“How can I not be pleased, Eliza? I am the mistress of my own home; I am married to a respectable man, and I will never be a burden on Papa, or Franklin after him,” Charlotte replied. “You know how I have wanted my own establishment for some years. Now, I have one.”
Elizabeth did not miss that her friend had not said she was fortunate in her choice of husband or any other comments about the man in question. She was certain that Mr Collins’s foolishness and absolute worship of his patroness would have driven her insane in no time at all. Based on her cousin’s non-stop praise of all things Lady Catherine when he had been at Longbourn, Elizabeth was certain that Lady Catherine interfered in every facet of the Collins’ lives. She remembered how he had spoken of adding shelves to the closets because of some comment Lady Cathrine made, or some instruction she issued. Hence, Elizabeth was sure Charlotte had experienced the same already and was repenting her hasty decision to accept Mr Collins. Unfortunately for her friend, she would have to live with her choice for many years. That had to be true because, after all, Charlotte was far too intelligent for it not to be so.
The three guests were invited into the house while the parsonage’s manservant assisted Sir William’s lone footman to unlash the trunks and take them to the relevant chambers.
The three new arrivals followed the master and mistress of the house inside, where a maid was waiting to relieve them of their outerwear.
As soon as his wife had conducted a tour of the ground floor, Collins continued his campaign to show his cousin all she was missing by having refused him. “As you can see, Cousin Elizabeth, the house is very comfortable, befitting one of my rank,” he stated as soon as his wife had shown their guests about the ground floor of the parsonage.
“I am sure Charlotte is very comfortable here,” Elizabethdeflected. She could have made any number of cutting comments, but good manners dictated that she not do so, and she was certain poor Charlotte would be greatly embarrassed.
Seeing what her husband was about, Charlotte interceded before he made more of a fool of himself. She was convinced Eliza was even more certain that her initial reaction when she decried Charlotte’s decision was correct. “Mr Collins, did not Lady Catherine mention that your garden and beehives require much of your attention to be as successful as she demands?” Charlotte asked slyly.
Collins was horrified that he was not following one of Lady Catherine’s commands. There would be time to make sure his cousin understood how foolish she had been to refuse his offer. “Thank you for reminding me, my dove,” Collins enthused. “I will go tend to my garden and hives forthwith. Never let it be said that I do not follow Lady Catherine’s sage advice to the letter.” With a quick bow, the parson made his way out of the house with alacrity, only stopping to don his broad-brimmed hat.
Sir William and Maria decided they needed some rest. Charlotte had the maid show them up to their chambers.
Charlotte led Elizabeth into the back parlour they had toured a few minutes earlier. She pushed the door closed and turned to face her friend. “Eliza, I am so sorry. I never realised when my husband agreed for you to come visit me that his intention was to try to prove to you how much you erred in rejecting his proposals.” She paused briefly. “By the by, this parlour is for my particular use, and I am very seldom disturbed here, especially as I encourage my husband to work in his gardens whenever he is at leisure. You are always welcome to sit in here.”
To Elizabeth, Charlotte’s stratagem to spend as little time with her husband as possible reinforced her belief that her friend regretted marrying him. She decided to ignore thatand respond to the rest of what Charlotte had said. “I know it was theonlydecision I could have made for my own felicity. Charlotte, I assure you that no matter how much he goes on about the subject, he will not discompose me. I know my own mind. Add to that, I am completely at peace with my decision. I will not allow your husband to upset my equanimity, and he will never be gratified if he expects me to tell him that I regret my refusal of his proposal. I do not, not even for the smallest measure of time.”
Knowing how stubborn her friend could be, Charlotte allowed the subject to end for now. “How is Jane doing? Is she still as sad about Mr Bingley’s defection?”
“Yes, she is!” Elizabeth bit out. “I know what you advised me to tell her to do, but that is not Jane. She does not show her emotions easily, and she will not breach the bounds of propriety as that Miss Bingley does. She knows she cannot speak until the man does first.” Elizabeth paused. “Did you know she called on Miss Bingley and Mrs Hurst a few days after arriving in London? The high-in-the-instep shrew claimed that none of Jane’s letters reached her, and she and her uppity sister pushed Jane out of their house in less than ten minutes. Then, it took more than a month of Jane waiting for a call for Miss Bingley to call on her. She claimed that Mr Bingley knew Jane was in London, but he was too busy courting Miss Darcy. Before she left, her nose high in the air as if there were a bad smell in Aunt Maddie’s drawing room, she made sure Jane knew their connection was at an end. This is all Mr Darcy’s doing, insufferable man!”
“Eliza, you are always quick to blame Mr Darcy for all the ills in the world. I believe that the man looked on you with a friendly eye.”
“Taradiddle[2], Charlotte!” Elizabeth exclaimed. “That man looked at me to find fault!”
“Believe that if you will, Eliza, but no man looks at a woman in that way if it is one he feels no attraction to. Ifany man had looked at me like that, I would have known how to act.” Charlotte did not mention that his professions of love aside, she had no tender feelings for Mr Collins and she was certain he did not truly love her; that is, if he knew what love was.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
William Darcy was very frustrated. How was it that he had not been able to evict Miss Elizabeth Bennet from his head or his heart?
He had been convinced that as soon as there was some distance from her, he would forget her. But that had not occurred. If anything, she filled his idle time and dreams more than when he was in Hertfordshire at Netherfield Park, Bingley’s leased estate.
He had not kept to his first instinct not to go into Hertfordshire because Anna—Darcy’s sister, had asked to be called that when she was twelve. She had two reasons, Gigi was for a little girl, and Anna was close to their late mother Anne’s name—was still suffering from her narrow escape from that bastard Wickham. His aunt and the new companion had assured him his sister needed some time without his constant presence. What a disaster there would have been if he had not decided to go to Ramsgate four days before he had told Mrs Younge he would return… Darcy stopped that thought. It did not bear thinking what would have happened to his sister, especially when Wickham discovered her dowry was forfeit if she eloped.
He should have had Thompson detain Wickham and turn him over to Richard—a colonel in the Royal Dragoons now—and then the rogue would never bother another. But he had been too busy consoling Anna to stop Wickham when he ran from the house, his tail between his legs.
That thought led him to consider why he had not told Richard about Wickham being in the militia. He knew theanswer; the libertine held Anna’s reputation in his hands. If Wickham was left alone, he would remain silent.
Thoughts of Wickham made him remember the dance he shared with Miss Elizabeth at the ball Bingley had held at Netherfield Park on the final Tuesday of November 1811. When she had spoken of Wickham, should he have told her more? He had placated his conscience at the time, telling himself that as the Bennets were impecunious and none of the Miss Bennets had dowries, they were safe from the profligate wastrel.
Knowing Wickham’s proclivities, Darcy knew that was not true. However, a Darcy did not expose his private dealings to the world… did he?
His pride would never allow him to form an alliance with Miss Elizabeth Bennet, daughter of a minor country squire whose mother was the daughter of a solicitor, and who had uncles who were in trade, no matter what his heart demanded. He could never betray his name or heritage in that way. He was a Darcy of Pemberley.
His mind drifted back to a statement he had made while Miss Elizabeth was resident at Netherfield Park, tending Miss Bennet, who was ill. He had said something to the effect that he abhorred any sort of disguise or prevarication. It was, after all, one of the core values his late father had taught him. He could still hear the words: “William, an honourable gentleman, is always honest; he does not hide behind half-truths…”
That was exactly what he had done with Bingley when his friend had asked his opinion of Miss Bennet’s feelings for him. Darcy was not sure. He suspected she did have feelings for his friend that, unlike Miss Bingley, she kept to propriety insofar as she would not show her feelings until the man spoke. Instead, he had said hesawno affection in her looks. That was a half-truth. He also did not say that he had a vested interest in keeping Bingley from Miss Bennet so Darcy would not betempted by Miss Elizabeth’s siren call. Miss Bingley and Mrs Hurst had gone on about the low status of the family, the vulgar behaviour of the mother, the impropriety of the youngest three girls, and even the father. None of that had moved Bingley until Darcy intimated Miss Bennet did not return Bingley’s feelings and would accept him for pecuniary reasons. Darcy had been fully aware that Bingley gave his advice great weight, and as soon as he said what he did, his friend decided he would not return to Hertfordshire.
If that were not bad enough, he was aware Miss Bennet was in London—he had been at Hurst House the day she had come to call—and he had kept that information from Bingley. Not only that, but he had agreed with Miss Bingley and Mrs Hurst that Bingley could not be told the truth.
On the one hand, he was using the honour of the Darcy name as a reason he could not offer for Miss Elizabeth, with whom he believed he was in love, while at the same time he was dishonouring his father by doing something he had been adjured not to. It had been done and done for the best. There was no going back now. That was what he told himself even while knowing that too was not true.
Darcy pushed thoughts of any Bennets from his head as he concentrated on his sister. Thanks to Mrs Annesley, Anna’s new companion, whose every character she had given had been highly verified, and his Aunt Elaine, Anna was making a very slow recovery.
