24th November

With Mr Bingley gone to Longbourn with Mr Bennet and Miss Bingley still hiding in her room, Mr Darcy, Mr Hurst and Colonel Fitzwilliam were left to their own devices, which meant that the supply of brandy in the billiards room was steadily decreasing and the talk becoming more open.

Colonel Fitzwilliam waited until his cousin was bent over to take a shot, then said, 'So, Darce, when are you going to admit that you find Miss Elizabeth much to your liking?'

His timing was perfect, as Mr Darcy miscued, and cursed.

'Damn you, Fitz, just because you are losing doesn't mean you should cheat!'

The Colonel chuckled, and even Mr Hurst raised a smile.

'It was an honest question. Everyone can see how you feel about her. Even Hurst!'

Mr Hurst nodded. 'Dashed right.'

'Everyone except the lady herself, it seems,' muttered Mr Darcy moving away from the table toward his own drink.

The Colonel, who had raised his glass and taken a sip, spat out his mouthful, 'What's that? Have you already put it to the touch?'

Mr Darcy coloured, attempting to hide his embarrassment by taking a large mouthful of brandy. 'I'd rather not talk about it.'

The Colonel tossed back his drink and put the glass back on the table. 'It sounds like we should have talked about this long before now, cousin. I would have warned you not to be precipitate. The lady had few gentle feelings toward you when we last spoke about it. How could you not notice?'

'I seem doomed to blindness where Miss Elizabeth Bennet is concerned.

'So, you proposed, and she rejected you?'

'Fitz…'

'I want to help you cousin, but I cannot do so without knowing how big a mess you've made of things.'

Mr Darcy sagged. 'It was the same day Bingley proposed to Miss Bennet, but the answer Miss Elizabeth gave me was very different. She made her dislike extremely clear, and with good reason once I had time to think about it. I am now trying to amend those things she found most offensive and to simply be a friend, in the hope that she will come to think better of me.'

'I knew Caroline stood no chance with you,' muttered Mr Hurst. 'That harridan will never be married, I am sure. I pity Miss Bennet - she will have that dashed awful woman living with them forever once she marries Bingley.'

'There are ways to be rid of her,' said Mr Darcy. 'He can always send her to live with relatives if it becomes too difficult. She is of age, so he could release her money and set her up to live independently of him.'

Mr Hurst nodded. 'That is true, assuming he develops more of a backbone.' There was a silence, then, 'Miss Elizabeth is proving to be a damned fine woman.'

The Colonel nodded his agreement with Mr Hurst. 'Indeed. She is intelligent, witty and would make a good mistress for Pemberley. More importantly, she has a mean right hand. Did you see Collins' cheek?'

Mr Hurst frowned down into his once again empty glass. 'My Louisa would still be alive if Miss Elizabeth had been mistress here…'

Mr Darcy went over and placed a sympathetic hand on Mr Hurst's shoulder, then gestured to his cousin to top up the empty glass. 'I do hope you don't mind us going on like this, Hurst.'

'Not at all, it's something of a welcome distraction.' He held out his glass as the Colonel topped it up and then grunted his thanks.

'So, Hurst, knowing the situation, how do we persuade Miss Elizabeth to think more highly of Darcy here?' Turning to his cousin, he asked, 'Did she have any specific complaints against you that we can remedy?'

'Not unless you can make the entire neighbourhood and her family all think well of me,' Mr Darcy muttered. 'I have reason to suspect she overheard a certain conversation we had riding into Meryton, soon after you arrived here.'

'Conversation… Oh, Lord! Surely, she did not overhear your diatribe against her entire family. No wonder she dislikes you so much…'

'That, added to something she overheard me say at the Assembly soon after we arrived, has given her an entirely bad impression of me.'

'You really said that?' said Mr Hurst. 'Caroline was vastly amused by it when the rumour reached her. That's why she was so dashed awful when you started paying Miss Elizabeth more attention, and why she began with those cutting remarks about "fine eyes"'

'What did you say, Darce?'

When Mr Darcy merely shook his head, Mr Hurst instead answered, 'He refused to dance with her, saying she was tolerable but not pretty enough to tempt him.'

Colonel Fitzwilliam looked at his cousin and shook his head. 'You do know that telling a woman she is unattractive to you is not the best way to increase affection in her heart?'

'In my defence, I did not know she could hear me speaking. Bingley would not leave me be; I did not wish to dance, and he was being insistent that I should.'

'Doing your usual lurking and looking forbidding all around the edges of the room, were you? Did you dance at all?'

'I danced with Miss Bingley and Mrs Hurst. You know I find it difficult dancing with those I do not know well, and I do not like to encourage hopes by dancing with unmarried ladies.'

'So, you put on the Darcy Mask and made yourself completely unlikeable to everyone there, hoping to deter attention from husband hunters. Well, from what Miss Elizabeth says, apart from the huntress in your own party, you are in no danger of pursuit from anyone who lives here.'

Mr Darcy looked up, his eyes wide. 'She said that?'

'She did indeed, and after what you say of your performance at the Assembly, I have no doubt she was right. Then, anyway.'

'Then?'

'Since then,' said Mr Hurst, 'you've worked to protect the neighbourhood against the smallpox, even so far as helping the good doctor vaccinate everyone and tracking down the source of the outbreak. That surely has improved your standing in the community somewhat.'

'Yes,' said the Colonel, 'and I have seen you and Miss Elizabeth indulging in companionable conversations several times now. I suspect her antagonism toward you has dissipated - a little, at the very least. Now, we just need to find out how much…'

25th November

The next morning, the gentlemen gathered again in Bingley's study.

After looking through the document provided by Mr Phillips one last time, Mr Bennet looked around the study at those gathered there; Mr Darcy, Mr Bingley, Colonel Fitzwilliam and Mr Phillips. 'Shall we begin, Gentlemen?'

Murmurs of assent gave him the approval he was waiting for and he turned to the butler, waiting in the doorway. 'Please have Mr Collins brought straight here. Do not allow him to prevaricate or stop to speak with anyone on the way. Take a couple of footmen with you, just in case he proves… difficult.'

The butler, after receiving a nod from Mr Bingley, bowed and left.

While they waited, those left in the room silently helped themselves from a tray of coffee sat on the sideboard. Much as they were looking forward to this meeting, it was likely to prove a trying one.

Some ten minutes later, they heard voices, or rather a voice, coming closer along the hall. Mr Bennet rolled his eyes and the voice resolved to be that of Mr Collins, issuing his numerous complaints at full volume.

The door opened and Mr Collins, still protesting, was ushered inside.

He looked around frantically, finally fixing his gaze on one face. 'Mr Darcy, make these people see sense! I must be allowed to return to Hunsford. or at the very least be allowed to write. Lady Catherine will want to know why I have not been in communication with her, and I have much to relate. I have been sorely mistreated!'

Mr Darcy stepped forward. 'Be silent, Mr Collins.'

Mr Collins' lips snapped closed and he recoiled from the forcefully spoken words, then he dropped into a deep obsequious bow.

'Sit.' Mr Darcy waved toward a chair set before the desk.

Mr Collins scuttled forward and sat, before looking up at Mr Darcy, who then gestured to Mr Bennet to speak.

'Mr Collins, on the desk is a legal contract. I would like you to sign it.' Mr Bennet glared at him before continuing, 'Of course, you may read it first. Indeed, I recommend it.'

There was a long silence, then Mr Collins pulled the paperwork forward and began reading, running his finger along teach line as he read. The document was short and as straightforward as a legal document could be, but he was obviously struggling to comprehend the meaning. He looked up at those gathered around and said, 'I do not understand.'

Mr Phillips stepped forward, 'Would you allow me to take you through it and interpret?'

Mr Collins nodded, as he pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed away the sweat beginning to gather on his top lip.

'It's a simple enough document. It basically states that the undersigned, that is you, forfeits any and all rights - including those of any male children you might have in the future - to the inheritance of Longbourn after Mr Bennet's death, ceding those rights to Mr Bennet's immediate offspring and thus breaking the entailment of said property. It also states that should you speak of the terms of this agreement or make any mention of the circumstances that led to the drawing-up of this document, then you will be reported to the appropriate legal and ecclesiastic authorities.'

Mr Collins sputtered his objections incoherently, and Mr Bennet leaned toward him, stone faced. 'Before rejecting this out of hand, think about it very carefully, Mr Collins. If you choose not to sign this document, then you will be reported and prosecuted for the assault and violation of an unwell, and laudanum dosed fifteen-year-old girl. For this alone, there is no doubt you would lose your living and be stripped of your ordination. But then again,' he added thoughtfully, 'you would likely not need your livelihood once transported. That is assuming you manage to escape the noose.'

By the time Mr Bennet had finished speaking, Mr Collins was white and shaking, his thin and straggly fringe hair sticking to his sweaty forehead. He looked around the room hoping for some leniency, his gaze finally resting on Mr Darcy. 'Sir, you cannot believe this to be right and proper, surely. Your esteemed aunt would not approve of this mistreatment of her most loyal subject. You must inform her immediately!'

Mr Darcy looked on the man without expression, then stepped back and deliberately turned away.

Mr Collins turned a despairing look on Colonel Fitzwilliam. 'Surely then you, Colonel, must see this is not to be born?'

Colonel Fitzwilliam turned a look of disgust on him. 'If I had my way, you would be horse-whipped through the streets of London. No true gentleman would behave as you have.' He also turned away, with Mr Bingley following.

Mr Bennet and Mr Phillips were now the only two men left facing him and neither were showing sympathy for his plight. After a short silence, Mr Bennet said, 'Well then, I will give you some time to decide. You will be taken back to your room now. Tomorrow we will revisit this matter, then you must make your decision.'

Mr Bingley called in the butler and said, 'Please return Mr Collins to his… ah, room. be sure he does not try to escape. He is under quarantine and must not be allowed to go free.'

They waited, silently, Mr Bennet barely holding on to his emotions, until a protesting Mr Collins had left the room before discussing the matter.

Mr Bingley spoke first, breaking the tension. 'Do you think he will sign?'

'He will. He has no real choice,' said Mr Darcy. 'He will soon come to realise that he can either sign away his inheritance and continue, or so he thinks, in his comfortable living with the possibility of further advancement in his profession, or face ruin and exile and likely not even be in a position to claim his inheritance when it falls due.'

'And,' said Mr Bennet, with a satisfied, but grim smile, 'when I die, my family will not be thrust from their home and Lydia, if she should not marry, will always be provided for. I cannot thank you enough, Darcy, for thinking of this solution.'

Mr Darcy gave a small bow. 'It was my pleasure to be of use, sir.'

'Phillips, once he has signed, I will immediately need to remake my will. Maybe we should discuss that now, and you can have it prepared and ready for my signature?'

Mr Phillips nodded his acceptance.

Mr Bennet looked over to Mr Bingley. 'Bingley, as my future son, I think you should be included in these discussions as they may affect you in the future.'

Mr Bingley straightened. 'Of course, sir. It would be my pleasure.'

'In that case,' said Mr Darcy, 'Fitzwilliam and I will take our leave. We hope to see you again later, sir.'

Elizabeth was frustrated. Her father was closeted away with the other gentlemen and she had no idea why. She was descending the staircase when she heard a voice, the voice of someone she would never wish to meet again. Retreating upstairs, she waited and watched as Mr Collins was taken by two footmen, loudly protesting the entire way, into Mr Bingley's study.

Once the footmen had returned the way they came, she descended the stairs and went into the room closest to the study, waiting to see what happened next. She heard raised voices but was frustrated in making out any words said. Eventually the butler and footmen returned, and Mr Collins was taken away. She waited until the passage was again empty, then crept out into the passage and hovered out of sight by the door, which had been left ajar.

Her father spoke. '…I think you should be included in these discussions as they may affect you in the future.'

Mr Bingley responded with his agreement, then there was the sound of movement and Mr Darcy spoke. It appeared he was leaving the room with his cousin. Elizabeth did not want to be caught eavesdropping, on purpose this time, so she silently slipped back into the room she had just left to think about what she'd heard.

Was this meeting related to the plan her father had alluded to? What discussions – were they talking about Jane's marriage contract, and if so, why were they all meeting with Mr Collins? She sat and thought about how she could best discover the information she wanted. Who should she ask, and how? By confrontation or by using her wiles? Her father would sidestep any direct questions and make a joke out of them. If Jane had been here then she would have asked her to see if Mr Bingley would speak of it, but Jane was three miles away. Mr Darcy? No, she couldn't possibly. The Colonel was approachable, maybe he would be the best option. Yes, she would try him first.