Chapter 9
A Week’s Sequester
How have I become a prisoner in my own home?
Elizabeth felt certain these days were the bleakest she had ever known.
Her cousin marked religious texts with passages on a daughter's duty. More unpleasant were those outlining duties that were a wife’s province.
Her father prohibited her from walking and the companionship of her sisters.
Her mother warned her that if she told Mr. Collins her parents were forcing her to marry him, she would be tossed from the house the very same day.
But who would marry a man more than three inches shorter than her and so soaked in sweat he had to change his cravat multiple times a day?
And did he use tallow candle wax in his hair, or was it that he never washed it?
A man who revered another woman and thought she would do the same?
No lady of sense or education would tie herself to such a man.
For her defiance and because she had attempted to explain the truth to Mr. Collins, her parents ordered Elizabeth to her room. She had taken no care with her appearance since his arrival, coming out unkempt whenever she was forced to join her cousin and listen to his conversation.
Elizabeth had made herself press the second rose and keep all thoughts of Mr. Darcy hidden, even from herself.
Mrs. Bennet further threatened her, saying she would receive only meals of gruel if Mr. Collins saw her crying.
Having not discussed her perfect memories with anyone, only she knew that her tears flowed for the loss of her prince.
Tears of such hopelessness held more power than those of anger, and she had to press thoughts of him aside that she might think how to escape such a fate as being married to Mr. Collins.
Counting her pin money, Elizabeth knew she had enough to catch a post coach to London.
There, she might live with her aunt and uncle Gardiner.
It was the note Mary slipped under her door, asking how she could help Elizabeth escape, that caused her to apprehend the full significance of having reached her majority.
Her birthday had been only weeks before the assembly that the Netherfield party attended. They had not celebrated because the harvest was later in the year, and they had all assisted at a neighboring estate, as the master had died that summer and the widow’s son was too young yet to take over.
Did her parents recognize that she was twenty-one?
She need not remain. They could not force her to marry.
After those revelations, Elizabeth wondered if her aunt and uncle could help her find a position as a governess.
Even assisting one of the drapers who worked with her uncle would have a more comfortable situation than what she knew this day.
During these endless nights without conversation, she considered what evils she might encounter should she set out alone.
She had tried, oh, how desperately she had tried to imagine a life with Mr. Collins as some way endurable.
Despite her efforts, she could think of nothing worse than suffering in the duties of his wife, a lifetime of submitting to Mr. Collins and his patroness.
Knowing their mother would never waste Jane on such a vile man, the single reason for staying was her certainty that one of her younger sisters would be forced to become his wife in her stead.
Never had she been happier to learn that her uncle Gardiner had arrived. Although she had been kept in her room, she heard angry voices on her behalf. When he had attempted to come and see her himself, he was thwarted. Still, she had never loved her uncle more.
“Father did not tell him the truth, Lizzy. He and our mother claimed you were being defiant. I did my best to convey that there was more to it, and I am certain he understood. He returned to Netherfield to speak with Mr. Darcy. I believe he must return to London. But we did hear him tell our mother he intends to bring Aunt Maddie to Mr. Bingley’s ball,” Jane whispered through the door on her way to sleep in Mary’s room.
She learned of Mr. Collins having observed one evening that the quietude was unusual in a house full of so many ladies.
The following morning, before Mr. Collins came down, her father commanded her to join them all in the breakfast room and ordered them to speak.
In concert, they asked Elizabeth if she was well and if there was anything they could do to relieve her suffering.
Mrs. Bennet slapped her hand on the table, ordering her daughters to cease speaking.
When they stared back at her, she reiterated her expectation, “None of you are to acknowledge Elizabeth until my ungrateful daughter assures me I am to be mistress here all my days. I have been good to all of you every day, making certain you were well turned out. Seeing to my care is the least she can do in return.”
Their mother had glared at her, demanding again an agreement that would allow her to stay at Longbourn and remain its mistress. Elizabeth returned the stare with equal coldness.
“You sacrificed for your convenience the daughter who longest holds her anger,” Lydia said, taking Elizabeth’s hand.
Because she had not spoken to Elizabeth, she had broken no rules.
“Mr. Collins’s life will be miserable every day he is forced to wake up in a house with Elizabeth as his wife.
It will be amusing to learn the ways she makes him regret your interference. ”
Elizabeth leaned down to kiss her sister’s hand in a show of her appreciation.
Mr. Bennet glowered at his second daughter, who had said not one word since her entrance to the room. “I will not have this insolence!”
“What insolence?” Jane asked with forced serenity.
“You demanded we speak, so we are speaking. You then demanded we not speak to our beloved sister Elizabeth, so we do not. You demanded we not tell the idiotic man who is your cousin that she is being forced into accepting him, that she is being abused into submission. We have not. Tell us the acts of insolence we have committed and are now accused of doing?”
Kitty said, “You have pushed too far. Your neighbors already know Elizabeth was hurt in anger.”
“Elizabeth, I will see you in my study,” Mr. Bennet ordered.
“You will not do so alone,” Jane said, her words unsteady.
“I will not hurt her,” Mr. Bennet said, evidence of his being beleaguered by this situation showing in the shadows of his face when Jane stood with Elizabeth.
“Jane, I assured your mother that you and our other daughters will accept Elizabeth's fate. It's time for you to release your anger and accept it. I demand this ends now. Lizzy is to be my cousin’s wife, and that is the end of it.”
Mr. Bennet Speaks to His Favorite Daughter
Mr. Bennet preceded his two eldest daughters into his study. The look of fear Jane gave Elizabeth nearly broke his heart, but they complied when he indicated that they were to take the two seats before his desk.
“I regret many of these last days. Your mother’s demand for silence does not extend into my study, Lizzy.” Mr. Bennet sighed in frustration when he received nothing from either of his daughters. “Come, you must yield here in this room where we have enjoyed so many hours of conversation together.”
“How can you speak of memories, sir?”
“I do not see my daughter in this woman before me. I see a soul-deep well of anger that might boil over at any provocation. You must find a way to accept it. I will allow you to attend the ball if you will, in turn, allow me to announce your engagement.”
“Then you can explain my absence.” Elizabeth stood to leave.
“You will have this house. You shall be able to manage him with very little effort. And you would be able to take care of your unmarried sisters and manage your mother when you are in charge.”
“You could have led with that, sir, and I might have considered more than his being the last man in the world I could be prevailed upon to marry. Now, I will be vocal in my denials of him, no matter how many times I am pressed. If you should force me through other means, your wife will be tossed from this house before you are cold in your grave,” Elizabeth said with derision.
“I forbid that,” Mr. Bennet declared with a slam of his hand onto the desk.
Mr. Bennet knew immediate regret when Jane extended an arm in front of Elizabeth in a gesture of protection. His eldest daughter was angrier than he had imagined she was capable of.
“How interesting that you forbid something that will occur a minute after you are dead. Until then, I will make it my goal to anger his patroness at every turn, so he is miserable under her thumb.”
“Please, Elizabeth, let go of your bitterness.”
“Tell me why I was selected.”
“I may have selected, but I have since suggested Mary. Your mother will not allow the substitution and continues to insist it is who will be his wife in recompense for my failure to secure her well-being.”
“Because I am your favorite, I am to be sacrificed on the altar created from your sloth.”
“It sickens me to hear you claim it as such, but there is indeed nothing for your mother after I die. I throw myself on your mercy, Lizzy.”
“You claim I should have mercy when I am shown none?”
“You know I love you above all of my children. I need you to always be here with me. Your disposition will make the situation tolerable enough. You, Elizabeth, can manage the estate, and we will always be able to enjoy our talks here in this room.”
“You steal my future because you refused to rouse yourself enough to see to hers? And for your mistakes, you allow her to take from me, the daughter she despises, any hope of happiness? You are equal in your miscalculations. No,” Elizabeth said, looking through the window to the outdoors forbidden to her above a week.
“Your mother does not despise you.”
“In that, you are wrong. The pleasure she took in slapping Elizabeth was malevolent,” Jane said with certainty.
“That is a heavy accusation, Jane. I did not observe any such expression.”
“Mary, Kitty, and I saw it,” Jane said, unrelenting.
“I regret it has come to this,” Mr. Bennet said with a heavy sigh.
“Please, Elizabeth, agree to marry him. You will keep this house, and I need to know you are cared for. Your mother’s constant lamenting of my demise has at last forced me to consider what will happen when I am gone.
I beg you to give me this peace of mind, Elizabeth.
At least, you will find happiness in caring for your unwed sisters and having my company. ”
“Because I am your only companion, you think I wish you to be the only one I also have in turn? That is despicable. And Mr. Collins is too ridiculous. Never will I agree to be his subjugate,” Elizabeth said in a monotone of accusation.
“In you, our discord is manifested. I cannot stand this facade you have created to dissuade him. And I cannot keep sending my cousin off on silly errands and the barest of excuses to avoid his seeing you as such.” Mr. Bennet opened his fist, his fingers languidly passing across the space before him, though in Elizabeth’s direction.
Mrs. Bennet called from the other side of the door, “You will make certain she accepts him, and she must do so soon. Given what he saw yesterday, I now fear Mr. Collins will not have Lizzy.”
“She is not wrong in that your plan might be working. At dinner, Mr. Collins looked at you with distaste. And your blatant disrespect of Lady Catherine was of great offence to my cousin.” Mr. Bennet’s eyes shifted away from the sight of his daughter.
“It was the perfect way to dissuade him,” Jane said, her head turned toward her sister when speaking words meant for Elizabeth in particular.
“Then he will give up his suit and, I hope, leave so that I can again walk out and speak with my sisters.” Elizabeth crossed her arms defensively.
“You mean for him to find another wife? That I cannot afford. So you force me to concede. Tell me, Lizzy, which of your sisters shall I foist him off on? I will see them to the altar before the month is complete.”
“You would not be so cruel, Father!” Jane’s look was a mix of disgust and horror.
“Of must, for I will not suffer under her constant suffering of her nerves when it can be so easily handled.”
Elizabeth was sick at the thought of any of her sisters suffering under the hand of such a man and their mother.
“That is what I thought. Mr. Collins must see you at your best, Elizabeth. He cannot but be pleased with you.”
“Father, you must intervene. I know my mother. She will contrive to force my sister to marry him through compromise. You may believe her first son’s inheriting your estate reward enough for such misery, but you are wrong,” Jane said, her disdain never better displayed.
He shrugged. “At least for Collins’s lifetime, you will have a home. I will send him on an errand to London for a few days. Next week, you will attend the ball and dance the first with him, Elizabeth. Then you will see it is possible to find a measure of acceptance in your marriage to him.”
“But no more? You will not force me to dance more than the opening set with that disgusting oaf? If you announce an engagement, I will deny it with such volume that my mother will cower. Even should you beat me, I will never accept him. Warn her,” Elizabeth countered.
“I will not announce your engagement,” Mr. Bennet said, his wincing expression proof that he had intended to do just that. “I am not your enemy, Lizzy.”
“It is certain you are no advocate of mine.”
“If you marry him, you will be happy with your sacrifice for the sake of your sisters and knowing they are safe.”
“If you intend to let her push while you pretend to interfere on my behalf, I will never forgive you.” Elizabeth took her sister’s hand and led Jane out, leaving him to his sulk.