Mr. Bennet paused in conversation and stared at his middle daughter, first surprised, then pleased by her appearance. Mr. Collins was struck silent, his eyes following Mary as she descended the staircase.
When they sat down to dinner, the rector asked after Elizabeth, noting her absence from the table. Mr. Bennet explained her visit to London, making it sound as though it had been a long-standing plan. Mr. Collins did not seem to miss the presence of the elder sister, for he devoted nearly all his attention to this younger, lovely cousin, even to the point of forgetting to eat his dessert.
Chapter 15: A Trap
Lady Lucas was among the first to hear that the rector would be paying a visit to Longbourn, and she made certain to learn the particulars of his arrival. The cook’s assistant at Longbourn was niece to the cook at Lucas Lodge, and through this connection, she discovered both the day and the hour of his arrival. Lady Lucas at once insisted that Charlotte and Maria make it their first order of business the following day to call upon the Bennet family and welcome their guest to Meryton.
Both sisters were impressed with the Bennets’ long-lost cousin. He was as attractive as the Bennet sisters were beautiful. Mr. Collins was a handsome man, almost too handsome to be a rector. He was tall and slender with fair hair and blue eyes. Even his teeth were beautiful. He was polite, intelligent, and well-spoken.
Charlotte returned home from that visit with a firm determination to secure the rector’s regard for herself, or, failing that, to catch him in any way she could. When Maria went to bed, Charlotte went to her mother’s bedchamber and shut the door.
“Charlotte, is something wrong? You seem upset. Did Frances Bennet insult you again? That woman’s pride will be her undoing.”
“Mamma, Mr. Collins is everything I could wish for. He is of my sphere, neither too high nor too low. He is comely, has a comfortable living, and will inherit Longbourn. He is but five-and-twenty, and though I am two years his elder, it need not signify, provided we begin our family at once. He is the bestprospect I shall ever have. I want Mr. Collins for a husband, and I have decided that no one else will do. I must have him for myself.”
Lady Lucas looked at her distressed daughter and asked almost fearfully, “What exactly are you saying, my dear? What do you mean that you must have him? He has a say in whom he chooses to marry, and with five beautiful cousins before him, you do not stand a chance.”
Charlotte said, “We will invite the Bennets to dinner in honor of their guest and as a welcome to the county. During the course of the evening, I will find a way to be alone with Mr. Collins in Papa’s study, which is right next to the dining room. You will find us there together, and once we are discovered, he will be compelled to marry me.”
Lady Lucas smiled. “You will have an eligible husband, and Frances will receive her comeuppance. Yes, Charlotte. That will do. Once compromised, he will be yours, and no Bennet girl, no matter how beautiful, will be able to take him from you.”
Charlotte clasped her mother’s hand in hers. “Do not fail me, Mama. I want him more than I have ever wanted any man. I am seven-and-twenty, staring spinsterhood in the face. Charlotte took her mother’s hand in her own. “Do not fail me. This is the man of my dreams. I could remain here in Meryton forever if he would have me.”
Lady Lucas said, “You must be ready for him, Charlotte. I will deliver him to you in the study; only be certain you look suitably disordered. What will Frances say when Longbourn belongs to a Lucas?”
Three weeks passed before the invitation to dine at Lucas Lodge was sent. Charlotte insisted on purchasing a new gown, and hermother had concurred. On the evening of the fateful dinner, the Bennets arrived in good time, and their guest was every bit as handsome as Charlotte had described. They were welcomed into the drawing room by Sir Lucas. Charlotte was dismayed when Mary entered on Mr. Collins’s arm. Their ease with one another made them appear as though they were already betrothed. Perhaps they were. A pang of guilt struck Charlotte when she saw how happy Mary looked. Yet she reminded herself that the girl was but nineteen and would have many opportunities to secure a husband, whereas she herself must marry soon or be left upon the shelf for life. The Gouldings and the Merriwethers arrived shortly after, and the company did their best to welcome the future heir of Longbourn.
Lady Lucas spread a table fit for a king. Mrs. Bennet wondered why she was striving so hard to impress the rector. The roasted fowl, the stewed pears, and the many dishes of vegetables were both delicious and extravagant for a dinner shared with neighbors they had known for more than twenty years.
Mary sat beside Mr. Collins, and from her place she began to notice the calculated glances that passed between Charlotte and her mother. Something was afoot that was not immediately apparent, yet the more she observed, the greater her unease became. The quality and abundance of the food put Mrs. Bennet on alert that not everything was as it seemed. She knew Lady Lucas to be an ambitious woman, and soon marked the same deliberate looks exchanged between mother and daughter.
When the ladies rose from the table, Mary was surprised to see Charlotte remain in the dining room with the men. Mary knew her to be punctilious in her observance of propriety. Perhaps she wanted to get closer to Mr. Collins? Maybe she wanted to serve him in some way?
Lady Lucas entered the drawing room, but within five minutes of having seated herself, she rose and made an excuse. “I purchased an expensive bottle of cognac and forgot to serve it. The men will wish for it now that dinner is over.” Both Frances and Mary watched Lady Lucas act and speak in a manner unlike her usual self, and they both became suspicious. Something was going to happen, and it was going to happen now. Both Charlotte and her mother were involved.
The drawing room was warm and inviting, but with both hostesses missing, Mary could not rest. She rose abruptly just as Mrs. Bennet stood, both intent upon following Lady Lucas. They made their excuses to the other guests and left the room.
The corridor was dark, too dark for an evening when guests had been invited. Mary began to run. Just ahead, she saw Lady Lucas ushering Mr. Collins into the study. This was a trap. She was as sure of it as she had ever been of anything in her life. She pushed through the door that Lady Lucas was attempting to close behind the rector. Frances pressed close upon her heels and nearly stumbled when she collided with Mary, who had come to a sudden halt just inside the door. Charlotte stood by the desk, her hair tumbled, her gown torn at the collar, her bosom half-exposed. Mr. Collins looked aghast, his face frozen in place.
Mary did not falter. A few steps placed her at Mr. Collins’s side, and she slipped her hand possessively through his arm.
“Lady Lucas,” she said steadily, “your schemes have come to nothing. Mr. Collins, will you do me the honor of becoming my husband?”
The rector started, astonished, but quickly gathered his wits. “Yes, Miss Mary,” he stammered, then with more firmness, “yes, I accept your offer of marriage.”
Mary turned then, her dark eyes fixed on Lady Lucas. “You see, madam, Mr. Collins is now betrothed and cannot marry your daughter, however much you wish to entrap him.”
Mrs. Bennet added her voice with cold authority. “I am here as a witness. I saw Mary, Mr. Collins, and you enter this room at the same time. There is no compromise here. And if you dare spread abroad such a tale, it is your daughter’s reputation that will be ruined. If Mr. Collins agrees, he and Mary will be wed in London tomorrow. We shall procure a special license and take him far beyond your grasping hands.”
Mary lifted her eyes to Mr. Collins, beseeching him. Relief spread across his face as he realized the snare had failed. His shoulders eased.
With solemn eyes, he said, “Miss Mary, I will procure a common license, and we will be married by the end of the week in your parish chapel. Is this agreeable to you?”
Mary’s eyes glistened, but her smile was radiant. “Yes,” she whispered. “It is.”
Mrs. Bennet fixed her eyes upon the two Lucas women. “So, what shall it be? Do we return to the drawing room and make polite conversation, as though nothing untoward has passed this evening? Or do we leave heavily affronted, and allow the neighborhood to feast upon the scandal of a thwarted compromise?”
Mr. Collins made a strangled sound, his face pale with horror at the very notion. Charlotte’s eyes widened in equal alarm.
