| |
LADY CATHERINE'S SILENT sorrow followed her to the next morning, when she laid in bed and lamented her nieces' unbefitting husbands. If the deed was already done, there was little else to be said. She was stuck with the Bennets. Their families were forever linked. Their children and grandchildren and grandchildren's children were doomed to lackluster blood and a questionable upbringing.
“Awful,” Catherine de Bourgh whispered to the ceiling. “How very awful. Perhaps I will not live much longer, and I won't have to suffer the embarrassment of it?”
There was, at least, one promising piece of news to bolster her discontent. Georgette Wickham was gone. Dead. She would no longer be subjected to stories of the thieving rogue or worry about the safety of her coffers. Wickham went too far when she robbed her. Despite her long history with the girl, Catherine could not regret her decision to take down the pirate. The world was a safer place without her.
Lady Catherine took breakfast in her quarters before rising at nearly noon. She was not so delicate as she led others to believe, but her bones still crackled as they carried her to the wardrobe. She dressed herself in an oversized shirt and breeches, as well as a robe that was easy to don. As she combed back her hair, she sneered at her thinning hairline. The loss of hair was more often a gentleman's curse, so she was surprised by her own vanishing tresses.
“Who cares about your hair?” Catherine lectured herself as she sauntered from the bedchamber. Her cane thumped the wooden floor with every step she took. “Vanity is not for the old, Catherine. Surely you are above such a childish vice?”
As she walked the halls of Rosings, six servants stopped to ask if she needed anything. She would have liked to have replied, I want the Bennets tossed from my house, but she did not want to disappoint her nieces. Despite their poor choices, she still adored them, and their happiness was a constant concern.
“Those Bennets...” Catherine hissed as her aimless stroll continued, “they offer nothing of value to the world, and they never will!”
When she was approached by a seventh servant, Lady Catherine requested tea in the garden. She hoped a hot cup would soothe her nerves, but as long as the Bennets were under her roof, peace was an unattainable dream. The boys' faces were a constant reminder of lost hope.
Catherine doubted her opinion of the Bennets could get any lower, but she was soon proven wrong. When she entered the garden, she was subjected to a sight so scandalous, she had to avert her eyes.
The young men were half-hidden by a hedge, but she could see them well enough. She did not know the names of the others—it could have been Kier or Matthew—but she knew she was looking at one of the Bennet brothers.
And he was kissing one of her servants.
A male servant.
* * *
AFTER RECOVERING WHAT was left of her wits after witnessing such a scandalous sight, Lady Catherine summoned Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, as well as their unmarried sons, into Rosings' most lavish drawing room. When they entered, the lady's stern expression told them they had arrived for a tongue lashing—as to her reason, they had no clue.
“How good of you to join me. Do sit.” Though her words were polite, there was an obvious chill in Lady Catherine's tone. As soon as the Bennets were seated around her, she asked, “Shall I send for refreshments? No. No, that is hardly necessary. This is not a social call in the slightest. This shall be a thorough chiding.”
“A... a chiding, my lady?” Mr. Bennet repeated with a nervous chuckle. “It is hardly a secret that you did not approve of your nieces' wedding of our sons... but surely we shall not be chided for it?”
“Pray, let me speak! This is not about my nieces and the husbands they chose,” Lady Catherine corrected him. “Rather, my bad mood has been caused by one of your other sons, though I know not which one.”
“Kier and Matthew?” Mrs. Bennet exclaimed, glancing at her silent sons. Neither could guess what the lady was going to say.
“Mrs. Bennet...” Lady Catherine started in an angry tone, “my character has ever been celebrated for its sincerity and frankness, and I shall not depart from it now. Two hours ago, my eyes were exposed to a scene of a most alarming nature. I was so repulsed, my flesh still crawls as I imagine it. Had I not seen it for myself, I would have dismissed it as a scandalous falsehood. Though I will likely injure one of your sons by exposing the truth of this, it nevertheless must be done!” She suddenly smacked her cane against the floor, making every Bennet jump. “Mrs. Bennet, one of your sons was kissing a young man who works in my kitchen!”
“Pardon?” Mrs. Bennet gasped. “Are you absolutely certain of that? Surely you must be mistaken.”
“But I am not!” Lady Catherine banged her cane a second time. “I will not be called a liar, Mrs. Bennet. I am absolutely certain of what I saw. One of your sons was dallying with a young man... and on Rosings' grounds, no less!”
“Who was it?” Mrs. Bennet asked, glaring at her sons. “Was it Kier or Matthew?”
“As I said, I know not which one, but I know it was a Bennet. They are short and small with darkish hair. They are easy to identify.”
Mr. Bennet spoke on behalf of his sons. “How can you claim to be certain if you do not know which son it was?”
“Because I am certain!” Catherine roared. “And I will not be contradicted again!”
The boys' parents studied each other's faces, but they were too gobsmacked to utter a word.
“Will you not condemn the boy's vulgar behavior? Honor, decorum and decency forbids such relations between men. Had he kissed a young lady below his station, it might have been baffling enough! But... two men?” As she expressed her disgust, Catherine glowered at the Bennets. “It is too—”
Matthew interrupted with a screech, “It wasn't me!”
“I will not be interrupted! Hear me in silence!” Lady Catherine snarled. “It is too indecent, incorrect and immoral to fathom. Mrs. Bennet, if you do not want me revealing this shock to the world, identify which of your sons was the culprit, and have him sent away at once!”
“It wasn't me!” Matthew repeated. “Speak to Lachlan, if you must. He has heard me speak of my appreciation for the feminine form. Kier has said no such thing! Do we really know his preferences? When has Kier expressed an interest in women, or an interest in anything beyond books? What is he trying to hide?”
Kier gaped at his brother's accusation. He was so stunned, he lost the ability to speak.
“Kier... is there something you wish to say?” Mr. Bennet asked. “Have you nothing to say in your defense?”
“If there was, would you even listen to me?” Kier asked. In all of his nineteen years, he had been his parents' least favorite. Even if he protested passionately, he doubted either of them would believe him over Matthew.
“I believe it was this one.” Lady Catherine raised her cane and pointed at Kier. “Ever since the moment I saw him, I knew there was something very wrong about him. Now that I know of his perversions, I cannot stand to look at him!”
“He will be sent away and chastised, Lady Catherine, I assure you!” Mr. Bennet exclaimed. “It shall not happen again!”
“Good. And now I have nothing left to say on the matter.” Catherine rose from her chair as she finished, “However, if I ever see this young man's face again, it will be your family's downfall. Mark my words.”