Elizabethhatedthat Mr. Bennet did not openly reveal the secret of her birth. It made her always scared. What would everyone think of her if they knew?
Would Mary still love her as a sister? At least Elizabeth knew that Jane would say that she was sure that Elizabeth was still a very good person, and Lydia would think it a great joke, and Kitty would not think about it much at all.
When Mr. Bennet finally gave permission to Mary for her to marry Mr. Collins, she immediately invited Elizabeth to come to stay with them for a long visit shortly after their union was solemnized. “You must stay. You must! I shall be very happy to have your company, and Mr. Collins will be happy as well. And Mr. Collins has been telling me everything about how the parsonage has been made up very nicely by Lady Catherine.”
Elizabeth smiled to see how Mary was beginning to adopt in her own tones a bit of the awe of Lady Catherine that Mr. Collins had. Elizabeth at times longed to say something like, “But she is just the daughter of an earl.”
The condescension of Lady Catherine would compose an important part of the comforts and company of the Hunsford couple, so it was sensible that Mary wished to think well of her.
Mary added after Elizabeth agreed to visit, if Mr. Bennet permitted it, “I think that one of the advantages of my marriage will be that I shall be able to expose you to a different sort of society and place. You will not be ordered about every time you step into the drawing room, you will not be made to sit all day with Papa if you wish to avoid—”
“I love to sit with Mr. Bennet.”
“I know. I knowthatvery well. You always have. But it is the sole place where you might escape fully from the demands of my mother. I honor Mama, for she is my mother. And I will always do what I might to show her the respect she deserves, but the deficiencies of her character have become clearer to me as I prepare to enter the married state. I certainly would never behave as she has. Come with new dresses—I wish to see you be able to dress however you wish. You will not need to fear looking prettier than me or Kitty. Though you do anyways. I never wished that unearned glory that Mama thought must be my right, and I am to be married now, so I cannot use it any more in any case.”
Elizabeth smiled to hear this speech. “I shall come, I promise.”
“It was not of any use in any case. It was not my beauty at all that brought Mr. Collins to the point. He liked that I showed him sincere attention.”
This was a point on which Elizabeth could not wholly agree, for she still did not think well enough of Mr. Collins to think that he could distinguish between sincere and insincere attentions. But she was happy for Mary, and the more happy as she saw that Mary was in fact happy.
“Promise me,” Mary said once more, “that you will buy a new dress, one you really like. I know you have enough pocket money, or you can beg more from Papa, and he will give it to you. I wish to be able to introduce you to everyone as my very pretty cousin.”
“I shall. Maybe even three dresses if I can contrive to make my funds stretch so far.”
“I shall speak with Papa about this,” Mary said, “I will ask him to reserve some of the funds that would have gone to my trousseau for your use.”
Once more Elizabeth was really touched by Mary’s consideration for her. “I do not think that will be necessary. I do have more than enough pocket money, and while Mr. Bennet does not like us to spend on wholly frivolous things, he would not treat this in that manner.”
The two girls embraced again.
“Do promise,” Elizabeth said to Mary, “that you will be happy. Happier even than you plan to be at present.”
“I shall of course do my best to be happy,” Mary said smiling. “And you shall always be welcome to have a home with me. I will always like your presence.”
Chapter Ten
One afternoon in March when Darcy met Mr. Bingley and Colonel Fitzwilliam at his club, they were surprised to see Viscount Hartley enter the room.
Bingley immediately rose and clasped Lord Hartley’s arm. “Returned from rusticating! I depended upon being able to meet you at any time I wished in London, but as soon as I arrived in town, I was told by that fine butler fellow of yours that you were gone to the countryside. In the middle of the season as well. I wish to introduce Mrs. Bingley to you.”
“My apologies.” Hartley shrugged, opened his hands, and then sat down with the other three gentlemen. “I was called by duty. But I am glad to see you all. I was told by Darcy’s man that this was where to look.”
“Of course,” Bingley said with mock disappointment. “Iam never the person who anyone seeks.”
Colonel Fitzwilliam laughed. “It is that neither of us are tall enough.”
“It definitely is that Mr. Darcy is so very tall,” Hartley agreed. But the smile died quickly.
Lord Hartley in fact generally tended to cheerfulness, and easy laughter. But he also was a man who was famed amongst his friends for crying easily, and it seemed that he had been affected deeply by something.
“Do you need advice upon something?” Darcy asked.
“I do not believe so. What I need is to see you all. I already feel better.” Hartley rubbed at his face and swallowed back the drink Colonel Fitzwilliam had poured for him. “Maybe I need advice. I hardly know. Nor what to believe. I just returned by horse from seeing my father.”
“Your father!” Darcy said with some surprise.
“I thought you almost never had business with the old fellow,” Colonel Fitzwilliam said. “On account of that small matter of him being a murderer of women and children.”
