Chapter 33
It was not above two days, but the whole party was on the road to Longbourn.
Mr Collins had so much become part of the Bennet family that Elizabeth had no thought of leaving him behind to return to Kent.
But when he announced in a tone as grave as he had ever used when first they met, that he would be accompanying them, Elizabeth saw a tear in her father’s eye, and he patted him on the back and thanked him.
He sent a message to his patroness, Lady Catherine, and his curate, to arrange for him to take services for the nonce, and entered the Bennet carriage with his cousins to return once more to Longbourn.
The trip to Longbourn was undertaken in silence, broken only by limited queries as to whether their Mama was expecting them and whether word of Lydia’s safe return had been sent on, which it had been.
Lydia was much changed in her behaviour; on any trip she would always have been chattering, but now she remained silent, burrowed under the arm of one or other of her sisters.
Her mother stood outside of Longbourn, Jane at her side, waiting as the carriage drew to a halt.
Lydia jumped down and into her mama’s arms, crying, and her mother comforted her.
The first few days after their return to Meryton were filled with visits by the Bennet family to their neighbours, ostensibly to chat about Elizabeth, Jane, and Lydia’s trip to London, but in truth to ensure that no rumours about Lydia were circulating.
Once it was clear that no one had suspected anything, the tension was finally able to be let go.
Lydia’s near ruination and that of all her sisters had been avoided.
Once it was clear that there had been no ill effects for his Bennet relations, Mr Collins made arrangements to return to Hunsford, but not before extending an invitation for his eldest cousins and their father to visit him some weeks hence.
“We have been blessed to have such a good cousin,” Jane said, as they waved him off. Elizabeth agreed but didn’t know why Jane was mentioning it in such a way and raised an eyebrow in query. “You know why he accompanied us back from London, do you not?” Jane asked.
“To bring us comfort, I supposed,” Elizabeth replied, and Jane shook her head.
“Yes, to bring us comfort, but also because if there had been any rumours concerning Lydia, he intended to marry her.”
Elizabeth was so surprised at this that she placed a hand up to her heart, which had skipped a beat at this.
But now that she thought on it, it had been obvious that this had been his plan.
She knew as well as any of them that it would have been an ill match for either one of them, but it would have been the saving of all his cousins.
Elizabeth also knew that had it been necessary; he would have been a good and kind husband to her sister.
“He is truly our brother of the heart,” said Elizabeth, to which Jane agreed.
Longbourn once more settled back to its normal routine, and Lydia slowly came back to herself, but she was never outside without either one of her sisters or Miss Farnsworth.
March had now turned to April, and spring had lightened the mornings and stretched the evenings, and Mr Bennet and his eldest daughters waved goodbye to their family as they headed off to see their cousin once more.
Mr Collins awaited outside his parsonage as the Bennet carriage pulled up and Mr Bennet opened his door and stepped out, reaching up to aid Jane and Elizabeth to exit.
The Mr Collins they met was quite different from the one who had come to Longbourn those many weeks before; he was still thin and quiet, but his mouth was turned up in a smile that reached his eyes.
He welcomed them all with a voice filled with warmth and affection.
Mr Bennet patted him on the back, and Jane and Elizabeth kissed him gently on the cheek, which caused a blush to take over his face.
He guided his family into the cottage, stopping only to introduce Mrs Hayton, his housekeeper, to his cousins.
He personally showed his cousins to their rooms, a comfortable if not overlarge one for Mr Bennet, and a larger one with two small beds for his young cousins, and left them to refresh themselves.
He then welcomed them all to a cozy, if not fashionable, parlour where Mrs Hayton had set out tea and scones.
“I am so happy to see you all again,” he said, the warmth still evident in his voice, as Jane poured tea for them all.
“We are also very pleased to see you, William,” Mr Bennet replied, “and it is evident that you are keeping well.”
Mr Collins admitted he was and blushingly explained that a local lady and her husband had been teaching him some more dances, and that he had attended the local assembly just the month gone.
“And did you dance with any lady in particular?” Elizabeth asked teasingly, to which he replied that every partner he had danced with had been very pleasant, but would not be drawn further.
Mr Collins asked after all the family, interested to hear how everyone was doing, and they all knew he wished to hear particularly of Lydia, but did not wish to cause any distress.
They assured him that their mother and all their sisters were well, and that Lydia had been enjoying the magazine of new fashion plates they had acquired for her in London.
Mr Collins was clearly pleased with such a positive report and went on to enquire of some of Longbourn’s neighbours.
Lydia had been perusing the fashion plates and advising Elizabeth and Jane of dress styles which they might acquire for their London season, which was not far off. This focus on a future fun event for her sisters had given her the boost she had needed to turn away from thoughts of her abduction.
Of Mr Wickham, nothing further had been heard, but their father had confirmed that he had been dealt with.
Elizabeth had enquired and was told only that Colonel Forster and some gentlemen from Derbyshire had ensured that Mr Wickham would not be causing any more problems for their family.
Elizabeth had to own that she was curious as to who these mysterious gentlemen from Derbyshire could be.
She knew that Mr de Grey was one of them, but although he was a gentleman, his fashion and his carriage had not marked him as a man of great wealth or influence.
Elizabeth had to admit that whenever she heard the term, Mr Darcy came to her mind, but she knew well he would never involve himself in such an undertaking.
While their cousin had been in Longbourn, she had meant to ask what he had told Mr Darcy that day at Hyde Park, but the opportunity had never arisen.