“Lizzy, I see that you and your sister have put a great deal of thought into this proposition. It may surprise you to learn that your mother received one hundred pounds each quarter in pin money, which she divided among herself and your sisters. You may set it all aside, except what I have already spent upon Lydia’s schooling.”
“It is not likely that sufficient funds will be set aside for Jane and yourself, as you will both marry soon; but by the time Mary and the younger girls are of an age to wed, a tidy sum will have been collected.”
Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. “Papa, I forget that you have been very ill, and you do not know all that has been occurring under your own roof. It may surprise you, and you will be pleased to learn that Mary has caught the attention of your heir. She attended him in his hour of need, and he has received her ministrations with proper gratitude and affection. She confesses that she has fallen in love, and she believes that he loves her in return.”
Mr. Bennet lifted his brows. “Well, this is pleasing news, my girl. There is no better resolution for the entail than to see my heir married to one of my daughters.”
Elizabeth laughed. “None better, sir. And it is especially gratifying, because the daughter in question wishes to marry him for love. Imagine that, Papa. A love match.”
He chuckled. “I am pleased, my girl. It raises my spirits more than anything else could. I have felt the loss of your mother deeply, Lizzy. I was an unconscionable brute toward her, and I can hardly forgive myself for it. But if I can see that all her daughters are comfortably settled, as she always wished, then perhaps I shall have made some amends for my failings.”
Elizabeth took his hand in hers and pressed it.
“Yes, she was always contriving to match one or another of us, much to our horror. She did not possess much discernment in the choosing of a proper suitor, if Mr. Goulding is any example, but she did try.”
Elizabeth sighed. “But what of Mary? If the rector makes her an offer, must she wait until she is out of full mourning before they can marry? What if he loses interest during the ensuing months and marries someone else instead?”
Mr. Bennet considered. “He does not appear a man of changeable sentiments, but why tempt fate? I shall ask him whether Mary has caught his eye. If he admits it, I will ask him to marry her at once, very quietly. We shall forgo a wedding breakfast, lest we shock our neighbors. If the banns are read beginning this Sunday, then by the time he and I are well enough to attend, they may marry and travel directly to his rectory in Kent.”
And so it happened that four weeks later, on the tenth day of May, Mary and Mr. Collins were married in a simple ceremony, with only her father and three sisters in attendance.
Elizabeth sat in the Bennet pew and watched as Jane stood beside their sister, while their father took his place with Mr. Collins, serving as witness to the marriage ceremony.
Her cousin was a tall, well-formed man, and she thought him very handsome. His hair was the color of dark gold, like Jane’s, and his eyes were blue. He was as well-spoken and rational as he was pleasing to look upon. When Elizabeth had the opportunity to converse with him, she found him learned, with a sound understanding of world affairs and the tenets of the Good Book. He was altogether eligible, and Mary was fortunate to have caught his notice. How pleased her mother would have been.
Now the family stood at the front entrance of the house while trunks were loaded upon the Bennet carriage.
Elizabeth wrapped her arms about her sister’s neck. “Mary, I am so happy for you. You have made a love match. You are a very fortunate woman.”
Mary returned the heartfelt embrace, and neither seemed willing to let go of the other.
“I love you,” Mary murmured. “You were there for us when Lydia threatened our respectability with her indiscretion. We have come through it together, and now we stand on the other side of it, in this happy moment.”
Elizabeth clung to her a moment longer, then turned to Kitty and drew her into an embrace.
“Stay out of trouble, my dear. Listen to your sister, and do all you can to merit a good husband. Keep yourself above reproach, that you may prove worthy of a man like our new brother.”
Kitty sniffed. “Yes, Lizzy, I will.”
Mr. Collins handed both women into the carriage, then turned to his cousin.
“Thomas, I shall return the carriage tomorrow, after the horses have had a night’s rest. We shall see you in six months.”
The remaining Bennets stood watching until the carriage was lost from view.
Elizabeth slipped her arm through her father’s.
“Papa, it was kind of you to give Mary one hundred pounds to purchase her trousseau.”
He patted her hand. “I feel for my daughter. She was forced to forgo her wedding breakfast and to marry under the shadow of her mother’s death. Yet she has a bright future, not only because she will be mistress of Longbourn, but also because he is a good man who loves her. The money is only a token of our love. It was the least I could do for her.”
He stopped walking and struggled to catch his breath.
“I am exhausted. I shall go up and rest, but I will come down for dinner. Every day I feel a little stronger, and breathe a little easier.”
Elizabeth turned to her sister.
“Jane, will you join me for a cup of tea? I will help Papa to his bedchamber and then will be down directly.”
