Lizzie would not be persuaded to change her answer to Mr Collins, so Mr Collins decided to change his location. He started packing to leave immediately even though Mrs Bennet nearly held on to his ankle to keep him from departing.
Mrs Bennet refused to talk to her second eldest daughter, Mr Bennet on the other hand was incredibly supportive. Lizzie hid in her room, after the dramatics of the morning she felt exhausted anyway. As she laid down she heard paper crinkle in her pocket, Mr Darcy's letter. She'd forgotten about it during the commotion but now it was top of mind again she was eager to read it.
She assumed she would be offended, but she couldn't have been more wrong. She read it, then reread it, not sure how to feel. Jane joined her after settling Mrs Bennet. Lizzie handed her the letter, still unsure what to think.
"Did you know he felt this way?" Jane was equally shocked.
"What do you mean?" Lizzie hadn't expected that to be her first response.
"Mr Darcy obviously cares for you deeply." Jane said, handing back the letter.
Lizzie laughed disbelievingly, "How do you see that from this letter?"
"Lizzie, you are often too modest about yourself, but you must see in this letter he is declaring how much he cares for you. A gentleman would not advise you to deny another man, unless he had thoughts of making a similar offer."
Lizzie shook her head, "Jane you misunderstand, he values his own opinion above all else, he feels it is always valuable to tell others what they should do. I do not think he meant anything other than to advise that I would not be meek enough for his aunt."
Jane didn't agree, but the near panic in Lizzie's face made her not press the subject. She was not the only one reeling from this news, Mary had been determined to talk some sense into her sister. Mr Collins was a good man, Lizzie had no reason to say no.
As she approached her sister's door she heard Jane talking, hearing the news that Mr Darcy had all but made an offer to her sister made Mary realise what happened here. Mr Collins deserved an explanation.
She went downstairs to the door, Mr Collins was putting on his coat to leave, unattended by any other family members. "Mr Collins." She said bowing.
"I will not be persuaded to stay." He huffed.
"I would not ask you, Sir, you are a good man who doesn't deserve such treatment. I appreciate the discussions on theology we have had and enjoyed your time. I am sorry it has ended so." Mr Collins, ever a vain man, bowed his head with some satisfaction of being appreciated. "I also felt you deserved to understand that you are not the reason for this mistreatment, my sister has some inflated notion that another may make an offer. This is a man that is of a position it would be foolish to think he would do so, but she has always had an elevated sense of self." Mr Collins looked at Mary thoughtfully, "I know it does not change the outcome, Sir, but I hoped some reason would be helpful to reconcile the senselessness of this decision."
"You are a very sensible girl. I am glad to have family who is not as ridiculous as your sisters."
Mary bowed with a small smile, "If I have questions on theology, would you mind terribly if I were to write to you?"
Mr Collins bowed with feigned seriousness, "As a clergyman I can never deny such a request."
After Collins departed Kitty round the corner from the stairs, "And you say that Lydia and I will ruin the family's reputation." She commented to Mary.
Mary was genuinely confused, "What do you mean?"
"You basically implied that Lizzie is attempting to trap a rich man, then tried to position yourself with the man who just proposed to her." Kitty said plainly, Mary started to protest. "Would you be happy for me to go tell Lizzie what you said?"
This made Mary pause.
"Exactly, maybe think about that next time you are acting holier-than-thou." Kitty teased before running off to find Lydia. Now Mr Collins had left, they could go to Meryton to find their favourite officers.
Mary spent the remainder of the afternoon praying on her actions, she was sure she'd done nothing wrong… But then she thought about Kitty's question and spiralled back into praying for forgiveness.
Things continued similarly at Longbourne for days, several of the Bennet sisters distracted by their own situations and Mrs Bennet lamenting the loss of security for her family. Even after a week had passed, she hadn't said a word to Lizzie.
Lizzie had gone from feeling indignant about the situation to feeling guilty. Not for saying no, she knew that was the right choice, but her mother's distress. She wasn't sure how to fix it but she did feel she needed to do something. Something other than marrying an odious man, to steal her mother's words.
She would do something to brighten her mother's spirits, without even having to try. Around midday a letter came from Netherfield hall, Mr Bingley was inviting Jane and Lizzie to games and refreshments with a couple of their friends from Town and then to stay the night.
"Who knows what you have done to deserve this, Lizzie," Mrs Bennet said the first sentence to her in the week. "Oh Jane, what an honour to be so singled out." Mrs Bennet gushed over her golden daughter for the remainder of the day.
Lizzie was nervous to be included on the invitation. Jane was insistent it showed she was right, Mr Darcy cared for Lizzie, but Lizzie still doubted it. She wasn't sure if she actually doubted it or if she was just so unsure of what to do about it if it were true.
They had had so many run ins, so many harsh words had been spoken, she was sure she hated him. But every time Jane mentioned it Lizzie couldn't help herself from getting flustered, she didn't get angry, she got nervous.
The thought of being around him was even more anxiety inducing. When she went to her room she found her belongings already being packed on her mother's instruction, so it appeared she was unable to avoid it.