Page 80 of May I Have the Pleasure
“Yes, still angry! Just because the reaper did me a favour does not make what they did right.”
“I can hardly blame you. I say let them sweat a bit.”
“That seems sage advice, Anne. I shall follow it with relish.”
“Was the entire pack a waste?”
“My friend Charlotte wrote again. She has been a constant ally through the whole ordeal. Also, oddly enough, my sister Kitty showed some real contrition about the way they treated me before the wedding. That was surprising! For most of her life, she simply followed my most selfish sister, Lydia. I may write her a note and enclose it with Charlotte’s reply. I will not see my name grace a letter delivered to Longbourn, but I would like to reestablish a connexion with Kitty.”
“It would be good if you could more or less recover at least one of your sisters.”
“I believe one is optimistic, Lady Catherine, but I shall try.”
“Do they know you are the heir yet?”
“Unless they have better sources of gossip than I suppose, or your solicitor told them, they do not even know Mr Collins is dead.”
“Probably for the best.”
“For the present, whether it is for the best or not—it is what they will get.”
“By the way, Elizabeth, my nephews will be visiting for Easter.”
“Can you be more specific?”
“Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam is the second son of my brother, the Earl of Matlock. He will accompany my other nephew, Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy.”
“OH!”
“Why do you look like that? You seem a bit ill.”
“I am acquainted with Mr Darcy.”
“Do you know him well?”
“No Anne, but I was acquainted with him when he visited his friend, Mr Bingley, at his estate three miles from my father’s. They left just before my ill-fated marriage. We do notparticularly like each other. It might be better if I went to visit my aunt and uncle in town during their visit.”
“Nonsense! You will tell me about this purported dislike immediately.”
“I cannot, Lady Catherine. Pray, do not ask it of me.”
“Very well. I will not pry, but neither will my guest run and hide from my nephews. You can be civil to him, I suppose?”
“I can.”
“And he can be civil to you, I presume.”
“He has been mostly civil around seven times out of ten that we have been in company, so I am willing to take my chances.”
“And the three times he was not. How far was he from the mark? Will you elaborate?”
“Quite far, is all I will say.”
“Very well, you may run and hide if you like, but I do not recommend it.”
“Mr Darcy can hide from me if he so chooses, but I will stay and be civil if you request it. Perhaps I will like the colonel better.”
“Oh yes, Eliza!You will like Richard. Everyone does.”
