Page 24 of Through the Eyes of Love

Did the man have any affection for her or was he just looking for a housekeeper? This Haverstock had made a large mistake in any case, as Darcy himself valued Elizabeth far more than that of a servant already. “You are an excellent judge of character, Miss Bennet. Why could you not stay in Hertfordshire?”

“None of us had ever met the distant cousin who was to inherit my father’s estate. The two families had been estranged for many years. Shortly before my father’s death, Mr. Collins came to Longbourn in the hope he could heal the breach between the two families and seek the hand of one of his ‘fair cousins.’ He had been instructed to do so by, as he repeatedly described her, his benevolent patroness, Lady Catherine DeBourgh, who had honoured him with the preferment of the Hunsford parish. The moment he saw my birthmark, he recoiled, screamed that it was a sign of the devil, and literally ran from the house. At the time, I fled to my room, too upset to remain with my family. Later, I found that I could put the incident in perspective: the man was ridiculous and I could ignore his outbursts.”

He tried not to grimace at her report. “Would it surprize you to know that Lady Catherine is my mother’s older sister?”

“Your aunt! I cannot believe the coincidence! Idoapologise if I said anything to offend you.”

The way Mr. Collins obeyed whatever his aunt asked of him was as expected. “Lady Catherine surrounds herself with obsequious imbeciles. She believes she has the right to demand everyone submit to her commands.” He made the statementwith resolve, so she would know he supported her opinion of Lady Catherine and would not be concerned about whether he would be angry about her speaking ill of a member of his family.

“When I left London, I came to Lambton and stayed with Mrs. Hopkins. She is a dear cousin and my aunt had written to her about my new situation. She helped me find work as a temporary companion for Mrs. Murray. When her regular aide returned, I was eager to continue compensating Mrs. Hopkins for her generous hospitality. I had not heard about any opportunities to work as a companion or governess, so I went to the inn to ask for a job. I overheard several men discussing your problem retaining maids.”

“I can hardly recall how poorly I behaved. I was not myself for many, many weeks after the fire and was often in my cups.” How disappointed his parents would be if they witnessed him using brandy to heal his wounds. They would have expected him to do whatever was needed to care for the tenants and rebuild Pemberley. They walked in silence until he asked, “How long ago did you leave Hertfordshire?”

“Not one month after my father’s death in May, the heir to Longbourn arrived to claim his estate. Mr. Collins burst into the house unannounced and said that his former patroness, your aunt, instructed him to immediately cast me out since I bear the mark of evil. He declared that if I stayed in Meryton, he would tell everyone about my wickedness, and no one would ever speak to me again.”

“What nonsense! My aunt and the latest in her long history of sycophantic vicars.” Darcy shook his head. “That woman will never learn. In fact, after spending time with you, I fail to notice your birthmark. You have not broughtmeany bad luck. Your presence has been beneficial to me in many ways.” Had he said too much?

“Collins gave my family a week to pack our things and leave Longbourn. He supervised the loading of the carts to ensure we did not take anything that belonged to the estate. He is a petty, despicable creature who believes he has the right to treat others with little or no regard. It is difficult to believe he was a clergyman!”

“When this Collins fellow evicted you so abruptly, where did you go?”

“My mother’s sister and her husband have a small house in Meryton, and I believe I mentioned they took in my mother and youngest sisters. There was no room for me, so I went to town to live with my mother’s brother and his wife. My uncle Gardiner is a successful importer and owns several warehouses. They are the finest people I know, and I was proud to stay with them.”

“Could you not have remained in London with your family?”

“That was the original plan. However, not long after my arrival I noticed there was less food at every meal. Several of the maids and footmen I had come to know were no longer in the house. I knew not what happened, but it appeared a change had occurred in the family’s financial status. When I asked my uncle about my observations, he told me the truth. Shortly after the death of his original partner, the man’s son stole all the company’s money and sailed away.”

“I see. And that is why you were forced to go into service.” If she had remained with her family, she would not need to work.

“I could not, in good conscience, stay there and strain their income beyond their immediate family. Before their financial problems, my aunt and uncle frequently entertained and attended balls. As I may have already told you, they often took me to the theatre, opera, and museum exhibitions.”

“There are too many unscrupulous men working in all kinds of businesses. Their avarice at the cost of others disgusts me.”And in this instance, a man’s deceit forced a gentleman’s daughter to seek a position.

“Mrs. Reynolds told me you have a younger sister. Do you have anyotherfamily than Lady Catherine?”

He noted that she had changed the subject and must have found the last one uncomfortable. “My mother’s older brother, the Earl of Matlock, has two sons. The eldest, Viscount Ashford, is currently residing in Scotland with his wife’s family.”

“And the younger son?”

“Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam of His Majesty’s army; a better man was never born. We grew up together as boys and have remained as close as brothers since then. He is a brave leader of men and as dependable a friend as you could ever want.”

“His surname and your Christian name are the same. I admit to being a bit confused.”

“My mother was born a Fitzwilliam, and, in their family, the firstborn son takes his mother’s maiden name.”

“I understand. Does the venerable Lady Catherine have any children?”

“One daughter. My aunt has been a widow for many years, and she has not allowed Anne out of her sight since she was a baby.”

“Why?”

“My cousin has always been sickly, and I believe my aunt does not wish to risk losing her only child.”

“That is understandable.” Elizabeth had warmth in her expression. She was certainly a caring person.

* * *

That night,Elizabeth smiled when she sat up in the middle of the night. Such a pleasant dream!