As you are aware, my noble patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, arrives at Netherfield Hall next week and I believe I do not speak in haste when I say that I expect an invitation to be extended to both Lucas Lodge and Longbourn during her stay.
Sincere good wishes until tomorrow,
William Collins
1797 – The year in which a sailor disappears, the deadly smallpox arrives and a great thief is compromised.
Longbourn,
near Meryton,
Hertfordshire.
27th January, 1797
Dear Sir,
I hope this letter finds you all (including her ladyship) back home safe and sound after your recent stay in Hertfordshire. We were glad to have you about as it was extra company and a distraction for Lady Lucas. And with Maria marrying the gargling-captain and leaving for Yorkshire, I have no doubt that your presence and passages were a great comfort. She did tell me that she particularly enjoyed the evening that we all dined together at Netherfield in the company of Lady Catherine, Baroness Herbert and the Smocks, remarking that if only Sir William were there he would have retold the story of how many years ago, at St James’, His Royal Highness once mistook him for his former boot-boy.
And was it not marvellous that Lady Catherine and Baroness Herbert were already known to each other? Who would have thought that the latter had been a favourite with Sir Lewis de Bourgh, though she were seventeen years his senior? It is safe to surmise that their botched attempt at an elopement was hindered by the lady sitting at the top of the table and I believe Mr Harold Smock thought likewise for he gave me such a look as said “perhaps we should eat dinner with spoons, lest there be blood spilled.” Though I dislike dining from home, in general, I did pass the most wonderful evening at Netherfield Hall.
Our alarming news, though I do not believe it to be true, is that George Wickham is missing at sea, presumed dead. A hysterical Lydia arrived in person to tell us as much. She and her mother are all in an uproar but the point is, it is not official so may only be hearsay. I have intervened by asking our son-in-law, Colonel Fitzwilliam, to make further enquiries with the admiralty so that quiet shall be restored to our house once more. Mary and I attempt to console and temper the pair but they think and talk of nothing else which does not surprise us.
Mary, as her wedding day approaches, is too much in love to care or expect a fuss to be made of her but, my, does she have a tranquil, blissful air about her. You would hardly know her, Mr Collins, from the solemn, bookish girl who rarely smiled and I daresay may not approve of her distracted air but as her father, I must be allowed to say, as the one I worried about most that, to know that a different life lies ahead for her gladdens my heart.
Your affectionate cousin,
Henry Bennet
Hunsford,
near Westerham,
Kent.
25th March, 1797
Dear Cousin,
We were in a most alarmed state, as you can imagine, sir, when word had yester-evening arrived at Hunsford that Mr Wickham has been discovered at last but is believed to be fatally wounded. Even as this letter makes its way to you now, he most likely has moved on from this life and so, as it is an almost certain event, may I extend our sincere sympathy to you all in this time of bereavement and upheaval for despite his being of low character, the good Lord has seen fit in his wisdom to take him to His breast now, that no more sin may come his way. And then a fitting judgement of his life shall take place by the only One who can see into the hearts and souls of men for whatever a man is sowing, he will also reap.
We think particularly of his son, George, who shall now, in remaining permanently at Longbourn, be shown the path of the righteous and it is, in the opinion of Charlotte, Lady Catherine and myself, a great blessing and a sign that the Lord has marked him as an innocent lamb who shall receive the generosity of His love and protection. Perhaps his mother, Lydia, will finally turn to the Lord for comfort and commence a quiet life of remorse and reflection.
May we also pass on our congratulations to Mary and Mr Jenkins on their recent marriage and apologise that we were not in attendance. We believe, as we received word from Lucas Lodge, that it was an unadorned affair that did not attract much interest from local society and perhaps had I been requested to perform the ceremony, with my connection to Rosings and Netherfield Hall, that would not have been the case.
My noble patroness looks forward (with great excitement) to a visit from Mr and Mrs Smock in the coming weeks and what lively conversation and enjoyable times lie ahead for us during their sojourn. In the utmost confidence, sir, let me tell you that the distraction could not come at a better time, for her ladyship has just this week received a hideous letter, written anonymously, in an attempt to extract monies from her. She makes little of the matter and puts it down to the work of a roguish opportunist who knows not who he deals with.
Again, I wish to say that we are deeply concerned for you all during this trying time.
Your cousin,
William Collins
Longbourn,
near Meryton,
Hertfordshire.
6th April, 1797
Dear Sir,
May I wish you, Charlotte and all at Hunsford and Rosings a peaceful Easter. We thank you for you kind words on the passing of George Wickham and hope that he may find peace in the next world. The particulars of his injuries remain a mystery – what we do know is that he died from a gunshot wound but whether it were received during an act of mischief or heroism, we cannot ascertain.
And though I would have chosen different wording to that expressed in your last correspondence, we too are most grateful that young Georgie stays with us here at Longbourn. Mrs Bennet and he are particularly close and I notice that while she only showed a passing interest in her own children, she is positively obsessed with her grandchildren, constantly purchasing presents, rattles and bonny clothing. I am to speak with our brother Philips in Meryton to see how we proceed to take some legal steps to protect him here, for though his mother loves him dearly, she appears to be more content staying with friends in London and, although it is early days, she will, no doubt, set her sights on another husband before long as I fear a quiet life of remorse and reflection is no enticement for her.
Mary’s wedding was a lovely affair and, if I do say so myself, my favourite of all five. There was simplicity about the service and a lack of fuss that saw the whole thing over and done with within the hour. Before I knew it, I was back at my library sipping a glass of malt and toasting my toes by the fire having waved the young couple off to their new lodgings in Meryton.
Georgie and I have planted a number of apple and pear trees, whose harvests will bear the Collins family more tarts and pies at some future date than their current owner, I fear, but such is my generous nature that it is of future generations I think!
Our very best to your family,
Henry Bennet
Postscript – I did bump into Mr Harold Smock the other day in Meryton and he was quite surprised at the level of excitement that awaits his visit to Rosings which I informed him of. He was more cautious in his hopes for the stay and implied that there is a learned man in Maidstone who claims to have discovered a rare breed of moth thereabouts, which is tempting him further south than he would otherwise have considered just now. I very near let slip about the anonymous letter but thinking that it could be a joke he, himself, was playing on her ladyship, I was very glad that I succeeded in keeping hush. I eagerly await his return that we may invite him to dine with us and talk over his adventures with our friends at Hunsford and Rosings.
Hunsford,
near Westerham,
Kent.
21st June, 1797
Dear Sir,
May I wish you all well and ask you to keep us in your prayers as our boy Thomas has been struck down with the pox. It has cruelly claimed six young lives in the village so far and we pray that the good Lord spares us our son.
My dear Charlo
tte is naturally distraught but stays with Thomas day and night and never sleeps. I now have the additional burden of fearing for her health, for what would become of us if we lost her too? We are none of us in our right senses during this stressful time. I was obliged to ask her ladyship to leave yester morn as she came into the house to give advice, recklessly endangering her own wellbeing and that of the Smocks by coming here. She naturally did not take kindly to being ordered to leave at once but I am sure when she reflects that it was for the best, she will forgive me in time.
As soon as we understood what we were contending with, we sent dear Richard and Louisa with their nurse to Lucas Lodge to ensure they are safe. I ask you now, cousin, to kindly offer your support to Lady Lucas who has this additional weight to carry in addition to her own grief.
In gratitude, your cousin,
William Collins
Longbourn,
near Meryton,
Hertfordshire.
24th June, 1797
Dear Sir,
Rest assured that we are lending our services to all at Lucas Lodge and wish to offer you any assistance you can think of. That young Thomas is in such danger and suffering so, breaks this old man’s heart. Would that I could do anything for the boy or that it were me in his stead. Please tell him that I will not sell the piglets ’til he is here to come to market with Georgie and me.
We wait to hear from you.
You are all in our prayers.
Henry Bennet
Hunsford,
near Westerham,
Kent.
1st July, 1797
Dear Sir,
Our Thomas is safe, praise the Lord for his mercy, though we acknowledge that we have been fortunate where many have not and ask that you consider them in your prayers. I am joined by my dear Charlotte in thanking all at Longbourn for your attentiveness during our recent worry and in particular offering such kind assistance to your neighbour, Lady Lucas. Thomas now sits up in bed and his wounds are tended to by a local lady whom I have hired to take over now he is out of danger. Naturally, he is bored with his situation and wishes to be about – only the promise of a visit to Longbourn to sell the pigs at market with his cousin Mr Bennet can make an obedient patient of him, therefore, we may see you in September.
Although Charlotte is anxious to have Louisa and Richard back home, I have insisted that they do not return until she has had adequate time to recuperate and return to the full of her health for she has become so weakened by the past number of weeks that one would hardly recognise her as the same Charlotte.
Lady Catherine, in her limitless attentiveness, condescended to visit with us this morning in the company of Mrs Smock, both of whom displayed extreme compassion and in particular to my dear Charlotte. Nothing was said of our last encounter when I felt obliged to take on the role of authority and request that her ladyship leave the premises. It is all forgot. They offered their services and insisted that we accept a visit from Lady Catherine’s very own physician, Mr Wilkinson, who would have many useful lotions and advice regarding Thomas’s wounds and at no cost to ourselves.
Again, I thank you for your prayers and concern at this time. We are feeling blessed and grateful for our situation.
Your cousin,
William Collins
Longbourn,
near Meryton,
Hertfordshire.
6th July, 1797
My Dear Sir,
The relief Mrs Bennet, Georgie and I felt on reading your last correspondence cannot be surpassed. The happy fact that Thomas is out of danger can only be equalled by the fact that we will soon see him again, running about and shooting arrows at Longbourn. I have been cutting and seasoning a very good selection of lengths of wood for him for that very purpose while his dear old friend and occasional adversary, Mrs Hill, has promised to bake his favourite pies, bless her, she cried so on hearing he was safe.
We look forward to seeing you all in Hertfordshire in the not-too-distant future. Perhaps, if it coincides with your visit, you might do us the honour of stepping in on behalf of your late father-in-law, Sir William Lucas, at the harvest celebration, as he was a great favourite with our local folk. Though, I must warn you, that it is an occasion when you may have to leave etiquette at home for it is a far cry from the Netherfield ball but equally, if not more so, enjoyable.
The fondest of wishes to all your family,
Henry Bennet
Hunsford,
near Westerham,
Kent.
27th August, 1797
Dear Sir,
It is with the utmost delight that I wish to inform you that the Collins family will be descending upon Lucas Lodge on September 23rd for a fortnight stay and hope to see you frequently during our visit. In particular, I believe I will be present for the harvest festivities which you have planned for early October (for a little bird has whispered in my ear that is the expected time for completion of harvest) and only hope that I will do justice to the memory of my late honourable father-in-law. I have prepared a number of passages from the Good Book which reference harvesting (of crop and souls) and gratitude which I feel will be appreciated by those gathered, prior to celebrations getting underway.
On a most serious note, Lady Catherine has, since my last mention of the undesirable event, received a number of letters of negative tone whose author appears to be the same blackguard as before. She has now received five such letters in total and continues to ignore them entirely, declaring that they are the work of an opportunist and that in the course of her work as magistrate she has drawn upon herself the spite of many a detester of justice. I shall fret for her safety while we are all in Hertfordshire and, therefore, recommended that she consider inviting the Darcys or Fitzwilliamses to stay during that time so that she would not be alone, but she would not hear of it. I have ordered my man, John, to visit Rosings daily and keep a watchful eye out for any strangers lurking about the grounds.
We look forward to seeing you all in a number of weeks. Please pass on my fondest regards to all at Longbourn.
Your cousin,
William Collins
Hunsford,
near Westerham,
Kent.
15th October, 1797
Dear Mr Bennet,
Now that we have returned home to Hunsford parsonage, may I take this opportunity to formally express my regret once again for my conduct at your harvest festivities. Although I have sincerely apologised on every occasion that we met, I cannot help but blush at the remembrance of the particulars of that evening and recall to mind the integrity of the late Sir William Lucas and how I may have brought shame on his memory.
As I have stated time and again, the wonderful response I received to my passages from the workers present made me quite giddy and, as I had only partook of one cognac prior to my speech to assist with any agitation of mind, nerves or spirit, I am still at a loss as to how I became quite so inebriated thereafter. That I sprained an ankle while dancing and refused to quit has led to a very severe swelling that I have even yet as a daily reminder (and punishment) for my foolishness but that I returned home, at dawn, without my shirt is the point which both Charlotte and I find it most difficult to overcome.
It shames me to write this letter to you, cousin, but it is a shame that I will not attempt to avoid, for who but I should feel the full force of humiliation for behaving in such a heathen and disgraceful manner? Naturally, I have not disclosed this tale at Rosings, and though, unfortunately, many of the Netherfield staff were present, I would appreciate it if you would not mention it to Mr and Mrs Smock, unless they hear it elsewhere and you are compelled to tell some small discretionary untruth to cover over the horrible facts.
Pray, apologise on my behalf again to Mrs Hill, whose grandmother’s trifle dish came to its demise by falling from my head.
By the by, Lady Catherine has received another anonymous letter this morning. Their tone is now quite threatening which only appears to please her ladyship
and though I am glad to have returned to provide some protection at Rosings, she appears to neither wish it nor welcome it, so I must needs be subtle in my surveillance as I do not wish to displease my hostess.
I believe that I have discovered who the culprit is – none other than that sinister individual of old, Mr Bradford, who played so many tricks on my good character in the past. I have passed his home on several occasions ensuring that he noticed my presence on each occasion. When he finally asked me what I was about, I merely nodded at him that “I know that it is you.” He stared blankly in response which is a sure indication of his guilt and remorselessness yet it should have been sufficient to put an end to his blackguarding.
Once more, regarding my recent conduct, cousin, I am forever in your debt for bearing with me and beg forgiveness again from the current master of Longbourn.
William Collins
Postscript – Forgive me for forgetting to enquire but I sincerely hope that your cough has passed. The vapours inhaled while taking a very warm bath can do your chest no end of good and, therefore, may I recommend it heartily.
Longbourn,
near Meryton,
Hertfordshire.
27th October, 1797
Dear Sir,
Please do not trouble yourself with further apologies. The whole business is quite forgot though, I am led to believe, it is still spoken about with great mirth amongst the clientele of The Lion’s Head in the village … a lively bunch, indeed, whom I am confident will forget it once an act of murder or madness catches their attention and, in these unsettling times, they will not have long to wait.
The Longbourn Letters Page 10
