Today is the first day the heavy rains have ceased altogether. There have been some periods of lighter rains since the day it started, and breaks of an hour or so here and there, but not like today. As of this morning the heavy veil of clouds has lifted and the sun, albeit, it is rather weak as is to be expected at this time of the year, is out.
Without going into intimate details, a certain lady (you will know who I mean as she is the only one in the area who deluded herself in the belief I would offer for her) is to be sent away by her brother. She attempted (and did not come close to succeeding) to compromise me, ignoring her family’s admonitions that I would never give in to a compromise. I cannot say more just in case this letter falls into the wrong hands. She is going where we will never see her again.
In one of my previous letters, you will remember I mentioned Miss Elizabeth Bennet to you, the daughter of a local landowner.
“Hah!” Lady Rebecca snorted. “In one of his letters? William has mentioned the lady in every letter since the one he sent to tell you he had arrived safely. Sometimes more than once!”
“She must be important to William, but read on, and you will see he has not made things easy for himself,” Gigi averred. “What he writes gives me hope for myself, that he has truly forgiven me and was not just saying he had.”
Becca lifted the letter once more.
Gigi, the more I have come to know about her, the more I have felt she may be theone. She and her sister have been resident at this estate since the day it began to rain when they were stranded here. After they arrived to call on Mrs Hurst, Miss Bennet (who is blonde, willowy, and with deep blue eyes), took ill. It was a cold that took a turn for the worse—do not worry, the lady is well on her way to recovery. The problem is Miss Elizabeth will not speak to me beyond a curt greeting, and she hardly looks at me.
“Is this woman simple? Does she not know what William brings to a match?” Rebecca asked. She returned to the letter.
It is my fault. The first night I saw her, not long after I arrived in Hertfordshire, was at a local assembly where I rudely and more importantly, falsely, insulted her loudly enough that she and others were able to hear. So, Gigi, my dear, you can see your brother is human and errs at times like all other flawed characters. You, Sweetling, are not alone in making mistakes.
You have heard me state my good opinion once lost, is lost forever. It seems the same for Miss Elizabeth. She will not allow me to deliver my amends to her, which I have wanted to do since a few minutes after I made my unwarranted remarks. Until she permits me to address her, I know not what to do.
Bingley suggested I pass a message through the eldest sister, who is Miss Elizabeth’s closest sister (they are 2 of 5 sisters, no brothers.) If she will not allow me to address her, even though it is not my preferred method, I will request Miss Bennet convey my words. If I decide it is the only way, I will have to wait until the older sister is returned to full health once again.
“Not easy for himself was a great understatement,” Lady Rebecca shook her head. “Poor William, he certainly knowshow to say the wrong thing at times. Just wait until Mama and Papa hear about this. No, more so Richard. He will tease William for a long time about his greatfaux pas.” As the rest of the letter was only her brother’s wishing his sister well again and his salutations to the family, Becca handed the missive back to Gigi.
“I suppose we can mention this as William has not demanded that I keep it private. Then again, he almost never asks me not to relate what he tells me in his letters,” Georgiana stated thoughtfully. “For my part reading about William’sgrave mistakehas allowed me to begin to finally forgive myself.”
“In that case, even though William should never have slighted this Miss Elizabeth, for you, a positive has come from it,” Lady Rebecca asserted.
Gigi nodded her agreement.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Bennet reread the letter from his cousin three times, and with each re-reading he found something new about which to laugh. He could only imagine what type of person William Collins’s revered patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, was. For her to have awarded this man a clerical living in her advowson, who from the letter he wrote was an idiot at best, was unfathomable. All Bennet could think is thegreat lady, as his distant cousin seemed to think her, must crave the cloying attention a sycophant like William Collins so obviously bestows upon her.
Knowing how his wife would react, Bennet decided to write back and welcome the man to come visit Longbourn. Of course, as soon as Fanny found out about theamendsthe man wanted to make, she would do everything in her power in order to make sure the man succeeded in his quest.
Although he would have preferred to return to his book and glass of port, Bennet pulled a sheet of paper off the pile, dipped his quill in the ink, shook off the excess drops, andbegan to write.
26 October 1812
Longbourn
Mr Collins,
I appreciate the sentiments you expressed in your rathersuccinctletter. It does sound like you have been preferred to a living by a noble woman who values you and your talents very well.
You may call on us, arriving on Friday the 6th of November at 4 o’clock. I am sure my lady wife and daughters will be extremelyinterestedin meeting you.
Until you arrive to make peace, offer your olive branch, and make amends, I wish you well.
Yours,
Thomas Bennet
There was much more Bennet could have written, but he did not want to waste any more of his reading time. Besides, he was sure the dullard would not recognise sarcasm, more than likely thinking he was being complimented. It boded well for his entertainment when the oddity arrived.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
By Saturday, the water had receded to the normal level below the bridge and the roads had dried sufficiently for travel, so Bingley, accompanied by Darcy, and with a large footman sitting either side of a laudanum drugged Caroline, departed Netherfield Park for London.
