Chapter 9 #2
“Oh yes…Lady Catherine has mentioned it to me in complete confidence many times. It appears their engagement is of a peculiar nature. I understand they have been destined for each other since they were in their cradles, from the mutual desire of her mother and his. And what more perfect match than two people blessed in every possible way?” Mr. Collins said zealously, bowing his head at each praise.
Mrs. Bennet glanced from her husband to Elizabeth, seeking support or an explanation. This she never imagined. For a moment, a glimpse of reasoning crossed her mind and she wondered why she should care if Mr. Darcy was engaged–but she quickly returned to her usual unreasonable reactions.
“Well, this is quite strange…I never expected this…Did you know that, Mr. Bennet?”
“Mrs. Bennet, why on earth would you or I be informed about Mr. Darcy’s marital plans?
” Mr. Bennet asked angrily. “This is his business alone. And Mr. Collins, I would strongly advise you to change the subject. I doubt that Mr. Darcy or your noble patroness would approve of your willingness to discuss such a private matter about their family.”
Mr. Collins appeared terrified, struggling to understand what he had done wrong.
“I said nothing wrong, I assure you. And I would not have mentioned the subject if we were not among our family. Since Mr. Darcy seemed a regular visitor and a friend, I thought it would be beneficial for you to know what to expect.”
Elizabeth almost lost her composure. Burdened by sorrow and disappointment, suddenly realising that she had hopes that astonished even herself, her ire grew and transferred to Mr. Collins, who instantly became an obnoxious enemy, and her reply expressed her feelings entirely.
“Mr. Collins, despite your obvious conviction, your assumptions are not always accurate. Mr. Darcy is not a regular visitor and certainly not a friend. He is a gentleman who has called on us a couple of times and we surely do not expect anything from him other than mere politeness, as propriety requires. And, as Mr. Darcy himself suggested yesterday, perhaps it would be a good moment to cease speaking only of Lady Catherine.”
Her scolding words dumbfounded Mr. Collins more than Mr. Bennet’s earlier statement.
It could have been because of the harsh censure or because of the unthinkable request to not discuss his noble patroness.
He attempted to oppose the suggestion, but Elizabeth quickly apologised and, unexpectedly, she asked her sisters if they would be willing to visit Charlotte Lucas with her.
The rest of the breakfast passed in tense silence.
Mr. Collins praised the dishes one more time but not even Mrs. Bennet answered.
She was too grieved to realise that her unreasonable dream and prayers about Mr. Darcy’s imaginary inclination towards Lizzy was only in her mind.
Even worse, Lizzy’s attitude towards Mr. Collins wrecked any hopes of him choosing her as his wife; such impertinence would not be acceptable by a clergyman.
Little did Mrs. Bennet–and the others–realise that Mr. Collins’s disclosure had not been entirely innocent.
In only one day, he had been charmed by Elizabeth’s liveliness, but the previous evening showed him a dangerous familiarity between his preferred cousin and the gentleman that was far above him.
Therefore, while he was unsure whether the news of Mr. Darcy’s impending marriage to Miss de Bourgh was true, he decided to pass it onto the Bennets to destroy any unreasonable hope that might stand between his goal of proposing to Elizabeth and her acceptance.
Elizabeth hurried to her chamber, to change for the visit to Meryton.
She had desperately chosen that way of spending the day, hoping to quiet the scream of pain in her mind.
As the moments passed by, with grief and disbelief, she understood that in the last several days an unexpected and frightening attachment had grown inside her–an attachment towards the last man in the world to whom she could have imagined this would happen.
The news that he would soon marry his cousin aroused the comprehension that her feelings towards him had become the opposite of what they had been a week ago; while she wished to forget their past misunderstandings, she had unconsciously bonded her future to him.
Never being in love before, nor even admiring a gentleman in any particular way, the tumult of feeling caught Elizabeth unawares and left her annoyed and angry at her own folly.
Her reason attempted to enquire why he would even mention the notion of a marriage of convenience if he was already engaged, but she quieted that musing.
Disappointed by her lack of wisdom in seeing more than mere politeness in Darcy’s softened manners, she mistrusted herself completely and wished nothing more than to be out of the house, to calm herself in the fresh, freezing November air and then to listen to Sir William’s boring stories about his introduction at St. James’s Palace.
“Lizzy, come here for a minute,” Mr. Bennet called her when she returned to the main hall.
“What is it, Papa? I am ready to go to Meryton.”
“Yes, I know,” Mr. Bennet said, closing the library door. “Your sisters are waiting for you – and so is Mr. Collins. I am sorry to inform you that he is ready to keep you company.”
She rolled her eyes, irritated by the prospect of such unpleasant company and annoyed by her father’s jest.
“My child, I can see you are out of spirits. Does the news of Mr. Darcy’s engagement affect you so much?”
She startled and felt her cheeks burning.
“I was surprised, nothing more…”
“Lizzy…you cannot deceive me, I know you too well. Likewise, you cannot conceal the fact that your behaviour towards Mr. Darcy has been completely different since you returned from Netherfield. And so is his towards you.”
“Papa, let us not start that silly conversation again. Mr. Darcy is a well-educated man. As Mr. Bingley’s attachment to Jane is visible, most likely he is trying to be more polite to our family, to please his friend.”
Mr. Bennet’s eyebrow rose in mockery. “Yes, I am sure that is the truth. But I am not sure if you are trying to disguise your feelings from your old father or also from yourself.”
“I…Papa, I apologise but I must leave you now. I have neither the time nor the disposition for such a conversation. I beg you to forgive me.”
“Lizzy–only a moment. Mr. Darcy offered me his complete commitment to marry you if I considered this step to be appropriate after your night meeting in the library. We had this discussion only yesterday. I can still demand he do that, if you wish. You could be married to him in a week. I only have to write to him and invite him here one more time. I can do that this instant.”
“Papa! You cannot possibly consider doing that! Do not even speak of it! What kind of people would we be to force a man into a marriage without reason? And what kind of life would I lead with a husband who would probably despise me forever for such a scheme?” Elizabeth cried, tearful and enraged.
Mr. Bennet was wordless with surprise at such a strong reaction and embraced her lovingly.
“Lizzy, calm yourself. I was only joking. Come, sit down. My dear girl, how can you take your father seriously? I was trying to amuse you, making sport of you, as I always do…”
“Forgive me, Papa… It is just that…I am fine. Yes, I do know you are only jesting. I should go now.”
“As you wish…But Lizzy, one more thing. Any jest aside, you must know that my conversation with Mr. Darcy yesterday was surely no mockery. He did allow me the choice of deciding your future. And he certainly would not have done that if he was engaged to be married. I can only suspect the reason for your distress and I suggest you use your wit and your sensibility to judge the circumstance properly.”
She wiped her eyes and nodded.
“I will do that, Papa. Later. Now, I need a long walk.” She smiled at him and left the room, leaving Mr. Bennet with a heavy heart, more worried than he had ever been for his favourite daughter.