A/N: Thank you, ChrisM0519, Levenez and nanciellen for reviewing every chapter. Your letting me know your thoughts on the story as it progresses allows me to get into your heads a little to see the story from your viewpoints. it will help me greatly with the next story. So far I just write what I want without regard, mostly. to the reader's perspective.
Thank you Gedoena, Sew Cajun, NYT and Guest for your occasional inputs as well. Every comment is valued and read with enthusiasm. If you prefer reading without commenting, thank you too for giving this story a try. I appreciate all of you.
Starting in February I will post just one chapter but twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays. I think the new schedule will give the story more continuity. I have noticed that most of you read the post within two days of posting. You probably will have forgotten what has gone before the new post a week later.
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The next day, a typical spring day – cloudy, misty, and cool – passed by without incident. Elizabeth figured Miss de Bourgh would not be driving her phaeton after all, and the chance to communicate with her was dashed.
Elizabeth's uncle sent an express assuring her that the travel arrangements had been made. Elizabeth examined the seal carefully and found it to be intact because Mr. Collins was from home when the post arrived. All in her family often opened sealed letters they had written to add last-minute information and then resealed. None of them would have suspected that the letters might have been read by someone other than the intended recipients. She felt anger surge within her and was more and more determined to help Miss de Bourgh in her quest.
The day of departure for London dawned clear, warm, and sunny. Elizabeth was very glad that the ride in the stagecoach would be relatively pleasant. She closed her trunk and put the forbidden book in her satchel, thinking that if the ride was not too rough, she might start reading it. She was not a radical but had heard so much about the new way of thinking for women presented in this book that she felt it her duty to know about it. She placed Miss de Bourgh's letter along with Mr. Darcy's in a secret pocket that she had sewn on the inside lining of her pelisse. Ever since she had received the letter from Mr. Darcy, she felt inexplicably close to it and wanted to keep it near even when she was out.
She had the trunk and the satchel taken downstairs and was having breakfast with the Collinses when they heard the outside door open and Lady Catherine's loud voice demanding to see all three of them at once. Mr. Collins immediately rose and rushed out of the dining room even before the maid came to announce the grand lady's presence. Charlotte and Elizabeth followed close behind to see what the commotion was all about.
When they reached the parlor, they saw an irate Lady Catherine telling Mr. Collins to stop his ridiculous apology for not being at the door to receive her. Elizabeth was extremely concerned when she saw Miss de Bourgh, who never came into the house, standing with Mrs. Jenkinson behind Lady Catherine, looking scared and shrunken.
When Lady Catherine saw Elizabeth, her fury increased explosively. She shook a finger at Elizabeth, and her face turned a plum color:
"You! I have condescended to treat you with courtesy you do not deserve, being the low-born cretin that you are, and you return the favor by coming into our midst – noble people far above your station – to indoctrinate them with indecent schemes. If you confess now, I might deal with you leniently as I will with that ingrate Jenkinson," paused Lady Catherine and turned to sneer at the elderly woman next to Miss de Bourgh. Both women were further cowed by the fearsome lady's fierce countenance and looked as if they would have rather sunk into the floor.
She turned back to Elizabeth, who stood there completely unperturbed, which stoked the fury of the great lady even more. Lady Catherine uttered each syllable with great ire, "Do you admit your treachery?"
Elizabeth said pleasantly to Lady Catherine, "Madam, first, I am a gentleman's daughter – not that far below the station of your own untitled daughter. Second, you have come here to scream uncivilly at me without explaining exactly what crime I have committed. As a result, I admit nothing!"
Seeing his cousin was defying his patroness' wishes, Mr. Collins wanted to interject but was loudly shut down by her ladyship,
"Collins! Do not interrupt! You are at fault for not disciplining your cousin staying under your roof. I will deal with you later!"
Mr. Collins immediately began his long apology anew but was very rudely shushed by Lady Catherine as if he had been a dog.
Lady Catherine turned back to Elizabeth, and asked relatively pleasantly, "Miss Bennet, when is Anne's birthday?"
Elizabeth was always a quick wit, but under intimidation, she thought especially clearly and quickly. She answered, feigning obtuseness, "Madam, who is Anne? Do you mean the parlor maid here? You should ask Mrs. Collins this question instead of me."
Lady Catherine's terrifying scowl returned immediately, and she raised her voice even further to a frightening pitch, "Insolent girl! You know very well whom I meant. You have burrowed like a snake into my daughter's confidence and instigated the plan to…" here the grand lady hesitated because she did not want the lowly creatures within hearing to find out how her own daughter schemed against her. She continued fiercely, ". . . to disobey her own mother's wish. I caught my daughter and that old fool leaving Rosings this morning with this book with a bookmark in it. They claimed they were coming here to return the book she borrowed from you. However, this is not your book they are returning. Is this your bookmark?"
Elizabeth craned her head to look at what Lady Catherine held out for her to see. The book was obviously not her 'Sense and Sensibility' but a French instructional book of some sort. The bookmark, however, was indeed hers, but there was a line of writing in a small hand that had not been there before.
Elizabeth replied, still pleasantly, "Your ladyship, there must have been some misunderstanding. The book is not mine. However, the bookmark is indeed mine except for the line of writing that is not in my hand. You have accused me of a serious infraction except that the evidence you have shown me has very little to do with me. If Miss de Bourgh said she intended to return the wrong book to me and write on my clean bookmark, then perhaps you should ask her for the reason. She has paid the parsonage a rare honor and has condescended to enter my cousins' home. She is standing directly behind you. If you would excuse me, my business here is finished, and I have a stagecoach to catch."
"Not so fast!" Lady Catherine roared. "Do not think that I did not hear you giving my daughter the hint to bribe Jenkinson with a pension so that the old fool would betray me! Jenkinson confessed all when I found them leaving the house this morning. She also confessed that she handed you a letter when you first gave my daughter the book. Where is it now? I want to see it!"
Elizabeth was more disturbed than her face showed at this turn of events. But then her courage rarely failed her at any attempt to intimidate her. She replied with genuine composure, "Madam, even though you think you have the authority to read other people's letters without permission and make the likes of Mr. Collins complicit with acts that are beneath one of your station, I do not agree with and, in fact, condemn such a breach of honor and decency. The letter was mine. Beyond that it is not your concern. It might have been the same letter that Mr. Collins read while it was on the tray in the hall, and he has already told you its contents."
Lady Catherine narrowed her eyes at Elizabeth and spat out each word with ire, "I do not believe you. Jenkinson said that the letter was to be an express to your father in Hertfordshire, not the one you posted to your uncle in Cheapside. Like all liars, you cannot keep your deception straight. Let me search your things. If it is indeed not here, then you may go. Collins!" ordered the Lady. "Search this Bennet woman's things for the letter. Start from her reticule and end with her trunk!"
Several things happened at the same time: Miss de Bourgh turned and rushed out of the front door; Elizabeth rushed to her satchel; and Mr. Collins rushed toward the trunk and Elizabeth's reticule that was sitting on it. In his haste, he was tripped by a small fold in the rug and fell. His chin hit the banister at the bottom of the stairs, thrusting his head violently back. His eyes opened wide in terror, and an instant later. his head hit the stone floor with a sickening thud, and he lost consciousness. Charlotte was so alarmed that she was frozen at the scene before her at first and then rushed over to her husband lying prone on the floor in the hall with blood trickling out of his mouth. Elizabeth abandoned her satchel and went over to the Collinses to see what she could do to help while ordering the maid to summon the apothecary.
Lady Catherine seized this opportunity to open Elizabeth's satchel. The first thing she pulled out was Mrs. Wollstonecraft's book. She held it up and said triumphantly, "What more proof do I need to show you to be the incendiary she-devil that you are!"
Her footman came in at that time and told her that Miss de Bourgh and Mrs. Jenkinson had taken the carriage back to Rosings.
"Let her go. She should not be exposed to such disgusting wickedness anyway. Go back to Rosings and ask to have the carriage returned to me. I shall be here a while yet. Also tell the staff that Miss de Bourgh is not to leave the house until I have returned." She then turned to the book in her hand and opened it to the page with the book plate.
"What! Wilford! This book belongs to that Wilford woman of the filthy brewery money! It comes from this parsonage. Mrs. Collins!" screamed Lady Catherine.
Charlotte turned with tears in her eyes from her position on the floor while wiping the blood from her husband's mouth and looked at Lady Catherine with a blank expression.
"I had every corner swept after the Wilfords had left and removed everything that did not belong to the parsonage. There must be a place, a secret hiding place perhaps, that I have not searched. Show it to me at once!"
Charlotte said very calmly but with a glint of determination in the eye, "Madam, could you not see that your unreasonable behavior may have taken the life of my husband? Is this not enough for you to end your tyranny here and now? If you think there is a secret place in this house, by all means search for it yourself! I must tend to my husband, who may not revive. He has not awakened for at least five minutes."
Lady Catherine was extremely incensed at this insubordination but felt that she ought to show some magnanimity since Mr. Collins was hurt, "Your husband is an imbecile. I cannot fathom what induced me to have offered him the preferment. Nonetheless he is your husband, and he might be in danger caused by his own clumsiness. I forgive you this time for speaking so disrespectfully to me."
She looked around for someone to do her bidding and landed her eyes on Elizabeth, "Miss Bennet, since you have…."
Elizabeth did not even look at her and that made Lady Catherine very angry indeed.
"Miss Bennet, I am speaking to you! Pay attention!"
Elizabeth finally turned to look at Lady Catherine and said, "Madam, you have done quite enough. Please leave us be. If you want to search the house, you are an old hand at it. You do not need any help. Please go ahead and look anywhere you want." She then went back to fanning Mr. Collins to give him some air.
Lady Catherine looked around and saw no one who could do a better job than she as all the staff had disappeared. She huffed and went upstairs to the mistress' chamber and started the search from there, the letter temporarily forgotten.
Meanwhile, all the way back to Rosings, Mrs. Jenkinson apologized profusely to Miss de Bourgh about not keeping the secret. She was weeping uncontrollably. Miss de Bourgh finally said to her, "Jenkinson, I do not blame you too much. It is very difficult to stand up to my mother. When we arrive back at the house, lock the door to my room and stay in there. Do not open it no matter how my mother screams. If you do that, I shall still give you your pension when I come back as mistress in three days. If not, you know well enough that my mother will dismiss you without reference since you have already crossed her once."
Mrs. Jenkinson meekly nodded her head and said, "I will not fail you again, Miss de Bourgh. I am truly sorry that I am not very strong." Miss de Bourgh squeezed the older lady's hand until they arrived at Rosings.
Miss de Bourgh let Mrs. Jenkinson off the carriage at the front door and rode in the carriage to the stable yard. She summoned the stable master, John, to see her next to her phaeton, which was still harnessed from the morning.
When John came, Miss de Bourgh rushed over, squeezed John's forearm, and whispered urgently, "Johnsy! You must help me drive my phaeton to London! We must leave now. Will you do it for me?"
When the older man heard Miss de Bourgh call him by her pet name for him when she was eight, his heart melted. He was sad to see his former happy and clever pupil with a knack for driving grow up to be a silent and sullen young lady under her mother's harsh treatment. He answered quite enthusiastically, "Ma'am, I am happy to do anything for you. Your ponies are strong and well-matched, but your phaeton is not well-sprung enough for a long trip and is too open for a safe ride on the turnpike. It can be quite dangerous. Moreover, what would the mistress say? We are not supposed to take any long trip without her orders."
Miss de Bourgh did what she did every time she did not get her way, she stamped her foot, which in fact endeared her ten times more to the old retainer. She said a bit petulantly, "John, I am the true mistress of Rosings, and mother is only supposed to be helping me. I am going to London to see my uncle so that he can help me get Rosings under my control. Would you not prefer me to be the mistress?"
John smiled a genuine smile and said, "Of course the whole staff would prefer you as mistress! Are you thinking of starting now?"
Miss de Bourgh said urgently, "Yes! Now! But I must pick up a friend, Miss Bennet, at the parsonage. I am not very strong, and I nearly spoiled our whole plan by underestimating my mother. With my friend's help, we still may have a chance."
"Then hop up, Little Miss!" Said John with a wide smile, using the pet name of Miss de Bourgh from long ago. Just then, they heard some voices in the stable yard, and John turned to his mistress, put his finger on his lips to indicate silence, and then went out to investigate.
A few minutes later, John came back and said that the footman Jones just got back from the parsonage conveying Lady's Catherine's order that her daughter should not be allowed to leave the house, and the carriage should be sent back to the parsonage directly. Miss de Bourgh's face fell, but John said, "Ma'am, we should take the carriage instead. This way, if Lady Catherine plans to pursue you to London, she will have to order the big carriage, which is not hitched up. This will delay her by at least an hour."
Miss de Bourgh immediately agreed. John told his assistant that he had to drive the carriage to have the axle looked at and ordered the groom to drive the phaeton to the parsonage for Lady Catherine if the carriage had not returned in time. A couple of stable boys might have seen Miss de Bourgh board the carriage but said nothing since it was not their business to mind what the quality did.
When they got close to the parsonage, John stopped the carriage and asked his young mistress, "Ma'am, are you certain that you must pick up Miss Bennet when Lady Catherine is still within the parsonage?"
Miss de Bourgh said emphatically, "We must try, John! Miss Bennet is very capable and is the only person who is not afraid of mother. She proved it again this morning while the rest of us, including me, were too weak to stand up to my mother. Without her, I am afraid that even if I have Rosings back, I will not be able to manage it and may have to ask my mother to take over again."
John did not need any further encouragement. He proceeded to the house on foot and entered the parsonage stealthily through the unlocked front door, hoping to reconnoiter inside the house without alerting his fearsome mistress. What he saw shocked him: Mr. Collins was in a heap on the floor of the hall, and Mrs. Collins and Miss Bennet were tending to him as best they could. Miss Bennet turned and saw it was the stablemaster of Rosings, whom she had met, and said, "Oh, I thought you were the apothecary."
John put his finger on his lips to shush Elizabeth and quicky whispered to her that Miss de Bourgh was waiting for her to go to London together. Elizabeth felt torn about abandoning Charlotte at this difficult time, but Charlotte also turned around then. She motioned her head toward the satchel and said, "Go! Help us get out of this living hell! I shall manage. Your trunk will be shipped to Longbourn."
Elizabeth squeezed Charlotte's hand, kissed her friend's cheek, and went to retrieve her pelisse where the precious letters were hidden before walking quickly out of the door with John carrying the satchel.
Lady Catherine appeared at the second-floor landing just when the front door was closing. She demanded, "Who was at the door? Who was here? I thought I heard a man's voice. Where is your maid? Where is that Bennet chit?"
Charlotte looked Lady Catherine in the eye and said, "My only upstairs maid has gone to fetch the apothecary, but he still has not come. His man just came by to let me know that he should be here soon. That must have been what you heard. In the meantime, my friend has gone out to send a letter to her uncle as she will not be able to leave today and must inform her uncle of the change of plans."
"How dare you let that chit leave the house? I have not given you permission to let her out of here!" scolded Lady Catherine fiercely.
"I dare, madam, because I am the mistress of this house. If my husband does not wake up soon, you will have the opportunity to terrorize the wife of a new parson. As for me, I must go back to my husband. Excuse me," said Charlotte calmly but defiantly.
"What has the world become! Lower class rebellion! Tell me at once where the hiding place is so that I will not have to waste any more time in this despicable hovel. I looked everywhere in your chambers and could not find anything…. ah! it must be in the guest chambers! Perhaps your mouse of a sister knows. Where has she been? How is she not here with all this commotion?"
She went away to the guest chamber Elizabeth just vacated while Maria Lucas was shivering in her own. She had slept through a lot of the mayhem and went downstairs when Lady Catherine was at her fiercest. She was deathly afraid of the great lady and immediately went back upstairs. She locked herself in her room and even forwent breakfast. When she heard Lady Catherine rummaging in her sister's chambers, she pushed two chairs against the door of her own.