Charlotte - Pride and Prejudice Continues

by Karen Aminadra

  She nodded, “Yes he married Nancy Fellows the daughter of another farmer the following year, he enlarged his land in doing so, but theirs was not a happy marriage. Nancy died a year later after enduring fifty hours of labour so they say.”

  “My goodness!” Charlotte exclaimed, “so much sadness to come to such a man. What about now, Louisa is there hope? You clearly still love him; does he also return your affection?”

  Louisa looked her in the eye and blushed, “I cannot be certain as we never meet socially now, but when we do see each other he looks at me with such an intensity that I…” she could not finish her sentence, she buried her face in her handkerchief and sobbed once again.

  Charlotte could find no words to console her friend, she was furious at such a situation. Nevertheless, one thought did occur to her, Louisa was no longer in Lady Catherine’s employ. That had ended upon the death of her brother and his children. Could it possibly be that the shackles that her Ladyship had placed upon this poor unfortunate couple were now in fact non-existent? Could she possibly play matchmaker and bring these two broken hearted lovers together again? Such an enterprise would have to be undertaken very delicately indeed and she resolved to discuss the problem with Colonel Fitzwilliam upon his return into Kent. He would know what to do and how to handle things with his aunt.

  After having comforted Louisa and Charlotte had returned to her normal composure, the two ladies rose and took a slow walk back towards the market square. Charlotte helped Louisa into the carriage and then visited Mrs Owen to enquire as to when their items would be ready for collection. She was happy to learn that they would be sent on to them on Thursday next and she climbed into the carriage, informed her friend of how quickly Mrs Owen worked and then they set about journeying home. Charlotte knew that she would not be able to rest without trying to do something about the injudicious and distressing situation of someone who was fast becoming one of her dearest friends.

  11

  Upon her arrival home, Charlotte discovered that Mr Collins was out. Mrs Higgs did not know where he was and Charlotte had a sinking feeling that she knew precisely the whereabouts of her husband. The very thought infuriated her and she feared that she would receive a summons to Rosings, be castigated and most likely shunned, bemoaned and belittled for months to come until she was finally forgiven.

  She straightened her back and resolved not to dwell on the matter nor cause herself undue worry, instead she thought of the lovely day she had spent in Westerham with Louisa, and of the sad matter of which she had been informed. The injustice of the situation made Charlotte feel sick to her stomach.

  Charlotte had not married for love, but she knew that there could be nothing better than to do so, and to pass one’s life in such felicity. As she put her purchases away in the closets and chests, she resolved to make Mr Simmons one of her acquaintances, and to speak more frequently to him at church on Sundays.

  * * *

  The shadows lengthened, the light faded, and still Mr Collins did not return to the parsonage. Charlotte gave instructions to Mrs Higgs to begin the dinner preparations and continued to read in the bedroom her stomach beginning to knot and a sense of foreboding starting to overtake her.

  The dinner hour came and went and Charlotte sat down to eat alone. She ate a few bites and then ended up pushing her food around the plate. With her appetite gone, all she could think about was the whereabouts of Mr Collins. She could be certain that he was at Rosings. Moreover, as he was there during a mealtime she could be certain that her absence was noted and that Mr Collins had no doubt disclosed full details of her disobedience and rebelliousness. That Mr Collins absence from his own dining table was deliberately devised to distress her and convey to her a significant message.

  She rang the bell and had Jenny clear away the table, she retired to her room, and was so angry with her husband that she did not wish to see him at all when he came home and desired to sleep early.

  * * *

  Much to her embarrassment and irritation, she was awoken at the usual time by Jenny parting the curtains and stoking the fire. Her irritation returned with full force when she realised that Mr Collins side of the bed was cold and had not been slept in. She swallowed down the desire to ask Jenny if he was home, and if he was where he had slept. She surprised herself by managing to appear aloof and not to notice that Jenny brought only one jug of water for washing for her alone. So, she thought, Lady Catherine has been informed, Mr Collins stayed out late and slept in another room and to make matters worse the servants know! I never realised how solitary and unhappy marriage would be!

  Mr Collins had spent a very restless night. Having grown accustomed to the warmth of his wife's sleeping body next to him, he had been cold and uncomfortable in the unfamiliar bed in one of the guest rooms. Nevertheless, Lady Catherine had been adamant that he take these measures to teach his wife the consequences of rebelliousness and to quash such independence in its infancy. At that present time, he was not sure which of them was being punished the hardest.

  He had repaired to Rosings immediately after breakfast the day before and had related the entirety of the previous night’s discussion to her Ladyship. Lady Catherine had been shocked and affronted and immediately began to lecture Mr Collins on how to handle a wayward wife as she now referred to Charlotte. He sat up in bed and replayed the previous day’s events at Rosings over in his mind.

  He had been greatly agitated when he arrived at Rosings. He was shown into the drawing room where he was instructed to wait for her Ladyship to arrive. Lady Catherine was not in the habit of rising early and when she finally did put in an appearance more than two hours later she was clearly vexed and the scowl with which she looked at him could not make her displeasure plainer. He rose from his chair and bowed to her Ladyship and as he rose, he began to thank her for being so gracious as to see him.

  “Yes, yes Mr Collins that will do!” she waved her hand at him dismissing his bow, “I am most vexed at being disturbed. I fail to see what could be so important as to bring you to Rosings at such an early hour as this.”

  Mr Collins involuntarily looked at the clock; it had just struck midday. “I do humbly beg your ladyship’s forgiveness…”

  “Stop grovelling Mr Collins and get to it. What do you mean by arriving, uninvited and at such an hour?” she cut across him but he did not heed her interruption. Suddenly he was unsure of how to proceed, of what to say and how to say it. “Well, speak up!”

  The volume with which her Ladyship shouted at him brought him to his senses. “I have come, your Ladyship to ask for your kind and generous advice on a subject of great delicacy.”

  “Of course you have, I am often sought out for such advice, and I find people are most grateful for my help. But I still fail to see why you felt it necessary to come so early!”

  “I fear my untimely arrival is due to my being at sixes and sevens.”

  “Sixes and sevens? What can a clergyman have to be at sixes and sevens about I wonder!”

  Her interest was piqued and he knew that as her temper was calming it was safe to proceed. He acquainted her with the New Year's Evening party at the Thomas' house. A scowl crossed Lady Catherine’s face at the mention of such a party. He informed her of what he deemed to be the inappropriate offer of Mr Abbot and then went on to describe in detail and in the most animated language what Charlotte had said to him on their way home that evening. As he proceeded through his narration of the events of the previous evening Lady Catherine's demeanour changed from disinterested, through shocked and to infuriated and all the various stages in between.

  Mr Collins had underestimated the level to which her Ladyship would be affected by his disclosure and she barely spoke a word for fully ten minutes other than indicating she required her smelling salts, which he brought her immediately. He also poured her a glass of wine and after drinking heavily from the glass she pushed him and the glass aside, resulting in him falling over her footstool and wearing the remainder of the win
e, and stood towering over him.

  “You… you, Mr Collins! How dare you!” Her eyes bulged so fiercely in their sockets he was afraid she would have a fit of apoplexy.

  He scampered to stand up moving away from Lady Catherine’s advancing form and replacing the glass on the side table. He was forced so far back by her advancement that he fell backwards onto the sofa.

  “Me your Ladyship? It is not I who is at fault.” he simpered and cried his eyes welled with tears at the thought that he had personally angered her Ladyship.

  “Yes you Mr Collins! You have come here and you tell me this!” She could barely get the words out she was so angry.

  Mr Collins was afraid she was going to strike him and so retreated to the relative safety of crouching behind the sofa.

  A footman came into the room, alerted by the ruckus and drew her Ladyship's attention away from Mr Collins, which had the fortunate effect of abating her anger somewhat.

  He cleared his throat. “May I be of assistance Your Ladyship?”

  “Fetch me some strong tea and get someone to clean up the wine Mr Collins has spilt.”

  “Very good Your Ladyship.” He bowed out of the room and Mr Collins relaxed a little.

  Lady Catherine made her way back to her chair where she remained silent once more staring ahead of her until the wine was cleared up and her strong tea was brought in.

  Mr Collins could see that her lips were still trembling as she drank her tea. She finally turned her eyes upon him, “Mr Collins, what are you doing behind that sofa? Do sit down and behave appropriately.” He slipped around the edge of the sofa and sat in the corner furthest away from her. “I am most displeased Mr Collins.” He remained silent for fear of enraging her again. “Do you know who I am? You do not feel you need to show the proper respect to me? Do you and Mrs Collins forget what you owe to me?” She paused and breathed heavily in and out through her nose, “I am not in the habit of brooking such behaviour as this. To patronise Mr Abbot’s shop and to blatantly and disrespectfully disregard my most advantageous recommendations!”

  He cowered and sank lower in his seat.

  “Mr Collins when I instructed you a year ago to marry I remember distinctly telling you to find a gentlewoman for my sake. One who was not brought up too highly and a sensible, useful sort of woman for your own sake. Am I to believe that you were mistaken in your choice of wife Mr Collins?”

  Mr Collins was offended by such a thought. “No your Ladyship, not at all I assure you.” he simpered.

  “Then why Mr Collins is your wife acting in such a manner?” She gave him pause to think this over, she eyed him up and down and then continued, “Or perhaps the fault is yours, you have been remiss in your duties as a husband. You have not led her correctly; you have allowed her too much freedom.”

  Under no circumstances had this thought ever entered Mr Collins head and he reddened at the thought of it.

  “Yes, I see where the fault lays now Mr Collins. You have allowed a faulty degree of independence in your wife. Had you taken her firmly in hand you would not be seeing her behave with such insolent contempt for her betters.” She rose and began to pace the room. “However, the fault may not indeed lie entirely with you Mr Collins. Yes I see it all clearly now. She grew up too wild and free, her parents Mr Collins allowed her to associate with that Bennet girl, I know!” She stopped and looked out of the window, “Yes, she also is wont to express herself far too freely for one of such breeding.” She resumed her pacing again, “Mrs Collins needs a firm hand. I am not advocating beating her Mr Collins. As with a horse it seldom does anything but break the creature’s spirit and that is not what is required here, she does need stiff correction however. Mr Collins, you have a proud, wayward wife and she needs reigning in!”

  He nodded in agreement with her, too scared to do anything besides. She rang the bell and asked for more tea, this time some for Mr Collins too.

  She informed her servants that he would also stay for dinner and then she sat in her chair once more, leant forwards and in his direction, “Now pay strict attention to me Mr Collins, this will not work unless you obey my every word.”

  * * *

  If Mr Collins and Lady Catherine thought they were punishing Charlotte by metaphorically sending her to Coventry, they could not have been more wrong, in fact, she felt that she would enjoy being without his company, of sleeping alone, and not having the drudgery of being forced to go to Rosings and being falsely polite to Lady Catherine. In fact being ostracised by Lady Catherine was to her more of a blessed relief.

  Mr Collins had penned a note to Charlotte informing her of her punishments and stating the reasons that he and Lady Catherine felt such actions were needed. At the time, Charlotte had thought that if she had not been so affronted by such a letter she would have been amused by its officiousness. The worst part of her punishment was that her pin money was halved, but as she rarely went shopping, she did not feel this too keenly, and as she had already stated to her husband, she had saved a little too. Charlotte knew that all she had to do was wait it out and that Mr Collins was the most likely to break the silence before she did.

  Therefore she was contented to while away her time, visiting Louisa and her other friends in Hunsford and reading her own novels, which she bought to spite her husband.

  The only part of the whole affair that did not amuse her was that Lady Catherine had written a stern and insulting letter to Mr Abbot. He had informed her that he had not read it in its entirety but had thrown it on the fire, but his face was red when he told her and she knew he was injured by what little he had read. Charlotte worked hard to heal that hurt by visiting the Abbots regularly and enjoyed taking tea with them. She found this new freedom exhilarating and was glad Lady Catherine was not aware of the happiness she was feeling at being snubbed by Mr Collins and herself.

  12

  Now unshackled from the responsibilities of Rosings, Charlotte threw herself with energy into Hunsford society. For the first time since coming into Kent, she was in truth enjoying herself, visiting or attending to parish business in the mornings, going to afternoon parties, not being obliged to be present at Rosings of an evening, and not being at Lady Catherine’s disposal. Nonetheless, after a few days of her liberty and notwithstanding the pleasure it gave her, she was beginning to feel the strain. People were beginning to talk. She was not oblivious to the comments she heard as they walked past her in the street. She did her best to ignore them but it was injurious all the same to her feelings. She had also rather embarrassingly had to decline one or two dinner invitations as she could not possibly have attended without her husband and he was not speaking to her at present.

  She met with Louisa and Mrs Thomas while taking tea with Mrs Abbot one morning about a sennight after her castigation began. Charlotte was not oblivious to the fact that the ladies were quieter than usual. Their meaningful looks at each other and their pitying looks in her direction spoke volumes. They remained in this way for some time, their conversation stilted and awkward. Charlotte put her cup and saucer down and let out an exasperated sigh.

  “Ladies, please be generous to me and as my friends, which I sincerely hope you still are, pray voice that which is unspoken and marring out visit today.”

  “Oh Charlotte!” exclaimed Louisa reaching for her handkerchief. Mrs Thomas comforted her sister and with a meaningful look at Mrs Abbot gave the responsibility of speaking to Charlotte entirely over to her.

  Mrs Abbot re-positioned herself to sit next to Charlotte and took hold of her hands. “My dear,” she paused, not knowing how to form the words she wanted to say, “it has been noted by some of our acquaintance that all is perhaps not as well as it has been and ought to be within the Collins household.”

  She looked questioningly at Charlotte and had at least the good grace to blush at her own words. Charlotte bit her own tongue, the angst, irritation, and frustration of recent events welling up inside her, vying to burst free from within. She fought for composure bu
t could not stop the tears from forming in her eyes. Mrs Abbot squeezed her hands in a manner meant kindly and as encouragement, but which had the opposite effect and tipped Charlotte’s emotions over the edge. Mrs Abbot put her arms about her. Charlotte rested her head on Mrs Abbot’s shoulder and gave in to her emotions, letting her tears flood out until they were spent.

  She finally pulled away from her friend, “I do apologise ladies. Sometimes things are too hard to bear.”

  They all smiled pityingly at her but she did not heed them, her attention was on her lap where she twisted her handkerchief in her distress. She then took a deep breath and began to tell of what had happened. Once the floodgates were opened, the tide of words would not stop until every detail was out and her closest friends in Hunsford we made aware of the true nature of her situation and she had dispelled any gossip that they had heard. Charlotte sat exhausted and looking down at the floor, waiting for accusing and rebuking from her friends, but none came. Her three companions were sat agog staring at her. Their faces displaying quite vividly their thoughts.

  “Oh!” cried Louisa in anguish, she got up and stomped about the room. She deeply felt the hurt Charlotte was enduring.

  “Louisa, please seat yourself and I will ring for more tea.” Mrs Abbot, glad for something to do while she settled her mind rang the bell and ordered more tea. Louisa however, was unable to settle and continued to pace up and down the room.

  Once fresh tea was made and new cups and saucers supplied, Mrs Abbot spoke and broke the silence, “Now let me see if I completely understand the situation. You, Mrs Collins are being chastised for being prudent, consulting your own mind and most criminally of all, of going against the express wishes of Lady Catherine De Bourgh?”

  Charlotte looked up at her friend, when put in such a way it seemed ridiculous indeed that she was being made to suffer for such supposed impropriety. She could not help herself, the laughter burst out of her and would not stop; soon all four of them were laughing at the ridiculousness of her present state and shaking their heads in disbelief.