Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
Mrs. Phillips’ Parlor
Mr. Wickham sipped his tea quietly, listening as Mrs. Phillips expounded on the benefits of having a brother involved in shipping.
The lady pointed out the furnishings her brother had acquired over the years and the cost of each item.
It was during this time that Kitty and Lydia Bennet burst into the room, bonnets in hand and panting from exertion.
“Oh, Aunt!” Lydia cried loudly. “You will never guess! It is such a great joke, and we are all astonished!”
“What is it, my dear?” Mrs. Phillips asked eagerly.
“Mr. Collins has proposed!” Kitty cried. “And she accepted him! Can you imagine? I never would have thought she of all people would marry such a toady.”
“Who?” Mrs. Phillips pressed. “Has Lizzy consented to marry her cousin? My sister Bennet said it would be so.”
“Oh, heavens no!” Lydia cried. “It is Charlotte Lucas who will marry Mr. Collins! And Mama is not even angry about it, for Jane is engaged and that has consumed all her attention.”
“Lady Lucas must be pleased,” Mrs. Phillips said.
“Of course, she is,” Lydia scoffed. “Charlotte is firmly on the shelf, or so we all thought. That Mr. Collins settled for such a homely thing is quite the shock. Even Mary is better favored that Charlotte, and if Lizzy had refused him, Mary certainly would have accepted a proposal from the man.”
George saw a golden opportunity before him in an instant. A chance. Only a chance, mind, to redirect the boisterous spirits and lack of propriety in Miss Lydia in another, more suitable direction. Of course, he took it.
“A pretty countenance is not all a man looks for in a bride, Miss Lydia,” George spoke up from his chair in the corner.
The youngest Bennet turned a shocked look toward him. Her giggle sounded a little unsure, and she asked, “Whatever can you mean, sir? Charlotte is twenty-seven. If looks were not all a man wanted in a bride, she would have been married long ago.”
“Let me clarify, then,” George replied. “A worthy man wishes for a bride that will be a credit to him in every way. A man with an estate, or one that is destined to have one someday, such as Mr. Collins, needs a wife with sense that can take what her husband has and make it into something more. Mr. Collins is an honorable man in possession of a valuable family living. That position comes with many responsibilities attached to it, both for your cousin and the woman who will be his wife.”
Encouraged by the girls’ silence, he pressed on.
“Additionally, Miss Lucas has many admirable traits that will assist her future husband in his endeavors. She is industrious, hardworking and has an abundance of common sense. Your uncle has told me much of her situation, you know, and if his knowledge is to be believed, I must say Mr. Collins has made an admirable choice in his bride.”
“But Lizzy has all of those things, too,” Miss Lydia protested. “And favorable looks to accompany them. Why then did my cousin not propose to her?”
“Compatibility,” George replied.
Miss Kitty and Miss Lydia exchanged confused glances.
George sighed. “Can you honestly see your sister accepting Mr. Collins had he proposed?” he asked.
Miss Lydia snorted. “No,” she said. “Lizzy cannot abide foolishness. She would have turned him down and given him a severe tongue lashing.”
“So, you would agree that your sister and Mr. Collins are not in any way compatible?” George pressed.
Miss Kitty replied, speaking slowly. “Though Elizabeth has the knowledge to be a good wife to Mr. Collins, she does not have the temperament?” she asked.
“Exactly,” George said, smiling broadly.
“An intelligent man will search for a wife that fits all these qualifications, having both the skills and temperament to make a happy marriage. Why, I have such fond memories of Lady Anne Darcy. She and my godfather, Mr. George Darcy, had an exemplary marriage. I aspire to be just as happy when I chose to take a wife.”
Miss Lydia eyed him curiously. “And what, may I ask,” she said boldly, “do you require in a wife?”
George sighed internally at the young lady’s brashness.
He was well aware of her infatuation with his person; she had not made it a secret that she wished to attach herself to him.
Perhaps he might do the girl some further good and more firmly set her on the path to better behavior by responding to her question.
“My position as a man of the law means I will be required to entertain clients and associates in my home on occasion. The woman I marry must have the skills to host such gatherings competently, and on a modest budget. A woman of gentle birth would be a boon, for a lady has usually been taught proper manners and decorum, and my wife’s behavior will be a reflection on me.
Miss Lucas is but one lady whose behavior exemplifies those traits which I find desirable.
” He sighed dramatically, putting a hand to his chest.
“Alas,” he continued, “she has already been spoken for. I suppose I must continue my search for the future Mrs. Wickham.”
Miss Kitty appeared to have lost interest in the conversation, but her younger sister’s gaze was glued to George’s face, her expression intent.
The conversation was interrupted when a footman entered the room. He presented George with a note sealed with the Darcy crest. He excused himself to read it and left the room.
George,
By the time you receive this note, I shall be well on my way to London. Bingley has invited me to return in January for his wedding, and I must retrieve Georgiana from my aunt’s house in town before Christmas. I hope to find her in a better state of mind than when I left her in September.
Her companion writes that there has been no change in my sister’s behavior these last months.
Mrs. Annesley relates that Georgiana keeps to her chambers or to the music room and says very little that is not directly related to her instruction.
She writes many letters to her friends from school but is otherwise uncommunicative.
And despite the many letters I have written to her during my stay in Hertfordshire, I have yet to receive any reply.
I look forward to our correspondence.
F. Darcy
George sighed. So, Darcy had fled. His excuse for leaving was a weak one; George had no doubt that had his friend wished it, he would have returned to Meryton before Christmas with Georgiana in tow.
No matter. George would oblige him and write.
Perhaps if he filled his letter with enough temptation, Darcy would find the courage to throw off the desires of his family and pursue his own happiness.
Yes, George thought, letters filled with tales of the Bennets, one in particular, would be just the thing.
The first weeks in December were filled with much excitement.
George found he was a popular guest and was often invited to dine in the houses of the most prominent citizens of the area.
Given his connection to his employer, George was also invited to accompany Mr. and Mrs. Phillips to dinner at Longbourn twice a week.
The first Tuesday after the Netherfield Ball found him seated in the dining room between Miss Mary and Miss Elizabeth Bennet.
Miss Mary was rather quiet, and Miss Elizabeth rather cool toward him. George could only guess at what occupied the ladies’ thoughts and was not terribly surprised when Miss Elizabeth chose to enlighten him.
“I believe I owe you a debt of gratitude,” she said over the course of the meal.
“I do not have the pleasure of understanding you,” he replied.
“My cousin informs me that my escape from his attentions is due to your interference,” she said sharply.
“I prefer to call it intervention,” Wickham replied carefully.
“I wonder at your presumption,” Miss Elizabeth said quietly, pausing to sip her soup. “Mr. Collins is heir to my father’s estate. His marriage outside of my family may cause us irreparable harm one day.”
“I apologize, Miss Elizabeth,” George said softly. “Your sisters gave the impression that you were relieved, rather than upset, by your cousin’s engagement to Miss Lucas.”
“They were not mistaken,” Miss Elizabeth replied. “But I do wonder, if you were so dedicated to redirecting Mr. Collins’s affections, why turn him away from my family? Though I found his manners and behavior intolerable, I know there are some who would have welcomed them.”
Miss Elizabeth looked pointedly at her sister, Miss Mary.
“When Collins asked for my advice, I had no notion that he would pursue Miss Lucas so abruptly,” he said evenly.
“He asked for an example as to what Lady Catherine might tolerate in his choice for a bride, and I posed Miss Lucas as an example. Miss Lucas has the fortitude to withstand Mr. Collins’s patroness and her demands while still satisfying the lady’s need for attention to be lavished on her.
I did not expect him to take my words at face value.
Perhaps had I been less distracted, I would have had the presence of mind to direct him toward Miss Mary. ”
“Oh, it is quite alright,” Miss Mary chimed in from his other side. “I cannot fault my cousin for his choice, for Charlotte is a truly wonderful woman and will make him a fine wife. Perhaps such an arrangement is providential.”
Wickham nodded in acknowledgement and returned to his meal. Miss Elizabeth sat silently next to him, her focus on her meal as intent as the look on her face.
In a rather unexpected turn of events, George found that Miss Lydia seemed to have ceased putting herself in his way.
That evening, the young lady kept her distance, watching him from across the room.
He pretended not to notice. Miss Kitty, likewise, kept away.
She sat next to her sister, a slightly bemused look on her face, as if she did not quite comprehend the change in Miss Lydia.