Page 79 of New World Tea Company
“In the near future, my nephew will marry my daughter. Once Darcy marries Anne, the de Bourgh estate will remain within the Fitzwilliam family.”
As soon as Lady Catherine completed the statement, Mr Collins stood and bowed to Lady Catherine, Anne de Bourgh and Mr Darcy before launching a speech of congratulations and offering to read the banns from the pulpit for the next three Sundays.
Displeased to have this story repeated in front of Elizabeth on the same day he had asked her permission to court her, Mr Darcy ignored Mr Collins and stalked across the room to stand before his aunt. The man’s commanding presence captured everyone’s attention, and they listened closely when he addressed his aunt.
“Lady Catherine, I am tired of this fable you continue to repeat. I am done with this.”
Not meeting the man’s eyes, Lady Catherine continued, “Darcy, obey me! I am your nearest relation and command you to marry Anne.”
“You are not my nearest relation, aunt. You are certainly not a relation I admire, and I spend a great deal of effort each year repairing the problems you create in my cousin’s estate. You exceed the allowances for yourself and allowance with clothing and furnishings that are never seen because no one calls at Rosings Park. “
“No one hereabouts us is worthy of our company!” argued Lady Catherine.
“And you wander through the silent hallways of Rosings Park while life goes on outside,” Darcy added. “This wild idea of a marriage is your imagining, but I shall have none of it.”
“Darcy, the union of our children was one of your mother’s dearest wishes! And mine as well for years!” declared Lady Catherine from her chair, speaking as though she were a queen giving commands to a courtier.
“That was never something my mother mentioned or wrote to me. And I know my father never approved of cousins marrying,” the gentleman argued.
“Bah, your father never cared about the family line,” Lady Catherine dismissed Darcy’s reference to his father’s wishes. “Else, he would not have dallied with loose women and left your mother without company.”
Charlotte and Elizabeth both sat back to hear such a statement uttered by Lady Catherine in their presence. Mr Collins blushed and remained silent while Mr Darcy’s face grew thunderous.
Lady Catherine waved away everyone’s discomfort, saying, “The opinions of these people do not matter. You must obey me in this matter, Darcy.”
The man glanced at the guests in the room for a moment; Mr and Mrs Collins looked away; the situation uncomfortable for everyone. Elizabeth met the cold stare in Mr Darcy’s eyes from her place in a chair beside Charlotte, and she tried to show her support for him in her expression.
“Lady Catherine, I am done with you,” Darcy addressed his aunt. “This is my last visit to Rosings Park. If Anne is not married before her birthday next week, her uncle Horace de Bourgh, will assume control of the estate.”
Lady Catherine frowned; her brother-in-law was a stubborn man who would never permit her extravagant spending that drained the estate’s coffers.
“You will marry Anne! Purchase a common license tomorrow! Mr Collins will conduct the service the next day!” declared Lady Catherine.
“No, I shall not marry Anne!” he replied. “The day her uncle becomes responsible for the estate, you and she will have a limited income. You may remain in the house, but Sir Horace will tighten the purse strings and control your allowance.”
Her anger growing, Lady Catherine could not speak for a moment, and Mr Darcy turned to the visitors and said, “Mrs Collins, Miss Bennet, I apologise for speaking of family matters before you. Please take tea and converse with my cousin. Anne has survived her mother’s wild imaginings for many years.”
Then Fitzwilliam Darcy walked out of the room despite his aunt’s demands that he return to her presence. Refusing to surrender the argument, the woman rose and followed her nephew, ascending the stairs to berate his refusal of her commands.
Mr Collins was torn about what to do, but Miss de Bourgh rose and approached Mrs Collins and Miss Bennet to initiate conversation. The young woman commanded Mr Collins to sit and contemplate his next sermon while she moved Charlotte and Elizabeth closer to her chair. She asked Mrs Collins to pour the tea and Elizabeth to distribute the biscuits there.
“Mr Collins consumes many biscuits and cakes each afternoon,” Miss de Bourgh informed Mrs Collins. “Miss Bennet, make certain he receives plenty on his plate.”
The tea continued well beyond the allotted time to depart because Miss de Bourgh asked so many questions of the visiting ladies about gowns, furnishings, and their experiences with gentlemen. Elizabeth was pleased to find the young woman was interested in novels, and they discussed titles each had read. Mrs Collins was pleased to find their hostess was interested in the gossip columns of the newspapers.
Everyone heard Lady Catherine’s voice on the upper floor of the house as she shouted commands and questions that were not answered. When the clock chimed four of the clock, Mrs Collins thanked Miss de Bourgh for a lovely visit and then prompted Mr Collins to rise and depart with her and Eliza.
The walk back to Hunsford was strangely quiet because Mr Collins remained unable to reconcile the conflicting behaviours of Lady Catherine and her nephew. Charlotte walked beside her husband and mentioned the chairs in the parlour, the lovely gown worn by Miss de Bourgh, and the biscuits the kitchen provided.
Elizabeth walked behind the couple, lost in her thoughts–she remembered Mr Darcy’s smile earlier in the day and then his anger directed toward his aunt in the afternoon.
‘Truly, the man reached the end of his patience with Lady Catherine,’she realised.
~~~
Chapter 35.Departures
The same evening as the contentious tea at Rosings Park, the inhabitants of the parsonage ate a quiet supper. Mr Collins was subdued after the unpleasant scene when Mr Darcy defied his aunt so vociferously. Lady Catherine’s behaviour could only be described as a lapse in good judgment with guests in the household.
