“My apologies, Mr. Bennet, I did not mean to drench Miss Elizabeth with tea. I was only trying to help.
“A gentleman may offer his hankie, but your attempts to brush at the stain were highly inappropriate. Were you attempting to compromise my daughter?” The gentleman demurred, but his tone was utterly insincere. “I believe, Mr. Collins, that you have overstayed your welcome. You should pack your bags and plan to depart in the morning.”
“I am your heir and you are throwing me out of my future home.”
“Yes, I am. I am uncomfortable with your behavior around my daughters of late and I doubt your ability to be trusted near them. You will need to walk into Meryton to arrange your transportation, but you will depart before breakfast in the morning. Do I make myself clear?”
“You and your ungrateful daughters will regret this one day when I inherit this house. I will not tolerate such treatment and will not hesitate to correct the behaviors which you have too long ignored. Your youngest daughters are nothing less than trollops, and I will return them to the schoolroom. Moreover, the utter disrespect I received from others of your daughters will be repaid in kind.” The man glared at Elizabeth as he spoke.
“That is quite enough, Mr. Collins. Just to be clear, you will control Longbourn upon my death, but that will be the limit of your inheritance. My daughters will be left to the guardianship of others so that you will have no say in their futures.”
“You cannot do that. I am their closest male relation.”
“You are a very distant cousin and far from their closest male relation.”
“Mark my words, you will regret this–all of you!” Mr. Collins said with another glare at Elizabeth. She rolled her eyes at the man’s ridiculousness.
“I believe I shall make Mr. Darcy and his godfather, the bishop, aware of the threats you have made,” said Mr. Bennet. “If you survive being called out by Mr. Darcy and his cousin, I hope you enjoy your new parish, if you even receive one.”
Mr. Collins marched from the room. He had stopped to don his outerwear when Mr. Bennet appeared in the sitting room door. “By the way, I will have Mrs. Hill bring a tray to your room for supper. You are to avoid my daughters completely. It is not necessary to even take your leave of them.”
Mr. Collins replied with a hate-filled glare before slamming the door behind him as he exited the house.
“I believe I will send a note to Mr. Darcy and the colonel. Do you wish to include a note with mine, Lizzy?”
“Yes, Papa. Thank you. I will do it now and bring it to your study.”
Elizabeth rushed up to her room, sat at her desk, and dashed off a note to William.
Less than an hour later, Dawson, the Netherfield butler, approached Darcy with a letter on a salver as the party awaited the call to dinner. Excusing himself, Mr. Darcy stepped across the hall to the dining room to read the message in private.
“The blasted fool,” Darcy ground out through gritted teeth.
“Who is a fool, cousin?”
“Mr. Collins. He attempted to put his hands on Elizabeth in front of her sisters. I will tear him limb from limb.” Darcy opened the second note that was enclosed. When he finished, he growled, “Strike that. I will kill the man and then report him to my godfather!”
“Do you wish to eat first or should we pay the parson a visit?”
“I think we need to deal with that sniveling parson,” declared Darcy. They saw the butler passing through the hall, likely preparing to announce dinner. Stopping Dawson, Darcy said, “Please have horses prepared immediately for the colonel and me.” Darcy stepped into the drawing room and announced, “Richard and I will not be able to join you for dinner. Something has come up and we must take care of it immediately.”
“Can it not wait until after dinner, Mr. Darcy?” whined Caroline. “You were gone most of the day and now you shall not dine with us. What on earth is so important?”
“No, it cannot wait. I am sorry for any inconvenience, Bingley.”
“It is no problem, Darcy. I hope you can resolve the problem, whatever it is.”
With a chuckle, the colonel replied, “It is nothing we cannot handle. Please excuse us.”
Frustrated at Mr. Darcy’s sudden departure, Caroline stalked from the room. Crossing the hall, she noted a paper on the sideboard in the dining room. Mr. Darcy, in his frustration, had left the notes behind. Wondering what might have caused the gentlemen to depart in such a rush, Caroline picked up the message on top. The handwriting was feminine but did not look like Georgiana’s. Glancing at the bottom, she saw that the note was from Elizabeth Bennet. Why would she be writing to Mr. Darcy? Glancing over the letter, Caroline could not believe what she saw written on the page. Why would Darcy care about this? Accepting her father’s heir would be the best Miss Elizabeth could expect. Was she playing on Darcy’s honor as a gentleman, trying to secure him for herself? She folded the notes and gave them to Dawson. “Please give these to Mr. Darcy’s valet. How much longer until dinner?”
“It is ready to be served now, miss.”
“Please announce it to the others before you return the notes.”
Caroline allowed the footman to seat her. She would have to learn what Miss Elizabeth was up to and why Mr. Darcy reacted as he did.
Consequences for the Parson
As Darcy and Richard raced to Longbourn, they came across the hapless Mr. Collins dragging his trunk along the street, headed for the inn. Darcy reined in his horse and jumped down in front of the parson. Without a word, he pulled back his arm and planted the ridiculous man a facer. Mr. Collins sprawled into the dirt of the road. Stunned, he lay there, rubbing his jaw.
“What are you about, Mr. Darcy?”
“After your behavior and the threats you made to Miss Elizabeth and her family, you should not need to ask. You may be assured, sir, that my godfather will learn of your inappropriate behavior. I will ensure that you are removed from your post at Hunsford and sent somewhere much less appealing.”
“I doubt you shall be successful in your desires, Mr. Darcy. I am certain that Lady Catherine shall protect me, especially when she learns that I was attempting to protect her daughter’s interests.”
Darcy punched the now-seated gentleman again, then kicked him for good measure. Mr. Collins fell back onto the dirt road. “Just remember my promise, Mr. Collins. Meddle in my life and I will call you out. If you fail to face me, I will denounce you for the coward and scoundrel that you are.”
Collins’ face paled, but he stared at the gentleman. “You do not frighten me, Mr. Darcy. Right is on my side.”
As Darcy pulled back his arm to strike the man again, Richard grabbed it and stopped him. “He is not worth the trouble, Darcy. There are others far more important at the moment than this cretin.”
“You are right, Richard. Let us leave the rubbish in the street where it belongs.” Darcy remounted and they kicked their horses into a gallop, showering Collins with dirt as they rode away without a backward look.
Mr. Collins noted the crowd that had gathered during his confrontation with Mr. Darcy. He replaced his hat on his head and attempted to stand. Losing his balance, he fell back into the street. Collins looked around, waiting for someone to come to his aid, but most of those who stood to observe the altercation turned their backs on Mr. Collins and went about their business. The longer he sat, the angrier he became. After getting on his feet, he managed to drag his trunk to the inn.
“I need a room for the night.”
“I’m ‘fraid I’m full up,” grumbled the innkeeper.
“In a small town like this, how can that be?”
“I said I’m full up. You can sleep in the common room if you want.”
“When is the next coach to London?”
“It comes through at seven tomorrow mornin’.”
“Can I get some dinner?”
“Can you pay for it?” questioned the innkeeper rudely.
�
��Do you not offer consideration for a parson?”
“Why should I offer you any consideration? I ‘eard what Mr. Darcy said about you makin’ threats to Miss Elizabeth and her family. We don’t take kindly ’round here to men who mistreat young ladies, ‘specially young ladies as kind as Miss Elizabeth. Now, can you pay for a meal or not?”
Mr. Collins pulled a small purse from his pocket and looked inside. “How much will the coach fare be to London, then to Hunsford?” The innkeeper quoted the price for the trip to London, but could not tell him how much more it would be for the second leg of his trip. Looking back at the money in his pouch, Collins said, “Bring me a pint and some bread and cheese. I must be sure that I can get back to my parish. I shall, however, warn others of my calling to avoid such an inhospitable place.” Mr. Collins turned to walk away, leaving his trunk in the hall.
“Don’t leave that in the way of my paying customers,” called the innkeeper, “or it will find its way to the garbage.”
With a huff, Mr. Collins grabbed the handle of the heavy trunk and dragged it along behind him. He selected a table in the corner near the fire and pushed the chest against the wall. Deciding that the easiest way to watch his belongings should he fall asleep would be to use the trunk for his chair, he settled down on the hard surface, then leaned back against the wall.
As he waited for the serving wench to bring his meal, he wondered if he should write to his patroness. However, he decided the evidence of her nephew’s beating, would give weight to his words about Darcy being seduced from his obligations to her daughter.
For the remainder of the ride to Longbourn, William was silent, though Richard sensed he was deep in thought. As they drew close to the turnoff for the estate, Richard said, “I do not want to rush you, but if you plan to continue this relationship, you might want to accelerate your plans so as to preempt any actions Aunt Catherine will take after hearing Mr. Collins’ tale.”
“Miss Elizabeth is the most remarkable woman I have ever met. I very much wanted to enjoy this period of courtship with her for both our sakes. However, I admit I do not want to lose Miss Elizabeth or subject her to Aunt Catherine’s tender mercies. What if she is not ready to move forward so soon?”
“I doubt you need to worry about that. Anyone who looks at the two of you can see that Miss Elizabeth returns your feelings. Why do you not talk to Elizabeth when we arrive? I will get the story from Mr. Bennet.”
“Thank you, Richard, I appreciate your support. What do you think will be your parents’ opinion of Elizabeth?”
“You know the only thing they ever wanted was your happiness. They may be surprised at first, but I am certain they will be accepting of Elizabeth, particularly when they see how happy you are with each other.” Richard grinned at his cousin, prompting a grin from Darcy as well.
When the gentlemen arrived at Longbourn, they separated, each to his assigned task.
William joined the sisters in the sitting room, with an apology that Mrs. Bennet had retired due to her nerves. With a whispered word to Elizabeth, he was able to separate her from her sisters. They moved into the room where the pianoforte rested. Elizabeth sat at the keyboard and picked out a song she could play without the music so that their conversation would not be overheard and so that no one would be tempted to interrupt them. William sat beside her on the bench as she played.
“Are you well, Elizabeth?” His voice was soft and filled with concern.
“I am well, Mr. Darcy. Mr. Collins was unsuccessful in his attempt to compromise me. However, he did do some good while he was here.”
“I cannot imagine what good that buffoon could do anyone. In fact, I feel sorry for his parishioners.”
“I cannot disagree with you about those in his care, but his vile behavior helped my younger sisters understand the danger of their flirtatious behavior and how it would affect the whole family.”
“He did not lay hands on you, did he? I already informed him of my displeasure,” said Darcy, unconsciously rubbing his knuckles. “However, if he so much as touched one hair on your head, I will not hesitate to follow through and call him out.”
Elizabeth had seen the way Darcy touched his hand and noticed the redness of his fist. She wondered what he had done and secretly hoped he had left an impression her contemptible cousin would not soon forget. “He tried but was unsuccessful.”
“Knowing that Mr. Collins’ actions could have caused me to lose you–at least to his mind–made me realize that I wish to spend the rest of my life with you. I know our relationship is not of long duration, but I know that you are the only woman I can imagine spending the rest of my life with.” Darcy paused to look deeply into Elizabeth’s eyes. “I love you and hope you will accept my hand in marriage.”
Elizabeth’s eyes were wide and glistened with tears. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words would come. Taking a deep breath, she picked up his injured hand and brushed her lips across his knuckles. “Did you do this for me?”
Darcy only smiled.
“After your heroic actions, how could I say anything other than yes?” Darcy’s smile showed his dimples, but before he had time to speak, Elizabeth added, “I love you as well, William.”
“May I kiss you, Elizabeth?” She peeked around him and did not see any of her sisters, so she nodded. William lifted one hand to cup her cheek and slid the other around her waist, drawing her closer. He lowered his head until their lips met gently. Darcy gradually increased the pressure, drawing away only when they needed to breathe. They rested their foreheads together as their breathing calmed. “I should talk to your father. If he gives his consent, I would like to send the notice to the Times about our engagement tonight. When I confronted Mr. Collins, he was under the impression that my aunt can and will protect him from anything I might attempt to do. He is wrong, but I do not want to give him the opportunity to paint you in a bad light. Nor do I want my aunt to think she can control my life. She can do nothing once we announce our engagement.”
“Is she the only one in your family likely to object to our engagement?” asked Elizabeth. Darcy did not like to hear the lack of confidence in her voice. “What will your sister think? Do you think she will like me?”
“Elizabeth, Georgiana will love having you for a sister. You are just what she needs.”
“What about the earl and countess? Will they accept me?”
“The only thing my aunt and uncle desire is my happiness. They never supported Lady Catherine’s demand that I marry her daughter. Even my cousin, Anne, does not wish to marry me. There is nothing about which you need to worry. Please remember, I am the head of the Darcy family. I am accountable to no one, and you are the woman with whom I wish to share my life.”
“Thank you, William, for reassuring me. I will wait to share the news with my sisters until you gain Papa’s permission.” With one more quick kiss, they rejoined the others. Darcy excused himself from the sisters.
Meanwhile, in Mr. Bennet’s study, Colonel Fitzwilliam recounted their encounter with Mr. Collins in the streets of Meryton. Richard’s flair for storytelling had the older gentleman chuckling. “Unfortunately, sir, I do not believe Mr. Collins is through with his attempts to cause trouble. His lack of sense is so great that he believes my aunt has the power to protect him from any actions anyone might take against him.”
“Does Lady Catherine have such power?”
“No, indeed, Mr. Bennet, she does not. Despite Mr. Collins’ veneration of my aunt, other than her rather forceful demeanor, she is somewhat of a recluse who has not been to London for many seasons. She is the daughter of an earl, which gives her an inflated opinion of her importance. That same conviction in her background makes her think that she still wields power. However, she is so opinionated that Lady Catherine alienates everyone she has ever known.”
“Lady Catherine sounds as entertaining in her own way as Mr. Collins.”
“You might be the only person who sees her as
entertaining. Most in the family find her infuriating, vexatious, or downright dreadful.”
Their laughter was interrupted by a knock at the door.
“Come,” called Mr. Bennet.
Darcy entered with a questioning gaze at his cousin. He directed his comment to Mr. Bennet. “I am surprised to hear laughter after the day you endured.”
“Like my Lizzy, my temper flares in the moment, but I never fail to see the humor in a situation. That is what makes life tolerable, Mr. Darcy.”
“I look forward to hearing Miss Elizabeth’s laughter often in the future. In fact, I would like to speak to you for a moment, Mr. Bennet.”
“Would you like me to leave, Darcy?”
“Would you mind giving us a few moments, Richard?”
“Not at all. I shall entertain the ladies while you gentlemen talk.” With a bow to Mr. Bennet, Richard left the room and closed the door behind him.
Mr. Bennet waved the young man to a seat in front of his desk. “Please take a seat, Mr. Darcy. What did you wish to speak to me about?”
“Mr. Bennet, I know that my acquaintance with your daughter is not of long duration. However, Mr. Collins’ actions caused me to realize that I might have lost her. I asked Miss Elizabeth to marry me. She accepted and we would like to ask for your blessing and consent.”
“I knew this day might come but I did not imagine that my Lizzy would be lucky enough to find a man who was worthy of her. I grant my consent and blessing. I hope that you will bring her back to visit often.”
Upon receiving the desired response, Darcy smiled his dimpled smile. “Before we share the good news, I would like to let you know that I wish to send the announcement of our engagement to the papers immediately.”
“Is there a reason for the rush?”
“I do not believe that Mr. Collins will heed my warning to keep my business from my aunt. The announcement of our engagement will prevent any attempts at mischief she might make.”
A Turn in Their Dance Page 14
