Chapter 17 #2
Elizabeth sagged against him. “She has spread some falsehood that Mr Collins and your aunt concocted about the reason for my expulsion from his home,” Elizabeth whispered.
“She will never be able to retract all the tales she spread, and I have little doubt everyone we encounter tomorrow will look at me with either pity or disgust.”
Ignoring her family around them, he drew her into an embrace. “It will be well, Elizabeth,” he told her quietly. “All will be well.”
“What can we do?” she asked him.
“I will send an express to my uncle immediately,” Darcy replied.
“He has been waiting until we arrived here to determine what should be done concerning Mr Collins. I am afraid things will not go well for that man after this. Lady Catherine did not have the authority to appoint him, and his actions towards you are heinous enough to cause him problems with the archbishop. I do not know what my uncle and the archbishop will do, but Mr Collins may be sent somewhere as a missionary or be unable to support a wife if he cannot find a position in the church. If Mrs Collins needs a home, I will offer to purchase a small cottage near Meryton for her. Or in Derbyshire if she prefers that to remaining here.”
Elizabeth gasped lightly. “Poor Charlotte. But perhaps that would be a good situation for her; all she wanted was a house of her own and not to be a burden on her parents.”
“Then that is what we will give her. She does not deserve such a husband,” Darcy replied.
While the Darcys were speaking privately, the Bennet ladies discussed what they heard and watched the couple.
Jane tried to convince her mother and younger sisters that Lady Lucas was incorrect and Elizabeth had not been compromised by Mr Darcy or anyone else, but Mrs Bennet was working her way into a fit of hysterics. Finally, the dam burst loose.
“What have you done, Lizzy?” she cried. “What was Lady Lucas speaking of? You must tell me at once, for it seems that all our neighbours know some gossip about you that they have hidden from us. Tell me now, Lizzy Bennet, what you have done that will bring ruin upon all of your sisters.”
Elizabeth stood and faced her mother. “My name, madam, is Elizabeth Darcy, and the only thing I have done is marry a good man; a man who loves me and will do all he can to ensure my family is well taken care of, despite their own stupidity. Do not accuse me of anything. Mr Collins turned me out of his home because Lady Catherine believed I had taken Mr Darcy’s attention from her daughter, completely disregarding the truth of the matter.
William was never engaged to his cousin, and neither party desired to be so, but Lady Catherine was determined to force her will.
She blamed me when she could not manipulate them and told Mr Collins to throw me from his house.
The fool did so, but William ensured I was safe and protected. ”
Darcy stood with her, and for the second time that day, she retreated to the garden where her husband comforted her.
She felt his arms around her before she spoke.
“Can we never leave Pemberley once we arrive there? Between my parents, Lady Lucas, Mr Collins, and Lady Catherine, I do not think I want to see anyone else again for some time. What story do you think they have concocted that we will hear tomorrow in Meryton, and how many do you think will believe it?”
“It does not matter, Elizabeth,” he told her.
“Truly it does not. You have already won over many in the ton, and my aunt will counter any rumours that might make it as far as London. We do not have to return to London next year if you do not wish it, although we will have to the following year so Georgiana can be presented.”
She sighed into his arms. “I just want to go home, William.”
“Home?” he asked.
She nodded and smiled up at him. “Is not Pemberley our home?” she asked impishly.
Darcy leaned down to kiss her nose. “Yes, dearest, Pemberley is home, and I cannot wait to take you there. However, we must remain here for at least a few days to settle things with your father and address any rumours that may exist.”
Elizabeth stood in his arms for several moments, taking comfort from him. “Thank you, William. You and I need to rest before dinner, together, in our bed.”
He grinned and drew her back to the house. Elizabeth showed him to the servant’s staircase, and they sneaked upstairs, where they remained until it was time for dinner.
After Darcy rode the estate that morning, he and Elizabeth met with Mr Todd and discussed suggestions for improving the estate’s yields and increasing its profits.
Darcy discovered Elizabeth and the steward had previously made several recommendations, and they selected several easily implemented and low-cost strategies to include in their contract.
Mr Todd readily agreed to keep them informed about how things were going on the estate, which seemed underhanded in a way.
Still, Elizabeth and Darcy felt it necessary to ensure they knew what was going on from someone other than Mr Bennet.
After meeting with Mr Todd, Darcy and Elizabeth walked into Meryton, paid the Bennets’ outstanding accounts, and arranged for the estate’s purchases to be covered through Michaelmas.
In each store, they obtained a signed receipt for the amount paid to add to the total of her father’s debt.
They also sought to counter what rumours they could as they patiently answered questions about their courtship and engagement.
The obvious affection they shared did force a few to change their opinions about the couple, although some rumours persisted.
Following the meal, Elizabeth and Darcy presented her father with the document outlining the conditions for their loan. He must take an interest in the estate, actively working to increase its income and implementing some of the strategies Darcy wrote out following the meeting with Mr Todd.
Mr and Mrs Bennet would retrench and pay a minimum of two hundred pounds each quarter towards the loan.
They pointed out that the pin money for the daughters who were from home could be saved, and the pin money for the youngest girls could be cut significantly since they would no longer be attending social events, and their current dresses would do and could be remade to fit their new status.
Darcy and Elizabeth would provide a governess or send the younger girls to school.
Mr Bennet must support their attempts to improve the girls’ behaviour and send a letter to Pemberley within the week with his preference for school or a governess for his daughters.
Eventually, if their behaviour was amended to the point that it would be acceptable in town, a decision that would be made by Elizabeth herself or Lady Matlock, Elizabeth would sponsor both girls in society.
While Mr Bennet must send a letter at least every other week informing the Darcys of the progress and any concerns at Longbourn, he must not allow Mrs Bennet to complain to Elizabeth about the conditions of the loan.
If Bennet defaulted, Darcy reserved the right to throw Bennet in debtors’ prison until such a time as he could pay back the loan.
Finally, Bennet must inform his family of these changes and conditions immediately after the Darcys departed and write within the week with details of the meeting with Mrs Bennet and her reactions to the changes at Longbourn.
They agreed this meeting would occur after the Darcys left to avoid Mrs Bennet’s anger being directed at Elizabeth.
Darcy insisted Bennet tell his wife everything that occurred, and although he doubted the likelihood of it, he expected at least some honesty about their situation.
Bennet was unhappy with the conditions of the agreement but had little choice but to agree.
He did not know what would happen to his family if he were sent to debtors’ prison, and despite his indolence, he did not want any of his daughters to be used as they would be if they were taken to repay his debt.
Reluctantly, he signed both copies of the agreement and, when the ink dried, kept one and gave Darcy the other.