Now that I know that my birthright will be mine, thanks to my wise patroness, I cannot be otherwise than concerned at being the means of injuring your amiable daughters, and beg leave to apologise for it, as well as to assure you of my readiness to make them every possible amends, but of this hereafter.
If you should have no objection to receiving me into your house, I propose myself the satisfaction of waiting on you and your family on Wednesday, the 16th day of October of this year, at exactly four o’clock, and shall probably trespass on your hospitality until the Saturday sennight following, which I can do without any inconvenience, as Lady Catherine is far from objecting to my occasional absence on a Sunday, provided that some other clergyman is engaged to do the duty of the day.
I remain, dear sir, with respectful compliments to your lady and daughters, your well-wisher and friend,
William Collins
“Thomas, the man is insane!” Becca exclaimed. “To take the word of an uneducated woman like Uncle Reggie’s sister as gospel displays an inordinate lack of judgement. This man cannot be trusted with the ministering to anyone, never mind of a flock.”
“Then it is good our uncle is present. If I remember correctly, he is a good friend of the Archbishop of Canterbury, is he not?” Bennet verified.
“Yes, that is so,” Becca confirmed. “What are you thinking?”
“We can both see this is not a man who should hold sway over the spiritual well-being of any single person, never mind a whole parish, can we not?” Becca nodded. “If Matlock makes the Archbishop aware of what is occurring in Hunsford, then it will be up to the church to determine what to do with him, and Lady Catherine as well.”
“What about replying to him regarding his inviting himself to our house?” Becca paused. “I have an idea based on his seeming reverence to those who are titled…”
“If the others who will need to be involved agree, your suggestion will work perfectly.” Bennet placed his hands on either side of his beloved wife’s cheeks and delivered a searing kiss. “You, my dearest wife, could not have been so very intelligent for no reason.”
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
“Only Catherine would prefer a church living to a specimen like the one who wrote this letter. She surrounds herself with sycophantic, brainless men who will worship the very ground on which she walks.” Lady Elaine shook her head.
“Bennet, you do not object if I send this letter to His Grace, the Archbishop, do you?” Matlock requested. “My niece’s plan will work just as she thinks it will.”
“No, Matlock, you are free to take it; I have no need for it.” Bennet handed the letter to his uncle. “I will reply to him and inform him he may come and visit us. It will not be pleasant tohave such a dullard in the house, nor will it be easy to school our features with such an example of stupidity before us.”
“But you will manage it, Thomas,” Beth insisted.
“What will Papa manage, Grandmama Beth?” Elizabeth asked as she and her siblings, all of whom had washed and changed after their nice long ride across the fields, entered the drawing room.
“Read the letter your Uncle Reggie is holding, and then we will explain,” Bennet responded.
After greeting their aunt, uncle, and Richard—a shy greeting with a blush of pleasure from Mary—the six Bennet siblings crowded around a settee, the four girls seated while their brothers stood behind as they all read the missive.
When they completed the reading, their parents and the Fitzwilliams explained what the Bennet siblings had missed, including their Mama’s plan.
“I agree with what you told us Aunt Elaine said about the writer of this drivel,” Jane stated firmly. As much as she preferred to see the good in people, she was not blind to the way things actually were and would not attempt to excuse the inexcusable to make things look positive. “As long as he does not attempt to importune any of us while he is being hosted here, we will welcome him.”
“Ha!” Elizabeth exclaimed. “Brian, John, or any of the other guards will eject him if he attempts anything with us.”
“Lizzy is correct,” Bennet agreed. “Your mother and I will issue strict instructions to Biggs, Johns, and their men that Collins is to be watched at all times while he is here.” He looked at Becca, who nodded her approval. “The late Clem Collins passed away before he could enact his plans, but he was trying to employ men to harm Henry and Tommy some years ago. Ifthe son has any wrongheaded ideas, the guards will be present to deter him.”
“We will make sure he understands that no matter what, he will never inherit Longbourn,” Becca insisted. “Hopefully he will not attempt anything, especially as based on what he wrote, he does not believe Henry and Tommy are legitimate.”
“Is the man who wrote such a letter truly an ordained clergyman?” Ellie asked as she shook her head.
“Surely he has more discernment than to think that Lady Catherine knows anything about the law and the validity of the documents he was sent regarding the breaking of the entail?” Elizabeth asked in wonder.
“Father, how did you and Mama find achangelinglike myself who looks so much like you?” Henry mocked the writer of the ridiculous letter.
“And what about me, who not only has features from both Mama and Papa, but looks a lot like Uncle Will?” Tommy added.
“Unfortunately, my sister believes that she has supreme knowledge in everything when the truth is she knows nothing,” Matlock stated sadly. “I have often lamented the fact that we are unable to choose family.”
“I have heard Uncle Edward say the same thing,” Jane remarked.
“I believe we have much more pleasant things to speak about rather than a delusional Collins,” Beth pointed out. No one disagreed.
