Mr. Collins, being a man who was not prone to exercise, would have been better served regrouping his thoughts away from the eyes of the many loyal servants of Longbourn. But, being a man unused to luxury, and more importantly, a man so sure of his place that none would hamper him, retreated to his room to contemplate. He demanded a pot of tea and a maid to see to his needs. He didn't consider that the loyalty of the very servants he denigrated and demanded, were not his to command and loyalty was a commodity not easily traded.
Mr. Bennet had clearly allowed those harlots far too much freedom and had nurtured the absurd idea that women could learn more than household tasks. Mr. Collins almost barked a laugh at the notion. He considered removing his attentions and focusing on a more worthy candidate. That Miss Lucas was hardly any beauty and probably desperate for any husband. Women were like that: they depended so wholly on men that it was unnatural to attend to any other state. For sure, she would be far more receptive to his generous attentions.
However, if the Miss Bennets are not reigned in, he will be the laughing stock of the neighborhood when he settles into his estate. Why to have cousins, let alone the daughter of the previous landlord, so outside the bounds of the natural state would reflect poorly on his ability to manage either his family or his estate. Tenants would think him weak-minded like the current master and skip rents or lie. They might even expect him to maintain the silly school. No, Mr. Collins needed to bring the entire state into line before Mr. Bennet destroyed his inheritance.
Like the many of the prophets and great men before him, sacrifices would have to be made. At least his sacrifice would end up with a pretty, nubile body beneath him. He spent so long then considering the great joys in having one (or a couple) of the Bennet sisters in his bead that he lost track of time. And when a knock came at the door, he jumped up to get it, initially thinking it was a continuation of the imagery to which he had lost himself. Surely, behind the door stood a sister, ready to plead for his forgiveness and ask for a second chance. So remorseful was she, that she would beg and plead with pretty little tears for him to consider her, and not her ungrateful sister Catherine, as his wife, a title of utmost respect.
"Pardon, Mr. Collins, you be callin for tea?" In came a burly footman, carrying a pot that was no longer steaming and the rest of a tea service.
"I demanded tea far too long ago for this to be acceptable. And I asked for a maid to deliver this. What is a lazy lug like you doing a maid's job for?" He peered around wondering if a maid had just had a footman carry the service for her. But the lazy wench was not there.
"Sorry, sir. But it be most improper for a single man such as yourself to be alone in a room with a single woman. So I been told by Mrs. Hill to bring you the tea."
"Improper. What is improper is keeping entirely unnecessary footman. And why is the pot not steaming?" Looking closer, the set didn't look as nice as the dainty cups he just saw in the breakfast room. "And what is this subpar china?"
"Apologies sir. I was attending to other duties and did not know I needed to carry this up. Mrs. Hill didn't want me handling the fine china on a count of me not used to this job." Really, the staff thought little of Mr. Collins and simply didn't prioritize his commands.
"So why did a maid not handle it?"
"Well they had other work and this is an upstanding and respectable house."
Mr. Collins was truly angry. Not once had a maid been sent when he had asked for one. How was a man supposed to take care of his needs if no maids were around to service him. The little harlots were here to service him. And the servants weren't even capable of a warm cup of tea let alone a warm bath. Clearly their poor training was showing through.
"Very well then, put the service down. Now, I must ask you some questions."
"Yes sir."
Mr. Collins then proceeded to ask about the habits of the Bennet girls. Where do they walk? How often? What time? Do they spend time in solitary prayer?
The footman, having been a former fosterling raised in the house, had seen the terrible things men did to women. His own mama had been attacked and died. He would not let anything happen to the women who saved the lives of his siblings. So he responded that he was unfamiliar with the habits of the sisters as he was a newer footman.
Upon departing from Mr. Collins rooms, the footman reported the interaction to Mrs. Hill. Immediately several older fosterlings and footman volunteered to rotate guard duty. Henceforth, the Bennet sisters would become the most watched residents in Hertfordshie, if they were not already there.
The sisters, upon hearing the news, let out a sigh of great sadness to have their former freedoms seemingly curtailed. While each knew that none of their self-appointed guards would protest the sisters outings, they also knew that particular ventures would be risky or tiresome and wished not to prevent anyone from their duties or education, particularly their education. The sisters knew that while they had the extra eyes, it was quite likely that some of their guards had chores picked up by other members of the household. While the sisters attempted to ignore the loyalty, and adoration, or the staff, they could not entirely deny its existence. They had seen the long waits and cold tea being sent to their cousin. But they liked to fancy that it was due to Mr. Collins overt disdain for anyone he considered beneath him. His concepts on the distinction of rank were often followed by violent diatribes on the sins of servants. While this was true in part, any servant in Longbourn, and a great many outside, would tell you that an insult to the august Bennet family was as severe as an insult to God.
It was not that the family was considered saintly, though perhaps to some they were. But many in the community, especially of the working class, saw the family as a kind benefactor. Their taking in of fosterlings had eased the fears of many. And the establishment of a school for the community, had only elevated them further. It was this kindness of spirit that left them elevated to a pedestal in the eyes of many in the community.
It was this that Mr. Collins would fail to understand. A cruel master could not earn the love of those who laboured in his house or in his fields. He saw himself as a man elevated above all others. His station, given by God himself, allowed him to be pecuniary and belittling. For what else could he consider, when raised by a man who thought much the same way. His older brother was labouring in the field. He was mean spirited like his father. Yet, borne from the same father, God sought to elevate Mr. Collins into the gentry. Mr. Thomas Bennet had been unable to retain control of Longbourn, because the Creator had decided him unworthy and thus gifted him with no songs. Mr. Collin's mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Collins, died early in Mr. Collins childhood in a set of mysterious circumstances. Mr. Collins took this as further proof that Good would strike down those he considered as unworthy.
All in all, Mr. Collings was unwilling to see the evidence of Longbourns prosperity or the loyalty of its servants as a challenge to his ideology. It was merely an insult to the natural order of the world. The prosperity could be explained away on the current inhabitants' inability to curb their spending. The servants' loyalty was likely due to the inhabitants overpaying servants.
A/N: Sorry again for the short chapter. My goal, for now, is to establish a regular posting schedule more than to hit a length. Hopefully, as I start to churn out chapters again they will get longer. Then I might start to beef up some of the chapters and add scenes that I never got around to writing. As before, feel free to message me if you want (or are willing) to help edit my story. You would see new scenes and chapters before they go live and have an opportunity to influence the direction of the story.
Also, I can't believe how many people have read this story. I am about to cross 100k readers and I am entirely amazed. So thank you all for your amazing support along the way and for being patient with me.
So while the sisters accepted their new bevy of guards, Mr. Collins remained painfully oblivious upstairs, marking out how he would claim a beautiful Bennet sister as his wife
