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“My dear Lizzy,” Mrs. Gardiner said, her tone fond but exasperated, “you must be exceptionally dense—or extraordinarily stubborn—if you truly believe you will be doing no more than merely visiting Pemberley when next you travel to Derbyshire.”

Elizabeth could not look up, for it would betray the flush that had risen to her cheeks. “I am sure I do not know what you mean,” she replied, as she focused entirely on her embroidery, wrapping the thread around her needle several times before puncturing the fabric once more.

“Indeed? I shall be certain to remind you of your words, Cousin Lizzy,” said Mrs. Ellington, “when I am writing to you in a year’s time, for I am certain you shall have taken up residence as the mistress of that house.”

“Do lower your voices,” Elizabeth whispered, looking toward the doorway that Mr. Darcy had only exited through mere moments before. “My mother is in the next room, and heaven forbid Mr. Darcy or Miss Darcy should hear such wild speculation.”

Mrs. Gardiner and Mrs. Ellington exchanged amused glances, but taking pity on Elizabeth, they let the subject pass. It was well that they did, for Miss Darcy and Miss Maria Lucas entered a moment later to ask the ladies if they wished to join in playing snap-dragon. While not particularly desiring to burn her fingers—Elizabeth was quite horrid at the game, which involved reaching into burning brandy to remove raisins—she would take any excuse to leave the scrutiny of her cousin and aunt.

Chapter 30

With St. Stephen’s day came a great flurry of work, for although the servants were normally given the day to themselves, with the weddings the following day, they would be given their presents and a leave of two days once all was settled. The servants might have complained, had they not known their boxes would contain many of the gowns that Mary and Jane could not bring with them into their new lives as married women.

The afternoon passed with exhausting rapidity, for there was never a moment to be still between helping her sisters pack the last of their things into trunks and assisting Mrs. Bennet and the servants in ensuring the house was ready to receive a multitude of guests the following day.

The sound of wheels on gravel drew the attention of all forward enough in the house to hear them, and Mrs. Bennet, assuming the sound to be the arrival of the chairs and settee they were to borrow from the Morgans, breathed a sigh of relief. It would not do for their guests to stand at the wedding breakfast.

A moment later, it was clear Mrs. Bennet had been mistaken in her assumption, as the hall was not filled with the sounds of servants carrying furniture, but instead the exclamations of a very angry woman wearing expensive clothes and a walking stick that she held rather than used to support herself. She struck the floor with it as though to announce her presence as she entered the parlour.

“Where is Mrs. Bennet?” the stranger demanded, her voice cutting sharply across the room before anyone could rise to greet her.

“I am Mrs. Bennet.” Although not knowing the purpose of the fine lady’s call, with the wedding the very next day, she could only suppose that this must be a relation of Mr. Bingley.

“If you please, madam,” the servant that had let the person in stepped forward, casting a cautious look at the formidable guest, “the Right Honourable Lady Catherine de Bourgh is arrived.”

At the name, a sudden realisation struck Elizabeth. It was a rare thing indeed for one’s mental image of a person never before met to be so near the truth, yet between Mr. Collins’s pompous enumerations of her ladyship’s condescension and the occasional, reluctant mentions let slip by Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth knew her at once: tall, imperious, and bristling with an unyielding sense of her own absolute importance.

“No matter,” her ladyship said, shooing the maid away like one might a fly. “Mrs. Bennet, these, I suppose, are your daughters?”

Kitty, Mary, and Elizabeth, who had been assisting their mother with arranging the chairs, curtseyed as their mother confirmed that they were, indeed, her daughters and listed their names in turn.

Lady Catherine’s eyes turned icy when she looked at Elizabeth. Certainly, Elizabeth did not look her best, as the physical labour required of all to prepare for the following day did not leave one ready for company. Even so, Elizabeth felt that the disgust on her ladyship’s face was not warranted.

“I require an audience with you, Miss Elizabeth Bennet,” her ladyship said finally, after allowing the silence to become uncomfortable.

“Very well,” Elizabeth replied. “I am at your service. I do not believe the morning sitting room is occupied. If you will follow me.”

Lady Catherine said nothing in response, nor did she nod to the other ladies as they left the room, following Elizabeth down the hall. When they entered, Lady Catherine surveyed the room like a general looking over the battleground.

“This must be a most inconvenient sitting room for the evening, in summer; the windows are full west,” were the first words from her ladyship’s mouth.

“Indeed. We rarely sit here in the evening, as it is called the morning sitting room,” Elizabeth responded, secretly wondering if her ladyship had trouble hearing, for she was certain she had told her ladyship this but a moment before.

Lady Catherine gave a sniff, but made no further comment about the room, turning her dislike instead on Elizabeth. “Do you know who I am?”

“Indeed, for Hannah announced you. You are Lady Catherine de Bourgh,” Elizabeth answered. She knew what her ladyship wished her to say, but did not wish to grant her ladyship so much honour.

“And do you know whose aunt I am?” Lady Catherine demanded.

“Indeed, I know you to be the aunt of Mr. Darcy and Miss Darcy,” Elizabeth replied steadily.

“Indeed. Then you can be at no loss, Miss Bennet, to understand why I am here.” Her ladyship took a seat uninvited, gesturing for Elizabeth to do the same. Elizabeth suppressed a silent laugh at the supreme confidence with which her visitor assumed dominion over a room in a house that was not her own.

Elizabeth looked at her with unaffected astonishment and admitted that she truly had no notion as to why she had come. She did not suppose it was for the weddings of her sisters, given that they were not the ones with whom she had wished to speak.

“Miss Bennet,” replied her ladyship in an angry tone, “you ought to know that I am not to be trifled with. A report of a most alarming nature reached me two days ago. Your sisters’ marriages do not impact me in the least. No, I mind only the report that 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.”

“If you believed it impossible to be true,” said Elizabeth, colouring with astonishment and disdain, “I wonder you took the trouble of coming so far. What could your ladyship propose by it?”