Five Bells in the Last Dog Watch

The residents of Longbourn paid little attention to the Nore Mutiny, except to shake their heads and hope that the French would not become ambitious before this second mass-mutiny was resolved. That was until the mutiny was over and the trials were finished. Then they learned that the events of 1797 would have a very personal impact on their family.

AN: For KatherineNotGreat. I added the slightest hint of Little Women as per your request, but it is very slight. Hopefully you can find it.

Forward: The Aftermath

When the Nore Mutiny began in 1797, the ringing of five bells in the last dog watch (6:30 pm) was the universally agreed upon signal for the sailors of that fleet for the mutiny to begin. After the final trials for the Nore Mutiny were over, the Royal Navy decided that they would forever skip that daily signal. For the Navy, as well as for Parliament, the memory of five bells was worthy of a shudder. But for Will Collins, it was the signal for a new and better life.

Longbourn, 1797

"I hope, my dear Mrs. Bennet, that you will have enough room at our table for two more guests tomorrow noon. You might wish to also have the guest room aired until other accommodations can be made for one of our unexpected diners."

"Two guests, Mr. Bennet? Is it the Waverleys? Oh, that would be propitious since they will have a son of marriageable age in two years! It would be wise to remind the boy that our dear Jane will be a great beauty when she is older... and well worth waiting for."

Eight year old Jane looked over at her mother, perplexed. She remembered Seth Waverley as the older boy who liked to chase the poor sheep with a stick and terrorize his sisters and the Bennet girls with grass snakes. That was until then five year old Lizzy turned the tables on him by putting one of the snakes in his cot. Why would Mama want the boy to think about her?

"No, Mrs. Bennet, it is not the Waverleys, and our Jane is far too young for you to be planning her betrothals quite yet. No, our first guest is Mr. Brookes, the rector from Moreton. He contacted me some weeks ago about the disposition of one of his charges from the poor house who is related to me. The boy's father was caught up two years ago by the press, and then he participated in the Nore Mutiny. He has been transported to Australia for life."

"Oh... well we cannot have the child of a criminal seated at our table, Mr. Bennet! Have you no compassion for my nerves?"

"Ah, but you see the boy was not raised by his father, but by his mother... my older cousin Alice... until she died. So while the boy does have his father's blood, the two have not been in company for years."

Mrs. Bennet had paled during this recitation. Now she found her voice, "You speak of Mrs. Collins! And that means that the boy is her son, who will one day toss us out into the hedgerows as soon as you are dead!"

"I assure you, Madame, that the reports of my approaching death are greatly exaggerated. And regardless to what you might think, he is a young boy of eleven who is now without home or family. It is our Christian duty to take him in."

Mrs. Bennet was about to go into one of her famous rants, but another little voice spoke up. Six year old Lizzy did not have a scheming bone in her body, so she must be forgiven when she said, "Mama, if you become his Mama, he will not toss you out, will he?"

Mrs. Bennet might not be the wisest of women, but she had a profound sense of self-preservation. From that moment she was silent while her mind began to work on how she might turn this situation to her advantage.

The following day...

Just before noon the next day the entire Bennet family stood in front of their manor house to greet the rector of Moreton and young William Collins. The rector was an elderly man, but a former trawler man, so he still had the broad shoulders and hard muscles of his early occupation. William Collins was a starved looking boy of eleven with a round face and a gangling appearance. He looked quite frightened, and then bewildered to see the entire family watching him.

Jane, ever the soul of kindness, saw they boy's fears and immediately stepped forward to take his hand. "You do not need to be afraid here, William. Nobody will hurt you here."

Young William, who had suffered from an abusive father, a bitter mother, and then the bullies of the poor house was so unused to kindness that he immediately fell to tears. Whatever one might say of Fanny Bennet, she was a mother through and through. All of her schemes were forgotten in that moment as she stepped forward to mother the poor boy.

Mr. Brookes enjoyed a fine meal at Longbourn and a pleasant, intellectual conversation with Mr. Bennet before excusing himself to take to the road again. Without a curate to take over his duties, he could not afford a long absence. Assured that at least one of his poor-house charges was now safe, he departed with a light heart.

It took several weeks before Will Collins finally relaxed and allowed himself to trust the adults of the house. During that time and afterwards Jane made him feel safe in the house and Lizzy took him on long walks all over the estate. Mary at four, Kitty at two, and Lydia at one could make little contribution, though Mary did drag books over for the boy to read to her, thus beginning a friendship which would endure.

So when Mr. Bennet called him into his office, the boy was at least familiar with his surroundings. "Have a seat, Will." Everyone now called him by that name, "I do not know if your mother or father has explained this to you, but you may someday become the master of this estate. You see Mrs. Bennet, my wife, cannot bear any more children safely. We do not have a boy of our own, so due to the entail it may go to you years from now when I pass."

Mr. Bennet allowed the boy to process this before continuing, "Because of this, it is very important that you receive a good education and that you learn how to manage an estate. From this day on, I will provide lessons for you and will take you along on all of my estate duties. I hope you don't mind, but my Lizzy often comes with me as well because she is interested in such things."

"Lizzy is nice. She knows a lot about your estate, Sir."

"We should find a different word than 'Sir' to use. You are actually a second-cousin, but that is too much to say. It also does not seem proper to say 'cousin,' with our age differences. Would you be willing to address me as 'Uncle'?"

Will thought about this and then nodded, "Yes, Si... I mean Uncle Bennet. I think that makes sense."

"Good. Now, for today's lesson..." the door opened as a little fist knocked, "Papa, is it time for maths?"

"Yes, Lizzy. Take a seat beside Will and we will begin."

~oOo~

Longbourn, 1804

Over the next seven years Will Collins learned, grew, and flourished at Longbourn. Mr. Bennet began to treat the boy as the son he never had. Due to his efforts in teaching the boy, Mr. Bennet experienced a renewed interest in his estate and began to make improvements which benefited everyone. It even made it possible to provide small dowries for each of his daughters.

Mrs. Bennet, though she never quite forgot her fears and never quite thought of Will as her own child, became the mother that Will needed. She was not the easiest of women to live under, but in comparison to his early years she was wonderful. Between the two adults, Will learned many or most of the things he needed to know to run an estate.

Mr. Hinklestein, the rector at the Meryton church, provided tutelage for Will in the sciences and the Bible, while Mr. Bennet furnished the rest of the boy's education.

Lizzy's enthusiasm for learning represented a challenge for Will, so he pushed himself to learn more so that he would not be outshone by his little cousin. He was not and never would be her intellectual equal, but he did learn how to form and present his own thoughts and opinions in a thoughtful manner. Jane, to him, was an angel who was both dear and unreachable to him. So despite the fact that she grew in beauty each year, he never formed any romantic attachment for her. Mary remained close to him, often cajoling him to read to her simply by the use of her large, doe-like eyes. The youngest two accepted Will as a part of their household and then went about their own little lives.

At seventeen Will developed the determination to attend one of the universities, though he did not have a specific agenda in mind. He only knew that he wanted some manner of employment while he waited... hopefully for many years... to inherit Longbourn. He considered the law or the church, but not the military. Due to his positive interaction with Mr. Brookes, and his ongoing tutelage with Mr. Hinklestein, he finally decided on the church.

At eighteen years old Will Collins shared heartfelt farewells with the Bennets and boarded a coach for Cambridge. Matthew Goulding was also attending, so he was able to offer his neighbor and friend a ride. Due to the habits of study and application he learned at Longbourn, Will Collins managed to earn top marks right from the beginning.

Longbourn, 1808

"No, Will, I will not marry you. Please understand that you are very special to me, but I think of you as a brother, not a husband," Lizzy answered her dear cousin as gently as she could.

"I had hoped... I have always thought..."

Lizzy touched his arm kindly. "There is not a person in this world who could be more proud of you than me. You earned your degree with high honors and your ordination in the minimal time. You write and deliver your own sermons with a confidence and power that I admire... but once again... as a brother. I do not love you like that, Will, and I cannot see myself as the wife of a minister. In truth, I do not know that I will ever marry anyone."

Will tried to hide his disappointment and just a trace of bitterness, "You will, Lizzy. You will find someone who challenges you and is maybe even smarter than you and you will fall madly in love... and I shall have to stand aside and watch. No! I cannot do that! I had not intended to take the curate position in Ramsgate, but I will now." With that Will stomped away, lest his cousin see his tears.

Mr. Bennet looked up when his second daughter entered, "He proposed, I take it?"

Lizzy sadly took a seat, "I tried to put him off and avoid the matter, but he would insist on addressing me." Lizzy sighed, "Father, I do not wish for him to have to hurry away in order to avoid me. Could I... perhaps... go to stay with the Gardiners for a while?"

Thomas Bennet nodded sadly, "You may. I have already written to alert your uncle that it might be needed. He and your aunt write that you are more than welcome. In fact, they are preparing for a trip to Derbyshire and would welcome your company. Their children will stay with us until you all return."

"Thank you, Papa," Lizzy said as she hugged her father.

Pemberley, 1808

Fitzwilliam Darcy looked on with awe as the impertinent country miss from Hertfordshire drew his shy sister out so easily. The Gardiners swept into Lambton just three days prior and Miss Elizabeth Bennet... now "Lizzy" to Darcy's sister... met Georgiana at the only store in the village which carried books and music scores. The normally shy Georgiana, then only thirteen, had rashly begged the older girl to visit Pemberley. Since the family had already intended to make a tour, it was easy to convince Lizzy.

Now here they were, three days later, with the two young women playing and giggling at the pianoforte as if they had been friends for a lifetime. As Mr. Gardiner, Miss Elizabeth's uncle explained it, "Our Lizzy never met a stranger. She is fearless and always pleased to meet new people and make new friends. You may trust her with your sister, Mr. Darcy. Once she befriends a person, she can be as fierce as any lioness in protecting them.

Darcy did trust the pretty young lady with the fine eyes. He trusted her enough, in fact, to leave the two alone while he went fishing with Mr. Gardiner. He had not enjoyed it as much as he hoped, however. The truth to be told, it was not because he was worried about Georgie, but because he wanted to spend more time with Miss Elizabeth. It made little sense. She was beneath his station in life. But he felt drawn to her just the same.

Welcome... or unwelcome... relief came the next day when the Gardiners and their niece had to continue on with their trip. Georgiana was sad, but she had obtained permission to correspond with her new friend, so all was soon right with her world.

Ramsgate, 1809

Mr. Bennet allowed himself a secret smile as he watched his Mary and Will Collins strolling the boardwalk of Ramsgate together. He had seen how Mary perked up at any mention of Will, just as he had always felt that Will had his own eye on the wrong sister. So when Will wrote to inform the family that his superior had retired and handed the living over to him, Mr. Bennet wasted no time in planning a trip to see his "son." Mrs. Bennet, believing the same as her husband, was more than happy to send Mary along.

Almost from the moment their eyes met, there was a spark. Mary, now sixteen, had grown up nicely and, with the help and tutelage of her mother and elder sisters, she had also learned how to make herself pretty.

Before their visit was over, Will had asked Mary for her hand. In eight months they would be wed in Meryton. Fanny had already begun teaching Mary how to be the mistress of an estate.

Ramsgate, 1810

The Reverend Will Collins and his wife Mary were pleased when Mr. Darcy appeared at the church to collect his sister. Both men had been the recipients of expresses from Longbourn after Lizzy had read an alarming letter from her young friend.

During her tour of Pemberley, Lizzy had remarked on the miniature of a handsome young man. The housekeeper, Mrs. Reynolds, had informed them that he was George Wickham, the former Mr. Darcy's godson, but he had turned out "very wild indeed." So when Lizzy read Georgiana's letter talking about how the same man was paying calls on her at Ramsgate, Lizzy had sprung into action. The express to Mr. Darcy informed him of what was happening and urged him to hurry to Ramsgate.

The express to Will and Mary spoke of Lizzy's fears for Georgiana and begged the couple to intervene. It included a letter to be handed directly to Georgiana explaining what Lizzy knew and urging the girl to place herself into Will and Mary's hands until her brother arrived. Georgiana was skeptical until both George Wickham and Mrs. Younge became abusive of the couple. That had been a mistake on their part, because it showed Georgiana a side of her suitor and her companion that did not please her.

Thankfully the bishop for the entire area only lived three houses down, so when Wickham tried to force the issue, Mary was already returning with Bishop Walton in tow as well as three of his largest vestrymen. By the time that Darcy arrived George Wickham and his accomplice Mrs. Younge were being held by the local magistrate. Wickham did himself in when he threatened to expose Georgiana if her brother did not pay him and pay him well. Blackmail being a capital offense, the conspirators were remanded to a higher court and eventually shipped to Australia.

Meryton Assembly, fall, 1811

Elizabeth Bennet could not hide a smile of joy when she saw the tall, handsome form of Fitzwilliam Darcy stepping into the ballroom with the rest of the Netherfield Party. She wasted no time in making her way over there and was soon standing before the man. Beside him Miss Bingley sneered at this country upstart, but her sneer vanished when Mr. Darcy returned the chits smile and bowed, "It is very good to see you again, Miss Bennet... though I suppose that is should be Miss Elizabeth in this setting. How are you?"

Elizabeth curtsied, completely ignoring the glare from the redhead in an orange dress and three foot ostrich feathers, "I am very well, Mr. Darcy. Please tell me, is your sister here in Meryton as well?"

"She is, and very eager to see you. Would tomorrow be too soon or should we wait one more day?"

"Tomorrow after noon would be perfect, Mr. Darcy."

He solicited her hand for a set, further enraging Miss Bingley.

He requested another set near the end of the night.

He and his sister called the next day and took a walk with Elizabeth.

Darcy continued to call. Elizabeth continued to visit Georgiana.

And when the time was right, Darcy asked for the young woman's hand.

Mr. William Collins was very pleased to be the one asked to perform the service. With his marriage to Mary, he had finally seen the truth in Elizabeth's words while rejecting his proposal, "We are best as friends and siblings, Will."

But this story is about Will Collins, not Elizabeth Bennet.

Will's swift and decisive actions in saving Georgiana Darcy brought him to the attention of the bishop. The bishop expressed his approbation up the chain of command. When the time was right, Will Collins and his dear wife Mary relocated to Canterbury to serve the headquarters. From there he was given other posts of increasing responsibility and prestige.

Thankfully for everyone, Mr. Bennet lived to the ripe age of eighty-one. By then Will and Mary were ready to retire from the church hierarchy and take on the simpler role of estate managers. Mrs. Bennet, who outlived her husband by only five years, was more than pleased to hand the reins over to her daughter so that she could rest during her final years.

Longbourn continued to prosper under the well-trained and intelligent management of Will and Mary. Though neither of them gave the matter any thought, they owed their happiness to five bell in the dog watch.