How was he to go before the great lady in an hour and report yet another failure? Not even Lady Catherine’s condescending to call at the home of each lady who refused him, and her berating them, did anything to change their minds. He could not believe the blatant disrespect to his patroness who had been ordered to leave each home. Did thepeople not appreciate the honour of her lowering herself to enter their homes?
The thought of once again having to admit to Lady Catherine that he had not been accepted, had caused—he believed—a rather bad pain in his head. He reasoned that anytime he did not obey one of his beneficent patroness’s orders, the pain was a punishment sent from the Almighty.
As a clergyman he knew he should not resort to a compromise, but surely he would be forgiven as it would be in service of obeying Lady Catherine, who was, after all, never wrong.
As much as he wanted to ring for his housekeeper, who was also his cook, to bring him one of the freshly baked tarts, Collins was aware how his patroness felt about punctuality. He was about to stand up from his chair in order to go wash and change—something Lady Catherine insisted he do each time just before standing before her—when he saw a blinding white light and experienced an excruciating pain in his head. Suddenly his whole world turned black, his eyes rolled back in his head and the vicar fell out of his chair and onto the floor, quite dead.
Hearing a crash and a thud, the maid of all work who had been working in the sitting room, rushed into the dining parlour where she knew the vicar was. She began to scream when she noted the man’s unseeing eyes. The manservant and housekeeper/cook soon came to see what the racket was about.
Knowing how angry the ‘queen’ would be if she were not informed immediately, the man servant was soon on his way to Rosings Park’s manor house.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
“It is way past the time for your cousin to do his duty and marry you,” Lady Catherine blustered.
“Mother, William and I will never marry. I will not marry anyone because as you know, childbirth will more likelythan not, kill me,” Anne stated firmly.
“You will do as you are told!” Lady Catherine screeched. “I will not be gainsaid. You have been engaged since you were both in your cradles and in marrying you will unite two great estates and fulfil the fondest wishes of his mother and your own. To this gibber jabber about you not surviving, you are of noble birth and such things do not happen to one of your rank!”
“It is interesting you say that, Mother. Remind me again how Aunt Anne passed away. It was from childbirth, and unlike me who is the daughter of a knight, her father was an earl,” Anne pointed out. “And how were we engaged in our cradles? William is a full two years my senior, so are you saying he was in his cradle when he was older than two?”
“That is neither here nor there! I said you are betrothed to Fitzwilliam, so you are!” Lady Catherine insisted. She could not understand why Anne was not biddable and in a stupor. Had the tonic her physician been supplying ceased working?
“I know we have not been in society very much, or at all for years now, but unless I am mistaken, engagements are contracted between the fathers. If you are correct, then where is the contract signed by my late Papa and Uncle Robert?” Anne enquired slyly.
Before Aunt Anne’s passing her mother had never spoken of the phantom engagement. When she did, it was out of the hearing of Uncles Reggie or Robert, as the former was the executor of Papa’s will. She had asked her late Uncle Robert about it one day when she and her mother were visiting Pemberley and he had told her unequivocally there was no engagement, his late wife had never agreed to anything, and Anne’s mother had made it up out of whole cloth.
Lady Catherine was stymied for some moments as she thought of a way to respond to her daughter. She came up with a version which she was sure would help her carry herpoint. “The engagement between you and Fitzwilliam is of a peculiar kind. From your infancy, you have been intended for each other. While in your cradles, we planned the union: and now, at the moment when the wishes of both sisters would be accomplished in the marriage of their children, you attempt to dishonour the memory of my most beloved sister! Do you pay no regard to the wishes of the family? Are you lost to every feeling of propriety and delicacy? Have you not heard me say from his earliest hours he was destined for you?” To emphasise her point, she was sure she would carry, Lady Catherine added, “Honour, decorum, prudence, nay, interest, decree that you must marry your cousin. Yes, Anne, interest; for do not expect to be noticed by our family or friends, if you wilfully act against the inclinations of all.”
“Mother, I know for a fact, other than in your head, there was never an engagement between William and me. Both Uncle Robert, before he passed away, and Uncle Reggie confirmed the truth of the matter. Uncle Robert told me Aunt Anne never agreed to anything, especially as you and your ‘beloved sister’ were not friends due to your jealousy of her. We both know this is a scheme of yours to try to steal my estate from me. So, no, mother. William and I willnevermarry and you will not retain management of my estate,” Anne retorted calmly.
Before Lady Catherine could recover, the butler showed the manservant from the parsonage into the drawing room. “Barlow, what is the meaning of allowing a servant into my drawing room?” Lady Catherine screeched.
“Jimmy, correct?” Anne verified kindly, ignoring her mother’s rant. The man nodded. “Please tell us what was so urgent that it caused you to come see us.”
“Mr Collins be dead, Miss Anne,” Jimmy, hat in hand, reported.
“Return to the parsonage, some help will arrive soon,” Anne commanded. “I need to write to the Bishop of Kent andinform him I need a clergyman to take the Hunsford living.”
“Of what do you speak? You know as the mistress I will appoint…” Lady Catherine began to object.
“No, Mother, you will not. Did you miss the fact yesterday was the seventeenth of November? I turned five and twenty, and by the terms of my late Papa’s will, I am the owner, and mistress of this estate, de Bourgh House, and my late Papa’s fortune. I intended to wait until Uncle Reggie and Aunt Elaine were to arrive this afternoon, but as you have forcedthe issue, you will today be moved to the dower house. Never again will apusillanimous bootlicker with not a whit of sense be awarded the living inmyadvowson!” Anne stated firmly.
“You are too ill to manage the estate, you need to rest and take some more of your tonic before you are overset with fatigue!” Lady Catherine was panicking.
“Are you referring to the poison your quack tries to have me take. After the first time I ingested that vile concoction, I have never had it again. Do you think I am not aware of your attempt to keep me ill, drugged, and compliant?” Anne looked at her mother with anger. “Jenki,” Anne inclined her head towards her companion Mrs Jenkinson, “has been assisting me, so in your company I played the part you expected. I was only biding my time until my birthday just past.”
“You are sacked without a character,” Lady Catherine screeched at Mrs Jenkinson.
“As you are not the mistress, you have no say about who I employ or do not employ. Mother, if you fight me on this, my uncle will move you to a cottage at his estate in Scotland or Ireland.” Anne stood strong, her arms akimbo. “Which one will it be?”
Knowing how small the cottages her daughter referred to were, Lady Catherine chose the dower house. She was outraged when her daughter explained that any staff or servants Lady Catherine abused, verbally or physically, wouldbe removed to the mansion and not replaced.
“Barlow, have your footmen move the former mistress to the dower house as soon as may be. Also, notify the undertaker and send two men to assist at the parsonage. Once you have issued the orders, return to me with your wife. We have much to discuss,” Anne commanded.
“Did he have family, Anne?” Mrs Jenkinson enquired.
“From the babbling between the late Mr. Collins and mother, I understand there is family named Bennet, in Hertfordshire, living at an estate named Longbourn. We will send a letter notifying them,” Anne averred.
