Collins strolled in in and threw his cape over his shoulders to his back. With arms outstretched with a smug smile on his face, he greeted, “Dear, Mrs. Bennet!”
“My dear, Mr. Collins,” Mrs. Bennet greeted back, holding onto his hands. “What brings you here for this pleasant surprise visit? Are you still interested in marrying one of my girls?”
“Why, indeed, I must say your daughters are both handsome and well mannered, but I have come here to tell you about my proposal to Charlotte.”
A shocked gasp escaped Mrs. Bennet’s mouth, “Charlotte, the knight’s daughter and Elizabeth’s good friend?”
Everyone glanced at Elizabeth, who maintained a straight face.
“Ah, yes, the Charlotte. Lady Catherine de Bourgh has given her blessings to which I must say is good news!” Collins exclaimed, looking directly at Elizabeth.
With teary eyes, Mrs. Bennet tried to entice Collins with an invitation for tea, but he refused, “I must go. I have a lot to do. I only stopped by because Charlotte requested I tell you about the upcoming wedding.”
Mrs. Bennet said with gritting teeth, “How considerate of her. Well, thank you, Mr. Collins, for visiting."
Collins bid the women goodbye before turning on his heel to leave.
The moment he left, Mrs. Bennet turned to her daughters and begrudgingly said, “I am going to my chambers to rest, and I do not want to be disturbed.”
Once Mrs. Bennet was out of sight, Lydia yelled, “Is he mad, Elizabeth? Charlotte is your best friend. How cruel of him. And she is disloyal!”
Elizabeth merely smiled and said, “Oh, Lydia, you are still a child. Who knows what the heart wants.”
Lydia scoffed, “I might be a child in your eyes, dear sister, but I can assure you I am well versed in the matters of love and virtue.”
Elizabeth raised an eyebrow, “What are you talking about, Lydia? Please tell us you have kept your virtue?”
Lydia laughed, “The only one that should be concerned about my virtue is my future husband, not you, Lizzy.”
Furious at Lydia’s rude response, Elizabeth shot back, “You must realize you represent this family. What you do affects the rest of us.”
“Oh, save it, dear sister. How can you be sure I have not known the company of a man close to your guarded heart?”
“Lydia!” Catherine jumped in. She placed a hand on Lydia’s back to stop her from speaking to Elizabeth that way.
Stumped, Elizabeth stared at Lydia, wondering who this man could be, Wickham or Darcy? No, Lydia would never do such a thing. Without wasting another minute, Elizabeth reprimanded her as she walked out of the room, “If this is your idea of fun, Lydia, then I’m so sorry for you.”
Catherine turned to Lydia, “I can’t believe you said such hurtful words to Lizzy. Please tell me you have not had relations with Mr. Wickham or Mr. Darcy.”
Lydia didn’t provide an answer for her.
Catherine then raised her hands in the air and said, “Think about what your scandalous actions will do to this family. Think about the scandal... It will break Papa’s heart.”
Lydia rolled her eyes and scoffed, “The scandal? What scandal? At least one of us will be married, and I consider that a success, not a scandal.”
Catherine scoffed back, “You think a man would marry a woman who has no virtue? Oh, don’t be so naïve, dear Lydia. No man would desire a woman who has been with another man.”
“Not true,” Lydia said. “I know plenty of men who would take me regardless. I am eighteen, and you are not. I will not end up an old maid in this house.” She paused a moment then continued to say, “Regardless of what anyone thinks about me, I only answer to God and myself.”
Both Mary and Catherine shook their heads, realizing it was pointless arguing with Lydia. They decided to leave her alone with her thoughts.
“When you come to your senses, Lydia, we will listen to you,” Mary said, walking out with Catherine.
Elizabeth had escaped to Jane’s room. When she closed the door behind her, Jane asked, “What was all that about?”
Elizabeth closed her eyes and sighed, “Mr. Collins has picked a wife.”
Jane’s eyes widened, “Who? Did you accept his proposal, Lizzy?”
“Of course not,” Elizabeth laughed. “I would never do such a thing. Evidently, he has proposed to Charlotte.”
Jane tilted her head, “The same Charlotte, who is your best friend, Lizzy?”
Elizabeth sighed with a slight nod of her head, “I am afraid so. And it gets worse. Not only did he propose to her, but she accepted it. They will be getting married soon.”
Jane took in a deep breath and exhaled, “Well, at least someone is happy. I have not heard from Mr. Bingley, so I guess it is safe to say he does not want to marry me. I am certain he finds me unstable for marriage.”
Elizabeth placed a comforting arm around her sister’s shoulder, “Mr. Bingley will propose to you soon. Be patient, Jane; some men just need time to make important decisions.”
Jane glanced at her sister and smiled, “I am glad you are concerned enough to offer words of encouragement, dear sister. It shows how much you care about me. But you and I both know he will not marry me.” She turned her gaze away, “Well, at least we know if we do not get married, Charlotte will become the mistress of Longbourn. Hopefully, she shows mercy on us and lets us stay in our home.”
Elizabeth folded her arms and shook her head, “That will never happen. Charlotte would not be the mistress of Longbourn. We will all get married. Oh, Jane, I do wish you will stop feeling sorry for yourself, please. I want you to be the happy, Jane, once more. No man is worth this.”
Trying to change the subject, Jane said, “So what about Lydia? Is she taking it well?”
“Of course, she is! She had no interest in Mr. Collins. But Lydia did mention she has been with a man!”
Jane winced, “What do you mean? Please tell me she did not sleep with a man!”
Lizzy nodded, “That’s precisely what she said. But who knows? It might just be a ploy to get attention, as usual, knowing Lydia.”
“Well, I hope so,” Jane let out a long breath. “By the way, the militiamen are back in town. Maybe Mr. Wickham might ask for your hand in marriage soon.”
“Now that you mention it,” Elizabeth started to smile. “I’d be lying if I said I am not hopeful. Mr. Wickham is a good man. He’s dashing and caring, and quite the opposite of Mr. Darcy.”
Jane stayed silent, processing Elizabeth’s words. Elizabeth continued, “I wish I did not believe Mr. Darcy had a heart back when he saved me in the lake. Lately he has been cold and distant... plus it’s just dreadful the way he cheated Mr. Wickham out of his inheritance.” She shook her head with a light laugh, “I will not fathom the idea of giving Mr. Darcy a chance. Mr. Wickham, however, he’s lovely. He’s everything a woman needs.”
Looking away, Jane offered, “I think you should also give Mr. Darcy a chance. There must be a reason of why he is the way he is. Besides, there are two sides to every story, Lizzy: Mr. Darcy’s and Mr. Wickham’s.”
Gaping at her sister’s surprising response, Elizabeth said, “I am shocked that you are on Mr. Darcy’s side here. Don’t you see? For all we know he must have convinced Mr. Bingley not to propose to you. You amaze me, dear sister.”
Jane shook her head, “He’s a good man. Whatever happened between Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy is between them. They’re both adults. Mr. Bingley can make up his mind if he should. If his decision to not propose was based on what Mr. Darcy’s supposedly said, then, dear sister, I shouldn’t want to be with him!"
Elizabeth swallowed hard and thought about Jane’s thoughts then they heard a soft knock. Elizabeth opened the door, and Catherine walked into the chamber.
Catherine informed them, “You wouldn’t believe this, but Mr. Wickham is downstairs visiting with the militiamen.”
Jane turned to Elizabeth and smiled while Elizabeth looked at Jane plain faced, “What? Well, don’t get any ideas
. Who knows why he is here.”
“You never know... he might be here to propose to you, Lizzy. Now wouldn’t that be fantastic?”
Catherine smiled as well, “I think he is going to propose, too. He arrived with Mr. Foster, so you should get dressed up and head downstairs, Lizzy!”
Elizabeth swallowed, “And where is Lydia?”
Catherine shrugged matter-of-factly, “Of course she is downstairs talking up a storm with the militiamen, but nothing crazy will happen because Mother came out of her chambers once they arrived.”
Elizabeth called out to Jane to come with her.
With a raised eyebrow, Jane said, “You must go alone, Elizabeth. You don’t need me there.”
“Of course, I do. You should be by my side; you are my sister,” Elizabeth smiled at her. “Plus... surely you must realize staying in your room is not good for your health.”
Jane sighed and agreed to accompany her sister. She got up, and all three girls left the room to go back down to the morning room to welcome Wickham and the militiamen.
Wickham was deep in conversation with Mrs. Bennet, and Lydia by her side, when a smile spread across his face as soon as he saw Elizabeth enter the room. He politely excused himself and walked over to Elizabeth.
He grinned, “Dear, Elizabeth, how good to see you again.”
Charmed once again by Wickham, Elizabeth couldn’t help but blush. She was usually the most reliable sister, determined to take charge of everything in life, but somehow, she could not resist Wickham’s musings.
Finding any excuse to look away and hide herself, Elizabeth turned and noticed Lydia’s smile had turned into a frown. She wondered why.
As soon as their eyes met, Lydia averted her gaze, avoiding looking at Elizabeth directly, a curious sign of guilt.
Meanwhile, Wickham pulled Elizabeth’s hand to his lips and kissed it tenderly. She smiled as he let go of her hand and walked over to speak with her father, announcing that he had some news. Elizabeth’s breath quickened. News? What could it be?
Wickham glanced at Elizabeth and remarked, “I heard you visited London. Was it at Mr. Darcy’s request?”
Elizabeth shrugged, “I can assure I was not in London at Mr. Darcy’s request. We were there for—”
Mr. Bennet interrupted with a sudden cough, which Elizabeth took as a sign to not reveal the real reason for the visit.
“Ah, well,” Wickham said. “Mr. Bennett, may I take a walk with Miss Elizabeth?”
“Well...” Mr. Bennet began only to be interrupted by Mrs. Bennet,
“Of course, I don’t see why not. Mary and Lydia will walk behind, of course.”
With a slightly embarrassed nod, Elizabeth smiled and walked with Wickham out of the house with Mary and Lydia following closely behind.
Wickham kept his hands behind his back as they strolled along the breathtaking countryside of Longbourn. He commented on the beauty of Longbourn and that Elizabeth was lucky to live in a fantastic home.
She playfully remarked, “Mr. Wickham you have a way with words, but yes, Longbourn most certainly holds a special place in my heart.”
“So what did you and Mr. Darcy talk about in London?” Wickham suddenly shifted the conversation.
Caught off guard, Elizabeth carefully chose her words, “Oh... nothing, of course.” (“He proposed, but I have not accepted his proposal.”)
“Oh... Well, I am surprised he did not mention his interest in his cousin, Lady Catherine’s daughter?”
Elizabeth looked at Wickham, “No? He never mentioned her.”
“Well, Mr. Darcy has never been honest. Especially now that he is in great trouble.”
Elizabeth stopped walking, “Mr. Darcy is in trouble?”
Wickham said matter-of-factly, “Oh, yes. He owes a lot of well-heeled individuals. I shouldn’t tell you this, but he got arrested and placed in a God-awful cell.”
With a loud gasp, she asked, “That can’t be possible. Are you sure it’s true, Mr. Wickham?”
“Of course, it is the truth. Someone has probably bailed him out by now, but he still has a case to answer. Now, if I were you, I would steer clear of him. Mr. Darcy is not to be trusted.”
Elizabeth arched an eyebrow, “What do you mean? I think he can be insensitive, but he doesn’t seem like a bad man. Why would you say he’s not trustworthy, Mr. Wickham?”
"Well, he went against his father’s wishes. Master Wickham, his father, would say, ‘You have a bright future ahead.’ As I’ve told you previously, he promised me a cottage on Pemberley’s grounds. But as soon as he passed away, his son rescinded the offer,” He dramatically turned toward Elizabeth, “That’s why he’s deep in financial difficulties. Elizabeth, you must believe me. I’m speaking the truth.”
Elizabeth stared at the ground, and Mary approached her, “Why have we stopped?”
Elizabeth quietly reported, “Just some troubling news. I think we should head back to the house now. Thank you for letting me know about Mr. Darcy’s troubles, Mr. Wickham.”
“Of course. If you wish to speak further, please do not hesitate to write me.” He glanced back toward the house and returned with a smile, “Well, I must be heading back to my regimen.”
A nod was all Elizabeth could manage before they parted ways.
Chapter Seven
After the short visit, the local women found the militiamen charming; even Mrs. Bennet found herself swept up in the euphoria. On the other hand, Elizabeth did not tell anyone about Darcy’s alleged imprisonment, but she had mentioned Wickham’s purported lost inheritance.
Mrs. Bennet commented, “There’s just something about their red coats. I would’ve married one of them had I not met my dear husband, Mr. Bennet!”
“Mother, have you seen Lydia and Mary?” Elizabeth asked, concerned.
Mrs. Bennet replied, “You know those two... they are probably out having a good time. Did you check the garden? I must say, Elizabeth, you should worry less about your sisters and instead work on securing a proposal. How is Mr. Wickham?”
Elizabeth knew her mother changed the topic to avoid questions about Lydia and Mary’s whereabouts.
Mrs. Bennet continued, “And Mr. Darcy? Isn’t he suitable? I know he can be a dark horse, but he earns thousands of pounds a year. He would make a fine husband and a great addition to our family.”
“Mr. Wickham is certainly a gentleman, and I respect him, however, he has not asked me to be his wife.” Elizabeth then protested with her hands on her chest, “Besides, you know I will only marry for love, Mother!”
Stunned by Elizabeth’s words, Mrs. Bennet yelled, “Love?! Don’t be silly, Lizzy. Love will not settle the debts of this estate. Love will not provide you with a 500-pound clothing allowance. Use your head, Lizzy, and accept his proposal!”
Tears welled up in Elizabeth’s eyes. She wanted to reveal Darcy’s dark side, which she believed would warrant a rejected proposal, but instead, she calmly said, “Then maybe Catherine or Mary might be interested.”
Before Mrs. Bennet could offer a rebuttal, one of the servants knocked on the door and announced the arrival of Darcy.
Mrs. Bennet’s composure softened and simply said, “Excellent. Tell him we will meet him in the morning room.”
Elizabeth gaped with wide eyes as she watched the house worker leave the room to fulfill his obligation.
“Come on, Lizzy. Let’s not be rude. Let’s go and welcome our guest," Mrs. Bennet began. “I expect you to accept his proposal. Think less about yourself and think more about your family for once!”
As if she had no choice, Elizabeth remained silent as they proceeded to the morning room to meet Darcy.
Upon greeting each other’s presence, the women bowed, and Darcy tipped his hat.
He proceeded to say, “I have come to ask your permission to marry you daughter, Elizabeth. That is if she will have me.”
Embarrassed for being put on the spot, Elizabeth averted her eyes, attempting to hide her blushed cheeks an
d trying to decide if she truly wanted to accept.
Mrs. Bennet clapped her hands, “That is wonderful. Elizabeth is my favorite and I would hate to see her go, but she would make a good wife, wouldn’t you, Lizzy?”
Elizabeth swallowed hard, trying to speak, but the words would not come out of her mouth.
“Do you accept my proposal?” Darcy asked with a straight face to break the silence.
“Of course, she—” Mrs Bennet began to answer for her.
But Elizabeth interjected instead, “Mr. Darcy... while I appreciate your proposal, I will have to think about it. Please give me some time. If you will excuse me...” she managed a smile at her mother, then gracefully walked out of the room.
Still trying to process her daughter’s response, Mrs. Bennet nervously said, “I don’t know what came over her, Mr. Darcy, but please do give her time. She will accept your proposal; I assure you.”
Darcy nodded his head as a thank you then made up an excuse to leave. He walked out of Longbourn, hoping Elizabeth would consider his offer before he left Netherfield.
Chapter Eight
After Darcy’s surprise visit, Elizabeth began to consider giving him a chance. After all she thought Mr. Darcy meets and surely exceeds the requirements of a suitable husband. He is wealthy, good looking and very serious. But then she thought to herself, he is also proud, and he thinks quite highly of himself. She thought the night at the ball he seemed to be judging everyone and did not pay attention to all the women who clamored for his attention. But he was so kind and generous, after all he did save her life.
Her deep thoughts were interrupted by Mrs. Bennet handing a letter to her, “Elizabeth, a letter arrived today. It’s from your dear friend, Charlotte. I bet she has a lot to say.”
Elizabeth grabbed the envelope and opened it. She said to Mrs. Bennet, “If you don’t mind, I would like to go into my room to read this."
Mrs. Bennet nodded, “Okay, dear, go ahead. But you must let us know the contents of the letter, especially if it involves Longbourn.”
From Pemberley With Love Page 5
