‘When the weather allows it, I will make my way up to Oakham Mount and if you need to get my attention with the wind again, please feel free to do so. I love you, Janey, and I always will.’
Elizabeth was shaken from her conversation—albeit one sided—with her beloved late sister as she felt the conveyance slow. When she opened her eyes she realised they were travelling on the main street in Meryton, not far from the turn off to Longbourn. She had not noticed when the Bingley equipage and the smaller Darcy carriage had turned off towards Netherfield Park on entering Meryton from the northern end of the town.
As far as she knew, Mr Parker would wait until the morrow to present himself at Lucas Lodge. Thoughts of Charlotte and her suitor vanished when the carriage turned to the left, and onto the road which led to her home.
When she had left more than two months previously, Elizabeth had not known if she would ever call Longbourn home again. It did seem that against all the odds, she could go home again. For how long she would remain there, however, would all depend on Mr Darcy once her mourning was complete. After a short ride of less than a mile, the coach slowed again as the team drew the equipage past the gateposts of her father’s estate. Those two words took on new meaning with the court case which would be heard in less than a week. She was home again.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
William Collins was nervous, but he knew not how to indicate his uneasiness to his patroness without questioning both her word and her power, which he was certain was inviolate. As he did every day, he was on his way to make his report to Lady Catherine of anything he had been told by the parishioners.
The butler showed him into the drawing room, decorated, in his mind, in the height of good taste and class, where the great lady sat on an enormous and elevated chair, backed with red satin and gilded on every other surface. Collins was sure the thrones their Majesties sat on could not have been more magnificent. As he knew she expected, he bowed low three times before remaining low as he waited for her to release him to stand.
“You are two minutes late, Mr Collins,” Lady Catherine pronounced.
“I will do better, your Ladyship,” Collins bowed again contritely. Were his clock at the parsonage and his fob watch both slow? According to when he departed his home and his checking his watch on arriving at the mansion, he could have sworn he was ten minutes early. Lady Catherine could not be wrong, and he knew what a store she placed in punctuality, so he would make sure not to repeat his error in the future.
“What can you tell me about the complaints of those lowlifes who are my tenants and those who inhabit Hunsford?” Lady Catherine demanded.
The question caused Collins to sweat, it had been some weeks now since any of the parishioners had shared anything of substance with him. At first they had spoken openly about what they termedLady Catherine and her interfering and cruelty. He, of course, did his duty to his patroness and reported all to her, which led to a visit by her ladyship in person to set straight the people who complained. What aprivilege for them! He could not understand why they would not share all of their concerns with him, an honoured parson who ranked so much higher than they did. He decided to deflect the question rather than disappoint his beneficent patroness again.
“What am I to do?” Collins whined. “The Court of Chancery has not sent your ordered notice of the dismissal of the case, which my thieving cousin is bringing against me to steal that which is mine. And this after I followed your sage advice to offer an olive branch and marry one of his daughters.”
“Do you think the court would dare oppose me? They know who I am and that I will brook no disobedience,” Lady Catherine asserted. “The case has been thrown out of the court per my explicit instructions.”
Neither patroness nor lackey saw Miss de Bourgh and her companion do what they could to hide the smiles forming on their faces while listening to the drivel being spouted by both. There was only so much Anne de Bourgh could watch before beginning to giggle. “Mother, if you will excuse me, I need to rest,” Miss de Bourgh stated as her companion assisted her to stand.
Lady Catherine waved her daughter away without a second glance.
“Do not waste my time with that which I have already settled. What of the report you owe me?” Lady Catherine stated imperiously.
“T-there i-is n-n-n-nothing to r-r-report your Ladyship,” Collins stammered.
“This is not to be borne! They expect the condescension of my attentiveness. If you cannot acquire the information I desire, I will refuse to turn that despicable cousin of yours off your land. A daughter passing away indeed. What a disgusting lie to stop you from visiting what is yours! In addition, unlessyou begin to perform as I expect, I will sack you too and find another who is able to follow my orders!” Lady Catherine bellowed. “Now begone with you!”
Collins was so scared he ran out of the room, not only turning his back on the great lady, but not bowing three times on his way out like she expected of him. Unfortunately, he was not familiar with church law, and the fact that his appointment was for life, and no one, other than his bishop, could remove him from his living.
While he scurried back to his parsonage, Collins thanked his lucky stars he had not mentioned the letter from the court telling him as he had not responded to the suit, and if he did not appear on the fourteenth, in less than a sennight, a default judgement would be entered against him. Collins was sure his patroness had the right of it, and the letter had been posted before her instructions were obeyed. After today, he was well aware it would be at his peril if he seemed to question her again.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
As soon as all of those who would be residing at Longbourn alighted, the smaller Gardiner carriage left to convey Charlotte Lucas to Lucas Lodge. The normally stoic Hill smiled when he saw all four Miss Bennets enter the house with the Gardiners. He and his wife had been particularly concerned for Miss Lizzy, but based on what he was seeing, Hill opined that she was doing far better than when she had departed more than two months’ previously.
It had been very difficult for Fanny to remain in the drawing room with her husband and Mrs Perkins when she heard her daughters’ voices. Both Thomas and Camile—in the last few days Fanny had requested permission to address her thusly which had been granted—had told her to wait until the girls came to her, rather than overwhelming them the instant they arrived.
Gardiner and Madeline led their children upstairs after Hill related where the master and mistress were waiting. They understood the Bennets needed some time together before they joined them.
Elizabeth happened to be the first one through the door into the drawing room. She froze in place as her mother ran towards her, arms open, tears streaming down her cheeks, repeating: “I am so very sorry,” over and over again. It took her some moments, but Elizabeth willed her arms to move as she put them around her mother.
Mrs Perkins looked at the two youngest Bennets and then their father, silently asking if she should remove them. Bennet shook his head. Mrs Perkins acknowledged his decision and headed towards the door to allow the family some time to speak.
“I do not want to exclude the youngest two from this, we need to heal as a family,” Bennet said quietly as Mrs Perkins passed him. There would be time for introductions later.
It was not easy, but Fanny eventually released Elizabeth and then pulled Mary into a lengthy embrace. Next was Catherine, and lastly Lydia. The two eldest sisters looked at one another with arched eyebrows. In the past, their mother would have pushed them out of her path to reach her favourite, which Lydia had been, even above Janey.
Bennet tenderly took his wife’s hand, led her to a settee, and sat next to her after he made sure she was comfortable. Seeing how solicitous their father was of their mother, caused arched eyebrows from all four daughters.
“I have no doubt seeing your mother and me treating one another with fondness, and especially me not making sport of my wife, must be very shocking to you,” Bennet began as his daughters took seats. “It is not only our duties to the estate we are honouring as we, especially I, should be, but also our duties to one another and to you.” Bennet paused ashe looked at each of his daughters in turn. “As Lizzy correctly pointed out to your mother and me before she and Mary departed…”
