“Lady Catherine was informed of Anne’s elopement and her own disappointment by the expedient of a brief note from Elliot, saying that they were gone off to Scotland. Anne gave notice to her mother that she was now no longer welcome at the de Bourgh town-house or at Rosings. However much I am loath to say it—if the truth is as we comprehend it—they must suffer together for the iniquity of such a scheme. Gardiner has been indispensable, assisting in the matters of Lady Catherine and the circumstances of the Viscount’s death. I have given many a grateful thanks to Providence for the happy chance some years ago that brought you into Derbyshire, and secured me the friendship of the good Mr. Gardiner in the bargain. There is, I believe, no better man in England.”

“How can Lady Catherine thus be turned out? What can Anne mean by such a statement? Where is your Aunt de Bourgh now?” gasped Elizabeth without even pausing for his replies.

Darcy related a shortened version of Lady Catherine’s late history, sparing his wife the information concerning Lady Catherine’s malfeasance in the matter of her late husband’s will, and concluding with the answer, “Lady Catherine is residing here, visiting solicitor after solicitor, in the vain hope that she will find someone to contradict Mr. Parker’s assessment of the worthlessness of her shares. You will find her much altered when you next meet. We shall have to see what we can do for her, for Anne obviously intends to occupy Rosings herself upon her return from Scotland, and Lady Catherine shall have nothing but the old dower house.” Elizabeth could not believe how far her aunt had fallen for the sake of an infatuation—and at her age! Unable to fully comprehend the succession of extraordinary events which had occurred in the comparatively little time they had been away, she made her way to bed, but not before extracting from Mr. Darcy a solemn promise that he would not make abandoning her on the road a regular practise.