Elizabeth had never encountered so much venom before.
"Mr. Darcy will never let me break our engagement," she said her voice shaking.
"He will…you will make sure of it." Lady Catherine was triumphant.
"What should I say?" said Elizabeth.
Lady Catherine's tone was contemptuous. "You are an accomplished liar, Miss Bennet. I am sure you will think of something. Now I must wish you good day. Please give my regards to your mother."
Elizabeth said nothing. She stood watching as Lady Catherine walked back to her carriage, tears running down her face. She had thought herself so clever when she had made up the silly lie to Mr. Collins and now it had come back to haunt her. She would have liked to have stood up against Lady Catherine, but she could not. She would not put at risk Jane's happiness or the future of her mother and sisters. What Mama would say when she learned she would not be marrying Mr. Darcy did not bear thinking of, but at least they would still have a home to live in.
Elizabeth wiped away her tears before she returned to the house, determinedly fixing a smile on her face.
"Lizzy, what did Lady Catherine want?" asked Mrs. Bennet excitedly. "Did she come to congratulate you on your engagement."
"She had a number of things she wanted to talk about," said Elizabeth evasively.
"It was kind of her to take the time to call. What an important lady. She is just as Mr. Collins described her."
Elizabeth could not reply. Her mother was wrong. Lady Catherine bore little resemblance to the woman Mr. Collins had talked about. Not only was she an interfering old besom, she was malicious and vindictive.
That evening they were invited to dine with her Aunt and Uncle Philips, but Elizabeth begged her mother to be allowed to remain at home. "I have a headache, Mama," she said quite truthfully.
"Mrs. Philips will be very disappointed, as we wanted to talk wedding plans."
Elizabeth caught her breath. It was as if she had been stabbed in the heart. How could she tell her mother that there was to be no wedding? "Mama, Jane will be with you and you can make the arrangements for her."
"For both of you, Lizzy," said Mrs. Bennet who had her heart set on a double wedding. "Never mind, you must rest and we will see you in the morning."
Elizabeth went to her room with relief. She would have liked to lie down, but she had a letter to write.
She was sitting down at her small desk when Jane arrived to see her.
"Lizzy, I am disappointed that you are not coming tonight. Would you like me to stay with you? I'm sure Aunt Phillips won't mind."
Elizabeth smiled faintly "What and deprive them of the opportunity to talk about your wedding all night?"
"Weddings, Lizzy. Yours and mine. But they do not need us there for that. You know this is something Mama has been planning in her head for a very long time."
"Indeed she has and it would be a pity to disappoint her. Do not worry, Jane, I can manage by myself and in truth I shall be grateful for the rest."
"You do look tired, Lizzy," said Jane, looking at her carefully. "Lizzy, why did Lady Catherine come to see you today?"
Elizabeth found herself blushing. "Jane, I told you, she just wanted to talk about my engagement."
"But why come all this way? It is most odd."
"It is unusual, but I can only think she wanted to visit Lord and Lady Lucas and see Mr. and Mrs. Collins while she was passing through."
"Yes, I suppose so…" Jane still looked troubled. "Lizzy, you would tell me if there was something more, wouldn't you?"
Elizabeth rose to her feet and dropped a kiss on her sister's cheek. "Jane, there is nothing for you to be worried about, now go or you will keep Mama waiting."
Jane still looked reluctant but Elizabeth was soon pushing her gently towards the door. "Enjoy yourself."
As the door closed behind Jane, Elizabeth leant back with a sigh of relief. She loved her sister greatly but she could not share the truth with her. Not yet. First, she had to write to Mr. Darcy.
Mr. Darcy cantered across the fields, urging his horse forward, enjoying the speed and the feel of the wind on his face. He would soon be back at Pemberley. He was always glad to be returning home even if he'd been away only for a matter of hours. He was looking forward to bringing Elizabeth back to Pemberley as his bride. With his new bride, Pemberley would soon be full of laughter once more. He felt deeply about the building and the history, but it had been a long time since it had been a happy home. At last he would fulfil his father's wishes and Pemberley would once again have a mistress worthy of it. It saddened him that Georgiana was going to be based in London but she was happy and looking forward to continuing her studies in September.
Another ten minutes and he was home. He pulled the horse to a stop near the front steps and tossed the reins to a waiting groomsman. "Don't forget to rub him down well. I'm worried about his right forelock."
"Yes sir."
Darcy took the steps two at a time. He was missing Elizabeth, but he still had a few more arrangements to make before he could return to Longbourn for their final wedding preparations.
"Hello, sir. Breakfast is in the small dining room and you have some letters."
"Thank you, Mrs. Reynolds." He hoped there was one from Elizabeth. They had promised they would write every day. Hers were a very great deal more entertaining than his. He was not accustomed to corresponding with anyone but Georgiana and his letters to her had always been very formal as appropriate for an elder brother. Elizabeth had made him realise that he needed to be warmer to his sister and their relationship was now much closer.
A footman placed a plate of food in front of him. He nodded his thanks but made no effort to touch it. There was a letter from Georgiana. It was not long, as he had only recently seen her, but once again she expressed her pleasure at his engagement to Elizabeth.
And I keep thinking about the wedding. I am so happy that you are marrying Elizabeth. I could not wish for a dearer sister.
The close relationship that had already blossomed between the two women brought him great pleasure.
He finished Georgiana's letter and set it to one side. There was a letter from Colonel Fitzwilliam, which he quickly scanned and then he picked up the one from Elizabeth. He carefully opened it wondering what amusing things would be inside.
As he started to read, he suddenly felt cold. It could not be. He must be dreaming.
Dear Mr. Darcy
It is with great difficulty that I write this letter to you. I know it will cause you a great deal of pain when I tell you that I am no longer able to marry you. I have thought about all that has occurred between us and realised that although I hold you in great affection for the kindness you have shown me, it is not enough for marriage.
Mr. Darcy put the letter down for a moment and ran his hand over his face. The letter was no dream. It was horrifyingly real. When he had left Netherfield he had believed that all was resolved between them. Elizabeth felt as strongly for him as he did for her. In the past he had insulted her and that still caused him shame, but that was behind them. They had talked warmly of their feelings for each other and not for one moment had he doubted that he loved her or she him.
He picked up the letter again.
"I am not the sort of woman who can be mistress of Pemberley or be a guardian for Georgiana. This is not what I want. Not only would it bore me, in time I am sure I would bore you. You need someone of equal status who can guide your sister and be the type of wife you can be proud of."
Mr. Darcy could not understand what she was saying. It was true when he had first proposed he had worried about her status but he had been wrong. Elizabeth was beautiful and any man would have been proud to have her grace a table.
He carried on reading.
I know your first instinct will be to come to Longbourn, but I would ask you do not. There is little point in prolonging the relationship between us. I would want you to know that you have not been the only man interested in my affections and I have found myself looking in a different direction.
Mr. Darcy slammed the letter down on the table. What was this nonsense? Another man? No. not Elizabeth. It was not possible. Who was this other man? He had never suspected that her affections were turned to another. How could she do this? These were not the words of the woman he loved.
Elizabeth still hadn't been able to tell even Jane that she was no longer marrying Mr. Darcy, though she did as much as she could to avoid any conversations about weddings. But she needed to tell someone so she sat down and wrote to Mrs. Gardiner. She told her the whole story, starting at Mr. Collin's proposal and filling in the parts her aunt was unaware of, including her time in Kent, Mr. Darcy's original proposal, and the joy she had felt at his second proposal.
"He is the best man I have ever met," she wrote "And I am distraught I cannot become his wife."
She told her about Lady Catherine's visit and her ladyship's threats.
"It is my own fault for the lies I have told. Dear aunt, I hope you do not think too badly of me for I am much in need of your kind and wise words. I never wanted to be married and now it is the only thing I can think of. I wonder how the pain will ever pass."