Page 45 of A Different Impression

Lady Catherine Protests

At Matlock House, Lord Matlock sat with his wife, Darcy’s express open between them. He was not particularly surprised by Darcy’s account of Mr Collins; Catherine had always possessed an unfortunate confidence in her own judgement of character. His greater concern was how she would react to the news of Darcy’s engagement.

Lord Matlock had long known—as had everyone else in the family, except his sister—that Darcy would never marry Anne. Neither cousin desired the match, and Anne’s health had always appeared too precarious for marriage. Indeed, she seemed to grow weaker with each passing year, although every physician Catherine consulted insisted that her constitution was simply delicate and could not be improved.

Darcy had informed him that an express had been sent to Catherine at the same time as his own. Lord Matlock therefore anticipated that his sister would arrive upon his doorstep within a day or two.

He was not disappointed. Late the following afternoon, Catherine’s strident tones announced her arrival long before she reached his study.

“And so it begins,” Lord Matlock said to his wife, who had joined him in anticipation of his sister’s arrival. “I cannot imagine this will be pleasant. Catherine will be livid when she learns she will not have her way.”

Lady Matlock sighed heavily. “How is it that Catherine became the woman she is while Anne was so kind and loving? I have never understood how your sisters came to possess such different characters.”

“Catherine was the eldest, and she was always jealous of Anne,” Lord Matlock explained. “When our sister made a considerably better match than Catherine had, despite George’s lack of a title, she became even more resentful of them both. I believe she imagines that forcing Darcy to marry her daughter would somehow avenge everything she claims to have suffered when our sister married better than she did.”

“But Catherine married a titled gentleman.”

“Yes, but Pemberley is far greater than Rosings, and the Darcy name is both older and more influential,” Lord Matlock replied. “Catherine has never allowed anyone else to see Lewis’s will. I have often wondered who is meant to inherit Rosings upon her death—Anne or someone else entirely. Lewis’s solicitor is here in Town. Perhaps I ought to pay the man a call.”

“You suspect something?”

“I am not yet certain what I suspect. I would like to imagine that concern for her daughter lies behind Catherine’s behaviour, but I find that increasingly difficult to believe.”

“James, do you truly believe Catherine capable of caring for anyone besides herself?” Lady Matlock asked sceptically. “I have always pitied Anne for being left alone at Rosings with her, but Catherine continually insisted that the girl was too ill to travel.”

A knock sounded upon the door. The butler entered and attempted to announce their visitor, but before he could speak, Lady Catherine pushed past him and swept into the room with Anne and her companion following in her wake.

Lord Matlock’s attention immediately settled upon his niece. Anne was terribly pale and appeared exhausted. When she swayed upon her feet, he rose quickly and helped her to the nearest settee. Cutting off Catherine as she began speaking, he addressed his niece.

“Anne, my dear, how are you? Shall I send for a physician?”

“I need to lie down, Uncle,” Anne replied weakly. “I am afraid my tonic is not helping today; in fact, I believe it has made me feel worse.”

“Send someone to summon the physician immediately,” Lady Matlock instructed the butler. “Then have the housekeeper quickly prepare a room. Anne, dear, we will have someone see to you as soon as we can. Would you like a cup of tea?”

Anne was scarcely able to remain upright. Mrs Jenkinson settled beside her and supported her while she drank the sweetened tea. “I added extra sugar, Anne. Would you like to try to eat?”

“The tea will be enough for now,” came the reply, in a voice so small it could scarcely be heard in the room.

“Catherine,” Lord Matlock demanded, “what is the meaning of this? Why have you dragged Anne to London in such a state? I cannot imagine what could have brought you here unannounced and with Anne so weak.”

“Anne is merely upset because Darcy has been taken in by some harlot,” Catherine replied arrogantly. “He sent an express stating that he was engaged to some… some nobody who must have used her wiles to seduce him and make him forget what he owes his family, what he owes to Anne. We shall obtain a special licence, and you will accompany us to Hertfordshire. Darcy will break this ridiculous engagement and marry Anne immediately.”

“Mama, I have told you repeatedly that I do not wish to marry Darcy,” Anne said from the settee. “Nor does he wish to marry me. I am pleased that he has found someone he loves.”

“You are ill and do not know your own mind,” Catherine snapped. “You will do as I instruct.”

Lord Matlock saw Anne flinch, but for once his niece did not withdraw entirely.

“My illness does not prevent me from knowing whom I do not wish to marry,” Anne insisted, her tone growing in strength.

“Darcy will not marry Anne, Catherine,” Lord Matlock said in an attempt to support his niece. “Darcy has told you this, I have told you this, and Anne has told you this. No one, other than you, has ever believed that Darcy and Anne should marry. Our sister, Darcy’s mother, certainly did not wish it, nor did George, and I cannot imagine that Lewis would have recommended it either. There is no marriage contract, nothing that would bind the two, other than this delusion that you have carried for the last five years. There was no mention of such a match until after George Darcy died, which tells me as much as anything else that you are trying to take advantage of Darcy’s honour and his dedication to duty and family.”

Catherine drew breath to interrupt, but Lord Matlock raised a silencing hand.

“I have met Darcy’s intended, and she is a lovely girl. She and Darcy are very much in love and, while it is not the match I would have expected him to make, he is extraordinarily pleased with his choice. I have never seen the man so happy as he is when with Elizabeth. They will marry—the marriage articles have been signed, the licence has been acquired, and there is nothing that you can do to prevent the match.”

Catherine’s face turned nearly purple. She began hurling invectives at Lord Matlock, Darcy, Elizabeth, Lady Anne, Lewis, and anyone else whose name occurred to her. Lord Matlock allowed her to continue until one declaration arrested his attention.