Mr. Bennet could not remember a time in his past when he had been so amused!
The entire table at Longburn, occupied with the remaining ladies of the house, was very concerned especially when Mr. Bennet silently reread the just delivered letter for the third time, and like before let out a loud laugh.
"Mr. Bennet! What is wrong? Why will you not share the contents of the letter?" Mrs. Bennet whined while she sat exasperated waiting to become privy to the message that had just arrived.
Elizabeth sat at the far end of the table facing her father praying that the letter he was reading had nothing to do with her!
"My dear Mrs. Bennet." Mr. Bennet put down the letter to look at his wife. "You will be thrilled to know that our dear cousin, Mr. Collins has written to us in the hopes of offering his assistance."
"His assistance? What could that man possibly have to say to us Mr. Bennet!"
Mr. Bennet unfolded the letter once more. "Well it seems that Mr. Collins is concerned for one of our daughters."
Mrs. Bennet sat up in her chair and held her head up high.
"One of our daughters! The audacity of the man!" She leaned closer to her husband. "Well go on Mr. Bennet! What did he have to say?"
"Well you see wife that was the amusing part." Mr. Bennet looked towards Lizzy. "He pleaded with me to send Elizabeth to a convent!"
Mr. Bennet let out another rather loud laugh while his wife's face became bright red.
"A convent? Our Lizzy! What is wrong with the man?"
"Well it seems that he feels her soul is in danger and he believes at least he wrote here." Mr. Bennet pointed to the bottom of the letter. "Or as he put it that his patron Lady Catherine believes Lizzy would serve us better as a nun!"
At this point everyone at the table, save for Lizzy, began to laugh.
Lizzy sat, pale faced, wishing that the horrid day would just end already! How she wished Jane and Mr. Bingley had not left.
Lizzy began to think that a curse had been put on her. Hmm. She did think that Caroline Bingley closely resembled a witch.
Lizzy scolded herself for thinking such horrible things. She resumed eating her potatoes and avoiding eye contact with her fellow diners.
Mrs. Bennet on the other hand could not believe her luck; two daughters married, and the man the estate was bequeathed to was two feet from the insane asylum.
Bingley entered his London home mindful that the night was very late and Jane presumably had retired long ago.
Greeted by a butler Bingley handed off his jacket and hat, and then took off up the staircase to his chambers.
Ascending to the second floor Bingley passed by his wife's quarters and opening the door lightly peered inside. Jane had not retired for she was not in her bedchamber.
Bingley turned and closed the door behind him.
Walking further down the hallway he closed in on his own bedchamber where the light of a lone candelabrum seeped out into the hallway from beneath the door.
Opening the door to his private quarters Bingley finally saw her, his wife.
Jane was dressed in her nightgown, wrapped in a blanket and sleeping awkwardly on the settee.
Bingley pulled off his shirt and kneeled by Jane. Brushing a long blonde curl out of her face he remembered how lucky he was.
Jane began to awake. "Charles. I tried to wait up for you." She began to sit up.
"No worries darling. All is well!" And with that Charles lifted his bride up into his arms and proceeded to rest her on the bed.
Jane lay on the bed, Charles alongside her wishing she could know all of what transpired with Mr. Darcy, but the long day had already begun to take its toll.
Falling asleep Jane feebly continued to question Charles.
"What about Lizzy? What did Mr. Darcy say?"
Charles kissed Jane gently on the check. "All has been set right. Darcy guaranteed me tonight that everything would be resolved. I do believe you shall call Darcy your brother before the month is out."'
"Oh Charles. Thank heavens for that!"
Jane drifted off to sleep quite satisfied.
Charles laid awake watching the candles slowly burn out, and wishing that he could have joined his two friends on the carriage ride back to Hertfordshire.
Pulling Jane closer the darkness of the room concealed the large grin plastered on his face.
How he would have loved to see his mother-in-law's face when she found out the truth!
Darcy and Fitzwilliam climbed into the carriage bound for Longbourn. Darcy positioned himself in his seat checking for the fifth time that the box containing Elizabeth's ring was still in his jacket pocket.
Fitzwilliam shot Darcy a knowing glance of reassurance, and for the first time that evening Darcy was happy to have his cousin with him.
As the carriage pulled away from the Darcy townhouse the master sat poised and determined to bring it back a mistress if it killed him.