by P. O. Dixon
Keeping her joy under wraps, Elizabeth sat there. She stared. She celebrated in silence. She said nothing.
“I can tell by your solemn expression how this must surely affect you, and that is why I have not uttered a word of my intentions to your sister. I believe it is my duty as a gentleman to speak with you first, especially because I know you had counted on being the Bennet daughter of my choosing. I rather hope you will look beyond your own disappointment and see fit to release me from the peculiar arrangement we entered into before coming to Kent with the hope of getting Lady Catherine’s blessings.”
He regarded Elizabeth in all earnestly. “We both agreed, did we not, that Lady Catherine’s blessings would be absolutely necessary for us to proceed? You do remember?”
“Of course, I remember,” Elizabeth said, breaking her silence and even feigning a bit of disappointment for good measure.
“I ought to mention that I did, indeed, obtain Lady Catherine’s blessing. However, it was not to marry you, but rather your sister. Both her ladyship and I agree that such a union will contribute greatly to my chances for felicity in marriage. Cousin Mary satisfies my every wish for what I desire most in the companion of my future life.”
“Yet, you have not spoken with my sister about any of this,” Elizabeth responded.
“No, I have not. I was determined to do nothing until I spoke with you. I have every reason to suppose your sister will accept my hand in marriage, but only if she knows that doing so does not come at the expense of your own happiness.”
“What are you saying, sir?”
“What I am saying or rather asking is for your blessing for an alliance between your sister and me. Only if I have your support will I embark upon this path.”
“Sir, I do not know quite what to say.”
“Say I have your blessing as well as your permission to press my suit with your sister.”
Elizabeth nodded. “Yes, yes. Of course, you do - on both accounts. Having seen the two of you grow closer these past days and weeks, I would be the last person in the world to stand in your way.”
Mr. Collins rose from his seat. “You have my deepest gratitude for your sacrifice, Cousin Elizabeth. I am forever in your debt. Now, if you will excuse me, I am most eager to seek out your sister.” With that, he headed toward the door.
“Mr. Collins,” Elizabeth said, causing the gentleman to halt. “I would ask you but one thing in return.”
“What is that, for I am more than happy to oblige?”
“Simply this,” Elizabeth replied. “Do anything but disappoint my sister. Always be there for her, placing her needs above those of all other mortal beings. It is nothing less than she deserves.”
Elizabeth did manage to wait until Mr. Collins had quit the room before she danced about in happiness and triumph. She wanted to share her elation with the one person in the world with whom she had confided her scheme. She wanted to tell Mr. Darcy, and she meant to do it. But then it dawned on her.
Mr. Darcy is not here. He is off in London or in other parts unknown. For all I know, he may even be in Hertfordshire by now.
At least this last thought gave her a modicum of comfort. She knew not when she would see Mr. Darcy again, but one thing was certain. She would indeed see him again.
I can hardly wait.
Mary sat alone in Lady Catherine’s library. The words on the page blurred before her, for matters of a different kind occupied her busy mind. Just when she contemplated putting aside her book, the object of her musings entered the room.
“I have just come from a private audience with your sister,” Mr. Collins declared.
By his expression, the gentleman looked as if he had happy news to convey, and oddly enough, he appeared to expect Mary to concur. But if what the gentleman had to say was what Mary expected, then how could she possibly be happy?
Still, Mary laid the book she was reading aside and, without speaking, waited patiently for the gentleman to continue his speech.
“Indeed, I have news that is certain to please everyone.”
For the first time in her life, Mary suffered feelings akin to heartbreak. Oh, why, oh, why did I subject myself to such pain as this? I should have known Mr. Collins would choose Lizzy.
Her consolation was the knowledge that her own chances had been based on the slightest of possibilities. I do not know that I would have forgiven myself had I not tried.
Still, she had allowed herself to hope, and the threat of suffering any measure of agony was more than she wished to bear. Almost on the verge of bolting from her seat, she watched in amazement as Mr. Collins lowered himself to one knee.
Tears one might expect from a love-struck girl pooled in her eyes.
Mr. Collins thus began. “I believe it is only fair to inform you that upon first meeting your family, though it was always my intention to choose a bride from among the Bennet daughters as a means of making amends for the misfortune of the entail on the Longbourn estate, my vanity overruled my reason in forming an opinion on which of you ought to be the companion of my future life.
“However, as a consequence of our being here in Kent, my eyes and indeed my heart have conspired,” he went on the say. “Indeed, together, they have thus informed me of who my ideal choice must surely be. That person, my dear Cousin Mary, is you. Your modesty, your economy, your natural delicacy, and most importantly, your keen sense of how a proper young lady ought to be are such that I am convinced you are the only Bennet daughter capable of contributing to my felicity.
“What is more, your demonstration of reserve and deference that Lady Catherine de Bourgh’s rank inevitably excites speaks to your suitability as well. Indeed, it is with her ladyship’s blessing that I present myself to you on bended knee with an offer of my hand in marriage.”
Mr. Collins’s words, though not elegant, were precisely the words Mary wished to hear, and she expressed herself as sensibly as a young woman of her temperament could be expected to do.
The happiness which this reply produced was such as Mr. Collins had probably never felt before, encouraging him to conclude his speech by saying, “It seems nothing remains for me but to assure you in the most animated language of the violence of my affection.”
At last, Miss Mary Bennet could proclaim her happiness was all but complete. What was more, she was to be the first of her sisters to suffer such a pleasure. Unlike her sisters, Mary had long fancied herself as being far too sensible to expect a love match, and yet she supposed she had it.
Our family is saved, and I know precisely who to thank for our good fortune.
She could hardly wait to speak to her sister and then to write to her mother. But first, there was the matter of the violence of affections that Mr. Collins had promised.
Surely that is the most pressing order of the moment.
Chapter 15
Mere days later, Lady Catherine was livid. How dare her nephew Darcy return to Rosings Park so soon after his departure. What is more, he had made it perfectly clear that his reason for returning had nothing to do with his obligation to Anne.
On the contrary, Darcy had attempted once again to disavow his obligation to fulfill the favorite wish of Lady Catherine and his own mother, the late Lady Anne Darcy, that the cousins were to be married. From their cradles, the two cousins were destined for each other – an advantageous union like no other.
If he was not there to spend time with Anne, and he was not there on Lady Catherine’s behest, then what possible reason could he have for returning as soon as he did?
Her ladyship did not have to ponder the question for very long before she knew beyond the shadow of a doubt what was afoot.
From her vantage point, staring out the window overlooking her maze garden, the evidence was plain to see. Mr. Darcy and Miss Bennet walked along beside each other, standing much too close for Lady Catherine’s taste.
I mean to put an end to my nephew’s trifling affection for that impertinent Miss Elizabeth Bennet for once and
for all. Merely banishing her from my home will not suffice. I must guarantee that young chit is forever beyond my nephew’s reach.
An hour or so later, lady Catherine was sitting in her parlor being attended by Mr. Collins, who even now performed the role of a most loyal subject.
“I fear I may have been premature in recommending that you choose Miss Mary Bennet instead of her sister,” she said.
Mr. Collins shifted in his seat but remained silent.
“I do not like to admit when I have been wrong, a consequence of rarely exhibiting such human frailty, no doubt, but I suppose it happens to the best of us. Fortunately, this mistake is easily rectified.”
“I am afraid I am not following you, your ladyship. Through no fault of your own, of course. The failing is completely mine.”
“Then, you can have no doubt of what is to be done.” Lady Catherine did not wait for a response. She had no reason to do so. If anyone on earth would do her bidding, it was Mr. Collins. “You must marry Miss Elizabeth Bennet.”
“I beg your pardon, Lady Catherine. You are aware, are you not, that Cousin Mary and I are engaged to be married. She has written to her family to share the happy news.”
Her ladyship reared her regal head. “What is that to me, or you either, for that matter? I have rescinded my blessing to such an alliance and conferred it instead to a union between you and Miss Elizabeth Bennet.”
Collins shook his head. “I am afraid it is too late for that.”
“How dare you speak to me in such a manner!” she exclaimed. “Is the entire reason for the Bennet daughters being here not to garner my opinion on which one you ought to marry? Well, now you have it, and I expect you to act accordingly.”
“True, my coming here to seek your blessing for an alliance between a Bennet daughter and me was indeed the principal reason. I am thankful for it; else, I would have made a grave mistake so far as my future happiness is concerned.
“Marrying Cousin Elizabeth would very well cause me to suffer from misery of the acutest kind. Of that, I am convinced without a single shred of a doubt. Not because of any fault in her character, mind you, but because she and I are as different as night and day, whereas Cousin Mary seems to be designed for me. She and I have but one mind and one way of thinking. There is, in everything, a most remarkable resemblance of character and ideas between us.
“I have offered her my hand in marriage, and she has graciously accepted. So far as I am concerned, we are as good as husband and wife. I have promised to protect her, to have and to hold her, and to place no one else above her. I shall allow no one to cast our imminent union asunder. Not even you, Lady Catherine. I am sorry it disappoints you, but this is how I feel.”
“And this is your final resolve? This is how you intend to express your gratitude to me after all I have done for you. In view of how much I can do for you still - opening doors that would otherwise be closed to you. Do you realize it is in my power to see that you are not received in any decent home?”
“That may very well be true, and I hope you will think better of your threat. However, as the master of my own estate with a wife and a family to call my own, I’m sure I can have no cause to repine.”
Chapter 16
Having learned from his valet that the Bennet daughters were preparing for their immediate departure from Kent, Mr. Darcy instructed the man to deliver a message to the eldest Miss Bennet. He requested that she meet him in the east wing. Nobody used that part of the manor house. Thus, their privacy was assured.
Not a quarter-hour later, the aggrieved gentleman paced the floor. Running his hand through his hair, he proclaimed, “This is my fault.”
Indeed, after listening to Elizabeth’s account on why she and Mary were taking their leave of Kent so suddenly, he was sure this was his aunt’s way of seeking retribution against him.
“Why would you possibly blame yourself, Mr. Darcy?”
“Because your leaving has everything to do with my returning to Kent. I came back to see you, Miss Bennet. I had to see you, and Lady Catherine knows it.”
“I am afraid I do not understand.”
“No, I do not expect you do. The fact is, I can hardly understand it myself. All I know is that I wanted to see you again, even though I know that you and I would be in each other’s company in Hertfordshire in a matter of weeks.”
Such had been what his cousin the colonel had argued upon learning of Darcy’s intention to return to Kent. Darcy’s desire to be with Elizabeth would not be repressed, nor would it be pacified by the promise of a future reunion at some unspecified time.
“I hope you do not mind my telling you this,” he offered. “I know our acquaintance is of rather short duration, but I like spending time with you. It is my hope that you feel the same.”
“I do.”
“And I hope you will allow me to make amends for my aunt’s poor hospitality.”
“What do you have in mind, sir?”
“Allow me to take you and your sister away from Kent to Hertfordshire.”
“I suppose there is no harm in your proposal, so long as you do not forget Mr. Collins.”
“Mr. Collins?”
“Indeed. Have you not heard the happy news? There is soon to be a wedding in my family.”
“Tell me your mission to persuade the gentleman to transfer his ardent attention to your sister bore fruit.”
“It did indeed. I do not know which of us is happier, my sister Mary or me.”
“I am happier for you, but then again, I am biased. Or need I remind you?”
“No reminder is needed, sir. I am sure I will never forget, which begs the question - are you sure I am safe accepting your generous offer? I am not in the habit of being in anyone’s debt.”
“No, you are far too independent for that. However, even the most independent-minded of us can not object to the service of a friend.”
Her feelings divided between hope and uncertainty, Elizabeth asked, “Is that what we are, Mr. Darcy? Friends?”
“Are we not?”
She pursed her lips. “Can members of the opposite sex be friends?”
“That I cannot say. Nor can I say where a friendship between the two of us may or may not lead. But I cannot think of a greater foundation than we currently have from which to make a start. Agree?”
“I agree.”
“Then let us get you away from this place.”
“As inclined as I am to accept your offer, Mr. Darcy, I do not know that I am at liberty to do so. Now that Mr. Collins and my sister are engaged, he is as good as the head of our family. Only the want of a marriage decree will make his new role official.”
The gentleman nodded his head. “I know you well enough to know this is a change that will take some getting used to on your part.”
“Indeed,” Elizabeth replied. “Not that I would have it any other way. Were it within my power, I would rather the marriage occur by a special license. My family’s place at Longbourn has been marred by uncertainty for far too long.”
“Certainly,” Mr. Darcy said, “if such an arrangement is mutually agreed to by your cousin, I am willing to do everything in my power to help bring it about.”
“No, such speculation is merely wishful thinking on my part. It is not for me to say how my sister’s marriage should come about.”
“Of course, you are correct. That said, I will go to the Parsonage house to extend the invitation to travel to Hertfordshire in the Darcy carriage. I am sure it is an offer your cousin will not wish to refuse.”
Elizabeth smiled a little at the thought of what Mr. Collins’s response to Mr. Darcy’s offer would be. In view of the fact that the gentleman’s standing in Lady Catherine de Bourgh’s esteem had effectively vanished, he would relish a chance to have the nephew stand by him instead.
As a young man who is coming into his own, Mr. Collins can have no doubt that Mr. Darcy has far more to offer.
The eventual arrival at Longbourn in the company of non
e other than Lady Catherine de Bourgh’s nephew did not arouse the degree of suspicion and innuendo that such an occasion might otherwise call for. It stood to reason, after all, that Lady Catherine would prevail on her relation to extend such a courtesy to her guests. As Mr. Darcy was already going to Hertfordshire to visit his friend Charles Bingley, the Bennet sisters would be in nobody’s way.
Elizabeth’s family, specifically her mother, did not need to know the actual circumstances of her daughters’ departure from Rosings Park. Certainly, none of the affected parties were likely to boast of their exodus. On the other hand, Mrs. Bennet did not seem to care. Her daughter Mary’s engagement to the heir of Longbourn would be the means of the Bennets’ remaining in their home, or as she proclaimed with glee, “We are saved!”
Mrs. Bennet did, however, insist upon Mr. Darcy’s taking a family dinner with them. She easily surmised that any friend of Mr. Bingley’s must surely be rich, but she could have no way of knowing the wide disparity in the gentlemen’s wealth. Even though her mother always had an excellent table – despite all Elizabeth’s attempts to inject a greater sense of economy into the household after her father’s passing - Elizabeth could not be sure how Mr. Darcy would comport himself among those who were so far beneath him in consequence. She had borne witness to the degree of his fastidiousness while traveling with him. They had changed horses at least three times during their hurried journey, and rarely did the gentleman bother taking much sustenance.
Were it not for her having spent so much time with him as she had in Kent, Elizabeth would not have recognized Mr. Darcy. He had donned a mask of indifference that belied everything she knew about him. As it turned out, all her worry of having to shield Longbourn’s illustrious visitor from the notice of her mother and her youngest sisters, all of whom she feared his conversing with would cause the gentleman utter mortification, had been in vain.
