Chapter 26

"I am glad you are come back, Lizzy. I began to be afraid you would never come back again, but I see that you are well and trust that this unpleasant business has been accomplished?"

"Yes father, the blessed union has come to pass. My sister and Mr. Collins are just below. I told them I would like to speak to you alone first. Are you feeling well enough to receive them?"

"Not very well, but it must be done. Lizzy, my dear, I knew you would manage everything." he said gratefully, but continued with some consternation, "Though she is not the sort of girl to make a good parsons wife, I hope they will do very well together. Your mother will, I am sure, now, rest a little easier knowing her future at Longbourne is secure."

Mr. Bennet stared up at his second daughter fondly from his bed. It was plain to see that her mind had wandered from the subject. She had a curious look of guilty mischief about her and a twinkle in her eyes which had been absent of late. He was glad to see it returned and was moved to speak further.

"I would have been very sorry to lose you my Lizzy. It was no pleasant task to force you into an engagement with Mr. Darcy. I know your disposition, Lizzy. I knew that you could be neither happy nor respectable, unless you truly esteemed your husband; unless you looked up to him as a superior. It pained me to know I was condemning you to a life of discredit and misery. It was a great relief to be able to free you from it. Not to mention, life at Longbourne would have been intolerable without you. I am sure it should have broke my old heart."

The news, which Elizabeth had been preparing herself to impart, lodged tightly in her throat. It was a rare occasion to be admitted to her father's candid expression of feeling. Though it was not to a life of discredit and misery, it would cause him great pain to understand he had already lost her. The courage and determination which had possessed her earlier that morning now failed her.

Though unable to bluntly speak of what had befallen him, her indignation of hearing her beloved spoken of so now emerged. "Father, Mr. Darcy is a man most worthy of our esteem. He has been used very ill in all of this."

Mr. Bennet smiled and replied, "But, my dear, think of his happy escape. What man, with his amount of pride, could countenance a connection with such a man as Mr. Collins."

It was then that the indirect object of their discussion chose to enter the room with his new bride in tow. "My dear sir, forgive me but I could not wait a moment longer to present myself to you as your son in law. Be assured that Mrs. Collins and myself sincerely sympathize with you in your present distress. It is a blessing that nothing of a more serious nature occurred. I presume you are still not well enough to leave your room?"

"It causes me a great deal of pain to move about, and I have been advised against it, but I am capable of leaving my room, sir. We shall begin the journey home tomorrow, though it must be taken at a considerably slower pace."

"Then we must bear you bad tidings I am afraid, I cannot afford to stay away from my parish any longer, so we will be unable to accompany you both back to Longbourne. To own the truth, we must take our leave and away almost immediately."

Feeling suddenly some weight of fatherly duty, Mr. Bennet requested a minute to speak privately to his youngest girl. Mr. Collins took his leave of Mr. Bennet thanking him for the gift of the countries brightest ornament, and informed his wife that he would await her in their carriage.

Elizabeth was glad of the haste he felt needed in returning to Hunsford. She suspected that Mr. Collins was worried over the time he had spent away from his patroness. Allowing for some distance to form between them Elizabeth followed him from the room affording her father and sister the requested privacy, though neither of them truly felt at ease with it.

Mr. Bennet fixed a steady gaze upon his youngest daughter, who in avoidance of his had her eyes downcast, steadfastly fixed upon the bonnet in her lap.

Unused to and uncomfortable with silence, Lydia was the first to speak.

"My wedding bonnet is very pretty, is it not? It caught my eye in the shop window as we passed just after the wedding. I bought one to be sent home for Kitty as well. She shall be so disappointed not to have been my bridesmaid, and I am sure all my sisters will be jealous that I the youngest of them all am married first."

"Lydia," he spoke tiredly, "I would have hoped this experience would have taught you at least a little sense."

Lydia's face reddened, whether from embarrassment or anger would soon become apparent, but Mr. Bennet continued, "If you hadn't married Mr. Collins your mother would have never given me another moments peace! Your sisters would have been ruined. You would have ruined us all! How could you have acted so foolishly!"

Lydia, who had never been witness to her father in a rage, began to cry. At the sight of her hysteric tears, Mr. Bennet, who had planned on saying much more to his daughter, lost the motivation his sudden surge of fatherly feeling had stirred.

"Don't make yourself unhappy, my child, undoubtedly you will remain your mothers favorite for having saved her from the hedgerows. At least she will get what she wanted. I know you had hopes of a different future, but so did I. I had hoped to have a mistress of more sense succeed your mother at Longbourne not less."

Lydia, feeling herself unjustly accused, exclaimed, "Would a woman of no sense have made a match that secured her family's future? Would a woman of no sense have made a match that made herself ten thousand pounds the richer? I have done what you did not! My mother constantly worries over her future because you could not secure one for her. All of her nerves are a result of your own neglect and indifference. Perhaps had I a father of more 'sense' I would have been brought up to see the world as you say I ought. I only ever wanted a little attention from my father but he barely acknowledged my existence. Should you not rejoice at my marriage Papa? You need not make such an effort to avoid me any longer, for by the time I return to reside at Longboune you will be dead!"

With that emotional declaration she fled the room.

Mr. Bennet could hardly chase after her, even if he was so inclined to do so. He was content to sit back in his bed and feel relief over the whole business being over.

AN: I know its been a long time and this chapter isn't really much but I wanted to assure any and all readers that may still be out there that I still intend to finish this story. Thank you all for your support! Don't forget to review :)