by C. J. Hill
Charlotte smiled with satisfaction at the news, even though she had heard it from Anne just the day before. It was pleasant to hear of the relief that her actions had wrought. Lady Catherine had been as good as her word, not even waiting for the permission she had previously thought necessary from her nephews, and had started the plans for the redevelopments not only of the Betts’ cottage but also of another where the family was in a similar state of overcrowding. Such actions by landlords were most unusual and not to be taken for granted, hence the excitement of Mrs. Betts.
“I am very happy for you, Mrs. Betts,” Charlotte smiled. “It will make a vast improvement for your family will it not? To have more room for the children will be most beneficial and will allow you to separate them next Winter if any are as sick as they were this Winter. Lady Catherine is most anxious to make sure that you are happy in your situation – she was very concerned that you would leave the Rosings Estate after so many generations of Betts living and working here. You must be most grateful to her and her attentions to you.”
“Yes, indeed. My husband and I are very pleased now that we are taken care of and no longer have to consider removing to another part of the country in search for better quarters. To think, next time Lady Catherine drops by for a visit she may be able to peruse her investment from within the house and not from her carriage, as happened before!” she laughed.
The two women moved inside the cottage where Mrs. Betts was in the midst of her weekly baking; the contents of the oven required attention, as did several of her younger children.
Charlotte looked on with affection for both the children, whom she had got to know so well over the Winter, and Mrs. Betts who managed her household with such capability and calm. As she put out loaves to cool, Mrs. Betts filled the teapot and cut off a crust for two of the children, who ran off with their prize to happily sit on the doorstep, blowing hard until it became cool enough to eat.
“And how is your husband, Mrs. Collins? Of course we see him at church every Sunday, but we are not able to speak with him at length as he is much engaged with Lady Catherine and her daughter. Is he enjoying his life here in Hunsford? He does not miss his past life too much I do hope. As I am sure you will agree, settling into a new situation can be most daunting for some, more sensitive souls.”
Charlotte hid a smile behind her cup at the thought of her husband being perceived as a sensitive soul.
“Truth to tell, Mrs. Betts, I do not know very much about my husband’s life before I met him; that he is a cousin of my dearest friend was sufficient knowledge and recommendation for me, but I believe that he is extremely content with his role in the village and strives to exceed everyone’s expectations of him. He is also excessively busy in the garden at present as his desire is to produce all of our vegetables himself. I cannot disagree with him; the thought of being entirely self-sufficient is a very pleasing one and I encourage him to be in the garden as much as may be.”
“Indeed,” Mrs. Betts agreed emphatically. “It is important for men to be out of the house as much as possible, otherwise they only get under your feet and start interfering in your housekeeping. Mr. Betts is constantly busy outside from morning ‘til night, and I find that arrangement works very well!”
Mrs. Betts smiled at Charlotte and needed to say nothing more upon the matter.
Charlotte watched the eldest daughter, Molly, who had finished her piece of bread and now rose to stand beside her mother as she kneaded the next batch of dough.
“Molly! What age are you now?” asked Charlotte.
“I’m seven, ma’am.”
“Mrs. Betts. I’m considering starting a Sunday school for the village children – I think that there are several of Molly’s age who would benefit from some study of The Bible along with some reading and writing. Would you like Molly to participate?”
“Oh, I don’t know, Mrs. Collins. Mr. Betts ain’t so keen on education for his children – he thinks it will make them lazy and consider themselves too high and mighty for our kind of life. It’s all right for some, I daresay. I would worry that Lady Catherine might not like the idea either – have you asked her?”
“Mrs. Betts; how can a little education be an adverse idea to Lady Catherine? She is an educated lady and obviously has consideration for her employees; I shall speak with her about the matter but I am sure she cannot find the idea disagreeable. I see that you are able to read and write, Mrs. Betts. Do not you want your own children to have the same abilities?”
“Aye, that I can Ma’am but only as much as I needs to do; I certainly do not spend time on book reading, even if I should have the time to spare. I am showing my older ones how to sound out their letters but nothing along the formal way of it. But I should think that, if Lady Catherine and my husband are agreeable, I would allow my eldest to attend your school. I suppose that it would help her in life to be able to read better than me.”
The subject was broached that very afternoon as Mr. Collins rested upon his shovel and gulped the water that Charlotte had brought out to him. The day was still cold but bright and sunny, and Mr. Collins had certainly managed to work up a fine heat with his labours.
While he had no objection to the idea other than his usual concern that Charlotte might offend Lady Catherine, he also hesitated as he thought of the time it would demand from Charlotte; he did not want her to over-extend herself, what with all her other commitments, commendable as they all may be and he warned her of his concerns.
However, the more she thought of her scheme, the more she warmed to the idea of bringing a little education to the people, and she would not be swayed from her purpose.
“I believe, my dear, that some of the children are very bright and deserve the opportunity to display their talents; who is to say that because they are from a lower level of society that they may not be given the freedom of an education? Your father expected you to be educated, did not he? And look where that talent has allowed you travel, and what benefits it has had for so many in Hunsford. Why, therefore, should not other children be allowed an equal opportunity to learn and serve in some way? No, I think that I shall proceed, after speaking with Lady Catherine on the matter, of course, and begin my classes as soon as may be.”
“Ah, my dear! What a kind and thoughtful person you are to be sure. I commend your neighbourly and Christian interest in the villagers and their offspring, and your desire to improve their lot in life is sincerely to be admired. Only take care that you broach the subject with Lady Catherine in such a way as she believes it to be more her idea rather than yours. While she is also most kindly and thoughtful to her tenants, I do not think she will see the necessity of this plan quite as clearly as do you.
“Unfortunately, while not wishing to speak ill of the dead as they cannot defend themselves, my learning was not an enjoyable or uplifting one, I assure you, as yours seems to have been. I was not encouraged and assisted: rather I was ridiculed and despised for trying to better myself. For some, education is a subject which has the ability to split parent and child in their opinion on the matter and you may encounter something of a similar reticence amongst the parishioners regarding the necessity of their children’s learning.”
Charlotte digested this new aspect of her husband’s prior life, adding it to her growing observations of his character.
“I am sure that you are right, William, and I thank you for your advice. I shall take care in the manner in which I proceed with my plan; Lady Catherine shall be consulted and involved as she chooses to be. However, I hope that the education that I shall offer will only be a benefit and a pleasure in my students’ lives.
She took back the water glass from her husband, smiling at him, and then returned to the house to organise her plans for schooling young children in a manner they would most enjoy and find beneficial.
XX
Much elated by her successes with Lady Catherine and the improvements for the Betts family, the prospect of her new Sunday school venture, along with
her eager excitement anticipating the impending visit of Lizzy, Maria and her father, Charlotte felt her spirits soar with the rise in temperature and the increasing signs of Spring becoming evident all around Hunsford. The kitchen garden was sprouting vigorously and she enjoyed watching William carefully weeding around what would be their supply for the table before long.
She found that as the weeks passed, she and William were becoming closer and more in tune with each other; he was still rather pompous at times but on the whole was slowly improving his manner under her careful and discreet guidance, and his attitude to certain ideas and plans which she broached was certainly encouraging of her endeavours thus far.
The Betts’ housing crisis had been noticed by Charlotte, who had mentioned it to William who had then, under his own notion, he thought, taken his concerns to Lady Catherine with a most acceptable outcome for the tenants. The Betts’ house was in the process of being extended and they were certainly grateful to be considered of sufficient merit by their landlord to be worthy of such attention and felt themselves particularly blessed; their neighbours looked on in anticipation of which of them would be the next beneficiary. Charlotte was perfectly content to be the instigator of the action and needed no further credit than to see the happy outcome.
William, true to his character, had taken for himself all of the credit for the work although, as he acknowledged, Lady Catherine had played some role, and he was careful to expound upon it only when Charlotte was the sole person to hear and approve his actions, which she dutifully did on a regular basis and with a willing heart.
She was indeed grateful to him for so many things that had transpired after what she still considered to be her sly device in gaining his interest and affections after he had been so sorely humiliated by Eliza. Although she had felt somewhat guilty about the part she had had to play in order to ensure her security, she considered that, compared to what other ladies pretended in order to gain their ends, she had merely helped William along the path to which he had already committed himself; that of finding a wife upon whom he could rely and build a life. In retrospect, Charlotte considered, as she walked towards the chicken run, Eliza would never have made a suitable wife for William; she certainly would never have allowed her heart to be affected by his innate kindness and concern for her well-being as Charlotte’s now was. Eliza would be too caught up in observing his faults to be able to see past his outward demeanour, which Charlotte now believed to be merely an attempt to conceal his knowledge of his own inadequacies to the outside world. His subservience towards Lady Catherine was, without doubt, unwaveringly nauseating to others but it seemed to have the opposite effect upon her; she graciously accepted what she clearly viewed as the required degree of respect due her which fed her sense of importance at every meeting. Charlotte had also seen her husband at work with his parishioners and could see a different William presented there due to his comfort in being the one superior in rank; he felt it his duty to treat them with respect but also to expect a level of subservience from them as befitting his place. This, however, was offset by his genuine desire to improve the lives of those within his flock and, always with that in mind, he proceeded to inform and educate as much as he dared without offending his difficult patroness.
Upon arriving at the chicken run, Charlotte noted with satisfaction the health and liveliness of her flock which promised to grow much larger with the hoped-for new influx of chicks in the Spring. She had requested and received from William a new breeding box and she noted that several of the hens were already using it and making nests for themselves.
After feeding the chickens she returned to where William was resting upon his spade as he surveyed the results of his labour. His face was reddened with the exercise but he looked most content.
“I believe, my dear, that before long we shall have spring peas and beans for supper. That will be a great delight, will it not?”
Charlotte smiled and touched his arm gently.
“Indeed it will, William. I look forward to it with great anticipation. Perhaps one of my chickens will accompany the dish very soon! You have exerted yourself to provide our food and I congratulate you my dear. There are not many who would be capable of providing so plentifully along with all of your other commitments. Your hard work sets a great example to your parishioners - who could be lazy when they have you as their model?”
She paused and then changed the topic to what was uppermost in her thoughts.
“I would speak with you, however, about the accommodations to be made for our guests who arrive in two weeks. We must make them welcome and comfortable but I am uneasy about our inadequate arrangements for them. We have not the right number of beds or furnishings for their comfort and I am concerned how this can be economically brought about?”
Charlotte waited for her husband to respond, not without a little anxiety as she had been rather dismayed to find that theirs were the only beds in the entire house; no guest beds had been provided when Lady Catherine had so graciously furnished the house when William had arrived. Perhaps she did not believe that a man at such a level as he could possibly consider entertaining house guests.
William frowned and considered her request.
“I see what it is that you mean, my dear, and of course until you mentioned the matter I had not given it a moment’s thought. Naturally we must arrange for their comfort; we expect my cousin and your sister to stay at least a month, do not we? Fortunately, the weather has turned now so that we shall not have the expense of too many bedcovers but the actual furniture itself must be bought or accessed.”
He cleaned off his spade as he spoke his thoughts and then looked to his wife whom, he was sure, would already have the answer to the problem. If he had learned nothing else in the past three months, it was that his wife was a practical person and quietly arranged things before she sought his concurrence. It did not concern him; he knew that everything she did was to benefit others and not herself, as was the case now. Any other woman might have refused to live in an under-furnished home as being beneath her dignity but until now, Charlotte had appeared most grateful with everything as arranged, not requiring anything other than a few womanly touches around the place, which he rather appreciated himself.
“I truly have no notion, William, as to how such items are to be procured at such short notice. We cannot send to London for them, and to have them made here would take too long and cause too great an expense. I confess, I have been most negligent about these shortcomings of our home and now do not see how they are to be solved.”
Charlotte became more distraught as the clarity of the situation finally sank in. Her father, sister and best friend were arriving in two weeks, and they had no beds in which to sleep! How could she have been so remiss in her duties? Why had she not thought well before this about the necessities that the visit would entail? She had been too busy worrying about the Betts and their situation recently to focus upon her own needs - that was the reason but not an excuse.
“I am truly sorry for this oversight, William. I know that we must make a good impression for your sake as well as my own but I find myself at a loss to see how it is to be done.”
William looked gently at his upset wife and smiled, but was visibly plumping up his plumage as he did so; how refreshing that for once she should be so reliant upon him and his ability to procure the very objects which she herself could not!
“Pray, do not distress yourself, Charlotte! This is but a small matter of quiet discussion with our benefactress and all will be well, I assure you. Lady Catherine has intimated on several occasions that we must lack for nothing to aid our comfort here; she will be most pleased to accommodate this request. I will hasten to Rosings Park this very hour in order to set this matter to rest and relieve your present distress. I do not, I assure you, hold this in any way against your excellent abilities as a hostess, nor as a wife. You are not to be blamed for the oversight, it is mine. I should have provided every necessity for our home and ha
ve been most negligent in the area of sleeping accoutrements. I shall remedy the neglect at once.” And with that he hastened off towards the house to wash and don his visiting attire; it was almost time for his daily visit and he had much to accomplish in the time allowed.
Without much further ado, Charlotte was in receipt of three new bedsteads and mattresses, plump feather pillows and as many assorted linens as she could wish for; Lady Catherine was extremely pleased to be able to show her beneficence once again, and William basked in the manifestation of his influence.
XXI
Further to her plans to educate the village children, Charlotte had lost no time in preparing some lessons with which she would introduce some of them to the alphabet for the first time in their short lives. Although never intending to be a teacher as a vocation, she had frequently been the assistant to her brothers when they were still being educated at home and required some extra help with understanding a passage of literature or some such thing; as their eldest sister and generally deemed to be rather learned and bookish for a female, they always felt more at ease asking for her help rather than from their father, who tended to talk rather too much and never actually to gain the point.
From the insight into the content of her brothers’ education, Charlotte had added all that they were learning to her self-imposed study, and as a consequence became rather well-read and with opinions that quite set her apart from other ladies in the village, excepting that of Elizabeth and Jane Bennet who also felt the same hunger for knowledge; none would admit they were seeking to become as agile of mind as the men of their acquaintance, but all agreed that there was no reason they should not extend their brain past the usual confines of female thinking.
Eventually, to the despair of their respective mothers that their eldest daughters were spending too much of their free time becoming educated under their own exertions, and, truth to tell, with more efficacy than was being shown by their sons or other young males, both Mr. Bennet and Sir William independently decided to assist the ladies with suggestions and reasoned discussions to augment their understanding of authors’ points.
