Chapter 2

April 1811

Longbourn, Hertfordshire

"I hope, my dear," commented Mr Bennet to his wife at breakfast, "that you have ordered a good dinner for tomorrow; I have reason to expect an addition to our family party."

"Who do you mean, sir? I cannot remember inviting anyone."

"The person of whom I speak, is a stranger to me."

"It must be that young gentleman who was considering letting Netherfield Park," she stopped a moment to think about it. "No, I believe I heard he was expected to arrive in August. In any case girls, you must all look your best. It is not often a well-to-do young man comes to our area. I am certain he will bring many other wealthy young men along in his house party."

"I assure you, madam, it is not our much talked about possible future neighbour," replied her husband, "it is a person whom I never saw in the whole course of my life." This aroused a general astonishment around the table and after responding to the many questions his family asked, he removed a letter from his jacket and explained, "a month ago I received this letter from my distant cousin, a Mr William Collins, who, when I am dead, may turn you all out of this house as soon as he pleases."

"I cannot bear to hear that odious man's name!" Mrs Bennet shrieked, "how cruel to settle our estate away from a family with five daughters, in favour of a man whom no one has ever met."

"Nevertheless, his message expresses his desire to heal the breach between the two families. He was ordained a year ago and he has, and I quote, 'been presented with a living in Hunsford, Kent under the patronage of the magnanimous Right Honourable Lady Catherine deBourgh. As often as possible I humble myself before her to demonstrate my utmost respect for her ladyship.' He goes on and on praising his benefactress without end and with her approval we can expect his peace-making arrival tomorrow afternoon." The family continued to discuss their cousin's visit with a mixture of curiosity and dread.

At dinner that evening the youngest Bennet sisters began playing a guessing game; the object was to see who could best describe their mystery cousin. "As a vicar, I am sorry he will not wear a uniform." Lydia guessed while dramatically fluttering her eyelashes, "but he will be very tall with dark hair and stunning blue eyes."

"Which means he will be short and bald and wear spectacles so thick you will not be able to see his eyes!" Everyone around the table chuckled at Kitty's response.

Jane commented, "I hope for our sakes that Lydia has the right of it."

The youngest Bennet sister rose and puffed out her chest and proudly marched around the table using the deepest voice she could muster. "I am William Collins, and my patroness is the most remarkable person in the world. Any young woman in the country would be honoured to be my wife. Of course, she will have to overlook my stout figure, numerous facial warts, and aversion to bathing!" They were laughing so hard; they could not continue eating. Such was the conviviality the Bennet family enjoyed.

Upon hearing a carriage coming up the drive, the family exited the house in anticipation of meeting their newly discovered relative. The heavy set Mr Collins was dressed in a black suit and bowed low as he met Mr and Mrs Bennet. His bowing continued, his eyes got wider and his brow beaded with more perspiration as he was introduced to each of his cousins. Elizabeth had no interest in this obsequious man but did turn her face to the right so he could only see her unaffected cheek. "Mr Bennet, Mrs Bennet, each of your daughters is more beautiful than the next. My venerated benefactress has condescended to advise me to marry as soon as possible and choose a wife from one of my lovely cousins. She implored me 'marry a humble woman, Mr Collins, for a vicar should have a wife'. Lady Catherine instructed me that to do so would help bring our families closer before the sad day I become master of Longbourn. As my esteemed patroness..."

"Perhaps you would like to come inside for some refreshments." Mr Bennet had already had enough of listening to the ridiculous man who had arrived only moments earlier.

"Indeed, Lady Catherine has wisely recommended I restore myself after every journey."

As the sisters followed their parents and guest into the drawing room, Lydia giggled, "Kitty had the right of it last night!" The five sisters attempted to control their chuckling as they found a place to sit. Collins gasped, jumped from his seat, and pointed to Elizabeth's birthmark. He screeched at her, "that mark…that mark on your face is a symbol of evil from God. You should have warned me! I cannot remain in this house another moment with that…that instrument of the devil. I insist my trunks be returned to the carriage; I will find accommodations elsewhere."

As he stormed from the house, the shock of what she had just heard made Elizabeth cry, "I have been called many names in my life but have never been told I bear the mark of evil from God."

Her father patted her shoulder and remarked in a nonchalant manner, "we were a happy loving family before he arrived as we shall be in the future without the presence of that awful man. I wonder what divinity school taught him such nonsense. Remember, my Lizzy, your courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate you. Pray consider the source of those comments my dear, he is no longer of any consequence to us and I say good riddance to him!"

"Pray excuse me; I believe I will go upstairs and rest before dinner." Her father kissed her forehead as she walked passed him.

After her dearest sister left her family in the drawing room, Jane sighed, "our poor, sweet Lizzy. If strangers would only overlook her birthmark and judge her for the thoughtful, kind-hearted person she is." Her sisters echoed her sentiments as they dispersed throughout Longbourn.

Staring at the pink floral canopy above her bed, Elizabeth kept hearing Mr Collins' words in her mind. Because of the birthmark on her face, she always thought of herself as unattractive to men and wore the plainest clothes she could find. Her mother saw no reason to spend money on her appearance; it was highly unlikely a pretty lace trim on a dress would encourage a man to overlook her face. She wore her hair in a simple chignon and did her best not to draw the attention of strangers, lest risk humiliation. She did not understand why Mr Collins' words hurt so much, after all, she had been called names since she was able to understand what people were saying. Her friends and neighbours slowly became accustomed to seeing her red cheek and after a time, they stopped mentioning it. Her best friend, Charlotte Lucas, was the only companion who never commented on her face and always treated Elizabeth as if she looked like all the other children. The port-wine stain on her face made strangers uncomfortable and they looked away whenever they were near her. When she saw her reflection in the looking glass, she covered the right side of her face and saw a lovely looking young woman. Under her father's tutelage she was well read and educated but eligible young men did not bother to overlook her appearance long enough to get to know her and her depth of knowledge. Papa is right; in the past, insults like Mr Collins' made my courage rise. For some reason his words hurt me - I know I am not evil; my birthmark is a random occurrence which will sadly keep me from the future I desire; as a loving wife and mother.

It did not take long for the Bennets to learn that when Mr Collins left Longbourn, he took a room at the Red Fox Inn in Meryton. He was warmly welcomed to the area by Sir William Lucas and invited to dine with the Lucas family that evening. Shortly after meeting Charlotte and observing her calm, obedient nature, he was certain Lady Catherine would most heartily approve of his choice. They were soon married and returned to Kent. Elizabeth was kindly asked not to attend the wedding.

Several weeks after the departure of Mr. and Mrs. Collins, Elizabeth returned home from her early morning walk and noticed the door to her father's study was ajar. She always enjoyed their morning chats before the rest of the household awakened. "Papa, may I come in?" When she received no answer, she poked her head in and saw her father sleeping at his desk. She was afraid he had been there all night and would be very stiff when he awoke. She gently tapped his arm, "wake up, sleepyhead." Her father had always been a light sleeper, "you have spent the entire night at your desk." When he did not move, she began to panic and shook his arm more vigorously only to gasp as it slipped from the desk and hung limply beside his chair. Tears filled her eyes and she was frozen in place; her heart beat loudly in her chest and she was unable to think. Is Papa dead? What should I do? Papa tell me what to do! We cannot live without you. Hill. Hill will know. When she looked out the study door, she heard the housekeeper preparing the dining room for breakfast and frantically rushed to her for help.

When they reached Mr Bennet's seemingly lifeless body, Mrs Hill placed her hand on his neck and felt for his pulse. "He is alive but may have suffered some kind of heart ailment. I will have Mr Hill and some footmen bring him to his chambers. Miss Elizabeth, pray ask one of the stable boys to ride to Meryton and fetch Mr Jones."

"Yes, that is a good idea. I will be back in a moment. Perhaps it would be better if we did not mention anything to my mother until after the apothecary examines my father. I will let Jane know what is happening; she can calm Mama's nerves when she learns of his condition."

"Yes, miss, I will find Mr Hill and meet you in your father's room."

An hour later, Mr Jones opened the door of Mr Bennet's chambers and ushered Elizabeth and Jane inside. "Your father has suffered an apoplexy and cannot move; he does not respond to speech or touch. I have my doubts he will ever regain any of his faculties or that his condition will improve." Both girls gripped each other's hand with tears in their eyes.

"We must do something to help him! There must be some medicine or treatment!" Elizabeth desperately pleaded as she paced the room.

"I fear there is no curative that would help him recover. I have seen many patients in this condition, and you can never predict what will happen: some people never awaken and pass away peacefully; others suddenly open their eyes and ask why their family is gathered at their bedside. I always advise people to pray for the best but prepare for the worst. I will return later this afternoon to examine him again; if there is any change before then, pray let me know immediately. Would you like me to inform Mrs Bennet?"

"I believe it would be better for Lizzy and me to inform the family ourselves. Thank you for coming so quickly Mr Jones."

"I have known Tom Bennet my entire life and I am so sorry I do not have better news. Until later, ladies."

The sisters embraced each other and cried until they had no tears left. "Lizzy, it is time to tell our mother of Papa's condition."

Mrs Bennet reacted to learning of her husband's health crisis in the predictable way: sobbing and complaining of heart palpitations. She fanned herself with her handkerchief and beseeched Hill for her medicine.

"Do you wish to see Papa?"

"Oh Jane, my nerves, my nerves! I cannot leave my bed, but perhaps later. Oh goodness me, what will happen to us if, if the worst should occur?"

"Mama, we must all pray for Papa's recovery. Jane and I are going to tell our sisters now. I am sure they will join you as soon as possible and we will all take good care of you."

Her mother responded by waving her handkerchief again and muttered, "oh my nerves! What shall become of us now? Where shall we go? Charlotte Lucas, mistress of Longbourn! How could such a thing happen?" Just then Hill appeared with a tonic to help Mrs Bennet sleep, and the eldest sisters left the room.

Elizabeth stopped Jane in the hall, "I just thought of something you may wish to consider. If Papa dies, you will not be able to marry for six months or more. Since you and George have a formal courtship and Mary is already betrothed, why not marry now."

"Now?"

"I mean within the next few days."

Jane said nothing and looked at her feet before cautiously answering, "your idea has merit. After we speak to the girls, I will send a note to George at Uncle Philip's office and if Mary is amenable, we could have a simple double ceremony. Considering our father's health, a wedding breakfast is out of the question."

"Let us tell our sisters about Papa and hope my future brothers agree with our plan."

That night in their bed chamber, Elizabeth was deep in thought as she sat on the window seat with her hands wrapped around her knees. She finally turned to Jane and asked quietly, "why did you hesitate before answering my question about marrying George? Are you having second thoughts?"

Jane faced her sister with tears in her eyes. "I care for him - I really do, but sometimes I feel that marrying him would be a mistake; that is why we are not yet betrothed. I wished to wait to see if what I feel for him is love."

Elizabeth walked to the bed and took her sister's hand. "Then you must not do it. I thought I was solving a problem, but I see now I was only creating one. Mary has already agreed to marry Mr Mapleton, but you need not follow suit."

"I know you are only trying to help. Let me think about it tonight and I will let you know my decision tomorrow. Goodnight, dear Lizzy."

In the morning, the sisters were helping each other dress when Jane caught her sister's eye in the looking glass. "I have decided I will marry George as soon as possible."

"If you are agreeing to it only because you think it will be the best thing for our family, pray do not make a mistake you will regret the rest of your life."

"I am doing what is best for me and I will be happy with George, I promise."

"How our lives have changed in just one day. Our enchanted life at Longbourn has suddenly been taken from us."

"What do you mean, enchanted?"

"I know we are not wealthy, but we have always had warm clothes to wear and enough wood to keep us warm in the winter. We had plenty of food on the table which we took for granted because it was prepared and served by others. Mama often embarrasses us when she speaks before she thinks, but we have a loving family. It has not been that long since we laughed so hard at dinner the night before Mr Collins arrived. We have been fortunate all our lives and now who knows how Papa's illness will affect us all." The sisters embraced and went to see if there was any change in their father's health; then went to tell their mother of their plans.

"Yes, yes I do approve of the idea. If Jane and Mary are married, everything will be easier for me if…if the worst should happen." Mrs Bennet's speech was interrupted by the fluttering of her lacy handkerchief and then massaging her heart. "You girls have no idea how I suffer...if I only need to find husbands for Kitty and Lydia, my life will be easier. When they marry, Lizzy and I will be together, and she can help care for me as I get older."

Jane chose to ignore her mother's last comment. "If you approve Mama, we will wed in two days in the Longbourn chapel. Mr Mapleton has already spoken to the vicar. Papa's ill health precludes the need for a wedding breakfast."

"It breaks my heart not to fete my girls with the most elaborate celebration ever seen in Meryton. Well, perhaps when Kitty and Lydia marry…I am very tired children. I must sleep now…"

As the oldest Bennet sisters walked toward their chambers, Jane could not help but comment, "even in her distress, Mama's primary concern is how soon she can have all her daughters married."

"You mean except me; the caretaker of her dotage."

"Lizzy, one day you will meet a man who is right for you and be the happiest of us all."

"I thank you for saying that, but I am not foolish enough to believe it will ever happen."

Three days after Mr Bennet was stricken, Jane married George Horton, her Uncle Philips' law clerk and Mary married Benjamin Mapleton, the curate in Meryton. The simple ceremony took place in the small Longbourn church and not unexpectedly the brides' mother was too unwell to attend. All five sisters stood together at the altar in support of each other in their time of crisis. Both couples decided to forego a wedding trip and chose to stay close to Longbourn and their family in case the worse should occur. Sadly, they did not have long to wait; Mr Bennet never awakened and died peacefully one week after his attack.

May 1811

As the executor of his brother's estate, Mr Phillips was obligated to inform Mr Collins that following the death of Thomas Bennet, he was the new master of Longbourn. Without any advanced warning, Mr and Mrs Collins entered Longbourn not one month after Mr Bennet's demise. Not bothering to knock, he marched directly into the sitting room with Charlotte reluctantly following him. They found the Bennet ladies busily occupied trimming their garments in black. "I am pleased to see you all fulfilling your obligations of mourning, but this is no longer your home. As the new master of Longbourn, you must leave here immediately." He stood with his hands on his hips appearing to expect them all to rise and walk out the front door.

"But Mr Collins," Charlotte whispered to her husband loud enough for all to hear, "is it not the Christian thing to allow the grieving family time to pack their belongings before leaving their home?"

"Our home, dear Charlotte, our home. I suppose you are correct." He looked around the room and his beady eyes stopped on Elizabeth. He pointed to her and commanded, "you may never enter or come near this house again. When I informed my beneficent former patroness, the honourable Lady Catherine deBourgh about the sign of the devil on your face, in her infinite wisdom advised me to cast you out of this house immediately never to return to this area. I care not where you go but you shall never come back, or I will spread the word of your evilness throughout Meryton. Mrs Bennet, you, and your daughters have one week to make other living arrangements. Be warned, I will be here every day to closely monitor which items you attempt to remove from my home which do not rightfully belong to you. Come, my dear, I am certain your parents will be delighted for us to visit them before we become their neighbours."

Charlotte did not answer her husband but as she was leaving the room, looked directly at Elizabeth, her former best friend and mouthed the words, "I am so sorry."

When they heard the door close behind their unexpected visitors, all six women began speaking at the same time. Mrs Bennet stood and clapped her hands to get her daughters' attention. "Listen to me carefully. I will never allow that greedy little man to take possession of anything that is ours. All of you pack your clothes, those can be of no interest to that avaricious nobody. Lizzy, pack your father's books; you know which were purchased by him and are rightfully ours. Mr Collins will object of course, but he has no right to keep your father's library. Jane, since your belongings are already at your new home, you and I shall decide which furnishings are ours and any of the silver which was not here before your father and I married. Most of it was a wedding gift from your grandmother Bennet and belongs to me. Mary, pray help your sisters pack or help Lizzy in the library. We will take all our belongings from this house even if we must remove our things in the dead of night. He and Charlotte will never possess anything which is rightfully ours. The first thing I must do is find a place where we can live. After the reading of the will, your Uncle Philips informed me there is not enough money to even let a small home. Thank heavens Jane and Mary have married and have homes of their own although they are too small to take us all in."

"Mama, can we live with Aunt Phillips?" Lydia asked.

"I am going there first. If my sister cannot help us, I do not know where we shall go."

Several hours later, Mrs Bennet returned and announced the good news; the Phillips said they were welcome to come and live with them. She was to be given her own chamber, and the two youngest Bennet sisters were to share a small, windowless room. Aunt Phillips regretted there was simply no space in the small house to accommodate Elizabeth. Mary and Jane kindly offered their sister a place to stay but she gratefully declined their offers, knowing that newly married couples needed their privacy. After a swift exchange of letters between Mrs Bennet and her brother, Elizabeth was sent to London to live with her aunt and uncle until one or both of her younger sisters married and there would be room for her in the Philips' home.