Jump to new as of September 16, 2001
Posted on Wednesday, 29 August 2001
Mr. Bingley had left for London after an early breakfast with his best friend Mr. Darcy.
After he was gone his sisters and Mr. Darcy had a discussion about what they had heard the night before as Mrs. Bennet screeched out her plans for Jane and their brother.
After much talk back and forth it was decided that they would all pack up quickly and return to London before Charles could finish his business and return.
Mr. Darcy was certain that they could convince Mr. Bingley that Miss Jane Bennet cared not at all for him but was only interested in his fortune.
"Please Mr. Darcy it must be you who approaches him on the subject, you know how he depends on your judgment, Caroline purred, He will be more likely to listen to you than to us."
Darcy agreed and the sisters gave each other smug self satisfied smiles.
Caroline sat back in her chair and chortled, "As for Miss Eliza Bennet, I wonder if she has promised her hand in marriage to her odious cousin."
"How diverting is the thought that the impertinent Miss Elizabeth Bennet is to wed Mr. Collins, your Aunt Lady Catherine's Detour's clergyman no less, Mr. Darcy.
"You will be visiting at Rosings Park at Easter time, will you not, sir. You must keep us up on Mr. Collins's bride while you are there. You write so beautifully I shall enjoy receiving your letters informing us on the relationship between the impertinent Mrs. Collins and your dear aunt."
Will you attend the wedding, Mr. Darcy," she giggled behind her hand.
"I doubt that I shall receive an invitation, He said coldly, we are hardly that close friends."
"I do hope Caroline, that we are invited Louisa snickered. I would even return to Herefordshire for that, would you not sister."
"Oh indeed I would, sister, indeed I would," Caroline laughed.
Darcy arose and with a curt bow excused himself. "I should like to take a final ride around the area before I leave," he said.
"Do not be too long, Caroline called after him, we must be off soon."
"You may leave as soon as the carriages are packed and ready, he replied, I can follow when I have finished."
"Oh, dear, no Mr. Darcy, Caroline cooed, we would not dream of leaving without you."
Darcy rode at a gallop toward Longbourn.
"If I can just get one more glimpse of her before I leave, he thought. If there was only something I could do to prevent this marriage. She is far too fine a woman to marry such a creature as Collins."
"If there was only some way I could convince him that she would not be a suitable bride for him. Why could he not choose her sister Mary, she is far better suited to be his wife that Miss Elizabeth."
As he neared Longbourn he saw Mr. Collins in an opening in a small grove of trees walking back and forth. He seemed to be talking to himself.
"Mr. Collins, he said, a good morning to you."
Mr. Collins jumped a foot in the air as he heard the deep voice from nowhere addressing him.
"With a deep bow and a sickening smirk he said, Mr. Darcy, I did not hear you approach. Have you come with a message for you dear aunt Lady Catherine Debourg that you would wish me to deliver for you."
As Darcy watched with a look of disgust as the man bow and scraped.
Then he had an idea.
"Mr. Collins he said, I hope I am in time to prevent you from making a grave mistake."
"Have you asked Miss Elizabeth Bennet for her hand."
"Mr. Collins replied, a worried look on his face, "No sir, not yet I was just rehearsing what I would say to her. She is a lovely young lady, I must get it just right. How I shall be envied my beautiful, vivacious wife."
"I am so glad, Darcy smiled, I fear you would make a great error by asking the wrong sister for her hand."
"I have often heard my Aunt say on she disapproves of too handsome a wife for a clergyman."
Handsome women tend to be more demanding of their husbands time than plain ones, and she would leave you little time for Lady Catherine Debourg and my cousin Anne."
"Then too there is Miss Bennet's tendency to impertinence. I know my aunt would highly disapprove of that."
"I would command her to show Lady Debourg the proper respect," Collins said indignantly.
"I fear she would pay you little heed, Darcy sighed, I have seen for myself Miss Bennets lack of respect for her betters, she seems to enjoy it as a matter of fact."
"Her sister Mary now, she would be a proper clergyman's wife, she is pious and respectful. I am sure she would be quite in awe of her ladyship and follow her advice to the letter, whereas her sister Miss Elizabeth I fear would do just the opposite of what her ladyship would tell her, just to show her independence"
Mr. Collins gazed at Darcy with gratitude, "I do thank you sir for your concern for my well being, he said, almost in tears, I must thank you again and again, you have saved me from a grave error in judgment. I shall take your sage advice." "
You are as wise as your Aunt, sir, I do thank you for taking the time to seek me out to warm me. I should never wish to incur her Ladyship's wrath by bring to Rosings Park an impertinent, disrespectful wife."
Darcy brushed off his fawning with a curt bow and mounted his horse to return to London.
"Well done, Darcy he smiled as he rode along, you have saved the those beautiful eyes from a great many tears."
As he approached Netherfield, he stopped for a few moments as he thought, "Why Darcy, why is it so important to you that she not marry. You certainly have no intentions toward her yourself. She is most unsuitable to become Mistress of Pemberley."
She is the most exciting woman you have ever met, Darcy, she is not impressed by money or position, she is impertinent and disrespectful, but she is the most endearing woman you will ever know. "
"It is time for me to get away from here, I fear I might fall under the spell of those fine eyes and that smile if I stay any longer."
Back at Longbourn there was a great deal excitement.. To everyone's surprise Mr. Collins had proposed to Mary instead of Elizabeth and she had quickly accepted him and received her fathers blessing.
Elizabeth rushed from the house to dance in the south pasture in relief that she had not had to find a way to refuse her odious cousin and not cause turmoil n the family.
Mr. Bennet was relieved that it was Mary that his cousin wished to marry and not his Elizabeth and retired to his room to relax and escape his wife's glee.
Mrs. Bennet was in a tizzy. She was at first speechless in surprise then she began to dance about and screech with Kitty and Lydia.
"Mary, she cried, Mary, I thought he had his cap set for Lizzy. This is diverting is it not girls. I never thought to have my Mary wed so well, I thought she would not marry at all. Now here she is engaged and within a months time will be mistress of her own home."
"Mary, Lydia wailed, plain old Mary is to be the first of us to wed. I do not like that, I want to get a husband before Mary. You must delay the wedding until I am married, Mama, I cannot have Mary go before me."
"Oh, pish tosh, girl, what nonsense you talk, Mrs. Bennet scolded. Of course we will not delay the wedding. We must have it as soon as may be."
"Mary, Mary, how happy you have made me."
Mary merely smiled smugly and went to her room to prepare a list of the things she must do as the wife of Mr. Collins.
I must ask Lizzie to visit us soon, she murmured, I fear she is suffering a great disappointment. Everyone thought that she would be the one Mr. Collins would ask, but it is me he wants. As he says I am the most well suited to be a clergyman's wife and will show Lady Debourg proper respect. More so that my elder sister I fear.
Posted on Saturday, 1 September 2001
Everything at Longbourn was at sixes and sevens.
Mrs. Bennet was determined to have a large lavish wedding, while Mary wished for a simple affair such as she thought was befitting a clergyman and his bride.
After the third morning of hysterics by his wife at the breakfast Mr. Bennet slammed his hand down on the table and shouted, "Enough woman, it is Mary's wedding and her wishes will be obeyed."
"Oh, Mr. Bennet, his wife wailed, you do take pleasure in vexing me. I should have known you would decide against me, you always do."
"Hill, Hill where is my smelling salts, I begin to feel faint. I must go to my room. My heart palpitates and my nerves are all aflutter. No one cares for me, no one thinks of my feelings."
She left the table in tears while her husband rolled his eyes to the ceiling before leaving the table to take refuge in his library among his books.
"Don't look so smug, Mary. It is most unchristian to take pleasure in someone else's pain, especially one's mother. Very unfitting to one who is to be the wife of a man of God. Remember the Bible tells us to "Honor ones Mother and Father," Elizabeth said to her sister.
"Mary looked at her Lizzie in alarm, "Oh dear Lizzie, I would not do anything unchristian for all the world, but Mama wants too much."
"Don't you think it would be wise to compromise a little, Mary, Jane said, you reject everything Mama puts forth with out a thought. She does have some good ideas, Mary. It would do well if you could use some of them. It would show your Christian charity and make you Mother happy at the same time."
"Of course, I will do all I can to make Mama happy, but I will now have my wedding turned into a circus."
"Wedding, snorted Lydia, I am sick of hearing about your wedding."
"Come, Kitty, let us go into Meryton and meet some of the officers. We shall have a jolly time and not have to be bored with all Mary's plans."
"You would think she was marrying the prince instead of our odious cousin, Mr. Collins."
Lydia had her reasons for going to town. She was trying to convince one of the officers to marry her before Mary and Mr. Collins could take their vows.
So far Captain Denny and Captain Marcus had refused her with a great deal of laughter.
She had convinced Lt. Jenkins but he had written to his mother who had hurried to Meryton to meet the girl of his choice.
Lady ---- had not been there a day when she determined that her son would not marry Miss Lydia Bennet, especially after she learned of her reputation as a wild flirtatious tart. She was aghast when she found out that the only reason the girl wished to wed her son was to beat her sister to the altar.
Lady---- convinced Col. Forrester to let her take her son home for an extended leave, therefore putting an end to Lydia's dreams of being the first Bennet sister to marry.
"If only Lt. Wickham had not got himself engaged, she sighed to Kitty, he is the one that I would really like to marry, but he is engaged to that ugly freckled Mary King"
"Why did she have to come here anyway. Why must she have the handsomest officer of all. Why should she be the one to inherit ten thousand pounds. Why could someone not leave me such a large amount, then I could have Wickham and beat Mary to the altar.
"He has no mother to come and carry him off."
Mary sought out her sister Lizzie to help her with the plans for her wedding that would make both she and her mother happy.
Lizzie was all to happy to help as long as it was not she who was marrying Mr. Collins.
She was worried about her favorite sister Jane though.
Jane had received a note from Miss Bingley on the day they departed Netherfield telling her that they did not plan to return. Her brothers business would take much longer than he first thought, she had said and when it was done they would be caught up in the new season. Her brother would be busy with Miss Darcy and would have little time for anyone or anything else.
"Dare I hope that I will soon call Miss Bingley sister," she had written."
Jane was heartbroken in spite of Lizzie's reassurances and since the letter had arrive from Caroline informing her that indeed they did not plan to return to Netherfield, but that her brother would let it go. Jane had been so sad that not even Lizzie's humor could make her smile.
In London Caroline Bingley hurried to grab the newspaper as soon as it arrived to scan the society news looking for an engagement announcement. She was sure that Mrs. Bennet would make certain it was posted in the London papers.
"Louisa, Louisa it is here, it is here at last," she cried as he rushed into the breakfast room.
"It is in there at last her sister chortled, here let me see it."
"No, Caroline smirked, as she quickly slapped it onto her chair and sat on it. Mr. Darcy should be here shortly and I want to read it in front of him. I want to see the look on his face when he hears that the impertinent, disrespectful Miss Elizabeth Bennet's officially engaged to his Aunt Catherine Deboug's odious clergyman.
"Mrs. Elizabeth Collins, does that not had a delightful ring to it, Louisa."
"Mr. Darcy," the servant announced as the gentleman entered the breakfast room.
"Mr. Darcy, Caroline cooed, I saw the announcement of the Bennet engagement in the Times, but I waited for your arrival to read it since you are such friends with the bride to be."
Taking the paper out she smiled coyly at him as she read. "Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Bennet of Longbourn Estate, Herdfordshire wish to announce the engagement of their daughter Miss Mary Bennet to Mr. William Collins, Rector of Rosings Park, Kent."
"Mary Bennet, she cried, they have made a mistake, Mrs. Bennet especially said Mr. Collins was courting Miss Elizabeth Bennet."
"This cannot be right, you must go to the paper, Mr. Darcy and set them straight. Miss Elizabeth Bennet is to be the bride, not her sister Mary."
Darcy's face was overcome with a wide smile.
"I doubt that they have made a mistake, Miss Bingley he, answered. I would imagine the letter to the society editor was specific."
"But, how could this be, we all saw how he followed Miss Eliza around like a puppy. He scarce noticed Miss Mary. He danced with her only once while he danced with Miss Eliza twice. I remember it correctly, don't I, Louisa"
"Indeed you do, sister, Mrs. Hurst answered, What could have happened, What could have changed his mind."
Caroline looked at Mr. Darcy in despair. She did not like the smile he still had on his face. Why should he be so happy with this news.
"You seem quite happy with this turn of events, Mr. Darcy, she said sharply, why should you be so glad to hear that it is the younger Miss Mary and not Miss Eliza who is here," she slapped the newspaper on the table.
"I would imagine that Mr. Collins after careful thought saw that Miss Mary Bennet was far better suited to be his wife than her sister. She is after all a pious virtuous girl, very well suited to the life of a clergyman's wife. I am sure my Aunt Lady Debourg will approve of his choice very much."
"I am here to meet your brother, where is he, I hope he is not still abed."
"No, Mr. Hurst, replied, Charles was held up another day at Sandition, we only got his letter last night. Too late to inform you of the change in plans."
"Really, Mr. Darcy, do you think we would be having this discussion if Charles were home, Miss Bingley snapped, we could not chance his walking in on us speaking of the Bennets, could we."
Caroline was angry, very angry. The news of the marriage between Mary Bennet and Mr. Collins was bad enough, but Mr. Darcy's reaction to it mad her uneasy and angry.
"I repeat you seem all to happy with this turn of events, she said to Darcy, are you glad that Miss Eliza Bennet is still available perhaps."
"Darcy looked at her with scorn, It is nothing to me, he said coldly. I fail to see why it is so important to you."
They both looked at Mr. Hurst when he snorted, "Tell him, Caroline, why not tell Mr. Darcy why it is so important to you that Miss Eliza Bennet marry her cousin."
"Mr. Hurst, I believe you are drunk already, she snapped. Of course it is unimportant to me which sister Mr. Collins marries, or if her marries at all for that matter."
Picking up the paper she flung it into the fire as she stormed from the room.
As she swept up the stairs she remembered the ride Mr. Darcy had taken that day they departed Netherfield.
Could he have something to do with Mr. Collins change of heart, she wondered, could he have met up with Mr. Collins somewhere on his ride and convinced him that Miss Mary Bennet would be much more satisfactory to his Aunt, Lady Catherine Debourg.
"What nonsense is this Caroline, she thought, how stupid of you to even think that he would sink to speaking to Mr. Collins, least of all talk him into making the middle Bennet sister his bride."
Posted on Tuesday, 4 September 2001
"What is wrong with our Darcy, Lady St John asked her husband. Since his return from Herfordshire he seems so restless and distracted."
"I have never before known him to be so inattentive. A little while ago I had to ask him thrice about Georgiana before he heard me and even then his answer unsatisfactory, He seemed not to know what to say so he just muttered something which I could barely hear."
"He is our best card player but of late he refuses to sit down to a table at all. He seems to find our evenings at card a dead bore."
"He has danced not a single dance either. Before he went to Herdfordshire he at least danced with Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst at least once an evening and at times with our own Juliet, but now he just stalks the floor with that far away looks on his face."
"I wonder what happened at Herdfordshire that could have put him in such a foul mood."
"I know there was some problem with Charles Bingley falling in love again, it seems that that this time it was with daughter of a country gentleman. Darcy and his sisters found the girl completely unsuitable."
"I believe her sister is the young woman who married Lady Debourg's curate, is she not. Bennet, yes, Bennet is the name."
"Bennet, from Meryton in Herdfordshire, Lord Phillip DeBries put in, I know some Bennets from Herdfordshire. We go there to hunt for birds. If it is this one then I can understand Mr. Bingley falling for one of them. The eldest two especially are uncommonly handsome."
"The eldest is a golden goddess. Very sweet and a bit shy."
"The second though, she is one who commands the attention of all who come within her sphere."
"Extremely intelligent, with a delightful wit."
"What does she look like," Lady St John, inquired.
"A real stunner, he mused, Ravens wing black hair, the beautiful creamy skin that country girls have. Large dark eyes, with long thick lashes."
"A smile to charm the bird from the trees."
"Very good at whist and loo. I do not care to play against her.. She shows an uncanny ability to foresee what her opponent is holding and what he is going to do."
"Never the less a delightful young woman to spend an evening watching."
"Elizabeth, I believe, I am quite sure that is her name."
"Elizabeth Bennet, is that the young woman who Miss Bingley described as being quite common looking with no beauty in her face at all," Lord St John said, as he turned to his wife.
"Yes dear, but I should have known that just the opposite was true, considering what we know of Caroline Bingley."
"Are they to be here tonight," Lord St John asked.
"Mr. and Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley are, Lady Sophia sighed. Mr. Bingley is still at Sandition. I should have inquired before I sent the invitation. If I had known that Charles would not be in town I would not have sent it."
"You know how I despise his sisters."
"Jumped up tradesman's daughters."
"I wonder if Darcy's reluctance to play anymore has anything to do with the snide remarks Caroline Bingley has been making since their return., The ones about the young woman who bested him at cards and even chess and took great delight in doing so."
"I noticed that he looked disgusted and uncomfortable the last time especially. As a matter of fact I believe he stopped playing after the first set."
Darcy paced around the room feeling restless and dissatisfied. he knew that Lady Sophia was sadly disappointed that he was not playing cards again tonight but he could not tolerate Caroline Bingley and her references to Miss Elizabeth Bennet any longer. As a matter of fact he could no longer tolerate Miss Bingley.
"How I ever thought her amusing, he thought, I shall never understand."
"What is wrong with you, Darcy, you are unhappy no matter where you are or with who"
"You must stop thinking about her, you will never see her again."
Such thoughts were useless though for as the evening wore on he became more and more bored and that lovely face with its laughing eyes and charming smile appeared before him no matter which way he turned.
He slipped off to the reading room where he flung himself into a chair and stretched his long legs out in front of him
Putting back his head and closing his eyes he was transported back to Herdfordshire.
When they first arrived the thought that he would be completely bored out of his wits with the country bumpkins. Instead a smile crossed his handsome face as he remembered evenings spent with music and song.
Though Miss Elizabeth Bennet did not play with the skill of Miss Bingley or Mrs. Hurst. Her love and joy in her music made it much more delightful to listen to.
He recalled the nights that they had drawn lots for parts in William Shakespeare plays.
He and Miss Bingley and the Hursts had declined to participate.
Bingley, of course was delighted to take part.
He grinned to himself as he thought of Charles as Romeo and Miss Jane Bennet as Juliet in the balcony scene.
It was obvious that the lots had been selected for the tow of them, but it was such fun to watch.
Sir William was completely unsuitable as Hamlet, but his blustering portrayal was hilarious.
Miss Elizabeth Bennet was completely charming as Regan to her father's King Lear.
He nearly laughed aloud as he recalled her Kate from "The Taming Of The Shrew."
Why did those of his set not enjoy such evenings he wondered. Instead of these endless games of whist and loo.
There were certainly no impromptu reels to be danced around a pianoforte here in London.
As he rose to rejoin his friends he said softly to himself. "I shall be glad to be going to Kent next week. Even Lady Catherine will be a change from the tedium that town has become. At least there I can walk the park and enjoy being by myself without running into someone who begs me to come to the club for a game, or worse to find Miss Bingley at my doorstep wishing to go for a walk or a ride in the park.
I am running out of excuses for her.
She is still determined to marry Charles and Georgiana in spite of the disinterest shown by both of them. She scoffs when I try to tell her that Georgie is too young to think of marriage.
She is the last person I could tell the real reason for my sisters reticence.
Posted on Wednesday, 12 September 2001
Darcy sat staring into the fire. He had returned from Pemberley a sennight before. The trip there meant to clear his mind and his heart of Miss Elizabeth Bennet had not been successful.
His sister Georgiana had been upset and even frightened by his mood.
He hated hurting her more. She had had enough pain after that disastrous incident with Wickham.
Not wishing to cause her more pain he had left her there with Mrs. Ainsley and returned to London after assuring her that his dark mood had nothing to do with her and her near elopement with the man who seemed to be the bane of his life.
He rose from the chair and walked to the fireplace where he stoked the coals and for a few minutes leaned on the mantle.
Turning away he walked to the window to brush aside the curtain and look out at the gardens below.
He stood there staring, recalling how happy he had been when he arrived at his aunt's house in Kent to learn that Miss Elizabeth Bennet was there visiting her sister and Mr. Collins.
He had been there but a fortnight when he made up his mind that his love for Elizabeth Bennet was so great that he would defy family and society to marry her.
He ran his fingers through his hair as he recalled how confident he had been when he went to her that evening. He was so certain that she was expecting his proposal and even more sure that she would gladly accept him.
He had never been so wrong in his life.
His face burned as he recalled how the lady had refused him. Telling him that she was sure that the things that had prevented him from asking her earlier would soon overcome any feelings he might think he had for her.
When he had angrily insisted that she give him a reason for her refusal of his offer he was even father shocked.
She had turned on him, her dark eyes blazing as she spat out her reasons.
First his interference in the courtship of Bingley and her sister. It seemed he had been completely wrong in his assumption that Jane Bingley wished to marry Charles for his money and position. The lady truly loved his friend and had been as heartbroken and unhappy as Bingley since their departure from Netherfield.
Worst of all were her accusations about his treatment of Wickham.
What a blow that had been.
Wickham who had caused his family so much pain before had struck again. This time turning everything that had happened in the past to his advantage and making Darcy look like a villain of the worst sort.
The final words between then flashed through his mind.
"My faults according to this calculation are heavy indeed! But perhaps these offences might have been overlooked, had not your pride been hurt by my honest confession of the scruples that had long prevented any serious design. These bitter accusations might have been suppressed, had I, with greater policy, concealed my struggles, and flattered you in the belief of my being impelled by unqualified, unalloyed; by reason, by reflection, by everything. But disguise of every sort is my abhorrence. Nor am I ashamed of the feelings I related. Can you expect me to rejoice in the inferiority of your connections?-to congratulate myself on the hope of relations whose conditions in life are so decidedly beneath my own?
"You are mistaken Mr. Darcy, if you suppose that the mode of your declaration affected me in any other way, than as it spared me the concern I might have felt in refusing you, had you behaved in a more gentlemanlike manner"
"You could not have made me the offer of your hand in any possible way that would have tempted me to accept it."
"From the very beginning from the first moment, I may almost say of my acquaintance with you, your manner impressed me with the fullest belief of your arrogance, your conceit, and your selfish disdain for the feelings of others, were to form such a groundwork of disapprobation on which succeeding events built such so immovable a dislike; I had not known you a month before I felt that you were the last man in the world I could ever be prevailed on to marry."
Her words had haunted him from that night to this.
He could not escape her flashing eyes and the angry manner in which she spoke her words.
At first he had been angry himself and even close to hating her.
After a fortnight he had been unable to stand it any longer and her went to his Aunt Rebecca Fitzwilliam to pour his heart out; hoping she would take his side and offer him her condolences. Perhaps even tell him that the young woman was unworthy of him.
Instead she had been shocked at the manner of his proposal.
"Oh dear Fitzwilliam," she said ruefully, "what a muddle you have made of things."
"You insult her family, and even her with the your words and you expect her to be overjoyed that you should ask for her hand."
"I fear you have bungled badly, Darcy. This young woman seems to me to be exactly what you need in a wife, and you can be assured that she will not marry no man for money or position; as others of our acquaintance would."
"She seems to be a girl who will marry for love and respect, a girl one does not encounter often in this world of vying for position and money in marriage."
"I have been wishing to meet Miss Bennet since Richard came home singing her praises. I think your cousin was very close to falling in love with her, just as you have. Now I would like even more to meet her."
"I fear it shall never be, Aunt," he said sadly. "We shall neither of us ever see her again, I fear."
Darcy strode back to his chair and flung himself into it.
He words, "A selfish disdain for the feelings of others," ran again and again through his mind.
How right she was. He had given no thought to how much pain he was causing her sister and the man to whom he was supposed to be a best friend.
He had thought only of what he perceived as proper and correct.
He had been responsible for great heartbreak to two wonderful people and he had done so with the arrogance that told him that he was right and Bingley was wrong in his choice.
He put his elbows on his knees and clasped his fingers in his hair as he thought; "She was so very right Darcy, you are vain and conceited. Every aspect of the personalities of Caroline Bingley and your Aunt Catherine that you have despised all this time are magnified in yourself."
"You looked with disdain on the two of them, while you were acting as reprehensibly as either of them."
"You are the lowest of the low, Darcy."
"Well, Fitzwilliam Darcy, you have ruined your own hopes for happiness but you will no longer be responsible for Bingley's and Miss Jane Bennet's pain.
"You must find a way to reunite them, Darcy. You must or you will never be able to live with yourself again."