“No, William, I do not. Yet I am honest enough to know when another is more suited to the role.”
William chuckled and raised her hand to his lips. “Yet you still must endure her. My aunt is determined that you will find acceptance in society.”
“She does not wish to hurt your family’s standing.”
“More than that,” said William, “she is grateful that her son has found a woman to love.” He grinned. “Worry for my situation is also part of her thinking. Now that we are both to marry, she feels the need to ensure your acceptance.”
Elizabeth nodded. “For that, I am grateful, especially when I consider the reaction of yourotheraunt.”
The grimace was not unexpected. “You should enjoy Lady Catherine’s anger while it lasts, Elizabeth. Eventually, her meddling nature will reassert itself, and she will insist on inspecting you to ensure you are upholding the noble lineage of the family.”
“Heaven help us!”
“Darcy,” said Lady Susan, taking notice of them, “can I assume you are speaking of Catherine?”
Exchanging a look, they burst into quiet chuckles. “That is curious, Lady Susan,” said Elizabeth, “for I thought we were speaking quietly enough that you could not overhear us.”
“No, I did not overhear you,” replied Lady Susan. “I am familiar enough with others’ opinions of my sister to know when they are speaking of her.”
Elizabeth directed an arched brow at William, then turned her attention back to Lady Susan. “My future husband asserts that Lady Catherine will take an interest in us. What is your opinion?”
“Darcy knows Catherine all too well,” interjected the earl with a shaken head. “Catherine is never so happy as when she is meddling in another’s business. As the disposition of Pemberley was of such interest to her for so long, I cannot imagine it will be even a sixmonth before she inserts her long nose into your business.”
With a sigh, though belied by her grin, Elizabeth nodded. “Then I suppose I must endure her. I suppose Jane will endure the same scrutiny, though not quite the same attention.”
“Yes, you are correct,” said Lady Susan. “For years, I have tried to persuade her that Anthony was a much more logical choice for Anne, but Catherine would hear nothing of it.”
Then the countess smiled at Jane and touched her hand. “It has all worked out for the best, for I find that I like Anthony’s choice very well, indeed.”
Jane blushed and responded with a smile that was so very like her—calm, shy, but possessing depths of confidence that were not clear to the casual observer. Though the earl was not so open, the way he nodded told Elizabeth that he already approved of Jane.
“What will happen with Miss de Bourgh?” asked Elizabeth. She fixed William with a saucy grin and added: “Now that I have stolen her future husband, she will need to find another.”
The company laughed—it was the earl who answered.
“Anne is taciturn with us all, so I cannot say that I understand her wishes.”
“She never wished to marry me,” said William.
“No, that much I understand. Though Catherine coddles her to excess, Anne’s healthisa concern. If she wishes to marry, she will have her choice; with Rosings as her dowry, she will be much in demand.”
“She will also be a temptation for every rake in society,” observed Colonel Fitzwilliam.
The earl shrugged. “Anne is intelligent. We will provide her the protection she requires until she decides what she wants.”
After a moment’s thought, the earl shook his head. “We may also need to intervene—I would not put it past Catherine to barter Anne off to the highest bidder now that Darcy has bowed out.”
“Then we should watch her,” said Lady Susan. “Perhaps I should invite Anne to join us in London. There is still time for her to enjoy the season.”
“Has she ever been in society?” asked Elizabeth.
“Not much,” confessed Lady Susan. “She had her coming out, and shehasattended occasionally, but she and Catherine have spent much more time at Rosings than in London.”
“If you ask me,” said William, shaking his head with disgust, “Lady Catherine never considered Anne’s acceptance in society essential, as she was to marry me.”
“Yes, you are correct,” said the earl.
The conversation turned more general, and soon the Bennet sisters rose to depart, though not without expressions of pleasure from the earl and countess and a few plans to attend events together. Darcy and Fitzwilliam walked the sisters out to their carriage together for the journey back to their uncle’s house on Gracechurch Street, already missing Elizabeth’s company.
