I don't own Pride and Prejudice.
"You stole the marriage contract?" Vincent Lucas was staring at his sister with pride and amazement. Anyone who had been working on a plan to protect Charlotte and Maria had convened in William's study. He had been asking if his sister remembered what had been in the contract, hoping to find a legal way out of it, only to find out she had it in her possession.
Retrieving it from her room she laid it out before him, and he almost couldn't contain his laugh. "You're sure this is the final copy? This wasn't just a draft and they were going to have another one drawn up later."
"No, Papa was adamant this would be fine, that there was no need for another copy. He didn't want to risk spreading Maria's shame about, by having to explain to Mr Phillips why we needed another one with the name changed. He told Mr Collins he could go to London if he liked, but it would cost more there to have a new one drawn up, and Mama did not wish to wait longer for the wedding to take place."
Handing the copy to William, he spoke, "That sly old dog." He couldn't contain his chuckle.
"The contract has been altered, and therefore considered null and void." William spoke, showing Elizabeth where one name had been crossed out and another one entered.
"Something a man once in trade would have known." Uncle Gardiner spoke up, referring to Sir William's once owning the general store in Meryton.
"He knew Collins would be too cheap to want them rewritten, and that your mother would not want to wait the extra time." Elizabeth spoke to her friend.
"That would explain the conversation I heard right before father called us into his study to send us after you. There was a man in there by the name of Chapham, he appeared to be a farmer, but not one I've ever met."
"We have a Chapham family on one of our farms. Mr Chapham drives a wagon with produce to sell in London from time to time." Elizabeth explained.
"That would make sense, for I heard him tell my father that he had picked them up just where he had been told they would be, and that they had been delivered safely. When my father offered to pay him for his trouble, he said that your father had already rewarded his handsomely, and that he was happy to be able to assist the little one."
To hear that her father had helped Maria, invoked different feelings in her. She was grateful that he had been willing to stand up and help Maria, but couldn't help but wonder at his lack of action for her and her sisters. He had married her off to a man unknown to anyone in the neighborhood, and then shipped the majority of his daughters off for her and her husband to care for. It didn't stack up to the man who would pay one of his tenants to ensure a young girl of no relation to him made it to London safely.
"As far as any of the courts are concerned, this contract isn't worth the paper it is written on." James Darcy grinned.
It was four days later that a carriage was seen on the road heading to Pemberley. "Girls, I think it is high time you attended to your musical practices." Elizabeth said, sending Mary, Georgiana, and Kitty off to the music room.
"Maria, I think it best you join them dear." Charlotte smiled reassuringly, and Maria scooped up her kitten, and followed the three girls.
"I believe it best if Anne, Jane, and Olivia remove themselves as well, this will likely not be a proper scene for young ladies." Lady Catherine stated, and Jane stood, mentioning a desire to spend time with her young cousins.
Before long, Sir William Lucas, Lady Lucas, and Mr Collins, were announced and allowed entry into the parlor where the rest of them were all gathered. "Mr Darcy, I demand you return my bride to her family." Mr Collins blustered.
"I assure you, I have no idea of what you speak." William spoke as he stared down the man unflinchingly.
"No idea...no idea...her sister is right there!" Collins shouted, gesturing to Charlotte.
"All I did was offer Miss Lucas and her sister an invitation to Pemberley for the holidays. They have been free to go, and her guardian free to collect them, whenever they wish."
"Well their parents are here now, demanding they be returned." The clergyman stomped his foot like a small child.
"They do not have guardianship of Miss Lucas, Mrs Darcy and her new husband do." William smirked.
"And how did you bring this about. There is no cause for you and Elizabeth to have guardianship of my daughters." Lady Lucas sneered at the two of them.
"You are mistaken Madam, it is Mrs Andrew Darcy I spoke of." William said, motioning to Charlotte as she sat next to his cousin.
"Charlotte...what...but...how...your father never gave his consent or signed a contract." Lady Lucas stammered in her shock.
"No, but with Father gone, and John as her oldest male relation, he was able to negotiate the match." Vincent stood, and handed the contract to their father.
"What does this have to do with Maria?" Lady Lucas almost shouted at her son.
"Like with my wife and her sisters, Mr Andrew Darcy had his attorney write a clause into the contract granting him and his wife guardianship of Miss Maria Lucas." William explained, and Elizabeth was sure she saw a twinkle in Sir William's eyes.
"We have a contract of marriage between me and Miss Maria that was signed before this would could have even been written." Mr Collin's was almost purple in his rage.
"Ah, but we have all seen that contract, witnessed where one name was crossed off and another written in, making it altered, and therefore null and void." James Darcy stood tall next to his nephew.
"What do you mean altered?!?" Mr Collins roared.
"We mean, Mr Collins, that the name Charlotte Lucas was crossed off as the intended bride, and the name Maria Lucas written in." Lady Catherine's voice soured above the noise.
"Your Ladyship, I am most humbly sorry for not attending you directly upon my arrival. I assure you, had I seen you there, I would have..."
"Yes, yes, I know what you would have done." The woman looked down her nose at the man.
"Your ladyship, my most humble apologies for it taking me so long to find a wife as you commanded. I assure you, I have..."
"Oh yes Mr Collins, I know all that you have done in your quest for a wife, and what others have done to protect their beloved sisters," here she shot looks at Charlotte and Elizabeth, "as well as their daughters," giving Sir William a meaningful glance, "from your advances."
"I have heard it all, and were I able, I would remove you from your position this instant. I have never been so disgusted with a man of my acquaintance in all my life. I am shamed every time I look at that sweet child, knowing it was a man I gave a position to that did it to her. And what's worse is that she doesn't have a mother willing to protect her." She glared at Lady Lucas, "I have Darcy's uncle, the bishop, looking for a way to remove you from your post, and hopefully he can find a way to do so before it is time for Anne and I to return from London. However, if it can not be done by then, I already have the permission of Darcy and his wife to house my daughter here at Pemberley until you are gone. I may not be able to stop you from preaching to the rest of my congregation, but I can stop your words from reaching my child."
"Your ladyship, I promise I will make my disappointment up to you. Please don't send me away. I will find another wife, once from somewhere other than Meryton, someone free from scandal..."
"How can you make up for my disappointment, when you are not even aware of what my disappointment is really about? No Mr Collins, I am done with you, and from this day forward will do everything in my power to remove you from my rectory."
"Now that we are clear on that, I want you out of my home, and off my property! I have several young girls in my care, and it is my job to protect them." Motioning to the footmen, William commanded, "Escort Mr Collins from Pemberley."
"But Sir, it has already started snowing." Collins pleaded.
"Then you better ride quickly." He then turned his back as the man was escorted out, begging someone to intercede on his behalf.
"Will you have us thrown out as well, Eliza?" Lady Lucas sneered at her.
"What have you done to deserve honor of staying in my home?" She asked with a raised eyebrow, "Did you protect your daughters when a man sought to abuse them for his own gain? Did you make sure they had protection when they had to flee from your home? Did you offer comfort when their word was shattered?"
"What would you know of it, you're not a mother?"
"No, but I've seen the damage that can be done when a mother cares more for her own comfort than that of her children's safety."
"To answer your question, no, we will not cast you from our house like we did Mr Collins. However, make no mistake, this is not an open invitation stay as long as you please. If the wether is clear, you will leave at first light tomorrow morning."
"We appreciate the hospitality, after what you and your husband have done for our daughters in our absence, I know it is more than we deserve." Sir William spoke before his wife had a chance to make things worse.