Many thanks to my wonderful beta reader Nan (nanciellen)
PPP
Darcy was looking thoughtfully at the monotonous landscape through the window of his comfortable carriage. The meeting with his future father-in-law had been tense at first but satisfactory. He had promised his future father-in-law that as soon as he got back from Rosings he would contact his solicitor to write the draft of the marriage contract. While he was not a petty man, one of the main advantages of marrying Lady Victoria was that he had not been required to add money to support her. The interest on her dowry of £30,000 - according to Lady Victoria, her mother and Lady Matlock - was enough to support her. He had to confirm with his future father-in-law, Lord Jersey, the exact amount of the dowry since during their last discussion he had been elusive with his answers. Another of the great advantages of his new situation was that his aunt, Lady Catherine, would no longer be able to bother him with the ridiculous idea that he should marry her daughter, Anne. In addition, other ladies – like Caroline Bingley - were finally going to have to leave him alone.
Richard was quite bored and looked askance at his cousin. Almost two hours had passed since they left London, and Darcy had hardly said a word the entire way. The night before, Richard had been approached by several gentlemen, including Bingley at White's; who asked him if the rumors about Darcy's engagement were true. He would never understand why Darcy and Bingley became friends. He remembered at that moment that Bingley had repeatedly asked him to tell Darcy that he needed to talk to him; so, he commented, "Yesterday I ran into your friend Bingley at White's, he was asking about you. He said that he had been to your house three times in the last month to ask you for advice on a personal matter, but you still had not returned his visits. He hasn't had a chance to speak with you since you returned from Hertfordshire."
Darcy sighed. "In the last few months, between business and Lady Victoria, I haven't had much free time. Added to that, the last time I was with Bingley we had a bit of an altercation."
"Altercation?! With Bingley?! Impossible! The man venerates everything you say and do! Without your advice he is incapable of deciding which pants he should wear to attend the opera!" Richard exclaimed.
"Well, it was not exactly an altercation." Darcy sighed and added, "As you know, last year Bingley took the first step toward becoming a landowner. He leased a mid-sized estate in Hertfordshire, and due to his insistence, I accompanied him for a couple of months to teach him how to administer it. Unfortunately, it was a huge waste of time. Bingley was more interested in a young lady from an appalling local family than in learning. Luckily, his sister and I managed to convince him to return to London before he did anything which he might later regret."
Richard knew that his cousin was very fastidious and sometimes was intolerant of those he considered beneath himself. To satisfy his curiosity he asked. "Was the lady so terrible?"
"She is a pretty, blonde young woman, insipid and unremarkable. You know, like all Bingley's angels. The problem was not primarily with her, but with her family: a gossipy mother, two sisters of fifteen or sixteen with atrocious manners, both of whom are already out. And an indolent father who cares very little about his family. Although her father was a gentleman, the rest of her family was in trade. It was also rumoured that she had practically no dowry."
Richard's eyes widened and replied with conviction, "Well, it seems you have done your friend a great favour. He should be very grateful to you."
"I suppose he is, but it took me a long time to convince him that the lady was not worth it. I told him that if he did propose, she would accept him only for economic reasons. Bingley deserves better than a mercenary woman with nothing to recommend her."
They continued talking about mutual acquaintances and Darcy's plans for the wedding. They arrived at Rosings an hour later than planned because one of the horses had lost a shoe. Lady Catherine was highly annoyed and berated them for being so late. She ordered them to change clothes and be at the dining room one hour later for dinner.
As usual, dinner at Rosings was marked by Lady Catherine's commanding presence and acerbic comments. She held sway over the conversation, imparting her 'wise' opinions and insights about her acquaintances, their personal affairs, and relationships.
Anne was pale and wrapped in several shawls. She did not say a word during dinner. She just looked down at the floor, refusing to make eye contact with anyone, and looked like she was in pain.
At some point during Lady Catherine's monologue, she commented, "My parsons' wife and his cousin told me they met you in Hertfordshire some months ago."
Darcy blanched slightly upon hearing 'Hertfordshire.' He thought momentarily of Elizabeth Bennet, and curiously asked, "What is your parson's wife's maiden name?"
"Mrs. Collins's maiden name is Lucas; her father is Sir William." Lady Catherine shook her head. "Her friend's name is Elizabeth Bennet. I have never met a young woman as impertinent as she is. She had the audacity to defy her family and refuse Mr. Collins' proposal!"
Lady Catherine continued talking about her neighbours with the same gusto, but Darcy didn't pay attention. He couldn't believe his luck. He had left Hertfordshire to forget Elizabeth Bennet, and now she was just over a mile away. Fate was being cruel to him by bringing her so close.