Thank you all for your responses to my story, and sorry for how short this chapter turned out. More will come soon :)
"Might I prevail upon you to inform you that your Aunt, her most prestigious Lady Catherine de Bourgh, was quite well when I last saw her, and, indeed, that her daughter too is in most fine health, for herself of course." Mr Collins words were kindly meant, or so Georgiana was choosing to believe, but she could easily see how her brother was beginning to stiffen up, feeling utterly out of his element. Richard was of no use either, for she had a sneaking suspicion that he was finding the entire situation most amusing. "Indeed, I have often said that Miss de Bourgh would be the brightest ornament in the British courts, were her health to allow her to go."
Georgiana smiled as fully as she could despite her nerves. This was the man whom her brother had hinted had intentions towards Miss Elizabeth of all people. She could not imagine that his loquacious nature and her vivacity would mix very well at all. And more, she could imagine how poorly Lady Catherine would take to Miss Elizabeth. Her aunt was altogether too accustomed to being obeyed to put up with the younger woman's impudence.
"Indeed, Mr Collins?" Georgiana found herself having a measure of satisfaction in the fact that both her brother and cousin should be so very shocked by her finding the confidence to speak to a virtual stranger. They should know how much it had worn down upon her, since she had been stuck inside for the past few days with Miss Bingley fawning over her, in her brother's absence. Georgie had always presumed that the other woman was hoping that she might encourage her brother to marry Miss Bingley, were Miss Bingley only to be kind enough to her. She had sometimes felt a measure of pity for the older woman. She couldn't realise that she was almost the last person on earth her brother would ever chose to marry. "You must tell me then how Rosings fares," she hesitated for a moment, hating the way her voice had been whittled down to so little. She could do this. She had to – how else would her brother ever get a chance to speak to Elizabeth? "And what could have possibly dragged you away from my most condescending Aunt."
That seemed to be all Mr Collins needed to launch into another speech and Georgiana attended him, glad that she had been of use, for her brother and cousin did, in fact, both immediately break away – the former waiting just long enough to pass a quick glance to ensure that she truly was happy to be left – and turned to attend to the other Bennet women. It took a lot for her not to be exasperated and amused in equal parts of course by the fact that her brother seemed to spend as much time attending to the conversation as he did to Miss Elizabeth's reactions to it.
Evidently there was still a lot he could do with learning about how to properly gain the affections of a woman.
"And to conclude she told me, "Mr Collins," she said. "You must wed." And I can only assume that my esteemed patroness means that I should find a lady here, in my visit to Longbourn – and I must hardly look beyond my cousins before I find a great many women of worth."
"Indeed." Georgiana couldn't be but relieved that she hadn't made herself listen fully to the entire speech had it all been along such lines. "And have any ladies attracted... your particular attention?" She hardly knew what else she was supposed to say, let alone how to say it. Fortunately Mr Collins hardly seemed to notice.
"Well, you might ask, Miss Darcy..." Mr Collins seemed content to leave it at that. Georgiana couldn't help but be surprised considering his earlier verbose nature. She delicately raised one of her eyebrows hoping for some response – anything she could work with in truth. "Do you not think that the most honourable Lady Catherine de Bourgh would approve?"
"No, I don't." Georgiana had meant to sound so cold and unimpressed, and yet that was the way that her words had come out. Evidently the ability to tease did not come so naturally to her, as it did to Miss Elizabeth. "But in truth, I do not think that my Aunt will be impressed by any bride you might choose... - Lady Catherine has always found it easy to criticise everyone and everything. She will always see a way for everyone to be improved."
A small crease had formed between Mr Collins' eyebrows as she spoke, but he seemed to be taking her words so seriously that she felt slightly less bad for allowing herself for vent a little over the habits and normal actions of her least likeable Aunt.
"Do you truly believe so, Miss Darcy?" The man's voice had suddenly lost much of its previous overbearing formality and importance. "Then, what am I to do? For I am most fortunate in her patronage – and I would not wish to lose her support..."
"No, of course..." Georgiana felt guilty for bringing up his fears, but even more so for the inadequacy of all of her replies to him. Perhaps she shouldn't have attempted this at all – but now that she had begun she could hardly just stop speaking and leave him to his worries. That would be cruel – neither her brother, Mrs Annesley nor Elizabeth would approve of that... "I feel that my Aunt is unlikely to get rid of you simply because of your choice of wife or because of your failure to choose a wife." Mr Collins' frown had returned. She wished she could tell what she was supposed to say, and more she wished that her voice didn't have the frailty that she could hear behind it. For once – perhaps the first time in her life – she wished she could be more like her Aunt. Lady Catherine would have no fear in directing Mr Collins' life even further. "But I suppose the most important thing has to be that you choose someone who is suited for you, and not my Aunt, for even should you lose the support of my Aunt at some point in the future, you will still have the same wife." Mr Collins still did not look entirely certain, but Georgiana pressed on anyway. Everyone with eyes could tell that Mr Collins and Miss Elizabeth would not suit, and she had somehow gained the influence to do something about it. "You must pick someone who you can entertain and who cares about what you say – for anything else will cause bitterness between you – but also I suggest that you pick someone who can tell you things which you care about, for there will be times when you cannot speak, and she will be the only one there to keep care of you..." Georgiana was aware that her voice was fading out but she didn't truly mind anymore. In fact, she was surprised she had spoken for so long. But then she had almost completely forgotten that Mr Collins had been there – she was a young lady – she never had the chance to air her thoughts on love and life. Her words had somehow occupied more of her attention than their recipient.
Her struggles seemed worthwhile when she had suddenly realised that her brother was actually speaking to Miss Elizabeth and that she appeared to be laughing at his words. For a second she was filled with such happiness she could hardly understand it.
"I must thank you, Miss Darcy..." Mr Collins still seemed subdued and thoughtful, but he gave her a small and almost genuine smile. "You've been very helpful." Georgiana could hardly see how that might have been the case, but she was glad for the sentiment anyway.
.
Elizabeth cast a worried look across at Miss Darcy once more. She wished she could find a polite way to extract her friend from the less than appealing clutches of her cousin. It seemed though that her worries were all for naught, as Mr Collins and Georgiana both rose and separated, Mr Collins reseating himself near to Mary – who was sadly too far away for Elizabeth to make out what words were said. Still she smiled broadly as Georgiana came to sit beside them, even as her mother's sudden outburst cut through all attempts of conversation which had been going on within the room.
Her words seemed to stir Colonel Fitzwilliam into action, and for some bizarre reason Elizabeth found Mrs Bennet hurriedly escorting the man out of the house in search of her younger daughters and the officers, and Mary simultaneously rising with Mr Collins and passing out – for a turn about the garden from all Elizabeth could gather, but why exactly such a thing had occurred she wasn't entirely certain.