Page 28 of Such Low Connections

Elizabeth was increasingly of Charlotte Lucas’s opinion that the truth of Mr Darcy’s birth did not actually matter and should be left alone. His character and behaviour should speak for themselves, whether they spoke well of him or not. Either way, he did not deserve the creeping social harassment that had been obvious even in the house of his friend last night.

“I believe strongly that you should not go to Netherfield Park today,” Elizabeth assured Mr Collins. “Aside from anything else, you have been almost two full weeks here at Longbourn, and Lady Catherine de Bourgh will be expecting your return. From respect to your patroness, and concern for your future ambitions, I would urge you not to delay your journey back to Kent.”

The dark cloud lifted from Mr Collins’s brow, and he seemed delighted by Elizabeth’s response, his expression growing almost beatific as he regarded her.

“I shall do exactly as you say, Cousin Elizabeth. What wit and wisdom you possess together in equal harmony! You are Lady Justice herself, tempered by Christian virtue and womanly grace.”

“Thank you, Mr Collins, you are too kind. I am only glad to have helped you in this difficult decision. Now, Jane is not the only one with work to be completed by Christmas.”

This time, Elizabeth did get to her feet in readiness to escape the room, but her route was blocked by Mr Collins unexpectedly falling to his knees in front of her and continuing his previous praise. She had to step back swiftly to prevent him from seizing one of her hands in his enthusiasm.

“What clarity of mind and sensibility of speech! Truly, you are the ideal partner of my life. In giving such excellent guidance to me on this matter, you have passed the ultimate test for any clergyman’s wife – being able to give wise counsel. How happy I am, Cousin Elizabeth!”

Suddenly the door swung open and Mrs Bennet bustled excitedly into the room, in a flurry of lace and lavender, her smile only growing broader to see them in that attitude, Mr Collins kneeling on the floor and Elizabeth looking down on him with great emotion.

“Is everything settled, Mr Collins?” she asked eagerly. “Have you set a date?”

A wave of anger and frustration swept over Elizabeth at being so ambushed and misunderstood.

“Everything is entirely settled, Mother. It is settled that I will never, ever marry Mr Collins and have never given either of you any indication to the contrary.”

Tempted to vent her spleen further and say things she might later regret, Elizabeth rushed from the room.

“Lizzy!” screeched Mrs Bennet’s angry voice behind her, but Elizabeth did not pause or look back.

As she stormed away, Elizabeth briefly caught sight of Charlotte Lucas and her sister in the hallway with Jane and Kitty, evidently just arrived to share in chattering over last night’s ball. Too overwrought to think of joining the other young women, she only nodded briefly to Charlotte and then hurried upstairs towards her room.

“I have never been so insulted, Madame. I will not stay another hour under this roof!” Elizabeth heard Mr Collins say before she slammed her door closed and threw herself on the bed.

Chapter 10

“I must go to London on urgent business,” Darcy announced at the breakfast table after reading the letter from his agents for a second time.

Mr Moreton, of Moreton and Belling, wrote very clearly on the need for Darcy to meet him in London and on the urgency of the matter to be discussed. Why the nature of this meeting or its urgency were not also detailed was less clear. Moreton, however, was a stolid middle-aged gentleman and little given to whims or flights of imagination. The whole business made Darcy uneasy.

“I shall come with you,” Charles Bingley announced unexpectedly, setting down his coffee cup. “I also have business in London. It is not so urgent as yours, but I might as well see to it now as later. When will you go?”

“As soon as I can pack a bag,” Darcy answered, rather surprised by his friend’s offer. “Your company is always welcome, but I thought you were content here in Hertfordshire, Bingley. I cannot say yet when I will return.”

As well as being happily settled at Netherfield Park, Darcy had also thought his friend far too enamoured of Miss Jane Bennet to quit the neighbourhood so easily. He had rather supposed that Bingley would remain here for some months, regardless of Caroline Bingley’s undisguised boredom, and perhaps until an engagement was announced. Had Darcy been mistaken about the seriousness of his friend’s attachment?

“I will likely not be away long,” Bingley said, as much to himself as to Darcy. “I shall not have time to miss anything or anyone.”

“Don’t you have an invitation to supper with the Bennets on Friday evening?” Darcy reminded him, and Bingley drooped a little before brightening again.

“It can be rearranged, I’m sure. Mrs Bennet is always saying that I may call in for supper on any evening that suits me.”

“I’m sure she is,” said Caroline Bingley acidly, with a glance to Mrs Hurst on her left. “That sounds like just the kind of vulgar invitation one might expect from this neighbourhood.”

Bingley looked rather hurt at the remark. Both of Charles Bingley’s sisters seemed to regard his association with the Bennet family as distasteful, even while still managing to profess great affection and friendship for Jane Bennet herself. That such a course of action might strike others as unpleasantly two-faced did not seem to have occurred to either lady.

“It is time that Mr Hurst and I returned to Grosvenor Square,” put in Louisa Hurst. “We shall take Caroline with us, and we can all travel together.”

“Back to London, eh?” grunted Mr Hurst, always minimally communicative at breakfast on the days that he actually emerged to join them in time for that meal. “Very good, very good.”

As ever, his words were left to sit in silence; Mr Hurst’s remarks were typically such that it would be difficult to formulate any reply.

“Georgiana will be pleased to see you all,” Darcy said. “She always enjoys playing duets with you on the pianoforte, Mrs Hurst.”