Chapter Nine
Hurrying away from Rosings, Mr. Collins was in a dilemma.
He had to obey Lady Catherine’s directive, of course.
Elizabeth must be gone from his house, as soon as possible.
He did not want her there, indeed not, the ungrateful wretch!
He had best confront her as soon as possible, order her gone from his house directly.
The only problem was, what if Elizabeth should say something to Charlotte?
He wrung his hands anxiously, feeling a cold sweat spring up on the back of his neck.
Outside of his own volition, his steps slowed, and he diverted onto a path which would take almost twice as long to return him to the parsonage. He needed time to think.
On his eventual return to the parsonage, Mr. Collins was most annoyed to find the front door standing wide open and unattended.
“What is this!” he cried in annoyance, but there was no one there to hear him.
Shedding his coat and hat, he checked swiftly in the parlour and in his study; finding them unoccupied, he proceeded up the stairs and encountered Charlotte coming out of Elizabeth’s room.
“Where is Miss Bennet?” he snapped, panicking instantly that the two ladies should have been talking to each other.
Charlotte shook her head. “It is too awful, husband! Poor Lizzy took a fall while out on her walk, fell into the stream and hit her head.”
Mr. Collins’ mouth gaped wide. For one blissful moment he thought Charlotte was about to tell him Elizabeth had died – then all his troubles should be over, and Lady Catherine would be quite pleased, indeed – but she continued.
“She lies unconscious yet; Dr. Trent has been to Rosings to fetch some ice for her poor head, you have just missed him, and Maria is next door helping his housekeeper make up an ointment for her wounds.”
“But,” Mr. Collins said after a moment of attempting to gather his scattered wits, “this cannot be! She has to leave, at once! Lady Catherine has commanded it!”
Charlotte stared at him, her eyes narrowing. “Mr. Collins, what Lady Catherine commands is neither here nor there in this situation. Did you not hear me? Elizabeth is gravely wounded. She cannot be moved.”
Angered and frustrated, Mr. Collins actually stamped his foot like a petulant child. “She has behaved disgracefully; Lady Catherine has decreed that she cannot stay a moment longer! I must insist that you pack her bags at once!”
“I will not!” Charlotte folded her arms and glared at him. “This is unChristian behaviour, Mr. Collins! You cannot demand such a thing!”
“I will not have her beneath my roof!” Mr. Collins shouted. “I cannot sleep in the same house as that woman any longer!”
“Mr. Collins,” Charlotte said icily, “in that case, you had best pack your own bag. If you are unable to find rest in the same house as someone of whom Lady Catherine so heartily disapproves, then I recommend you find somewhere else to spend the night. No doubt Lady Catherine will be able to find a bed for you at Rosings.”
Shocked and furious as Charlotte turned her back on him, Mr. Collins stormed away, going into his room and slamming the door in a huff.
Incredulous, Charlotte returned to Elizabeth’s side, checking the ice wrapped in cloth upon her brow.
“Fool of a man,” she muttered under her breath, sitting down and taking Elizabeth’s hand in hers.
After a long few moments, Charlotte sighed.
“I will take care of you, Lizzy,” she promised finally. “No matter what.”
About half an hour later, there was a tap at the door. Charlotte got up wearily and went to see who it was, hoping for Maria returning. She was in desperate need of a cup of tea, and the promised help from Rosings had not yet arrived.
It was Mr. Collins. Charlotte sighed again, stepped outside the door and closed it behind her, confronting him on the landing. “What is it, Mr. Collins?”
“Charlotte, my dear,” he gave her a greasy smile, dry-washing his hands. “I know, having had time to think things over, you will have come to understand what an untenable situation this is. Lady Catherine has ordered that Miss Bennet be gone from our home by nightfall.”
“Lady Catherine presumably did not know of Elizabeth’s injuries when she made such a preposterous demand,” Charlotte said firmly.
“Charlotte, my dear, you do not know what she has done. She has disgraced herself! Disgraced her family name! Oh, I knew those Bennets were a bad lot…”
“Mr. Collins, you do yourself no honour with such remarks!” Charlotte’s voice cracked like a whip. “I do not know if such talk comes from your spite after Elizabeth rejected you, but I will have none of it in my house!”
He cringed for a moment, and then straightened up suddenly. “May I remind you, madam, that it is my house! And in our marriage vows, you promised to love, honour and obey me! Now you will pack my cousin’s bags immediately!”
Charlotte stared at him for a long, silent moment.
And then she curtsied mockingly. “I pray you give me leave now, then, Mr. Collins. If I must pack Elizabeth’s bags, I must needs also pack my own.
For if Elizabeth shall no longer be welcome in this house, then neither shall I be.
I will return to Hertfordshire at her side. ”
After a few moments of tense silence as they stared at each other, Charlotte nodded slowly. “So be it.”
“No!” Mr. Collins cried out as Charlotte began to turn around, reach for the door handle. “My dear Charlotte – I beg of you! Do not leave me!”
“It is your decision to make, Mr. Collins! You must cease, at once, demanding that Elizabeth be removed from this house while she is so desperately ill. Her family have been alerted by Express, and will no doubt be on their way as soon as may be; they may even arrive tonight. You may take your grievances with Elizabeth up with Mr. Bennet upon his arrival!” She turned away abruptly and went back into Elizabeth’s room, shutting the door firmly in his face.
She did not see how ashen his complexion had turned at her words.
“He will kill me,” Mr. Collins croaked out, stumbling around the corner and leaning against the wall, putting his hands over his face.
Oh Lord, what have I done? Why has Thou forsaken me?
Why didst Thou put such temptation in my way, in the perfectly luscious, sensual form of my cousin, and then make her proud and foolish enough to refuse me?
He had been standing there a moment or two, thinking angry thoughts of blame at everyone save for himself, when he heard Elizabeth’s door open again.
Charlotte had found the ice almost completely melted on Elizabeth’s hot brow when she returned to her side.
“I’ll run down and fetch more ice,” she said softly, speaking to her friend even though she knew Elizabeth could not hear her.
“And a cup of tea for my poor throat. I am sure Maria must be back by now, I shall send her to sit with you for a little while, Lizzy my dear…” She gathered a few things to take downstairs, placed the screen before the fire and left the room with quick, determined steps, unaware that her husband watched as she walked down the stairs.
Mr. Collins stood staring at Elizabeth’s door as Charlotte’s footsteps faded away. “How convenient it would be if my cousin simply never awoke,” he murmured quietly to himself, before tiptoeing across the landing and very quietly easing open the door.
For a long moment he stood looking down at the lovely young woman in the bed, at her long dark eyelashes resting serenely on her cheeks, dark curls tumbling around her. At her full, red lips, swollen and bruised.
“How foolish you have been, Elizabeth,” he said softly. “You brought this on yourself, you know, with your excessive pride, when you refused me. I, who enjoy the great condescension and patronage of Lady Catherine de Bourgh!”
And with that, he picked up a pillow that had fallen to the floor, put it over Elizabeth’s face and pressed down with both hands.