Vol 1, Chapter 1 #3
The clerk at Norman and James who received the papers from Longfield Meadows three days later knew this was something that needed to be brought to Sir Randolph’s attention immediately.
The man waited patiently until Sir Randolph had read the current Duke’s letter, then the letter from the fourth Duke. “Have this all stored in the delicate document storage location until we hear from his Grace,” Sir Randolph instructed the clerk.
“B-but Sir, the heir is a client of ours,” the clerk stammered.
“He is, but this is a matter that we are executing for another client, so until his Grace instructs us otherwise, we will do nothing other than his written instructions request. Do you understand, Cartwright? Without my expressed permission, you may not mention this to anyone on pain of instant dismissal!”
The clerk swore on his honour that he would not breathe a word to anyone then carefully removed the documents to the preservation storage.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Reverend William Collins had been awarded a living by the only person in the land that would have awarded him a curacy, never mind a living.
He was exactly what Lady Catherine de Bourgh wanted in a parson, a sycophant who took her word as gospel.
Collins was standing before her shaking with equal parts fury and fear.
A bailiff from the court in London had just handed him a wad of paperwork that proclaimed what his own grandfather, Ned Collins, had claimed was a complete fabrication.
He did not believe it, so to make sure that he was correct in his disregarding of the papers, he went to seek the opinion of his great and beneficent patroness.
He bowed and scraped before the great lady in her throne-like chair which sat on a raised platform to ensure she was able to look down on all in her domain, the room surrounding it showing off her wealth and taste.
To any with a modicum of taste and class, it was stuffed with items both gaudy and garish.
“If you would kindly condescend…” Collins started and was immediately cut off.
“Yes, yes, Mr. Collins, why are you here? This visit was not scheduled, and you know how I value obedience and punctuality!” Lady Catherine chastised.
“These papers came for me from Town, and I beg your beneficence in reading them and giving me your all-knowing opinion, your Ladyship,” Collins bowed low again.
Lady Catherine was about to dismiss the papers out of hand as based on what her parson said, they contradicted her pronouncements on the matter when she spied the name of the most powerful barrister affixed to the action.
The name was enough for her to actually peruse the documents.
She frowned when she read the first paragraph, as it was not at all as she expected per his claims, so she continued on carefully, including the copy of the articles of entailment.
“You have no claim, Mr. Collins,” Lady Catherine stated curtly, ignoring that his pallor had turned decidedly white.
“B-b-b-but you said…” Collins tried to regain her support of his purpose.
“You lied to me and would have made me look the fool had I supported you! The entail was never to the male line, and not only that, but the Collins line can never inherit, even were you to be so disreputable as to compromise one of your Bennet cousins. It states here that there are two sons! You never told me that!” Lady Catherine thundered.
“Now leave me, I will have advice for you another day. "
Collins bowed and scraped his way out of the drawing room, looking more like a crab than a man.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The Bingleys moved into Netherfield in mid-October. “Charles, how could you drag me to this backwater place?” Miss Bingley whined.
“You may leave if you wish, Caroline; I am sure that Darcy will be happy with Louisa as hostess.” Bingley knew that his friend would never offer for his younger sister, but his name was an effective tool to garner her cooperation.
His friend had more than once requested that Bingley talk to his sister and warn her away from her relentless campaign to become mistress of Pemberley.
As was his wont with anything that might lead to a confrontation, Bingley had put off the difficult conversation with his sister, as he valued peace above all else.
“What stuff and nonsense, Charles,” Miss Bingley said, reversing her position as her brother knew she would once he announced his friend's coming. “When will Mr. Darcy arrive?” Miss Bingley fairly cooed.
“He will be here in a fortnight, in late October,” Bingley informed his sister.
“Then I will have to make sure that everything is perfect for his arrival.” Miss Bingley left her brother’s study with purpose, telling herself that once Mr. Darcy saw her skills as a hostess he would finally do what he should have already done and offer for her.
As she breezed out of the study, the butler, Nichols, informed the new master that Mr. Thomas Bennet had arrived to call on him.
Content with his sister leaving, Bingley did not notice the reverence with which the butler spoke his visitor’s name.