A Turn in Their Dance

by Linda C Thompson

  “Of course, Mrs. Hill. I congratulate you on your forethought.” The housekeeper looked relieved at his words.

  At that moment, there was a knock at the door. Mrs. Hill opened it and admitted Mr. Phillips.

  The gentlemen adjourned to Mr. Bennet’s study, leaving the trussed-up Wickham on the sitting room floor. It did not take them long to prepare the necessary papers. When the group rejoined the ladies, they noticed a gag tied around Wickham’s face.

  When Lydia observed the gentlemen’s grins, she explained. “First he was trying to convince us that we should release him. When that didn’t work, he started abusing us. I got tired of listening to him.”

  The explanation evoked a bigger laugh from all of the gentlemen. A muffled invective sounded from the general direction of the bound officer.

  When this contretemps had begun, Lieutenant Denny, who was also visiting with Wickham and the Bennets, made his excuses and departed. Seeing that a higher ranking officer was attempting to take away Wickham, he went to retrieve Colonel Forster.

  Just as Richard was about to ask for assistance in taking Wickham back to camp before transporting him to London, Mrs. Hill appeared in the doorway to the sitting room. “Colonel Forster and Lieutenant Denny.”

  “I understand someone is attempting to remove Mr. Wickham from my unit,” began the new arrival loudly.

  “Why, Forster, you old dog! What are you doing in Meryton?”

  Colonel Forster turned in the direction of the familiar voice. “Is that you, Fitzwilliam? What brings you here?”

  “I came to visit my cousin Mr. Darcy and his friend Bingley for a day or two. However, to my surprise, I found a scoundrel in the midst of a room full of ladies.”

  “Do you refer to Wickham?”

  “I do. We just completed the papers to deliver the scoundrel to Marshalsea.”

  “If you are taking him there, he must be a debtor.”

  Richard nodded.

  “Indeed,” announced Mr. Philips, “to the tune of over six thousand pounds.” The ladies in the room gasped at the amount.

  “He is also a drunkard, gambler, cheater, liar, and debaucher,” Richard informed them.

  Colonel Forster’s eyes widened at each word. “Well, then, I believe it would be appropriate to strip him of his rank and retain the funds he paid for it.”

  Wickham’s feet kicked the floor for attention. Again a muffled sound came from his corner of the room. His commanding officer gave him a withering look. “You obviously did not read the contract you signed, and I quote, “Disgraced officers can be stripped of their rank and lose the cost of their commission for actions unbecoming to an officer.”

  “Forster, might you spare a few men who could help me escort this rogue to the jail in London?”

  “Certainly, Fitzwilliam. I will send three of my largest and strongest men with you. We would not want this disgrace of a man to escape. It is getting late in the day. I will lock him in the brig, on bread and water, until the day of your departure. Enjoy your planned visit. We will keep this scoundrel under control.”

  Within a short time, Wickham was thrown over a horse and being led back to the militia encampment. Sir William and Mr. Philips departed, and Mrs. Bennet invited the gentlemen to stay and dine. Once the gentlemen accepted, Mr. Collins stood, saying, “Mr. Bennet, I must protest.”

  Mr. Collins Makes a Fuss

  “What is it that you must protest?”

  “As I stated earlier, Mr. Darcy cannot be courting Cousin Elizabeth. His engagement to his cousin, Miss de Bourgh, took place at her birth twenty-five years ago. Not only that, but Cousin Elizabeth lied by disguising her beauty in the time since my arrival to force my choice towards another. As she is the second in both age and beauty, I demand that I be granted her hand in marriage.”

  “You blundering fool,” Darcy said. “You grossly insulted the lovely and kind Miss Mary. You, sir, are no gentleman. Nor can Mr. Bennet grant you Miss Elizabeth’s hand in marriage, as he agreed to our courtship a week ago. I shall never relinquish it.”

  “But Miss de Bourgh–” whined Collins.

  Darcy interrupted the man. “I am not engaged to my cousin. It was my aunt who wished this, but neither of my parents agreed. Unlike my aunt, my parents made a love match, and they desired the same for me, not some arranged affair devoid of feeling.”

  “But how can you not care for Miss de Bourgh? She is one of the most beautiful flowers in all of England,” declared Mr. Collins.

  “I do care for Anne, but not in a way that makes me desire marriage to her. I am not bound to marry my cousin, either legally or by inclination. I am free to choose my future, and it does not include Miss de Bourgh as my wife.” Darcy glared at Collins as he spoke while giving Elizabeth’s hand a reassuring squeeze. He was very relieved to feel her answering squeeze.

  “But someone as grand and important as Lady Catherine cannot be incorrect. Do you mean to tell me that you will disappoint your family and not fulfill your duty to your cousin? If you are concerned about Miss Elizabeth, you need not be; I will willingly marry her in your place.”

  “You presume a great deal, Mr. Collins,” said Elizabeth in harsh tones. “I hardly know you, and from what I have learned, I know that we are most unsuited to be marriage partners. Not to mention, I would never accept someone who first paid court to my sister. I would never inflict such a hurt on one of my dear sisters. The fact that you would discuss this topic so blatantly in front of Mary after paying court to her for the last week only goes to prove that your feelings of affection are not real but done at the direction of your patroness.”

  “Hush, Lizzy,” hissed Mrs. Bennet, “or Mr. Collins will not marry any of you.”

  “You forget yourself, Mrs. Bennet, and you as well, Mr. Collins,” said Mr. Bennet. “It is I who must approve any marriage, and no one has sought my permission for such an event.”

  “Why should you not grant me your permission to marry any of my dear cousins?” demanded Mr. Collins.

  “Why? Because I desire that my girls are all settled with someone who will love and care for them–and that entails much more than just a roof over their heads and an interfering patroness.”

  “For someone who has not yet met her, you certainly understand Lady Catherine,” laughed Richard.

  “You would insult your aunt in such a way,” cried the shocked parson.

  “Mr. Collins, it seems that you confuse my aunt with the Almighty. As a minister of the church, is it not the Lord to whom you owe your allegiance and efforts rather than to Lady Catherine?”

  “With Lady Catherine’s nobility and wisdom, I am sure the Lord is in agreement with all of her suggestions.” With this pronouncement, everyone in the room burst into laughter, upon which Mr. Collins looked highly indignant.

  “Let me make myself perfectly clear, sir,” said Darcy as he stared at the parson. “My affairs are of no concern to my aunt, and she has no right to any information about my situation with Miss Elizabeth. Should you say anything to her about my courtship or anything else related to myself and Miss Elizabeth, either verbally or in writing, I will be obliged to call you out. Nor will you speak about Miss Elizabeth in any way. Do I make myself clear?”

  Mr. Collins’ eyes grew rounder at Darcy’s threats. “But I owe my great good fortune to my esteemed patroness. She is nearly your closest relative, Mr. Darcy. Of course she is entitled to know all of your affairs.”

  “Mr. Collins,” said the colonel as he gently stroked the handle of his sword. “I believe you should heed my cousin’s words. For if you do not and you somehow survive your encounter with him, I shall be forced to challenge you, and I can promise that you will not walk away from that.”

  “Now, now, Richard. I doubt we will need to resort to violence. I am sure Mr. Collins understands the situation. not wish your father’s friend, the Bishop of London, to learn that he puts the wishes of his patroness above those of his parish and chur
ch duties. I wonder what might happen should such a thing occur. Do you think the bishop might have Mr. Collins reassigned? Or perhaps he could even lose his parish?”

  Mr. Collins was torn. He dared not disappoint his patroness, but neither did he wish to find himself in a parish that would endanger his life. Collins would ponder the situation overnight. Perhaps he might woo Cousin Elizabeth away from Lady Catherine’s nephew, thereby resolving the issue. For the remainder of the evening, he stayed away from Mary while studying Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. His observations did not reassure. There was as obvious a connection between them as he had witnessed between Cousin Jane and Mr. Bingley. Then a devious thought made its way into his head…but could he do it? What if he arranged a compromise of Cousin Elizabeth? But would that make him a target of Mr. Darcy’s anger? The thought that occurred next caused him to gasp aloud. Fortunately, no one was paying attention to him. If I can get her away from the house, perhaps I can elope with her to Gretna Green. Mr. Darcy could do nothing if we were married when he discovered us or when we returned. It would also increase my worth in Lady Catherine’s eyes, as it would force Mr. Darcy to oblige his aunt and marry Miss de Bourgh. An odd smile settled on Mr. Collins’ features and he continued his quiet observance until retiring for the night.

  The next morning, Bingley, Darcy, and Richard broke their fast early before the ladies came down. Then they settled in the library as they awaited an appropriate time to visit the Bennets.

  “Darcy, I know the lovely Miss Elizabeth occupied all your attention last evening, but I fear there may be a problem.”

  “What do you mean, Richard?”

  “I kept an eye on Collins as discreetly as possible. He is obviously unwilling to risk being challenged, but he emitted a gasp. When I looked, his eyes were wide and I could almost see the wheels turning in his mind. At some point, I believe he came up with a scheme to get what he wants and make Lady Catherine happy as well. We will need to keep a close eye on him–and more particularly on Miss Elizabeth. It may be wise to alert Mr. Bennet of a possible problem.”

  Before Darcy could reply, the sound of Miss Bingley’s strident voice reached them.

  Bingley looked at Darcy. “Are we ready to announce our courtships to my family?”

  “Do you not think we can wait until we are announcing engagements?” Darcy asked. “That will allow us a great deal more peace. I do not wish to contend with your sister’s possibly desperate attention, which I can only imagine will increase, for any longer than necessary.”

  “Perhaps I can convince Hurst to return the ladies to town for the little season. That would allow us to enjoy our courtships without interruption or distractions.”

  Richard laughed. “Do you really think your sister will leave with Darcy in residence?”

  “Perhaps you will need to make a quick trip somewhere and not know when you will return, even if you plan to return the next day,” chuckled Bingley. The other gentlemen joined in the laughter.

  “Do you think we will be able to spend the time we wish to with the Bennets without Caroline’s knowledge of the connection?” wondered Darcy.

  “Undoubtedly, Caroline will complain about the time we are spending away from the estate, but we can always set out to examine some portion of the estate and then visit the Bennets without her knowledge.” Bingley’s grin was irrepressible. Soon, two more smiles appeared.

  Glancing at his pocket watch, Darcy said, “It seems we managed to avoid the ladies this morning. It is now an appropriate time to visit.”

  “What shall be our destination today, at least as far as Caroline is concerned?” asked Bingley.

  “I think you need to show me your estate,” suggested Richard. “That should take us quite a bit of time.”

  Bingley pulled the bell cord and a footman soon knocked on the door. “Please have our horses saddled. We will be out momentarily.”

  The footman nodded and left to pass on the master’s instructions.

  “Let us greet the family and make our excuses, shall we?” Again, Bingley’s infectious grin appeared.

  Caroline heard the laughter coming towards the dining room and wondered what would possibly cause such joviality so early in the morning. She was not fond of the morning and would much prefer to remain in her room until time for luncheon. However, with Mr. Darcy in residence, she could not afford to be unavailable for so much of the day. Consequently, she pasted a smile on her face and attempted to meet the gentlemen with an equally pleasant appearance.

  By the time they reached the door, Mr. Darcy was wearing his usual solemn expression. ”Good morning,” said Bingley. “We have already broken our fast and are planning to tour the estate.”

  “Please do not keep our guests out too long, Charles. It seems Mr. Darcy is never here. I thought the whole point of his visit was to relax and enjoy time with his closest friends.”

  “No, Miss Bingley, that was not the point of my visit. It was to help your brother learn to manage an estate. If we are often absent during the day, then I am accomplishing my purpose. There is still much to do, and I may be required to depart soon. I do not know when I might be able to return.”

  “When must you leave?”

  “I am not certain when or if I will need to leave, though it is possible I will be away much of the time, even if I remain in the area. I may need to make several trips to London. You might find your time better spent enjoying the little season.”

  Caroline thought for a moment. “Perhaps you are right, Mr. Darcy. If you will always be out on the estate with Charles, perhaps we would see more of each other if I were also in London. I do so enjoy the many events that take place during the little season.”

  “I would not take my plans into consideration when making yours. If I am in London, I will be attending to business. When I can return to Netherfield Park, we will be out on the estate or sequestered with the steward, for there is still a great deal for Charles to learn. I would recommend that you enjoy the little season. You might even find someone who enjoys society as much as you do.”

  Surprised by his words, Caroline did not know what to say in response. Staring, she could read nothing in his expression. However, as she was not easily discouraged, she said with a laugh, “As a member of the first circles, you must enjoy society as much as I, Mr. Darcy.”

  “Indeed not,” replied the gentleman with more warmth in his tone than that to which she was accustomed. “I would happily spend all my time at Pemberley were it not for the need to maintain contacts until Georgiana makes her debut. If I were to find the proper wife, we might visit town to shop or attend the theater on occasion, for she would also prefer the country as much as I do.”

  “You would prefer to spend all of your time at Pemberley?” asked a shocked Caroline.

  ‘Yes, I would. I would not spend more than a month in town if I could help it.”

  “But, of course, you would give first consideration to your wife’s preferences, would you not?”

  “I would have considered such things before marrying, Miss Bingley, and would hope that my wife and I wanted the same things in our life together.”

  Before Caroline could say more, Bingley said, “The horses are ready. We should not keep them standing.” With that, the three gentlemen bowed and departed.

  “Well done, Darcy,” said the colonel as the trio started down the driveway. “I think that you did her a great favor by being honest with her.”

  “I think you shocked Caroline,” said Bingley with a laugh. “I have never seen her look at you in such a way. It will be interesting to discover how she reacts to you after what you said.”

  “If my words make a difference, I shall be quite surprised. I shall also need to consider being more forthright with others who impose themselves on me.”

  When the gentlemen were halfway to Longbourn, Richard said, “Darcy, I think you should allow me to speak to Mr. Bennet about my observations. You should discuss with Miss Eli
zabeth, and perhaps all of her sisters, the necessity of keeping an eye on her and not ever allowing her to be alone with Mr. Collins.”

  “That is a good suggestion. Unfortunately, I do not know how we can get the ladies alone without Mr. Collins intruding, especially if you are correct about his intentions.”

  “Why do we not walk with our ladies and then allow them to discuss the matter with their sisters?”

  “Excellent idea, Bingley. I will try to see Mr. Bennet as soon as we arrive. When I return to the parlor, I will keep Collins occupied so that you may walk.”

  The gentlemen arrived shortly thereafter. When they entered, the colonel asked to be shown to Mr. Bennet before announcing the others. Everything was quickly arranged to the gentlemen’s satisfaction, and Richard entered Mr. Bennet’s study.

  “Good morning, Colonel Fitzwilliam. What can I do for you this morning?”

  “Mr. Bennet, after Mr. Collins’ behavior last evening, I kept an eye on him. After you departed from the company, something occurred which leads me to believe we might have a problem.”

  “What do you mean, Colonel?”

  Richard went on to tell the older man what he had observed and what his suspicions were.

  When he finished speaking, Mr. Bennet’s expression was thoughtful. After several moments, he spoke. “My cousin Collins, the current gentleman’s father, was an uneducated brute. I would guess from my cousin’s strange mix of subservience and pride that he might have a suppressed mean streak. It would not be surprising based on who raised him.”

  “I have already spoken with Darcy and Bingley regarding the matter,” Richard said. “As well as alerting you to the situation, they plan to speak to Miss Bennet and Miss Elizabeth. They are waiting for me to join them before asking the ladies to walk. I will engage Mr. Collins to be sure he cannot follow them. They plan to ask the ladies to inform their sisters of the situation. Our goal is to ensure that Miss Elizabeth is never alone, thereby giving Mr. Collins no chance to enact a compromise of any kind.”