Not what they expected
After his rather lengthy and odd letter, the Bennets did not know what to think about their distant cousin. Mr. Bennet had despised the man's father, but had never met the son. When the man finally arrived a day late, he was certainly not what they expected.
October, 1811
Mr. and Mrs. Bennet had kept their five girls home on the hour and the day specified in William Collins' letter announcing his intended visit. As the hours wore on, the seven persons began to find their tempers shortening and their patience vanishing. By the third hour after Mr. Collins failed to arrive, Mr. Bennet did not even attempt to dissuade his wife from ordering the carriage and taking off for Meryton to shop, gossip, and complain with her sister Phillips. He was even grateful that she took the youngest two along.
Jane, who had just recovered from a week of being sick at Netherfield Park, took a chair in the sitting room and worked on her embroidery. Mary, having been denied her usual practice time, applied herself diligently to the pianoforte. And Elizabeth, having been also confined for a week at Netherfied, took advantage of the clear afternoon to go on a brisk walk on her favorite paths.
Everyone was surprised on the following day when a one-horse trap rolled into the drive with a tall and well-formed man dressed in the garb of a parson. At first everyone grumbled to be once again assembled, but once the girls and even their mother saw the man, their chagrin turned to speculation. If all parsons were as handsome as this man, then the churches of England would be full indeed!
"Hello the house, I must apologize for the impropriety of being a day late, but I encountered trouble with my borrowed rig along the road. I am William Collins. Is this Longbourn, the estate of my cousin?"
Thomas Bennet had been regarding the man closely. While it was true that he had never met this man, he had at least expected some resemblance to his father, Josiah Collins, or Josiah's mother Annabeth Collins, nee Bennet. "This is Longbourn and I am Thomas Bennet. What manner of problem did you encounter on your journey?"
"A broken axle. I made it past Addington when it broke and had to ride the nag back. It used up most of the funds that I set aside to lease this new trap to finish the journey. I must say, your home is all that is lovely, as are your daughters."
Thomas and his second daughter Elizabeth shared the briefest of glances. Although Mr. Collin's letter had been read out loud to all, only they had read it more than once. This man did not promote the same feeling as the author of the letter.
Nevertheless, he welcomed the man and gestured for him to join them in inside. Collins was full of compliments for everything, and his manners were everything pleasing. Yet the feeling of disquiet persisted for both Thomas and his most intelligent daughter.
The rest of the ladies, excepting perhaps the oldest daughter Jane, were enraptured by this unexpected Mr. Collins. Mrs. Bennet was the most pleased. Already she had visions of marrying off one of her daughters to this handsome man. When Lizzy had speculated that the author of the letter might be seeking a wife, Fanny Bennet had resolved to sacrifice her second daughter to the hateful man.
Now, seeing him in person, she rethought her choice. Certainly any man would choose Jane, but Jane would soon be Mrs. Bingley, the Mistress of Netherfield. Of this she was certain. Lizzy, her second, might be interested, but did Fanny truly want her to be the next mistress of Longbourn? She was far from malleable, and Fanny had no intentions of surrendering her authority even when her husband died.
Mary had seemed to be the obvious choice for a parson's wife. She certainly loved to read sermons and edifying texts. But a man as handsome as this Mr. Collins would never choose a girl so plain. Kitty might suit, but she was not much better than Mary and she had that annoying and persistent cough!
Lydia! Now Lydia would be the best choice! She was lively, pretty, and very well-formed even though she was only fifteen. But men like young brides. Best of all, her Lydia was the only one who ever completely listened to Fanny's motherly advice on how to catch a man. Yes, she would be the best prospect as a bride for their cousin!
Lydia, for her part, had resolved to only marry a man in a red coat, an officer of course. But upon seeing this magnificent specimen of manliness, she was perhaps willing to forego that requirement. At least she was prepared to flirt with the man.
For the remainder of the morning they visited, only taking a break to show the man to the guest room. He returned soon and resumed flattering and winning all of the ladies' hearts with his charming manners and smiles. Even Elizabeth found herself drawn in by the man, though she retained a measure of doubt.
Then Mr. Collins asked for a tour of the estate. Thomas Bennet still had his suspicions, but the request was reasonable. He only had his own mare and the carriage horses. The trap-horse was played-out, so it was not an option. Thomas ordered the best of the stable horses saddled, then escorted the man out.
As soon as the two men were gone, the ladies launched into an enthusiastic appraisal of their new cousin. Everyone had an opinion, with Fanny being the most voluble of all, "Jane, you've already captured Mr. Bingley. Lizzy... it would be best if you just mind your tongue and don't interfere. Lydia, I think that you would make a fine wife for Mr. Collins, what do you think?"
Mary seemed unsurprised but still hurt to be completely overlooked. Kitty raised her voice in protest, "Mama, why should Lydia get him? What about me? I'm older and should be first!"
"Yes, but I'm prettier and have bigger bosoms," Lydia snapped back. The youngest sisters began a yelling match until Mrs. Bennet snapped, "Girls! Enough of that. Kitty, Lydia is the most lively and she knows how to flirt properly. It's best if you just stay out of her way. This is important to all of our futures."
The whining, wailing, and other protestations continued. Nobody even noticed that Elizabeth had slipped away to let herself into her father's bookroom. She was the only one with a key besides her father. Once the door was shut and locked, she looked for the letter again. It was right where she expected to find it, so she sat in her father's chair and read the vociferous document again to see if she could find this Mr. Collins' voice in the letter. She failed.
Thomas returned to Longbourn still uncertain. His "cousin" had certainly demonstrated that he knew something about estate management. William had explained that his father had him work for a local steward since he was twelve to prepare him for becoming an the master of an estate.
Then he discovered a love for the Church and chose to pursue seminary instead. "Papa was not pleased." Thomas was not a highly religious man, preferring philosophers over disciples, so he was not able to test the man on his Bible knowledge.
In the end they completed the tour and returned without Thomas feeling any more settled in his mind then when they departed. After they turned their mounts over to the stable-master, Thomas invited the man in for a drink. He noticed several things slightly moved on his desk, confirming that his Lizzy had entered in his absence. He would have to ask if she found any clues.
William Collins asked a lot of questions, mostly about the value of the estate, deeds, and the entail. Thomas thought that he should have known most of this, but how much had the man's father passed on? Josiah had never been an easy person to talk to.
In the end everyone went to bed with matters unresolved.
Breakfast was a trial for some. Lydis seemed determined to secure a betrothal that very day with her blatant flirting. Kitty was all scowls. Mary seemed even more withdrawn than usual. Jane had her mind in the clouds, probably thinking of Mr. Bingley. And Elizabeth seemed to be asking a lot of leading questions. Mr. Collins seemed to take this all in stride, though his eyes seemed to render great appreciation for all of the females in the room.
Mrs. Bennet watched it all with satisfaction, confident that he would be her son-in-law very soon.
Mr. Bennet watched it all with a sense of disquiet.
Eventually, desiring some time to ponder, Thomas Bennet encouraged his daughters and their cousin to go on a walk to Meryton. He needed to make some decisions and take some actions.
Naturally Mr. Collins was enticed to come along, "Of course, ladies. Who would not be proud to walk with five such beautiful ladies?"
The man had smiles and compliments for all, but he seemed determined to gain Elizabeth's attention while Lydia and Kitty seemed determined to compete for his. Jane, her mind in the clouds, walked ahead while Mary, resigned, followed behind and tried to think of clever words to say which might capture the heart of a man of the cloth.
They were almost to Meryton when several young militia officers approached them from the opposite direction. Lydia momentarily forgot her pursuit of Mr. Collins to sing out, "Mr. Denny!" While Kitty, tired of being overlooked, sang out, "Mr. Chamberlain!" Elizabeth could not help but note that Collins, a man of the cloth, did not seem particularly disgusted with her sisters' uncouth displays. Rather he seemed pleased to have them focused elsewhere while he tried to seize her interest.
His reprieve was momentary, however, as the girls dragged the two officers over to meet their cousin.
Just then two horsemen came from another fork in the road. Jane smiled immediately, recognizing the blond rider as her Mr. Bingley. Elizabeth felt oddly relieved to see the tall black haired rider and recognize him as Mr. Darcy. Her eyes watched as he first saw her and began to smile... a reaction she did not understand, and then looked past her and began to turn red, his smile turning into something fierce and angry.
Elizabeth turned to see that her cousin Collins had turned ashen, his own gaze fixated on Mr. Darcy.
Everything happened at once then and so quickly that nobody else was prepared. Mr. Darcy began to dismount. Mr. Collins reached out, seizing the hilt of Mr. Denny's saber. Then Elizabeth was stunned as her cousin's other hand seized her own shoulder and pulled her backwards, the naked blade of the saber right at her throat. "Step back, Darcy, or she dies!"
There were screams and curses and cries, but the only reply that Elizabeth heard clearly was Mr. Darcy, "Wickham! Unhand her now! Run if you want. I won't chase you. But if you harm Elizabeth I promise you that you will die."
Elizabeth felt the man holding her tense. Her mind was gibbering, but as she fought to control it she latched onto two disparate details: He called him Wickham, not Collins! And Mr. Darcy called me Elizabeth! What is he thinking? Many more thoughts were flitting around, but she could not seem to fix on any of them.
The man she knew as Collins chuckled in a vile way, pressing the blade against her skin, "Elizabeth, is it. Oh how the mighty have fallen. Never thought I would see the day. No, I think that I will be taking Elizabeth with me. She will be my security to keep you away. Now step aside. I will be taking your horse."
Among the many details which would replay in her mind later, two more would always come back to Elizabeth. The first was the desperate look in Mr. Darcy's eyes. He was not looking at her assailant, but into her own eyes, as if trying to speak to her. Those eyes were not cold or haughty or disdainful. They spoke of something more personal. She would always remember that look.
The second detail, a detail that she actually might not have actually noticed at the time and in the terror of the moment, was the sound of another set of horse hooves. Mr. Collins/Wickham must not have heard either, because he was still attempting to force-walk her over to Mr. Darcy's great black stallion.
As before, it happened quickly. One moment Elizabeth was being forced to take a step, and the next there was the sound of an impact, a grunt of pain, and another hand forcing the saber away from her frail throat. Then, before she could process any of this, Elizabeth found herself in Mr. Darcy's arms, held against his broad chest as he said over and over, "I have you. I have you. You are safe. I will never let him hurt you."
There were all manner of sounds and movements all around, but for that briefest of moments she felt almost removed from it all, safe where she belonged.
And then another and very familiar voice, this one stern but amused voice said, "Mr. Darcy, I would appreciate it if you would unhand my daughter. We can speak later, I believe, after this scoundrel is properly taken care of."
Elizabeth was released as a startled Mr. Darcy stepped back. Elizabeth, somewhat bewildered, saw that the two officers and Mr. Bingley were trussing her attacker even though at the present he seemed to be unconscious in the dust of the road. Jane was with her then, trembling but steady. Her father was holding a dangerous looking pistol, the butt of which still showed the blood where it had struck a blow to Mr. Collins/Wickham's head. Pulling Elizabeth to his side, he said, "You seem to know the true identity of this man, Mr. Darcy. Could you please enlighten me?"
Mr. Darcy nodded, but his eyes were still on Elizabeth, his expression concerned, "I will tell you all, but first perhaps it would be best to get the ladies somewhere safe? Is there anywhere nearby?"
Minutes later Elizabeth and her sisters were ushered into their Aunt Phillips' parlor. The younger girls began explaining all in excited tones. Mary and Jane even attempted to furnish details. Elizabeth, still numb, remained mostly silent, only answering the occasional question with short answers. When it was discovered that she had sustained a shallow cut from the sword, Mr. Jones was sent for.
Later the entire story of how George Wickham came to be posing as William Collins was explained, though only after a thorough interrogation and additional investigation. Some of the details, mostly those pertaining to the Darcys, were only explained by Mr. Darcy to Elizabeth in private, for reasons that became obvious.
George Wickham had escaped from Ramsgate after his failed attempt to elope with Georgiana Darcy. He could not return to London because the very dangerous men from whom he had borrowed a large amount of money were looking from him. At this point they would either get the money or take his life... slowly and painfully.
Instead he found refuge near Rosings Park, an estate that he knew well from his childhood when the elder Mr. Darcy, Fitzwilliam Darcy's father, had still treated him like family. Because George Wickham was made to feel unwelcome by Lady Catherine, the mistress of Rosings Park, during those visits, he spent most of his time wandering the grounds and getting into mischief. Therefore he knew the area well.
Being the handsome and charming devil that he was, he seduced a younger maid and managed to get food, drink, and a hovel to hide in. She also provided information about what was happening in the house, such as the fact that Lady Catherine had a new parson, Mr. William Collins. He was a ridiculous man who toadied to Lady Catherine, but was actually the heir-presumptive to an estate in Hertfordshire. Mr. Collins believed that the current master was in poor health. Lady Catherine was pushing the man to make a visit to his future estate and secure a wife from among his cousin's daughters, ladies who were reputed to be beauties.
Once he had enough information, Wickham decided to engineer an accident and replace Mr. Collins. It was easy enough to steal a nag and get ahead of the man, then accost him on the road. The true William Collins was then buried among some bushes in a ravine near Bromley. Unfortunately for George Wickham, the man's black garb was entirely the wrong size for him. He had to seek out a tailor from the back streets of Bromley and spend most the dead man's coins to secure the appropriate outfit.
The rest was vague. Wickham was not certain himself if he intended to hide out as Mr. Collins for an extended period, kill the current master, Thomas Bennet, and assume the property, or rob the estate and flee to Liverpool and safe passage elsewhere.
The body of the real William Collins was found exactly where Wickham described under skillful interrogation. Naturally this resulted in a swift and expedient hanging, ending forever the depredations of George Wickham.
Lady Catherine was livid about the murder of her parson. She was angry to learn that the murderer was George Wickham, a man she had despised for over a decade and proof of the former Mr. Darcy's foolish charity. She was fuming when she learned that the man had been living off of food and drink stolen from her own estate. But she was furious when she was informed that her nephew, the man she had claimed for her own daughter, was now engaged to some upstart grasping fool of a cousin to her dead parson!
Elizabeth was fully recovered from the attack as her father walked her down the aisle three weeks after the event. At first she had argued, though not in her usual determined manner, that it was unnecessary for her to marry Mr. Darcy. "He should not be forced to marry me just because he held me in public for a fleeting moment!" Yet she herself could not dismiss the desperate look in his eyes during that incident or the power of his embrace.
Nor did Fitzwilliam Darcy make any attempt to escape the parson's noose (forgive the term considering the circumstances). The event had also been a moment of clarity for him. Since the first moment he met her and all through her stay at Netherfield he had been trying to deny her impact on his heart, his senses, and his desires. But when he saw the stolen blade at her slender throat, Darcy's entire world had hung in the balance. He knew then, with absolute certainty, that he loved Elizabeth Bennet and would never be happy without her.
Despite both of their understandings being impacted, they still did not woo peaceably. There were many small disagreements and two large arguments between them, but Elizabeth was still walking down the aisle toward the man she loved three weeks later, a day after the final banns had been read. And when they repeated their vows before man and God, they both meant their words sincerely.
Ironically, that which was meant for evil resulted in good in several situations, though not for everybody. The murder of William Collins left no male heirs remaining to claim Longbourn after Thomas Bennet. As a result it was decided that the first male child from among the five daughters would inherit. Since both Jane and Elizabeth were marrying, it was only a matter of time before the rightful heir was produced. Thomas Bennet became a more industrious estate master and Fanny Bennet became a more relaxed estate mistress.
The rage that Lady Catherine flew into resulted in an apoplexy. She did not die, but she was rendered crippled and mute, requiring her to be housed in a special facility reserved for the nobility. Her daughter Anne, the rightful Mistress of Rosings, made a remarkable recovery after her mother's removal. Her uncle, the Earl of Matlock, found a reliable steward to restore Rosings to its former greatness while trustworthy physicians and servants helped Anne to become healthy. She never married, but played loving aunt to many Darcy and Fitzwilliam children for twelve more years. When she died the property was willed to the Darcy's youngest daughter, Anne.
The death and final removal of the constant threat that was George Wickham helped Georgiana Darcy to recover as well, so that she was a confident and relaxed young lady when it came time for her coming out. She loved Elizabeth and most of her new sisters and cherished them all her life.
Chamberlain, after receiving a sound and humiliating scolding from Colonel Forster for allowing his sword to be stolen so easily, decided that soldiering was truly not for him. He hung up his uniform and sword, sold his commission, and decided to make the church his calling. It was another three years, but he was ordained and offered a comfortable living in Kent, at a place called Hunsford. As soon as he accepted the position, he traveled fifty miles of good road to propose to Kitty Bennet. She readily accepted and was soon happily installed in her former cousin's home.
Most importantly, Elizabeth Bennet never doubted from that day that Fitzwilliam Darcy loved her or that she loved him. Unintentionally, George Wickham, Darcy's former friend turned bitter enemy, had made it possible for the happy couple to avoid a year of angry words and horrible misunderstandings to become the happiest couple in England.
As to the rest of the Bennets, they all eventually found new loves and new homes, but they never forgot the lesson they learned: handsome is as handsome does... and not all that glitters is gold.