“Then, she is a bigger fool than you. As amused as I am, it is time for you to leave.” With that, Bennet rang the bell; Hill and Biggs entered the study. Bennet had to fight to hide a smile when he saw the way Collins cowered at seeing Biggs.
“Mr Collins is leaving us forthwith,” Bennet told his butler. “Make sure he packs and packs only his own belongings. Biggs, you and Johns will then take him to the Red Lion Inn. If he comes back to Longbourn, he is to be arrested as a trespasser,” Bennet instructed. “Biggs, tell the landlord at the inn that Longbourn will pay for one night because I had been willing to allow him one night here. After that, it is all on him.”
As much as Collins wanted to rail against his cousin, the presence of the giant man in the study kept his mouth closed. When the enormous man his cousin called Biggs told him tomove, Collins did so without hesitation.
Unfortunately, when the delusional buffoon left Bennet’s study, his rather pungent odour did not. Bennet stepped out from behind his desk to open the two windows on the eastern wall and opened his door wide. Slowly the smell dissipated. When it became bearable to breathe in his study once again, Bennet closed the door and then the windows.
He looked at the wall above the fireplace where a portrait of his late parents hung. “I was wrong. I should have looked for another wife as soon as Miss Gardiner was interred. I cannot allow Longbourn to devolve into the hands of such a man. I was a stubborn fool, was I not Mother and Father?” He asked his long-dead parents. “What should I do?”
Just then a voice in his head spoke, ‘You fool, you know what to do. You are so close to being in love with Louisa Bingley, and if you got out of your own way, you would be fully in love with her. She is your friend, you respect her, and she is your intellectual equal. Now stop being the stubborn fool you spoke of and win the lady.’ Bennet sat without moving as the words took hold of him. He had been fighting his inclination for Miss Louisa Bingley for no good reason at all.
What a fool he was. He did not know how, but somehow his parents had answered him. Of course, they would because he could only imagine how they would both be turning over in their graves if Bennet allowed his imbecilic cousin to get his grubby hands on Longbourn.
When he went back over the interactions with the younger Miss Bingley, he could see how he would vacillate between being very friendly, almost courting her and pulling back when his ridiculous determination not to marry again took hold.
Had he not promised himself he would only marry for love and respect? When he had heard about Melissa’s death, hehad told himself that his chance for a love match had died with her. That was not true. He thanked God for sending Collins to him so he could understand what a terrible mistake he was about to make and wake up and see what was right before him.
There was one thing he needed to do before he spoke to Miss Bingley…Louisa, or Lulu, as his daughters addressed her. He must speak to his daughters.
To that end, he knew he needed to strike while the iron was hot. Bennet stood and made his way back to the drawing room. His daughters and the companions were still within. “Mr Collins is no longer a guest at Longbourn, and if I have anything to say about it, he will never darken our doorstep again,” he began.
“Good. I felt a shiver up and down my spine when he leered at me and my sisters,” Jane stated as her sisters all nodded. “Had you not already done so, I would have requested you evict him.”
“I had an epiphany; possibly more than one, while I was alone in my study. In good conscience, I cannot allow that man to ever gain dominion over Longbourn. To ensure that, I need to marry and sire a son.” Bennet looked around at his daughters’ expectant faces. “To that end, I think I have a lady in mind.”
“Are you finally going to admit what we all see?” Elizabeth asked with a wide smile. “You and Lulu were made for one another.”
“You do not mind that I would be marrying a friend of yours?” Bennet verified.
“It is not the same as it would have been if you had offered for Charlotte. To us, she is not only a best friend but also like an older sister,” Jane explained. “Lulu is almost ten years older than me, and she would make you a very good wife, and although we may not call her ‘Mama,’ she would be a verywelcome member of the household.”
Bennet looked from daughter to daughter and each nodded enthusiastically.
“That was far easier than I had envisaged. Thank you my wonderful daughters. I will call on Miss Bingley, Louisa, in the morning.”
Chapter 24
Seeing that he was keen to speak to Miss Louisa Bingley, Bennet took his carriage and had the coachman drive him to Netherfield Park on Tuesday morning before accepted calling hours. This was one day he did not want to smell of horse and possibly sweat from riding, which was why he was in the conveyance and not on Jupiter.
Since his discussion with his daughters the previous afternoon, Bennet had been rehearsing what he wanted to say to Miss Bingley—Louisa—but he had stopped himself. He needed to speak from the heart and, above all to make sure he was honest with her. He suspected that she would welcome his declaration, but until he heard from her, Bennet knew it was all speculation on his part.
He did his best to stop worrying about being rejected. To make sure he was thinking positive thoughts, Bennet thought of his daughters and how supportive they had been when they had come to send him off on his mission to gain a Mrs Bennet. He could not have wished for better daughters than he had; they were the light of his life. Of one thing he was certain: if Miss Bingley accepted him, for either an engagement or a courtship, she would never want him to love his daughters less. What a fool he had been! The perfect woman had been before him all this time, and he had allowed his stubborn adherence to his determination not to marry again to stand in his way of opening his heart to her fully.
That was no longer an issue. Once he had permitted hiseyes to be opened, Bennet had realised he had been falling in love with Louisa Bingley almost from the day they had met. All he had to do was permit the scales of his stubbornness to fall from his eyes and see what was right before him.
Bennet did not realise he had arrived until the coachman slowed the equipage and had the horses halt in the drive opposite the stairs leading up to the veranda before the double front doors of Netherfield Park.
By the time a footman opened the door, Bennet sprang out feeling like a young man in his twenties again. He was buoyed by the new love in his heart.
Prior to his reaching the front doors, the butler had already opened one.
“Mr Bennet.” Nichols bowed. “How may I be of service, Sir?”
“Is the family yet breaking their fasts?” Bennet enquired. He saw the butler nod his head. “Will you announce me please?”
Knowing that Mr Bennet was always welcome, Nichols led the way to the breakfast parlour where he announced the caller. His job done, the butler withdrew to return to his post.
He bowed to the three men who had stood and bowed to him, and before making a second one to the ladies. All the time he was doing so, Bennet’s eyes had not left Louisa Bingley’s face. He cared not what anyone else thought; he was here for one purpose and one purpose only.
