Chapter 19
The family gathered outside to welcome their cousin on hearing the horses' hoofs as Mr Collins’ modest equipage pulled up at the steps of Longbourn.
He stepped down and handed some coins to the driver before he turned to meet his family.
He was a tall, thin, pale man of perhaps five-and-thirty.
His air was grave and stately. He bowed to Mr Bennet and Mrs Bennet, no smile touched his lips or his eyes, and he addressed each of his cousins in turn as they were introduced.
His manners were very formal and invited nothing of informal enquiry in these first moments of meeting.
His serious mien did have one advantage; it quite stole Lydia’s ability to be frivolous or to misbehave.
Mr Bennet directed him inside, a raised eyebrow in Elizabeth’s direction the only indication of his usual witty humour.
Mrs Bennet showed him to his room in a silent and somewhat disconcerted manner.
She left him to refresh himself, adding only that she would arrange a light repast for when he was settled.
In truth, none of the family knew what to do with this serious and quiet man.
Mr Bennet went straight to his study, but he was not left long alone to ponder his cousin before Elizabeth knocked and entered on her father giving his consent.
Elizabeth did not say anything; she merely looked at her father with a look he would have described as missish, her hands clasped together and her lips closed.
“He is very unlike his father,” Mr Bennet said, and Elizabeth sighed.
“How so?” Elizabeth enquired, she knew, as his favourite daughter, she could often get him to reveal things to her that he would not to her other sisters.
“His father was a brute,” her father said. “He was a violent and ignorant man,” he paused and looked to the ceiling as if he could see through it to Mr Collins, who was even now ensconced upstairs. “I do not know how it could be that Reginald Collins could produce such a son.”
“So, he is his father’s complete opposite?” Elizabeth enquired.
“So it would seem from this first encounter, but we must take care. We must recall the old saying, “still waters run deep...,” he said, and Elizabeth finished with the oft-forgotten second part.
“...and the devil lies beneath.”
Her father sighed, “we must meet the man on his own merit,” repeating a sentiment he had expressed when telling his family about the invitation to Mr William Collins.
“For now, it is enough to know that he is at least well-mannered. I must admit that I had worried he would not be even that, so in one regard, he has already behaved better than I feared.”
Mr Bennet shook his head and then said, “there is another matter which I have been meaning to deal with. Be so good as to call for Hill and Miss Farnsworth to join us.”
Elizabeth raised an eyebrow, unable to think what business he would need to discuss with their governess, but she did as he asked.
“You asked for me?” Miss Farnsworth enquired, her voice quieter than usual, as she popped her head into the study.
“Indeed, come in, come in,” Mr Bennet instructed. He said no more until a moment later, Hill knocked at the study door and entered on the entreaty by her master.
“Sit down, both of you, I cannot bear to have you towering above me,” Mr Bennet said, and the two women sat down.
“Miss Farnsworth, you have been with our family for some six years. When you joined us as governess, my youngest was but nine years old, and Jane was then the age that Lydia is now. At the time, the girls had a great need of a governess,” Mr Bennet said.
Elizabeth gasped, was he letting Miss Farnsworth go?
She saw from the look of dejection on her face that Miss Farnsworth also understood that this was the purpose of this meeting.
Elizabeth knew that her parents managed the budgets of Longbourn with great care, and the governess was a drain on their expenses, but could the savings of losing her really be so great?
She opened her mouth, readying to protest.
“You have been an excellent governess, and Mrs Bennet and I have nothing but the greatest fondness for you,” Mr Bennet said.
Elizabeth thought that was all well and good, but Miss Farnsworth could not live on affection.
“That being so, we have decided that some changes now need to be made regarding your standing in our household.”
“Standing?” Miss Farnsworth said, speaking for the first time since Mr Bennet had begun his explanation.
“Yes,” Mr Bennet confirmed, “the girls are at a point where they do not need a governess,” he assured, “but they do need a companion.”
“Companion,” Miss Farnsworth repeated with a sigh, which Elizabeth interpreted as relief.
“Yes, this is a matter which we have been meaning to address for some time, but the arrival of our guest has brought the matter to a point,” he confirmed.
“You will move today into the spare room in the family wing,” he said.
“And Mrs Hill, there is also another reason I asked for you to be present.
My cousin, Mr Collins, although he is a clergyman, he is unknown to us, and we need to be sure that the female staff are also kept safe until we can assess him.
“I will see to it, sir,” Mrs Hill confirmed.
“Miss Farnsworth, your new role will require you to attend events outside of Longbourn, and that being so, a clothing allowance will be provided to you to ensure that you are properly attired for your new position.”
“Oh, how kind,” Miss Farnsworth said, a breathless quality to her voice.
“That is all,” Mr Bennet said, dismissing them to go and move Miss Farnsworth to her new room. Elizabeth gave her father a quick hug and went to tell her sisters the news.
Mr Collins, when he returned downstairs, was met in the parlour by the whole family, including Miss Farnsworth, who was now introduced to him as a companion to his cousins.
Mr Bennet bid him to take a seat, and Mrs Bennet poured his tea and offered him a scone, to which he declined.
Mrs Bennet appeared entirely unsure how to deal with this grave presence in their parlour, so it was left entirely to her husband to try to draw him out.
He enquired after his journey. Mr Collins confirmed that he had left Kent only the day before and stopped for the night at a comfortable inn.
He said that his trip had been uneventful and had allowed him many hours of quiet contemplation.
Mrs Bennet finally managed to stir herself and asked after his parsonage.
Mr Collins acknowledged that he had been most advantageously awarded the living of the parish of Hunsford, and then fell back into silence.
The family all looked at each other, completely at a loss as to any new topic of conversation.
“Might I?” Mary spoke to the surprise of all her family and the studious attention of their guest. “Might I,” she repeated before continuing, “enquire as to your opinion on the teachings of Reverend Fordyce?”
This query did what nothing else had managed to do: it made a small light enter his eyes and something other than the grave look crossed his face. Although what that look might be, no one could say, for its appearance was so fleeting it might have only been imagined.
When he spoke, he started by looking directly at Mary, as it was she who had asked the question.
“Reverend Fordyce was a very devoted minister of the church,” he said, and then paused.
Elizabeth waited on tenterhooks for what would come next.
As his slow and quiet way of speaking made every word he uttered seem weighty.
“His teaching on the proper behaviour of young ladies, as good Christians, is right,” he said, looking at all his female cousins as he paused again.
Elizabeth had to admit that she was disappointed.
Something about him had made her hope he would not agree with the notoriously strict Reverend.
“All ladies should be devout and respectful. However,” he said, his tone unchanged, “we must recall that he was born and grew up in an earlier time and his teachings are perhaps a trifle out of touch with the understandings of the modern church.”
Elizabeth smiled, and as she did she caught her father’s eye, and his face too held a smile.
“How so?” Mary queried.
“He allowed nothing for a lady of intelligence to educate herself in the workings of the world. I believe, as does the church, that women, although largely confined to household works or to caring for family, can also add materially to society. Even if it is merely in advancing their skills in music or artistry. While these skills are not so commonly seen in men, they are still bestowed by Our Lord.”
“Here, here,” her father agreed.
“But what of reading, sir?” Elizabeth asked, wanting now to draw everything of her cousin’s opinions on women out.
“Reading is a most fine use of a woman’s mind and should, with the guidance of her father, be encouraged.”