Chapter 5
The next day, Charlotte Lucas took a long look at herself in the mirror. She had made some decisions, but did she have enough gumption to carry her plan forward?
She thought back to the insulting words Mr. Collins had flung at her the previous day, which were combined with his desire to punish the Bennets for not wanting an alliance with him beyond that of distant cousin. The more she considered, the more she resolved to carry through with her plan.
She would leave Lucas Lodge after breakfast, and if she was able to convince the master of Longbourn of the merit of her plans, she would take charge of her future and it would take a turn in a different direction than any of the paths currently available to her.
Charlotte very much hoped, successful or not, once Jane and Elizabeth were informed of what she had suggested, she would not lose them as friends.
It was a risk she had to take! Regardless of their understanding now or not, what she was trying to achieve was as much for them as it was for her. Perhaps even more so.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Much to the residents of Longbourn’s pleasure, no one saw Mr. Collins when they broke their fasts, though it was unlike the corpulent man to miss a meal. As they could not repine his absence, no one felt anything about his absence other than relief.
As it was only three days until the ball, the five Bennet sisters decided to walk into Meryton.
Before they left, Jane and Elizabeth urged their father to talk to his two youngest daughters.
If he did not check them, they would be fixed as the most determined flirts ever to make their family ridiculous.
Bennet loved his peace, but he recognised the fact that if both of his older daughters felt he needed to step in—this was not the first time they asked—it was not an anomaly and he needed to act. He had Hill summon Kitty and Lydia to his study.
The two girls thought it was providence they were being called to the book room as they had spent all their pin money and needed to ask their father for more coin to purchase fripperies.
“Sit,” Bennet ordered firmly after Kitty closed the door.
The two looked at one another, neither liking their father’s expression, for they had never seen him look at them so severely before.
“Lydia, if it comes to my notice one more time that you screeched for officers or have any contact with officers without either Jane or Elizabeth with you, I will put you back in and send you directly to the schoolroom! The same goes for you, Catherine! I know you follow what your sister does, but that will not excuse you if you contravene any of my rules. And before you ask, if you waste your pin money—on whatever it is you spend your funds on—you will not receive a ha’penny from me until the next month’s pin money is distributed.
” Bennet held up his hand, giving both shell-shocked girls a stern, quelling look.
“I have told all three of your sisters to not lend you more money. In fact, I have asked them to tell me how much each of you owe. Half of your pin money will be used to repay them until you have discharged your debts.” Bennet stated with purpose.
“But, Papa, why should we pay them back?” Lydia whined, though he was gratified that at least Kitty had the decency to look embarrassed.
“Borrowing is not a gift, Lydia. Every penny you borrowed from your three sisters will be paid back from both of your monthly allowances!” Bennet averred.
“My sisters are just jealous the officers like me better than them!” Lydia pouted like the young girl she was.
“Believe what you will, but my orders stand, unless you want to be back in!” Bennet threatened, unamused when he saw Lydia forcing tears out of her eyes. “I am immune to your crocodile tears! If you think to start caterwauling, you will be going to the nursery and not to Meryton!”
As much as she hated seeing it there, Lydia saw the resolve in her father’s look and shut her mouth with a clack. “May we go with our sisters now, Papa?” Kitty asked quietly and received a nod of dismissal from her father.
“We must find a way to see the officers!” Lydia hissed once they were out of the study.
“NO, Lydia!” Kitty insisted. “If you want to return to the nursery, it will be without me!”
“You are no fun anymore, Kitty,” Lydia complained.
Some fifteen minutes later, the sisters departed Longbourn after the eldest three received revised and clear orders from their father.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Ever since seeing Wickham in the town, Darcy had been in the darkest of moods.
As much as he would have liked to warn the people of Meryton of Wickham’s propensities, he could not take the chance his private family business would be exposed, especially not as it pertained to his sister Gigi—Miss Georgiana Darcy.
He felt badly for the locals, but he could not chance word of his sister’s faux pas being known abroad.
Other than during his long morning rides, Darcy felt like a prisoner at Netherfield Park.
Thankfully, Miss Bingley kept Town hours, so he did not see her at breakfast, but there was no escaping the woman at dinner, and then there was the time he was forced to spend in the drawing room until supper was called.
As much as he had commanded himself to not think of the country miss any longer, neither his heart nor his head seemed inclined to heed his intentions.
Miss Elizabeth Bennet invaded his thoughts, no matter whether he was awake or asleep.
The erotic dreams had started just after she and her sister departed for their home from Netherfield Park, and no matter what he told himself about her unsuitability, the dreams and thoughts persisted, despite it being almost a week since he had seen her.
During the day, unless he had an occupation to think on, his mind would betray him, and before he knew it he was again thinking about Miss Elizabeth Bennet. He told himself part of it was their shared experience of losing their mothers, but he had to admit the lie of that being the main reason.
Darcy was sitting in the library, such as it was, trying to think of anything but Miss Elizabeth when Bingley entered the room.
“Is my sister so bad you need to hide away for most of the day?” Bingley asked.
Seeing Darcy’s quelling look, Bingley raised his hands in surrender.
“I admit I know what my sister is, I just do not like to have confrontations with her. You have been spared one of her epic tantrums so far.”
“Bingley, my friend, my patience with her is wearing thin. If you are not able to take her in hand, I am afraid she will end up ruining herself and your family along with her. I will repeat what I have already told you. I will never offer for your sister. If she tries to compromise me, she will only compromise herself,” Darcy reiterated.
He had told Bingley the same on several occasions but was sure his friend did not think him serious.
“I will try and talk to her,” a despondent Bingley stated.
“Buck up, Bingley, you will soon be dancing with your latest angel in three days,” Darcy reminded his friend.
“That is true,” Bingley perked up right away. “Miss Bennet may be the most beautiful woman I have beheld,” Bingley shared. “I cannot wait to dance with her at the ball!”
Darcy was happy his friend, at least, was so easy to distract. If only the same could be said for himself.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
“Miss Charlotte Lucas to see you master,” Hill informed Bennet.
“Please let Miss Lucas know the girls have all walked into Meryton. She may find them there, or they will be home in three hours or less,” Bennet waved his man away.
“Miss Lucas said you might say that Mr. Bennet and asked me to explain she is here to see you,” Hill informed his master.
“Show her in, Hill,” Bennet frowned in confusion.
He had no idea what his friend’s daughter wanted to see him about, but she was a sensible lady and he had been grateful for her presence on the many occasions as she had helped him with his daughters.
Miss Lucas entered the study and before Bennet was able to instruct Hill to leave the door open, closed it quietly herself.
“Do not be alarmed, Sir, I am not about to compromise you. But there are things of a delicate nature I need to discuss with you, and it would be better not to have a servant hear any part of what I have to say and jump to the wrong conclusion.
Until she had mentioned the word compromise, it was the last thing on Bennet’s mind, and he dismissed the worry as quickly as it had formed.
Charlotte Lucas was both intelligent and honourable.
And, if he was honest, he had never viewed her as a young woman of her own standing with her own wishes and desires until she said the word compromise.
After she said it, he looked at her differently than he had before.
But she had said she would not affect a compromise, so she would not, and Bennet scoffed at the idea that a young lady like Miss Lucas would be interested in a man in his late forties.
“May I speak candidly, Mr. Bennet?” Charlotte requested. Bennet nodded, pointing to the seat directly across his big oak desk. “As I see it, you and your family have a problem in the form of the nonsensical entail, and one Mr. William Collins. And I believe I have a solution.”
“You have piqued my interest, Miss Lucas; please carry on.” Bennet owned to being intrigued.