Chapter 11 Lady Catherine interrogates Miss Elizabeth Bennet, and a romance is rekindled.
Lady Catherine interrogates Miss Elizabeth Bennet, and a romance is rekindled.
Time passed, as time is wont to do, with the day-to-day goings-on at Longbourn stimulating and warm enough to take the bite off the winter cold.
Soon, the crocuses, snowdrops, daffodils, and early violets heralded the spring, and Elizabeth, Mary and Jane journeyed to London to visit the Gardiners on Gracechurch Street and assist in the care of their cousins, two girls of six and eight, and two younger boys.
As they travelled, Elizabeth could not help but notice that Jane still had a melancholy air and suspected her sister was pining after Mr. Bingley, but she and Mary were resolved that an escape would be good for Jane, and they looked forward to the diversions that London had to offer.
As the carriage neared the house, Elizabeth hugged herself in anticipation.
She relished the change of scenery, and as much as she loved Longbourn, she was always happy to see her London relations.
Even though Elizabeth was busy in Town, there were still times when she missed her family.
But she was able to bear the separation because weekly letters were received, usually written by her father and always with input from her mother and sisters, detailing the goings-on at Longbourn and environs.
She learned that her younger sisters not only were diligently occupied with their studies but also were entertaining themselves with novels, needlework, trimming bonnets, and the like.
Elizabeth was pleased to hear that Kitty had painted miniatures of both her parents.
As she read the letters aloud to Jane and Mary, the descriptions of drama provided by their youngest sister drew many laughs.
Mr. Bennet also admitted that his impatience and impulsivity had been discovered by Lydia, who had taken advantage and bested him in chess, thus he was attempting to talk Kitty into taking some time to practise so that he would have another daughter with whom to play.
The three eldest girls responded in kind from Gracechurch Street.
Elizabeth was flattered that she was most often called upon to amalgamate their experiences.
There were always plenty of things to impart, including animated descriptions of the antics of their young cousins, commentary on the latest books that had been read, and trips to museums and the theatre.
As always, Uncle Gardiner spoiled his nieces in the selection of lovely fabrics from his warehouses, after which Aunt Gardiner accompanied them to her seamstress to have new dresses made up in the latest fashion.
Jane and Mary listened to Elizabeth’s retelling of their adventures with amusement, and related their own lively anecdotes for her to include in the letters.
Although Elizabeth was sceptical about their reception, shortly after their arrival in Town, she and her sisters called on Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst in Grosvenor Square.
Elizabeth was not surprised to hear Mr. Bingley’s sisters make excuses that they were about to go out to a prior-arranged engagement.
She was not deceived, but she was displeased by their coolness and the discourteous dismissal of their visitors.
Although they promised to return the call soon, Elizabeth knew it was an acquaintance they would rather not continue.
However unaffected Elizabeth was for herself, she was disgruntled by the ladies’ indifference towards Jane, whom Caroline had once declared a special friend.
Elizabeth saw that Jane’s spirits had been lifted by the call and worried that her sister’s reasonable expectation of meeting Mr. Bingley through his sisters would not be assisted by the ladies from Grosvenor Square, and that, ultimately, Jane’s disappointment would be restored.
It soon came time for her visit in London to end, and Elizabeth looked forward to the new travels that were in store for her.
Charlotte Lucas had wed Mr. Collins in January and extracted a promise from Elizabeth to visit her in March.
So while Jane and Mary stayed on to anticipate the height of the Season, Elizabeth was collected by Sir William and Maria Lucas for her visit to Hunsford.
Elizabeth noticed that Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst still had not returned the call by the time of her departure a fortnight later.
5 March 1812
Kent
Elizabeth was glad to journey to Kent to see her dear friend—less so her friend’s husband—with Sir William and Maria Lucas.
She found the scenery along the roadways to be quite enchanting and enjoyed the conversation during the trip, although Sir William was more verbose than necessary regarding his visit to St. James’s.
The parsonage, its grounds and the surrounding meadows were pleasing to the eye, and Mr. Collins made no waste of time in pointing out the attributes of the abode, including the various items where Lady Catherine had condescended to advise improvements and oversee every minute detail.
In spite of her misgivings about her friend’s marriage, Elizabeth was reassured when she saw that Charlotte seemed well settled and satisfied with her situation.
“Remember, Lizzy, I am not as romantic as you. I have conveniently contrived to keep Mr. Collins exercising in his garden and attending to his patroness. He is so busy that I scarce see him outside of mealtimes. So you see, I am quite content with my lot.”
In short order and to the excitement of Maria Lucas, the daughter of Mr. Collins’s benefactor, Miss Anne de Bourgh, stopped at the garden gate with her little phaeton. From her bedroom window, Elizabeth could see that Miss de Bourgh was a tiny creature with a somewhat cross countenance.
The next day, the party was invited to dinner at Rosings Park after Sunday service. Mr. Collins was ecstatic over this turn of events and regaled his visitors with inane chatter about the grandeur of the house, the costs of the furnishings and the compliment paid to them by the swift invitation.
Elizabeth was stunned by the aesthetics of Rosings Park, though not in the same way as her cousin.
The house and grounds were formal and ostentatious to an obvious excess.
No detail was spared in ornamentation, and Elizabeth was not surprised that the owner was similarly adorned and bejewelled and in expectation of the compliments showered on her by Mr. Collins.
Upon closer notice, Miss de Bourgh was indeed small and slender, and although she was as pale and sickly as she had appeared at a distance, she was not so very plain or disagreeable looking.
Lady Catherine was a large and domineering woman who quickly commanded the attention of all, rendering her daughter an unnecessary part of the conversation.
As Elizabeth had expected from Mr. Collins’s narratives, the great lady’s opinions were deemed to be next to none other, and she was not stingy in providing advice to Charlotte on how to keep her house.
Upon recollection of the entailment of Longbourn to Mr. Collins, Lady Catherine expounded with pride that Rosings was not entailed to the male line, and Anne would inherit the whole.
Her ladyship then turned to interrogating Elizabeth, enquiring about her family and the education and various accomplishments of the Bennet girls.
Elizabeth, although somewhat embarrassed by being the centre of the inquiry, answered respectfully.
Lady Catherine was surprised that none of the girls had been presented at St. James’s court, but indicated Anne had not been presented due to her ill health.
Lady Catherine made many queries regarding Elizabeth’s parents and the origins of her family, including where distant cousins might be located.
“I cannot help but feel that you resemble my dear friend who died many years ago, but it seems impossible that a family with such low connections as yours could be attached to so prominent a person,” she said imperiously.
“It must be mere coincidence, as I compliment myself that my memory is considered to be one of the best in the country, and I recall my friend’s face as if it were yesterday. ”
Elizabeth wondered what Lady Catherine was about with these pointed questions but formulated a courteous response she hoped would end the inquisition. “Perhaps she was a relative of my late parents,” said Elizabeth. “They died when I was but a babe, and then I became a ward of the Bennets.”
“Indeed? My old friend was the aunt of my nephew, Colonel Fitzwilliam. He will be coming to visit me in a few weeks, and you shall meet him. He is a great admirer of Rosings Park, is he not Anne?” She barely paused for her daughter’s silent nod to go on with her soliloquy.
“On his last visit, he remarked, ‘Lady Catherine, you must not consider a visit to Matlock until my father has seen fit to improve the topiaries. They are nothing to those of Rosings Park, for yours are truly much more ornate and embellished than those of many of the great houses of Derbyshire. You would not be pleased with them, I am sure.’
“Now, I grew up at Matlock, and although there is widespread praise of the house, I have made it my purpose to improve upon its splendour with my exceptional taste in decorating Rosings Park. Imagine that Colonel Fitzwilliam would notice that my topiaries are superior to those of Matlock! He is not one to compliment with frivolity.”
“I admired your topiaries as I came up the drive, Lady Catherine,” said Sir William, and Maria nodded to agree with her father.