By Force of Instinct (34 page)

“only this; that if this were true, he would never have made an offer to me!”

“My daughter and my nephew are formed for each other. They are descended on the maternal side from the same noble line and, on the father’s, from respectable, honourable and ancient, though untitled, families. Their fortune on both sides is splendid. They are destined for each other by the voice of every member of their respective houses; and what is to divide them? The upstart pretensions of a young woman without family, connections or fortune. Is this to be endured! But it must not, shall not be. If you were sensible of your own good, you would not wish to quit the sphere in which you have been brought up.”

Mrs. Bennet could hold herself back no longer. Her awe of Lady catherine was overcome by the direct insult to her daughter and her family, and she cried, “your Ladyship, we are by no means without connections, and my daughters have been brought up in every way as ladies!”

Lady catherine turned to Mrs. Bennet with a look which quelled even that redoubtable lady and reduced Kitty, sitting by her side, to terrified tears. “I did not ask
you
, madam! I have made my inquiries as to your family, and I find nothing,
nothing
that would make me consider your daughter as even marginally acceptable as a bride for my nephew!”

elizabeth glanced at her father, anticipating an indignant response to this series of affronts, but discovered that he looked disinclined to inter-vene and still even had a smile upon his face. With a sense of utter betrayal, she said, “In marrying your nephew, I do not consider myself as quitting that sphere. He is a gentleman; I am a gentleman’s daughter; so far we are equal.”

“true. you are a gentleman’s daughter. But who is your mother? Who are your uncles and aunts? Do not imagine me ignorant of their condition.

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And your sister—I know about her marriage, that it was a patched up business at the expense of your father and uncles. And is
such
a girl to be my nephew’s sister? Is her husband, is the son of his late father’s steward, to be his brother? Heaven and earth!—of what are you thinking? Are the shades of Pemberley to be thus polluted?”

she heard a sob from her mother, who was clearly crushed by these double slurs on her family and her favourite daughter. elizabeth, appalled by this outrageous insult in front of Mrs. Bennet and further horrified to find it still not countered by her father, could scarcely bring herself to reply, “Whatever my connections may be, they can be nothing to you—your nephew does not object to them.”

Between the affronts from Lady catherine, her concern regarding Mr.

Darcy’s reaction when he heard of this contretemps, and her sense of betrayal that her father was permitting this to proceed, elizabeth was at the end of her reserves. Her shock was such as to render her speechless; she could only try not to listen and to hope it would end soon.

“you refuse, then, to oblige me. you refuse to obey the claims of duty, honour, and gratitude. you are determined to ruin him in the opinion of all his friends and make him the contempt of the world.”

They were joined at this moment by an agitated Mr. Bingley. Lady catherine spared him one brief glance before continuing her tirade. Bingley listened for only a minute, looking towards Mr. Bennet occasionally with bewilderment before surprising all those present by interrupting. His voice trembling with indignation, he addressed Lady catherine. “I must protest!

Madam, I have not the honour of your acquaintance, but I must ask you not to speak to Miss elizabeth in such a manner!”

Lady catherine was all astonishment. she turned to stare condescendingly at Bingley. “And who are
you
, sir, to make such demands of
me
?”

“I am charles Bingley, and this lady is my future sister, and I will not tolerate
anyone
speaking so to her!” By now Bingley was casting frequent and somewhat frantic glances in the direction of Mr. Bennet as if expecting him to come to his aid.

“
I
am Lady catherine de Bourgh, and I am not finished with this conversation!” she turned back to elizabeth. “Have you come to your senses yet, you insolent girl? Are you still determined to ruin him?”

Bingley’s uncharacteristic interruption had given elizabeth the time she 207

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needed to recover herself. Without a further glance at Mr. Bennet, she said resentfully, “you may not have done, your ladyship, but
I
have! you have insulted me in every possible way. I have nothing further to say.” she turned abruptly and left.

Just outside the door she discovered Jane. Her sister lead her rapidly out into the garden and said, “oh, Lizzy! I am so sorry! Who is that dreadful woman?”

elizabeth bit her lip, trying without great success to hold back tears.

“
That
was Lady catherine de Bourgh, Mr. Darcy’s aunt.”

Jane’s face took on a look of astonishment. “It cannot be!” she exclaimed, as if hoping rather than believing her sister to be somehow mistaken.

“When Bingley and I heard the loud voices and the horrible things she was saying to you, we could not imagine …” Her voice trailed off as she began to take in the implication of the events. “oh, my poor dear Lizzy!”

The tumult of elizabeth’s mind was now painfully great, and she began to cry in earnest. she was beyond words, and Jane could offer her only the comfort of her embrace. They remained thus until Bingley appeared to join them, looking rather flustered at elizabeth’s tears and shocked at his own behaviour. “Well, that is done,” he said with a bravado which was not fully convincing to the ladies. “she is gone, Lizzy; you need not worry any longer.”

elizabeth, though, was beyond any hope of consolation. she was troubled less by her ladyship’s insolence than by her thoughts of Darcy’s distress when he heard of his aunt’s virulent disapproval of their engagement, and even that worry was dwarfed by the feelings of betrayal that her father had done nothing to stop Lady catherine’s invective. The image of the slight smile on his face as she had enumerated her objections to the match would not leave her. And that it had been so shocking and remorseless as to convince Bingley—charming, self-effacing Bingley—to step in to her defence in front of her own father! It was unthinkable.

“come into the house now, Lizzy,” cajoled Jane. “Let us go to your room, and I shall ask Hill to fetch some tea for you.”

she shook her head. “I cannot go back in now; forgive me, Jane, but I cannot!”

Jane, who had only heard the altercation and not seen the passive role played by Mr. Bennet, was confused. Bingley, with a better understanding 208

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of the situation, took Jane aside for a brief consultation. Finally he said with a nervous energy, “Well! We certainly cannot have you standing here in the cold, Lizzy! shall I order my carriage, and we can all go to netherfield?”

elizabeth for a moment knew neither what to say nor even what she wished for; but, knowing that Darcy was still at netherfield, she gave her consent. Bingley strode off in the direction of the stables. Jane said, “I will return immediately, Lizzy—I will just take a moment to inform my mother of our plans.”

“As you like,” said elizabeth bitterly, thinking that for herself she saw no need of such a courtesy to her parents at the moment. she wandered up and down the garden to warm herself as she waited, her mind almost a blank. It was as if as soon as she knew she would be seeing Darcy, she had stopped allowing herself to think about what had occurred. she wanted nothing more than to be with him and let him share her burdens, and it could not happen soon enough to please her.

Jane reappeared shortly, carrying elizabeth’s spencer and the shawl Darcy had given her. elizabeth, who was shivering as much from the shock as the cold, accepted them gratefully, wrapping the soft warmth around her. Her sister said hesitantly, “Dearest Lizzy, if it would help you to speak of it, I shall be happy to listen.”

elizabeth managed a brief smile. “oh, Jane, you are a great comfort to me, but there is little to tell; Lady catherine disapproves heartily of my engagement and wishes that I would break it off. she is a lady of remarkable … directness.”

“I could scarcely believe what I was hearing! I do not believe that I have ever seen my dear Bingley so angry before!”

There was little more conversation before Bingley arrived with the carriage. He handed both the ladies in; and, though Jane held tightly to elizabeth’s hand throughout, it was a silent trip to netherfield. Bingley was too embarrassed, Jane too concerned, and Lizzy too preoccupied with her own concerns to speak. Her fear was that Lady catherine would have preceded her to netherfield. Though she had no doubt of Darcy’s commitment to her, she knew that his aunt’s disapproval would put him in a painful position.

on their arrival, she saw that her fears were indeed justified; Lady catherine’s carriage was at the door, her waiting-woman within it. she 209

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heard Bingley mutter something under his breath, and then he said, “Allow me to fetch Darcy—I shall return in a moment.”

elizabeth was not prepared to be apart from Darcy when they were so near. “Thank you, Mr. Bingley, but I think that I will come in with you as well.”

Bingley gave Jane a flustered glance but acquiesced. They were no sooner inside the door than the piercing voice of Lady catherine could be heard from the drawing room.

Darcy knew better than to attempt to interrupt when his aunt was ranting; he also knew better than to bother paying any particular attention to her words. she would be perfectly satisfied by his sitting in silence with an appearance of interest in what she was saying, and then she would go away.

He had years of experience to teach him that arguing or taking offence at her disagreeable diatribes had only a negative impact on the length of her admonishments. It was no surprise that she disapproved of his engagement to elizabeth—only Anne was acceptable to her as Mrs. Darcy. so her complaints of elizabeth’s poverty and lack of connections had little impact; he knew that if elizabeth had been wealthy and well-connected, it would have made no difference except to change the particulars of her complaints.

The appearance of Bingley at the door promised no relief—Lady catherine would let nothing and no one stand in her way when she was determined to have her say. He tried to suggest to Bingley with his eyes that he would be better off elsewhere, but Bingley seemed to miss his signal and entered anyway. Darcy rolled his eyes, and then spotted elizabeth behind Bingley. she was a different matter; he had no intention of allowing
her
to hear Lady catherine’s idiocies when they were at her expense. He rose to greet her, and only then noticed her pallor and tearstained cheeks.

At just that moment, Lady catherine turned to Bingley. “you again!”

she exclaimed disagreeably. “Well, you cannot stop me from speaking with my own nephew!”

Darcy, already across the room in his haste to reach elizabeth, turned to Lady catherine with a sudden misgiving. “you have already met Mr.

Bingley?” he said, his voice suspicious.

“to say that I
met
him would be an overstatement,” she sniffed imperiously. “He tried to interfere while I was attempting to talk some sense into Miss Bennet there, but she would have none of it. she does not care if she 210

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ruins you, Darcy! such an alliance! can you not see that she has trapped you?”

now understanding elizabeth’s distraught appearance, Darcy was suddenly furious. “That is quite enough!” he said in a tone that matched hers for imperiousness but with an iciness all his own. “I will
not
have you insult my betrothed! If you cannot be civil, I must ask you to leave immediately.”

“you would deny your own family for the sake of this insolent girl?” demanded Lady catherine. “everyone connected with you will deny you! Do you wish this upon your sister as well? shall Georgiana be deprived of her family, because
you
choose to marry a woman who will ruin you?”

“At the moment, madam, depriving Georgiana of her family seems no great loss to me,” said Darcy angrily. “I must ask you to leave at once—you are no longer welcome here; and, until such a time as you decide to treat my
wife
with respect, all relationship between us is at an end!”

Lady catherine drew herself to her full height. “I never thought to see such ingratitude and incivility from my sister’s son. If you do not see reason, however, you are no loss to
me
.” With that, she haughtily swept from the room.

Darcy sighed and ran his hand through his hair. Moving past the shocked Bingley, he took elizabeth’s hands in his gently. “I am so sorry, my heart, that you had to hear that. It is of no matter to me, and I hope it is of none to you.”

elizabeth could only look at him. It seemed that their engagement was meant to cost them dearly in terms of their families. of Lady catherine’s wrath she only worried for
his
sake, but Mr. Bennet’s lack of support hurt exceedingly. With a small sound, she sought his embrace.

Bingley looked like a man cornered. He had defended elizabeth from Lady catherine as well as from her own father—was he now to protect her from Darcy, who seemed all too happy to hold her close to him, whispering soft words in her ears between light kisses to her forehead and hair?

He cleared his throat prominently, wondering what he could possibly be expected to do now. “Darcy,” he said tentatively, “I brought Lizzy here because she was upset following your aunt’s call.”

Darcy looked up at him levelly. “Thank you, Bingley; that was the right thing to do. now, Bingley …” he paused until his friend met his eyes.

“Please go away.”

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Bingley’s eyes widened in shock. surely Darcy could not expect him to leave them there alone together? A second glance at Darcy confirmed that this was in fact exactly what his friend did want. He wavered, torn between his responsibility to Jane, and thus to elizabeth, and his long friendship with Darcy. Finally, looking at elizabeth who was showing no sign whatsoever of protest, he turned and went to the door. With his hand on the door, he paused for a moment and said, “Darcy? Please be certain to ask Lizzy about Mr. Bennet.” At Darcy’s quick nod, he reluctantly turned and left, closing the door behind him, wondering how he would possibly explain this to Jane.