Page 192 of The Governess of My Heart
Elizabeth was surprised when a servant requested her presence in Lady Anderson’s room one afternoon. She wondered what the matter was and was well aware that her father was not in the house. When she entered, she saw her countenance brimming with anger and resentment. Her eyes were cold and spiteful.
“I understand that you wish to see me,” Elizabeth said, trying to keep calm.
“Do not think I will fall for your act like my husband. I know women like you very well; you were nobody a month ago, and now you want to claim the position of Lord Anderson’s daughter. You want me and my daughter to vanish from his life, don’t you?”
“Please be sensible in your accusations; I never wanted any of this.”
“Then what happened in London that changed your mind? You are marrying the most eligible man in the entire country;you have his wealth and status at your disposal. Why can’t you leave my husband alone? We should have been in Scotland by now, but I cannot make him leave this place, all because of you.”
“You know very well that he will leave with you soon. You are his family; he will never forsake you because of me.”
“He already has; he cannot look at us like before; he prioritizes only you and is planning this stupid engagement party to satisfy your pride. You want to prove to the world that my daughter and I have no place in his life, and that is why you have agreed to this.”
“I am sorry you feel this way, but that is not my intention, and I need not speak on behalf of Lord Anderson. Having lived with him all these years, you must better understand his character.”
“Ask him to cancel this party, now. I do not care about your marriage with Mr. Darcy anymore; with the amount of people you have hurt, I doubt whether you can ever be happy in the future.”
Elizabeth took a deep breath and composed herself.
“I can see that you perceive me as a threat, but I am not. You may not trust him; of course, you have your reasons, but I do. He will never forsake you or your daughter, nor will his regard lessen because of me,” she said and turned to leave.
“Beatrice wants to end her life,” Lady Anderson cried with pain.
“What?”
“Yes, she always talks about it, my poor innocent girl. She cannot bear to see you with her father, and the very mention of your name pains her. If something happens to her, you are responsible, and do not doubt me; I will not spare your life if my daughter hurts herself because of you. Promise me, this party will not happen, nor will he make any official announcement about you.”
“I hope you can protect Miss Anderson from making a foolish decision, and I apologize as I cannot make any promise of this kind,” she said and headed to Lady Martha without wasting time.
Lady Anderson’s words worried her, and she wondered if the party should be canceled. Lady Martha listened keenly to what Elizabeth had to say.
“And do you think you are the only one she has threatened this way?” she asked Elizabeth.
“I do not understand.”
“Since you left for town, time and again, she has been saying the same to me. And she has threatened Mark with the same.”
“It is not easy to brush this aside. What if Miss Anderson does something to herself.”
“I am not brushing it aside. I care about Beatrice, too, but this is an empty threat. After your marriage, they will be in better spirits once they return to Scotland. I can understand their animosity towards you, but they must accept that you are Mark’s daughter, and his relationship with you can never be broken.”
“Somehow, I am worried; maybe I must speak with my father and see if we can cancel this party.”
“Do not be ridiculous, Elizabeth. You are worrying for nothing. I will address this matter with Mark, but if he knows that Lady Anderson had this conversation with you, he might get furious.”
“Oh! Yes, please do not mention that I said anything. I am just worried as I do not want my happiness to be a cause for someone else’s misery,” Lady Martha smiled, admiring her niece more than ever.
The engagement party was fast approaching, and the large party of guests was expected to arrive a few days before the party. Georgiana requested Elizabeth’s assistance in making some arrangements. Elizabeth decided to spend some time inPemberley helping her, and Lord Anderson and Lady Martha accompanied her one morning to visit the estate.
Though Darcy and Georgiana had frequently visited Ashton Park, this was Elizabeth’s first visit to Pemberley after their return from town.
Darcy and Elizabeth struggled to maintain composure amongst the others, as the wedding was just around the corner. At the same time, Darcy longed to be alone with her but understood very well why Lady Martha had made an effort to accompany Elizabeth.
Once they had tea, the men left to the study, and Georgiana took Elizabeth upstairs. She showed her the guest rooms and the other arrangements she had made.
“I am so excited to see Mary again; I hope she can stay longer than planned,” Georgiana exclaimed.
“I am not certain, as Mr. Bingley plans to take her on their honeymoon.”
