Sir William Lucas' party…..
Elizabeth glanced around the room, her eyes lighting up in pleasure as her gaze fell upon her dearest friend, Charlotte Lucas. Charlotte gave her a short wave and a smile, and motioned for her to come over. Elizabeth hesitated, and then turned to Mr. Collins who was still greeting Sir William with all the affability and condescension he could muster.
"Mr. Collins," she said softly, for her arm still smarted from where he had grabbed her from the carriage, when she had attempted to depart from their carriage without his assistance, still shaken by the night of the assembly. Every day, she realized with growing despondency, he became more and more like his father."Jane, Mary, and I shall go over to Charlotte. We do not wish to intrude upon your conversation with Sir William."
Mr. Collins beamed, for the first time giving her a short bow, as he said in an excitable tone, "Of course my dear cousin, how very gracious of you indeed! Yes, it is indeed very gracious of Sir William to invite our dear family to his beloved home," Mr. Collins gave a lower bow to Sir William, as he continued on, "granting us the pleasure of his and his family's delightful company!"
Elizabeth, Jane, and Mary gave Mr. Collins and Sir William curtseys, and left them alone, to Charlotte.
"Charlotte!" Elizabeth greeted, embracing her friend with a gentle hug and a short kiss. Beside her, Jane settled into a chair with Mary, letting out a small hiss of pain as she did so. Elizabeth glanced worriedly at her sister. Jane's return to Meryton society had not served her injury well, despite all the time she had spent walking with Kitty, and sitting down at assemblies. Elizabeth could do nothing but attribute the pain to the distress that now permeated their lives.
"Shall we take a turn about the room?" Charlotte asked cheekily, as a smiling Mr. Bingley bowed to a seated Jane. Elizabeth took her friend's hand, and joined her in walking a short distance, both of them still able to observe the conversation between Jane and Mr. Bingley.
"What do you think of them?" Elizabeth inquired of her friend, as she watched Mr. Bingley out of the corner of her eye, with the rest of her attention focused on Mr. Collins, who was still on the other side of the room, speaking to Sir William in rather animated language and movement.
Charlotte arched a brow, "What do you think of them, Lizzie?" Elizabeth studied her friend a few moments, in confusion.
"You cannot be serious, Charlotte!" she exclaimed in surprise, reading the answer plainly on her friend's face.
Charlotte gave an elegant shrug, glancing back at a primly seated Jane, and the retreating back of Mr. Charles Bingley, as he went to rejoin his proud friend, Mr. Darcy, who seemed to be looking at her a great deal. Elizabeth could not imagine why. After their introduction at the previous assembly, Mr. Darcy had stalked away from any further introductions by Sir William, and had spent the majority of the evening walking here from there to pour himself some more punch, and standing alone.
Only Miss Bingley and Charles Bingley had attempted any sort of conversation, beyond a few brave souls who thought they could have a look behind the mask of the great Mr. Darcy of Pemberley, in order to win him over for their daughters. After that night, it was decided that Mr. Charles Bingley was the most amiable, handsomest man who had ever come to live in Meryton, while his friend, Mr. Darcy was universally disliked by the populace. Not even close to the handsome Mr. Bingley in looks and spirit, and they could not wait until he left Meryton and returned to his home in Derbyshire.
Elizabeth let out a soft cough, putting her hand over her mouth in disguise of her lips narrowing into a straight line as she considered Mr. Bingley. Although it was no longer a surprise, nor a shock to her senses-nor Jane's, she supposed-she found that she could not forget Mr. Bingley's reaction, nor his subsequent conversation with his friend, to Jane's injury.
"Lizzie?"
Elizabeth was thrown out of her thoughts by Charlotte's careful, questioning tone. "Yes, Charlotte, I am sorry. My mind was elsewhere."
Charlotte gave her one of her indecipherable smiles, before saying, "I was just saying that I was quite serious about what I said earlier-about Jane and Mr. Bingley."
Elizabeth scoffed quietly, glancing back at Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy who were still in conversation, "Charlotte, he is simply being polite to Jane, after he and his friend spoke of what a shame it was that the most handsome woman in the room was lame, within her hearing!" Charlotte opened her mouth to retort, and Elizabeth gave her no opportunity, "And that was after his dear friend teased him about not being able to fall for the most beautiful woman in the room!"
Charlotte's eyes shifted towards a serene looking Jane, who was now speaking softly with Mary. Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy were still across the room, speaking to each other, yet Charlotte noticed their gazes often betrayed to their direction.
"Speak sensibly, Lizzie. As you are well aware, the majority of the neighbors greet Jane kindly to her face, retreat to other, pretty young ladies who are able to dance, and then gossip about her misfortunes behind their port bottles and embroidered screens. There is no earthly reason why Mr. Bingley cannot and does not join them in their behavior, except for the fact that he likes her. May even love her, as time goes on."
Elizabeth looked at her friend in shock. "Why not, Lizzie? Jane simply has to walk with a cane, and contrary to the expectations of our neighbors, it is not the end of a woman's prospects, especially with a woman as beautiful as Jane. There are a few gentlemen who would overlook such a thing, and it appears Mr. Bingley is one of those gentlemen." she finished cheekily.
"You are speaking as though Jane shares his feelings, if he has any at all, Charlotte." Elizabeth reminded her friend steadily. "Jane heard him, Charlotte. It hurt her feelings. We already have to deal with Mama-." Elizabeth cut herself off, aware of what she was about to expose. There were some things, she learned, that she did not want her dearest friend to realize. Charlotte was one of the few who had not changed her behavior or address towards the Bennet family, and Elizabeth would do all that she could to preserve that.
"Well, I am simply saying that it would do Jane well to know that she is not on the shelf yet. She should move fast, encourage Mr. Bingley's interest, and leave him in no doubt of her own."
"And, pray tell, do you know that she is interested in the man who insulted her, Charlotte?" Elizabeth queried, not knowing where Charlotte received half of the thoughts that came out of her head.
Charlotte glanced back at Jane, before turning to her friend.
"Lizzie, I do not pretend to know Jane's heart, but what I do know is that she has not so much as looked twice at another gentleman since her brief courtship, when she was your sister Lydia's age, and yet there she is returning Mr. Bingley's looks."
Giving her friend a sly wink, Charlotte glided across the room to the pianoforte, offering to turn the pages for anyone who wished to play. As Mary settled at the piano, Elizabeth tried to join Jane at her seat, as there were a few couples lining up to dance, but Mr. Collins reached her first.
He bowed over her hand, before gesturing to the lined up couples, "My fair cousin, would you do me the honor?"
Elizabeth glanced anxiously back at Jane, who was smiling at her in shared sympathy, before stammering, "Y-yes of course, Mr. Collins. I-." Ignoring the rest of her answer, Mr. Collins offered her his arm, and they both moved to line up with the other dancers.
"My dear, I had hoped to apologize for my behavior earlier." Mr. Collins began sensibly.
Elizabeth forced a smile, silently reminding herself that he was not his father, that his father was dead, before replying, "I thank you, Mr. Collins." There, that should do.
Mr. Collins continued on, "Although I understand that you ladies have a natural delicacy and propensity towards requiring an almost constant correction, as my dear father learned from his father, I am not proud to say that I lost my temper, and in front of Sir William's home!" Mr. Collins shuddered, and then cast his eyes about the room furtively, as though the inhabitants were eavesdropping upon every word.
Elizabeth willed her face to be taut, to not betray her feelings, as Mr. Collins granted her another condescending smile, "Do not worry, my fair cousin. We shall have plenty of time, the both of us, to correct our faults in the privacy of our home! I am heartily sorry, and indeed, I promise to never correct you in public, my fair cousin!"
The dance moved swiftly, and for that Elizabeth was grateful. Ever since the night of the assembly, Elizabeth had tried her best to not be alone with Mr. Collins, and in that endeavor her sisters and Mrs. Bennet had obliged. She knew it was a false hope, as being the head of household, all Mr. Collins had to do was request a private audience with her in her papa's study, but so far he had held off.
The distance between them was slowly declining, and nothing would stop it. Indeed, her father's death would only settle it once and for all.
A letter addressed to a Miss Jane Bennet, from Netherfield Hall, had been brought to the Bennet-Collins family while they attended to their morning duties. This morning, Elizabeth had slipped away from the parlour, where she was supposed to be attending to her needlepoint, and had joined Jane and Kitty in their daily care of Mr. Bennet.
Any letters or notes, of course, were under strict instructions to go through Mr. Collins first, as he did the same with their letters to and from the Gardner's, so Mrs. Hill had brought the letter to Mr. Collins in his study, and it was he who had read it aloud to the assembled party during their morning meal.
Elizabeth and Jane had been invited to dine with Mrs. Louisa Hurst, and Caroline Bingley. Elizabeth remained stony still and silent, as Mr. Collins read the letter. It was addressed to Jane, yet meant for Elizabeth, the true Miss Bennet, no matter what Charlotte implied.
Beside Elizabeth, Lydia and Kitty shifted in their seats uncomfortably. Ever since the elder Mr. Collins had taken them out of society, they had sorely been deprived of company. Before, Lydia and Kitty had spent their days chasing after the officers in Meryton, begging money off of their elder sisters in shopping for various fripperies they did not need, nor earn. Now their days were filled with making jellies and jams, taking care of their father, and enjoying the company of their sisters.
That enjoyment was hard won, yet in moments like this, Elizabeth ached for her sisters. The only reason she had not voiced more opposition towards their introduction to society at such a young age, had been that she had found it very unfair on the younger sisters to not have their share of society and amusements, simply because they were too poor to merit a match. They were social girls, and they needed the society of others.
Finally finished reading the letter, Mr. Collins surveyed Jane and Elizabeth from the head of the table. He was excited, Elizabeth realized, as he licked a bit of jam from his bottom lip. An invitation to dine with the sisters of the most eligible man in Meryton, was a great boon. Especially since the invitation stated that it would be a private audience, not a neighborhood tête–à–tête or tea. They were merely extensions of his prestige, his status in such a town.
At the end of the table, Mama had set her cutlery down with such force, and knocked over her tall glass, spreading water all over the table. Lydia flounced up out of her seat, and almost skipped to the kitchen, glad to be out of the presence of Mr. Collins for even a few brief moments, as she returned seconds later with a rag.
Mrs. Bennet looked mutely ahead at Mr. Collins. As Lydia mopped up the mess, the both of them, Mrs. Bennet and Mr. Collins engaged in a staring bout, as Mr. Collins waited for her to say something. At length, Mrs. Bennet seemed to give up, and apologized stiffly.
Mr. Collins seemed satisfied with her apology, and returned to the matter of the letter from Netherfield,
"Well my fair cousins, I shall happily allow you both to go and meet our new neighbors on a more intimate note. However," and at this, his voice turned stern, which belied the natural intonation that his voice carried, which reminded Elizabeth, often, of a young man pleading to be noticed. "I must stress the importance of the both of you to be on your best, honorable behavior while visiting the Bingley household. As I have already spoken to Miss Lizzie about this previously,-" Elizabeth felt her stomach turn in remembrance of his words, "I shall turn my attention to you, Miss Jane."
He peered at her over the letter, giving her a condescending smile, as though her intelligence and capacity for understanding and knowledge of appropriate behaviors had somehow been damaged in the accident, instead of her ankle.
"As my father often worried, I too worry that being in society is rather damaging to your health. Today will be an excellent test of that, as I shall inquire after the both of you at the next assembly or neighborhood tea that Mr. Bingley and his sisters attend. However, despite this, I caution you to be on your best behavior, and display yourself as a lady benefitting your situation in life. As it is, no true gentleman or lady have ever been adverse to those who display truly humble behavior in their speech and actions. It was very good of Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst to invite you to dine in their home, and I expect you to be very grateful for the opportunity. As my own excellent father said often, those who are not truly appreciative of the situation in life and opportunities that God has granted them, do not tend to keep their standards of living very long."
He finished the speech with a sordid smile masquerading as an affectionate gesture, while Elizabeth's eyes widened in disgust and dismay at the implications of his words. Beside her, Jane expressed her assent, "Of course, Mr. Collins. I thank you for your advice. May Elizabeth and I be excused, to get ready for the visit?"
Mr. Collins gave them an enthusiastic reply, informing them that he would have Mr. Hill go down to the farm and retrieve the horses, for the carriage. Jane and Elizabeth slowly made their way up the stairs, listening to the excited chatter of Lydia, Mary, and Kitty as they rushed passed them in an attempt to reach Elizabeth and Jane's rooms, respectively, and select the ensemble that they wished their sisters to wear to such a visit. By the time Jane and Elizabeth reached Elizabeth's room, which was the largest of the sister's space, Kitty already had an armful of Jane's gowns spread along the bed, Mary had flung the closet door open and was selecting from Elizabeth's gowns, while Lydia had gone into the room she shared with Mary to select bonnets from her own personal assortment.
Somewhere along the confusion, as Lydia, Kitty, and Mary squabbled over who would wear what bonnet with what gown, Mrs. Bennet came into the room, looking forlorn and tired. At a glance from Elizabeth, Mary went to her mama, holding her. Mama began to cry into Mary's shoulder, prompting Lydia to run into her mama's room for her smelling salts.
"Come Mama, sit in the chair and rest a while." Lydia said soothingly, as Mrs. Bennet let Mary go, and allowed her youngest daughter to bring her to the chair. She collapsed into the chair, inhaling deeply. Lydia had always been Mama's favorite, next to Jane, and on the days she could not stand to look at Jane, Lydia was there to comfort and console her-glad to escape the kitchen, at the very least. Elizabeth looked away, studiously trying to give her sister the time she needed to comport herself away from her prying eyes.
Jane was-. Here, Elizabeth paused in thought, searching her mind, reflecting on all that had occurred, as she tried to accurately convey all that Jane had accomplished, how she had transformed herself in the wake of the tragedy that befell their lives.
In the end, all Elizabeth could affirm was that Jane was strong. It did not seem to be the case, her dear, sweet sister Jane, whose shy smiles and open and easy countenance was enjoyed by every person who had the pleasure of meeting her, including the unworthy.
They would survive this, Elizabeth mused, as she presented herself to her awaiting sisters. Jane wouldn't let her alone, and nor would she let Jane alone.
Leaving a gentle kiss on her Papa's forehead, Jane and Elizabeth walked down the stairs to the foyer, where Mr. Collins was awaiting them.
"I should like to speak to Miss Lizzie in private, if you would wait in the carriage, Miss Bennet." he said, in a tone that clearly stated Jane had no choice. Jane turned to her sister, waiting for her slight nod, before she continued to walk outside, to the awaiting carriage. Mr. Hill helped her into the carriage, and there she waited for Lizzie to come out with Mr. Collins.
A few minutes later, she did, escorted by Mr. Collins, and looking very grim. As Mr. Collins gave Mr. Hill a nod to drive away, Jane asked her sister, "What did Mr. Collins want, Lizzie?"
Elizabeth responded flatly, "Simply to remind me that I have an obligation to him, as the future Mistress of Longbourn to display the appropriate behavior, or steps would be taken to correct my behavior." She looked out the window, at length, before turning to her sister with sad eyes, "In the end, Jane we may need to go to Aunt and Uncle Gardner." Jane gripped her sister's hand tightly. "Lizzie, at this point not even Mama would blame you for refusing to marry him."
Jane started, referring to the few pounds and shillings they had been able to tuck away, here and there from Mama's pin money, and the small amounts they each received monthly, "We at least will have the money to leave when-"
"When Papa dies." Elizabeth said flatly.
A long silence reigned.
"If anything," Jane ventured when Longbourn was out of their sights, "it would be lovely to see Netherfield again, Lizzie. I remember Mama toured it several years ago, I believe I was twelve or thirteen years old. Do you remember? Mama lamented that it was not closer to our farm, so that we would not be able to use the horses more often, than we would at Longbourn. So said she." Jane laughed softly.
Elizabeth gave her sister a knowing look, an acknowledgement of the position they found themselves in. Although she had not spoken to Miss Bingley or Mrs. Hurst after their first introduction, beyond a polite greeting at Sir William's, she understood what character of ladies they were. While she at least had some experience with them, Jane had barely warranted a polite greeting on both occasions they had to give them, yet she had warranted undisguised curiosity and looks from across the room. Not conversation.
Elizabeth sighed into her sister's shoulder for a moment. It was going to be a long evening.
