Page 29 of Losing Lizzy
“Then there is a possibility he may discover Mr. Townsend today,” she reasoned.
“I pray such proves true,” Sheffield cautioned, “but, if Lady Catherine is behind this madness, her ladyship will not relent willingly.”
Although she would have preferred another answer, Elizabeth grudgingly agreed with Mr. Sheffield’s estimation. “When do we depart?”
“We will leave the shop closed, which would make sense under the circumstances. I expect several of the gossipy sort will attempt to call upon us today. We will allow them to know we are at home, but we insist upon our privacy. I plan to call upon Mrs. Harris this morning to display my concern and to provide the lady our version of how Lizzy Anne’s father made an unexpected appearance and why you have chosen to send him away.”
“And what am I to do while you are out?”
“Pack a small trunk for yourself and a few toys and books for Lizzy. Our darling girl will require a bit ofhomeonce we find her.”
“Naturally, you are correct,” she conceded. “I simply want Lizzy’s return.” She sat heavily. “When will we depart?”
“We should be seen out and about for a few hours,” he insisted. “I know you do not wish to go out, but perhaps you could rearrange the shelves in the shop. As long as a few view you through the window, they will not think it odd when you are not seen upon the street for several days. We will wait until everyone breaks for their midday meal. In that manner, fewer will take note of our leave-taking. The carriage will be waiting for us at the opening in the common alley at that hour.”
“How long will it take us to reach Rosings Park,” she inquired.
“It is more than seventy miles to Rochester and Higham. You must postpone your altercation with Lady Catherine until some time tomorrow.”
“Would it be too obvious to seek out Mr. Darcy in Tunbridge Wells?” she asked in what she knew were hopeful tones, but Elizabeth could not resist praying for an early end to this madness.
“Mr. Darcy provided me a place to call upon where he will leave word if he has found any information of Townsend and Lizzy. Otherwise, we should continue on with our role in confronting Lady Catherine.”
They had departed Brighton later than either she or Mr. Sheffield had liked. After his call on Mrs. Harris, Sheffield had seen their trunks were stored away safely; however, as he had predicted, there had been a steady stream of fellow shopkeepers, and even a few customers, calling at the back entrance. As they did not want others to know of their plans and being concerned more than one person had been hired to spy on them, ‘they’ had, more truthfully, Mr. Sheffield had, accepted the callers’ well wishes and prayers, while all she could do was to pace the floors, silently wishing them all away, despite their best intentions. As she, literally, traced her steps over and over again, Elizabeth attempted to recall what exactly she and Lady Catherine had said to each other on that fateful day.
“You can be at no loss, Miss Bennet, to understand the reason for my journey hither. Your own heart, your own conscience, must tell you why I come.”
“Indeed, you are mistaken, madam. I have not been at all able to account for the honor of seeing you here.”
“Miss Bennet,”her ladyship had cried angrily,“you ought to know I am not to be trifled with. But however insincere ‘you’ may choose to be, you shall not find ‘me’ so. My character has ever been celebrated for its sincerity and frankness, and in a cause of such moment as this, I shall certainly not depart from it. A report of a most alarming nature reached me two days ago. I was told not only your sister wason the point of being most advantageously married, but you, Miss Elizabeth Bennet, would, in all likelihood, be soon afterwards united to my nephew, my own nephew, Mr. Darcy. Though I ‘know’ it must be a scandalous falsehood, though I would not injure him so much as to suppose the truth of it possible, I instantly resolved on setting off for this place, that I might make my sentiments known to you.”
Elizabeth recalled coloring with astonishment and disdain before answering.“If you believed it impossible to be true, I wonder you took the trouble of coming so far. What could your ladyship propose by it?”
“At once to insist upon having such a report universally contradicted.”
Coolly, Elizabeth answered,“Your coming to Longbourn, to see me and my family, will be rather a confirmation of it; if, indeed, such a report is in existence.”
“If! Do you then pretend to be ignorant of it? Has it not been industriously circulated by yourselves? Do you not know that such a report is spread about?”
Elizabeth managed to keep the smile from her lips.“I never heard that it was.”
“And can you likewise declare there is no ‘foundation’ for it?”
“I do not pretend to possess equal frankness with your ladyship. ‘You’ may ask questions which ‘I’ shall not choose to answer.”
“This is not to be borne, Miss Bennet. I insist on being satisfied. Has he, has my nephew, made you an offer of marriage?”
Elizabeth had wanted to laugh. If Lady Catherine had known what had occurred at Hunsford Cottage, she would not be asking such an inane question.“Your ladyship has declared it impossible,”she responded in order to needle Mr. Darcy’s aunt.
“It ought to be so; it must be so,”the grand lady had declared.“While he retains the use of his reason. But ‘your’ arts and allurements may, in a moment of infatuation, have made him forget what he owes to himself and to all his family. You may have drawn him in.”
Elizabeth wished to tell her ladyship she had managed to earn Mr. Darcy’s affections by despising him. Arts and allurements were far from her repertoire. Rather, she said,“If Ihave, I shall be the last person to confess it.”
“Miss Bennet, do you know who I am? I have not been accustomed to such language as this. I am almost the nearest relation he has in the world and am entitled to know all his dearest concerns.”
Elizabeth was beginning to lose patience with this conversation, and she had no intention to bend to Lady Catherine’s will.“But you are not entitled to know ‘mine’; nor will such behavior as this, ever induce me to be explicit.”
“Let me be rightly understood. This match, to which you have the presumption to aspire, can never take place. No, never. Mr. Darcy is engaged to ‘my daughter.’ Now what have you to say?”
