Their Just Deserts

Chapter Nine

The following Sunday Miss de Bourgh attended church in her new bonnet that matched the cream colored dress that was so admired by Mr. Collins. Mrs. Jenkinson attended that Sunday more as an observer. Lady Catherine was in attendance to see how closely her protégé would follow the discourse she had reworked on his behalf. All were satisfied in their quests. Many were the comments on how well Anne looked, how the new bonnet framed her face perfectly. All but one complement fell on a deaf ear.

Mrs. Jenkinson had a formidable task before her. She knew it would not be in her best interest to give Lady Catherine the idea that she was spying on her daughter. Nor, should she risk alienating her charge. The only possible way to solve the problem of a possible blooming attachment between the new rector and her charge would be through a suggestion to her Ladyship. Early the following day, Mrs. Jenkinson inquired as to the possibility of a private audience with Lady Catherine. She was immediately granted her request.

Once seated in the drawing room, Mrs. Jenkinson stated,

"Your Ladyship, I wanted to find out from you if you had made any unusual observations about our new cleric?"

Lady Catherine wondered if Mrs. Jenkinson was referring to either one of the discourses with which she had acted as 'assistant' to Mr. Collins? Lady Catherine feigned interest and said,

"Pray continue, Mrs. Jenkinson."

So, the visitor became more pointed,

"I am referring to Mr. Collins' apparent 'shyness' around those who are young and of the weaker sex. I am sure that his reserve could be remedied if he was properly guided. A mere suggestion on your part would be all the nudge he would need."

Lady Catherine's eyes narrowed. She then addressed Mrs. Jenkinson,

"I am so glad that I am not the only one that has made that observation. If it is obvious to you, it must be obvious to the congregation. You are correct Mrs. Jenkinson, Mr. Collins would benefit from the presence of a wife, he must be wed! I will approach him on that matter this very day.

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The livery that delivered the invitation to Rosings also waited for him. Mr. Collins wondered whether there was some breach of decorum, some unknown error on his part and spent a few minutes in his book room to calm himself before departing. Lady Catherine' welcome allayed his fear of disapproval.

"Mr. Collins, please be seated"

She instructed the butler to bring refreshments. Looking at Mr. Collins with a smile she said,

"Thoughts about you and your future have occupied my thoughts this entire morning."

Lady Catherine's words caused his mind to race. They fed Mr. Collins' very good opinion of himself, his imagined sphere of authority as a clergyman and his rights as rector. His feelings of self-importance had muddled his brain.

Lady Catherine proceeded to bring Mr. Collins to his senses by her next words. First she gave a recommendation—due to the entailment involved with the property at Longbourn, she felt he should visit there and choose a wife from among these cousins. After all, such an offer would be full of details of eligibility on his part and would show him to be excessively generous. In her mind, such a match would settle all matters. She continued,

"You must choose property. Choose a gentlewoman for my sake. For your own sake make sure she is an active, useful person, not brought up too high, but able to make a small income go a long way."

Finally, with the greatest condescension she continued,

"When you return with her from Longbourn, I will visit her."

Her Ladyship's continued conversation sounded like muffled rumblings in the distance. Mr. Collins' head was throbbing, his emotions were shipwrecked, resulting in his usual response, which collected quite suddenly on his brow. He was brought around by Lady Catherine's inquiry,

"Are you unwell, Mr. Collins?"

He replied,

"I beg your Ladyship's pardon. I do feel quite unwell and beg to be excused."

"By all means Mr. Collins, I will have you delivered safely to your door."

The butler rang for a carriage.

Upon his return to his residence, Mr. Collins took to analyzing his situation. There was no doubt in his mind that to oppose the Lady of Rosings Park would prove to be his downfall. There was nothing else to say on the matter. How would he convey his solemn resolution to the other person that might be affected? After a small glass of port he put pen to hand and wrote the word, DUTY. This would be the theme of his sermon on Sunday. Mr. Collins sighed. Above all else he wished to continue as a dutiful servant and a grateful recipient of Lady Catherine's beneficence.

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Anne de Bourgh instructed her maid to lay out her cream colored dress in the sunlight so she should see how her newest hat of emerald green with its' matching scarf would look against its' soft color. She was quite satisfied with the match and glowed with anticipation of a certain gentleman's complement. Smith, her maid, who was always full of conversation, kept her as quiet in her chambers as her mother did elsewhere. She oohed and aahed about the lovely hat, how the scarf matched perfectly and made the suggestion that she wear the outfit to church the next day. Anne intended to do just that.

That afternoon, around tea time she was about to enter the drawing room when she heard voices. It appeared that her mother had company, a dear friend, Lady Metcalfe. Anne entered the room and was beckoned by her mother. After she curtsied to the Lady her mother's guest took her chin in her hand and expounded,

"Why Anne, you look quite lovely. Your complexion has such brilliancy. Now speak, you sly thing, what have you been up to?"

Anne stammered and tried to regain her composure. As usual, her mother interjected,

"Anne has been taking daily rides around the park. I had not noticed, but I now see that there is an improvement in her appearance."

Anne took a chair directly across from her mother. The servant poured the tea. Lady Catherine's conversation with Lady Metcalfe continued,

"My dear friend, you have not had the opportunity to meet our new parson. He is a young man of five and twenty, unmarried and full of promise"

Anne smiled as she heard her mother's compliment.

"After some observation on my part, I determined that it was time for him to seek a wife and told him so only yesterday. I have instructed him to seek a wife among his cousins in Hertfordshire."

A startled Anne tipped over her tea cup and in the process burned her hand. That pain was dwarfed by the one in her breast, in the area she perceived was her heart. It was a welcomed accident for it allowed her the liberty of tears. As the servants bundled her off to her room she thought to herself,

'Did she not see, does she not understand? She does not care for my happiness.'

Her hand was bandaged, she was given warm milk and placed gently in the bed by Mrs. Jenkinson who thought to herself,

'To my benefit, she is safe, nothing will change and shall remain as it always has been.'

She sat by the bed, supposedly watching Anne sleep. Although Anne's eyes were closed, she was not asleep and thought,

'What will become of me?'