Master of Longbourn Chapter 3 - Family and Failures, a pride and prejudice fanfic

~MoL~

Family and Failures

1809

Collins spent the next several days getting to know the estate and his family, particularly the Bennet sisters.

One of the reasons for his visit was that he had toyed with the idea that perhaps one of his cousins would make a suitable bride. As he was the heir presumptive, it would make sense to ensure that the Bennet family should continue at the estate which had been their home for a dozen or more generations.

He had discussed this idea with Lady Catherine de Bourgh, who had firmly supported his notion, saying, 'If one of them is suitable as your wife, I should be pleased to welcome her and invite her to visit with me and Anne.'

True to his intentions, Collins spent time which each of his cousins in turn, starting with the oldest. By the time he had spent several hours speaking with each of his cousins he could not help but feel that Longbourn and its inhabitants all suffered to due Mr and Mrs Bennet.

Having grown up close to Rosings, he had had the chance to observe how an estate should be administered. Sir Lewis de Bourgh had been an excellent manager and while Lady Catherine was at times difficult to deal with, she too took care of Rosings and its tenants.

Mrs Bennet, as the daughter of a solicitor, obviously knew nothing of the comportment and accomplishments of gentlewomen and even less about the duties incumbent on the mistress of an estate. She was therefore ill-equipped to teach her daughters.

While Mr Bennet probably did know about all these subjects, he could not be bothered to bestir himself to advise his wife. The man, Collins refused to call him a gentleman in his mind, was indolent to a shameful degree. Not only did he ignore the behaviour of his ladies except to make fun of them, but he also neglected his estate.

According to information shared by neighbours, Longbourn used to make a profit in excess of three thousand pounds per year. Due to Bennet's indolence the amount had dropped to only two thousand. If it continued at this rate, by the time Collins could inherit, there would be nothing left of Longbourn worth the bother.

The more Collins saw, the more concerned he became. He could also understand Mrs Bennet's constant worry.

~MoL~

It soon became obvious that Mrs Bennet also thought that a match between Collins and one of her daughters would be to the advantage of them all. Observing the interactions between Collins and each of her daughters, she reluctantly decided that Jane would be the only one who could tempt him.

As much as Mrs Bennet would have liked to get Elizabeth out of her house, that young woman would not do as she was too outspoken and was forever arguing with the man. It was obvious to Mrs Bennet that Mr Collins would not tolerate such an irritating woman as his wife.

Mary on the other hand should be ideal as the wife of a parson, as she was forever quoting scriptures and sermons. Yet whenever Mary made one of her pronouncements, Collins had corrected her apparently faulty understanding. Again, Mrs Bennet thought she detected irritation in the demeanour of Mr Collins.

Having learnt from her own disastrous marriage, she would not inflict a husband on any of her daughters who would constantly criticise or make sport of them. She loved them all too much, even Elizabeth despite their difficult relationship.

Of course, the two youngest girls were still too young to be a possibility.

~MoL~

Collins had been at Longbourn for almost a week when Mrs Bennet decided to raise the subject with their visitor as he seemed to be reluctant to make a move.

'Mr Collins, it has occurred to me that it must be quite lonely for you in your parsonage all by yourself,' the lady suggested when she found him sitting by himself, reading the newspaper.

'On occasion it would be pleasant to have company,' admitted Collins cautiously. He had been wondering if Mrs Bennet had designs on him for her daughters, but as she had not said anything immediately, Collins had hoped he would not have to shatter her illusions.

'Do you not think someone like my Jane would be a lovely addition to your home?'

Collins prevented himself from rolling his eyes but thought it would be best to be honest. 'If I wanted a useless ornament about the house, I could buy a picture or possibly a statue,' he replied affecting a casual tone.

As this was not the kind of response she had been expecting, Mrs Bennet could not make sense of it. Because Mr Colins seemed to be rather dense, she felt she needed to be more direct. 'Instead of some nasty statue, would you not rather have Jane as your wife?'

'Marry Cousin Jane?' Collins repeated in a disbelieving voice before he exclaimed with a puzzled expression, 'Why would any man want to marry Cousin Jane?'

'Why?' spluttered Mrs Bennet, staring at Collins. Their cousin seemed to be devoid of reason. 'She is the most beautiful woman you are ever likely to meet.'

'Does Cousin Jane have any real or, even better, some practical accomplishments?'

'Accomplishments?' repeated Mrs Bennet with a frown.

Collins sighed and shook his head in apparent disbelief. 'Can she sew or embroider? Can she play an instrument? Can she draw or paint? How many languages does she speak? Can she manage a household? Can she maintain the household accounts? Can she set and stick to a budget? How are her abilities in the stillroom? Does she understand the duties of the mistress of an estate?

'Why should she need any of those things? Jane is the most beautiful of my daughters and of gentle disposition. She will make a perfect wife for any man,' Mrs Bennet protested. Could this man not understand the honour she was bestowing on him in by offering her most beloved daughter.

'Mrs Bennet, only a shallow fool would want a wife who has nothing to offer except a pretty face. And while your opinion may differ, I do not consider myself such a shallow fool.'

To forestall any further argument and embarrassment, Collins put down the paper and quit the room.

He collected his outerwear and set off on a walk to Meryton.

~MoL~

Along the way, Collins considered the situation.

How could a man be so indolent and neglectful, that in a few short years an estate like Longbourn could go from being a prosperous estate to one which was barely supplying enough income to support a family?

Admittedly, Mrs Bennet was not helping by spending more than she ought on too many dresses adorned with an excessive amount of lace. On top of that, she prided herself on being the best hostess in the area but that too came at a cost. She hosted too many dinner parties and the amount of food wasted on those occasions was unconscionable.

But as with everything else, Bennet could not bestir himself to rein in his wife's spending.

Collins could sympathise with Mrs Bennet's concern about their future if her husband should die before her daughters were married. But without Bennet's guidance the woman seemed unable to comprehend that her spending contributed to their problem.

He wondered if there was any way to stop Bennet from squandering his inheritance.

As he strolled into Meryton, he saw the office of Mr Phillips. Collins had briefly met the solicitor who was married to Mrs Bennet's sister and thought him to be an intelligent and responsible man. Perhaps he could suggest a way to force Bennet to be more engaged in his duties. After all, it would be to Phillips' benefit if the Bennet ladies were financially secure at the passing of Mr Bennet. Otherwise, Phillips and Gardiner might have to support the Bennets.

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Collins changed direction and entered the office. He was in luck as Phillips was available to speak to him.

After the briefest of courtesies, Collins said, 'Mr Phillips, I do not know if it will constitute a conflict of interest, but I wanted to consult you on a matter pertaining to Longbourn.'

Phillips raised his brows and sighed. 'I presume that you have discovered my brother's lack of application when it comes to the estate?'

'Indeed. Since my arrival I have discovered that Longbourn's profitability has dropped by at least one third due to my cousin's… management.'

'Or lack thereof,' Phillips corrected the younger man with a nod and a grimace.

'You are obviously aware of my cousin's lack of enthusiasm towards his duties.'

'How could I not be aware? I have watched him for twenty years and more. Edward Gardiner, Fanny and Martha's brother, and I have tried for years to get him to see reason and exert himself to secure the future of his family. But it has been to no avail.'

'I had hoped that he could be encouraged to apply himself to his duties. But since that is not the case, I must ask if there are legal options available to me to prevent Mr Bennet ruining Longbourn completely?'

'If you were the heir apparent, you could sue for control of the estate as there is obvious and severe negligence on Bennet's behalf.'

'But I am only the heir presumptive...'

'That complicates matters, but considering Bennet's demonstrated indolence, there is still a small chance that you could win. The problem with that solution is Bennet's character. He would find it amusing to fight you tooth and nail for the estate. He would beggar Longbourn in the process.' Phillips turned his hands in a what can I say gesture. 'That very act of defiance would provide the evidence to give you victory… but at what cost.'

'You are saying that it would be a pyrrhic victory, at best.'

'Indeed.'

Collins considered the advice for a minute. 'At least, in that situation, while the estate would be bankrupt, it would still be in relatively good shape. It would not take as long to turn it around as if I let him ignore it for another two or more decades.'

'Quite. But you might wish to consider a different option,' Phillips said with a sly grin. He too had considered the problem which seemed unsolvable until he met Collins.

'Mr Phillips, I said before that I am looking for a legal solution.'

'Do not be concerned. What I have in mind is perfectly legal. It simply takes Bennet's character into consideration.' His grin widened. 'While Bennet will exert himself for his amusement, in all other situations he will prefer the path of least resistance. The path which will cater to his laziness and wish for an easy and peaceful life.'

'How can this help us?'

'Bennet hates having to spend time looking after his estate. He hates the demands of his family, even Lizzy. When he discovered he would have no son, but Elizabeth was intelligent, he trained her to be his foil, so that he would have someone with whom he could debate. But from comments he has made in my hearing, he does not care about her any more than a pair of old and worn-out gloves. He will quite happily discard her just as easily.'

'While Bennet sounds quite reprehensible, how does that help?'

'Give him what he wants. Give him the opportunity to return to Oxford and moulder away in that library… undisturbed by demands of the estate or his family.' Phillips paused to heighten the suspense. 'Lease the estate from him for a nominal fee. Enough to allow him to live comfortably in his chosen environment but no more since you will have to take on the responsibility and costs for his ladies.'

Collins sat, gaping at the audacious suggestion. Eventually he found his voice and asked, 'Do you truly believe that he will agree to that?'

'It will give him everything he desires. And if you time your suggestion just right, he will jump at the chance.'

'What do you think is the right time?'

'Just after yet another fight with Fanny. Even better if she happened to be particularly shrill,' Phillips advised with yet another sly grin.

Collins laughed at the expression. 'You are an evil man, Mr Phillips.'

'While Fanny is not the brightest person I know, she has a good heart and I love my sister dearly, as does my wife. We would like to see her, and the girls cared for and protected.'

'You trust me to protect your family better than Mr Bennet?'

'In my profession I have learnt to be an excellent judge of character. I believe that you will protect the ladies, even from themselves.'

Collins only nodded in response. He considered the character and behaviour of all his cousins and wondered if he was up to the task, while Phillips waited patiently. Eventually he said, 'Tell me more about your idea and how it would work.'

The men spent the next hour discussing the details of the plan Phillips had proposed, including how much to offer Bennet and the terms of the lease. As it was Saturday, they agreed that Collins would consider the options and advise Phillips on Monday how he would proceed.

As he walked back to Longbourn deep in thought, William Collins wondered what it was about him that he was given unexpected opportunities yet again.

~MoL~