by C. J. Hill
Mr. Collins blanched.
“This is worse than we feared! She will not only demand satisfaction from him but also from my cousin. She, at least, must be forewarned of the accusations that are approaching. After all that Lady Catherine has said upon the matter of the Bennet family and her sisters, I dread to think of what she will say to insult my cousin to determine the truth!”
“And what Lizzy will say in return!” countered Charlotte. “My dear, I believe that in this instance you may very well be correct in your summary of the probable actions, and the repercussions thereof, of Lady Catherine. Pray, instead of Mr. Darcy, write to Mr. Bennet, alerting him that Lady Catherine approaches Longbourn and that she is not in good humour. But first, of course, congratulate him upon the impending nuptials of Jane and Mr. Bingley. Say that the reason for the visit is caused by this happy event. Say that Lady Catherine’s imagination, upon the news of one Bennet daughter being advantageously married to one friend, has immediately predicted the marriage of his closest friend to the next daughter, and Lady Catherine does not look upon the imagined match with approbation!”
Mr Collins nodded, realising just how Charlotte was manoeuvring the situation so as not to have Elizabeth believe herself betrayed by her friend.
“I see what you are about, Charlotte! In this way it will appear that Lady Catherine has manufactured the scenario in her head based upon little more than idle thoughts and wild conjecture. Which, to tell the truth, is really all that she has done; we have neither confirmed nor denied her charges. But will they not already, as your family does, know of the gossip regarding the situation?
“No matter. I shall write to my cousin, just as you say, and the letter will arrive, God willing, before Lady Catherine does.”
Meanwhile, Charlotte settled herself at her writing desk to pen a quick note to her friend; firstly, to congratulate Jane upon her happy engagement, and secondly, to assure Elizabeth that, despite appearances to the contrary, she had kept Elizabeth’s secrets and that the visit from Lady Catherine is based merely upon that lady’s guesswork and disgust at Jane’s “advantageous match”. She closed with a sincere hope that Elizabeth would manage to meet with Mr. Darcy once again while he was in the vicinity, and that his affections, displayed so reticently at Easter, would be restored in order that they may be accepted.
Once sealed, she returned to William’s book-room to find him writing furiously upon his second sheet of letter paper. He looked up as she entered and gestured towards the first sheet of writing that lay aside on his desk.
“Pray, Charlotte, do quickly peruse the content of my letter so that, in the interests of our newly established felicity I do not, once again, inadvertently expose you to ridicule and humiliation.”
She quickly tried to brush away his offer but, upon his insistence, scanned the page to see what he had thought correct to send to his cousin.
“My warmest congratulations upon the approaching nuptials of your eldest daughter alluded to in a recent letter from Lady Lucas...who have also hinted that your daughter Elizabeth will not long bear the name of Bennet...her chosen partner of her fate is one of the most illustrious personages of the land. His aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, does not look upon the match with a friendly eye...her ladyship said she...would never give her consent to what she termed so ‘disgraceful a match.’”
With a sigh at the length and pomposity contained in what should have been a short congratulatory and warning letter, Charlotte reluctantly smiled her approbation, with no desire to suffer the added pain of reading what the second sheet contained. She left her note to be enclosed with William’s and wished the missive God’s speed to its destination.
XXXV
Charlotte determined not to be idle while she anxiously awaited news from either party in Hertfordshire and happily, on several occasions, she was accompanied by Miss de Bourgh on her visits throughout the parish and in the Sunday school. The liveliness of Anne’s manner continued unabated and certainly contributed to the ease of the conversations with the parishioners far more than the arrogant superiority of her mother had ever done. Where Lady Catherine liked to have the distinction of rank preserved, Anne showed no inclination for it and, after accepting the gifts presented, the families were more than happy to spend some considerable time in conversation with the two sensible and unaffected young women.
On one such day, almost one week after the departure of Lady Catherine, Charlotte and Anne were returning through the still-frosty lanes towards the Parsonage when they stood aside to allow a carriage to pass; to their mutual dismay, the carriage in question was the Barouche box belonging to Lady Catherine who espied them and immediately called for the carriage to stop.
“Anne! What are you doing out of doors in this weather? Get into the carriage immediately before you catch your death of cold – you know what a delicate constitution you have! And I will not have you roaming the lanes without proper chaperonage! Did I not make myself explicitly clear with whom you were allowed to favour your company in my absence?”
“Mamma!” Anne quickly smiled her answer. “How soon you are returned! I hope your journey was successful? I am perfectly well, thank you, and have been enjoying the sunshine and the fresh air with Mrs. Collins. We have been visiting the parishioners – she was kind enough to invite me to accompany her and I have stood in your stead. Pray do not concern yourself unduly – I am quite well and can continue with my walk.”
“Get into the carriage, Anne. Do not cross me – I am already most displeased and your conduct does nothing to improve my temper! I have had a most disagreeable visit to Hertfordshire and I insist upon your obeying me!”
Anne saw that her mother was not to be gainsaid and so reluctantly took her leave of Charlotte. Without a word said to that good woman, or even the merest civility of a nod in her direction, Lady Catherine’s carriage continued on its way towards Rosings.
Charlotte, while not surprised at the ill-tempered manners of Lady Catherine – she had seen them often displayed – was delighted to learn that the trip had apparently not had the intended mollifying effect. Lady Catherine appeared to be in an even worse temper than the one in which she left and Charlotte was desperate to know the details; she hoped Anne would eventually be allowed to visit to allay her fears and curiosity.
As she turned into the Parsonage drive, William came almost running down it to meet her, such was his anxiety.
“My dear! Lady Catherine’s carriage has returned! I have just seen it enter the grounds! Do you think I should pay her a visit to welcome her home and enquire as to the success of her journey?”
Charlotte looked at her husband with barely concealed irritation. What can he be thinking to go and speak with someone who had only just arrived home from a long journey? She sighed imperceptibly.
“William, no, I think not. Remember the purport of her journey in the first place. She has been travelling a week and has only this instance returned to her home. She will not want visitors until tomorrow at the very earliest, and a visit from us is quite unlikely to bring her any comfort in her present state of humour. Anne and I met her in the lane as she returned and she was in a high dudgeon; it seems the visit to Hertfordshire was not successful. She ordered Anne to ride the rest of the way home with her rather than allow her to continue with our walk; she was most disagreeable in her manner towards me.
“I have no doubt that we shall receive a summons to attend her very soon, should she wish it; she will probably want to assuage her disappointment in her defeat by accusing us of complicity!”
“But, Charlotte! Of course Lady Catherine was angry at seeing her daughter out walking with you! Anne should not be out in all weathers - she is not strong! And did not her ladyship expressly forbid any liaison between you in her absence? I warned you about it the first time Anne visited but you would not be advised. Now see how your actions, once again, have turned the lady’s opinion against us.”
Charlotte merely shrugged her disinterestedness
and walked into the house with William continuing to protest her actions from behind. She passed into the back parlour and made a point of closing the door before William reached it; he took the hint and followed her no more.
Charlotte had no doubt that they would soon be called to account and she was correct; a summons was sent that evening for a visit to be paid the following morning. While William immediately bemoaned the obvious lack of an invitation to dinner and saw in it many dreadful reasons and consequences, Charlotte was delighted not to have to endure Lady Catherine’s wrath while trying to digest a meal. A simple supper in her own home was all that she ever needed, even if it meant listening uninterrupted to her husband continue his prognostications regarding their immediate dismissal from Hunsford, due entirely to the thoughtless actions of others over whom he had no influence, including his wife. In the end, she could endure it no longer; she folded her napkin and sternly addressed William.
“And what, William, have we done to cause such an outcome, pray? As you have noted several times already, you have no influence over the decisions of Mr. Darcy, nor Elizabeth. We do not know what exactly has happened there but it is out of our control, and Lady Catherine now realises that it is also out of hers. That is where her anger really lies. So far we have done nothing for which she can condemn us.”
“But what about her directive to Miss de Bourgh about not associating with you, Charlotte? What can you say to reduce your implication in that?”
Charlotte, now severely vexed with her husband, made a scornful sound as she replied.
“Anne de Bourgh has finally proved herself to be an independent thinker, not constrained by her mother’s will. She decided that her mother’s directive was spoken in anger and without logical substance and, therefore, chose to spend time in my company, not the other way around. I certainly did not go to Rosings and remove her unwillingly from her home! For goodness’ sake! She came here the day her mother left Hunsford and has been my companion every day this week continuing her mother’s work, which, I may say, has been sadly neglected recently, and being a most charming ambassador for the estate. I am sure that she has related all of this to Lady Catherine which, once again, relieves us of any wrongdoing.
“Do stop imagining the worst, William. It does not become you immediately to think only of the direst consequences for actions that are simply too inconsequential for such fears. Let us go tomorrow and listen to what Lady Catherine has to say, always steadfast in our knowledge that we are in no way to blame for the anger, disappointment or frustration that has been caused by her ill-advised journey.”
And so the next morning, Charlotte and William duly presented themselves at Rosings at the appointed hour and were received in the coldest and most imperious manner they had ever had the misfortune to endure. While Lady Catherine rang for coffee to be brought in, Charlotte smiled her greeting to Anne who, thankfully, returned the smile, apparently the most unperturbed by her mother’s obvious lack of cordiality, and offered Charlotte a comfortable seat close to the fire. As she did so, she whispered that she had relieved her mother of any misconceptions about Charlotte’s role in Anne being out of doors all week.
William immediately proceeded, most unwisely Charlotte thought, to enquire about her ladyship’s journey. This had the effect of exaggerating the coldness in the room by several degrees but William, as the author of the chill, remained unaware, while his wife and Anne watched on in interested detachment.
“It has been a most unpleasant journey, Mr. Collins, but I thank you for your enquiry,” Lady Catherine sniffed. “I find myself thwarted at every turn. Your cousin,” she sniffed even more loudly, “who shall remain nameless, as she neither deserves such attention nor civility, is a most unfeeling, selfish girl who displays the upstart pretensions of her sisters. I pressed her in every way; I tried to appeal to her sense of propriety but she would not be moved. She resolutely refused to accommodate my requests never to become engaged to my nephew but did agree that she was not currently engaged to him, which gives me some slight hope.”
She accepted the poured coffee from Anne and continued in a no less strident tone.
“However, she responded to my enquiries on his behalf with such a headstrong sense of her own entitlement that I was severely provoked. The idea that such as she could ever become the mistress of Pemberley is unthinkable! Should such a great and noble house be so polluted? It cannot and should not be!”
Her agitation was extreme and Charlotte feared for the Limoges cup held more than a little too firmly by the great lady. Her ladyship then turned her full attention upon Mr. Collins to make sure he received the full import of her demand.
“Mr Collins. I insist that you write immediately to your cousin and remind him of his paternal duties to ensure his daughters marry responsibly but not beyond their sphere. It seems the fortunate good luck of one daughter has caused them all to overleap themselves! She shall not go against my wishes!”
William immediately nodded his complete agreement to Lady Catherine’s demand and started to voice his own opinions upon the matter which firmly coincided with those of Lady Catherine; Charlotte quietly, and with the greatest delight, only heard that her friend had more than withstood the attacks of Lady Catherine! Not only that, but had managed to so discomfit the great lady that she was still entirely put out many days later! How Charlotte would have liked to have observed such contest between two great wills!
Undaunted, William now broached the topic of her nephew, feeling that the request for his help had restored him somewhat in her ladyship’s esteem.
“And were you able to gain any satisfaction at all from Mr. Darcy while you were in Meryton, your ladyship?”
Lady Catherine breathed out more quietly at this question and responded.
“Mr Darcy had already left the area when I arrived.”
Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief for the gentleman in question, who had, unbeknownst to him, avoided a most uncomfortable interrogation from his aunt.
“I called upon him as I returned through London.”
He had not escaped after all!
“I naturally felt it my duty to advise him of the content of my discussion with the Bennet girl, and to apprise him of her true character. I made it quite clear how unbending and unforthcoming she truly is when crossed or questioned. I told him that such a woman could never be an amiable person to live with.”
Mr. Collins nodded in complete agreement once again; here was territory with which he was most familiar!
“And how did your nephew react to that news? He must have been quite shocked to learn of it, I am sure. But it is, of course, nothing new to my knowledge of the person in question. While she is generally thought to be of a friendly disposition, she has had occasion to expose herself in exactly such a manner to me in the past, which certainly contributed to my initial dislike of her. I found it best not to cross her very much as she is quite intractable,” Mr. Collins agreed, clearly delighted at the way events were unfolding for his cousin. She had certainly gained her comeuppance!
Lady Catherine began to unbend a little.
“My nephew is, of course, first and foremost, a gentleman, and so, naturally, would never say anything to insult the character of any female. He listened to my account of our encounter with grave interest, advised me to congratulate myself upon a task well done, and, in great good humour, proceeded to talk of other subjects.
“Unfortunately, he is not one upon whom I can impose my opinions; if he were, I would have expressly stated my fears and advised him against thinking of any such attachment. But, as it stands, I think I have allowed him to see exactly what her true nature is and he is intelligent enough to make his own decisions. I can do no more and so, as he advised, I shall congratulate myself upon a successful undertaking purely in his and his family’s best interests.” Lady Catherine appeared mollified by her own recounting of her visit with her nephew and breathed a little easier still.
“Indeed, your ladyship! Ev
erything that could be done, has been done by your own selfless hand! I congratulate you on your benevolence and thoughtfulness regarding the welfare of your nephew! He can have no occasion to bemoan his lack of interested family when you are such a support and fount of wisdom! He has been forewarned about a very detrimental and potentially unhappy partnership in a most discreet manner, and for that he should be eternally grateful to your ladyship.”
Lady Catherine continued to accept William’s praise for another half an hour, at which time Charlotte, tiring of the sycophantic behaviour of her husband, announced that she felt in need of a rest, at which William requested her ladyship’s leave for him to return Charlotte home, promising to pay his usual visit the following morning.
Lady Catherine graciously agreed and managed to nod in Charlotte’s direction; Charlotte, in deference to her announced lack of energy, accepted her husband’s arm for the short walk home, unfortunately having to endure his joyful account of how well the dreaded meeting had gone.
“And not one cross word was said to us, my dear! She did not blame us for any thing! What a relief! I shall write directly to my cousin, once again and more strongly worded; my advice will be against any such unequal match between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. I am sure that he will accept my counsel, especially as it comes directly from the great lady herself!”
Charlotte felt more and more tired the longer she listened to her husband; his too-obvious relief was irritating and she could bear it no longer. However, she softened her response as well as she could while trying to explain just how little weight his opinion really had in the Bennet household.
“I do not think that anything that you could possibly say would have any lasting effect upon the decisions of Elizabeth, or her father, my dear. She is a woman who knows her own mind and will not take kindly to any interference, even if it is channelled through her father. He certainly will not see any value to your advice and why should he? Elizabeth is his favourite and you can rest assured, that whoever may wish to marry her, Mr. Bennet will take a lively interest in that person as to their suitability without considering your or anyone else’s opinion! But at the end of it all, he will always succumb to Elizabeth’s sensible nature and allow her to judge for herself.