Chapter VI #2
Colonel Fitzwilliam, to smooth over the silence, replied, ‘Our aunt is formidable, Miss Bennet, as I’m sure you have found yourself.
She has been very good to us, however, and with only Anne for her immediate family, her house is less populated than she would like.
So, while her company may not be easy, we are glad to be in it. ’
Charlotte warmed to his reply, while Elizabeth was clearly irritated not to have had hers from Darcy.
But a moment later, that gentleman stirred and said, ‘I think you know by now, Miss Bennet, that I do not find much company easy, beyond my own household and most intimate friends. I will admit I find my aunt to be rather demanding at times and certainly very proud – a trait I think you deplore. But she is my aunt, and I am glad to see her when I can. And, may I say, I am glad for you to meet a member of my family.’
Elizabeth appeared baffled by the final statement, whereas Charlotte was not so puzzled; she had suspected a partiality for Elizabeth on Darcy’s part for some time, and this quietly spoken communication seemed to suggest his intentions were serious.
Elizabeth was silent, apparently extremely absorbed by her tea. Charlotte watched her – and so did Colonel Fitzwilliam, she noted.
‘Will you stay long in the neighbourhood?’ Charlotte asked the gentlemen, returning the conversation to its track.
‘I am staying at Rosings for a few weeks, Mrs Collins, but I will return to Spain thereafter,’ replied the colonel amicably. ‘My regiment is barracked on the other side of Kent, and we have been there for some months now, attempting to rebuild the ranks.’
‘Can you tell us something of the war, Colonel? Have you killed any Frenchman yourself?’ asked Maria breathlessly.
The colonel’s face hardened, changing from its easy demeanour.
‘What can I tell you… ?’ He looked at Maria’s face – so young and eager for a story.
He chose his words carefully. ‘I can tell you that it is starting to feel like the tide is turning – we prevailed against the French at the start of the year. And yes, I have killed many Frenchmen and lost many men of my own. None of it is as thrilling as one might hope.’
Maria looked deflated and quietly said, ‘Oh.’
Seeing her disappointment, he added, ‘But Wellington is everything you might have heard – very impressive.’
‘You have met Wellington!’ Maria rallied quickly with this titbit, as he had hoped.
‘Indeed. A fine man.’
Maria satisfied, Charlotte spoke up partly in defence of her sister.
‘I hope you will forgive our curiosity, Colonel. The war seems so far away to us here – partly because we have not known anyone in the standing army. We have met a few of the local militia who have been eager to discuss the war, albeit in theory, having no direct experience of it, but I think perhaps it is not easy to talk about battle once you have seen it?’
‘No indeed, madam. Our last battle, Albuera, was particularly…’ He searched for a word to suit the company he was in. ‘Difficult,’ he said, smiling grimly.
Charlotte smiled back, guessing that the understatement must be absurd.
She had never had a reason to think particularly about the war, though it had always been a constant in the background.
She had occasionally read items in newspapers about it and heard stories from acquaintances with brothers in the navy, but none of her friends or family had such a connection, and so she had enjoyed the luxury of being removed from its orbit.
She quietly prided herself on being well-educated and well-read, but as she thought about her ignorance on this subject, and as she looked into the face of this earnest man who had clearly had experiences far beyond her imaginings, she felt rather stupid.
Darcy was looking at his cousin earnestly, almost protectively. He put a hand roughly on his shoulder.
Colonel Fitzwilliam looked as if he might say more, but Mr Collins piped up at this point, unable to stand a moment of seriousness in which he was not involved.
‘I apologise for the ladies’ line of enquiry, and I dispute the idea that we are all curious about the war.
I am sure we simply trust in God that we will be victorious, and I consider it none of our business how it is done. ’
‘I hope that you will trust in us, sir, more than God,’ replied Fitzwilliam firmly, his face a little heated.
‘As for it being none of your business, quite the contrary: I wish that our army’s exploits abroad were more widely known by members of the very households for which we are fighting.
And these things can only become known by asking questions when the opportunity arises.
’ Here Colonel Fitzwilliam glanced at Charlotte and bowed his head slightly.
The topic was left there however, and after a few minutes of more polite conversation, the gentlemen moved to take their leave. Darcy made his exit swiftly, saying ‘Good day,’ to all, and stood just outside the door, waiting for his cousin.
‘Thank you for your hospitality, Mrs Collins,’ said Colonel Fitzwilliam, making a small bow.
Charlotte curtsied, smiling.
‘And a pleasure to meet you, Miss Bennet,’ he added, craning around to meet Elizabeth’s eye, eagerly.
‘Indeed,’ came back Elizabeth hesitantly. ‘And you.’
Charlotte noted the attention. It looked as if her friend might be contending with more than one suitor during her stay in Kent.
While no one could have predicted two eligible men staying in the vicinity, their apparent interest in Elizabeth was not a surprise to Charlotte.
Her friend had always had the looks and vivacity to catch the eye of interesting men, and Charlotte was well used to dealing with her various admirers.
Colonel Fitzwilliam seemed like a good option, on first viewing.
Charlotte could not help but notice his appeal.
‘You are welcome to visit again while you are staying at Rosings,’ said Charlotte to Colonel Fitzwilliam genially. ‘We do not get many visitors, and we would be glad of it.’
‘Yes! Indeed, my wife speaks truly,’ took over Mr Collins. ‘Any relation of Lady Catherine is welcome at any time in our home; your presence would be a credit to us—’
Charlotte interrupted him, saying briskly, ‘Farewell then, Colonel Fitzwilliam.’
After he was gone, she turned to face Elizabeth, raising her eyebrows.
‘He is only just a colonel,’ Mr Collins pronounced over dinner.
To his disappointment, no one asked him to elaborate; Charlotte diligently sipped her soup, acting as if nothing had been said.
He continued regardless, ‘I heard from Lady Catherine that his promotion is but two weeks old – so it is presumptuous of him to style himself thus on his first visit.’
‘If he is now a colonel, then what else should he introduce himself as?’ asked Elizabeth. ‘There is no trial period on the position, as far as I understand it?’
‘He must have been very brave to have been promoted to colonel so young,’ observed Maria keenly, now an expert of military matters.
‘Or wealthy and well connected. Let us not forget he is the younger son of an earl. It is lucky for those who have the money to purchase their next commission whensoever they please,’ replied Mr Collins snidely and spuriously.
‘It does not sound as if he has been especially lucky,’ said Charlotte. ‘I’m sure we will find out in due course.’
‘Well, I thought him rather scruffy for a colonel.’
‘My dear, he was in military dress!’ said Charlotte, passing the gravy.
Mr Collins’s petty remarks had perhaps been provoked by Maria, who, since the exit of the two men, had not stopped singing their praises, from their manners to their voices, their height (Maria really seemed to have a preoccupation with tall men) to their handsome faces.
Mr Collins, who had never heard such thoughts about himself uttered by any woman, was quite allergic to it.
He suspected that Elizabeth, too, was impressed by the two gentlemen, and having failed to secure her approval himself, he felt the stark difference between himself and them.
Unfortunately, his attempt to undermine the colonel had the opposite effect to the one he wished, making him appear worse in comparison.
But Charlotte knew his foibles and his insecurities.
She reassured him in quiet ways – asking him to read the Bible to her, remarking on how glad she was of a warm house in this weather, and putting her arms around him in bed – which, luckily, did not lead to anything more intimate.
He was, at heart, a man of simple needs, and Charlotte understood them.
She was good at the task of being his wife, and she took some pleasure in that. Not a great deal, but enough, for now.
Two days later, Charlotte was alone in the house– a rarity, with even Mrs Brooke gone to town, and she was sitting enjoying her solitude when she heard the crunch of gravel.
Peering out the window, she saw Colonel Fitzwilliam striding up the drive.
She was struck, oddly, by an urge to change into a nicer dress and tidy her hair, but his knock came quickly, and she had to answer it herself.
‘Colonel Fitzwilliam, you accepted our offer!’
‘I did, ma’am, but I did not expect such a personal welcome. Is your housekeeper not in?’
‘She is not, sir, and neither is my husband nor our guests. You may therefore wish to postpone your visit.’
‘Well, I leave it to you, Mrs Collins. If you do not object, I could stay a few minutes at least – I have walked far this morning, and your company is as welcome as that of anyone else I could have hoped to see. But I am certain you are busy, and your time is more valuable than my own. What would you wish?’
Charlotte blinked. She should probably send him away.
And yet, ‘Come in!’, she found herself saying.
‘Your house is very welcoming, Mrs Collins,’ said Fitzwilliam, holding a cup of tea. ‘After spending time in the draughty halls of Rosings, a feeling of homeliness is appreciated.’
‘Thank you. The bones of the house are already very beautiful, but I will set modesty aside and say I have worked hard on making it pleasant.’
They sat in the drawing room – a bright, cheerful room, which Charlotte had made alterations to since she moved into the house.
She took the opportunity to glance around the room now, which gave her some relief.
It was very unusual for her to be alone with a gentleman other than her husband; she felt the tension and, if she were honest, the excitement of it, and she worried it might show in her face.
‘The garden, in particular, is a joy to work on,’ she continued.
‘It is splendid, and I only saw part of it.’
‘It is finally coming to life; I’ve been looking forward to spring, and the daffodils have finally arrived just in time for visitors – they’re a favourite of mine.’
‘I saw them all along the drive; they make a fine greeting for us. How long have you lived here?’
‘But three months or so. We married in January.’
‘Ah. Is your new life to your liking?’
Charlotte felt it was expected of her to give an easy affirmation here, but there was something in his enquiry and how genuinely interested he seemed that gave her pause.
‘I am adjusting to it, Colonel. I married with my eyes open to all that it might be – the joys and the difficulties – and if I may congratulate myself on one thing, it is that I was mostly correct.’
‘Then I should congratulate you, too. Such foresight – we could use you in the army.’
‘Do not mock me, sir,’ chided Charlotte.
‘I assure you I do not. I have seen just enough of society to understand that a woman’s plan for her future – considering her own economic security, the diplomatic situations she might navigate, the compromises she is and is not willing to make, and calculating her best bet at victory, or indeed, at peace – is to be respected.
Such thinking could rival any strategy put forward by a general of the highest order. ’
‘I hope you do not propose that women are schemers.’
‘I do not propose that women are mercenary but that they are intelligent and aware and act accordingly. My position is such that I will have to make similar considerations when – if – I marry. There is no judgement on me for choosing carefully, and I would never judge a woman for doing the same.’
Charlotte listened and paused. She nodded, then gently smiled and asked, ‘And what if one falls in love and security is cast aside?’
‘Then you are one of the lucky ones,’ replied the colonel, grinning.
What should have been a short visit turned into a lengthy one, and the afternoon sun was weakening by the time he stood to take his leave.
At the door, the colonel turned towards Charlotte, and they faced each other for a moment before he said, a little awkwardly, ‘I had wondered if I might see Miss Elizabeth Bennet on my visit; perhaps you would pass on my regards to her?’
As it happened, Charlotte had been wondering about his apparent lack of urgency, how generous (or unguarded) he had been with his time and his conversation.
She had even thought that there was something of a rapport between them.
Now, it all made sense: it seemed as if her company had been endured in the hopes of once again meeting with her pretty friend. How tiresome, and how predictable.
She said politely but wearily, ‘Of course I shall, Colonel. I am sorry you missed her.’
He caught her tone and halted his departure, saying earnestly, ‘I am very glad I stayed, Mrs Collins. It is a pleasure to make a new friend.’
‘Indeed, Colonel. Good day’.
He left, and she shut the door gently, standing pensively in the hall a few moments, before being interrupted by the sound of Mrs Brooke coming in the back door.
A moment later, the housekeeper appeared in the hall, saying, ‘Oh, madam, I saw a gentleman leaving – did I miss a visit? I’m sorry if so—’
‘Please do not make yourself uneasy, Brooke. It was Colonel Fitzwilliam, come to call on Miss Elizabeth, and she is out. He did not stay long.’