Chapter 13 #2
“She is not; she is a commoner like you and me. Her title is a courtesy title only, and aside from that, my late uncle was a knight, like your father-in-law. Does that make your mother-in-law a peer of the realm? Why do you take what my aunt says as law?” Fitzwilliam pressed.
“S-she s-said unless I-I o-obey h-her, she w-w-will take the l-living f-from m-me,” Collins stammered.
“Mr Collins, did you not study church law as part of your preparation for ordination?” Frustrated, Fitzwilliam shook his head at the depth of the man’s stupidity.
“My aunt has no more power to remove you than I do. A living is for life unless your bishop removes you for misconduct. For instance, if you related confidences a parishioner told you or allowed one not a member of the clergy to write your sermons for you, that would be grounds for removal.”
Collins was shaken to his core and felt very real fear.
The items Colonel Fitzwilliam mentioned were things he had done.
Why had he blindly accepted as fact all that Lady Catherine had said?
He knew why. Thanks to the beatings at his late father’s hands, he always deferred to those in authority.
Suddenly, he realised that Lady Catherine had no real power over him.
The only power she had was that which he granted her.
He knew he had much to ponder. Blind obedience to Lady Catherine was not worth losing the one thing he had always wanted to do since he had been shown kindness by the rector in Faversham.
“Based on what you said, if an heir is found, then he or she may not replace my husband on a whim, is that correct?” Charlotte asked the question more for her husband than herself.
“That would be correct, Mrs Collins,” Fitzwilliam replied. “Now I must return so I can be with my cousin if she is called home today.” He turned to Elizabeth. “Miss Bennet, will you walk me to the door?”
“Of course, Colonel,” Elizabeth responded.
When he was assured no one else could hear, Fitzwilliam moved his mouth close to one of Miss Bennet’s ears. “We heard from Darcy, and those missives my mother told you about have been posted to London.”
“Poor Miss Bingley,” Elizabeth returned sarcastically. “Anything she suffers is at her own hand.”
The colonel took his leave, and Elizabeth returned to the parlour.
“Perhaps I was wrong about which cousin esteems you,” Charlotte teased.
“It has nothing to do with that. I cannot reveal why, but I can tell you that Miss Caroline Bingley will soon receive her comeuppance,” Elizabeth related.
No matter how much Charlotte and Maria asked, Elizabeth said nothing else.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
“Caroline, this is not a good idea,” Mrs Hurst tried to insist as the Hurst carriage came to a halt at Holder House.
“You are wrong, Louisa,” Miss Bingley shot back.
“Not only are we wealthy and sophisticated, but as I will soon be Mrs Darcy, we will be accepted here with pleasure. When I warn the earl and countess about Miss Bennet and her family, they will be in our debt. That will only enhance our position in society.”
Mrs Hurst had serious misgivings; however, even after Charles had cut contact—Caroline believed he would get over his pique in a few days—she still deferred to her younger and far more forceful sister.
After the one and only Hurst footman—most had left when they had been told they would have to take a serious reduction in wages—placed the step and opened the door, Miss Bingley descended, her nose in the air.
She had worn one of her best gowns and much jewellery so that anyone who saw her would know she was a member of high society.
Mrs Hurst, with her trepidation building, followed her sister towards the huge double doors.
Miss Bingley lifted the ornate brass knocker and allowed it to fall against the door.
Fenster opened the door and did not recognise the overdressed lady as one of the mistress’s callers. He noted the other woman trying to hide behind the one with her nose in the air. “Yes? How may I be of service?” The butler drawled.
“Miss Bingley and Mrs Hurst to call on her Ladyship,” Miss Bingley said while fighting to maintain her equanimity. How dare this servant question her?
“If you give me your cards, I will see if the family is at home,” Fenster stated.
With no good cheer, Miss Bingley pulled Louisa’s from her hand and passed it and her own card to the uppity butler.
She would recommend the man get sacked for his insolence towards her.
Before she could move, the door was closed, and the bolt was slid shut from the inside. “Well, I never!” she screeched.
“Caroline, I do not have a good feeling about this; we should return to Hurst House,” Mrs Hurst suggested.
“We are not leaving until we save the Carringtons from the Bennets,” Miss Bingley insisted. “I do not know why you have been such a ninny since Charles had his little temper tantrum. You will see, in a few days all will be as it should be.”
The butler found the family, who had been joined by Lord Holder after the meal when his business had been completed, in the main drawing room.
He could hear the sounds of the pianoforte from the music room, telling him that either Lady Emily or Lady Priscilla, or both, were at the keyboard.
He entered the drawing room and proffered his salver with the cards on it to his mistress.
As soon as she read the names on the cards, her face took on a definite moue of distaste. “You did not allow the harridan and her sister to wait in the house, did you, Fenster?” Lady Edith enquired.
“No, indeed not, Your Ladyship. They are not within the house.”
“Good, send them on their way… wait. Jane, dear, Mrs Hurst and Miss Bingley are calling on me. Do you think we should allow them to discover their own insignificance today?” Lady Edith had a mischievous look in her eye.
“Yes, I think that is a capital idea, Edith,” Holder opined. “I would like to meet the harpy who thought the woman Jamey is courting is my mistress.”
“Lady Edith, I have no objection if you would like to begin the lesson that it seems Miss Bingley is in need of learning,” Jane responded. “I would be very interested in what they have to say. Am I correct to assume you have never been introduced to either sister?”
“We have heard enough about the sisters from Elaine Fitzwilliam that we never had the desire to know them,” Lady Edith confirmed.
“Maddie, Jane, and Jamey, join Emily, Priscilla, Lilly, and May in the music room. Leave the door between the rooms open a little so you can hear and have the girls stop their duet so there will be no noise from there when the two enter the drawing room.” She turned to the butler.
“Fenster, let them wait another five to ten minutes, and then if they are still here, show them into this room.”
The butler bowed and left to follow the mistress’s orders.
The longer they waited and the door remained closed, the more Mrs Hurst’s sensibilities screamed that they needed to depart forthwith.
Louisa knew that her sister would be physically and verbally abusive if she, as the older sister, attempted to assert her will; hence, Mrs Hurst kept her misgivings to herself.
When the door opened to reveal the butler, it seemed like an age had passed. He asked them to enter and follow him.
Miss Bingley shot her sister an ‘I told you so’ look. She was not impressed with the décor of the mansion as they walked. It was far too restrained and not nearly as opulent as she would enjoy. As soon as she and the countess became friends, she would advise her on redecorating.
Fenster led the two women into the drawing room. “Mrs Hurst and Miss Bingley,” he drawled. Then he left, pulling the double doors closed behind him.
“Your roots are showing clearly,” Lady Edith stated.
The trepidation Mrs Hurst felt multiplied many times. She did not miss that there had been no introductions to the Earl and Countess of Holder. She recognised them from seeing them at the opera and theatre when one of her acquaintances had identified the couple.
“I know not what you mean,” Miss Bingley replied, although she had a good idea of exactly what the countess referred to.
“It is simple, Miss Bungles. It seems that as a tradesman’s daughter you are unaware that you do not call on one at the opposite end from society from yourself without first being introduced and invited to call.
As we have established that you do not understand the mores of the society to which you pretend to belong, what is it that brought you to our door like an ill wind? ” Lady Edith queried.
“Caroline, we need to go,” Mrs Hurst managed, barely above a whisper.
As furious as she was at having her roots pointed out so directly, Miss Bingley intended to carry her point.
“Lord and Lady Holder, when you hear the reason for my call, you will see that it was made out of concern even though we did not follow the normal way of things,” she said as she fought to contain the building rage within her.
“And what would that be, Miss Bungles?” Holder enquired purposefully, mangling the shrew’s name like his wife had. “Are you here to tell me I have forsaken my solemn wedding vows and taken the woman my son is courting as my mistress?”
While Miss Bingley was shocked that her words were known here, Mrs Hurst had to fight to keep from fainting dead away.
“It seems I was mistaken in that,” Miss Bingley asserted unapologetically.
“I am here to warn you that Viscount Hadlock has been taken in by a fortune-hunting social climber. She tried to sink her talons into my brother, who made a fortunate escape. She has now somehow caught your noble son in her web of deceit.”
“Miss Bangles, my son is not courting you,” Lady Edith shot back.
“I beg your pardon,” Miss Bingley responded confusedly. “I never claimed that he was.” ‘Although, I would not complain if he did chuse me after he throws that nobody Jane Bennet off,’ she thought.
“Miss Bingles, you described yourself almost perfectly, except you forgot to mention shrew, liar, high-in-the-instep, and some more words which are apt to describe yourself,” Lady Edith stated.
“Why would you have thought that we wanted to hear anything from one who would say such vile and untrue things about my husband and the lady who might be my future daughter-in-law?”
“My name is Miss Bingley!” she spat out. Why was this not going as she expected?
“I am aware of your name; we chuse not to mention it,” Lady Edith said.
“I am sure that Miss Bennet did not tell you how she chased after my brother like she was a bitch in heat. Or that her father’s pitiful estate is entailed. They have relations in trade and no dowries! Nothing like my twenty thousand…” Miss Bingley was cut off.
“In fact, Miss Bing, I told Lord Hadlock everything before I accepted his offer for a courtship. The only person I know who chases after a man who wants nothing to do with her is you! Anyone who is neither blind nor delusional can see Mr Darcy abhors you, yet you still chase him, like as you termed it, a bitch in heat,” Jane said from behind the hateful woman.
“I know who I am. Unlike you, I do not attempt to pass myself off as something I am not.”
Miss Bingley spun around and saw Miss Bennet, the viscount, and the tradesman’s wife whom she recognised from when she had called on Jane Bennet in Cheapside.
“My interference was kindly meant, but if you are all taken in by her act, there is nothing for me to do. Come, Louisa, we need to depart,” Miss Bingley decided.
Louisa Hurst’s legs felt weak, but she fought to control them and followed.
“Miss Bengles, one thing before you leave: If you think you will not pay a price in society for your actions, you are mistaken. Never darken my doorstep again,” Lady Edith said in dismissal.
As was her wont when she heard that which did not fit with her plans, Miss Bingley ignored the countess’s warning.
From Holder House, Miss Bingley ordered the coachman to take them to Darcy House. However, she could not understand why, as soon as Mr Darcy’s butler saw it was her, he closed the door and never opened it again before she decided to leave, regardless of how hard she knocked.