Vol 1, Chapter 8
“Welcome to Lucas Lodge, Mr. Collins,” Sir William welcomed the pastor in his normal ebullient way after Charlotte had introduced the corpulent man.
“Papa, may Mr. Collins and I meet with you in your study?” Charlotte asked.
Collins was about to make the request that he and Sir William meet, but he supposed that having his betrothed with him would help smooth the way, if it were needed.
Once the three were comfortable in the small study, Sir William spoke first. “You asked for this interview, Charlotte, though I am at a loss to why you requested it. Why is Mr. Collins here?”
“It is not every day that your oldest becomes betrothed, Papa, so I felt that I should attend you and my betrothed as I am sure you will have questions that only I will be able to answer,” Charlotte replied without emotion.
“BETROTHED!” the normally jovial Sir William fairly yelled. “Did you compromise my daughter, sir?”
“I most certainly did not!” Collins replied, truly aggrieved at the intimation.
“Charlotte, tell me how this came about? Did you not meet this man at Longbourn this very day?” a befuddled Sir William wanted to know.
“Yes, Papa, we met today. You know I am not a romantic, that all I always wanted was a respectable man who could give me a stable home of my own. As a clergyman, Mr. Collins has a respectable profession, and I understand that he has a nice sized parsonage and attached glebe lands. He has stability, Papa. You know that such appointments are for life unless there is some serious wrongdoing,” Charlotte stepped around the desk and took her father’s hand as she looked him directly in eyes so he could see the truth in hers. “This is my choice; it is what I want.”
“It seems, Sir, that I must welcome you as a son-in-law and you have both my consent and blessing. Have you set a date yet?” Sir William asked having accepted that it was, in fact, his daughter’s choice.
“Miss Lucas suggested a date after Twelfth Night, and I concur,” Collins spoke for the first time since he had taken his seat.
“I assume that you are able to support a wife, Mr. Collins?” Sir William asked as the shock started to wear off.
“Yes, I am well able to do so between the glebe lands and tithing, I have an income of close to five hundred per annum. Even without Longbourn, which I had been led to believe would be mine one day, we will be quite comfortable. As the parsonage is a gift of the living, my only costs are food and servants, and my beneficent patroness, the Honourable Lady Catherine de Bourgh, will advise us on the best way to spend our money. She is, after all, most wise and always has good advice such as placing shelves in my closets,” Collins preened.
‘I will say naught now, but after we marry, I will have a thing or two to say about Lady Catherine and her vast wisdom. I will run my house. His recounting of having put shelves in the closets is above ridiculous. Where would I hang my gowns?’ Charlotte thought to herself, but wisely remained silent as her betrothed prattled on about the great lady.
If Sir William thought he had been surprised, that was nothing to the reaction of his wife, two sons, and younger daughter.
After the shock wore off, the rest of her family wished Charlotte and her betrothed happy, and Lady Lucas breathed a sigh of relief.
She knew how Charlotte felt about being a burden, and they both felt the same about marriage, which Charlotte had learnt at her mother’s feet.
“You will be able to manage him, I think,” Lady Lucas said quietly to Charlotte as they sat to one side while Mr. Collins sat with her father and brothers going on about his patroness.
Both mother and daughter thought Nick was lucky he was at Oxford and missing the parson’s loquacious praise for his patroness.
“I believe you are correct, Mama. He does seem easily led, does he not?” Charlotte asked cryptically, then proceeded to tell her mother the truth of the suggestion from her rather than a proposal from the loquacious clergyman.
“Well done, my girl,” Lady Lucas smiled.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
When Elizabeth reported her observation of Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham to her parents prior to their departure for the Phillips’ house, she found Mr. Bennet had already received some information from the town.
“That one will bear watching; he had the temerity to try and place a large order with Mr. Gibbs on credit. He was told the town policy and yet he went to a half dozen other merchants to try to gain credit from them. He was also seen leering at some of the younger girls in a most unbecoming way.”
“Even though it seems that there is something between him and that disagreeably haughty Mr. Darcy, I pegged him as a liar, Father,” Elizabeth stated.
Before her husband could respond, Mrs. Bennet spoke. “Lizzy, I love you as much as any mother could love a daughter or a son, but it worries me that you seem to have a blind spot when it comes to Mr. Darcy, as you do anyone who has crossed you in some way.”
“But Mama…” Elizabeth started to say.
“Yes, Lizzy, he slighted you. That is what I mean; you are terribly slow to forgive, and once your prejudices take hold you are reticent to let them go.
Yes, the man is haughty, but he wears a mask.
I know from my mother, Marie, and Wes, that he has been hunted like prey since he was eighteen, some nine years ago!
After his father was lost, it only became worse.
In addition, his ridiculous aunt claims a non-existent engagement to her sickly daughter.
“His aunt’s claims exist only in her own mind, which is driven by her desire to control her daughter’s inheritance.
So, she is another fortune hunter, not unlike Miss Bingley, but in this case, it is a member of his family trying to manipulate him.
Where our wealth is hidden and not fodder for the Ton, Mr. Darcy’s is well known and is the object of many.
Imagine how you would feel if everywhere you went all people talked about was your wealth.
“On top of that, remember the report said that there had been something with his sister not long before he came here. He and his cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam share guardianship of Miss Darcy, and have for these past five years. She is now fifteen or sixteen years old, younger than Esther,” Mrs. Bennet pointed out.
“I am not excusing his rudeness to you; I am just saying that is it not possible he was upset? That the tirade was a release of tension and not truly aimed at you? Do not forget that he had shown no inclination to dance, and Mr. Bingley was hounding him to do so. All I am asking is that you consider your motives for holding onto anger for these weeks now.” Priscilla Bennet kissed the oldest child of her body and then herded her family toward the door after kissing Mark and admonishing him to go to bed when Miss Jones sent him.
“I promise to think on what you have said, Mama,” Elizabeth told her mother just before they entered the carriage for the one-mile ride into Meryton.
“Is Mr. Collins not joining us, Papa?” Esther asked.
“He will be there, my sweet daughter, he is at Lucas Lodge,” Bennet replied. Jane and Elizabeth looked at each other in question. They would certainly need to have a conversation with Charlotte at Aunt Hattie’s.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
On arrival at the Phillips’ home, which was attached to the solicitor’s office in Meryton, Jane and Elizabeth saw Charlotte sitting on her own and started to make for her when they were waylaid by their aunt.
“How are you, nieces? Were you enjoying yourselves when I saw you earlier today?” Mrs. Phillips asked.
The Phillipses had never had any children of their own, so they doted on their Bennet and Gardiner nieces and nephews, even if only Jane was the only Bennet related to them by blood.
The other four Bennets treated them and the Gardiners as much like aunt and uncle as they did their mother’s brother and sister.
“We are well, Aunt Hattie. It was much more pleasant when the unwanted company left us,” Elizabeth responded. Before Mrs. Phillips could enquire about what her niece meant, she moved to welcome the Longs and Gouldings. Hattie Phillips was nothing if not a skilled hostess.
Jane and Elizabeth sat on either side of Charlotte Lucas on a settee. “Has our cousin been with your family all afternoon, Charlotte?” Elizabeth opened.
“He has, Eliza, why do you ask?” Charlotte asked in return.
“We thank you for removing the burden of him sitting and sulking at Longbourn. Let me guess as there is no embargo on his going on about his patroness at Lucas Lodge, he did just that?” Jane smiled.
“He did. Before you say more, I need to inform you both of something before my father makes an announcement this evening,” Charlotte looked down, getting the idea that her betrothed was not a favourite among his cousins.
“Please do not tell me that he proposed to you after Papa told him in no uncertain terms that he was not allowed to offer for any of us,” Elizabeth stated, her eyebrows raised in alarm as she saw Charlotte’s reaction. “No, Charlotte, how can this be?”
“Not all of us have the security that you and your sisters have, Eliza,” Charlotte gave a wobbly smile of reassurance.
“You know that I am not romantic, and you also know what my opinions on marriage are.” Both Bennet sisters nodded mutely.
“Do not look at me like that, either of you. I am much relieved that I will no longer be a burden on my parents or my brother in the future. He seems to be a good sort of man, and—I think I will be able to steer him in a better direction. You know me, I will not allow his patroness to rule my roost.”
Jane and Elizabeth recovered their composure. “You have the right of it, Charlotte. It is unfair of us to judge your decision through the prism of our eyes and situation,” Elizabeth owned. “If you are happy, then I wish you well.” Elizabeth hugged her friend in contrition.