Page 68 of Eavesdroppers Never Hear
"The engagement between them is of a peculiar kind. From their infancy, they have been intended for each other. It was the favourite wish of his mother, as well as of hers. While in their cradles, we planned the union: and now, at the moment when the wishes of both sisters would be accomplished in their marriage, to be prevented by a young woman of inferior birth, of no importance in the world, and wholly unallied to the family…”
Elizabeth nearly snapped in response, but Mr Turner cleared his throat loudly and held up his hand to silence everyone. “Mr Darcy, your response?”
“My response is that my aunt is lucky I allow her to speak of my future wife in such a manner. Mothers and aunts dream of future happiness every day, but such dreams for babes in arms rarely work out. I have no idea why she will just not let the idea die… I really do not. I have repeatedly refuted the claim.”
Lady Catherine started to snap angrily again, but the reverend stopped her cold.
“Lady Catherine, your nephew is calling the banns as is proper for his situation. My duty to the church and the law is to ensure the marriages I perform are proper. I see nothing in your application suggesting a legitimate conflict, so I reject your objection. If you truly have a binding and enforceable commitment, I suggest you take it to the ecclesiastical courts expeditiously. I will abide no more disruptions in my church.”
Lady Catherine gasped, sputtered, and to Elizabeth’s eye, she seemed prepared to be disagreeable again.
The reverend’s voice became brittle and hard.
“Am I rightly understood, madam? Regardless of what rank or status you possess in Kent—in Hertfordshire, you are inmy church.Unless you can produce my bishop to contradict me, you will abide by my rules!”
She looked completely shocked by being dictated to, but Elizabeth could see the lady was being forced to choose between being graceful or making even more of an embarrassing spectacle. She had no idea which way it would go. She was reminded of Mrs Bennet in one of her more recalcitrant moods, which was not auspicious.
Darcy spoke more gently than she expected. “As I said earlier, Aunt, I am tired of this charade. Do you truly wish to cause a break in the family? I can assure youI will choose my brideover anyone else, including you. If I must break the connexion, I will.”
Elizabeth started to say something but decided he knew his aunt better after twenty-eight years than she did after ten minutes and left him to his task.
He leaned over somewhat menacingly. “By the way if I break, it will be with you alone. Do not be certain Anne or your brother will side with you. She will be welcome at Pemberley any timeuntil her next birthday, at which time you might wish to concern yourself withwhether you will be welcome at Rosings!”
The lady gasped and turned pale.
Darcy relented as Elizabeth knew he would.
“Let us not be at odds, madam. If you will but allow Anne to choose her own fate—as you would absolutely insist if you were in her place—all will be well. I can introduce you to my bride’s family. While I cannot abide your methods, I do believe you have Anne’s best interests at heart. Let us move forward to the next chapter together.”
Pure silence reigned in the chapel as everyone awaited the lady’s answer.
She finally sniffed, turned, and walked to the door looking resolute but defeated. She turned around twice, starting to speak each time with a blustering face, but decided not to bother. Elizabeth had no idea if she had given up or decided to keep her powder dry.
When Lady Catherine arrived at the back door a couple village men opened it for her.
She looked outside and turned to have one last parting shot.
Elizabeth braced for whatever unpleasantness was likely to come and looked at Darcy to see him doing the same.
Lady Catherine looked at Elizabeth with something akin to resigned malice but spoke in confusion.
“Where is my coach?”
The entire congregation broke out into laughter and left it to Elizabeth to reply.
“My sisters took Miss de Bourgh to a nice blazing fire at Longbourn. May I have the privilege of escorting you to her? You are welcome to join us for luncheon.”
She was trying to hopefully prevent any sort of break in the family, and to be honest, it was easy to be magnanimous in victory.
Elizabeth walked over to the lady, curtsied politely, and took hold of her arm to drag her out the door toward Darcy’s coach, which was waiting to the side of the courtyard, thanks to Simon’s quick thinking.
By the time Darcy’s footman stepped up to smartly drop the step and bow to Lady Catherine, Darcy caught up while Colonel Fitzwilliam was guffawing with Sir William over some jest Elizabeth truly did not want to know about.
The lady’s face still looked as if she would just as soon berate everyone in sight as look at them—but Elizabeth allowed her beau to hand her up, boldly sat down opposite Lady Catherine to claim her place (even though it was not quite proper), and for the next quarter-hour, tried her best to melt some of the ice around Lady Catherine’s heart.
It seemed likely to be a long and arduous process.
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