by Zoë Burton
“Mr. Bennet took them out on a tour of the farm today.” Mrs. Bennet looked like she might wish to say more, but held her tongue.
Caroline wrinkled her nose. “A tour of the farm? How … quaint.”
“Mr. Collins is set to inherit Longbourn when my father passes.” Jane’s soft voice explained the situation. “Papa wishes to acquaint him with everything that will be his one day.”
“I see.” Caroline’s eyes darted across the room to where Darcy sat beside Elizabeth. “Your family is doing very well for itself, it seems.”
Jane’s serene smile never wavered. “We are.” She looked around at her sisters, mother, and soon-to-be-brother. “We have each other and are soon to increase in number, when Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy marry. I do not think we could be better.”
Jane’s response silenced Caroline, and the occupants of the room broke into smaller conversations once more. Darcy leaned toward his betrothed. “I did not think your sister had it in her.”
Elizabeth’s wide eyes moved from Jane to Darcy. “I have never seen the like. I am impressed; I will have to hug her for it after everyone leaves.”
A half-hour later, Bingley’s sisters rose, indicating their desire to depart. They declined Mrs. Bennet’s invitation to supper with a strained smile.
“Mr. Bingley, surely you can come!” Mrs. Bennet pleaded with her second-favourite of the Netherfield party.
“I should like to, ma’am, but as my sister said, we are engaged elsewhere for the evening.” Bingley was apologetic.
“It is well; think nothing of it, only do say you will come tomorrow, or the next day?”
“Indeed, we will, just as soon as it can be arranged.” Bingley kissed Mrs. Bennet’s hand, grinning at her giggle.
When she had recovered her senses from Bingley’s flirtatiousness, Longbourn’s mistress applied to Mr. Darcy. “What about you, sir? Surely you wish to spend more time with Lizzy.”
“Indeed, I do.” Darcy’s deep voice assured both his betrothed and her mother that he would like nothing better. “However, I do have another call to make this morning.”
“You can come back afterwards, can you not? Caroline will not mind if you bow out of our engagement this evening, will you, Sister?” Bingley’s eyes bore into Caroline’s.
“Of course not.” Miss Bingley shifted, her expression pained.
“There, you see! You are free to return to Miss Elizabeth’s side this evening.”
Darcy laughed. “Yes, I see this.” He bowed to Mrs. Bennet. “I graciously accept your invitation to dine tonight, madam. Thank you.”
Mrs. Bennet clapped her hands, her face bright with expectation. “Excellent! We will see you then.”
A few minutes later, Longbourn was quiet once more.
~~~***~~~
As it turned out, Darcy was unable to return to Longbourn to dine. He received two expresses that afternoon as he was changing clothes before going back to Elizabeth’s side. One was from his solicitor, informing him that the settlement papers were ready to be picked up. The other was from his uncle. Some matters Darcy had asked him to look into required his immediate attention, and the earl asked his nephew to come to London poste-haste.
Darcy bit his lip. He had promised to attend Mrs. Bennet and Elizabeth this evening, but if he were to get anything accomplished on the morrow, he needed to rest tonight. He was not able to sleep in a carriage as some did. He shook the expresses, looking off into the fire. “Well,” he said to himself, “as much as I hate it, both Elizabeth and her mother will be disappointed. Hopefully, they will understand.” He stopped in the act of turning toward the desk. I wanted to meet this heir for myself. I must complete these tasks as quickly as possible so I can return before he leaves the area. His thoughts now ordered, Darcy called his valet into the room as he pulled paper, ink, and pen out of the writing desk.
“Yes, sir?”
Darcy glanced up. “I need to go to London tomorrow. We will have to leave early, as we did the last time. I will have a note in a few minutes to be taken to Longbourn.”
Smith bowed. “I will find a boy to take it and will inform the coachman to have the carriage readied. Will you be dining at Longbourn or staying here?”
Darcy was quiet as he dashed of his letter to his betrothed. When he was finished, he sanded, folded, and sealed it. He rose, handing it to Smith. “I will stay in. I will need a tray from the kitchen. It need not be fancy. Bread, cold meat, and cheese will do.”
“Very good, sir. Let me take care of this and I will assist you.” Smith bowed and hastened into the hall.
Darcy reached up to untie his cravat. His disappointment was keen, and he realized how much he had been looking forward to seeing Elizabeth again. “One day, I will not have to leave you behind.”
Longbourn
Elizabeth was just waking from a nap when Mrs. Hill knocked on her bedchamber door. She rubbed her eyes as she called out for the housekeeper to enter. She remembered the locked door and, with a sigh, rose to walk over and unlock it.
Mrs. Hill bustled in, shutting and locking the portal behind her. “Miss Lizzy, you should have asked who was on the other side of the door before you opened it. You know what your father told you.” Hill stood with hands on hips, note forgotten.
“I am sorry. I just woke up and was not thinking. Please do not fuss.” Elizabeth lowered her head and looked up through her lashes, a pose that always charmed the housekeeper and was a sure way to stop a scolding.
Mrs. Hill frowned. “Do not think I do not know what you are about. I have not been housekeeper here for twenty years for nothing. I am charmed by your attitude but the danger is too great for you to be so careless. I will have to tell your father about it, you know.”
“Please do not tell him. I swear I will remember to ask from now on. I will even nail a note to the door so I do not forget again!” Elizabeth paused, recalling Darcy’s offer of additional protection. “On second thought, perhaps you should tell him. It may change his mind about something.” She smiled at the housekeeper.
“Hmph.” Mrs. Hill brought her hand around to point her finger at Elizabeth. That is when she recalled the note. “I almost forgot! This came for you from Netherfield. The boy did not wait for a response.”
Elizabeth’s eyes lit up. She accepted the missive, opening it right away. “He cannot come to dine with us.” She shook her head, her shoulders sagging. “He has been called to town. My marriage articles are complete, and his uncle requires his presence for some pressing matter or other.”
“I am sorry.” Hill rubbed a hand over Elizabeth’s shoulder as she used to do when the girl was a child who had fallen and scraped her knees. “He will be back as soon as he can, I am sure.”
“Yes.” Elizabeth sighed. “I know.” With another sigh, she straightened. “I know he would not leave if he did not have to. He has never broken a promise while I have known him. If he did not care, he would have gone to London without a word.”
“There you go. All will be well.” Hill glanced at the clock in the corner of Elizabeth’s room. “I must be off. Shall I inform your mother?”
Elizabeth rubbed her temple. “Yes, do. Tell her I wish a tray in my room. My head is beginning to ache.”
“I will, and I will have cook make up some willow bark tea for you as well.” With a curtsey, the housekeeper stepped to the door, unlocking it, looking up and down the hall, and then hurrying out, shutting the portal behind her.
Elizabeth locked the door again, then crawled back in bed. Will he always be gone when we are married? Derbyshire is a long way from London. Will I ever see him for longer than a few days? I know he cares about me, but how can he love me and always be off to town? With increasingly grumpy thoughts and an ache in her head that grew in direct proportion to her distress, she drifted off into an uneasy slumber.
Chapter 16
Since Darcy was unable to attend them for supper, Mrs. Bennet took advantage of her husband’s offer and fell into a flutter
of nerves, taking to her room and ordering her meal on a tray. She further ordered her first and third daughters to do the same.
Mr. Bennet chose to eat with his wife, leaving their guests to fend for themselves in the dining room. When the tray came up, he told Mr. Hill to arrange the dishes on the table by the sitting room’s window, then went into his wife’s chamber to retrieve her.
A few minutes later, Bennet was pushing her chair in and seating himself. He spent some time serving them both and they spent a little more time eating in silence. When their plates were empty, he leaned back, a glass of wine in his hand.
“We need to push Jane and Bingley together. We have snared Darcy. He has refused to accept her dowry, insisting it be used to increase the other girls’, which is just what I wished for.” Bennet tilted his head as he watched his wife. “What say you?”
“He is so rich, Mr. Darcy is. He can afford to do without her thousand pounds. That makes him an excellent choice for Elizabeth.”
“It does, and Bingley will make an excellent husband for Jane.”
Mrs. Bennet brightened. “He will. He is so easygoing and sweet. They are much alike.”
Bennet smiled. “They are. They will forever be cheated by their servants, I am sure.”
Mrs. Bennet giggled. “Oh how you go on. He has five thousand a year!”
Bennet chuckled. “Indeed.” He paused. “He has not been secured, though. We need to secure him to keep Jane safe from Collins when I die, and to increase the amount we may spend each year on ourselves.” He tilted his head. “Have you any idea how we might achieve that?”
Mrs. Bennet’s brows rose. “What do you mean?”
“Only that Bingley seems enamoured of our eldest daughter but has made no move to request her hand, or even a courtship. We used Lizzy’s situation to cry compromise, which ended with her engagement. Might we do the same with Bingley and Jane?”
Mrs. Bennet’s expression cleared as she began to understand what her husband meant. “Compromise? Well, I have left them alone for brief periods, but nothing seems to have happened. What if we lock them in a room together?”
Bennet cocked his head and looked into his glass. “That might work. We will need to leave them in there a while. Perhaps their attraction for each other will lead them to an indiscretion. If we could catch them in the act, it will add force to our arguments.”
Mrs. Bennet nodded. “Leave it to me, dear husband. I know just when and how to do it.”
~~~***~~~
At tea time the following afternoon, Mr. Collins dominated the conversation.
“Rosings, the estate of my esteemed patroness, is separated from my parsonage by a lane. Mrs. Collins and I often stroll through the groves of an evening. And the house!” Collins clasped his hands under his chin. “The glazing alone cost upwards of eight hundred pounds. I count myself the most fortunate of men to be so blessed.”
“Indeed.” Bennet sat back in his chair, amused at the ridiculousness of his guest. Despite his concerns about the safety of his daughters and female staff in the hands of this debauched man, the rector had an aspect to his character that lent itself to being mocked by those of superior intellect. Though he had shown himself to be a lecher, Mr. Collins had also ably demonstrated his stupidity. It was this silliness that Bennet was now enjoying.
Suddenly, Collins changed the topic of his monologue. “I say, Cousin, I was told your second daughter was engaged to be married, yet I have not seen anyone call upon her.” Collins leered at Elizabeth, who sat on a chaise between her sisters on the other side of the room. “She is every bit as comely as Miss Bennet; I cannot help but wonder why her supposed suitor does not come around. Surely she requires the expert counsel of a clergyman such as myself to show her the sin that is keeping him away.”
“Elizabeth is engaged. Her betrothed has been called to London.” Bennet spoke severely. “Do not make me repeat my words from Monday.”
Collins ignored the warning. “I have been at Longbourn three days now, and have not seen a single eligible male in this drawing room. I believe you are lying to me.”
“I am not. Mr. Darcy has promised to return as soon as possible.” Bennet set his tea things on the table with a clatter.
The noise of the cup and saucer hitting the wood startled Collins, who took in the flush of his cousin’s face with widened eyes. “I apologize. I did not mean to accuse you of anything.” He paused as the name mentioned by Bennet registered in his mind. “Did you say this gentleman’s name is Darcy?”
Bennet spoke between gritted teeth. “I did.” He watched warily as Collins’ face transformed. “You have made an excellent match for your daughter, if he is the same Darcy I am thinking of. My patroness’ nephew is a Darcy. Very good family. Where is he from?”
Bennet did not want to give Collins any more information than he had to. “Derbyshire, I think he said.”
“Why, Derbyshire is where Lady Catherine’s nephew is from! What was the name of the estate?” Collins turned to his wife, who sat silently at his side.
“Pemberley.” Mrs. Collins’ quiet murmur was the first any of the Bennets had heard her voice.
Elizabeth leaned over to Jane and whispered in her ear. “I wondered if she could speak at all.”
Jane’s eyes widened and she coughed to cover a laugh. She shook her head and sipped her tea, refusing to look at her sister.
“Pemberley; that is it.” Collins began speaking again without thanking his spouse for her assistance. “Pemberley in Derbyshire. He must be the same Darcy! Lady Catherine did not tell me he was courting anyone, though why she would share such intimate family knowledge with a lowly clergyman such as myself I do not know. I must write to her today to congratulate her. She will desire a report on my cousin’s accomplishments and person.” Collins sent another leer in Elizabeth’s direction.
“I am sure that if, indeed, our Mr. Darcy and your patroness’ Mr. Darcy are the same, she would rather obtain her report from her nephew than from her rector.” In a moment of inspiration, Bennet changed tack. “She would look at it as an impertinence, I am certain, were you to do so.” He sat back and waited to see what Collins would do.
A crease formed between Collins’ eyes. His mouth opened and closed a few times. Finally, he slowly nodded. “You may be correct.” He fell silent.
Before his cousin could find anything else to say, Bennet rose. “Thank you, Mrs. Bennet, for the fine tea and company. I have things to do in the book room this afternoon. I will see everyone at supper.” He bowed and strode from the room.
Immediately, Mrs. Bennet and her daughters rose. “Come along, girls. I have need of you.” Addressing Mr. and Mrs. Collins, she said, “I apologize for leaving you alone once more, but there is something I must address with my children. Do not rise. Mr. Hill shall escort us. Please do make yourselves at home. This is a pleasant room this time of day, and if Mrs. Collins is so inclined, the pianoforte is in the room across the hall.” With a smile and a curtsey, she herded Jane, Mary, and Elizabeth out of the room and up the stairs.
Collins watched his cousins leave the drawing room, his eyes narrowing. “You know, I believe I will write to Lady Catherine. I shiver to think what she would say if she discovered I knew of her favourite nephew’s engagement and failed to congratulate her properly. Fetch me paper and pen, and I will take care of it now.”
Mrs. Collins looked up at her husband, fear and disgust filling her eyes in equal measure, though her countenance remained smooth. “I did not bring either of those with me. You told me to leave them at home.”
Collins turned to his wife, staring down his nose at her with narrowed eyes. “Of course I did. My cousin has far more substance than I, at least for now. You will fetch me his paper and pen. Are you really that stupid that I must explain it to you?”
Mrs. Collins’ jaw clenched. For a moment, she stared, then her mouth opened and closed. “I am not the one who needed to force a woman to marry him. I am not the stupid one.” She ju
mped up, hurrying to the bell and pulling it hard.
Mr. Collins drew his hand back at his wife’s words, but she moved too quickly. Before he could act, she was across the room. He rose, but the door opened, and Mrs. Collins made her request to the footman who responded.
Once the servant bowed and took off on his errand, Collins strode toward his wife, who stood with straightened spine and lifted chin as he approached. “We will discuss this further at a later time.” He paused, looking her up and down. “I believe you must be tired. Go up and rest. No one wants to look at a woman with bags under her eyes.”
Mrs. Collins’ eyes flashed at his insult, but rather than bring more of his wrath down on her head, she chose to obey. She stepped toward the door when her husband’s hand on her arm stopped her progress. She flinched from the tightness of his grip cutting into her flesh. “Remember, without me, you have nothing, nor do you deserve anything.” His eyes raked her form. “You are good for one thing, and one thing only, and even at that, you are barely acceptable.” His gaze rose again to drill into her eyes. He pulled her arm up, lowering his head a few inches, a scowl covering his face. His voice lowered, so that only she could hear him growl at her. “You owe me.” Sneering, he pushed her away hard, releasing his grip and smirking when she stumbled. As she hurried out of the room, almost running into the returning footman, he smoothed his expression. He accepted the writing supplies and returned to the table near the window to write to his patroness.
~~~***~~~
That evening, the Bennets and Collinses were invited to Lucas Lodge for a dinner party. It was to be Elizabeth’s first foray into society since her accident and she was both eager to see her neighbours and friends, and worried that she would be struck down by a headache. She dressed with care, wanting to look her best, and was ready and waiting for her father to retrieve her and her sisters from their rooms. When his expected knock came, she gathered her reticule and gloves, unlocked the door, and stepped into the hall.
