Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
COLLINS
Collins dared to ask Miss Lucas for her hand on the evening of the last full day of his stay at Hertfordshire.
Miss Lucas gladly accepted.
Now he packed for his return to Kent, to Hunsford and his parish and the people whom he would lead with kindness.
He was certain of his ability to do so, because his friend Hurst opined to him many times that he could, and because his intended promised him that she would help him, once they were we.
Of course, Collins would also be returning to Lady Catherine de Bourgh, her fine estate of Rosings, her daughter—and, unfortunately, her dictates and demands.
He felt more reluctance to once again be in her presence than he had ever felt before.
However, Hurst and Miss Lucas both believed in his ability to stand up for what was right, even if Lady Catherine should disagree.
The thing he was most worried about was his own disregard of Lady Catherine’s edict: she had demanded that he marry a Bennet, and he was quite frightened at the idea that she would be angry at him for, instead, offering for Miss Lucas.
He did not at all relish the possibility of incurring her wrath. He had seen his patroness become angry at others—and it was quite frightful to see. But she had not yet ever grown angry at him.
But…he should not assume the worst, should he?
Once in Lady Catherine’s presence, he could easily tell her that the eldest Bennet was heartbroken and unable to consent to courtship or marriage, plus she had relocated to London.
(He had never actually tried to court Jane Bennet, Collins remembered, but there was no need to go into the details of the matter.) The next Bennet was already married, and the three youngest were all inappropriate to be a parson’s wife.
At least, he was fairly certain that he could make a very good case for their misfit for the position.
He could then explain all the reasons that Miss Lucas was perfect to be his wife.
Well, he remembered, not all of the reasons. Miss Lucas had pointed out that she knew how to manage women like Lady Catherine—he certainly could not say that!
Collins paused to dab at his forehead as he tried to think clearly.
He would say—he would say—that Miss Lucas was the daughter of a knighted and landed gentleman, but she was not brought up too high; she was not only skilled at home repair and cooking, but she was willing to continue those practical duties.
She was sober and virtuous and—and—well, that would be enough reasons, he was quite certain.
If Lady Catherine continued to insist on her original edict, he would just have to ignore her desires and focus on the importance of impressing Hurst and being loyal to Miss Lucas. He was now honour-bound to the latter, and he certainly could not abandon her to ruin.
Collins strapped up his trunk and called for the Bennets’ servant to carry the thing downstairs, and as he followed along, he was struck with a novel thought: Lady Catherine would soon know that it was a Bennet who had married Mr Darcy.
It was almost certain that she would be extremely vexed with the Bennets; therefore, she would undoubtedly be furious if he married one of the Bennet daughters!
She would be thrilled with his decision to eschew marriage into the Bennet family!
He was saved!
A month from today, I shall return for my bride, Collins thought. My very-much-not-a-Bennet bride.
And when Collins returned to Meryton, it would be to celebrate his own wedding.
Mrs Bennet had offered to her friend, Mrs Lucas, any help she might need with the wedding breakfast, and Collins and Hurst had eagerly sat down to make lists of their favourite foods from Mr Darcy’s very fine wedding breakfast. Collins very much looked forward to his own such celebration.
On his way to the hackney carriage, Collins stopped by the kitchen.
He had been delighted with Cook’s offer to fill his little hamper with food and drink.
She had claimed that it was because of him that she received so much praise for her dishes and cake at the wedding breakfast—and thus, she said, she owed him.
Collins was very grateful; he certainly needed food for such a long journey.
Between Meryton and Hunsford, there would of course be stops to change horses and refresh himself, and he would be certain to eat and drink as much as he had time for, during each stop…
but he needed something to help him through all of those miles in between!
Thanking Cook again and again, most sincerely, Collins could not prevent himself from peeking into the hamper. Oh, lemon tea cakes! And there were slices of ham and tongue, some sort of tart, several hunks of cheese, and several sorts of rolls.
Collins once again felt very satisfied with his life.
He had come to see his eventual estate, and it pleased him very well.
He had come to find a bride, and he had not only managed to find the perfect bride, he had also neatly managed to avoid marrying a member of a family that must certainly soon be despised by his benefactress.
He had not come to make a friend, but he had somehow made one—a good one!
And he had eaten very well indeed, and would be eating delicious foods during his upcoming journey, as well.
Collins certainly thanked his lucky stars—well, actually, he supposed that he was supposed to thank God Himself, the Lord of All Creation—yes, it did, indeed, seem ever so much better for a parson to thank God than stars.
Thanking stars was something he had often heard but not actually ever understood…
. He started over, thanking God for all of the wonderful things in his life.
And, of course, for all the splendid things in his hamper.