Chapter Sixty
Iam glad you decided to join us, Cousin Elizabeth,” Mr. Collins said, smiling.
“I appreciate you allowing me to do so,” Elizabeth replied. “I do not wish to be de trop in any way, so I will do my best to keep to myself as much as possible.”
“Not at all,” loyal Mary said, staunchly. “You are to be by my side at all times, except when – well, except –“
“I understand,” Elizabeth said, trying not to laugh. “Mr. Collins, please do tell us what to expect from your patroness. We certainly want to please her, do we not, Mary?”
Mr. Collins sighed. “You can expect her to be inconsistent, if I am honest, Cousin.”
Mary contributed, “Mr. Darcy told me to listen to her and then to ignore her advice and do whatever I wish!”
Mr. Collins turned to his bride. “You spoke with Mr. Darcy about his aunt?”
“I did, yes; I forgot to mention it. Did I do wrong, William?” She sounded suddenly troubled.
“Not at all, Mary,” he hastened to reassure her. “It sounds as if he knows her well enough.”
“He said that she issued so many strictures and opinions that she could not possibly keep track of them all, so it was best just to agree and go on.”
“That is good advice; I have occasionally been caught out when she actually did recall what she had advised me to do, and then I made it a point to look very humble and say that I must have misunderstood.” He laughed at that.
“Is she – well, not very clever?” Elizabeth hazarded.
“She is clever enough, and she can be quite kind. The difficulty is that you can never predict when she will be kind and when she will not. She does think a good deal of herself. It is best to be humble in front of her, and show that you understand what an honour it is to have her attention. Do not interrupt, do not contradict.”
“It sounds quite exhausting,” Mary murmured.
“It can be. I try to limit my social interactions with her, but for some time, that will be impossible. She will insist on hosting us for dinners and what not, Mrs. Collins, and we must bear with it until she tires of us.” He smiled as he called Mary by her new name, and she smiled back at him, leaving Elizabeth to stare out the window, now feeling very much de trop.
“What of Miss de Bourgh?” Mary asked.
Mr. Collins shook his head. “Poor creature; she has been kept from society, and so has very little idea of how to interact with others. Some days she is silent; other days, she speaks a good deal. I hope she will become a friend for you.”
***
They stopped to rest the horses at Bromley. “Lady Catherine always tells me to stop at the Bell,” Mr. Collins said. “It is a harmless enough request and the food is good, so I make it a point to indulge her.”
The Bell was a well-appointed inn, and the trio enjoyed an excellent lunch while the horses were fed, watered and rested. Mr. Collins suggested that they get some exercise before getting back into the carriage, and Elizabeth was certainly grateful for the opportunity to stretch her legs.
When Mr. Collins returned to the inn to settle their bill and ascertain that the carriage was being made ready, Mary took Elizabeth’s arm. “Will this work, do you think?” she murmured. “Will he offer for Jane?”
“I certainly hope so,” Elizabeth whispered back. “Because otherwise, I do not know what we will do at Longbourn.”
“I wish there was room for everyone at the parsonage,” Mary began.
“Oh, no! Do not wish such a thing, Mary. I am everything glad that you will be away from this dreadful situation.”
“But my sisters are not away from it, so how can I feel happy?”
“Mary.” Elizabeth stopped walking and turned to face her sister.
“Mary, listen to me. I insist upon you being happy.
Do you hear me? For it matters to me, a great deal, that at least one of my sisters is marrying for love and can be happy!
If not, Mary, then it feels like everything was for naught, that it was all – “ Elizabeth had to stop; she was about to burst into tears.
“I understand, Lizzy,” Mary whispered. “I will be happy.”
Mr. Collins then strode up to tell them that the carriage was ready, and the journey resumed.