Chapter Sixty-Six
The three residents of Collins Cottage, as it was now known to all those abiding there, made their way across the lane that separated the cottage from the Park, and then across the enormous lawn that spread out in front of the mansion.
It was already quite dark, so Mr. Collins was leading his bride most tenderly, pointing out unexpected holes or stones on the lawn, with Elizabeth following behind.
Elizabeth’s heart swelled to see her middle sister, so long neglected by her own parents, now being treated so very kindly, so very thoughtfully, so very – well, lovingly.
She wished for this for herself, with all her heart, and once again, Mr. Darcy’s image swam before her.
She blinked her eyes rapidly. There was no point in thinking about him, she reminded herself yet again.
Not only was he not ever going to be interested in someone like herself, but he was likely engaged to a young lady she would meet very soon.
As they approached, Elizabeth could see that the mansion of Rosings Park was very grand.
It was a full two stories tall, evidently built over a semi-basement, as Elizabeth could make out half windows at the ground level, and there was an attic as well.
The two side wings made it an H-shaped building.
It was, without a doubt, the most magnificent home Elizabeth had ever seen.
The front door opened as they stepped up to the entry way.
A stern-faced, older man with white hair and a very erect bearing greeted them, and asked them to follow him.
They did so, and soon found themselves in the largest drawing room Mary and Elizabeth had ever seen.
They would very much liked to have the leisure to look about the room, but their attention was, of necessity, drawn to their hostess. She rose as they entered the room.
“Mr. Collins, will you not make the introductions?” Her voice was low and throaty, and her words clearly pronounced.
Elizabeth curtsied deeply; rising, she glanced quickly at her hostess.
Lady Catherine’s nose was too pronounced and her face too thin for beauty, but she was tall and majestic-looking in her heavy brocade gown, decorated with weighty tassels and gold ribbon.
Mr. Collins presented his wife and his Cousin Miss Bennet, smiling reassuringly at both Mary and Elizabeth as he did so.
Lady Catherine gestured to the sofa nearest the fire. The guests turned towards that sofa, and Lady Catherine proceeded to introduce her daughter, Miss de Bourgh, and her daughter’s companion, Mrs. Jenkinson. Both ladies rose and curtsied.
“Welcome to Kent, Mrs. Collins,” Miss de Bourgh said, politely. “And you as well, Miss Bennet.”
Elizabeth was surprised to see the small young woman dressed in a heavy red and gold brocade very similar to her mother’s gown; it, too, had a good deal of gold braid. Elizabeth thought the young lady far too young and slight for such clothing.
Lady Catherine realised her guests were still standing, and she hastily bade them to sit. “So, Mrs. Collins,” she began. “I am very glad to see you. You look quite genteel and yet not at all grand; the perfect lady for a parson with a small parish. Do you play?”
“Yes, Lady Catherine,” Mary replied, softly.
“You will play for us after dinner, then. And you, Miss Bennet?”
“Yes, Lady Catherine?”
“Do you play? I thought my meaning clear enough,” she huffed.
“I apologise, your ladyship. I was not certain and thought it best to ask for clarification. I do play, a little, but my sister here is far more gifted than I, as well as far more diligent in practicing.”
“Very well.” She seemed to consider this for a minute before continuing. “Mr. Collins tells me that he is to inherit your family estate; it was right of me, then, to suggest that he marry one of your sisters.”
Mary was silent, uncertain as to how to reply, so it fell to Elizabeth to do so. “Quite right, Lady Catherine, and I assure you that my family is everything grateful for your suggestion to him.”
Mr. Collins threw her a quick, almost invisible nod. This was evidently the right approach to Lady Catherine.
“Yes, I thought I would be right,” Lady Catherine replied, nodding. “You see, Anne, I was indeed quite right! Anne wondered if I was overstepping my place, but I was quite right to do so.”
Miss de Bourgh shrugged and said, “I only thought it was none of our business who he married and that, after all, Mr. Collins might already have someone in mind.”
“I did not, Miss de Bourgh,” Mr. Collins replied. “Though it was kind of you to consider such a possibility.”
Lady Catherine turned again to Mary. “Tell me more about yourself, Mrs. Collins. Do you draw?”
“No, Lady Catherine, I do not. But I am a quick seamstress, and have sewn many garments for our tenants.”
“Excellent! I am very glad to hear it! That is a far more useful skill than drawing. For what good does drawing do in a parsonage? None at all. Do you read?”
“I do, of course, though it is my sister here who is the scholar of our family.”
“Scholar?! Whatever can you mean?” She turned to Elizabeth, astonishment and displeasure in her eyes.
Elizabeth found herself on unsteady ground and knew not how to respond; it was Mr. Collins who came to her rescue.
“Poor Elizabeth!” he said, rather gaily. “My cousin, Mr. Bennet, is quite the scholar, Lady Catherine. He taught Miss Bennet here to read Latin before allowing her to learn to read English, and she was too young to protest!”
“But you have continued your studies?” Lady Catherine went on.
Elizabeth found her tongue. “I have, Lady Catherine. It pleases my father, you know, and we are taught to respect our parents, are we not?”
Lady Catherine could hardly object to that, of course, but she was not yet done. “But surely you have learnt some feminine accomplishments as well, Miss Bennet, have you not?”
“My father chose to treat me as a fellow student of the classics, but my mother trained all of us to be estate mistresses,” Elizabeth said. “We all know how to sew plainclothes, run a stillroom, manage accounts, hire servants, and so on.”
“Excellent,” Lady Catherine declared. “I suppose we must forgive your father, as he had no son to teach.”
Elizabeth, who had never felt that her father required the forgiveness of Lady Catherine or anyone else, managed to simply bow her head in apparent acquiescence.
Dinner was then announced, and Mr. Collins at once offered his arm to his hostess, with an apologetic look at his wife. Miss de Bourgh and Mrs. Jenkinson followed them, with Elizabeth and Mary bringing up the rear. Mary clutched at Elizabeth’s hand and squeezed it; Elizabeth squeezed back.
As Elizabeth now expected, dinner was quite sumptuous and very formal.
Elizabeth, though hungry, took only small portions of each dish so as to be able to do justice to the dinner.
This was noticed by Lady Catherine, who nodded at her approvingly.
“Quite right, Miss Bennet,” she said. “A lady should merely nibble at her food, in order to preserve her figure.”
Elizabeth was emboldened to reply, “Truthfully, Lady Catherine, I was less concerned about my figure and more interested in being able to sample everything your ladyship was good enough to provide. Rarely have I enjoyed so fine a meal, and I am committing each dish to memory so as to be able to write all about it to my mother and sisters.”
This pleased Lady Catherine a good deal, and she went on at some length about the importance of having the best cook and the best ingredients money could buy. “Fish,” she added, turning to Mary. “Fish is very healthful, and I believe it should be served at every meal.”
“Very healthful indeed,” Mary murmured.
Upon returning to the drawing room, Lady Catherine was rather more interested in Elizabeth than Mary. “How long are you to stay in Kent?” she began.
“I do not yet know, Lady Catherine; it has not been decided.”
“You must stay three months, at least,” she declared. “You will wish to be here when spring begins. This far south, we often begin to have blooms as early as March.”
“I thank you, Lady Catherine. And I hope I may beg a small favour of you…” she trailed off.
“Yes?”
“I must confess that I went off walking this morning, as I am accustomed to a good deal of exercise, and I now realise that I must have ventured onto your own grounds. I apologise for the intrusion, but I admit that I am likely to repeat it. I hope you do not mind.”
“No, no, not at all,” Lady Catherine said, waving a hand about. “The Park is here to be enjoyed. I hope you will explore it at your leisure. Anne, here, drives about in her little phaeton thrice a week; perhaps she will invite you to join her one day so that you might see more of it.”
“I would like that above all things!” Elizabeth replied, enthusiastically.
“Your ladyship is most gracious.” Elizabeth glanced over at Miss de Bourgh, who raised her face and – was that a wink?
Was that possible? Elizabeth looked again and – yes, there was no doubt, Anne de Bourgh winked at her.
Elizabeth had to work hard to stifle her mirth.
By the time she had recovered her wits, Lady Catherine had summoned Mary to the piano. Mary had always been a diligent pianist, and her efforts certainly bore fruit this evening, for Lady Catherine was entirely delighted.
“But how will you continue to practice, Mrs. Collins?” Lady Catherine enquired. “For there is no pianoforte at the rectory.”
Mary could only spread her hands wide and shrug. “I do not know, Lady Catherine.”
“Ah, I have just the thing!” Lady Catherine announced. “Anne, is there not a pianoforte in the small green drawing room?”
“Yes, and no one has touched it for a decade at least,” Miss de Bourgh replied.
“I will have that brought to the rectory tomorrow,” Lady Catherine said. “It will be my wedding gift to you, and I very much hope that you will play for us whenever you are here. For music is my delight, and no one here plays.”
Mary could scarcely contain her joy at such a gift, and Mr. Collins who had been largely silent throughout the evening, rose and bowed deeply, saying, “Lady Catherine, there is nothing you could have given us that would have pleased my bride as well as this. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Lady Catherine then summoned the butler and asked that the carriage be brought round to bring her guests safely home.
***
In the carriage, Elizabeth began. “I can scarce make her out, Cousin,” she said to Mr. Collins. “She seems so very proud and arrogant, but she can also be very kind! Imagine her gifting Mary with a pianoforte!”
“So very generous! I can scarce wait!” Mary exclaimed.
“As I said, she is unpredictable,” Mr. Collins sighed. “She can be very kind, indeed, but she can also be quite unreasonable. Tonight was a good night, and I am glad of it.”
“Do you know, Miss de Bourgh winked at me?!” Elizabeth exclaimed.
Mr. Collins stared at her. “I hardly think so. Perhaps something was in her eye?”
“No, there can be no doubt. When Lady Catherine spoke about Miss de Bourgh including me in an outing in her phaeton, she winked at me. I am certain of it.”
Mr. Collins only shook his head at this.