Prudence and Practicality

by C. J. Hill

  There was one topic, however, she was most interested in finding out more about and she slowly steered towards the statement made by Lady Catherine at their last meeting.

  “Your Mamma indicated that she would call upon Mr. Darcy the next time she is in town, is that not so, Anne?”

  Anne smiled quietly. “Oh, Mamma never misses an opportunity to establish herself within Darcy’s hearing, especially when he is in town. She likes to think that her presence reminds him of Rosings and his duties to our home, although I am sure he needs no such reminders and considers her intrusion officious.”

  “But is he not...are not you and he...” Charlotte stopped, flustered at her inability to impose herself upon another’s private matters, matters to which Anne had never alluded herself. “Perhaps she goes to remind him more for whom he is supposed to be carrying out those duties?”

  Anne laughed. “Oh! I see that you are enquiring about her ‘grand plan’– a grand plan that does not consult the affections of either party involved. It just assumes that what she and her sister planned all those years ago will be consummated without any resistance from either side.

  “I have a very great respect for Mr. Darcy; indeed, he is a most thoughtful and dutiful cousin and carries out his responsibilities with great thoroughness. But, quite frankly Charlotte, he terrifies me! He is so strong and forceful, more forceful even than Mamma, and the idea that I would be married to someone like that fills me with dread, and I am quite sure the same is true for him, although I am sure he would never speak of it. I am much too quiet and insubstantial for such a character as his; my nerves would break beneath the strain, I am sure of that!” She laughed merrily as if the idea had been weighing upon her and was now lifted by the sharing of it with her friend.

  “But if not Mr. Darcy, then whom shall you marry, Anne?” Charlotte asked interestedly. “You are so retired in your mode of living but surely cannot depend all your life on Mrs. Jenkinson for company. I am surprised that your fortune alone has not encouraged many young men as suitors.” Charlotte smiled as she said this so as not to insult her guest, but the facts were there; Anne de Bourgh was a very rich young woman indeed and would inherit all the Rosings Estate upon the death of her mother.

  Anne nodded in agreement.

  “I do have that difficulty placed upon me, it is true. Mamma has managed to dissuade any young men from paying me suit mainly by not presenting me at court and ensuring that I stay mostly indoors whenever I am away from home, putting it about that I am too much indisposed. Who would want a sickly and uninteresting wife, however rich she may be? And, of course, at Rosings, there is nothing to be feared. I believe that this shall be the way of things until Mamma is no longer in charge of my life - then I shall make up for what I have missed, you may be sure of that, Charlotte.”

  Charlotte returned her smile. She was happy to see that, far from being overburdened by her mother’s determined efforts to isolate her and design the manner in which her life would be lived, Anne preferred to play the waiting game. She clearly had no desire to marry Darcy or any other man in the near future; she was sensible to the advantages of being a young woman with a large fortune and what to be aware of.

  “I look forward to watching you enjoy your life, Anne, as it unfolds. I know of no other who deserves it more and I am sure that happiness will eventually be yours.”

  Anne took her leave shortly afterwards, leaving Charlotte to her thoughts, wondering what her own future held now that she had made up her mind about how she wanted her own life to be lived.

  For the next few days it was as if she and William were in different worlds. When she would descend the stairs, William would retreat into his book-room. When he would emerge from his book-room, she would retreat into her parlour. Where they used to wait, to greet each other before passing through, now they made sure to disappear so that no contact was necessary. Mealtimes were more difficult, as they had to eat together for appearances’ sake but with William’s fast disposal of his food and immediate vacation of the table, Charlotte found that only a mere five minutes had to be endured in his company in any one day. While she regretted the loss of their former easy conversation and company, she had only to recall his recent behaviour, and her mind was immediately reset and determined. She could not tell what his current thoughts were, but his countenance expressed hurt pride and stubbornness, and neither of those would she appeal to.

  How long this state of affairs would have continued, Charlotte could not have estimated, so determined were they both not to be the first person to break their disagreement; however, news contained within a recently-arrived letter from her mother forced Charlotte to exclaim out loud with surprise one morning as she read the contents at breakfast. Unable to suppress her shock, William, naturally, was forced to enquire as to the meaning of her outburst, and Charlotte, thereby, was forced to explain it. And thus, their deadlock of silence was broken.

  XXXIV

  Lady Catherine, as expected, was far less enthusiastic about the news from Meryton; she greeted Mr. Collins’ excited announcement with a cool indifference towards the upstart pretensions of undeserving young ladies.

  “Of course, I cannot deny that Jane Bennet is marrying most fortuitously. For a girl in her situation to make such a match into one of the wealthier families in the land is certainly very much in her favour but what can Mr. Bingley’s family be thinking to allow such an alliance? I have not met the young lady but I am sure, if her sister is anything to go by, she is a most precocious person aiming far beyond her sphere,” Lady Catherine sniffed disapprovingly, unaware of how her words were being received by the other lady in the room; Anne again being indisposed for the evening.

  “I can assure you, Lady Catherine,” Charlotte interposed before Lady Catherine could continue degrading her friend, “that Jane Bennet is a delightful, lady-like person; she is well-read and quietly spoken but her opinions are sensible and never condemnatory. Her manners become her new situation very well as Mr. Bingley is of a similar character; he also refuses to engage with the meanness of life, prefers to avoid every conflict if possible and believes in the goodness of everybody with whom he comes into contact. They are very well suited in their personalities, I assure you, and I, for one, am most delighted in their attachment.”

  “Well, if you say so, Mrs. Collins. I shall have to bow to your superior understanding of her personality but it still seems rather presumptuous for a girl in her situation to marry so highly. I wonder if he knows of her relatives? And as for the disgraceful display of behaviour by her youngest sister, why, that should have repelled even the most ardent suitor from seeking the hand of any of the remaining young women in the family! Who would attach themselves willingly to such a scandalous affair? But perhaps the attraction is of an instantaneous nature, as is so often the case, and he is ignorant of the pollution which such an alliance may bring to his good name.”

  Mr. Collins felt that the conversation had gone on long enough without his involvement, and, bearing in mind the lengthy warning he had endured from Charlotte after she had revealed the contents of her mother’s letter to him, consisting mainly of the rules and limits to which he must adhere before spreading any of the news to Lady Catherine, he cleared his throat.

  “I must add my approbation to the match along with that of my dear Charlotte, Lady Catherine. Jane Bennet is not anything like her sisters from what I observed in my associations with her in Meryton last year. She is a most lady-like person with every good feature about her that any gentleman would approve. She is kind and gentle and most insistent upon seeing the good in everybody, as Charlotte has mentioned. Mr Bingley is a most gentleman-like man and I am given to understand that the attraction is one of long-standing. It has not suddenly come about; no, it stems from the time of my visit when I was lucky enough to discover Charlotte, and so I think we must agree that the affection is real and not based on anything so vulgar as social standing and money.

  “According to Mrs. Lucas, th
e whole country is delighted by the match which has swept away any memories of the unfortunate incident involving Miss Lydia, who is now safely removed from the area as to be easily forgot, I assure you. Her lamentable behaviour cannot cast a shadow over her sisters’ futures for ever; she certainly sinned egregiously but remedied the situation by marriage.”

  “Well, Mr. Collins, perhaps you are right about the elder sister and, if she is not as outspoken or forward as her younger sisters, I expect she will be able to ingratiate herself with the right people, given time,” Lady Catherine reluctantly acknowledged. “And I am not one to hold grudges unnecessarily, as you know.”

  As Lady Catherine and William were discussing the other possible merits of the engagement, Charlotte recalled the information sent to her by Mr. Bennet several months ago regarding his sister and how her marriage was coloured by the unfortunate choices she had made in her life. Amelia, however, had married beneath her, as far as Charlotte could tell, to an unfortunate man who could do nothing to improve his situation in life; Jane had in front of her a life of happiness with a man of social stature and gentle breeding who reciprocated her feelings of love and respect. This could, surely, never be an alliance to end in unhappiness.

  Returning from her reverie, she found that her husband was appealing to her for her opinion of Elizabeth’s chances of marriage now that her elder sister was engaged. Lady Catherine was opining that a suitor for Elizabeth would certainly need a great deal of superiority over her to ensure he was not constantly undermined by her pert opinions and independent manner. William was adding his expertise to the discussion, and Charlotte was most thankful she had not shown him the entirety of her mother’s letter so he did not have the benefit of her suppositions that Elizabeth was surely soon to be married to Mr. Darcy, being sister and friend respectively to the happy couple.

  “She is, of course, much more outspoken than her sister, and, as I discovered myself, has a very high opinion of herself; she will not settle for anyone who does not fit into her prejudiced expectations of what is desirable in a husband. I humbly took it upon myself to warn my cousin, while in Meryton on my first visit, that she should not consider herself as highly as she does since there can never be a guarantee that an offer of marriage may ever be presented when one is so particular.

  “But I believe she was considered to be of great amusement and interest when staying with us at the Parsonage, was not she, my dear? She was visited everyday by either one or both of your nephews, Lady Catherine, as you are well aware, and both gentlemen seemed to enjoy her company and outspokenness. Perhaps, despite her opinions, she cannot be too far from an alliance, should some worthy person present himself.”

  Charlotte started at the unwitting accuracy of her husband’s observation and how unfortunate it was that he persisted in exploring the notion. Lady Catherine’s response was as she expected.

  Lady Catherine snorted derisively at the mere thought of such an occurrence.

  “Miss Elizabeth Bennet as the object of affection of one or other of my nephews, Mr. Collins? To be sure, you are very much mistaken. Naturally, they were delighted to enjoy the company of another young person – Rosings is not at all that they are used to as far as entertainment goes and Anne is so retiring - they are both men of the world and very likely find life in the country confined and unvarying. Miss Bennet was merely an unexpected and welcome source of entertainment, that is all, I assure you. Neither of them indicated by so much as a word to me that they were anything other than being polite to your cousin, even if they spent time with her every day. And why would they not? There is little to do after they have completed their rounds and perused the paperwork. It is an outrage to even think of such a possibility!”

  As Lady Catherine’s anger mounted, Mr. Collins hastened to calm the feathers he had ruffled and spoke anxiously.

  “No, your ladyship, you misunderstand my meaning. I merely mentioned, in a light-hearted manner, my cousin and her acquaintance with your nephews. Of course there can be nothing to be considered; Mr. Darcy, from my understanding of their relationship, cannot abide Miss Bennet; they seem to spend much of their time together arguing which cannot be a precursor to a sensible marriage, and he is, as you informed us, already engaged to your daughter. Colonel Fitzwilliam, with whom she was able to converse more civilly, has yet to make his way in the world and cannot be considering entering into the marriage state. It is all spoken in jest, Lady Catherine, I assure you.”

  “Hmm. It is all very vexing, this talk of imprudent marriage. However, I am of your opinion, Mr. Collins. You have convinced me that Elizabeth Bennet lacks the necessary charms and allurements to draw in any gentleman of society; her inability to dissemble in company cannot be an attribute in a wife or someone seeking to become one. And once they are aware of her family’s indiscretions, she will be most fortunate should she, as you say, ever receive an offer, however lowly it may be.”

  Charlotte who had listened with increasing annoyance at opinions of her friend’s eligibility being bandied about by her husband and Lady Catherine, felt obliged to set the matter straight.

  “I think you will be surprised then to learn, Lady Catherine, that not only has Elizabeth received one offer of marriage” – at this she glanced meaningfully at her husband, who had the grace to look away – “she has received two, and the second, I am reliably informed, was from a most worthy gentleman who, it is widely believed in certain areas, continues his affections towards her. Because of her inability to dissemble, as you so succinctly put it, she felt obliged to refuse both gentlemen on account of her feelings towards them as men and future husbands, and not solely with regard to their situation in life. She does not look to better her fortune, of which you so willingly accuse her sister, but seeks a partner with whom she can be an equal, have similar interests with and have respect for; in short, Lady Catherine, Elizabeth requires nothing more than a man with whom she can be happy. Surely that cannot be condemned as a requirement?”

  Charlotte received great satisfaction at the reaction to her announcement; not only from Lady Catherine who was on the verge of exclaiming, “nonsense!”, but also from her husband who had raised his startled eyes to Charlotte’s when she announced the second proposal from another man.

  “But my dear, of whom are you talking? You have never spoken of this to me!” he spluttered. “Who else could have possibly proposed in such a short time? Meryton is not London; gentlemen do not appear in droves along the lanes of Hertfordshire. It has been barely nine months since....it is not possible that she should have received two offers within such a short space of time. It must have been one of the officers. It cannot be any other than that and of course none of them would suffice Miss Eliza Bennet - she would refuse immediately.”

  “I do believe that you mean to upset me by defending your friend in this manner, Mrs. Collins,” said Lady Catherine condescendingly. “It is beneath you to state such falsehoods. As Mr. Collins has stated, your friend cannot have received two such offers in such a short space of time in the confined situation in which she finds herself living. She has no fortune, is no great beauty, and I believe we have already covered her other defects of character which preclude her ability to allure any man, never mind two! Where has she been to attract such men? Meryton with its officers, whom Mr. Collins has already ruled out as too inferior; Hunsford with only my two nephews, neither of whom, as we have discussed, would as much as look at her seriously for a wife; and her recent travels you told me about, in Derbyshire, with her aunt and uncle, staying in inns along the route and seeing the sights of the countryside - none of which could possibly acquaint her long enough with anyone of interest. No, I think that you must be dissembling in order that we should think more highly of your friend and her ability to attract a husband, but I shall not be alarmed or even interested.

  “We have discussed this topic of marriage long enough, we must find another,” Lady Catherine decreed, paused, and then continued.

  “And h
ow are the Betts family now they are all in their refurnished abode? Do they seem happier than previously, and are they content to stay on in the Park? I have been unable to visit them recently, because, as you know, I have been in town.”

  Charlotte grasped the chance to withdraw from the precipice on which she had been teetering; if pushed any further by the obnoxious opinions of her husband and Lady Catherine regarding her friend, she felt she might have just, unforgivably, allowed herself to betray her friend’s trust yet again, and told them the name of the gentleman who was already being speculated upon by every family in Meryton, the gentleman who had found Eliza worthy enough for marriage. What chaos would then have ensued!

  She passed the rest of the visit in her usual manner, adding only to the conversation when prompted to do so by either of its main contributors and, by the end, Lady Catherine had regained all of her usual condescension, and her husband all of his usual servility. Never had she been so glad to return to her own home, to the peace and quiet of her room but the torment of her thoughts. Happily, her condition ensured her privacy.

  It was with great surprise, therefore, early the next morning when she was alerted by William, who had just been setting out for his daily visit to Rosings, that the great lady herself was upon their driveway and alighting from her carriage! Charlotte barely had the opportunity to settle herself before Lady Catherine swept into her parlour with William bowing and greeting her every step of the way.

  Charlotte could not understand what had prompted this visit so soon after their meeting of yesterday but graciously welcomed her ladyship and made the offer of refreshments, solicitously repeated by William, but which were refused out of hand.

  Charlotte assumed that this was not a social call.

  Lady Catherine placed herself firmly in the best chair and fixed Charlotte with a stern eye.