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It was a peaceful evening in London. Colonel Fitzwilliam had gone to dine with some of his friends and so Darcy was alone in the library reading. But the tranquility was broken by the sound of a carriage pulling up in front of his townhouse.
With a sigh, Darcy put the book to one side and went to the drawing room to meet this unexpected visitor.
The servant came in and announced, "Lady Catherine de Bourgh, sir."
Darcy barely had time to cover his surprise when his aunt sailed into the room behind the servant. Her expression was dark and grim which immediately put Darcy on his guard. The servant left, shutting the door behind him.
He knew very well that his aunt rarely came to town, preferring to remain at Rosings. Whatever had drawn her away to London at this time of the year was certainly something of great importance.
"Lady Catherine, this is an unexpected pleasure - "
"We can dispense with the pleasantries, nephew," she said sharply, cutting him off. "I am here to save you, perhaps from yourself."
Darcy remained silent, his puzzlement increasing by the minute. Without waiting for an offer, Lady Catherine sat down, indicating that Darcy join her. He did, keeping his features composed while his thoughts turned over, trying to find a reason for her visit and her brusque manner.
What the devil is going on?
"What are your duties?" asked Lady Catherine.
"I beg your pardon?" replied Darcy, caught off-guard by this unexpected question.
"What are your duties, where do they lie?" she said impatiently.
Darcy became even more confused at the direction the conversation was taking. He tried to form an appropriate, yet honest, answer.
Lady Catherine continued when Darcy did not speak. "What do you think is important? The obligation you owe to our family, our family's honour? Or do you intend to put your own interests first?"
"What do you mean, what are you speaking of?" asked Darcy
"I am referring to what I sincerely hope is a malicious rumour, about your supposed, forthcoming engagement to Miss Elizabeth Bennet."
Darcy's shock was immense, yet he kept it hidden.
"I know it must be a most scandalous falsehood, industrially circulated by the Bennets themselves; but every tale has some foundation. Do you have any affection for her?" she demanded.
He was at a loss as to how to respond. There was no way he would reply honestly, yet it went against his principles to lie.
Carefully, he said, "She is an acquaintance of mine."
This did not satisfy the lady.
"But do you have any feelings for her beyond mere friendship?" she pressed.
She has no right to pry in such a manner into my own business!
"Whatever I feel for Miss Bennet, it is no concern of yours!" he shot back.
"It is a concern of mine," replied Lady Catherine, voice rising. "As your aunt and future mother-in-law, I have a right to know!"
Darcy sighed inwardly. For several years now, ever since he had come of age, Lady Catherine had kept pressuring him to marry her daughter, and for several years, Darcy had avoided confronting his aunt over the fact that he did not want to marry Miss Anne de Bourgh. It seemed the time had finally come.
Lady Catherine ranted on. "You are to be engaged to Anne - I must make certain that nothing and no-one comes interferes with your union!"
"With all due respect, madam, I have no intention of marrying Anne."
This calm statement caused Lady Catherine to fall silent in shock. Darcy dryly imagined that she had perhaps never even entertained the fact that he did not want to marry her daughter, heiress of Rosings Park.
Finally she demanded, "And why not?"
"Because I do not love her."
"Love?" spat she. "What does love have to do with it? It is the future of Rosings and Pemberley that I am concerned about!"
"I refuse to marry any woman without love," replied Darcy, controlling his temper.
"If not Anne, then whom? Miss Eliza Bennet?"
Why does she keep talking about Elizabeth? thought Darcy.
"Whoever my choice of wife may be, it is just that - my choice."
Aghast at what she was hearing, Lady Catherine said, "Have you forgotten so soon what obligations you hold to Anne, me - your mother?"
"My mother was a woman who not only wanted me to honour my family but also remain true to my heart."
"You cannot have both - you must choose between our family's honour and what you desire. You have only one choice, and honour and decorum demand that you follow your family's wishes!"
"What if it is possible; what if I could somehow remain true to both my duty and desire?"
"That is the talk of dreamers - believe me when I speak of this."
She turned away from him, a ghostly expression of old pain and sorrow flitting across her hard features. But it was brief, she quickly regained control and said, "Darcy, I forbid you to disgrace yourself with an engagement to her! Promise me you will never act in such an impetuous, irresponsible manner!"
"I will make no promise of the kind," he replied defiantly.
"I am sorry to see that her influence has already gained a hold on you. That obstinate girl said exactly those words to me."
Darcy stared at his aunt. Lady Catherine had spoken to Elizabeth?
"When did she speak to you?" he urgently asked.
"I saw her this morning when I traveled to Hertfordshire to inform her that I speak for your entire family when I say that I do not approve of a marriage between you and her."
Aunt Catherine went to Hertfordshire? She spoke to Elizabeth? His imagination conjured all sorts of possibilities of what they had spoken of, and how Lady Catherine had treated Elizabeth.
"What exactly did you say to her?" said he.
"I found her quite unreasonable. She would not give me any straight answers. She was impertinent and abominably rude. Finally, after much pressing, she finally revealed that you were not engaged." Lady Catherine moved closer to him, her voice taking on a pleading note. "I appeal to you to forget her, resist her seductive arts and remember your duty, your honour, you family."
Darcy sat stunned at his aunt's words. His shocked silence seemed to persuade Lady Catherine that he was coming to his senses. She pressed her advantage, saying condescendingly, "Besides, there is one other thing, nephew."
"And what is that?" he asked suspiciously.
"I am afraid that the object of your infatuation does not even return your imagined affections."
A sinking feeling began in his heart, though he affected bravado when he said, "And how do you know this?"
"One thing she said to me during our conversation, was, 'the wife of Mr. Darcy would have such extraordinary sources of happiness attached to her situation, that she could, upon the whole, have no cause to repine.' " At Darcy's stunned look, she continued, "I am sorry nephew, but she has eyes only for your fortune. She refused not to enter into an engagement with you - obviously she is determined to have you."
Disbelief froze his mind. Her happiness? The wife of Mr. Darcy?
"She - she refused to promise you this?"
"Yes. Can you now see that hers is of a mercenary nature? I told her that if she were sensible of her own good, she would not wish to quit the sphere in which she had been brought up. Do you know what the impudent girl said? 'He is a gentleman; I am a gentleman's daughter - so far we are equal.' She has the audacity to compare her wretched family to ours!"
The stunned expression on his face did not disappear. The words that Lady Catherine had quoted as being those said by Elizabeth echoed in his mind.
He is a gentleman . . .
Lady Catherine smiled. "I am sorry to have to impart such news to you; but I hope I have opened your eyes to Miss Elizabeth Bennet's true feelings."
His mind finally began to work again. Everything Lady Catherine had told him began to form a logical thought, an idea . . . and a spark of hope.
He smiled. "Yes, you have. I thank you."
Lady Catherine breathed an audible sigh of relief. "I am glad to see that you have come to your senses," she said, rising from her seat. Darcy rose also and escorted her to the hall. Outside, her magnificent carriage awaited her. He could see Anne inside, looking rather miserable and tired.
Lady Catherine turned to him once more. "Duty and desire cannot be united. You can only choose one. Family and honour always come first." She descended the steps and Darcy handed her into the carriage. She sat beside Anne, who gave him a sympathetic smile.
As the driver prepared to leave, Lady Catherine said, "Come to Rosings soon. Anne will be there."
The driver cracked his whip and the carriage lurched forward. Darcy stood for some time, watching it but not seeing it. Then, slowly he walked back into the house.
Returning to his seat in the library, he did not pick up the book again. The events of the last few minutes overwhelmed him.
Why did she not tell Lady Catherine that she had decided against me? Why did Elizabeth not admit to her that she detested me?he began, trying to put his thoughts into order. She acknowledged that fact to my face - why not to my aunt?
'Mercenary nature . . .' Lady Catherine obviously thinks Elizabeth is after my fortune, but I know that cannot be true. If she did lust after my money, then she would have accepted me in April.
So if not that, then what are the 'extraordinary sources of happiness' the wife of Mr. Darcy would have?
He thought about the good marriages he knew. The most obvious was that of Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner. Though they did not command the fortune Darcy did, they were content with each other.
They do not have a great fortune - what else do they have? Understanding, respect . . . love.
His heart began to beat a little quicker.
Is it possible?
Elizabeth's words repeated themselves over and over again.
'He is a gentleman . . . so far, we are equal.'
Does she now see me as a gentleman? Is it possible she feels the same as me? She refused not to enter into an engagement with me - she is leaving the possibility open, should I propose a second time.
Everything Lady Catherine had told him seemed to support this theory.
If she truly did not want me, then she would have made that promise to Lady Catherine. But she did not. And neither did I.
Did he dare hope?