The Colonel's Spinster - Audrey Harrison Page 0,58

he wished. Yet again, his family was getting in the way of his happiness, and he cursed them for it.

*

Days.

It took days.

And still she would not agree.

Fitzwilliam had never been as vexed in his life, trying different arguments that would persuade his aunt’s unyielding stance on the fate of her daughter.

He was eventually to receive support from an unexpected source ― Mr. Collins.

When Lady Catherine had no company, she invited the clergyman around far more than she did when she was being entertained. Normally, if Darcy and Fitzwilliam were visiting, Mr. Collins would receive only one or two invitations. On this visit though, Lady Catherine did not wish to spend time with Fitzwilliam; his challenges were unwelcome to a woman who expected her word to be final. She had never seen this pugnacious side of her nephew, and she did not like it.

As a result, Mr. Collins was invited at some point every day. This added to Fitzwilliam’s frustration as the man was an overt sycophant where his aunt was concerned, and it did not do his cause any good when Mr. Collins supported Lady Catherine whenever she spoke.

On the sixth day of Fitzwilliam’s return to Rosings he entered the large grandiose drawing room. Lady Catherine was seated, resplendent on her favourite sofa, the folds of her heavily embroidered dress clashing harshly with the busy fabric on the piece of furniture. Mr. Collins in his clergy garb sat opposite Lady Catherine, leaning towards her in an almost seated bow.

Sighing silently, Fitzwilliam acknowledged Mr. Collins with a nod before helping himself to a brandy. Tea was available on the table next to Lady Catherine, but Fitzwilliam was finding more and more that tea did not remove the tension like brandy did when sitting in a room with the two characters he now faced.

“Have you heard from Manchester today?” Lady Catherine demanded as she did every time she first saw Fitzwilliam. He had been out on a ride during the morning to try to clear his head for the afternoon he would spend trying to persuade his aunt into accepting the fact that Anne had to be married.

“I have. Anne continues to make progress, albeit very slowly. She is staying awake for more than an hour at a time now,” Fitzwilliam said. His highlight of the day was receiving the letters that Prudence sent. Yes, they were all about Anne, but in the farewell paragraph she always expressed her desire to see him soon, which helped to lift his spirits.

“It is a blessing that Lady Anne is recovering,” Mr. Collins stated. “But as Sir James was saying only last night, it is so difficult for yourself.”

“How so?” Lady Catherine demanded.

“No longer being able to welcome her at Rosings. We were discussing last night how it must grieve you for it to be so.”

Fitzwilliam sat back in his chair, taking a sip of his drink. The afternoon had suddenly become far more interesting if the expression on his aunt’s face were anything to go by.

“And why would I turn my back on Anne? It is only that my own health has had a set-back in recent weeks that I am not by her side at this moment,” Lady Catherine said.

“With her ruination being so publicly known, I am only even more convinced of your magnanimous nature that you would go to her if you were able. She must feel honoured that, even though she will never see Rosings again, she might be allowed to see you. For she must repine at the loss of her family and friends.” Mr. Collins was blithely forging ahead, as always misreading the signs emanating from the person he was in conversation with.

“Anne shall be returning to Rosings the moment she is well enough to travel,” Lady Catherine said.

“My dear madam, please allow me to offer my advice on this matter. I strongly advise you against such a course of action. The neighbourhood ― ”

“Are nothing to me!” Lady Catherine exploded. “How dare you? How dare you come into my home and tell me what I should and should not be doing? I have never heard anything so utterly offensive in my life!”

“Lady Ca―”

“Do. Not. Interrupt. Me. I shall be giving Sir James a piece of my mind, and if I see or hear of anything ― a single word or a look out of place ― I shall know how to act,” Lady Catherine said.

“Lady Catherine, please. Think about this,” Mr. Collins appealed.

“I want you out of