A Mutual Accord

Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

A t Longbourn, Elizabeth's absence had been noticed, and was the talk of the entire household, because Mr Collins had been looking for her to ask her advice on a matter pertaining to Mary. Her mother was distressed by her disappearance. A letter had come from Netherfield while she was gone, dashing Jane's hopes for Mr Bingley, and now Mrs Bennet was delirious in attempting to find Elizabeth. Somehow, Mrs Bennet had forgotten in her terror of the hedgerows that Mary was being courted by Mr Collins. The man wished to speak with Elizabeth, and Mary or no Mary, Mrs Bennet was frantically determined that Elizabeth would hear him.

Mr Bennet was more sensible, he knew his daughter's habits, and that Collins was not about to offer for his second daughter, yet he found his wife impossible to calm. For once he had no desire to needle her. As Elizabeth came into the dining room, he thundered at his wife, who was beginning to chastise Elizabeth, "Enough Mrs Bennet! It is obvious that our daughter has been on one of her daily morning rambles, and there is nothing so astonishing or inappropriate about her usual habits! Now! Whatever it is that Mr Collins has to say to Elizabeth can wait until a civilised hour when the entire family has broken their fast! We have all been out very late, some of us imbibed more punch than they should have last night," he said as he eyed Kitty and Lydia sternly, "And I'm certain we could all do with a peaceful family breakfast !" Mr Bennet glared at his wife as he snapped open his paper, and the family began to enjoy their meal.

Mr Bennet's speech brought the family twenty minutes reprieve during which Jane was able to pass the letter from Netherfield to Elizabeth for her perusal, before Mrs Bennet began managing everyone's morning. Kitty and Lydia were to walk into Meryton and collect her order from the butcher. Mary was to practise the pianoforte, and Jane was to help Mrs Bennet in the stillroom immediately after breakfast. Elizabeth was to stay in the dining room when everyone left, and hear whatever Mr Collins had to say.

Mrs Bennet was so certain that Mr Collins was going to propose that she began to speak of the engagement as a settled matter. Mr Collins looked panicked, glancing between Elizabeth and Mary, the latter of whom appeared ready to cry, as Mrs Bennet blathered on about wedding clothes and flowers until finally, in a moment of desperation, when Mrs Bennet paused for a breath, Elizabeth cleared her throat and spoke demurely.

"Papa, I beg yours and Mama's pardon exceedingly. I am uncertain what Mr Collins wishes to speak to me about, but I am certain that it is not the conversation my mother imagines. Even if it were, I am not at liberty to hear Mr Collins' addresses."

"Not at liberty? Lizzy, am I to comprehend correctly that you are telling me that you already have an understanding of a romantic nature with another gentleman?” asked her father incredulously. “And if the answer is yes, when can I expect this gentleman to call upon me?"

"Yes, Papa. He is to call upon you today, sir," Elizabeth whispered modestly.

Mrs Bennet began to deride her. "Mr Bennet, the girl is obviously embellishing a falsehood in order to avoid Mr Collins. Who else would have offered for Lizzy?"

"She has yet to do very much embellishing, Mrs Bennet," Mr Bennet observed wryly. "Who indeed is intelligent enough to recognise Lizzy for the prize she is? Perhaps it is Mr Darcy. You boasted to your friends for nearly an hour last night of his affinity for her when he singled her out for a dance. What say you, Lizzy? Should you like to be the mistress of the deplorable half of Derbyshire?"

Elizabeth flushed pink, and her father choked, spraying his coffee across the breakfast table. "Lizzy, you are joking!" Elizabeth's cheeks flamed further, and she bowed her head in mortification as her sisters all began to exclaim in excitement. This was not precisely how she had planned to tell them, and indeed she had not planned to tell them at all until Mr Darcy came, in case he changed his mind. But she could not stomach the discomfort of her sister or Mr Collins for another moment.

Elizabeth's sisters began immediately begging for fripperies from Lizzy's future allowance, a drawing master, visits to London. Mrs Bennet clapped her hands and cried, "Mr Darcy! Ten thousand a year, and very likely more! ‘Tis as good as a lord!"

"Enough!" Elizabeth cried "We are not engaged, ‘tis only a courtship! I have accepted, but it is not certain he will ask me for an engagement, nor is it at all certain that I would accept! We have had many misunderstandings already in our acquaintance, there is much to be overcome, but we have discovered we share principles in common, and to that end, have decided to learn more about each other. It does not follow that I will marry him, so you must all stop this immediately or it will never happen!"

"Indeed, it will never happen, for he will never ask, Cousin!" Mr Collins cried in hysteria. "Mr Darcy is destined for that delicate and rare flower of Kent, the Honourable Miss Anne de Bourgh!"

"I refuse to believe Mr Darcy would do such an abominable thing as to ask a lady for a courtship while being engaged to another!" Elizabeth retorted hotly.

"Mr Darcy and Miss de Bourgh have been destined for each other from their cradles – they will unite two of the most splendid fortunes in the kingdom! Bennet, I fear my cousin has been used to sow this man's wild oats. I am sure he has already left for London with Mr Bingley! Cousin Elizabeth I am grateful for all of your kindness to me, but I wish you had taken greater care. Having intentions in a very different direction, I will feel grieved indeed if I have to marry you to save yours and your sister’s reputations."

"MR COLLINS, YOU WILL BE SILENT!" bellowed Mr Darcy's voice thunderously from the doorway.

The entire family turned in their chairs to see Mr Darcy and Mr Bingley standing in the hall behind Mrs Hill, who curtsied primly, and announced, "Mr Darcy and Mr Bingley, ma'am."

Mr Bingley had not been able to wait until after breakfast to speak his heart to Jane, and so the gentlemen had set forth immediately from Netherfield after their conversation.

Mr Darcy spoke, "Mr and Mrs Bennet, please allow me to humbly beg your pardon for my outburst, however, in my shock in entering your breakfast room to hear my private affairs being bandied about, and my honour being besmirched by a man who has yet to be even properly introduced to me," he glared at Collins as he referred to his incivility the previous night, "I fear I forgot myself. With your permission, I will address the charge this man has laid against me."

At Mr Bennet's nod, Darcy continued. "My cousin Anne is three years my junior, and very sickly and weak. When we were very young, my aunt commented to my mother how splendid it would be if we made a match and combined our fortunes. My mother agreed that it would be splendid, if we wished for it. My aunt took this to be an ironclad agreement. My father declined to sign a settlement, and so did Anne's father, Sir Lewis de Bourgh. When my mother died, and again when my father died, my aunt renewed her demands for a formal engagement, but my father and I both refused. He made it plain in his will that my aunt has made these demands, and that he has signed no agreements to the fact whatsoever, and that it has never been his wish that I marry my cousin. My uncle, the Earl of Matlock, has letters from both my father and Anne’s in which they state their disinclination for the match, and their refusal to make it official.

"I visit my aunt and my cousin Anne along with my other cousin, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam every year at Easter. Sir Lewis left the management of Rosings to my father until Anne marries, and when my father died it fell to me, and so during each visit, I manage what is necessary for their estate. I love and care for Anne deeply as a friend, and as a cousin, much the same as I do Richard, whom I regard as a brother, but I have no desire to marry her. I shall always be there for her, to help her with Rosings or offer any familial protection she may require, but neither of us wishes to marry the other. Anne does not wish to marry at all, for she fears childbirth, and expects that her life will be short due to her failing health; she has no wish to hasten her end. I am not, and shall never be committed to marrying her."

He looked at Mr Collins. "You sir, are a presumptuous man. You presumed an acquaintance with me before one was even obtained. You presumed to know and disseminate my private business to the world on the word of a meddling and officious old woman whose aims will never be achieved. I am told you will inherit an estate some day. I can only advise you to find an honourable and respectable gentleman to teach you the manners and rules of society that you must know, or you shall fail miserably if you continue on like this. I only wish to tell you this one time, Mr Collins. if I ever find you again spreading gossip about me, speaking of my affairs, or, for God's sake, besmirching Miss Elizabeth's name with scandalous and disgusting falsehoods, I will call you out!" As Mr Collins' face drained of all its colour, Mr Darcy turned away. "Now, if you please, I have some private business with Mr Bennet. May I have a moment of your time, sir?"

As Mr Bennet acquiesced swiftly and led Darcy from the room, Mr Bingley spoke up and said, "I am off to London shortly, but I find that before I go, I cannot leave without requesting a private audience with Miss Bennet."

Elizabeth slipped the letter from Caroline back into her sister's hand, as Mrs Bennet herded Mr Bingley and Jane into the drawing room, while Elizabeth sat heavily back in her chair, and stared blankly at the plate she had barely picked at. What a morning , she thought to herself. Mr Collins had stormed up to his rooms in embarrassment and distress, while Kitty, Lydia, and Mary lingered outside the drawing room door in excitement.

After a moment, Mrs Bennet bustled back into the room, sat next to Lizzy, and took her hands. "Now Lizzy, tell me, when he asks, will you say yes? I must know, dear."

"Mama, I do not know. I can tell you I will only marry for love, even if it means I never marry at all. I have learned a bit about him that makes me think that maybe I could love him. But I have to discover it for myself," Elizabeth replied.

"Silly, silly, girl," Mrs Bennet tutted and shook her head. "How can I help?"

Elizabeth laughed and threw her arms around her mother's neck. "I know I try your nerves, but I do love you, Mama. How can you help someone fall in love?"

Mrs Bennet smiled, "And I love you too, dear girl, though I know I haven't always treated you as I should. Obviously, you must have great worth for a man like Mr Darcy to see it. And you saw what I did not see, and helped your sister Mary when she needed it. Your father was right, and I should have listened. But now listen to me, Lizzy. I know I am not fashionable like the matrons Mr Darcy knows from town. I am aware of my faults, and I don't wish to ruin this for you. This chance is special. I know that my behaviour is distasteful to Mr Darcy, I have seen it on his face many times. So how can I help ?"

"Mama, I will never accept anyone who does not respect my family, I do not wish for you to change so that I might catch a man," said Lizzy, wondering if she had gone mad, because just this very morning that was precisely what she had hoped for. That her mother and family might change so she and Jane could have proper courtships. And now that her mother was offering to do just that, it nearly shattered her heart. She fought the urge to weep like a child in her mother’s arms at such a thought.

"I know that, dear girl, and I love you for it, but I do not wish to embarrass you, so tell me!" insisted her mother.

Elizabeth hesitated. "Well… As I have observed, people of very high rank and indeed all of genteel society, dislike three things in particular." as Mrs Bennet encouraged her to go on, she continued. "I have noticed that they dislike very loud voices, which is why Jane and I always speak in very modulated tones, as Aunt Gardiner taught us. If you notice, the genteel families of Meryton often act disapproving of Lydia and Kitty when they behave loudly."

Mrs Bennet insisted she go on, and encouraged, Elizabeth continued, "Society also highly discourages any talk of money or income. Not even references to the cost of one’s possessions. If you discuss such things in public, a gentleman will consider your family to be vulgar, or mercenary… And last, society positively does not approve of speaking aloud of expectations. So if one were to speculate that a man might marry one's daughter…"

"And throw the others in the paths of rich men, a gentleman finds it distasteful and runs away. I must say, I wish one of you had sat me down and told me this before, Lizzy," fretted Mrs Bennet.

Elizabeth embraced her mother again, and said, "Mama, we love you, and we all know that you love and want what is best for us. We would never have been so disrespectful as to attempt to correct your manners."

Mrs Bennet drummed her fingers on the table, contemplating, "Is there anything else? Anything I can do to help make your courtship easier, Lizzy?"

"Lock Lydia and Kitty back in the nursery?" Elizabeth tried feebly, not really expecting her mother to agree. When her mother looked at her ponderously, Elizabeth said softly. "Those two are going to ruin us all, Mama. Last night Lydia attempted to compromise me simply because I would not let her kiss an impoverished officer on the terrace. Thank heavens that there were others besides Captain Carter out there. Jane and I live in fear every day that one day Lydia will be found naked in a soldiers tent. Do you know she and Kitty have been seen inside the camp on at least two occasions? Papa laughed about it. Said it was time someone taught Lydia how insignificant she is. She behaves like a prostitute, Mama. Last year, I was in town with Aunt Madeleine, and one night after the opera, there were women on the street, dressed in colourful garments, and flirting with men. They were fallen women, Mama! And Our Lydia acts just like them. And Kitty will follow, as she always does. It frightens me."

Mrs Bennet was quiet for a moment. "What ought I to do?" she said worriedly.

"I cannot say, Mama. She has gone so bad that I don't know what she would do if anyone attempted to check her. Lydia might run away and be lost forever, but she is likely to throw herself away on some useless, penniless, soldier, and the poor girl cannot even heat water for tea. And you ought to expect her to try something very soon, for she vows daily that she will be the first of us to wed. She might run away with an officer in an attempt to be married first, now that I am being courted, and who knows what is happening with Jane in the drawing room. Lydia ought to be watched carefully. You should make Papa talk seriously about it. Once he realises you are in earnest, hopefully he will listen. Maybe a governess or perhaps a school. Perhaps Lydia could visit Aunt Madeleine for a time. If Jane and I marry, you know we will help."

Mrs Bennet promised to speak privately with Mr Bennet about the matter, then the two left the dining room, and joined the other girls outside the door to the drawing room. As the other ladies bent with their ears to the door, Elizabeth noticed Mr Collins returning downstairs and going out the back doors to the gardens. She followed, and called out, “Cousin, are you well? That did not go very well, with Mr Darcy in the breakfast room. I am certain he did not mean to be such a bear.”

“I was a fool! Why did I not listen to you last night?” Mr Collins cried. “You told me not to approach him. I ought to have waited to be asked. I only worried that Lady Catherine might be furious with me if I did not show the proper respect that is due her and her nephew, and pay my respects to her relation with all haste.”

“It sounds to me, Cousin, as it has since you arrived, that Lady Catherine’s expectations often oppose what is expected by polite society. I hate to sound as if I am insulting the woman, but I fear the lady might be over-puffed with her own importance, and possibly even an embarrassment to her own family in company. I am told that elderly noblewomen often are, with their demanding and imperious ways.”

“You cannot think so!” cried Mr Collins.

“It is presumptuous of me to say it, but from what you and Mr Darcy have let slip, I would shudder to have her behaviour observed in company if she were my aunt.” Elizabeth shook her head. “If I were you, when I think of what Lady Catherine would expect, go and ask one of us – or your wife when you have one – what is proper.”

“Is it proper for a man to ask his wife’s advice for every little thing, Cousin?” worried Collins. “I do not wish to act like a boy, running to his mama all the time.”

“Mr Collins, Mary has been raised as a gentlewoman all her life, with a concentration the last several years on what proper behaviour and attention from a man looks like, and what it does not look like. She is also very pious, and traditional in her beliefs and behaviour. She knows just how to expect a true gentleman, and a respected man of the cloth to behave in all situations,” Elizabeth insisted. “The Lord would expect you to make the most of the resources available to you. If he sent someone to educate you, who are you to judge their sex?”

He looked anxious, wringing his hands as he replied. “Cousin, I find myself most distressed that I have already estranged myself from your suitor,” Mr Collins cried. “You have been kinder to me than anyone ever has been in the whole of my life, except Mary, and perhaps my dear mother. I am grieved to think that I have shown myself to be so terrible in the eyes of your admirer. Mr Darcy is so angry at me. I fear I shall never make it right. And I feel so stupid and loathsome for snivelling about it, but what will Lady Catherine say? Even if I am to learn how to conduct myself properly rather than how she always expects, she can still make my life very difficult. Not only my life, but that of my wife as well. Heaven and earth, why do I ruin everything?”

“Sir, you will apologise to Mr Darcy like a gentleman. Do not grovel, or beg. I shall take the liberty of introducing you properly to my new suitor. You will stand straight, and look him in the eye and you will explain that you are learning to be a gentleman already, and beg his pardon for the misunderstanding. If he is the man I hope that he is, then he will be generous and forgive you,” Elizabeth assured him.

“And if he does not?” Mr Collins asked nervously.

“Then I shall not marry him,” she declared. When her cousin began to object that she should not make such a sacrifice for him, Elizabeth replied, “It is not for you, Cousin. I wish to marry a kind man, who is generous in understanding. I sense that Mr Darcy might be such a man, but if it turns out that I am wrong, my interest in knowing him better will be at an end. Now… What was it you wished to speak to me about before I returned from my walk?”

Collins explained to Elizabeth that he was certain that he wished to ask Miss Mary to marry him, and he wondered whether her father might look kindly on the match. “When I wrote to Lady Catherine that I was courting your sister, she gave me leave to remain for some weeks and allow my curate to take on my duties, but I cannot stay forever. I shall have to return to Hunsford soon, and I should not like to leave matters with Miss Mary unresolved.”

“I should think that if my father did not approve, he would have mentioned it by now, for your affinity for one another has been marked since you entered the house,” Elizabeth pointed out. “You should ask Mary first, to ensure that she is amenable, and that she is ready for you to approach our father.”

Collins thanked Elizabeth profusely for her advice, and the pair returned arm in arm to the house. Mr Darcy had just emerged from her father’s study, obviously having received the answer he desired. Mr Bingley and Jane had emerged from the drawing room, and Mrs Bennet was in raptures. Before Mr Bingley could go to Mr Bennet’s study, Elizabeth reached out her hand to Jane, who led Mr Bingley over to them.

“Mr Darcy, Mr Bingley, may I beg the privilege of making our cousin properly known to you?” she asked.

The gentlemen both tipped their heads in agreement, Mr Darcy looking at Mr Collins rather warily. “Mr Darcy, Mr Bingley, may I present my cousin, Mr William Collins of Hunsford Parsonage in Kent. Mr Collins, may I introduce Mr Darcy of Pemberley in Derbyshire, and Mr Bingley of Netherfield, whom you met briefly last night in the receiving line. Mr Collins has been courting my sister Mary, and is next in line to inherit this estate,” Elizabeth finished.

Mr Darcy and Mr Bingley both tendered polite greetings, then Mr Collins spoke, his spine ramrod straight. His demeanour was quite obviously nervous, but he took his cousin’s advice, and met Mr Darcy’s eye steadily. “I owe you both an apology, sirs. Mr Darcy, I must admit that my father was reclusive, and though we ought to have been minor gentry, his refusal to allow us into the society of our neighbourhood resulted in my difficulty in company. My good cousins have been generous beyond measure helping me learn what I must know, and I am attending their advice as diligently as my abilities will allow, but I fear that upon hearing Cousin Elizabeth’s news this morning, I became terrified by the thought of the reaction of my patroness. I panicked and spoke out of turn, and you were right to be outraged, Mr Darcy. Mr Bingley, I am certain that you must have been rightfully shocked by my speech. I humbly seek both of your pardons. I apologise most sincerely, sirs.”

Elizabeth watched Darcy closely. Would he snub her cousin? The courtship would be over before it began, no matter how silly the man was. Mr Collins had good intentions, and he was trying. Any gentleman that wished for Elizabeth’s approval must show a decided abundance of generosity of spirit.

Darcy did not hesitate, not even long enough to meet Elizabeth’s eye first. This man might be ridiculous, he may even have insulted Darcy greatly, but he was Elizabeth’s relation, and she obviously valued him. Darcy also respected any man who could openly admit when he was wrong, and those who sought to help and better themselves. He immediately stuck out his hand, and Collins shook it in shock and wonder. “I thank you for your apology, Mr Collins. I hope that your efforts continue, and that you find much gratification in your self improvement,” Darcy said.

Elizabeth smiled and let out a breath she did not know she was holding. Perhaps Mr Darcy was a kindred spirit in disguise after all.