"Of course the books were part of the estate. They were in the study, were they not?" Mr. Collins said with a pompous air.
"They were purchased with Mr. Bennet's private income and were not part of the running of the estate. They were therefore not part of the estate to which you are entitled under the entail," said Mr. Phillips, with a hint of exasperation in voice. He had been dealing with Mr. Collins for only the hour since his arrival at Longbourn and already Mr. Phillips was near to losing his patience with the fool. "Likewise the clothing and personal belongings of Mrs. Bennet and her daughters are not included in the entail. You receive the land, the estate bank account, the house and the basic items needed for running the house. Mr. Bennet's books will help support his widow and daughters. You would hardly wish to deny them that."
Mr. Collins looked crestfallen, yet still retained his pompous air.
"Of course, sir," put in Lizzy, who had been listening to the man with disgust, "you also now have the advantage that you may start fresh in the study and make it your own domain without being overpowered by the presence of my father's personal belongings."
Mr. Collins sniffed in disdain. He clearly did not wish to acknowledge the words of a mere woman. At the same time he apparently accepted Lizzy's statement, for his expression lightened a bit.
Fortunately Mr. Phillips had stayed after the funeral to work with Mr. Gardiner before his return to town and to make any other arrangements for the family. Mr. Phillips was still there when Mr. Collins arrived. Mr. Gardiner left shortly before that in his carriage followed by the cart with the boxes full of books and any other personal property he thought he could sell to advantage in town. Lizzy thought Mr. Gardiner would have had even less patience for Mr. Collins than her other uncle, Mr. Phillips, had managed.
Mr. Collins looked around the room again. The desk and chairs remained. In fact it was still a very comfortable looking room. There were just so many bookshelves. And they were all bare except for the small one next to the desk that contained the estate ledgers.
"I will want to move some of these shelves out of here. They clutter up the space. That desk would be better facing the window. Yes, it needs some work, but I suppose it will do." He looked around and sniffed again, then left the room with his nose in the air.
Lizzy looked to her uncle, expecting him to share her amused disgust with her father's heir. Mr. Phillips refused to meet her eyes. He took a brief look around the room, then left himself without another word. With the cold shiver she was now almost used to feeling Lizzy looked around as well. There was nothing of her father left here. The room was truly a blank slate for Mr. Collins to write his own story on.
Her eyes rested on the desk. With an amused lift of her eyebrow she considered Mr. Collins' idea to move it to face the window. With the desk turned like that he would have no light by which to read unless he chose to use the lamps during the daytime. What a fool.
0o0o0o0
Lizzy had plenty of time to reflect on the foolishness of Mr. Collins over the next few days. Contrary to her mother's oft-stated belief he did not insist they leave immediately. He did, however, make it very clear he expected obvious displays of gratitude for his beneficence on a frequent basis. Apparently he had become very skilled debasing himself before his noble patroness, the great Lady Catherine de Bourgh. He now expected the Bennet women to behave similarly towards him. Lizzy wanted to gag at the thought.
Even more nauseating to her was hearing that his noble patroness suggested he marry one of his cousins as a means of making amends for inheriting their home. He droned on and on about her generous condescension at suggesting a path for his happiness and the betterment of one of his dear cousins. Had Jane been there he would have chosen her at once. He was somewhat miffed to learn he would not have the chance to marry the eldest and most beautiful of the daughters. He eyed the two youngest with a lecherous glance, but soon decided that no matter how comely they might be, both were too young and flighty to make a proper wife. That left only Lizzy and Mary.
Lizzy did her best to escape every time he began to speak of his noble patroness or the olive branch he intended to offer the family. She ran when he offered what he considered to be tender compliments. In fact, she spent as much time as possible outside on walks each day, even when the weather turned rainy and unpleasant.
Mary, on the other hand, did everything she could to attract Mr. Collins' attention. She dressed as well as she could in the black mourning gown, did her hair as attractively as possible and put herself forward wherever she could. She spoke of the proper place of a woman being in the service of a husband and quoted the sermons of Fordyce on the behavior of a virtuous woman. Mr. Collins paid attention to her in an off-hand sort of way, but when Lizzy entered the room it was clear which sister he preferred.
Matters finally came to a crisis a few weeks later. Mr. Phillips visited early one morning with word Mr. Gardiner had received full payment for the books and sold all the other personal items he had carried to London. The two men had purchased a cottage on the far edge of Meryton, away from both Longbourn and the Phillips home. As Mr. Gardiner had promised, the remaining funds, with an exception, were added to the settlement for Mrs. Bennet, the interest of which would pay for their living expenses. The exception consisted of five trust funds of fifty pounds each to serve as dowries for the five Bennet daughters. Each daughter could collect the interest quarterly, but could not access the principal until reaching the age of twenty five if she remained unmarried. If she married prior to her twenty-fifth birthday the trust fund would be transferred to her husband intact as her dowry. Mr. Gardiner would handle management of the funds.
Mr. Phillips told Mrs. Bennet the house was ready for her to move there immediately and he had hired a woman to serve as both cook and maid of all work. He suggested Mr. Collins might be willing to allow the ladies the use of a cart from Longbourn to move their personal items to their new home. He handed her the door key and left before anything further could be asked of him.
From her frequent walks Lizzy knew the cottage by sight. It was tiny, but she believed it had three bedrooms. With the first quarter's expense fund her uncle had sent and a little work on their part she believed they could do well enough in it. It had to be an improvement on living with Mr. Collins. Her mother's opinion on the matter came as a surprise, although in hindsight she should have expected it.
Mr. Collins agreed to Mrs. Bennet's request for both the cart and the carriage to transport her to her new home. She then directed Kitty and Lydia to pack their things.
"The three of us will do very well in the cottage and I should be able to find good husbands for you both now that you have a dowry," she said as she shooed her two youngest up the stairs in front of her.
"The five of us, Mama," said Lizzy. "Mary and I are coming too."
"Oh no you are not!" said Mrs. Bennet frostily. "I will not have you there ruining things for your sisters. You constantly try to correct them and tame their spirits. You interfere in everything. We do not have room for you."
"The cottage has three bedrooms, Mama. There is one for you, one for Kitty and Lydia to share and one for Mary and me. You cannot leave us here."
"I certainly can. I do not want either of you with us. Kitty, Lydia and I shall each have a room. The house is simply too small for you."
"But Uncle Gardiner said you would need me to manage the budget. Mary and I will help make sure there is enough food and supplies for us all."
"There is just enough for the three of us. You will be no help whatsoever. You always think you know so much. I have run a house for longer than you have been alive, Missy. I do not need or want your help."
"But where will we go? We cannot stay here. It would not be right for us to stay by ourselves in the house of an unmarried man."
"I never understood why your father always claimed you were so smart, Lizzy. The answer is simple. If you cannot stay in the house of an unmarried man one of you must marry him. Quickly, too, before he decides to go elsewhere. It is not as if anyone else would marry either of you."
"Mama! You cannot be serious!"
"I certainly am. I will not have you in my house. If you do not wish to stay here then you may go live in the hedgerows. I am done with you." With that Mrs. Bennet flounced upstairs leaving Lizzy dumbstruck at the bottom step.
"Well, you did try, Lizzy and I appreciate you trying to stand up for me and make sure I was included no matter how badly you failed," said Mary. "You and Mama are both correct. You and I cannot stay in the house of an unmarried man. One of us must marry him. I would do so gladly, but he appears to favor you. May I hope you will allow me to remain after you are married?"
"Me? Marry Mr. Collins! It is impossible!"
"He has already made his inclination towards you clear no matter how you have tried to discourage him. I still do not understand why you would not want his attention."
"You cannot be serious, Mary. I could never marry such a small-minded, overbearing and pompous idiot. To do so would be misery of the acutest kind. How could I submit to such a man. He has not the wit of the geese in the yard, yet he requires us to bow before him and praise him endlessly for doing what a good Christian man would without expecting thanks. He is a fool!"
"He is an upright and godly man, Elizabeth Bennet! It is you who are the fool. You are so quick to point out the flaws in others. You think yourself clever because Papa made you his little pet. You are just like Papa. You laugh at those around you and judge them, believing yourself far above them due to your so-called wit."
"I do not think myself above people. Papa gave me a good education. I can recognize a fool who thinks or pretends he knows things he does not."
"A good education, Lizzy? What good is Latin, Greek, History and Philosophy to a woman? Those subjects are your vanity and Reverend Fordyce says vanity is the greatest vice to which a woman can fall prey. You spurn and judge a good man as lacking because he is not as foolish and indulgent as our father was."
"Judge not lest ye be judged," came the voice of Mr. Collins from behind them. Elizabeth turned to see him approach with a hard and pitiless look upon his face.
"I had thought to do you the great honor, Cousin Elizabeth, of taking you as my wife. I see I too have fallen prey to the vanity that looked only to your exterior beauty. I thank the Lord I have seen the ugliness of your heart before I made such an offer. It is Cousin Mary who shows true modesty and the beauty of a virtuous heart."
Elizabeth stood, too stunned by the verbal attacks from her sister and Mr. Collins to say a word.
"You see, Lizzy, what your foolishness has cost you? You could have been the Mistress of Longbourn. You could have chosen to honor your heritage and make a better match than any of us could now hope for. Instead you pout like a willful child and lose everything."
"Your sister is correct, cousin. Like a child you expect your way in all things and do not scruple to insult the man who has offered you a place within his house. Well, no more. I shall not harbor such a viper in my bosom."
"You will throw me out? Where will I go?"
"I heard your mother. She will not have you. Neither will your uncles. It would serve you right if I did throw you into the streets, but I am a good Christian no matter what you may think. First, though, Cousin Mary?"
"Yes, Mr. Collins."
"I see I have let my head be turned by the outward beauty of your elder sister. I understand now that you have the true beauty of an upright mind and pious heart. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
"Gladly, Mr. Collins."
"It is still early in the day. Perhaps the parson in Meryton will be willing to marry us by common license today so you may remain after your mother leaves this afternoon. If you are willing we will take the carriage and go speak with him in a few moments. Cousin Elizabeth, you are fortunate that my noble patroness is in need of a companion. She will accept you on my request and give you the guidance in ladylike behavior you have so clearly lacked. You will have a place to live and a way to earn your keep."
"A companion? To Lady Catherine? Why should I take on a position as a companion?"
"You have little choice, Cousin Elizabeth. Unless, of course, you choose to go out into the world alone and starve for your stubbornness or earn your keep by less honest means. As we already discussed, your mother will not have you in her home. Your uncles will not take you in. Mary and I certainly do not wish to have you here. You are nearly as bad of character as your youngest sisters, but perhaps you can be redeemed under the gracious tutelage of Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Make your choice now. I have a wedding to go to before your mother needs the carriage.
It took little reflection to realize Mr. Collins was right. Lizzy's choices were very limited. At least with Lady Catherine she would have a roof over her head and food to eat. Better yet, she would not have to marry Mr. Collins.
"I will accept your gracious offer of a place with Lady Catherine, Mr. Collins," she answered, trying to sound as humble as possible.
"Very well, you may come witness our wedding before you pack your belongings. I will allow you to stay the night and I will send you to Rosings Park at dawn tomorrow. Right after the wedding I will send an express to Lady Catherine so she will expect you. My dear Mary, shall we inform your mother of the good news?"
"Do you wish to loose your hearing from the screeching?" Lizzy asked under her breath.
"What was that you said, Cousin Elizabeth?" asked Mr. Collins sharply.
"She will be so delighted she will not be able to control herself," Lizzy answered.
Mary raised an eyebrow but let Lizzy's answer stand. The two of them went upstairs and the shrieks of delight could soon be heard. Lizzy waited downstairs. It seemed she, also, had a wedding to attend. As she listened to her mother's exclamations, Lizzy reflected that things could be so much worse. So very much worse. It could have been her wedding.