Prologue
Longbourn, 1795
“You will raise her as one of your very own?”
The tall, robust gentleman held the hand of the child who had celebrated her fourth birthday a few days ago. She bounced on her toes, anxious to find her favorite person in the whole world and show her the new dolly Papa had given her prior to their coming to uncle’s house.
“She will want for nothing, but are you sure you wish to take this step?”
“Since Isabella’s passing, I cannot bear the empty rooms any longer. I see her in every corner. I hear her laughter and turn to find myself alone with nothing but memories.”
“But, what of your daughter? Should you not stay and guide her in life? She will have no memory of either parent if you resume your command in the Navy. We might not see you for years!”
“I promise to write letters and mail them from every port of call.” He looked down at his precious girl, who looked so much like her mother, his heart ached. “My solicitors have all the proper documentation if… well, if the inconceivable happens. She has been well provided for. Her grandfather has promised to stay in touch. If you need anything, do not hesitate to write to him.”
It was the closest he would ever come to admitting that his life was taking a dangerous turn where death was expected sooner rather than later, but he could not remain in the home he and his wife had purchased to raise their family.
“You know as well as I that correspondence from Spain is painfully slow, even worse, given the current political state. Regardless, I will send regular updates on her upbringing. Of that, you have my word.”
The gentleman released his daughter’s hand in order to pick her up and hug her tight.
“Be a good girl for Uncle Thomas, Elizabeth. Papa has to go and sail a boat for the King.”
“Cannot the King sail his own boat, Papa?” the precocious four-year-old asked.
“The King trusts me to take care of his biggest boat. It is called a ship, and your Papa is the captain. Can you give me the best kiss you have ever given before I go?”
“Yes!” The child threw her arms around her Papa’s neck and favored him with a loud kiss on his bewhiskered cheek. Then, sensing things as only children can, she lowered her head onto his shoulder, the dolly hanging from her hand behind his back. “I will miss you ever so much, Papa. Almost as much as I miss Mama.”
“I will miss you as well, my darling girl.” Tears welled up in his eyes and he lowered her to the ground, giving her shoulder a soft squeeze. “Go see Jane. I am sure she will want to see your new doll and help you unpack that enormous trunk Naomi packed for you last night.”
“I will show her Lizzy Izzy.” She turned to skip toward the house. With one foot on the stone portico, she turned and said, “I love you, Papa.”
“And I love you, my Elizabeth Rose.”
That was the last Elizabeth Bennet saw of her father.
Longbourn, 1811
Four of the Bennet ladies from Longbourn walked a familiar laneway to the closest village of Meryton. In their midst, desperately attempting to keep up, was their out-of-shape cousin whom they had met for the first time the day before. Between trying to take hold of Miss Elizabeth Bennet’s arm, which she conveniently kept out of his reach by various means, and doing a funny hop skip as he was not used to walking so far, he kept up a steady, if labored, one-sided conversation.
“My esteemed
patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, would be well pleased to know how you keep
fit by walking, Cousin Elizabeth.” He paused to suck in a breath and then
hurried to catch up with her and the eldest Miss Bennet, Jane. “Do you always
walk so quickly?”
Elizabeth glanced
at Mr. Collins over her shoulder and then looked straight ahead so he wouldn’t
notice the wide smile she could not hold back any longer.
“Oh no, Mr.
Collins. We have slowed down our pace in deference to you. Normally, we walk
much faster.”
“Faster?” he panted
out, finally coming to a halt and bent low over his knees. “I must catch my
breath.”
“Lizzy,” Jane said
beneath her breath. “We are now bordering on cruel behavior.”
“I know,” she
whispered back. “I shall stay with Mr. Collins. I see Charlotte down the lane, and we will accompany her. You go ahead
and keep an eye on Lydia and Kitty. I do not trust what they are up to. They
were too insistent on walking to Meryton today.”
Jane would have
hesitated, but she saw Charlotte Lucas coming toward them, so with a friendly
wave, she hurried to catch up to her two youngest sisters.
“Charlotte, good
timing on your part. Mr. Collins and I are walking into Meryton. Are you by
chance also going into the village?”
By this time, Miss
Lucas had come alongside. “I am. Mama has asked me to post a letter to our
uncle.”
“Mr. Collins, may I
present to you Miss Charlotte Lucas of Lucas Lodge?”
Her cousin had
finally caught his breath and offered Charlotte an awkward bow.
“Miss Lucas, this
is my cousin, Mr. Collins of Hunsford, Kent.”
“You should
introduce me properly, cousin.
I am the Reverend Mr. William Collins of Hunsford parsonage, of Rosings Park,
Kent.”
“I stand
corrected.”
“A pleasure to meet
you, Mr. Collins. Are you here for an extended stay?”
Lizzy almost rolled
her eyes, knowing what was coming next. Mr. Collins did not disappoint.
“I have been so
fortunate as to be distinguished by the patronage of the Right Honourable Lady
Catherine de Bourgh, widow of Sir Lewis de Bourgh, whose bounty and beneficence
has preferred me to the valuable rectory of the Hunsford parish. With her
blessing, I intend to trespass upon the hospitality of my esteemed cousin
Bennet till Saturday next, which I can do without any inconvenience, as Lady
Catherine is far from objecting to my occasional absence on a Sunday, provided
that some other clergyman is engaged to do the duty of the day.”
“Your patroness
sounds like a fine woman,” Charlotte said, a twinkle in her eye. “It is good that she can spare you for so long.”
“Oh yes, she is the
one who urged me to heal the breach in our families. My father did not like Mr.
Bennet and refused even to speak his name, but now that he has passed, God rest his soul, I felt the
time had come for me to extend the olive branch and make amends.”
“Yes, Charlotte.
Lady Catherine de Bourgh takes prodigious care of our cousin. There is nothing
that escapes her notice.” Lizzy faced Mr. Collins. “You must tell her about the
shelves in the closet.”
Mr. Collins, as
expected, launched into a rapturous soliloquy about his patroness and her
various recommendations to the parsonage and adjacent garden.
“I dare say she is
a very knowledgeable woman,” Charlotte murmured when he finally finished
speaking. “It is a pity that great ladies, in general, are not more like her.
Does she live near you, sir?”
“The garden in
which stands my humble abode is separated only by a lane from Rosings Park, her
ladyship’s residence.” Mr. Collins practically beamed from the attention
Charlotte paid him, which set Lizzy to think and plot a new direction for her
verbose cousin.
“Mr. Collins, when
we reach Meryton, would you be so kind as to escort Miss Lucas to the post
office. I fear the gentleman there might charge her too much for her letter,
and having you there will keep him honest.”
“But I had intended
to stay by your side, cousin Elizabeth.”
“Dear Mr. Collins,
I have three members of my family with me. I am not without company. Plus, I intend to visit a lady’s shop, and you cannot enter the
establishment.” He looked as though he would argue. “No, my mind is made up.
You must be the dashing gentleman and provide protection for Miss Lucas.”
Charlotte raised an
eyebrow at her blatant
meddling but said nothing – just as Lizzy expected. Her best friend always said
she was not looking for romance in marriage, seeking security and a good
man instead. Lizzy did not look to her cousin that
way, but Charlotte would make a wonderful mistress of Hunsford parsonage and,
in the future, Longbourn. She just had to make sure the officious donkey
followed the carrot of Miss Lucas. Also, she had plans for when she reached her
majority in May, and they did not include marriage.
By the time
Elizabeth had finished the little bit of shopping required for her needs, Jane
waited outside sporting a bright smile while Kitty and Lydia appeared quite
disgruntled.
“Are we ready to
walk home?” she asked them.
“We may as well,
Denny and Wickham have gone back to the encampment. There is nothing to do
now.”
“Denny and
Wickham?” Lizzy queried.
“Kitty and Lydia
introduced us to some officers from the ____shire Militia. A Captain Denny and
a Mr. Wickham. I did not speak with them for very long as Mr. Bingley and Mr.
Darcy were on their way to Longbourn and, when they saw us, stopped to inquire about my health.”
Jane had fallen ill
while visiting Mr. Bingley’s sisters and stayed at Netherfield Park along with Elizabeth while she
recovered. It seemed promising that Mr. Bingley attempted to call on Jane before
two full days passed since they last were in his company.
“Mr. Bingley
stopped, but Mr. Darcy took off as though his horse had a burr in its saddle,”
Lydia laughed out. “Wickham was well pleased by that.”
“Why is that,
Lydia?”
“I do not know all
the details, but he did say in passing he and Mr. Darcy do not get along.”
“I am not sure
there are many people who do,” Lizzy mused out loud, thinking of Mr. Darcy’s
behavior and manner whenever he was out among the citizens of Meryton. “Well, I
am glad Jane saw Mr. Bingley. At least one of us had a bright moment.”
“Where is Mr.
Collins, Lizzy?” Jane’s head had come out of the clouds long enough for her to
see her sister was entirely
alone.
“I asked him to
escort Charlotte to the postmaster. Should we check and see if they are still
there?”
The Bennet ladies
had not gone far when Charlotte and Mr. Collins exited the building and joined
them for the walk home. The younger sisters spoke of nothing but officers, Jane
daydreamed about Mr. Bingley, and Lizzy walked with Mr. Collins between her and
Charlotte. If she lagged behind them every now and then, he did not seem to
notice as Charlotte gave him much attention. For which both he and Lizzy were
grateful.
After dinner,
Mr. Collins solicited a request to sit next to Cousin Elizabeth in the parlor. About to excuse herself from the room, her
aunt stopped her by saying, “Of course, you
may sit with Lizzy, Mr. Collins. I am sure she will not object to your
company.”
Although Mrs.
Bennet could not technically decide whom she would marry, it was better not to tip the cart at this juncture.
Therefore, Lizzy determined to use this time for a better, far-reaching purpose.
“How did you like
my friend Miss Lucas, Mr.
Collins?”
“She is a delightful lady. Well refined,
soft-spoken. I know Lady Catherine would find her an acceptable friend.”
“I am glad you
think Lady Catherine would like my friend, Charlotte. I do worry about what she would think of me.”
“Why is that?”
“Aunt Francis has
always told me I am too opinionated and is forever lamenting the fact that my
skirts are always six inches deep in mud. I do so like to walk no matter what
the weather.”
“She says you are
opinionated?”
“Most definitely.
Ask any of my family. I think that is why I walk so much. Aunt Francis and I
tend to have small arguments over my perceived behavior. She thinks I am too
headstrong for my own good and blames it on all the books Uncle Thomas allows
me to read.”
“Your uncle allows
you to read his books?”
“Oh, yes. He has
not curtailed what I have read at all. Why the other week, I started reading
Mrs. Wollstonecraft’s book. Miss Lucas warned me I should not. She would never
dare, but I found I agreed with a lot of what Mrs. Wollstonecraft had to say.”
Mr. Collins
partially leaned away from her; his mouth dropped open.
“Oh, this will
never do. Lady Catherine would never approve.”
“Mr. Collins, I
tell you these things because you are such an honorable gentleman and have made
your intentions quite clear. In good conscience, I cannot allow you to engage
your heart when you deserve a lady who will match you in equal temperament and
manners. Someone like my friend, Miss Lucas.”
“Thank you for your
consideration, cousin Elizabeth. I had
been looking upon you as my
future companion, but Lady Catherine would never approve of a woman who read
such radical books. I think I will speak with my cousin about this. It is quite
distressing.”
“Please do, Mr.
Collins. Uncle will tell you I returned the book and told him to hide it as I
do not think my younger cousins are ready for such far-reaching ideas. The only
thing I would ask is that you do not speak to Aunt Francis about this. It
distresses her that we sometimes rub the wrong way, and I do not want to add to
her burden. We may have our moments, but I love her dearly and would like to
think she would be happy about you and I having an amicable relationship as
cousins and friends.”
“Consider it done,
cousin Elizabeth and I look forward to a long friendship.”
“Will you be
calling on Miss Lucas? As you know, we had a few moments of sharing confidences
when you stopped to fix your shoe during our walk from Meryton, and she
expressed an interest in your situation and made mention of how lucky you were
to have such an attentive patroness. I do not think I would be remiss in
directing your attention toward her.”
“I will think about
this very carefully.”
“Yes, you must do
that. Fortunately, we are all going to Mrs. Phillips for cards tomorrow
evening, and I know Miss Lucas has been invited. This would be an excellent
time for you to see how well she behaves in a social situation. You will not be
disappointed. Sir William and Lady Lucas have raised a very well-mannered
lady.”
“Oh, her father was
knighted?”
“Yes, Mr. Collins.”
Lizzy peeked through her lashes to see if her aunt still watched them. Given
that Mr. Collins was quite engaged in their conversation and she was smiling,
the scene was set for what Mrs. Bennet would perceive as a courtship. Never had
she acted so foolish in her entire life. Pray
that he does not ask Uncle about Mrs. Wollstonecraft. He had no such book
in his library. “Sir William delights in telling new acquaintances of how he was
presented at St. James’s court. No other person in Meryton can claim that
honor.”
“I will indeed make
myself known to the gentleman.”
Satisfied her
prodding had planted the seed, she left it at that, confident that tomorrow the
watering could be taken over by Charlotte.
The next evening
was the card party at their Aunt Phillips. As no objection was made to the
young people’s engagement with their aunt, and all Mr. Collins’s scruples of
leaving Mr. and Mrs. Bennet for a single evening during his visit were most
steadily resisted, the coach conveyed him and his five cousins at a suitable
hour to Meryton. Lydia and Kitty were well pleased to hear, upon entering the
drawing-room, that Mr. Wickham had accepted their uncle’s invitation and was
also in attendance. Lizzy herself had not been introduced to the gentleman, but
she could see why her sisters were in such a tither. He indeed was a handsome
man, and from what she could tell, his manners were quite engaging.
During the
evening, he sought her introduction, but Charlotte and her brother Jonathan had
just entered the room, and Lizzy was anxious to affix Mr. Collins to her side.
“Pray, excuse me,
Mr. Wickham. My friend has arrived, and I have some important news to impart.
Please do not think me rude; I
have enjoyed our conversation.”
“I would never
think you rude, Miss Elizabeth, but I will request, in order to make up for our
shortened visit, when next we
meet, if there is dancing, you would grant me a set.”
“I would be more
than pleased to dance with you, Mr. Wickham.” She caught Charlotte’s eye and
acknowledged her. “It has been a pleasure, sir.”
She then took her
leave and crossed the room to where Charlotte stood.
“I am so glad you
came tonight, Charlotte. I have much to relay and not much time.”
“You sound almost
frantic. Whatever is the matter?”
“Nothing is the
matter, but I have laid the cornerstone for the foundation of your marriage.”
“What?”
“Yes. Mr. Collins
was making much noise about choosing me as a future wife, but I cannot abide
the man – at least not as a husband. With subtle nudges, I have set him on a
path that hopefully leads to you.”
“But, if you
married him, your family could remain at Longbourn when your uncle passes.”
“True, but as you
well know, I am already well situated, and my cousins need not worry about
where they will lay their heads when Uncle Thomas passes.” She had at one time confided in Charlotte a little of her
family history. “Also, marriage is for life, and I cannot see myself making him
happy. I know he would not make me happy. If I could have pushed him in Mary’s
direction, I would have, but he is very much under the thumb of his patroness,
and Mary would only sermonize, making it worse. Oh! Here he comes.” Lizzy and
Charlotte both turned to greet him with pleasant smiles. “Mr. Collins. I was
just complimenting Miss Lucas on the minced pies she brought over the other
day.”
“You cook, Miss
Lucas?”
“Cook? Miss Lucas
not only makes mince pies but Sir William has been heard to proclaim her
dinner rolls are the best he has ever tasted.” Charlotte reached between them
and pinched her arm. Lizzy smiled and took a small step away. “I know she will
deny all this because she is a modest Christian woman, but it is true.”
By this time, Mr.
Collins had turned his undivided attention to Charlotte, and when Aunt Phillips
called her guests to the card tables, he asked if she would partner him for a
round of whist. With a slight
skip in her step, Lizzy found Jane and filled her in on her successful evening.
“You are lucky Mama
is not here.”
“Truer words were
never spoken. It is a good thing they let us come alone. At this rate, he will
probably make an offer to Charlotte by the end of this week.”
“You are that
confident?”
“Jane, the poor man
wants to marry so badly. He thinks it is his duty and dares not fail in the one
task his patroness set for him before coming to Longbourn. And we are all aware
that Charlotte also longs for marriage. Mr. Collins is not a horrible man, but
he is someone I could never marry. I wish to marry only for the deepest of
love, as do you.”