CHAPTER THREE #2
When the ladies returned to the drawing-room, there was little to be done but to hear Lady Catherine talk, which she did without any intermission till coffee came in, delivering her opinion on every subject in so decisive a manner, as proved that she was not used to having her judgment controverted.
She inquired into Charlotte's domestic concerns familiarly and minutely, gave her a great deal of advice as to the management of them all, told her how everything ought to be regulated in so small a family as hers, and instructed her as to the care of her cows and her poultry.
Lizzy found that nothing was beneath this great lady's attention.
In the intervals of her discourse with Mrs. Collins, she addressed a variety of questions to Maria and Lizzy, but especially to the latter, of whose connections she knew the least, and who she observed to Mrs. Collins was a very genteel, pretty kind of girl.
She asked her, at different times, how many sisters she had, whether they were older or younger than herself, whether any of them were likely to be married, whether they were handsome, where they had been educated, what carriage her father kept, and what had been her mother's maiden name?
Lizzy felt all the impertinence of her questions but answered them very composedly. Lady Catherine then observed,
"Your father's estate is entailed on Mr. Collins, I think. For your sake," turning to Charlotte, "I am glad of it, but otherwise I see no occasion for entailing estates from the female line. It was not thought necessary in Sir Lewis de Bourgh's family. Do you play and sing, Miss Bennet?"
"A little."
"Oh! Then—some time or other we shall be happy to hear you. Our instrument is a capital one, probably superior to—You shall try it someday. Do your sisters play and sing?"
"One of them does."
"Why did not you all learn? You ought all to have learned. The Miss Webbs all play, and their father has not so good an income as yours. Do you draw?"
"No, not at all."
"What, none of you?"
"Not one."
"That is very strange. But I suppose you had no opportunity. Your mother should have taken you to town every spring for the benefit of masters."
"My mother would have had no objection, but my father hates London."
"Has your governess left you?"
"We never had any governess."
"No governess! How was that possible? Five daughters brought up at home without a governess! I never heard of such a thing. Your mother must have been quite a slave to your education."
Lizzy could hardly help smiling as she assured her that had not been the case.
"Then, who taught you? Who attended to you? Without a governess, you must have been neglected."
"Compared with some families, I believe we were. But we were always encouraged to read, and had all the masters that were necessary. Those who chose to be idle, certainly might."
"Aye, no doubt, but that is what a governess will prevent, and if I had known your mother, I should have advised her most strenuously to engage one.
I always say that nothing is to be done in education without steady and regular instruction, and nobody but a governess can give it.
It is wonderful how many families I have been the means of supplying in that way.
I am always glad to get a young person well placed out.
Four nieces of Mrs. Jenkinson are most delightfully situated through my means; and it was but the other day that I recommended another young person, who was merely accidentally mentioned to me, and the family are quite delighted with her.
Mrs. Collins, did I tell you of Lady Metcalf's calling yesterday to thank me?
She finds Miss Pope a treasure. 'Lady Catherine,' said she, 'you have given me a treasure.
' Are any of your younger sisters out, Miss Bennet? "
"Yes, ma'am, all."
"All! What, all five out at once? Very odd! And you only the second. The younger ones out before the elder ones are married! Your younger sisters must be very young?"
"Yes, my youngest is not sixteen. Perhaps she is full young to be much in company.
But really, ma'am, I think it would be very hard upon younger sisters, that they should not have their share of society and amusement, because the elder may not have the means or inclination to marry early.
The last-born has as good a right to the pleasures of youth as the first. And to be kept back on such a motive!
I think it would not be very likely to promote sisterly affection or delicacy of mind. "
"Upon my word," said her ladyship, "you give your opinion very decidedly for so young a person. Pray, what is your age?"
"With three younger sisters grown up," replied Lizzy, smiling, "your ladyship can hardly expect me to own it."
Lady Catherine seemed quite astonished at not receiving a direct answer, and Lizzy suspected herself to be the first creature who had ever dared to trifle with so much dignified impertinence.
"You cannot be more than twenty, I am sure, therefore you need not conceal your age."
"I am not one-and-twenty."
When the gentlemen had joined them, and tea was over, the card-tables were placed.
Lady Catherine, Sir William, and Mr. and Mrs. Collins sat down to quadrille.
The remaining were obliged to play at cassino, Miss de Bourgh’s chosen game.
Their table was superlatively stupid. Scarcely a syllable was uttered that did not relate to the game, except when Mrs. Jenkinson expressed her fears of Miss de Bourgh's being too hot or too cold, or having too much or too little light.
A great deal more passed at the other table.
Lady Catherine was generally speaking—stating the mistakes of the three others, or relating some anecdote of herself.
Mr. Collins was employed in agreeing to everything her ladyship said, thanking her for every fish he won, and apologising if he thought he won too many.
Sir William did not say much. He was storing his memory with anecdotes and noble names.
When Lady Catherine and her daughter had played as long as they chose, the tables were broken up, the carriage was offered to Mrs. Collins, gratefully accepted and immediately ordered.
The party then gathered round the fire to hear Lady Catherine determine what weather they were to have on the morrow.
From these instructions they were summoned by the arrival of the coach.
After many speeches of thankfulness on Mr. Collins's side and as many bows on Sir William's, they departed.
As soon as they had driven from the door, Lizzy was called on by her cousin to give her opinion of all that she had seen at Rosings, which, for Charlotte's sake, she made more favourable than it really was.
But her commendation, though costing her some trouble, could by no means satisfy Mr. Collins, and he was very soon obliged to take her ladyship's praise into his own hands.
Lizzy did not expect to greet future visits at Rosings with exceptional enthusiasm, but she was satisfied that her fear of having Mr. Darcy constantly in her thoughts while in the company of his relations had not come to much fruition, and she anticipated that perhaps she might not think of him at all in a few days.
But such hopes, alas, were to be shortly dashed.
*****
Lizzy woke with a start, sitting up in bed to find her breath shallow and her heart racing.
She could not have been more startled had a flock of birds suddenly swarmed through her room.
More disconcerting than finding fauna in the house, however, was the degree of wetness between her legs and the knowledge that it had been brought about by yet another dream of Mr. Darcy.
When her senses had calmed, she lay back in bed, for dawn had yet to break, and stared at the ceiling.
What, by the grace of God, was the matter with her?
Once again, her dream had started in all pleasantness.
She had returned to Herfordshire to find Wickham’s regiment still in Meryton.
After finding a moment alone, Wickham had professed that he had been unable to turn his thoughts from her, even whilst he pursued the hand of women whose fortunes he must depend upon if he was to have the life he sought.
“But I wonder if, in the end, it is worth the loss of one whom I truly admire?” he had asked as he brought her hand to his lips.
His words had satisfied her vanity and the touch of his mouth upon her skin had ignited all manner of flutters throughout her body.
“I think I would risk it all for one night with you,” he had said before circling an arm about her waist and pulling her into him.
His hips had pressed into hers, banishing all chagrin of her weakness, at how easily she could and would succumb to the heat flaring inside her.
He had kissed her then, and though it did not sweep her away as much as she had hoped, she was content to melt against him and surrender to the urgency of the moment.
No further caresses of affection were required.
She wanted his hardness within her. He lifted her onto a table and began to lift her skirts.
Before he could penetrate her, however, she was face-down upon the table, her derriere rounding the edge of the table, and it was not Wickham but Mr. Darcy who was buried inside of her.
Instead of trying to escape, she was thrusting her hips back, grinding her rump against him, stoking the fire that could only be extinguished after it had burned its brightest.
She was still in a state of arousal, but Lizzy lay motionless upon her bed as if any movement might provoke the dream to return.
She could arrive at no logic to explain why she would dream of the man a second time but that her mind must be far more perverted than she thought possible.
She could recall no encounter of theirs that did not reinforce her discontent with him and was convinced his experiences to be the same.