Chapter Eighty-Five
Oh! Oh! Oh, Mary! It worked!” Elizabeth’s excitement was such that she was very much in danger of knocking over the teapot, which Mary hastily moved out of the way.
“What worked? Oh! Did Jane – ?”
“Yes, yes! She is engaged to Mr. Bingley! She writes that Charlotte Lucas took it upon herself to go to Mr. Bingley directly and tell him of our situation. He says he jumped onto his horse the moment she was out the door and galloped to our door! Then he knelt before her, told her that he knew all about the three thousand pounds and was more than happy to give it, and begged her to be his wife! It worked!” There were tears of joy in Elizabeth’s eyes.
She and Mary rose and threw themselves into one another’s arms. Mr. Collins, who had heard rather a hullabaloo in the dining room, walked in at this moment. “Mary!” he called out in considerable alarm. “Is all well?”
“More than well, William!” she replied, joyfully. “For Jane is to marry Mr. Bingley, and he will give Papa the three thousand pounds!”
“Three thousand pounds?” Mr. Collins was confused.
It was only then that the two sisters recalled that Mr. Collins had been told nothing of the difficulties at Longbourn. They looked at one another, almost guiltily.
“Is it meant to be a secret?” Mr. Collins’ voice was mild.
“Oh, no, Papa just did not wish to burden you,” Mary said, hastily.
“Burden me with…?”
“Well, Papa is not the best estate manager, and Mama is not the best at keeping to a budget. Then there was a poor harvest, and two of the largest tenant farms were unoccupied, and, well, Lizzy understands it better than I…” Mary trailed off.
Elizabeth took up the thread. “All in all, we were very much in debt and the Meryton merchants were no longer extending us credit. Papa needed three thousand pounds to pay off the debts and to get the family through until the next harvest. We did not know where to turn, as the Gardiners had already lent him a good deal of money, so one of us needed to marry into…well, marry someone who…” And now she trailed off as well.
Mr. Collins considered this. “I see. So Mr. Bingley has proposed to Jane and it is up to him to give the family three thousand pounds?” His voice was calm.
“It sounds quite dreadful, I know,” Elizabeth said, hastily. “But Jane and Mr. Bingley are very much in love, so he is happy to be able to relieve Papa’s burdens.”
“Well, I am glad of that,” Mr. Collins declared.
“I would hate to think of my sister by marriage having to marry a gentleman for no other reason than his income, but if they are in love, then all is well. I do rather wish Mr. Bennet had told me, not because I have three thousand pounds, but only so that I might learn from his mistakes, had he been willing to confide them to me.”
“You need not fear, Mr. Collins,” Elizabeth reassured him. “I do not doubt that you will be a conscientious estate manager. And Mary is not like our mother. She will have no difficulty in adhering to a budget, no matter how many daughters she might have.”
“When are they to marry? For I am certain that you both will wish to attend, and though Lady Catherine cannot be counted on to provide a carriage, I must set aside some coin to hire one to convey us there.”
“It will be the fourth of February. But I am to attend Charlotte’s wedding soon, and I will likely just stay in Meryton, rather than return to Kent with Lady Catherine. Jane will want me to stand up with her as well.”
“Oh, Lizzy!” Mary’s face was suddenly fearful. “Miss de Bourgh!”
“Mary?” Mr. Collins turned again to his wife.
“Anne is bringing three thousand pounds to Charlotte’s wedding to give to our father!”
Mr. Collins’ brows rose to his hairline. “Miss de Bourgh is planning to give three thousand pounds to your father?’ He was clearly horrified.
“Well, she offered it, and we did not know at the time that Mr. Bingley would propose to Jane,” Mary said, shakily.
“Does her ladyship know?” he asked, quickly.
Elizabeth hastened to respond. “I think not; Anne took the money from her mother’s safe, but the estate is actually Anne’s and the money is therefore hers.”
There was a strained silence in the room. Finally, Elizabeth said, “Well, it is simple enough. We just tell Anne that the money is no longer needed, and she is to put it back in the safe.”
“Is there anything else I should know?” Mr. Collins asked, his voice a bit tight.
Both sisters shook their heads, vehemently.
***
Anne was rather put out when Elizabeth told her that the money was no longer required. “It is not often that I am able to come to someone’s rescue,” she said. “And I admit that I was quite looking forward to being the white knight, riding in to save everyone.”
“Anne, the fact that you were willing to be the knight means that you are that knight,” Elizabeth assured her. “And you are never to forget it.”
“So your sister is to marry for love after all!” Anne mused. “That is very, very good news. Now we must get you married for love as well, Lizzy.”
Elizabeth reddened and looked down.
“Aha!” Anne chortled. “So there is someone!”
Elizabeth did her best to demur, but sharp-eyed Anne was not about to let it go. “Is it someone at home?”
Elizabeth shook her head.
“Is it someone I know?” Anne persisted.
Elizabeth hesitated.
Anne’s hand flew to her mouth. “It is Darcy! I did think there was something odd in your voice when you asked about him!”
Elizabeth’s red face told Anne everything she wanted to know. “Oh! Lizzy! We could be cousins!”
“No, we certainly could not,” Elizabeth replied at once. “He has scarcely even looked at me; I have no reason whatever to hope.”
“Why, you are everything perfect for him! You like the country, you enjoy being out of doors, you love to read, you are the daughter of an estate owner – how could he not have looked at you?”
Elizabeth could not reply.
“Well, I tell you this,” Anne said. “When we all gather for Reggie’s wedding, I will make certain that he looks at you, I promise you that! Can I stay with you, Lizzy?”
“Stay with me?” Elizabeth had not yet become accustomed to Anne’s rapid changes of topic.
“When we go to Meryton!! I want to stay with you at Longbourn, not with everyone else at Netherfield.”
“I am certain that would be fine,” Elizabeth replied.
“And I will convince Mother that we may leave Mrs. Jenkinson at home!”
***
Dear Mama,
I am very excited to learn that Mr. Bingley has at last come through for Jane! Now perhaps you will forgive me for the stratagem I employed by leaving with Mary. I know you were not happy with me at the time, but I did know what I was about.
I am to come to Charlotte’s wedding with Lady Catherine and her daughter, Miss de Bourgh, and I will of course stay at home thereafter.
Miss de Bourgh would very much like to stay at Longbourn, rather than Netherfield Park.
She has become a good friend, and would like to meet all the sisters I have spoken of!
I have assured her that this would not be a problem.
She is accustomed to a good deal of elegance, but I think she will not prove a difficult guest.
Your loving daughter,
Lizzy