Courtships & Corruption

by Cinnamon Worth

  “The needs of the Church are of utmost importance to me. What can I do for you, Mr. Collins?” Lady Catherine sat in a chair positioned against a wall and centered in the room. Anne liked to think if it as her mother’s throne. The placement allowed her to survey the room with ease and it was even a touch higher than the other seating in the room, which emphasized her elevated status.

  “Last night you counseled me I should take a wife. As always, your advice was sound and insightful. Last month, I took the liberty of contacting my cousin, a man who is in possession of five daughters. As you are aware, I am about to set off to visit him. I, too, had felt I might better be able to advise the married among my flock if I myself take a bride.” Mr. Collins was very pleased with himself. He had just presented evidence that he had formed a thought that matched an idea which later grew in the lush garden of Lady Catherine’s brilliant mind. “I hope to secure an appropriate wife during this visit. Specifically, I am planning to select one of my cousin’s daughters. You were kind enough to offer some general guidelines as to the minimum qualifications for the future Mrs. Collins, but before I depart for Hertfordshire, I thought it prudent to first consult with you to see if you agree one of my cousins would be suitable,” Mr. Collins said. He proceeded to offer his patroness all of the particulars he had learned of his possible brides, hoping that through her sound advice, he would avoid a misstep on such an important decision.

  When he had finished sharing what little he knew, Lady Catherine had decided each of the options appeared to meet her minimum standards. But he had asked for guidance on the suitability of the match and, to answer this, one more piece of data was required. “Suitable for you or for the young lady?” Lady Catherine asked.

  Mr. Collins was taken aback by the question. It had never occurred to him that any lady without wealth might find him unsuitable. He was tall and had belonged to one of the colleges. He would one day inherit an estate, and he held a prosperous position under the patronage of Lady Catherine herself. He was certain his negligence in mentioning the Bennet sisters’ financial circumstances caused Lady Catherine’s confusion. Once she understood the depth of their poverty, surely the answer to her question would be obvious. “Lady Catherine, the daughters are in a dire situation. Upon their father’s death, they will each receive an inheritance of only 1000 pounds, or 40 pounds annually.”

  “Indeed! They sound positively desperate. They will be very suitable for you. I would like you to wrap up this marriage business promptly. Please pick one and make the proper arrangements as quickly as possible. I will be very disappointed if you return without a firm understanding in place. I know how men can drag such things out,” she said, thinking of her nephew and his failure to propose to Anne.

  With the blessing of his patroness in place and a long journey ahead of him, Mr. Collins left Rosings Park, much to the relief of Anne de Bourgh.

  Anne who had been sitting in the parlor during Mr. Collins’ visit closed her eyes and reveled in the silence. Last Easter, Mr. Wilcox, the parish clergyman, had retired. Her mother quickly began her search for a replacement. Mr. William Collins came recommended by Lady Marie, a woman with whom Lady Catherine had been acquainted for decades. It had surprised them both to receive a letter from this particular lady. In her youth, Lady Marie had been taken with Sir Lewis de Bourgh and, when he married, she never really forgave her former friend for winning his heart. But it seemed time healed all, and having heard of Lady Catherine’s predicament, Lady Marie had written to offer her a solution.

  At the time, Mr. Collins was a newly ordained minister. As such, Lady Marie pointed out, he was in need of a wise and helpful patron who could help guide him in his new vocation. Lady Catherine met with the him and was immediately impressed with his impeccable taste. He had shown admiration for each of her topiaries, awe of her marble floors, astonishment at her gilded fireplace surrounds, in fact, she could scarcely think of any aspect of her person or estate that had not impressed the young man. It was this encounter that led to her impulsive decision to award him the position then and there. Lady Catherine had since come to see the man was in need of guidance in all aspects of his life. It was her Christian duty to use the gifts God had granted her, and since she was exceedingly talented in recognizing what path others should be following in life, she was pleased this lost soul had been sent to her. Anne, however, suspected Lady Marie had not intended to do her mother a kindness in sending Mr. Collins their way.

  At first, Anne had thought having another project would distract her mother from interfering in her own life but, instead, Mr. Collins’ gratitude and praise simply convinced her mother of the need to do more to aid others. This had a direct impact on Anne, for she was the main ‘other’ in her mother’s life. Consequently, Anne was not fond of Mr. Collins. In fact, she found his constant praise and admiration grating. So it was Anne now relished what should amount to an extended absence. Lady Catherine had just sent the man on a mission to procure a wife. In Anne’s mind, he might as well have been asked to return with a unicorn. But his mission would necessitate time away from Rosings Park, and if by some miracle he was successful in his quest, perhaps having a bride would give him a reason to spend more time at the Parsonage and away from her family of two.

  Mr. Collins had a knack for making young ladies long for his absence. Less than four and twenty hours after his arrival at Longbourn, many of the Misses Bennets had joined Anne in her assessment of their cousin. Jane, having narrowly escaped the man’s advances and always wishing to think the best of others, appreciated his efforts to be polite and friendly, and Mary appreciated his reverence for sermons. The remaining Bennet girls, however, struggled to find anything complementary to say about him and found his company tedious. That morning, Mrs. Bennet had informed Mr. Collins of Jane’s attachment to another suitor. This caused the man’s unwavering devotion to shift from Jane to Elizabeth. Lizzy soon discovered being the object of the man’s affections had the power to cause the path between her home and Meryton to double in length. At least this was what she believed must have occurred having completed what felt like an exceeding long journey with Mr. Collins by her side.

  As the party returned to Longbourn, Mrs. Bennet rushed forth to greet them while Mr. Bennet remained in his study and groaned.

  “Mr. Collins, how did you like our little town? Did you find anything of interest?” Mrs. Bennet asked excitedly. She watched the young man to ascertain which of her daughters he had selected and very quickly the mystery was solved.

  “It was a most delightful town. Although not equal to London in size, the quality of the shops could rival those of the great city. The people we encountered all gave an aura of the friendliest nature, and many even stepped to the side as we passed. A more delightful town, I could not imagine.” Mr. Collins wished he had anticipated his hostess’ question so he might have given the matter more thought and could have better prepared a response. Quality compliments did, on occasion, require thought. But he had been anticipating speaking with Mrs. Bennet on the topic of her brother and sister-in-law, the Phillipses, whom the party had visited while in town. He happily shared with his hostess how impressed he had been with Mrs. Phillips manners and elegance and he told her how very touched he was by her sister’s invitation to play lottery tickets and have dinner the following evening.

  While Mr. Collins was engaged with her mother, Lizzy managed to sneak into her father’s study. Generally, this was one of the few areas of the house where she could successfully hide. Once the door to the study was closed, Mr. Bennet asked his daughter about her journey.

  “We made a new acquaintance while in town. Mr. Denny introduced us to a Lieutenant named Mr. Wickham. He, as well as several other members of the militia, will be joining us at our aunt and uncle’s for a game of cards and supper tomorrow evening.”

  “I presume Mr. Collins was also invited?” her father asked.

  “Indeed. Had it not been so, I would be looking forward to the gaiety with muc
h enthusiasm.” Mr. Bennet nodded. “Oh,” Lizzy added, “We also encountered Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy. They were on their way to visit Jane but, as she was with us, they turned back.”

  “Well, I was once a young man myself and I have no doubt they will not be permanently deterred by a single set-back. I would expect their return soon.” Mr. Bennet said with the same twinkle in his eye that shone in Elizabeth’s eyes when she was amused. “I do wonder, however,” he continued, “why both gentlemen were coming to call. They cannot both be coming to see Jane.”

  Elizabeth suspected her father was implying she might have caught the notice of the proud Mr. Darcy, but she would not give him the satisfaction of entertaining such a ridiculous notion. “I am sure it must be Mama’s charm and wit that draws the second man to our home,” she retorted.

  ∞∞∞

  Having returned to Netherfield earlier than expected, Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy made use of the extra time to discuss estate management. A map of the estate was spread across a round table and the two gentlemen hovered over it, examining it carefully. “There is a path on the estate, which is adjacent to a rather steep drop off,” Bingley began. “I would like to add a wall.”

  Darcy nodded, “Yes, fine. But first let us look at the property over here.” Darcy pointed to an area in a far cornered the estate. “The drainage in this field is not ideal for the choice of crops. We must first address this issue before we beautify trails.”

  “Mine is not a frivolous project, Darcy. That wall will prevent anyone from falling off the edge to their doom.”

  “Does the path connect the two most popular pubs in Hertfordshire?”

  “No! What a ridiculous question. It is on my estate, which is nowhere near town. Why would you even ask that? It is located right here.” Bingley pointed to an area on the map.

  “I can hardly imagine hordes of people stumbling along this remote path and spontaneously falling off the cliff edge, Bingley. Generally, when one is walking along and suddenly sees a drop off, he will opt to refrain from taking the next step.”

  “Your sarcasm is not appreciated. Agnes Ashbury happened to die when she was walking along that path, tripped, and then rolled over the edge.”

  Darcy cleared his throat. “I am sorry. I knew she had died of an accident, but I was unaware of the specific details.” Darcy had been taken aback at having seen a rake like George Wickham in town, and he was even more unsettled because he had been in the company of Elizabeth Bennet. “Please forgive me. I have had a trying morning. I am glad to see you take the safety of your tenants seriously.”

  Charles relaxed a little, “You are forgiven.” Charles stood and walked to the window. He cast a look out over the vast estate below and considered how fortunate his life had been. “I met her family, you know. They did not even have the funds to have a sermon read at her burial. I gave them money, but I cannot imagine it can make up for the lost opportunity caused by my delay in providing them with a bit of charity. It was wrong of Caroline to say nothing.”

  “Well, let us get to work on correcting the issue which led to her death so we might prevent future accidents.”

  ∞∞∞

  While the men at Netherfield discussed methods to avoid tragedy, Joshua Smith was similarly plotting a way to avoid his own personal demise. After a few days, his lenders had managed to catch up to him. It was clear they wanted money or flesh, and if the situation called for flesh, Joshua was going to make sure it was not his own that would be sacrificed. He had used his charm to put off his repayment. Joshua had made short work of charming Betsy Barton and had discovered no one suspected foul play in the death of Agnes Ashbury. This meant no one would be on guard, and he could grab a girl, get to London, collect his payment, settle his debt, and be on his way before the simpletons of Merton were any wiser.

  Smith took pride in his ability to engender trust so quickly among strangers. It had only taken a week for Betsy to warm up to him, and she worked on a vast country estate, which had plenty of remote and secluded locations. Betsy had mentioned preparations were underway and invitations would soon go out for an upcoming ball. Unfortunately, it would be held at Netherfield. But if he could get her away from the crowds long enough to load her into the wagon, getting her out of town would be easily accomplished with so many people distracted at the party. But how to get her away from the crowds without being seen? He would need to come up with a plan, but the ball was still several days away, so he knew he had time.

  Chapter 14

  Mr. Darcy had a habit of waking early. He enjoyed the quiet solitude, the chirping of birds, and the early morning sun lighting up the bits of dew, which clung to the grass and bushes. This morning he had been sitting in the library near a window he had opened just a crack. From here, he could enjoy the sounds and the view from a comfortable seat near the fireplace. He was sipping a warm cup of coffee and held a book, which he would occasionally peruse. Only a single hour had slipped before Darcy was alerted, by the squeak of a bedroom door, that Bingley was awake.

  “David, bring me the blue coat,” Bingley called over his shoulder as he swept down the staircase. By this time, Darcy had left the library and was walking up behind Bingley.

  “You are up earlier than normal,” Darcy observed.

  “Well, I took your advice. I have been getting to know my staff, and it seems there are benefits beyond those I had imagined.” Bingley looked in the mirror and ran his hands through his hair. “That dreadful fellow we saw with the Bennets yesterday apparently intends to court Miss Bennet.”

  Darcy went pale. “But they have no money. Why would Wickham wish to align himself with the Bennets?”

  Bingley looked confused at first, the name had not been Wickham. Of that, he was sure. Then realization dawned and he understood where the confusion lay. “Oh, no. Not the officer or his friend. That other man. The weaselly one. Apparently, Longbourn is entailed to him, and he means to make Miss Bennet his bride. Her housekeeper overheard him say as much two days ago, and she told the Bennet’s cook, who mentioned it to Mrs. White, who told David.”

  “And what has this to do with your sleep schedule? Tell me you have no intention of running over there and asking her to have you instead.”

  “Well, no,” Bingley frowned. Now that he thought about it, he did not have much of a plan. “I merely hoped to call at Longbourn while that cretin was away. Word also arrived today that Mr. Bennet would be taking the man out to survey the property, so if I hurry, I might call on Miss Bennet without fear he will interfere with our conversation.” David arrived with the blue coat in hand. Bingley pulled back his lips in order to check his teeth. It seemed his appearance met his standards as he threw on the coat and walked toward the door to retrieve his hat from the table. He stopped and turned toward Darcy, “Do you think it is necessary I propose today?”

  Darcy took a moment to assess the situation. “No. I do not. But, I also think I will join you.” Before Bingley could protest, Darcy ran up the stairs two at a time to grab his coat and switch into his riding boots.

  When the men arrived at Longbourn, they found the Bennet sisters engaged in a lively game. Lizzy sat at an easel sketching a portrait while Lydia described various facial features. The remaining sisters shouted out guesses as to who Lizzy was sketching. “Make the eyebrows heavier,” Lydia instructed.

  “You must excuse the girls,” Mrs. Bennet said as she greeted the visitors. “They are going to their Aunt Phillips’ house for dinner, and Lydia has thought of a new game they might try.”

  Darcy wandered closer to the group of girls and looked at the portrait. “Why is she drawing a picture of George Wickham?” he said as he looked at the sketch.

  Kitty’s face lit up as she shouted, “George Wickham!”

  Lydia looked to Darcy with a scowl. “Mr. Darcy, you ruined it! I was sure I had them.”

  Darcy stammered an apology only vaguely aware of what he had done to require an apology. His mind was still drawn to the sketch. Why w
as Elizabeth drawing a portrait of that man, and how had she managed to render his likeness so accurately?

  He did not need to wait long for his answers. Once Jane saw Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley had arrived, the game was over and Jane sat down to talk with the visitors. “Lizzy is very good at drawing individuals based on verbal descriptions,” Jane explained.

  “I do not draw Jane,” Elizabeth protested. “I merely sketch. If one should ask me if I draw, I would insist I do not draw at all. To draw means that one must build upon a sketch, turning the seed of an idea into a full-fledged work. I have neither the patience nor the talent to go beyond the mere basics of an idea in the realm of creating an image on paper.”

  Jane smiled at her sister’s use of semantics. Lizzy had shown an eye for visual art but finding the endeavor boring and tedious she did all in her power to hide this talent. “Well, Lizzy has agreed to sketch some portraits this evening in order to allow us to enjoy a game Lydia suggested. In this game, someone describes a person we have seen and we use Lizzy’s sketch to try to figure out who it is. The first person who can guess who she is sketching, wins.”