When Mr. Darcy Met Lizzy

by Mary-Anne Seaton

  “Very well- and this offer of marriage you have refused?” Mr. Bennet proceeded.

  “I have, sir,” replied she.

  “Very well. We now come to the point. Your mother insists upon your accepting it. Is it not so, Mrs. Bennet?”

  “Yes,” her mother said with emphasis obviously enjoying the upbraiding as she saw it. “Or I will never see her again.”

  Mr. Bennet sighed gravely. “An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do.”

  And such was how Elizabeth gained victory over both Mr. Collins and her mother; how Mr. Collins came to accept his rejection for what it truly was and how Mrs. Bennet came to be attacked by a severe case of failing nerves that prompted her to grouse every second of the day about how irresponsible her daughters were, how much she endeavoured by them to ensure they lived a good life and how ill used she was in her own home.

  There was no reprieve to be had, except perhaps in sleep for her complaints were long and unceasing.

  Till the next day, her failing nerves endured and her bitterness was transferred to Mr. Collins who contrary to Elizabeth’s supposition that he might leave earlier than intended on account of her refusal, remained in Longbourn and declared that Saturday remained his day of removal from Longbourn. It was yet Thursday and Elizabeth despaired already of the days to follow for Mr. Collins’ reproachful stares and her mother’s poor nerves were such powerful combination that was tearing away at her sanity.

  Perhaps, the situation was at last gripped with some semblance of control by the arrival of Miss Bingley’s letter for Jane. Elizabeth was with her sister as she read the letter and immediately read from her sister’s change in countenance that something was definitely amiss. And it was- for the content of the letter- when Jane revealed it to her when they were alone was one that immediately rose in Elizabeth a sense of righteous indignation on her sister’s behalf towards the entire Bingley party; the Bingley’s sisters and Mr. Darcy for what she perceived could only be their connivance and Mr. Bingley for being too weak to overcome the persuasion of his friend and sisters. Mr. Hurst was relevantly inconsequential to her thoughts. From the tone of Miss Bingley in the letter, the party had departed with no intentions of ever returning.

  Elizabeth’s anger was adequately justified for the letter read thus:

  “Dearest Jane,

  I believe that by the time this letter shall reach you, we; myself, Louisa, Mr. Hurst and Mr. Darcy would be on our way to town after my brother who left earlier this morning. Though he has the advantage of time over us, we mean to dine in Grosvenor Street, where Mr. Hurst had a house and by the morrow, we shall continue the journey. I do not pretend to regret anything I shall leave in Hertfordshire, except your society, my dearest friend; but we will hope, at some future period, to enjoy many returns of that delightful intercourse we have known, and in the meanwhile, may lessen the pain of separation by a very frequent and most unreserved correspondence. I depend on you for that. When my brother left us yesterday, he imagined that the business which took him to London might be concluded in three or four days; but as we are certain it cannot be so, and at the same time convinced that when Charles gets to town he will be in no hurry to leave it again, we have determined on following him thither, that he may not be obliged to spend his vacant hours in a comfortless hotel. Many of my acquaintances are already there for the winter; I wish that I could hear that you, my dearest friend, had any intention of making one of the crowd- but of that I despair. I sincerely hope your Christmas in Hertfordshire may abound in the gaieties which that season generally brings, and that your beaux will be so numerous as to prevent your feeling the loss of the three of whom we shall deprive you.

  Mr. Darcy is impatient to see his sister; and, to confess the truth, we are scarcely less eager to meet her again. I really do not think Georgiana Darcy has her equal for beauty, elegance, and accomplishments; and the affection she inspires in Louisa and myself is heightened into something still more interesting, from the hope we dare entertain of her being hereafter our sister. I do not know whether I ever before mentioned to you my feelings on this subject; but I will not leave the country without confiding them, and I trust you will not esteem them unreasonable. My brother admires her greatly already; he will have frequent opportunity now of seeing her on the most intimate footing; her relations all wish the connection as much as his own; and a sister's partiality is not misleading me, I think, when I call Charles most capable of engaging any woman's heart. With all these circumstances to favour an attachment, and nothing to prevent it, am I wrong, my dearest Jane, in indulging the hope of an event which will secure the happiness of so many?”

  Till I hear from you, dearest friend,

  Caroline Bingley.

  All attempts to persuade Jane of her conviction that Caroline, her sister and Mr. Darcy all contrived the move to town as a scheme to waylay Mr. Bingley and keep him in town and away from Jane fell on deaf ears. Jane, ever so ready to disbelief of any ill towards anybody refuted her statements. Secretly, Elizabeth entertained the idea that the scheme might very well be because of what Mr. Darcy conceived of her but she could not tell Jane so.

  “You do not know Caroline as I do- she is incapable of willfully deceiving anyone,” said Jane. To this, despite knowing otherwise, Elizabeth could form no reply, but she persisted in instilling in her sister hope that Mr. Bingley would return perhaps in the winter and continue with the courtship he so adoringly began. However, Jane despaired that his sisters wanted him to marry someone else. “But, my dear sister, can I be happy, even supposing the best, in accepting a man whose sisters and friends are all wishing him to marry elsewhere?”

  Here, Elizabeth sighed her frustration at Jane’s consideration for the sisters who had no love for her. “You must decide for yourself and if, upon mature deliberation, you find that the misery of disobliging his two sisters is more than equivalent to the happiness of being his wife, I advise you by all means to refuse him.”

  This passionate speech elicited a smile upon Jane’s lips and Elizabeth was gratified for Jane took the letter with great despondency thus far. “How can you talk so?” said Jane. “You must know that though I should be exceedingly grieved at their disapprobation, I could not hesitate.”

  “I did not think you would,” returned Elizabeth.

  “But if he returns no more this winter, my choice will never be required. A thousand things may arise in six months!”

  In those words, Jane was sensible, but Elizabeth dared to hope that her trust in Mr. Bingley’s love would supersede the plot of his friends and sisters. Already, she could imagine how much poison Mr. Darcy and Caroline would feed him with when they finally met with him in town. If he was taken in by them, Elizabeth would be greatly disappointed in him- but she knew it was likely. Mr. Bingley did not appear to her as a man who strayed far from the influence of his family and friends and though it was an admirable quality on a general note, it was less than desirable to her simply because her sister’s feelings were involved. They both agreed, however, that Jane should send a reply to Miss Bingley to keep the interactions intact and by so doing, gain more intelligence about the situation.

  Mrs. Bennet was only informed by agreement of Jane and Elizabeth lest they added salt to injury- that the Netherfield party had repaired to town and thus allowed her to form her opinions thereof. This distracted her attentions significantly from Elizabeth’s ‘disgraceful conduct and disobedience’.

  Chapter Sixteen

  The situation at Longbourn was at last relieved- or in some opinions, aggravated- by none other than Elizabeth’s friend, Charlotte Lucas, whom the entire Bennets and Mr. Collins dined with her family on Thursday evening. Having visited the Bennets the exact day of the proposal and heard the news therefrom, Charlotte relieved Elizabeth of Mr. Collins’ wrathful stares by engaging him in d
iscourses to her side. For this, Elizabeth was immensely grateful and she heartily encouraged the aside.

  However, the engagement arose in Mr. Collins another set of wondrous feelings; for what other encouragement was there to be had in a female than the willingness to listen to one’s speech and appear enraptured by them?

  To this effect, Mr. Collins convinced himself of a receptive mind in Charlotte Lucas and purported to re-channel his effusions of love to her listening ears before he took his leave of Hertfordshire the very next day. Charlotte, for a lack of excuse, could only say for herself that if her friend would not have Mr. Collins, for whatever reason only she could fathom, she certainly would- for her heart though previously hopeful of love was now dead and no illusions of a marriage filled with love had she; not anymore. So, it was with all in her wit that she engaged careful attentiveness to him that though would inform him of her willingness to receive him, would also not put her in a bad way with her friend Elizabeth.

  In effect, she did receive her proposal very early on Friday morning a little before breakfast at Longbourn. That same morning, she had been sitting in her room, staring longingly at Longbourn and despairing that all her encouragements had gone in vain. It was too soon; only between Wednesday and Thursday; for Mr. Collins to adjust his choice of a wife but therein, she belittled the powers of Mr. Collins determination not to fail his patroness and self-confidence. Alas, she saw him hasten up the path that led from Longbourn to Lucas Lodge, wrapped up nicely against the cold with determined strides that did justice to his tall figure. It was that exact moment that Charlotte decided that she would take a walk along the path herself.

  So it was that they just happened to meet in the shrubbery close to Lucas Lodge where Mr. Collins fell on his knees in a most charming manner and delivered his proposal in a most affectionately lengthy monologue.

  Charlotte wasted no time in accepting and together, they proceeded into the house to inform Sir and Lady Lucas who both were ecstatic at the news, for Charlotte had little chance of a better prospect as a consequence of the little dowry they could bestow to her. Her sisters and brothers received the news with great felicity; their ranking and chances of marriage were sure to increase by the connections of their sister’s soon-to-be husband. Mr. Collins, thereafter, went back to Longbourn with a promise from his engaged not to disclose the affair to the family; for she wanted the ‘pleasure’ of telling it to Elizabeth first.

  Mr. Collins pronounced his farewell to the family after dinner on the same night. In this regard of his oath to Charlotte, the clergyman kept to his word, despite the burning need to inform the entire family on his successful new love and impeding marital status in Charlotte Lucas. So that night, he only said his farewells to his fair cousins who- particularly Elizabeth bade him the same with utmost relief. Mrs. Bennet, in an attempt to compensate for the disappointment he had received in her daughter and in a self-deceiving hope that the proposal might yet be repeated (to Mary this time around) and accepted, invited him for another stay soon and at this, Mr. Collins was over-joyous. He promised to avail himself of the invitation, much to the dismay of Mr. Bennet and Elizabeth who were impatient to see him go. He left the following morning without fanfare.

  Charlotte Lucas came visiting the same morning after breakfast. When alone with Elizabeth, she disclosed the true purpose of her visit much to the shocked discomposure of her friend who blurted out without prior thoughts and delicacy: “Engaged to Mr. Collins! My dear Charlotte- impossible!”

  This hurt her friend but a little for she was not so insensible as to think the news would be received with very great warmth and congratulations. As calm as a summer sky, she replied, “Why should you be surprised, my dear Eliza? Do you think it incredible that Mr. Collins should be able to procure any woman's good opinion, because he was not so happy as to succeed with you?”

  Elizabeth took a moment of recollection to study Charlotte’s steady composure and saw in her eyes, a challenge, a daring to convince her out of her decision. Elizabeth also recognized the vessel which precipitated her friend’s reaction.

  “Nay, dearest Charlotte,” she hastened to say, “I was merely taken in by your announcement. Be certain that I wish you all happiness in this match and bear you no grudge.”

  “I see what you are feeling,” Charlotte replied, quite unmoved by Elizabeth’s quick candour. “You must be surprised, very much surprised- so lately as Mr. Collins was wishing to marry you. But when you have had time to think it over, I hope you will be satisfied with what I have done. I am not romantic, you know; I never was. I ask only a comfortable home; and considering Mr. Collins's character, connection, and situation in life, I am convinced that my chance of happiness with him is as fair as most people can boast on entering the marriage state.”

  It was true that her friend was never romantic, but last year, someone had instilled in her a sense of romance and she had had a clandestine affair with him. The man was married and in the duration of the affair, his wife had repaired to town suddenly, with speculations of an annulment in the air. The couple’s marriage was five years gone with no issues yet; the Lawrences they were, but never had Elizabeth seen a more mismatched couple than the two for they never seemed to agree on any score even in public. Just as suddenly as the wife’s disappearance, Elizabeth began to notice her friend’s change in disposition, particularly when Mr. Lawrence was near. She had put her numbers together and challenged Charlotte candidly, eliciting a confession that Mr. Lawrence had wooed her and the affair was underway already with a promise of marriage as soon as the encumbrances of his annulment was done with.

  Elizabeth had sought to convince her friend of Mr. Lawrence’s lies. She had the misfortune of being his first target of professions of undying love and promise of marriage and that was three months before his wife repaired to town. She had sent him on his way with a warning to expose his infidelity should he repeat his actions. Obviously, he had forgotten about her and settled for her friend. Perceiving that Charlotte would only be convinced with physical evidence- so far gone was she in love with Mr. Lawrence for indeed, the man was not without immense charms; Elizabeth decided on a scheme that would put the deceit out of her friend. This scheme had led them to Fitzwilliam Tavern where she had unwittingly met Mr. Darcy for the first time.

  “Would your choice to settle for Mr. Collins be remotely related to him?” she asked at her own peril.

  Her question was well understood- for no sooner had their scheme worked than Mrs. Lawrence resumed again, at Garywood like nothing happened. The look that Charlotte however favoured upon her would have sufficed to melt a stone.

  “Of course not,” Charlotte said.

  “Then, know that I wish you nothing but happiness,” Elizabeth told her friend, perceiving no other manner of ending the discourse and the awkwardness with which it was engaged.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Sir Lucas himself came to bear the news of his daughter’s engagement to the Longbourn household. Of course, none believed him and Lydia, unrestrained as the rest of the family exclaimed:

  “Good Lord! Sir William, how can you tell such a story? Do not you know that Mr. Collins wants to marry Lizzy?”

  Her statement was as much as calling the man an outright tale carrier, a liar, but as was with the man who never failed to be congenial, he carried on and emphasized upon the certainty of his words. Only Elizabeth’s interruption, however, rendered credibility to his story and he left, grateful to her. Her family turned to her as soon as he left, asking how she came to gain intelligence and how she was so composed.

  “I declined Mr. Collins’ offer, did I not?” she told her family. “Why, therefore, would I receive such information with anything but composure?”

  Jane was in agreement with her as well as Mr. Bennet who retired to the library in the hope of escaping his wife’s censure which was sure to come; but in the present, she was still yet uncommonly tongue-tied at the news. Mary couldn’t care one way or the other who marr
ied whom and the two youngest daughters were interested only for gossip material to spread.

  Mrs. Bennet’s state of reticence was, however, short-lived and found its target in Elizabeth.

  “You insolent child,” she vented. “You have succeeded in thwarting the only chance of this family of holding on to Longbourn. If this engagement is true and I daresay that if it is, that the two could never be happy together- for Charlotte Lucas is incredibly plain and Mr. Collins cannot prefer her to you or any of my girls for that matter, then it is your fault that this has happened and I hope you delight in the misery of the whole family.”

  Elizabeth could not dare to inform her mother that none in the family was grieved by the engagement but she.

  The days went by and things, it seemed, were at an utter standstill for the Bennet family. Mrs. Bennet was still unbelieving that two promises of wedding had knocked on her door for her two eldest daughters and none of the two had been realized. She never failed to bemoan her plight and her attack of failing nerves was ever on the increase. A lack of correspondence from the Netherfield party matched one from Mr. Collins who was so effusive in his appreciation to the family for his stay that Mr. Bennet skipped two long paragraphs entirely. In the next, Mr. Collins informed the family of his engagement, thus confirming to them all- particularly Mrs. Bennet who still voiced her doubt of the whole ‘sordid’ affair. To put it nicely, Mrs. Bennet’s cordiality to Sir and Lady Lucas received a spiral decline downwards, and civility to the family was not to be patronized.

  When Caroline Bingley’s letter arrived, Jane saw in it a confirmation of her earlier fears- Mr. Bingley was to return no more to Netherfield. This was inferred from Miss Bingley’s comment relaying her brother’s regret that he was unable to pay his last respects to his friends in Hertfordshire before he took his departure. There could be no clearer message. Elizabeth despaired for her sister but with equal measure of anger directed mostly at Mr. Bingley, for in her opinion, only a weakness in character could ensure his persuasion not to make a return to Netherfield.