“So, if no heir is found within a year of Miss de Bourgh’s passing, the estate reverts to the Crown?” Charlotte verified.
“How can that be? Lady Catherine herself told me the estate belongs to her! How can it be right that someone could take it from the rightful owner…” Collins closed his mouth quickly when he heard his name called.
“Mr Collins!” Fitzwilliam bellowed. “My aunt does notnow, nor has she ever, owned Rosings Park. Had Anne been healthy enough to marry—no, Mr Darcy would not have married her—then the estate would have been her property while her husband would have been the manager, but not owner as he would not have de Bourgh blood. Only a child of her body, or one from the lost branch of the family would inherit. As your wife understands, if one of de Bourgh blood cannot be found, then the estate will revert to the Crown.”
“What do you mean, Mr Darcy would not have married Miss de Bourgh? Lady Catherine said it was so…” Collins began to say.
“You seem to worship my aunt more than God, Mr Collins. You do know that is considered heresy, do you not?” Fitzwilliam said with steel in his voice. “If your bishop discovers that you serve Lady Catherine and not the members of this parish, you will have the living removed from you. Further, with the way you hold my aunt above all, you could be defrocked. Did my aunt tell you she is a peer of the realm?”
As he was so scared and not trusting himself to speak, Collins only nodded.
“She is not; she is a commoner like you and me. Her title is a courtesy title only, and aside from that, my late uncle was a knight, like your father-in-law. Does that make your mother-in-law a peer of the realm? Why do you take what my aunt says as law?” Fitzwilliam pressed.
“S-she s-said unless I-I o-obey h-her, she w-w-will take the l-living f-from m-me,” Collins stammered.
“Mr Collins, did you not study church law as part of your preparation for ordination?” Frustrated, Fitzwilliam shook his head at the depth of the man’s stupidity. “My aunt has no more power to remove you than I do. A living is for life unless your bishop removes you for misconduct. For instance, if you related confidences a parishioner told you or allowed one nota member of the clergy to write your sermons for you, that would be grounds for removal.”
Collins was shaken to his core and felt very real fear. The items Colonel Fitzwilliam mentioned were things he had done. Why had he blindly accepted as fact all that Lady Catherine had said? He knew why. Thanks to the beatings at his late father’s hands, he always deferred to those in authority. Suddenly, he realised that Lady Catherine had no real power over him. The only power she had was that which he granted her. He knew he had much to ponder. Blind obedience to Lady Catherine was not worth losing the one thing he had always wanted to do since he had been shown kindness by the rector in Faversham.
“Based on what you said, if an heir is found, then he or she may not replace my husband on a whim, is that correct?” Charlotte asked the question more for her husband than herself.
“That would be correct, Mrs Collins,” Fitzwilliam replied. “Now I must return so I can be with my cousin if she is called home today.” He turned to Elizabeth. “Miss Bennet, will you walk me to the door?”
“Of course, Colonel,” Elizabeth responded.
When he was assured no one else could hear, Fitzwilliam moved his mouth close to one of Miss Bennet’s ears. “We heard from Darcy, and those missives my mother told you about have been posted to London.”
“PoorMiss Bingley,” Elizabeth returned sarcastically. “Anything she suffers is at her own hand.”
The colonel took his leave, and Elizabeth returned to the parlour.
“Perhaps I was wrong about which cousin esteems you,” Charlotte teased.
“It has nothing to do with that. I cannot reveal why, but I can tell you that Miss Caroline Bingley will soon receive her comeuppance,” Elizabeth related.
No matter how much Charlotte and Maria asked, Elizabeth said nothing else.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
“Caroline, this is not a good idea,” Mrs Hurst tried to insist as the Hurst carriage came to a halt at Holder House.
“You are wrong, Louisa,” Miss Bingley shot back. “Not only are we wealthy and sophisticated, but as I will soon be Mrs Darcy, we will be accepted here with pleasure. When I warn the earl and countess about Miss Bennet and her family, they will be in our debt. That will only enhance our position in society.”
Mrs Hurst had serious misgivings; however, even after Charles had cut contact—Caroline believed he would get over his pique in a few days—she still deferred to her younger and far more forceful sister.
After the one and only Hurst footman—most had left when they had been told they would have to take a serious reduction in wages—placed the step and opened the door, Miss Bingley descended, her nose in the air. She had worn one of her best gowns and much jewellery so that anyone who saw her would know she was a member of high society. Mrs Hurst, with her trepidation building, followed her sister towards the huge double doors.
Miss Bingley lifted the ornate brass knocker and allowed it to fall against the door.
Fenster opened the door and did not recognise the overdressed lady as one of the mistress’s callers. He noted the other woman trying to hide behind the one with her nose in the air. “Yes? How may I be of service?” The butler drawled.
“Miss Bingley and Mrs Hurst to call on her Ladyship,”Miss Bingley said while fighting to maintain her equanimity. How dare this servant question her?
“If you give me your cards, I will see if the family is at home,” Fenster stated.
With no good cheer, Miss Bingley pulled Louisa’s from her hand and passed it and her own card to the uppity butler. She would recommend the man get sacked for his insolence towards her. Before she could move, the door was closed, and the bolt was slid shut from the inside. “Well, I never!” she screeched.
“Caroline, I do not have a good feeling about this; we should return to Hurst House,” Mrs Hurst suggested.
