“Yes, Cousin. I am here to apply for a clerical position, not master of any of your estates,” Collins vowed.
“In that case, I will accept you as a curate, with an eye to receiving the living when Mr. Dudley retires in less than a year. You will have the use of a cottage with all meals included and receive five pounds a month on top of that. If you accept, you will learn from Mr. Dudley, who has had close to forty years in the pulpit,” Bennet offered. “Do you accept my terms?”
Collins acknowledged to himself what his cousin was offering him was two to three times as generous as he had been proffered anywhere else he had applied, so he accepted happily.
He met all of his cousins the first Sunday when he was invited to dine and was taken by the beauty he saw arrayed among the Bennet sisters. He was aware only the oldest, who was betrothed, was out. As much as the second daughter captivated him with her green eyes, she was not out. It was also true as the daughter of a gentleman of means, she was far out of his reach, and he had no intention to test his cousin’s boundaries.
It was that Sunday when he first met Miss Charlotte Lucas, who was about a year older than he.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Once the date for Jane and Andrew’s wedding had been decided, notice was sent to Pemberley, and Robert Darcy departed with his daughter to collect William from a friend’s estate a week earlier than originally planned. He wanted to arrive at Netherfield Park well ahead of the festivities, which would include a betrothal ball, arriving on the first Wednesday in December.
The coach had barely stopped, and the footman had just managed to open the door when Georgiana was out of the interior as if shot out a cannon. It had been some months since she had been at Netherfield, and she missed all of the Bennet offspring.
As much as she wanted to spend time with her best friends, Georgiana was also looking forward to taking up her lessons with the masters again and would remain with the Bennets while her father was in London for part of the season after Twelfth Night.
“I have missed all of you so much,” Georgiana stated as she hugged each Bennet child in order, even—to his dismay—Tommy, who was at the stage when he found girls strange and foreign creatures.
“It is good to see you again, Gigi,” Jane stated for herself and her siblings.
“In less than a fortnight you will make us all cousins when you marry Andrew,” Georgiana gushed.
Robert and William Darcy stood back as the whirlwind that was Gigi made her way greeting everyone. After Andrew, she moved to the Bennet and Fitzwilliam parents and ended with Uncle Freddy, having missed her Aunt Catherine who was standing a little away from the main group.
“Welcome, Robert and William,” Fanny stated once Georgiana had moved off with Kitty and Lydia.
“You would swear Gigi had not been here in a few years, rather than just a few months,” Darcy observed.
“You look so much like my late sister, Georgiana,” Catherine stated softly.
“Aunt Catherine, I did not see you,” Georgiana stated. She was not sure how to greet her aunt when Catherine opened her arms and enfolded her niece in a warm hug.
Robert and William Darcy had to rub their eyes. They had heard the reports of Catherine’s reformation, but to see the demure woman who only spoke when spoken to and did not offer any unwanted useless advice was beyond anything either had expected.
William greeted each one in turn, wishing Jane and Andrew happy on their betrothal as it was the first time he had seen them since that joyous day. “How are you, Lizzy?” William asked, not missing the blush on her beautiful face as he took her hands in his and bestowed a gentle kiss on the back of one of her hands.
“Ahem, I am well, thank you, William,” the discomposed young lady responded. It was at that moment William first understood that Elizabeth might have tender feelings for him just as he did for her.
“After I wash and change, will you be in the library? There are some new works by Byron I would like to see if you have read,” William asked.
“Yes, I believe I will be there with Jane and Andrew,” Elizabeth replied, her eyes not quite meeting William’s.
William next wished Richard and Anne happy on their betrothals. Both thanked him. It was then he remembered his Aunt Catherine standing off the side. “Aunt Catherine, I want you to know that my mother would be so very happy at the changes you have made in your life. She would be proud of you.” William hugged his aunt and was genuinely happy to see her for the first time in many years.
It had taken the Bennet parents and the Prince a little while to accept that the Catherine who had arrived with the Fitzwilliams was the same woman who had barged into Pemberley making demands, tried to lie, and insulted everyone. Like the Darcys, they had heard the reports of her change, but until they saw it for themselves, and heard the absolute contrition in her apologies, they had been somewhat sceptical.
The six adults standing together were watching the interaction between Elizabeth and William shook their heads, all remembering the perspicacity of the late Anne Darcy. “My Anne knew what she was about,” Darcy said softly so only those right next to him would hear. “I should have known better than to think she was incorrect about those two.”
“We need to talk privately as soon as we can now that Robert is here,” Bennet told the others in their group. It was agreed they would meet in the master suite’s sitting room in an hour.
Before everyone dispersed, Darcy hugged his sister-in-law and echoed the words his son had spoken about how proud his late wife would have been of Catherine.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Edward Gardiner was impressed. Seldom has he been so impressed with a new man, but in the short time George Wickham had been an employee there was no task too menial for him to do, no hours too long for him to toil, and the man was intelligent.
He caught onto what was needed in his position of a clerk in a fraction of the time others trained for the same position had taken. Not only that, but the man was good at solving issues which would otherwise have taken Gardiner’s own time to solve.
