Chapter Fourteen #2
You have already acknowledged to yourself that you would not blame Mr Darcy for being disgusted by your being related to Mr Wickham. Miss Darcy’s letter said that all of Derbyshire was mortified by his reputation. If they never write again, you must accept it.
Elizabeth was in tears with worry by the time her two younger sisters entered the room.
“I cannot believe you both accepted. Just like that! How could you! You ought to have resisted! When Kitty did not return to her old behaviours in Lydia’s absence, Jane would have calmed eventually.
Instead you have promised yourselves to men you do not love! ”
“Lizzy hush, you must stop this at once.” Mary’s voice was sharp and firm. She sat beside Elizabeth and took her hand. “We know that you are worried for us, and that is why you object so, but we have talked about it, between ourselves, and with the men, and we are hopeful. We are not unhappy.”
“Mary–” Elizabeth protested.
Kitty interrupted her. “Lizzy, we spoke with our suitors, both separately and together. Do you know that though Mr Collins mostly resides in Hunsford, that he has a rectory in Lambton as well? And it is close enough to Hawthorne Vale, Captain Denny’s estate.
Only an hour’s carriage ride, near Mr Collins’s other living in Kympton. ”
“The rectory at Kympton is small for his liking, but Mr Collins is willing to reside in Lambton and send a curate to Hunsford if being closer to Kitty will please me,” Mary enthused. “There is much to be thankful for.”
“Mary Bennet, if you insist upon being obtuse and allowing a smooth tongue to sway you from the fact that he is marrying you because our father offered him five thousand pounds, I swear I shall go mad!” Elizabeth shrieked.
“The two of you are doing this because our father has lately been cruel, and Jane has also been cruel, and Lydia has gone away, and none of us feel safe anymore, but will it make you happy?”
“I believe it will, Lizzy. Will you listen?” Mary asked softly. When Elizabeth nodded miserably, she continued. “I think you are exaggerating Mr Collins’s smooth tongued abilities a bit, dear. He is hardly Mr Wickham.”
Elizabeth shrugged. Mr Collins seemed harmless enough. Elizabeth did not feel she could be happy as his wife. She was relieved when he had appeared to suddenly change his mind about her on his previous visit, even though he had first singled her out for attention when they met.
“It is true that Mr Collins did not approach me when he visited before. He has admitted that the most pressing reason that he considered my father’s request at all is because he has been intelligent enough to worry about who else my father might approach if he refused.
This was something even I had not considered, but it is worth thinking about.
Our father could choose someone dreadful.
Though Mr Collins was not instantly drawn to pursue me as his wife when we met, he has enough familial affection and concern to speak to me and learn if I am amenable to the match, for it would weigh heavily upon his conscience to think that I had been married to a brute or worse, and he did not at least attempt to find out if we might suit. ”
“I suppose that is good of him,” Elizabeth grumbled.
She truly had no cause to distrust their cousin.
It was the way her father was going about this whole matter that concerned her, and it seemed that at least Mr Collins had considered all that could go wrong for Mary.
Mr Darcy trusted Mr Collins. Trusted him with three parishes, and obviously with his dealings with Mr Wickham as well.
He must be a good man, but that did not mean that he would make Mary happy.
“It is very good of him, Lizzy,” Kitty insisted.
“And Captain Denny is of a similar mind. It is true that he has not courted me, but then, he did not know if he could afford to marry me, so he never considered it. We all know that men must have something to live on, and so must their wives when they die. But he reminded me that he is my friend and has been since he entered Meryton. And he told me about his father. They fell out about the management of the estate when he returned from university. Denny was sent away because he wished to be involved and attempt new methods, and his father was unwilling to let him be of assistance. He says that since he has left home, the estate has been managed poorly, his mother has died, and he knows not what to expect when he returns. He would rather not feel like he is returning alone. If I came with him, he would feel that he was going into battle with a friend by his side, and he hopes that we might support one another as friends do, and that love might grow later. Is that not marvelous?”
“It does sound very nice, but are you certain that you wish to gamble your future happiness on the chance that love might grow?” Elizabeth protested weakly.
“The gentlemen seem as hopeful as we do, Lizzy, and that is enough to give me faith.” Mary answered.
“I am touched that Mr Collins is willing to live in the north just so I might be close to my sister, and Kitty and I both feel strongly that this might be our best chance for happiness. And Mr and Miss Darcy live not five miles from Lambton. Is it not grand that we will already have friends nearby?”
“So you have accepted them then?” Elizabeth nearly whined. She hated that this was necessary and thoroughly resented both of her parents for their lack of care.
“We have. Both Captain Denny and Mr Collins have agreed to obtain common licenses, and we shall be married within a fortnight,” Mary informed her. “And my betrothed even negotiated with our father that we might have proper wedding clothes.”
“Indeed, Denny told me when they came out how impressed he was by Mr Collins’s shrewdness with Papa,” Kitty agreed.
“Denny said that Mr Collins said that if they were to take all of Papa’s worries away in such a short time, that we must have our proper and rightful wardrobes to live in the north.
When we marry, Papa must give us two hundred and fifty pounds each, so we may obtain fabrics from our uncle’s warehouse in London and then have our wardrobes made up when we arrive in Derbyshire. ”
“Mr Collins worries that our clothes will not be warm enough. He has urged us to write to our aunt to see about having a few things made up quickly before we leave.” Mary patted Lizzy’s hand. “And there is something else that we hope will please you.”
“Oh, do say yes!” Kitty cried.
“I must know what it is first.” Elizabeth laughed.
“Lizzy, I am not ready to run a home, especially one that is neglected and has not had a mistress in some years,” Kitty whispered. “And Denny will need my help, and I will hardly know where I am to begin!”
“And I shall also begin my new life as a clergyman’s wife, and I will have two parishes close by to assist him with, as well as another far away in Kent,” Mary said. “I would feel so much braver if you were to come north with us instead of staying here or going to London.”
“Oh, do say you will come!” Kitty begged. “Denny and Collins say you may live with each of us by turns, or stay with whichever of us you feel most comfortable with. I do hope you will stay with me for some weeks at least, I do not know where to start, running my own home!”
“And we are not inviting you only to visit. Both of our gentlemen have given us permission to offer you a home with whichever of us that you like, permanently,” Mary said to Elizabeth.
“You must not listen to Papa. You are no burden, Lizzy. You are my sister, and I love you. I would be happy and proud to offer you a place in my home.”
“Oh, Mary…I hardly know what to say.” Elizabeth was near tears.
“Say yes, Lizzy, and promise you will stay with me first, for I am certain I will have the greatest need of your advice,” Kitty exclaimed as Elizabeth gave her assent and the three sisters embraced each other, each with great hope that their new lives in Derbyshire would be happy and content.
I suppose I shall find out when I arrive in the north, if not before, whether the Darcys are disgusted by my friendship.