Chapter 11
“Good morning Bennet, Miss Lucas,” Dudley greeted the couple as he was shown into the study with his daughter. The pastor had sent a note to Bennet telling him what he and his daughter needed to discuss, and Bennet had asked Charlotte to join him.
“Good morning, Charlotte, Mr. Bennet,” Matilda greeted, very much confused as to why her friend was present.
Once Bennet made sure his man was watching for any eavesdroppers as Mr. Collins was up and breaking his fast, he turned to Miss Dudley.
“I know this will come as a surprise to you Miss Dudley, but I am marrying Charlotte on Saturday,” Bennet explained, amused at her shock as he sat down.
As it wore off, Matilda started to understand why Charlotte had been at Longbourn so much lately.
“I wish you happy,” Matilda said softly. “Is this why you refused Mr. Collins, Charlotte?”
“Do you want the truth Matti? I will relate all if you want to hear it, but I must be sure it is what you want,” Charlotte confirmed.
“It is the reason we are here. After I left yesterday, I went to my Papa and asked him his true feelings about my betrothed, not what he felt I wanted to hear. His reply and my growing concern are the reason we are here today, I must know before I tie my life to the man irrevocably,” Matilda clarified.
“If you are sure.” Matilda nodded. “No Matti, it is not why I refused his proposals, though it was later the same day Mr. Bennet proposed to me. Until Mr. Collins spewed his vile words to me, both about what he intended to do to the Bennets and about me, I had never thought about being the new Mrs. Bennet. It all started…”
Charlotte retold all, from hearing the rant to his abominable proposal, to her refusal. Then once he finally accepted she was refusing him, his words to her, then his attempt to intimidate her.
As Charlotte spoke, Matilda felt chagrined.
Mr. Collins had told her his plans for the Bennets, and she had been too wrapped up in her own selfish concerns to think about his words.
She felt like the worst kind of person. Here was Charlotte, who heard those same words, and her reaction had been to take steps to help.
There was no selfishness in what her friend had done.
“He mentioned his plans for your family, Mr. Bennet, and to my shame, I did not pay attention as I should have; I never questioned his unchristian plans,” Matilda hung her head.
“Matti, why did you not tell me?” Mr. Dudley asked gently. “Had I known that, regardless of wanting to please you, I would never have given my consent or blessing.”
“Deep down I think I knew that Papa. I so wanted to get married I ignored things I should not have. Once he agreed to bathe daily, I thought it would be enough to have a somewhat felicitous marriage. Mr. Bennet, do you have more to add to what Charlotte shared with us?” Matilda asked, dreading that he might.
Oh, how wilfully blind she had been! “I think Charlotte covered most of what I would have told your father. I will add he seems to have a vicious steak with those he thinks weaker or inferior to himself. On the one hand, he venerates his patroness as a god who walks among us mere mortals on earth and shows a pomposity and a belief his being a clergyman places him above the rules which govern the rest of us, other than his patroness.” Bennet sat back in his chair.
“I will add if it were not for my brothers coming to my aid when I refused him, I believe the man would have struck me. If he had, we would not be having this conversation as my brothers would have torn him apart,” Charlotte related seriously.
“What am I to do, Papa?” Matilda asked plaintively.
“Matti, you know there is only one decision to be made. I would never rest easy if I gave my only daughter away to such a man,” Dudley replied gently.
“I cannot marry him, can I?” Matilda asked rhetorically. She knew the answer, but she had so wanted to be married and have a home of her own, but the price of being married to such a man was far too steep.
“How would you like to proceed, Matti?” Dudley asked his daughter. “Would you like me to tell Collins the betrothal is no more?”
“No, Papa, I must be present and tell him myself, but will you be with me?” Matilda asked.
“Of course I will, Matti. When?” her father inquired.
“The sooner, the better. There is no point dragging this out,” Matilda stated the obvious.
“If Thomas agrees, I suggest we invite Mr. Collins to the study. If you like, we will remain with you and your father. As soon as he enters the study, Mr. Hill and a footman should pack his trunk, and there should be one or two footmen in the hall in case he must be removed physically. I think we should tell him of our upcoming marriage as well,” Charlotte advised.
“You make eminent sense, Charlotte,” Bennet agreed.
“Matti, can I tell you a secret?” Charlotte asked. Matilda nodded. “Franklin will be most relieved that you are breaking your betrothal. I warned him he had hidden his feelings too well.” Charlotte smiled and Matilda beamed.
Mr. Hill was asked to enter the study and was given his instructions. He confirmed that Collins was still in the dining parlour. He and a footman headed directly to the corpulent parson’s bedchamber to pack, while another told Mr. Collins he was required in the study.
Collins took the time to down a few more sausages, then headed to the master’s study with grease dripping down his chin. When he entered, he was taken aback to find not only his Cousin Bennet, but three others as well.
Before he had a chance to speak, his betrothed spoke. “Mr. Collins, I am sorry if this grieves you, but I am withdrawing from our betrothal, I cannot and will not marry you, Sir,” Matilda said with as much calmness as she could muster.
“Are you out of your senses? No other will offer for you!” Collins blustered.
“Is that not what you told me, Mr. Collins?” Charlotte asked evenly.
“It is, and I stand by my words to you that day,” the furious man sneered.
“That is strange, Mr. Collins, for in two days I will be Mrs. Bennet,” Charlotte informed the man in a matter-of-fact manner.
It took Collins a minute to absorb what Miss Lucas told him. “You cannot marry! I will not allow it! You are not allowed to have a son! You will not steal my estate from me!” Collins shouted at no one in particular, spraying spittle and pieces of sausage in all directions.
“Mr. Collins, may I remind you that you have absolutely no say in whom I marry and whether or not I beget a son? How many times have you been warned you are only the heir presumptive, not the heir? You, Sir, are no longer welcome at my estate, and from this day forward, until and unless you have inherited, if you set foot on my land, I will have you arrested for trespassing! Do I make myself clear?” Bennet thundered at the ridiculous man.
“My patroness will…” Collins started to screech.
“Do nothing,” Charlotte interjected, “unless she wants to be made to look as ridiculous as you!”
“It was you who filled my betrothed’s head with lies about me,” Collins advanced on Charlotte, his hand up and ready to strike.
He stopped dead in his tracks when he felt the tip of a foil against his neck.
The foil had been lifted from the stand on which it hung behind Bennet’s desk, pulled with the intent to defend for the first time.
“We told Miss Dudley the truth, but only after she asked us!” Bennet informed the quaking man as he held his foil to Collins’s neck. “If you make a move towards my betrothed, you will be the one to end your life, Collins. It is up to you,” Bennet growled.
“You are a disgrace of a clergyman! It is the likes of you who give our profession a bad name. I will be sending a full report to the Bishop of Kent and to the Archbishop. If you are not defrocked, I will be surprised,” Dudley stated with disgust.
“Edward!” Bennet called. The footman entered while a second stood in the doorway.
“I am going to remove my weapon from your throat, Collins, but I dare you to give me reason to run you through.” Bennet looked at his footman.
“Is this man’s trunk packed?” Edward nodded.
“Good, show this disgusting excuse for a man off my property. Have Hill see him to the post. He is to be watched, and if he does not take the first stage heading to London, have someone notify Franklin and John Lucas that Mr. Collins attempted to strike their sister again.”
Collins would have collapsed had the two footmen not taken hold of his arms. Having lost the ability walk for the moment, he was dragged out to the cart in the drive and dumped in the bed next to his trunk. William Collins departed Longbourn in disgrace.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The Darcy carriage led the Matlock conveyances toward Longbourn as they passed a cart heading in the opposite direction, containing a crying man in the bed next to a trunk.
The man seemed vaguely familiar, but Darcy did not give the matter a second thought.
As his coach came to a halt, Mr. Bennet, Miss Lucas, and the four oldest Bennet daughters exited the front door.
“Mr. Darcy, you seem to have returned from Town with more people than you had on your departure,” Bennet noted dryly. “Let us enter the house, for it is easier to proceed with introductions indoors.”
Everyone entered the drawing room. Elizabeth immediately identified the young lady partially hidden behind her brother and Colonel Fitzwilliam as Miss Darcy. “You must be Miss Darcy,” Elizabeth stated in a welcoming tone. “I am Elizabeth Bennet; I have been looking forward to meeting you.”
“Y-you h-have?” Georgians stammered, in a sotto voce.
“Most certainly.” Elizabeth smiled at the younger girl and received a half smile in return. Darcy knew how it would be; he was sure Elizabeth Bennet was the key to helping his sister regain her confidence. The warm way Miss Elizabeth approached Gigi only bolstered his belief.
“William, will you introduce us please?” Lord Matlock requested.