To the guest reviewer, yes, the first three chapters were rather similar to the regular book. It had to be that way to be able to set everything up properly for the story. It will not remain so close to the original story, as evidenced by this chapter.
Your idea for a "better" story sounds great. I look forward to reading it when you write it. (That's not sarcasm by the way. You should write it.)
"I think, my dear cousins, that we ought to walk out again today, for it seems to be quite warm and we may not have weather so fine for long," said Mr. Collins the next afternoon.
Since it was already late November, and the weather was unseasonably warm, Jane found nothing out of the ordinary in the request and agreed to it willingly. Elizabeth, however, had the impression that there was something peculiar about her cousin's expression when he spoke. Nevertheless, she agreed, for she did like nothing better than walking out on a fine day. Their outer garments were fetched and within a half hour, they were on the path to Oakham Mount.
"Cousin Elizabeth, I believe you may have some inkling as to my purpose in requesting you both walk out with me," said Mr. Collins.
"Indeed not, sir. I have no notion, other than it being a fine day as you said in your invitation," Elizabeth answered.
"Come now. I wish to discuss what occurred last evening."
"Last evening?" asked Jane. "At the card party?"
Mr. Collins answered in the affirmative and then went on to relate all that had occurred. Jane was astonished and concerned, for she could not believe that Wickham would make up such scandalous falsehoods, but nor could she believe that Mr. Darcy would act so unfairly and be so unworthy of Mr. Bingley's regard.
"Thus, we come to the point. I have not been introduced to Mr. Darcy, which limits my ability to act. I thought, thence, he should be invited to dine. As a guest in your home, I, of course, have no input in who is invited and not invited to visit or dine. However, I believe if you were to request that your mother invite the Netherfield party to dine, I might be introduced to Mr. Darcy. Then, later, I might properly call upon him and tell him what Mr. Wickham has said, he might be permitted the ability to defend his good name if he wishes, by producing proper documentation and presenting it to Mr. Phillips."
"But what if he does not wish to do so?" asked Elizabeth.
"Then we will be in the same place as we are now, with no evidence as to which man is in the right or in the wrong. However, Mr. Darcy has a right to know what is being said about him."
"Can they not both have been deceived," said Jane, "in some way or other, of which we can form no idea. Interested people have perhaps misrepresented each to the other."
"Hence the documentation, Cousin Jane," said Mr. Collins. "It may be that neither is entirely at fault. In fact, it is perhaps most likely that each has some share of fault. But Mr. Wickham has gone ahead and made his grievances public, even revealing the affair to someone he had only known for two days. That makes me highly suspicious, not to mention that his behaviour last evening was rather like a rodent cornered by a cat when we began to question him on the details."
"I daresay Mamma shall have no objection at issuing the invitation," said Elizabeth with a sly smile at her sister.
Mr. Collins noticed the look and the resulting blush that took over Jane's face. He had supposed correctly, then. There was a liking, at least, between Mr. Bingley and Jane Bennet. It was a shame, for Mr. Collins thought Jane the loveliest of his cousins. She was beautiful, and her movements were fluid and graceful, without any hint of artifice.
Mr. Collins thought it over and slowly steered the conversation towards inquiring about how close an acquaintance they had with the Netherfield party, wording the question in such a way that it seemed inconsequential. No courtship or betrothal was mentioned by either of the young ladies, although it did seem that things might be headed in that direction for Miss Bennet and Mr. Bingley. Still, there was still time and Mr. Collins was not even yet sure that he wished to pursue anything more than a familiar relationship with either Bennet.
When the three returned from their walk, they were informed that they had just missed the call of the Bingleys, who had stopped by to give their personal invitation for the long-expected ball at Netherfield, which was fixed for the following Tuesday. Mrs. Bennet was not sure how to feel at her daughters' having missed the Bingley's call, for Jane had not been able to see Mr. Bingley, but Elizabeth was spending much time in the company of Mr. Collins of late.
The prospect of the Netherfield ball was extremely agreeable to every female of the family. Mrs. Bennet chose to consider it as given in compliment to her eldest daughter and was particularly flattered by receiving the invitation from Mr. Bingley himself, instead of a ceremonious card. Jane envisioned a pleasant evening with the company of her two friends, as well as the attentions of her friends' brother. Elizabeth thought of dancing a great deal with her friends and relatives, while Kitty and Lydia foresaw only the officers who would attend and dance with them. And even Mary could assure her family that she had no disinclination for it, for "Society has claims on us all, and I profess myself one of those who consider intervals of recreation and amusement as desirable for everybody."
As Mr. Collins had been included in the invitation, Jane asked him if he would attend. He declared that he would and thence requested her first two dances. Mrs. Bennet looked like she might object, but she could say nothing without being unpardonably rude. She supposed that perhaps he meant no slight on Lizzy but thought he must go according to precedence. Indeed, he asked for the two next with Lizzy and dances with all his other cousins. It would have been better, perhaps, if Mr. Bingley were allowed to claim those first dances, but there was still the supper set for him.
That evening, Elizabeth and Jane asked their mother to invite the Netherfield party to dine. Mrs. Bennet required no explanation as to why her daughters made such a request and was happy enough to make the invitation. It was only two days later that the dinner occurred. Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst had apparently come down with headaches and chosen not to attend, although Elizabeth very much doubted that they were truly suffering from such an ailment. The gentlemen attended, however. Mr. Hurst came mainly to enjoy the fine table that Mrs. Bennet was known for setting. Mr. Bingley was delighted to attend, and Mr. Darcy did not wish to remain at Netherfield with only Bingley's sisters for company. Bingley's sisters' rejection of the invitation created a parity of ladies and gentlemen. However, it also had the unfortunate result of placing Mr. Darcy alongside Mrs. Bennet with Jane and Elizabeth at the distant end of the table. As Mrs. Bennet's exclamations and Mary's moralising became more and more trying on Mr. Darcy's nerves, his expression appeared more and more scornful to Elizabeth. Even Mr. Collins, who did his best to intervene in the disorder, did so from next to Elizabeth, which provoked Mr. Darcy and Mr. Hurst's looks of censure for speaking down the table. In short, the dinner was a disaster.
For Mr. Collins, however, the dinner served its purpose. He was introduced to the Netherfield gentlemen, so that he could later make a call on Mr. Darcy if he did not get a chance to speak to Mr. Darcy privately that night. During the dinner, he was able to observe Mr. Bingley and Miss Bennet's interaction with each other, as they were both seated on the opposite side of the table from him and Cousin Elizabeth. He could observe a strong partiality displayed by the gentleman towards Miss Bennet, yet there was very little in her countenance that could be interpreted as a sign of mutual admiration. He thought it was possible that Cousin Elizabeth might have just been playfully teasing Cousin Jane about an unwelcome admirer. Mrs. Bennet certainly wished for the match between Miss Bennet and Mr. Bingley; that much was obvious even if nothing else was.
After dinner, the men did not linger at their port long. Mr. Hurst likely would have enjoyed having another glass or two, but both Mr. Bingley and Mr. Hurst were uncommonly eager to return to the ladies. Mrs. Bennet's chattering and Mary Bennet's limited musical talents did not have the power to lure Mr. Darcy to the drawing-room; instead, it was a pair of fine eyes in the face of a beautiful woman. When Mr. Darcy came in, Elizabeth was occupying the bench by the window, her eyes fixed on the rain that had been falling without interruption for the past several days. When he was near her, she turned and gave him the look of challenge that he liked so much. He wondered if she knew he liked that expression on her countenance or not. He was unable to concentrate on her words as his attention was drawn to her mouth as she spoke.
"Mr. Darcy?" she asked. He tried to recall what she had said.
"Yes, I think we shall have to leave soon, else we will be forced to remain much longer. We would not wish to impose," he replied. He did not think he would last in the same house with Elizabeth. Not again. Not now.
"Well, and to have one daughter over this house after Mr. Bennet is dead," came Mrs. Bennet's voice in what might have been supposed to be a whisper, "and another at Netherfield, that would be just so fine. Then you younger three will be thrown in the path of other rich men."
It took a moment for Mrs. Bennet's words to fully sink in for Darcy. It was abundantly obvious to anyone with eyes and ears who Mrs. Bennet wished to be mistress of Netherfield. Since she was speaking to her younger daughters, it could only be Elizabeth that she hoped would marry Mr. Collins, the heir to Longbourn. Darcy looked back at Elizabeth, who had turned pink after hearing her mother's words. His eyes then sought Mr. Collins, who was conversing animatedly with Mr. Bennet. Mr. Collins had not heard Mrs. Bennet's words, it appeared.
Darcy's head began to spin. Mr. Collins was a moderately wealthy tradesman, with an income of three thousand a year or thereabouts. He was the heir to Longbourn. He was intelligent. He was not handsome, but nor was he repulsive. He was exactly the sort of man that Elizabeth Bennet would be expected to marry. She might even be happy if she married him. She might even come to love him. And with that thought, everything went black.