He was so angry that the plate of biscuits and pastries he would consume with his tea, stood only half eaten. Food normally had a calming effect on him, but now thanks to his cousin, he was not finding the pleasure he always did in eating. It was another ill to lay at his cousin’s door.
How dare his cousin not read his words and follow his instructions?
Collins remembered the words of Lord Matlock. As much as he hated to disagree with a man of his rank, Collins knew the Earl was wrong. Longbournwashis birthright, and the Bennetshadstolen it away from the Collins line.
He had thought to go rescue Lady Catherine, who had been unjustly committed to an asylum. The only problem was that he knew not which one nor where it was. Lord Matlock had refused to share the name and location claiming it was a private family matter. Collins had been too awed by being in a noble’s company to demand the information.
What had given him pause were the claims of Lady Catherine’s financial malfeasance against him with both his annual earnings and the balance of his legacy. Surely, a lady as great as Lady Catherine would not need to steal his money? He had tried to find a good reason for what she had done, but it was becoming harder to do so. At first, he had told himself it was her right to take his money because of her rank, but that was not right, was it?
The questions about the money notwithstanding, Collins missed the lady and her advice greatly. No matter what Lord Matlock and Miss de Bourgh had said, he was certain that had she still been in her rightful place as the Mistress of Rosings Park, Lady Catherine would have been able to put things to rights.
As he sat in his study fuming over the blatant disrespect of Cousin Bennet returning his instructions unread, Collins asked himself what Lady Catherine would have done had she been able?
While he cogitated, Collins forgot he had been too angry with his cousin to finish the plate of treats it was his wont to eat with his tea, and began to put one after another intohis mouth. Even though eating everything on the plate had a calming effect on him, it was only when he was licking the last crumbs from the plate that he had an idea.
The more he considered the inspiration he had had, the more Collins knew this would be effective.
Thankfully Miss de Bourgh had given him the portion of his wages she claimed her mother wrongfully took, as well as the amount she withheld that she should have added to his pay. As he had been more than six months in his post, he had been handed a little more than two hundred pounds, so now money was not an issue for him. He did not want to think of Miss de Bourgh as his patroness because it seemed disrespectful and disloyal to Lady Catherine. However, she had given him money she said was due him. She also told him that all of the things Lady Catherine purchased with the money she stole from him would be sold and that money would be returned to him as well.
Collins summoned his cook and housekeeper in one person and issued orders. He had one of the tenant’s sons who owned a trap summoned and paid the lad to convey him into Hunsford.
His plan was sound; it would work; he would not be gainsaid in this. He felt the happiest he had been since hearing the blasphemy in the solicitor’s office.
It took a day to have everything which needed to be dealt with and to do what was needed to be done. On Thursday morning, the day before the travesty of a wedding, Collins departed from his parsonage in a rented carriage. This time, he would travel in comfort, and when his cousins saw him travelling in such style, they would regret their behaviour towards William Clem Collins.
The evening Collins arrived at the Blue Bull Inn in Hatfield, he treated himself to the best room at the inn.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
As much as she would have wanted to see Thomas the night before the wedding, Louisa accepted that until she entered the church on Charles’s arm on the morrow, she would not see the man she loved more than anything she could imagine.
Even though she was only four years older than Louisa, Maddie Gardiner, who since her arrival with her family and cousins had become very dear to Louisa, had given her thetalkan hour past. Aunt Hildebrand was yet a maiden, so it would have been no use to ask her to do that duty. Maddie had been very informative; hence, she had left Louisa in anticipation of her wedding night and beyond.
Louisa had been fascinated to meet and become acquainted with Maddie’s cousins. They had been very much down to earth and like Maddie had written to Thomas, they displayed no airs and graces.
As hard as it was to fall asleep that night, Louisa had wanted to because the sooner she slept, the sooner she would wake, and it would be the day to marry her love.
Chapter 28
Louisa had been having the most pleasant dream of her and Thomas enjoying each other when she was gently shaken awake. As the fog of the vivid and exciting dream faded, Louisa was sure that certain parts of the dream were directly connected to the information Maddie had imparted to her the previous evening.
She blinked her eyes open, and before her was a smiling Aunt Hildebrand standing next to a maid who had a tray in her hand.
“You do not want to be late for your wedding, do you, Lulu?” Hildebrand said cheerily.
Even though Lulu was not the daughter of her body, she felt like she was her offspring in every way that counted. Until Charles had been directed by the hand of God to lease this estate, Hildebrand had believed that, like herself, Lulu would remain a spinster because there was no man good enough for her, a man who would see past her birthmark and see the wonderful woman behind it. The difference was that she was happy not to be married, but she had long known that Lulu had wanted a husband and children of her own.
Until she met Thomas Bennet, that had seemed like a distant, unattainable dream. Then, even when Hildebrand saw affection growing on both sides, Thomas would not let go of his resolve not to marry again. That was until he had been forced to reevaluate things because of that buffoon of a cousin of his. With the love Hildebrand felt for the daughter of her heart, as soon as she had seen the absolute pleasure Lulu feltafter accepting Thomas, Hildebrand had thought her heart would explode from the happiness she felt for her niece.
“No, Aunt Hildebrand, the last thing I want is for Thomas to think I am not coming to meet him at the altar. I have been waiting for this day for two and thirty years.” Louisa swung her legs over the side of the four-poster bed and slipped them into her slippers, and she donned her warm robe, even though the fire had been built up already. “May we enjoy the tray in the sitting room?”
“Of course.” Hildebrand told the maid to take the tray to the mentioned room. “Come Lulu, while you break your fast, the footmen will fill your bath.”
Aunt and niece followed the maid into the sitting room and directed her to place the tray on a low table between the settee and two wingback chairs. The maid did as instructed, before bobbing a curtsy to the mistress and Miss Bingley, and slipping out of the sitting room.
There were pots of tea and hot chocolate, pastries, muffins, warm rolls, jam, and butter on the tray along with plates, cups, and saucers.
Knowing Lulu as she did, Hildebrand poured her a cup of hot chocolate and a cup of tea for herself. She watched as Lulu broke open a roll, and with a knife took some butter and spread it on the inside of the roll. It melted into the bread almost immediately. Then, her niece selected some gooseberry jam for her roll and added a muffin to her plate and sat back.
