Chapter Six #2
Lydia followed Marianne’s lead, and accosted them more vehemently. “I thought you were my friend, Maria, but you are jealous that we have money and you do not – and we are pretty, while you are horridly plain! You are all jealous!”
Mrs. Dashwood gripped Marianne’s arm and drew her away, but Mrs. Bennet only encouraged her own daughter to carry on in an increasing volume.
Lydia and Charlotte Lucas began to make a scene of their quarrel; Lydia taunted the young lady for her desperate acceptance of Mr. Collins, and Miss Lucas hurled back a variety of aspersions about Lydia’s forwardness with the officers and general lack of intellect.
Lady Lucas and Mrs. Bennet soon entered the fray, carrying on like fishwives; the officers and many other passersby began to openly observe the indecorous row.
Mary begged Mrs. Dashwood to intervene, and Elinor followed her mother as they attempted to reason with their rowdy relations.
Colonel Fitzwilliam eventually strode over, flanked by Captain Denny.
He put two fingers to his lip, letting out a shrill whistle.
The combatants all froze, and Mrs. Dashwood gave Lydia a rough nudge until she released her fistful of Maria Lucas’s hair.
“What is the meaning of this ghastly impropriety, ladies?”
Tears began to well in Charlotte Lucas’s eyes, and Elinor offered the woman a handkerchief, though Mrs. Bennet glared at her for the small kindness.
“Forgive me, Colonel; I grew distraught at the loss of my betrothed a fortnight ago, and in my grief I have apparently displeased our neighbors, who stand to benefit greatly from his tragic demise.”
The colonel stared blankly at Miss Lucas for a moment before addressing himself to Elinor. “Who are these people? We have not been introduced properly.”
Elinor pressed her lips around a little laugh. “Lady Lucas and her daughters, Miss Charlotte Lucas and Miss Maria Lucas.”
The colonel appeared equally amused and horrified. “Are you relations of Sir William Lucas, whom I understand is the local magistrate?”
Lady Lucas straightened her posture. “He is my husband, sir.”
“And shall I send for him to attend to this public disturbance?”
Miss Lucas dabbed at her eyes and stepped toward the colonel, offering him a pained smile. “Of course not; we shall trouble you no further. The loss of my betrothed is so fresh that I sometimes forget myself.”
“Because all you can think of is that now you shall not have my house! It will go to my beautiful Jane!”
The colonel’s eyebrows shot up. “Good Lord, are you squabbling over the recently deceased parson from Kent, Mr. Collins? My aunt Lady Catherine’s sweaty little sycophant?”
Miss Lucas brought both hands to her face and sobbed before swooning toward the colonel. He smoothly stepped aside and allowed Captain Denny to catch her, and Miss Lucas roused herself with a scowl of disappointment, wailing about her pitiful state.
“Captain, please escort Miss Lucas to the physician. I believe his house is just across the square – her sister will accompany you.” The colonel turned to regard the two matrons who were staring daggers at one another, but Mary interrupted before he could speak.
“Lady Catherine de Bourgh is your aunt? We met another of her nephews in the autumn.”
“Yes, I have heard that my cousin Darcy was here, and another time I should like to hear how he behaved himself! But at present what I wish to hear is an apology from each of you, Mrs. Bennet and Lady Lucas, and a pledge that there will be no repetition of such a scene. My predecessor was lackadaisical, but I intend to maintain peace in this charming village, even when the death of a relation causes two families such turmoil. When my brother, Viscount Bellamy died, my relations and I did not engage in brawls on the green, and I will not allow anybody to do so in Meryton for any reason.”
Mrs. Dashwood gazed in wonder at the colonel, and Elinor was just as in awe of his commanding presence, which rendered him just as handsome as his laughter. She briefly imagined Edward taking his ghastly sister in hand in such a manner, but knew this would never become a reality.
Mrs. Bennet and Lady Lucas begrudgingly complied, and the latter made a hasty retreat in pursuit of her daughters. Mrs. Bennet sniffed, muttering something about the colonel being very like his cousin Mr. Darcy, and then she and her sister led Kitty and Lydia toward the shops.
Colonel Fitzwilliam fixed the Dashwood ladies with a gaze of cheeky bewilderment.
“My first day of a new assignment has never been so eventful, and I was on the continent for two years! But I am familiar with battle, and I will assure you, Mrs. Dashwood, that I do not hold your relations responsible. I saw the whole fracas, and the Lucases were clearly the aggressors.”
“You are very kind,” Elinor said. Indeed, the colonel was far too generous – they had all seen Lydia trying to tear her former friend’s hair out.
“Oh, not very kind, Miss Dashwood, for I have met my aunt’s late parson, and must say that I never imagined him to be the sort of fellow to inspire such powerful feelings.
In truth, I was predisposed to distrust any lady who would willingly enter into a marriage with the man. If you are kin, you must be aware…”
Elinor and Marianne had never met their Collins cousins, but they had received a comprehensive account of the late William Collins from Elizabeth. Elinor bit back a smile.
Mary had not followed her mother, but hovered near Elinor, and finally came forward to lay a hand on her aunt’s arm. “What we discussed before – I believe now is our chance.”
Mrs. Dashwood smiled sadly at her niece.
“I had hoped it would not be necessary, but I fear you are right, my dear. Colonel, if you have no pressing matters, I wonder if you would be willing to accompany us back to Longbourn, and provide my brother Mr. Bennet with an account of what you witnessed. You need not be as tactful as you have been with us, when you speak of his youngest daughter’s role in the spectacle. ”
“It would be my honor to be of assistance; of course he ought to be informed, and I intended to call upon a few of the local fathers with daughters to warn them of certain officers who may not be desirable acquaintances.”
“How thoughtful of you,” Mrs. Dashwood said.
She linked arms with Marianne and Mary, and glanced over at Elinor as the colonel offered her his arm.
Elinor had no objection to accepting it, though she knew her mother, and possibly even Marianne, would have more to say about it later.
She meant to honor her word and wait for Edward to break his engagement to Lucy Steele, but there was no harm in making a new friend.
***
Longbourn was still in uproar the next day; there had been no peace in the house since Mr. Bennet had been persuaded by his sister to curtail Lydia’s social privileges. Marianne was glad of it, despite the ensuing and constant complaints.
Both Mrs. Bennet and Lydia had been forbidden from attending the ball after their role in the scene at the square.
Furthermore, Lydia was no longer to be considered as out in society – or to hear her tell it, her life was utterly ruined, and there was no justice in the world.
Marianne thought her tantrums were rather proof of the reverse.
The sleeping arrangements of all the young ladies were also altered. Lydia was sent back to the nursery with Margaret and Julia, who were two years younger but far more sensible, in Mr. Bennet’s estimation, and he dearly hoped that they would influence Lydia, rather than the reverse.
Kitty and Mary were given the choice of which Dashwood sister they would share with, and Marianne might have been cross at being separated from her sister, but she had already resolved to make a project of improving Mary as a musician, and addressing her dull and dreary taste in reading.
Marianne agreed that Elinor and Kitty would also benefit from sharing a room, for when separated from the influence of Lydia, Kitty’s manners were rather like Elinor’s; she wanted only a little more sense.
Even after this matter was settled, Marianne was to have no peace.
While Mrs. Bennet and Lydia kept to their rooms, weeping and wailing, Mr. Bennet took tea with his sister and the girls.
Mrs. Dashwood was idly perusing the paper when she set it down with a gasp. She looked up at Marianne with horror.
“Mamma, what is it?”
Tears welled in Mrs. Dashwood’s eyes. “Willoughby had announced his engagement to Miss Grey, a darling of the ton with fifty thousand pounds.”
Marianne sat frozen as despair and disbelief warred in her heart.
And then her vision blurred and she began to weep, and she rushed from the room.
She threw herself onto the bed and wept, guttural sobs wracking her body.
A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door.
Marianne could scarcely speak, but her mother and Elinor entered and sat on either side of her; one of them began stroking her hair.
“I am so sorry, Marianne,” her mother said.
“Perhaps she is also deceived; she cannot know what you have learned about him.”
Marianne let out a moan as if in physical pain. “It must be his aunt. She sent him away, and perhaps she found out about Eliza Williams. She is forcing him to do this! He loved me! He loved me, I know he did!”
“Of course he did,” her mother said in a soothing voice. “We all saw it, we all believed in him.”
“Can I get you anything?” Some wine perhaps?”
“Oh, Elinor! You know what I suffer – nothing can make this better!” Marianne buried her face in a pillow and shrieked.