by Sophia King
Elizabeth marvelled at his attitude. She was sure that if she had encountered all he had, she should have been very resentful. And yet Wickham took it all in his stride and refused to allow it to turn him into a bitter person. When she compared him to Mr Darcy, who had all the good fortune life could bestow on a man, and yet was unpleasant and cold and cared little for anyone but his sister, it cast him in an even poorer light.
“You are better than I am,” she said. “It is a mark of your good nature that you can see things the way you do. I admire that excessively.”
Wickham laughed. “You will make me blush, madam. But come, come. I did not expect us to have such a conversation as this. Do you read much, Miss Bennet? I was pleased to see there is a circulating library in the village. It is rare in so small a place. One of my greatest misfortunes has been a lack of access to good reading material, but here I am liberally supplied. Have you read Johnson’s…”
The two spoke long together, and Elizabeth was delighted to have such a lively companion. After her stay at Netherfield and having to endure the stilted conversation of Mr Darcy, speaking to someone who was all ease and friendliness was a welcome change. Their conversation became so animated, that Lydia could endure it no longer.
“Let’s have some dancing,” she declared, throwing her cards down. “I am bored of having to sit still. Can someone play some music?”
Jane obliged and opened the pianoforte. Elizabeth scarcely took any notice, expecting Lydia to dance with Denny, the man who had been her favourite since he first arrived in the village. Denny could hardly be less surprised when she crossed the room and took Wickham by the hand.
“Come, Mr Wickham. You will be my dancing partner.”
Wickham obliged, and the couples lined up along the room. Elizabeth stayed where she was, and as he danced with Lydia, Wickham cast frequent glances and smiles in her direction. Elizabeth returned them warmly. She could not believe her good fortune in having such a man as this in her neighbourhood. The dancing stretched until late in the evening and by the time Aunt Phillips sent for her carriage to convey her nieces back to Longbourn, Elizabeth could think of nothing else but the man with whom she had enjoyed such a lively, interesting conversation. She hoped she would see him again very soon.
Chapter 8
Mrs Bennet walked up and down her line of daughters, casting a critical eye over all of them.
“Mary, stop chewing your nails,” she said, pulling Mary’s hand away from her mouth. “Do not slouch, Kitty. It makes you look as if you have a hump on your back. Lydia, my love, you look very pretty. Jane, dear, you need do nothing but be your usual self.”
She arrived in front of Elizabeth, and her confidence wavered momentarily. “Elizabeth, you will not trouble Mr Collins with your odd notions and opinions. He will not like a lady who is so forthright. I wish your father had curbed that instinct in you rather than encouraging it.”
Inspection complete, she stood beside them, nervously brushing down her gown. Mr Bennet reluctantly came down the steps to join them.
“I trust the parade ground is to your liking, Colonel?” he asked his wife dryly. Elizabeth giggled.
“Do not tease me, Mr Bennet,” she said. She bobbed up and down on her toes anxiously trying to see the lane leading to Longbourn. “Oh, where is he? He said he would be here by eleven o’clock.”
Mr Bennet took out his pocket watch and flipped it open. “It is almost that now, my dear. He is not late yet.”
The village clock rung out the eleventh hour exactly when a carriage rolled up the driveway towards them. The girls craned their necks trying to get a better look at their mysterious cousin. It rolled to a stop, and the coachman jumped down to place the steps before the door. The door opened and a man stepped out to greet them.
Elizabeth stared at her cousin for the first time. He was taller than expected. To her eye, it looked as if he had been stretched on a rack. His face had that same long quality. His eyes were small, and his lips had a wetness about them that repulsed Elizabeth. They had the thick, fleshy look she had seen on fish in the market. His hair looked as if it had not been washed in some time, and clung to his forehead in thin strands. All in all, he was not what she could consider a comely man.
“Mr Collins,” exclaimed Mrs Bennet. She moved towards him with open arms as if he were their saviour. “How glad we all are that you have visited us. Are we not, Mr Bennet?”
“Ecstatic,” said Mr Bennet.
Once the introductions had been made, he beamed and bowed at them all. His eyes scanned the girls in a hungry manner. Elizabeth suppressed a shudder. Her mother would not throw her to this man. She would rather be the wife of Mr Darcy than of someone like this.
“What a fine litter of beauties you have, Mr Bennet,” said Mr Collins. “You must be pleased as punch to have such a pretty harem of ladies.”
Mr Bennet raised an eyebrow and exchanged an amused glance with Elizabeth.
“Some days, I think of little else, Mr Collins. Won’t you come inside?”
Mrs Bennet insisted on giving Mr Collins a tour of the house. He exclaimed over everything and asked some insultingly pointed questions about the profitability of the estate. His own father had clearly impressed on him that he was the owner of Longbourn in all but name. He admired the curtains in his bedroom and asked which of his fair cousins had made them.
“They were made by a seamstress, Mr Collins,” said Mrs Bennet. Her excitement at having him here wavered for just a moment. “My girls have no need to sew unless it is for their own enjoyment. Which they do enjoy greatly,” she added quickly. “They are all of them very accomplished. Quick, Kitty. Run and get your sampler to show your cousin.”
Mr Collins was soon ensconced in a chair in the parlour as the younger girls were expected to show him their accomplishments at the pianoforte. Elizabeth could have groaned in frustration. Was this to be for the next two weeks? Listening to him exclaim over everything, while asking insinuating questions about the wealth of the farm and how likely the girls were to bear children? She had never met such an odious man. He made Mr Darcy look positively graceful.
“I think you mentioned your patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Mr Collins,” she interrupted. Mr Collins had been talking loudly about all he had learned about the profit to be found in hay, and attempting to ask in an indirect way if Longbourn could have such a possibility. He seemed ready to bury Mr Bennet and move in at once.
Mr Collins was immediately diverted. “Yes, of course.” He sighed and clapped his hands together, shaking his head with his eyes closed. He looked as if he was having a religious experience. “Lady Catherine de Bourgh. What can I say of her that would do her justice? She is the most wonderful lady. She chose me, a lowly clergyman to be her own private cleric. I flatter myself that she saw in me some good that could be put to use for her village. She has helped me with my home and been so condescending as to offer me advice on how to furnish it and how I should arrange my meals.”
Elizabeth ducked her head to hide her laughter. She could feel her father’s eyes on her, but could not bear to look at him as she knew she would burst out laughing and be unable to stop.
Mrs Bennet sighed. “She sounds like a wonderful lady. How fortunate you are, for a young man starting out in his career to have such a woman. Especially when you do not have a wife of your own…”
Elizabeth suddenly stopped laughing. Her head snapped up to see Mr Collins’s response. He was once again looking over all of them. His gaze lingered on Jane, whose delicate loveliness was lit up as she sat at the piano by the window, the sunlight gleaming on her golden hair. Elizabeth smiled. She wondered how Mr Bingley would behave if he met his rival.
“Yes, it is a hard thing to be a man without a wife, especially considering my station in life,” said Mr Collins. His gaze still lingered on Jane. “I know that when I do find a lady to marry, Lady de Bourgh will show her the very same kindness and condescension she has shown me. She will have no fears t
hat she will not be up for the task of running a household for a prominent clergyman. Lady Catherine will be there to guide her every step of the way.”
“She will be a fortunate woman, sir,” Elizabeth could not resist saying. “Perhaps you will present the lady to Lady Catherine and receive her formal approval? I believe the farmers do something similar when they wish to have my father’s advice on buying a new pig.”
Mr Bennet was overcome with a fit of coughing and was obliged to leave the room. Mrs Bennet gasped and scowled at her daughter.
Fortunately, Mr Collins did not catch the sarcasm in her remark. He beamed at her.
“I know what you mean, Cousin Elizabeth. Any young lady would be delighted to know she married me with Lady Catherine’s express approval. But Lady Catherine is so very modest that she would not require any such thing. She trusts me completely to find the right lady. She told me to find a clever woman, not too finely brought up, who is not afraid of hard work. She said I should choose a busy, useful sort of person, and to allow that to be more importance than any more worldly desires…” His voice trailed off as he once again looked at Jane.
Mrs Bennet followed the direction of his gaze. “That describes all my girls,” she said. “You know, my Lizzy walked all the way to Netherfield when Jane was ill last week. She cared nothing for the mud and rain. She only wished to bring comfort to her sister. Is that not good of her?”
“Hmmm…” For the first time, Mr Collins regarded Elizabeth with interest. “Yes, that is very good of her. For one to think nothing of her own personal comfort in her desire to bring solace to the sick is a trait to be admired. I think Lady Catherine would think very highly of such a woman.”
“Oh yes, I am dreadfully wilful like that,” said Elizabeth, deliberately misunderstanding him. “I must always go my own way and when I knew my sister was ill, nothing could stop me from wanting to be by her side. I gave them all a fright with my appearance when I arrived.”
“Why don’t we show you the gardens,” Mrs Bennet interrupted with a strangled cry before Elizabeth could make herself seem as undesirable as possible. “The leaves are almost all gone, but there is much beauty to be found there at this time of year.”
“Oh, that would be lovely,” said Mr Collins. He unfolded his long body and stood up. “I am quite fond of walking.”
“Just like my Lizzy,” said Mrs Bennet triumphantly.
Mr Collins smiled. “Perhaps your amiable daughters would consent to accompany me? We are family, after all, and it is my dearest wish to get to know them better.”
“Of course they will,” said Mrs Bennet. She moved towards her daughters as if she were shooing hens out of the room. “Go on, girls. Spend time with your cousin.”
The five young ladies reluctantly accompanied Mr Collins out into the garden. They walked with him down to a pretty little wilderness and as he claimed over it, they quietly slipped away and left him to his raptures. Mrs Bennet had been watching it all from the window, and she quickly ran down the steps to join him.
“You must forgive my daughters,” she said. “They are all pleasant girls, but they are all so fond of one another. They have been parted, you see, when Jane was ill at Netherfield and Elizabeth stayed with her. They are excited at being back together, and it has made them rather thoughtless.”
Mr Collins waved away her concerns. “It is quite alright,” he said. “And in fact, it suits me that we are here alone. I would like to speak with you on a subject that requires some delicacy.”
Mrs Bennet stepped towards him, her heart racing. Was a proposal forthcoming already?
“Yes, Mr Collins?” she whispered.
The two of them walked together, observing the girls as they broke into their own groups, laughing and speaking together. Elizabeth and Jane walked by the rose wall, deep in conversation.
“I have explained to you the kindness of my patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh,” said Mr Collins. His voice throbbed with reverence as he said her name.
“You did.”
“It is she who desired me to heal the breach with your family,” he confessed. “I have always been uneasy about it, and I wanted to make amends myself after my father’s death. But I was not sure if it would be a betrayal to his memory to befriend the man he disliked so intensely. But when I explained all to Lady Catherine, she was most firm that a clergyman must set the example of forgiveness and brotherly love in his parish.”
“She sounds like a fine lady,” said Mrs Bennet.
“Oh she is, madam. The very best. But she did not only desire me to heal the breech. I explained to her our curious situation. The fact that I am to inherit this estate after your dear husband’s passing. She advised me at once that I should come here and meet your daughters, and make an offer of marriage to one of them. Is that not a fine idea? I have wanted be married for some time now, but it has been hard for me to meet suitable ladies who might be willing to…well…enough about that. As soon as Lady Catherine made the suggestion, I knew at once why I had found it so difficult to find a bride. The Lord wished me to marry one of your girls, and only Lady Catherine had the wisdom to see it.”
“Oh, Mr Collins,” Mrs Bennet breathed. “That is the kindest idea I have ever heard. You and Lady Catherine are to be commended. And I can tell you that any one of my girls will make you a fine wife and will be honoured to be at your side.”
“Hmmm…” Mr Collins looked very pleased at her words. He had never found a woman willing to so much as exchange small talk with him, and now he had a whole house of women for him to pick and choose from. It was more than he could ever dared hope for. “I am glad to hear that, Mrs Bennet. I am satisfied that this match will be the best thing for everyone, for I must always think of the well-being of others before my own. It is my nature, and only right for someone who is so favoured to have the patronage of Lady Catherine de Bourgh. And now it only remains for me to choose.”
He made a pretence of taking his time to make up his mind. “I’d imagine as the eldest, Miss Jane Bennet must be my first choice?” he said.
“Ah, yes. Well, I am afraid there I must warn you,” said Mrs Bennet. “You see, it is very likely that Jane is to soon be engaged to the young man at Netherfield. We are expecting a proposal from him any day now. But as to my younger girls, I do not know of any prior attachment in their cases. I believe you may pick and choose whichever one you want from the younger four.”
Mr Collins looked again to where Jane and Elizabeth walked. Elizabeth laughed at something Jane had said. He smiled. She was not as beautiful as Jane, but then few women were. But she was excessively pretty.
“Then as the second oldest, I believe I must choose Miss Elizabeth,” he said.
Mrs Bennet sighed with relief. She had been so afraid he would settle for no-one but Jane and decide to find a wife elsewhere.
“Yes, Lizzy is the perfect choice for you,” she approved. “She has no attachments that I know of, and is exactly the useful sort of person you described. I am sure she will be honoured by your suit.”
Mr Collins smiled. “Then I have your permission to court Miss Elizabeth?”
“You have it, and Mr Bennet’s as well,” said Mrs Bennet. “And I hope the two of you will be very happy together. I cannot think of a finer match, apart from Jane and Mr Bingley’s.”
Chapter 9
Two days later, Mr Bingley rode up the driveway to Longbourn. The house was sent into a flurry of excitement as Mrs Bingley stuffed ribbons, embroidery and half-trimmed bonnets into a chest, and instructed Jane to change into a more flattering dress.
“There is no time for that, Mama,” said Elizabeth before Jane could run from the room. “She looks quite well enough. Let her be.”
Mrs Bennet reluctantly agreed. When Mr Bingley was shown into the drawing room, all the ladies sat quite composed. Mr Collins stood to greet him as if he was already the man of the house. After a brief introduction, and Mr Bingley had enquired after Jane’s health, he brought his news
.
“I hope you will be as excited as I am when I tell you I am throwing a ball on Wednesday evening,” he said. He beamed at their delighted cries. “I could not be content with merely sending an invitation. More than anything else, I wanted to come here and invite you all personally.”
“Oh, that is so good of you, Mr Bingley,” gasped Mrs Bennet.
“And I must extend my invitation to Mr Collins, too of course. I should be honoured by your attendance, sir.”
“I should be delighted,” said Mr Collins. He turned to beam at Elizabeth. “And I should also like to take this opportunity to solicit my fair cousin’s hand for the first two dances.”
Her sisters giggled and nudged one another. Elizabeth stared at him in horror. For him to ask in front of everyone gave her no other choice but to accept him. If she did not, she would be obliged to sit out of the dancing, and she had very much hoped to dance with Wickham if he attended. She reluctantly gave her consent, and Mr Collins beamed as if he knew she would desire nothing more than to be pulled about a ballroom by him. She took a breath as Mr Bingley continued to discuss the evening plans. Her own natural resilience rose to the surface and she was determined that she would enjoy herself on the night, even if Mr Collins insisted on attaching himself to her side.
Mr Hill came into the room to announce more visitors. A group of officers were ushered in to their presence. Wickham’s eyes went to Elizabeth at once, and he smiled warmly. Elizabeth blushed and shyly returned his smile. Mr Bingley was quickly introduced, and he invited them to attend the ball in his usual open-hearted manner. They were delighted to accept.
