Posted on Wednesday, 26 July 2000

Elizabeth went to her room to escape the shrieks of her mother at her refusal of Mr. Collins proposal of marriage. She shuddered at the very thought of spending the rest of her life with such a stupid, odious toady. As she picked up her book to read a knock sounded on the door.

"Miss Elizabeth," she heard Hill say, "Your father wishes to speak to you in his private room."

"Tell him I shall be there directly," Hill, she answered with a sigh, as she laid her book aside.

After smoothing her hair in the mirror she went down the stairs to her fathers study, where she found him leaning against the mantle, a look of consternation on his face. Her mother sat weeping in a chair nearby.

"Your Mother tells me that Mr. Collins has made you and offer of marriage, and you have refused. Is this correct, Lizzie."

"Yes, Father, that is true"

"Your mother tells me that she will never see you again if you do not change your mind and accept Mr. Collins offer, is this not what you have said , Mrs. Bennet."

"Yes, Mr. Bennet, I shall never speak to her again if she does not do so. What a selfish, thoughtless girl, to refuse Mr. Collins kind offer. If you do not make her accept Mr. Collins will ask another and when you are dead they will cast us out among the hedgerows to starve in the cold winter air."

"Please leave us, Mrs. Bennet. I will speak to Lizzie alone."

"Ohh, Mr. Bennet, you will take her part I know, you care little for what will happen to me on your death, I shall die of hunger and cold, but little you care," she wailed.

"LEAVE us, woman, or I shall not speak to Lizzie at all," he roared.

Mrs. Bennet scurried out the door wailing about her poor nerves.

"Lizzie, much as I hate to do it your mother is right, I must insist that you marry Mr. Collins, it is the only way to save Longbourn for the Bennet family."

Mr. Bennet looked at his favorite child with sad eyes as he made his statement.

"Father," Lizzie said in a shocked voice, "I cannot believe that you would make me marry this odious man. You yourself cannot bear him, how could you do such a thing to me."

"I have not choice, Lizzie, if you do not accept him, I must insist that Jane do so."

"But Jane and Mr. Bingley are in love. I believe he will ask for her hand any day now. Surely you would not make her give up Mr. Bingley for our stupid toad of a cousin, father."

"Mr. Bingley, as you know has returned to London with the rest of his party. His sister Caroline writes to Jane that he will not be returning to Netherfield. It would seem that when he returned to town his thoughts turned to Miss Darcy."

"But why not Mary, she would be the ideal woman for Mr. Collins, they think alike in so many ways. I know that she admires him and would gladly accept him."

Mr. Bennet ran his hand across his forehead as he replied, "He does not desire Mary. It is either you or Jane. If you do not change your mind I shall have a talk with Jane and you know that she will do whatever she thinks will save her family."

"You leave me no choice, do you father, you know that I would not let you submit Jane to this vile man. You may tell Mr. Collins and Mother that I shall marry him."

She rose a to leave the room as her father cried, "Lizzie, wait, you must understand, my dear child."

Turning at the door she looked at him with such a look of disgust and loathing that he stopped and stepped back.

"I understand, Father, I understand very well, you take the easy route no matter who it hurts."

It was but a few minutes after she had returned to her room that her mother burst in crying, "Dear, dear Lizzie, I knew you would see it my way. I am so happy. A daughter married and a respected clergyman with such a noble patroness. You will be so envied Lizzie."

As she moved to hug her daughter Elizabeth stepped back saying, "Do not touch me Mother, never touch me again. do not tell me how happy I shall be. You care not at all for my happiness, only your own. Leave my room Mother and never enter again without my permission."

"But Lizzie," her mother wailed, "we must discuss, the wedding plans, we must decide on your wedding dress. Perhaps you father will let us go to London to search the warehouses for the materials for your gown."

"There will be no new dresses, Mother, we will get this over with as soon as possible. there will be no great wedding plans, leave me mother or I shall push you out."

"Ohh, Mr. Bennet," Mrs. Bennet wailed running down the stairs and into his study. "You must come and make Lizzie let us have a grand wedding. She says she only wants to have it over and done with and she will have no new clothes. You must speak to her at once I want a grand wedding. One that will make Lady Lucas and Mrs. Long green with envy."

"Enough, woman, you have had your way, Lizzie is going to marry that fool. She will have the wedding she wishes. If she wants to be away from here as soon as possible, I cannot blame her. Now leave my room and do not disturb me again."

Mrs. Bennet staggered to her room and fell onto the fainting couch crying, "Hill, Hill, I feel faint, where are my smelling salts, hurry hurry.

Three days later Elizabeth came down in her gray mourning dress, which had been made for her grandmother's funeral. It was her wedding day.

"Lizzie, you must go up and put on your best frock, this is a day for rejoicing, not mourning," her mother scolded her.

"This is my wedding dress, Mother, Elizabeth replied, It may be a day of rejoicing for you but it is a day of mourning for me."

Mr. Collins came into the breakfast room as Mrs. Bennet ran down the hall shouting Mr. Bennet, Mr. Bennet, you must speak to Lizzie."

"My dear cousin, how delightful you look, gray is one of the colors that I deem acceptable for a clergyman's wife. I am sure that Lady Debourgh will approve."

She was most disappointed that you should have had a headache last night and were unable to meet her. She wanted to give her seal of approval. Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst were kind enough to give her their assurances that you were indeed most suitable to be my wife and Mistress of Hunsford.

"She was most disappointed though that her nephew, Mr. Darcy refused to accompany Mr. Bingley and his sister to Netherfield to attend our wedding."

As he moved to take her hand and kiss it Elizabeth jerked away from him saying, "Do not touch me."

"My, dear cousin, your modesty is beautiful to see. Modesty is a great virtue in a clergyman's wife."

"Lizzie, you father wishes to speak to you, Mrs. Bennet interrupted, go to him at once."

"Lizzie, my dear, you must know how this pains me, that you, of all my daughters should be forced into such an unsuitable marriage, but we had no choice, dearest Lizzie.

"Just give this time, my dear, after you have a child you will be content and your mother and I shall visit you frequently."

"No, Father," Lizzie replied coldly, "you will never visit Hunsford. From this day forward I am an orphan, I never wish to lay eyes on you or mother again. As for children, there will be no heir to Longbourn from me. You may have forced me to marry this creature but you cannot make me consummate this odious union. He will never touch me, father, I promise you that."

"Lizzie, dearest, child, you cannot mean that, You will feel differently once you are settled in your new home."

"I have never meant anything more father, You and mother disgust me, selling me for your own comfort. I would die before I ever let him near me. That I can promise."

"I shall go to the church now, Father, Jane and I shall go together, I want nothing more to do with the rest of my family, ever again."

Mr. Bennet sat down in his favorite chair his head in his hands. Ten minutes later he gritted his teeth as he heard his wife's shrill cry.

"Mr. Bennet, Mr. Bennet, we must go to the church, Hill has told me that Lizzie and Jane have chosen to walk there. Such a selfish thoughtless girl. My poor nerves, first she will not allow any of the neighbors but Charlotte Lucas to attend her wedding. After the Bingley's were kind enough to return to Netherfield for the nuptials she would not have them.

Now she goes ahead of us without a thought of how inappropriate it is for the two of them to be seen walking to the church on her wedding day."

"Do not speak to me of thoughtlessness and selfishness, woman. There is no one in this world more thoughtless or selfish than you. You would have this wedding for your own comfort without a thought to your daughter. Do not even think of wailing to me about your nerves or I shall leave you here by yourself and go to the church alone."