About a week later, a carriage arrived at Longbourn. It was very early, and the carriage did not belong to any of their neighbors. Suddenly, Lady Catherine de Bourgh entered the room.
Elizabeth was shocked. Lady Catherine looked even more rude and angry than usual. She barely spoke to Mrs. Bennet and ignored her polite welcome. After a few minutes of cold silence, she said to Elizabeth, "Miss Bennet, I want to take a walk in your garden. Come with me."
Elizabeth followed her outside. They walked in silence until they reached a quiet area. Then, Lady Catherine began to speak angrily.
"Miss Bennet, you must know why I am here. A very alarming report has reached me. I was told that you—Miss Elizabeth Bennet—would soon be married to my nephew, Mr. Darcy. I know this must be a lie, but I came here to tell you exactly how I feel."
Elizabeth was surprised but stayed calm. "If you believed it was impossible, why did you travel so far?"
"I want you to contradict this rumor immediately!" Lady Catherine shouted.
"Your coming here will only make people believe the rumor more," Elizabeth replied coolly.
Lady Catherine became even more furious. "Has my nephew made you an offer of marriage?"
"Your Ladyship said that was impossible," Elizabeth said.
"It should be impossible! But you may have used your arts to attract him. Listen to me: Mr. Darcy is engaged to my daughter. It was the wish of his mother and myself since they were babies. Do you think a young woman of no importance, with no family and no money, can stop this marriage?"
Elizabeth stood her ground. "If Mr. Darcy is not restricted to his cousin by his own choice, why shouldn't he choose someone else? And if I am that choice, why shouldn't I accept him?"
"Because it would be a disgrace!" Lady Catherine screamed. "You would be despised by his family and friends. Your name would never be mentioned again. And what about your sister Lydia? I know all about her scandalous elopement! Is a girl like that to be my nephew’s sister? Is Wickham to be his brother?"
Elizabeth felt insulted. "You have said enough. You have insulted me in every way possible. I must return to the house." She stood up to leave.
"Tell me, are you engaged to him?" Lady Catherine asked.
"I am not," Elizabeth replied.
"And will you promise never to enter into such an engagement?"
"I will make no such promise," Elizabeth said firmly. "You have no right to interfere in my life. I am a gentleman’s daughter, and Mr. Darcy is a gentleman. We are equals."
Lady Catherine was shocked. She had never been spoken to this way. She called Elizabeth a selfish, unfeeling girl and warned her that she would never succeed. She left the garden in a rage, got into her carriage, and drove away without saying goodbye.
When Elizabeth returned to the house, her mother asked why Lady Catherine would not stay. Elizabeth did not tell her the truth. She only said that Lady Catherine was in a hurry. However, Elizabeth could not stop thinking about the visit. She wondered if Lady Catherine’s anger would make Mr. Darcy move further away from her—or if it would bring him back.