Chapter 7
Charlotte Collins stared at Lady Catherine in astonishment and then shifted her eyes to Elizabeth, who was blushing openly.
"Elizabeth," she cried out. "Congratulations!"
"Thank you," Elizabeth began, only to be ruthlessly interrupted by a positively pale Mr. Collins.
"But ... but, what of Miss de Bourgh, Lady Catherine? Surely she, the fairest flower in all of Kent, is the only one worthy of marrying Mr. Darcy and … and …"
Lady Catherine glared beadily at the parson, causing him to trail away into silence.
"My daughter and my nephew have decided that they will not suit," she declared loftily. "I assure you, Mr. Collins, that this decision was made with my express knowledge and, indeed, authorization. I pride myself on being willing to change my mind when it is advisable, though of course that is a very rare event. On this occasion, I understand that it is best for my nephew to marry another, and Miss Bennet, based on the fecundity of her mother, is an excellent choice."
"Fecundity?" Mr. Collins repeated weakly.
"Fertility, Mr. Collins, fertility!" the lady responded impatiently. "Look at Miss Bennet, will you not? She is a healthy, pretty girl, strong of limb and lung. Her mother's decision to have five daughters without even one son was, perhaps, a questionable one, but five healthy daughters raised to near adulthood is a great accomplishment, do you not think, Mrs. Collins?"
"Yes, Lady Catherine."
"Well, there you have it. Regrettably, Miss Bennet will need to leave Kent on the morrow, as Mr. Darcy is, naturally enough, eager to speak to Mr. Bennet regarding the courtship. I must thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Collins, for bringing such a healthy specimen to Kent as an appropriate female for my nephew."
Mr. Collins was goggling so much that he could not speak, but Charlotte said, without so much as a tremor in her voice, "Thank you. It was indeed our pleasure to serve you."
"Of course it is," Catherine de Bourgh responded complacently. "Mrs. Collins, perhaps you can assist Miss Bennet in packing for her trip tomorrow. Mr. Collins, escort me to the carriage."
Her parson tottered shakily to his feet and nodded obediently, "Yes, Lady Catherine!"
/
"My dear Lizzy, congratulations!"
Elizabeth, who had collapsed on the window seat of her bedroom, managed a wobbly smile, "Oh Charlotte, I must be mad. What have I done?"
Charlotte shut the door behind her firmly and settled herself on a seat next to her younger friend, "What have you done? You have accepted the overtures of a handsome, wealthy, intelligent man. What is there to distress you?"
"I do not even like him!"
Mrs. Collins shook her head reprovingly, "If that is important to you, then work on liking him. Seriously, Elizabeth, this is a marvelous opportunity for you and your family, and I do beg of you not to disdain it. Pray, do not remember Mr. Wickham's accusatory words …"
"I promise you, I will not," her friend interrupted her, her eyes suddenly sad. "I … well, Charlotte, I do not have leave to tell you all, but I have learned that Mr. Wickham did not speak the truth about Mr. Darcy. The man is, indeed, a renegade of sorts, and Mr. Darcy is entirely blameless in the affair of the supposedly stolen living. Mr. Darcy paid Wickham 3000 pounds to give up all rights to the living, you see, plus an additional 1000 pounds as part of the elder Mr. Darcy's will."
"4000 pounds! That is a veritable fortune!"
"Yes, and then the lieutenant frittered it all away. Oh Charlotte, how can I trust my own heart, and my own head, when I so foolishly trusted a man like Wickham? How can I tell if a man is honorable or not?"
Charlotte sighed and patted her friend's hand, "My dear Lizzy, in this case I think you need only look to the Scriptures. Matthew 7 says:
'You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.'
Now Mr. Wickham is definitely a charming man, but I can think of no particular instance of goodness on his part. Indeed, now you know that the man is a liar and a slanderer."
"I agree," Elizabeth said disconsolately, "but nor am I aware of any special virtue on the part of Mr. Darcy."
"Mr. Darcy is temperate, cautious, widely-read, intelligent, well-mannered except in Meryton assembly halls, widely considered a good master to his estate, and a devoted brother. That is a propitious start, and I believe you will find more to appreciate if you spend more time with him."
"I devoutly hope so, dear friend. My mother will kill me if I decide that I cannot move forward in the marriage."
"I think you would be a fool to do so, Lizzy, but in any case, you know your father will support you no matter what you decide."
Elizabeth suddenly remembered the longing in Mr. Darcy's eyes and sighed. It seemed, improbably enough, that she had broken the young man's heart. For all their sakes, it would be entirely advantageous if she could fall in love with Darcy of Pemberley.