Charlotte

by Linda Phelps

  Mr. Collins looked at her in astonishment. “But my dear wife, I explained to you earlier that it would not do to have such a rumour arrive at Rosings by other means. It was my responsibility to give what intelligence I had as soon as I received it.”

  Once at Rosings, Charlotte recognized a tension in the atmosphere. Lady Anne had placed herself in the darkest corner of the room, but even so it was not difficult to see that her eyes were red from weeping. Mrs. Jenkinson’s smile of welcome did not come readily. She seemed weary.

  Lady Catherine could talk of nothing but the news from Longbourn. One would have thought she was personally acquainted with the environs and the people therein “I should have warned Darcy to stay away from the place,” said she. “However, as I was completely taken in by the arts of Miss Elizabeth Bennet, I did not recognize the need to do so. I chastise myself for not recognizing the girl for what she is. I must give you part of the blame, Mrs. Collins. You brought that lady into my home, where I accommodated her with all possible hospitality and amiability.”

  “You did indeed,” said Mr. Collins. “One might say you went well beyond what was required of you by your rank in the situation. My cousin Elizabeth owes you respect and obedience after the kindnesses she received her in this very house.”

  “Yes, yes, Mr. Collins,” said Lady Catherine impatiently, “but it is not you whom I blame for the fact that I willingly harboured this deceitful girl. I blame Mrs. Collins. Elizabeth Bennet may be your cousin, but she is by your wife’s account, an intimate friend of many years acquaintance. Mrs. Collins, how could you bring such a person into my home? I am very disappointed in you.”

  Charlotte took a moment to arrange a look of contrition upon her features. “I am grieved that I have disappointed you, Lady Catherine,” said she. “I am, however, at a loss to know the reason for your concern. You know what village gossip is. It is entirely possible that there is no attachment at all between Mr. Darcy and my friend. Certainly on their encounters a year ago, they did not seem in the least congenial. Is that not so, Husband?”

  “I was not myself present—”

  “But in a year Elizabeth Bennet has realized what an advantage it would be for her to receive an offer from my nephew.” Lady Catherine stressed the syllables of Charlotte’s friend’s name with intense scorn. “She is too cunning to let such an opportunity pass by without making an effort to win his affections. She has arts and allurements to which my nephew, in a moment of weakness, might be susceptible.”

  “I have never known Elizabeth to be flirtatious,” said Charlotte. She avoided the eye of her husband, for she knew that in his view she should agree with any slur Lady Catherine used to characterize her friend. “And remember again, this gossip may be only that.”

  Lady Catherine thought for a moment. “You may be correct, Mrs. Collins, but one knows that such a rumour can put thoughts into the head of one such as Elizabeth Bennet. She will be watching for a chance to attach herself to Darcy.”

  Lady Anne rose. “Darcy? Darcy is the nephew who courts Miss Bennet?”

  “Of course,” said Lady Catherine. “Have you not been crying for knowledge of that very fact?”

  “Oh.” The girl hesitated for a moment. “Yes. I have. Forgive me, madam. I am, of course, devastated by news of his new attachment.” As she sank back onto the sofa, she brought a handkerchief to her eyes. .“Whatever shall become of me?”

  “Do not stress yourself, Anne,” said Lady Catherine, “for I am convinced that Darcy’s pride in family will cause him to resume behavior suitable to his position in life. Can he marry the sister of the disgraced girl who ran off with the officer? I think not. His pride will prevent it.”

  Mr. Collins saw an opportunity. “Lady Catherine,” said he, “be assured that I will myself do all I can, as eventual head of the Bennet family, to convince my cousin to resume her correct rank in society. I will leave tomorrow to speak to her, if you only so direct me.”

  “I will speak to Elizabeth Bennet,” said Lady Catherine. “I consider that I am the best choice for the task. I am not to be trifled with in this fashion. She will know of my displeasure when I tell her of it myself. If the story should turn out to be a falsehood, I am positive that the lady herself is the one who invented it. She will find me harder to deceive than the villagers with whom she normally associates.”

  Charlotte and Mr. Collins exchanged glances. Once he was convinced she would stay silent he said, “You are quite right to take the bull by the horns, so to speak, my lady. Such a lack of respect, such an insult to your lineage, such an affront to your daughter to whom Mr. Darcy is all but engaged—” He lost his thought, and as he groped for it Charlotte said, “I pray you, husband, and madam, do not make these assumptions without better evidence. You are in danger of doing a great injustice to my friend, and also to Mr. Darcy.”

  Lady Catherine ignored them both. “To think of this girl, an upstart whose uncles, I have heard, are in trade, has the shameful ambition of attaching herself to the line of de Bourgh! She must know that Darcy’s mother and I planned from the time of Anne’s birth for them to marry. The estates would thus be united, and Darcy could assume the title. What does such a girl think she has to offer that would equal what marriage to Anne would provide him?”

  Charlotte carefully did not look in the direction of the plain, tearful young women whose sparse charms were so easily eclipsed by one so lively as Elizabeth. Take the money out of the equation, and Darcy would have no trouble choosing between the two. Despite her suggestions to Lady Catherine that the story of the attachment was mere gossip, she became more and more convinced that it had a foundation of truth. With an effort, she managed not to smile at the thought.

  “Let Elizabeth Bennet answer to me in this matter,” continued Lady Catherine. “Mrs. Jenkinson, will you ask Mrs. Muir to prepare for a journey. I will go tomorrow to see this despicable young woman and remind her of what she owes me. It is only fifty miles, is it not? If we leave early we should be there while there remain some hours of daylight.”

  Mrs. Jenkinson scurried away. Said Mr. Collins, “I think you are acting in exactly the right way, my lady. One does not like to see the distinctions of rank ignored in this fashion. And that is not even to speak of poor Lady Anne’s distress at this betrayal.”

  Lady Catherine ignored him. She turned to Charlotte. “I see now that perhaps you did not always know the character of Miss Elizabeth Bennet. She imposed upon your good nature as she did upon mine and upon that of poor Darcy. There is no end to her lack of honour.”

  Charlotte felt anger rising within herself. With practiced steadiness, she maintained an expression of rueful agreement, as she stored up the remarks she would so like to make to Lady Catherine. The creatures in the fowl house would hear them soon.

  Lady Catherine continued her disparagement of Elizabeth throughout the dinner. She rehearsed for her company the words she would say when in the girl’s presence. “When she sees my carriage, she can be at no loss to understand why I have made such a journey. Her conscience will assist her comprehension.”

  “Indeed, Lady Catherine, if she has a conscience,” said Mr. Collins. “One can assume nothing in such a case. Recollect that her younger sister—”

  “I do recollect, Mr. Collins. As I now consider, I am sure that Miss Elizabeth Bennet put the idea in her sister’s head and abetted the entire disgraceful adventure. I tell you, I am sure of it.”

  Charlotte presented a head ache as an excuse for an unusually early departure from Rosings. She offered to drive the gig herself so that Mr. Collins could continue into the night to prepare lines of attack for the coming battle. This plan was acceptable, which saved Charlotte the trouble of preserving her façade of indifference until she could reach the chickens and ducks. Luckily, there were cows grazing on the side of the road. She pulled the pony to a stop. Then, identifying the animals which to her most resembled lady Catherine, Mr. Collins, and Lady Anne, she scolded each of them for their wrong ide
as. It was several minutes before she and the pony were back on the road to the rectory.

  The next day was wet. Mr. Collins arose very early. Charlotte discovered him in his book room, putting his signature on a letter. “Ah,” said he. “I have just completed this warning for my uncle Bennet. I shall read it to you.”

  “Why are you writing to Mr. Bennet?” asked Charlotte.

  “I understand your meaning,” said Mr. Collins. “I thought first to write to my cousin Elizabeth directly, but upon consideration, I decided that her father should be the one to correct her behavior, not I. Therefore I have taken it upon myself to explain to him the ways in which this latest scandal jeopardizes the good name of the entire family.”

  “Yourself included,” said Charlotte.

  “Even you, my wife, might be tainted by this breach of decorum on the part of your friend.” He smoothed the paper and began to read.

  ‘My dear uncle, allow me to congratulate you on the engagement of your eldest daughter. Having thus offered you the sincere congratulations on this happy event, let me now add a short hint on the subject of another, of which we have been advertised by the same authority.’

  “They will not find it difficult to name your sources,” said Charlotte. “Who could they be but my mother and father.”

  “And so it was, but I continue.

  ‘Your daughter Elizabeth, it is presumed will not long bear the name of Bennet after her elder sister has resigned it, and the chosen partner of her fate may be reasonably looked up to as one of the most illustrious personages in this land.

  This young gentleman is blessed in a peculiar way with everything the heart of mortal can most desire. Yet in spite of these temptations, let me warn my cousin Elizabeth and yourself of what evils you may incur by a precipitate closure with this gentleman’s proposals, which, of course, you will be inclined to take immediate advantage of.’

  “You do not name Mr. Darcy either,” said Charlotte, “but Mr. Bennet should have no trouble identifying him.”

  “My uncle may not be aware of his daughter’s immodest behavior.”

  “What immodest behavior?” cried Charlotte. “You cannot know that such behavior has taken place.”

  “My dear Charlotte, allow me to speak from the benefits of a greater knowledge of the world than you can have had during your quiet, blameless life.”

  Charlotte cast down her eyes. Not for the first time she acknowledged her good fortune in being married to a man who, once he had assessed her character, would never suspect it might have changed.

  ‘After mentioning the likelihood of this marriage to her ladyship last night, she immediately expressed what she felt on the occasion: when it became apparent that she would never give her consent to what she termed so disgraceful a match, I thought it my duty to give the speediest intelligence of this to my cousin, that she and her noble admirer may be aware of what they are about, and not run hastily into a marriage which has not been property sanctioned.’

  “So is that not well worded, wife?”

  “Exceedingly,” said Charlotte. “You have covered the situation perfectly. However I must mention that you yourself are the one who spread the story into this part of the country.”

  “Mrs. Collins, it was my clear duty—”

  “Yes. Is that all, Mr. Collins?”

  “I have reminded him that he has already lost one daughter forever because of reckless behavior.”

  “Do you think Mr. Darcy will run off with Elizabeth and later have to be forced to marry her?” cried Charlotte. “Do you not think better of Mr. Darcy than that?”

  “You come to the point, my dear. What would motivate Mr. Darcy to marry my cousin? She is merely a gentleman’s daughter with no income to bring to the union.”

  “Perhaps he is motivated by love,” said Charlotte.

  Ignoring the downpour, Mr. Collins made his way into the village in order to post his letter. From there he hastened to Rosings in order to ascertain whether Lady Catherine had got safely off on her journey. Upon his return he reported that she had decided to wait another day before advancing into the area in which Bennets were to be found. Mr. Collins had repeated to the coachman his detailed directions for finding Longbourn and suggested a number of chastisements for Lady Catherine to add to the list with which she planned to intimidate Elizabeth. His usefulness as an auditor of his patroness’s dudgeon was repaid with yet another opportunity to serve as head at the dinner table. Dark approached before he made his way through the puddles and mud to his home.

  “Well, my dear,” said he to Charlotte, “it appears that it will be dry tomorrow, and Lady Catherine will be able to go to Longbourn. She plans to leave in the late morning and stay the night at the home of Viscount Ramsey, which is at the halfway point. I believe she will sleep much more soundly than any member of the Bennet family will.”

  So saying, the couple made their way up the stairs to their bedroom.

  “Mr. Collins,” said Charlotte, “let me ask you this question. If it were not for Lady Catherine’s anger, do you, as a clergyman, as a man who has assumed the responsibility of administering the sacraments to those who have need of them, have any objection to a union between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy?”

  “I do not understand, my dear.”

  “If Lady Catherine did not exist, would you wish joy to my friend and Mr. Darcy? Would you congratulate them upon their marriage?”

  “There is no point in such speculation,” said Mr. Collins, after a good deal of thought. “Lady Catherine does exist. Her wishes are to be accommodated in such a matter. We, who benefit so handsomely from her largesse, have no right to question her.”

  “I expected that was what you would say,” said Charlotte, and turning her back to her husband, she settled herself for sleep.

  Chapter Six

  MR. COLLINS PACED THE road in front of the cottage so as to have first intelligence of Lady Catherine’s return. However, that lady did not return for three more days, and it was not until after the Sunday service that she initiated conversation with her minister and his wife.

  “We have only been invited to come after dinner to play at whist,” said Mr. Collins in dismay. “I am afraid that Lady Catherine has not had a good response to her advice, and after undertaking such a journey for the purpose. I suspect that her endeavours were not appreciated by those who should most take them to heart.”

  Charlotte, silently rejoicing at the apparent failure of her patroness’s interference, said, “We must take care to comfort her at this time. I suppose she is feeling injured.”

  “As well she might be. I shall prepare some consolatory remarks to present to her.” And he headed for his book room.

  Charlotte was almost unable to contain her curiosity about the cause of Lady Catherine’s disaffection. She had imagined the scene many times whilst feeding the fowl, indulging lavishly in her old practice of playing the parts of all the actors. What had been the greatest affront? Had Mr. Bennet, for once in his life, performed the part of father and protector? Had Elizabeth herself, as ingénue, spoken to the great lady with wit and reason? Had Elizabeth expressed open hostility to her guest? Whatever her feelings for Mr. Darcy, it was unthinkable that she had capitulated. Charlotte waited with unwonted eagerness for the time to come at which they were expected to appear at Rosings.

  Lady Catherine had been awaiting someone to whom she could vent her anger. “Your friend, Mrs. Collins” said she, stabbing a finger in Charlotte’s direction, “is as ill bred as her wicked sister. You shall hear how she responded to my advice. Insolence! Insolence I tell you, the like of which it has never before been my misfortune to face.”

  “I am so sorry to hear that,” said Charlotte. “I have never known Elizabeth to be insolent. I see she has changed.”

  “I do not believe that, Mrs. Collins,” said Lady Catherine. “Such a lack of character can only be the result of years of practicing intolerable manners.”

  “Yes, indeed, Lady Catherine,�
�� said Mr. Collins. “I myself was the recipient of such behavior when first I made Elizabeth’s acquaintance. I would not in any circumstances repeat what she said to me, for it would shock you beyond bearing. But rest assured, I know from personal experience just what excesses of rudeness she can present.”

  Thus Mr. Collins referred to his rejected proposal of marriage to his cousin who, Charlotte noted, was no longer designated as ‘Cousin Elizabeth’. It were best to begin to distance himself from the Bennet connection.

  “We made good time, and I arrived at their home—Longbottom?—something like that, and found the women of the family, including Elizabeth Bennet, sitting in a small room. It was an early hour for me to call, but the urgency of my errand would not allow me to wait.”

  “That is certainly understandable, Lady Catherine,” said Mr. Collins. “This was no time to stand on ceremony.”

  “The mother offered refreshments, although we had scarcely been introduced. It seems that the entire family is determined to encroach on its betters. As if I would taste anything that came from a house that has produced two such shameful girls!”

  “Quite right,” said Mr. Collins. Charlotte thought of the fortnight he had eaten at their table. She remembered that he had praised the food. The Bennets had an excellent cook.

  Lady Catherine continued, “I took the wretched girl out into the little park that is attached to the house, and if you will believe me, she professed not to know why I had come. That was only the beginning of her impudence.”

  “Were you able to explain your errand?” asked Charlotte, imagining the scene in the surroundings with which she was so entirely familiar.

  “I told her that a rumour had come to my ear. I explained, quite courteously, that although I knew the rumour could not be true, it was my wish that she disavow its substance immediately.”