Chapter 33. Mr and Mrs Collins Return
Before late afternoon, the de Bourgh carriage appeared once more at the door to Rosings Park.
The staff joined Lady Catherine and Mr Darcy outside the door to welcome Mr and Mrs Collins.
But before the new husband and wife could take three steps toward the door, Lady Catherine launched into a tirade.
“How dare you sir! You pollute Rosings with your presence!” she shouted at Mr Collins who shrunk back before his wife stepped forward and turned her full attention on Lady Catherine.
The new Mrs Collins announced, “Mamma, you must move to the dowager house today.”
“I shall do no such thing! This marriage will be annulled, and Mr Collins transported to Australia!”
Taking Mr Collins hand, Anne addressed her mother directly, “Mamma, you will speak respectfully to my husband. According to my father’s will, upon my marriage, I am mistress of Rosings Park.
Today I return a married woman and if you no longer wish to reside in Kent, you may live with your brother in town and the estate will provide you with an allowance once it is on a stable footing once more. ”
“Live in London? I despise town!” Lady Catherine exclaimed.
“Then the dowager house is much more appealing to you,” Anne said.
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Before noon the following morning, the Gardiner carriage appeared at the parsonage with Mr Gardiner and Mr Darcy’s attorney. The attorney bowed to Mrs Gardiner and her nieces; he recognized the three ladies from the meeting in February.
Mr Gardiner kissed his wife’s cheek and said, “Well my dear, it appears fortune has saved Jane.”
“I believe we are expected at Rosings for tea,” Mrs Gardiner told her husband as the Gardiners escorted their nieces and the solicitor to the carriage after the gentlemen had time to refresh themselves.
The party at the parsonage left the children with Nanny and hurried to the great house. When Livingston ushered them into the parlour, they were greeted by Mr Darcy.
“Welcome, Gardiner!” Darcy greeted the guests. “Ladies, you are certainly welcome this afternoon.”
The atmosphere in the parlour was congenial until the door was opened for Lady Catherine.
“What is the meaning of this? Who invited these common people into my home?”
“Aunt Catherine, my friends called at my cousin’s invitation,” Mr Darcy responded.
Lady Catherine frowned, “I do not appreciate the casualness with which people appear to over my home!”
“Mother, this is no longer your home,” replied Mrs Collins entering the parlour.
“No,” Lady Catherine sneered. “I shall not be run out of my home by your meek husband!”
Hearing her mother’s continued disparaging remarks concerning Mr Collins, Anne stepped to the door and summoned three footmen. “Escort my mother to the front door and close it behind her. If she chooses to remain outside the front door for the entire day, I am content.”
Looking at her mother, Anne Collins inclined her head. “Or you may assist Lady Catherine into the carriage and escort her to the dower house where her maid, cook and housekeeper await her with tea and her clothing.”
Frowning, Lady Catherine was led toward the carriage waiting at the front door, but she made no further protest–Anne had proven to be her mother’s match since her marriage.
The party waited in silence for a few moments until the arrival of the man of the hour, Mr Collins–the husband of Anne de Bourgh and the new master of Rosings Park.
“Ah, good afternoon, my dear,” Mr Collins greeted his wife. Then he turned to the assembled guests. “Welcome! Welcome this glorious afternoon! Rosings Park is most glorious this afternoon with my beautiful wife in attendance.”
Anne smiled and stepped forward to stand close to her husband. With her hand upon his arm, she turned to her cousin. “Darcy, what was your urgent matter to be settled today?”
Motioning with his hand toward Jane Bennet, Mr Darcy explained, “Cousin, the matter of Mr Collins breaking his engagement with Miss Bennet can be settled very easily without involving the courts. All that is necessary is for Mr Collins to sign over the entailment to Miss Bennet.”
“Will that satisfy the law and her father?” Mrs Collins asked.
Darcy smiled as he said, “The papers drawn up by my attorney make Miss Bennet–as the former betrothed of Mr Collins–the beneficiary of the entailment. Mr Bennet is bound to deliver the whole of the estate to his eldest daughter upon his death.”
Mr Collins looked as though he would argue signing over his rights to the entailment before his wife announced, “My husband will certainly sign the agreement. We wish only the best for Miss Bennet and her family who were so kind to us both.”
Mrs Collins looked directly at her husband who immediately hastened to sign the document.
Once he affixed his signature, he turned back to her and was rewarded with a bright smile that drew him to her side.
To complete the settlement, the attorney indicated that Jane should sign the document and then he asked both Mr Darcy and Mr Gardiner to sign as witnesses.
“We wish you all the blessings of a happy marriage,” Mrs Gardiner told the newlyweds before she ushered her nieces from the room. The gentlemen bowed and followed behind, leaving the couple to enjoy their afternoon in a peaceful house.
Mr Darcy sent the attorney back to London in his own carriage to get the settlement papers filed and copies made to send to Mr Bennet and back to Mr Collins. That evening, he and Georgiana would dine at the parsonage to give the newlyweds privacy for their honeymoon.
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In the parsonage, Jane spoke gently with the maids and cook, letting them know she would be leaving the next day, and that Mr and Mrs Collins would find a new parson to fill the vacancy at Hunsford.
All this occurred while Mr and Mrs Gardiner enjoyed the late afternoon in the garden with their children.
“We shall pack tonight and travel to London tomorrow,” Mr Gardiner told his nieces. “Elizabeth and Jane shall return to Longbourn the next day.”
“Mr Gardiner, I wonder if Elizabeth and Miss Bennet would care to ride to London with my sister and I in our carriage tomorrow?” asked Mr Darcy. “Your carriage will certainly be full of your family and Nanny.”
Glancing at his wife, Mr Gardiner cleared his throat and said, “Mr Darcy, I believe it will be perfectly proper for Elizabeth to ride to London with you since Jane and Miss Darcy will be there to chaperone your conversation.”
“Everything will be perfectly proper, Mr Gardiner,” Georgiana promised.
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The journey to London passed too quickly for Elizabeth and Darcy, and their goodbye at Gracechurch Street was sweet but also short.
The next morning, they were bundled off to Longbourn in the Darcy carriage with Mr Darcy as an escort.
The journey into Hertfordshire was unusually long though Jane assured her sister the miles were the regular distance.
“Elizabeth, how long of an engagement will you require before the wedding?” Darcy asked when the carriage approached Meryton.
Smiling brightly, the lady replied, “A month at most–I must have a trousseau fitting of your wife when we arrive at Pemberley.”
Now the sombre Mr Darcy smiled, “A month then, but no longer.”
“Our mother will wish for a longer engagement to have more parties before the day but remain firm,” Jane warned the couple. “And Lizzy, I shall need your assistance.”
“Certainly, Jane.”
“Once Mama grows calm after celebrating your engagement, I fear she will be difficult regarding my position as heiress. Our father will reconcile to my being his heir, but he will not find me accepting of things as they once were. I intend to require improvements to the pastures and rotating fields that he has ignored before.”
“As his recognized heir, he should listen to your wishes,” Elizabeth said. “You may find Mama to be of assistance in dealing with our father. She has always managed to talk him into carpets and gowns. Surely you can talk him into improvements with the pastures and crops.”
“Yes, but how do I deal with Mamma?”
Elizabeth smiled. “Do not allow her to speak of inviting young men to call. If she does, tell her of Mrs Collins moving her mother to the dower house and ask her how many maids her dowry will allow her to hire when she moves to the cottage away from Longbourn.”
“Mamma must know that I shall make my own choice of husband,” Jane announced. “And she will not gossip on my situation with Aunt Phillips–I shall not be the subject of stories and tales across all of Meryton again.”
Looking out the carriage window, Jane said, “I shall make my own arrangements for marriage.”
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The Bennet family enjoyed a quiet beginning to summer at Longbourn and Meryton. Mrs Bennet enjoyed the preparations for Elizabeth’s marriage to Mr Darcy though she was confused by her daughters.
True to her word, Jane gently but firmly refused to allow her mother to make any matches and Mrs Bennet found herself continually perplexed when Jane worked with her father and the steward on improvements to the estate and made no effort to find a husband, while studious Elizabeth poured her full attention into her trousseau and wedding gown.
With only four weeks to prepare for the wedding, Elizabeth required her mother to accompany her to the dressmaker in Meryton practically every day to order and be fitted with new gowns, coats, bonnets and a grand wedding dress.
Mrs Bennet had never known her second daughter to care about her gowns as much as she did that summer preparing for her wedding.
When Mr Darcy was not in residence, Elizabeth worked with Kitty and Mary to sew marvellous dresses for each of the sisters to wear at the wedding.
The talk of the wedding prodded John Lucas to further his courtship of Mary and the young couple became engaged only ten days before Lizzy’s wedding to Mr Darcy.
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As the date of Elizabeth’s wedding to Mr Darcy approached, a letter from Mr and Mrs Gardiner arrived at Longbourn that included an invitation for their eldest niece to accompany them on a trip to Lambton after the wedding.
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London
Dearest Jane,
This will be a marvellous summer! Mr Darcy and Elizabeth have invited us to visit them at Pemberley for the month of August. They shall have the months of June and July for their honeymoon so a few visitors will not intrude for the end of summer.
I have been in regular correspondence with my sister Mrs Whitley and Mr Gardiner has arranged our plans in Derby so that I may visit with my sister.
We wanted to invite you to accompany us.
Our trip will last from the end of July through the whole of August. Can you be gone from Longbourn for that length of time?
We want to have the children on the trip so they can meet their cousins in Derby.
Would it be an imposition for you to aid me when we travel?
Mr Darcy insists that we make Pemberley the anchor for our trip–he informs us that there are ample rooms for the children.
Mr Gardiner and Mr Darcy have to travel into Derby on business for one full week, but we shall have the grounds of Pemberley to occupy ourselves and children in their absence and I am certain that ‘Mrs Darcy’ can entertain you when my husband and I travel into Derby to meet my sister and her family.
Your Most Affectionate Aunt
Madeline Gardiner
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