Chapter 4 #2
“I am obliged to attend your every wish, madam; however, a prior obligation prevents me from doing so at this moment, for I am expected at Lucas Lodge for dinner. I shall make every effort to attend you upon my return.” With that, he bestowed an awkward bow and bid Mrs. Bennet adieu.
Charlotte visited Longbourn a day or so later and requested a moment alone with Elizabeth. Few words were exchanged between them until they came upon the small garden. Such uncharacteristic behaviour from my dear friend does not bode well. What can be the cause of her reticence?
Her usual self-assuredness gone, Charlotte reached out and touched Elizabeth’s hand. “Pray, Eliza, you will hear what I have to say and not judge me too severely.”
“What is it you wish to tell me, Charlotte?”
“I am engaged—to Mr. Collins.”
Elizabeth drew a quick breath and then twisted her lips. “Mr. Collins?”
“I begged you not to judge me, Lizzy.”
Elizabeth endeavoured to view her friend’s acceptance of Mr. Collins’s proposal on the heels of his proposal to her as reasonable. “It is not you whom I judge but Mr. Collins! The man is ridiculous as well as uncouth!”
“You might well regard him as such if that is your wish. I prefer to consider him in a more optimistic light than that. I see him as a decent respectable man with a good living and a nice home. I will be well provided for.”
Elizabeth looked at Charlotte as if she had spoken gibberish.
“For heaven sakes, Lizzy, I am twenty seven years old and already a burden to my family. This engagement is more than I dared ever to allow myself to hope for. Please try to be happy for me.”
Happy? How can I be happy when you are giving up every chance of dignity for the sake of security?
Elizabeth took a measured step back and gaped at her friend as if seeing her for the first time.
Does she not comprehend what a life with the odious man entails?
She will have to touch him. He would be forever touching her!
Elizabeth shuddered. Lingering traces of Mr. Collins’s steely hands on her arm festered on her skin. No one had ever handled her thusly.
Suppose there is an ugly shade in his character. Do I dare mention it to Charlotte? Elizabeth persuaded herself to the contrary. He is ridiculous, but he is also a vicar, which must certainly render him decent and honourable.
Hours later, Elizabeth sat in her eldest sister’s room, still not accustomed to the idea of her intimate friend having accepted Mr. Collins’s proposal.
“Jane, it was but days ago that he made an offer of marriage to me.”
“Pray, Lizzy, is that what has got you concerned? Have you any regrets for spurning Mr. Collins’s proposal?”
Her mouth opened wide. “Do not be ridiculous, Jane! It is not that at all.”
“Then what is it? Charlotte is practical, is she not?”
“I always suspected Charlotte’s opinion of matrimony was not the same as my own, but to sacrifice so much dignity and esteem for worldly advantage—how disgraceful! I should never imagine she will be happy with her choice.”
The two sisters continued in that fashion until Elizabeth retired to her room.
Alone, she sat at her writing table and pondered her list. Lt.
Wickham. Mr. Caseman. I fail to see why not …
my prospects do not look very promising.
Mr. Wickham freely admits he possesses no wealth to speak of.
She chewed on her lower lip. That in itself is no reason to dismiss him.
Then, there is the second gentleman whom I have yet to meet.
I suppose he might just be the one. The theretofore never met gentleman, Mr. Justin Caseman, was a first son and the heir of a respectable fortune of nearly three thousand pounds a year.
An alliance with the Bennets was truly for the convenience of the elder Mr. Caseman’s longstanding friendship with Mr. Bennet, whose fortune was roughly equivalent, save the entail on his estate.
A startling thought occurred to her. Am I obliged to add Mr. Collins’s name simply as a matter of record, even though I would have never considered him for the life of me?
He had made her an offer. She held her breath and scribbled his name in very tiny letters.
Still, it was too much. She immediately drew a heavy line through his name.
Even that was not quite sufficient to rid her pristine list of the pursuant degradation.
Elizabeth balled the list and tossed it in the fire.
She took out a fresh sheet of paper to begin anew.
Two weeks had passed, and Mrs. Bennet’s disappointment with her least favourite daughter had not abated.
Gone was the prospect that one of her daughters would be marrying the heir of Longbourn and thus the certainty that she should always consider it her home.
The arrival of spring and hence Mr. Caseman could not come fast enough for her.
Until such time as he would arrive and take Elizabeth off her hands, Mrs. Bennet contented herself with the strong assurance that Mr. Bingley would soon request her Jane’s hand in marriage.
When she was not counting her blessing in that regard, she was cursing the misfortune of having an acquaintance such as Charlotte Lucas, whom she accused of being a traitor lying in wait for Mr. Collins when she knew full well that he was intended for one of the Bennet girls.
Elizabeth had endured quite enough of her mother’s chastisements and her ever constant reminder of what the fruition of her father’s scheme portended.
The arrival of her Aunt and Uncle Gardner for Christmas did not come soon enough for Elizabeth.
She made certain that not long thereafter, she and her favourite aunt found a quiet area to talk.
“Lizzy, your uncle and I would like little more than to have you come for a visit in town, especially if it will be the means of throwing you in the path of respectable young men. However, I must say I have met the Caseman family. They are decent and hardworking people. I have not met the young man for whom your father has plans—whom even before his birth, it seems, has been predestined for one of the Bennet daughters.”
“I do not object to the fact that my father has taken such extraordinary measures to see one of his daughters well-settled, regardless of how archaic I find the notion of arranged marriages. Rather, I object to being told with whom I should fall in love.”
“I do not believe your father was concerned with love when he and his friend devised the scheme, but rather the security of any daughters he might sire. There are few choices for a gentleman’s daughter or any woman for that matter: marriage or spinsterhood.”
“True, but one does not necessarily lead to happiness—the other to sorrow and loneliness.”
“True, but one does lessen the burden on the woman’s family considerably.” Mrs. Gardiner reached for Elizabeth’s hand. “I know how my sister feels about your rejection of Mr. Collins’s hand, but your father does not speak on the matter. What has he said to you?”
“Papa supports my decision. He also believes his cousin is ridiculous, and he has detected that in Mr. Collins’s character, which might have placed me in grave danger of an unhappy alliance.
On the other hand, he told me that he is exceedingly pleased with the prospect of Jane marrying Mr. Bingley because he feels strongly that his Mr. Caseman’s temperament is ideally suited to my own. ”
“So, your father has met this young man.”
“Papa’s good opinion is a result of his frequent correspondence with the elder Mr. Caseman.”
“Pray, if he feels that strongly about the young man, why has he yet to invite him to Longbourn?”
“Mr. Caseman is abroad. He is expected to return to England in the spring, at which point the introductions will be made, unless of course Jane and I should happen to make matches before his arrival. Jane is well on her way, and I very well intend to make my own match. In fact, I am determined to do so. It is just that I have yet to meet anyone who is both credible and worthy of consideration.” Elizabeth’s mind wandered to the dashing Lt.
Wickham. As much as she admired him, her father would think she was downright silly to suppose he could provide a life for her.
“Lizzy, I cannot tell you how pleased I am to hear you speak this way, for before, I was growing quite concerned that you were entertaining notions of a possible alliance with Mr. Wickham.”
“If his prospects were more than those of a lowly footman, I do not see why I should not. He is honest and amiable.”
“And handsome.”
“Yes, he is exceedingly handsome, yet neither of our prospects affords a mutual alliance. Between the two of us, at least one must be in possession of a fortune.”
“Perhaps, not a fortune, but I am glad you see the wisdom in not wishing for more than what appears to be an amicable acquaintance with the gentleman.”
“Indeed. Once you discover the makings of Mr. Wickham’s misfortunes, you will understand why I favour him.” Elizabeth went on to confide all Wickham had told her that night at the Philipses’ home as well as other pertinent facts whenever they met subsequently.
Mrs. Gardiner, a fashionable woman whose air did not speak of Cheapside, lent an impartial ear to her niece’s recounting until Elizabeth had exhausted the subject completely in Mr. Wickham’s favour.
“The gentleman’s story is certain to engender a great deal of charity, especially from someone who does not know Mr. Darcy’s character. ”
“Mr. Wickham’s accusations, while admittedly unsubstantiated, ring true in light of all I have heard others say—save Mr. Darcy’s housekeeper.
I am inclined to give greater credence to his account.
We were both there when Mr. Darcy’s housekeeper expounded upon her master’s many laudable traits.
Surely you will admit she was outrageously effusive in her pronouncements. ”
“I take it then that Mr. Darcy has not returned to Hertfordshire to visit his friend, Mr. Bingley. You have yet to meet the gentleman.”
“I have not, and if I am to be honest, I would have to say that one of the things I look forward to is meeting Mr. Darcy so I might sketch his character for myself.”
“Lizzy, I cannot promise you any such opportunities. We have the chance to attend the theatre and the occasional visit to Bond Street for shopping, but even in those instances, the likelihood of meeting someone of Mr. Darcy’s standing is small.”
“Do you forget, Aunt, that I had the privilege of making Miss Darcy’s acquaintance when we visited Pemberley? I shall call on her when I arrive in town.”
Thus, it was decided. Elizabeth would return to London with her aunt and uncle when they took their leave of Longbourn.
Though she did not wish to leave Jane, for Mr. Bingley had yet to declare himself, Elizabeth knew this arrangement was for the best if she stood any chance at all of meeting someone, anyone, other than the man whom her father had predestined as his future son-in-law.
Elizabeth sought her eldest sister to share her plan.
“Jane, you must allow me to apologise in advance for abandoning you to fend for yourself against the Bingley sisters, but I am leaving you in Mr. Bingley’s warm care. I am convinced it is only a matter of time before he requests your hand in marriage.”
“Lizzy, I understand your reasoning in wanting time away from home. As for abandoning me to defend myself against Mr. Bingley’s sisters, you must allow that they have always treated me with the utmost kindness.
I have come to think of them as dear acquaintances.
While I dare not be as presumptuous as you in supposing Mr. Bingley will ask me to marry him, I do believe that were he to do so, I would enjoy nothing but great sisterly affection from my new friends. ”
Jane was too kind and good to think meanly of anyone, especially those who hid their animosity as well as the Bingley sisters.
Their subtle outrage when Mrs. Bennet had announced to all who would hear that her daughter would soon be the mistress of Netherfield told Elizabeth all she needed to know about the prospect of her dearest sister living in harmony with those two.
Elizabeth hoped once Jane and Mr. Bingley were married, the Hursts would be on their way, taking Miss Caroline Bingley along with them.
Having received a letter from her friend Georgiana asking of her plans for the upcoming Season and even going so far as to encourage Elizabeth to spend time with her in London, Elizabeth considered she certainly would take her friend up on her offer.
In light of her fears that word of her family’s behaviour at the Netherfield ball had reached Mr. Darcy’s hearing by now, Elizabeth did not know how he would countenance a friendship between her and his sister.
She rather supposed it would not impede her attendance at an occasional social outing with Georgiana.
It will be a promising adventure for me, and with any luck, I might meet Mr. Darcy. Then I shall finally set about the long-anticipated task of sketching his character for myself.