Page 63
“Yes, his initial proposal was nothing but a murmur. It was when you raised your voice that it became plain.”
Elizabeth lowered her head. Not in shame, but in something. Although she had no idea what.
“Mr. Collins proposed?”
“Yes Mary. In about the most insulting way possible. Actually he could have been worse, Miss Bingley worse, but he was bad enough. The main issue was he did not listen to, or accept my first refusal. Or my second. His response to my second refusal was the final straw. I excoriated him in the harshest way possible.”
“Excoriated?”
Claire clearly did not know the word.
“I tried to flay him alive.”
“Oh my.”
“What did you say Lizzie?”
“Are you sure you want to know?”
“Claire heard, you might as well tell me.”
“I accused him of breaching two of the Commandments and five of the deadly sins.”
Rather than the expected outburst from her sister there was a momentary pause.
“The first and the tenth?”
“Er, yes Mary. I thought you would be horrified.”
It was Mary’s turn to sigh.
“I am not you Lizzie, I could never express myself as you can. But I am a devout woman. When I heard that the heir was already ordained I allowed myself a little hope. It is exactly the kind of situation that I have dreamed of. The reality of Mr. Collins shattered that dream. You do not need to be an expert on Canon Law to know the Commandments. We have talked of his display of the sins before. He is a poor excuse for a member of the clergy. I do not condone your words or behaviour but I do not condemn them either.”
“What about number four?”
“I do not know how you can comply with that. It is in contradiction to numbers one and ten in this instance. What did Papa have to say?”
“He did not demand me to accept, but he did question the decision. He asked if I was sure I wanted to refuse Mr. Collins given that he is the heir and I would inherit Longbourn upon his passing.”
“How did you respond?”
“I deflected to an extent. I said I did not wish to consider his passing, hoping that it is many decades in the future. In the meantime I refuse to be shackled to Mr. Collins.”
“Does the prospect of Longbourn not give you pause?”
Elizabeth sighed and flexed her aching foot.
“It comes back to how I have changed while I was in London. Mr. Collins was an easy man to refuse. I wish that he had the courtesy to accept my first refusal but there is nothing I can do about that. Who is the most handsome man of our acquaintance?”
“Sorry Lizzie, you have lost me with that jump.”
“I am trying to explain it is not just Mr. Collins I would refuse.”
“Oh I see.”
Mary thought for a moment. Then the perfect man came to her.
“How about Mr. Darcy. He is handsome and rich to boot.”
