Prudence and Practicality

by C. J. Hill

  Charlotte slowly drew breath in an effort to calm herself before replying; she was finding this conversation with William to be one of the most aggravating she had had to endure thus far, and his utter lack of awareness of his cruelty, and inability to accept responsibility for his part in almost ruining her friendship with Elizabeth was appearing to be insurmountable.

  “William. As you refused at the time to hear me out or respect my feelings regarding your interference in a matter which, in actuality, did not concern either you or Lady Catherine, I must now make myself plain in order to highlight my distress.

  “Your letter has caused a sizeable rift in the trust held between my lifelong friend and me; perhaps this is of no consequence to you – you do not have such a relationship with which to compare it - but I assure you that, next to my marriage vows, my friendship with Lizzy is the next most important personal relationship I have with another human being. Even with my mother I do not have the level of understanding as that which Lizzy and I share.

  “You have now insulted and upset my friend at a most emotional time, and although she says she knows I cannot have had a part in the opinions stated in the letter, the fact remains that I am your wife and connected to anything that you may do or say. How you say things, how you act around others, the opinions that you express, all reflect upon me as your wife, even though I am not a participant in many of those encounters.

  “You must begin to consider this every time you decide to speak out or discuss opinions; it is intolerable for me to live under a cloud of uncertainty that, at any moment, you may say something which will reflect badly upon you, and also on me.

  “In the future, therefore, I insist upon being allowed to express my opinion as I see fit, and you must give weight to my opinion, if we are to be true partners in life.”

  William looked indignant and angry – looks Charlotte had not seen for many months - and suddenly realised with regret, that the William she had been cultivating since their marriage and the man she thought had started to change and so quietly begun to admire, had never completely supplanted the old, conceited William. She knew not where her words would take their marriage but she had decided, then and there, that she could not live the rest of her life under a constant threat of humiliation brought on by her husband’s misjudgements and missteps.

  He rose from the table with great pomposity, bowed slightly in her direction.

  “If you will permit me to leave you at this moment, I see that your condition has caused you to speak as you would not normally, and I accept that it is not meant to injure me, but emanates from your desire to control the outcome of your life now that you are with child. This is perfectly understandable but I must remove myself from your company before I speak words which cannot be retracted and would be spoken without your excuse of maternal stress.”

  Before Charlotte could refute his arrogant surmise, he had vacated the dining room and could be seen a short while later digging over the garden in such a manner that if Charlotte were a weed, she would certainly be dead on the compost heap.

  XXXII

  Life at the Parsonage became rather chilly over the next week notwithstanding the beauty of the end of Summer days and the joy felt individually by the marriage partners regarding the prospect of their growing child. William shut himself up in his book-room when he was not visiting Lady Catherine, and Charlotte continued about her daily routine, glad of the respite from his intolerable company. Indeed, not even when they were first engaged, and his objectionable behaviour coloured everything that she saw in him and tested her resolve to continue with a marriage to such a ridiculous and stupid man, had she felt such an abhorrence in his presence. His cruel and patronising attitude towards her friend’s problems, his elation at his escape from immediate involvement, his viciousness in sharing the news with Lady Catherine in an attempt to curry favour with her, all filled Charlotte with revulsion. Her hopes of rehabilitating William, which had shown so much promise, had all but been crushed from this one instance; how could she ever trust him again, or rely upon him to exhibit good judgment in the future?

  What she had said to him in the heat of her anger was true; she could not continue in a marriage where she had no control over how her partner would behave. No, the less she saw of him, the better she enjoyed her life. She still carried out her public duties willingly and believed that none in the parish noticed any coldness between them, but it was always a great relief to return to her home and the solitude which she found she could bear quite happily.

  Charlotte anxiously awaited news from her friend; she had immediately responded to Elizabeth’s letter, regretting William’s words on his behalf and thanking her friend for the information, assuring her that she would do her utmost to prevent any further such missives from being sent.

  She had also enquired more about the hints at the level of intimacy Elizabeth had reached with Mr. Darcy during their short time together at Pemberley; even more, Charlotte enquired, how did the Bingley sisters react to Elizabeth’s surprise visit? She knew Elizabeth’s low opinion of those ladies and was certain that in that meeting, at least, were some amusing anecdotes to be had from her friend.

  Once again, letters arrived together; one from her mother and the other from Elizabeth. Casting her mother’s aside, Charlotte hastily broke the seal on Elizabeth’s and read eagerly the news for which she had so anxiously been waiting.

  Longbourn House

  September 10th ~

  My dear Charlotte,

  Pray do not upset yourself any further regarding the unfortunate letter and opinions of your husband – it has all been quite forgot, I assure you, by Jane and me; my father did not bother to read it as I gave him a synopsis of its contents and thus relieved him of the burden. I hope that you will not continue to judge Mr. Collins too harshly; I expect that he probably meant his advice to be taken in the spirit it was sent, and had no idea of it being anything other than instructional.

  At this Charlotte snorted most inelegantly and continued reading.

  The news for which I am sure you have been anxiously awaiting is, all things considered, good. Eventually, my uncle (along with help from someone whom I am not at liberty to expose) was able to effect the marriage between Mr. Wickham and my sister. They were married most hastily, straight from my uncle Gardiner’s house in London, against the wishes of my dear mother, who could not believe that her daughter should not have the benefit of all her family and friends around her for such an important occasion as her wedding day. They were then eventually invited, after much cajoling on my and Jane’s part, for our father was very much against ever seeing either of them again, to stay at Longbourn on their way up to Newcastle where Mr. Wickham has been bought a commission in the regulars there. Jane and I thought that we should extend the hand of civility to our own sister even if she has done nothing to deserve such attention.

  It is with great pain that I must report to you that both parties behaved in much the same manner as they have always done; unabashed, proud and assured even after such exploits as theirs. You may well believe, Charlotte, that Jane and I were the most discomfited by their behaviour than they ever will be. Neither of them understand the true disgrace of their actions, and how it affected our family; they are certainly not embarrassed by it. Indeed, Lydia is most proud of her new husband and her status of being the first daughter married; she quite looks down upon Jane and me as being her old, boring spinster sisters.

  It has been a most mortifying visit and I shall be delighted to watch their carriage leave the premises tomorrow morning; I find I can no longer tolerate their presence with equanimity. I am joined in this, I know, by my father whose study has commandeered much of his company during this visit; Jane, naturally, still prefers to think well of them both and to have high hopes for their future, as does our mother. But I am doubtful that a marriage, entered into under such circumstances, can be of an enduring nature based as it is upon superficial and immediate external attraction rather t
han deeper internal qualities observed over a long courtship. Never mind. It is done and for that we must be grateful; the consequences could have been very much worse for all concerned.

  Upon your other enquiry, I can only say that my opinion of Mr. Darcy has utterly changed from when we first made his acquaintance last Winter, or when we again met at Hunsford. Your comment at the ball when you said that Mr. Darcy was ten times Wickham’s consequence was prescient. He is truly ten times ten more consequential in every respect!

  Unbeknownst to you or anyone, except Jane, he made me an offer of marriage during my stay at Hunsford!

  Charlotte started at this, amazed but quietly thrilled that her hopes had foundation. She continued reading eagerly.

  Pray, do not judge me too harshly, but I rejected him most unkindly, and abused him abominably for actions about which I had been misinformed. I did not know then, what I know now. He is not proud, merely reserved; he acts from a kindliness of nature the like of which I have never before encountered and his thoughtfulness and consideration towards those about whom he cares deeply exceeds words. Unfortunately, this revelation may have come too late for my happiness in marriage but I shall be happy to know that from this encounter, I have learned not to be prejudiced for or against another person until I have studied their character more than once. I am determined henceforth never to utter one opinion until I have carefully weighed it against every other’s opinion!

  I am even willing, my dear friend, to reconsider the prejudices which I have held against Mr. Collins since my first acquaintance with him and which, I know, has given you some pain. I should like to learn that he is not what I first conceived him to be either. Since he has been so lucky as to gain your affection, I am willing to believe that he must have many hidden merits.

  Again, Charlotte emitted a snort of disagreement with her friend’s assessment of her husband.

  So you see, Charlotte, I am a new, chastened woman! I may have lost a future to which I can never aspire again, but I have also learnt to reflect, to consider, that perhaps I may not be entirely correct in my every judgment – always excepting my opinion of the sisters Bingley which, after many revisits, remains exactly the same! I have discovered that reaching a decision based purely upon first impressions is a highly reprehensible act against which I shall fight forthwith.

  I am sure that this news will surprise and shock you, dear Charlotte. You cannot believe how it has discomfited me to be unable to share my secret with you but you must believe that at the time, I was not at liberty to do so. I would ask that you continue to keep it as secret as you can, as it is now all in the past and I can imagine Lady Catherine’s distaste should she hear of it!

  Now you can understand my delight in renewing my acquaintance with Mr. Darcy at Pemberley and my despair at having to admit the actions of Lydia to such a man as I had only just discovered him to be. I could not believe that he would want anything to do with a family like mine after such a disgrace but, once again I have been proved wrong – the details of which I am again not allowed to divulge!

  Forgive me, dear Charlotte, I am sure that this letter has caused you many emotions, but be not alarmed. I am content and chastened. All will be well.

  We hear that Mr. Bingley returns to Netherfield with a shooting party next week and I have high hopes for Jane - although she does not - and discourages me or anybody from discussing it.

  I must go now. Stay well, dear friend, and enjoy your home, your marriage and your thoughts for the future. You are the happiest of us all!

  Your loving friend,

  Elizabeth

  Charlotte sat back in astonishment!

  Her friend: the object of affection of the man she was determined always to hate, but now had reversed all previous feelings on the matter?

  Her friend: who was always so certain of her opinions and decisions, but now admitted that she had been wrong about many of those same decisions and opinions?

  Charlotte’s heart rejoiced unconditionally for the successful rescue of Lydia’s reputation and could well imagine how that young lady had behaved upon her return to Longbourn. Charlotte expected some account of it all in her mother’s letter which she would peruse later, only after all that Elizabeth had revealed had been sifted through carefully.

  She felt a quiet kind of satisfaction grow within herself as she remembered how she had thought that there was some interest on Mr. Darcy’s part as early as the party at Lucas Lodge; how she had watched him watch her friend across the dance floor at Pemberley and his quiet determination to be included in any conversation involving her friend. Even at Rosings, he had continued his attentions, much to Elizabeth’s chagrin, as her preference had clearly been for the Colonel.

  Slowly, the pieces began to fall into place: the unannounced, silent, and uncomfortable daily visits to the Parsonage when Darcy would hardly speak a word; Elizabeth complaining that he would always be passing through one of her walks and offer to accompany her back to the Parsonage, even though she preferred to walk alone; the day when Charlotte and Maria surprised the pair meeting alone in the parlour; the exhausted, red-eyed Elizabeth on the morning that the gentlemen left, who refused breakfast and only wanted to be alone, effectively cutting Charlotte out of her troubles. That must have been the morning after his proposal and the un-called for accusations, the like of which Charlotte could not imagine; the proposal that Elizabeth now regretted refusing most whole-heartedly in her letter.

  What could Mr. Darcy have possibly done to cause her friend to so rudely cast aside a man of such consequence? His actions, admitted by Elizabeth to be utterly misunderstood, must have had some bearing upon Jane perhaps? Jane would be the only person alive for whom Elizabeth would fight so gallantly regardless of the implications for her own happiness and future.

  Elizabeth had requested that she not share any of the letter’s contents with anyone and this time Charlotte resolved to be worthy of her friend’s trust. She enfolded it inside another letter from her mother, which she knew William would never bother to read, and inserted it between the many other pieces of correspondence stored in her desk drawer.

  The letter may have been hidden but its contents remained with Charlotte for the rest of the week as she completed her duties around the house and the church. She had responded immediately to Elizabeth’s letter, with warm congratulations regarding the successful disposal of Lydia, commiserations for her friend’s loss of a worthy man, and approval of her friend’s new non-judgmental aspect, but had refrained from asking any prying questions. However, she mulled over the hints given in the letter, and twice or thrice had to return to its hiding place to re-read a portion of it to try to glean some sense from the cryptic clues given by her friend.

  The main question perplexing Charlotte was: who had helped Mr. Bennet and Mr. Gardiner in London to arrange the settlement upon Lydia? Who did they know in London who could have helped in such a material way? Charlotte wracked her brains but could come up with no answer to satisfy her curiosity.

  When William asked coolly but politely at luncheon if she had had any news from her family recently, Charlotte unbent sufficiently to relate all the local gossip that had been contained within her mother’s letter, much of which had to do with the marriage of Lydia and everyone in the village’s prognostication that she would soon be the most miserable of wives, married to such a man as Wickham.

  William heartily agreed, venting his opinions not only to Charlotte at that moment, but also later the same day when they joined Lady Catherine for dinner at Rosings.

  “Of course, my lady, it is an excellent outcome for a girl such as she is, but nonetheless, she will be punished most severely for her actions. According to my dear mother-in-law, Lydia’s husband, Mr. Wickham, has been exposed as a philanderer and a gambler - they will never have a stable married life based upon his exploits to date.”

  “Yes, yes, Mr. Collins. I am familiar with his failings, and it is unfortunate as I know that my brother-in-law, the late Mr.
Darcy, was extremely fond of him as a boy, as was my nephew. It would appear that Wickham managed to deceive even the most astute minds as to his true character, never mind that of a wilful and ignorant girl of sixteen.

  “Still, they have made their choice and now must live with it to the end of their days. A wedding may be swift but marriage is forever, giving each partner ample time to reflect upon their choice and make the best of it.”

  Charlotte heard these words and wondered whether they reflected how Lady Catherine’s marriage had been; she presumed it had undoubtedly been arranged between two great families. What problems or strife had Lady Catherine had to overcome within the confines of it?

  She then considered her present situation with William. Here she was, getting big with his child, enjoying the duties of household management and parish, but the person who tied her to all that she loved had currently fallen so low in her estimation that she was beginning to doubt of her ever being able to recover some semblance of respect and love for him. Just listening to his pompous and self-satisfied account to Lady Catherine, made Charlotte want to make excuse regarding her condition and leave the room and its occupants to their irritating gossip and self-satisfaction. However, just as she was formulating her plan of retreat, Lady Catherine brought up a subject that halted Charlotte’s thoughts on the matter.

  Lady Catherine had just finished a long tirade on the lamentable pretensions of upstart young women these days who believed themselves to be entitled to quit their spheres and marry affluent young men of wealth, citing several young women to her knowledge who recently had done just that.