Imperative: Volume 1, A Tale of Pride and Prejudice (11 page)

Collins spoke obstinately.  “I do not know why you wished for your daughter to remain with you, but I was promised a bride.  If you expect me to keep your family in Longbourn after you pass on, I suggest that you provide a daughter to me.  Miss Bennet or Miss Elizabeth.”

Mr. Bennet waved his hand towards the house and asked sarcastically, “Is Mary suitable?”

“No.”  He lifted his chin.  “I am not going to marry the homely one.  I am no pauper to be directed to any available woman.  I make a respectable living now; I do this for you as a favour.”

“Yes, so respectable that you could not be gentlemanly and offer to pay the postage on Lizzy’s letter?  That did nothing to impress my daughter.  She told me of it and laughed at you.”

Collins coloured.  “My wife should know that I am . . .”

“Mean.”  Mr. Bennet looked him over and shook his head.  “I have no desire to damage my relationship with Elizabeth further than I already have, Mr. Collins.  My plans have been thwarted.  She is engaged to Mr. Darcy until that man announces otherwise, and she will not listen to any other argument.  After hearing her horror with my actions, I cannot blame her reaction.  If you do eventually become master of Longbourn, I think I will be glad that my family will not be relying upon you to assure their care.”  He bowed his head slightly and entered the house, leaving Collins standing alone before he startled and followed him inside. 

Mr. Bennet found Elizabeth the subject of intense attention by the ladies of the room, who were apparently armed with newspapers and were demanding the meaning of the engagement announcements.  

“Eliza!”  Charlotte grabbed her arm as soon as she entered the Philips’ home.  “Is this you?”

“Is what me.”  Elizabeth said tonelessly when a copy of
The Times
was shoved into her hands.  She looked down at the spot where Charlotte’s finger tapped impatiently.

Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley, Derbyshire, and Park Lane, London, is pleased to announce his engagement to Miss Elizabeth Bennet of Longbourn, Hertfordshire.  The couple will marry 30 November in the bride’s home parish.

Feeling an odd flutter in her stomach, her heart began to beat faster, and the warmth of her blush travelled quickly up to her cheeks.  “What is this?”  Charlotte demanded.  “Is this a joke?”

“A joke?”  Elizabeth finally came to life.  “Why is it so incredible that I would marry Mr. Darcy?”

“Oh, I do not know, perhaps because you have determined to hate him forever for insulting your vanity?”  She looked at her pointedly.  “Well?”

“Lizzy!”  Mrs. Philips flew across the room followed by several other women of the neighbourhood.  “Lizzy, have you seen this?”  She had a copy of the
The Morning Post
in her hand and Mrs. Forster brandished the
Courier
.  “Oh what a joke this is!  Did you put the announcement in the paper?  It would serve that horrible Mr. Darcy right!  After insulting you as he did, he should be embarrassed as well!”

“Do you think that I placed this in the paper?”  Elizabeth gasped.  “What do you think of me?”

“Well you do hate the man, Eliza, everyone knows that.”  Lady Lucas smiled as Elizabeth turned white, realizing the damage she had wreaked.  “And really if you were engaged to him, do you think for a moment that your mother would have kept
that
bit of news from us?”  She laughed and was joined with the other ladies.  “Mrs. Bennet!  We are truly enjoying your joke!  It seems that Eliza is claiming ignorance; I know it was Mr. Bennet who thought of this plot!  He is a sly one!”

“What are you talking of?”  Mrs. Bennet bustled over and beamed. 

“Mama, Mr. Darcy’s announcement is in the papers.” 

“Oh!”  Mrs. Bennet preened. “It is there!  I did not expect it so soon!  Oh where is your father!  He must make the public presentation!”

“Sister!  You go too far with your joke!  Do you truly mean to have Mr. Bennet announce to the world this news?”  Mrs. Philips tittered.  “Oh we shall laugh for days!  I cannot wait to hear my brother’s delivery!”

“I cannot tell you how I have begged him to let me do the talking!  I must have cornered him in his bookroom for a full half hour yesterday!”  Mrs. Bennet nodded and Elizabeth looked to Jane with her hand to her mouth. 

“Such a disagreeable man, I cannot blame you for disliking him so.”  Mrs. Long nodded.  “Why I stood next to him for a half hour at the Assembly and he did not so much as say good evening to me!”

“He was not feeling very sociable that night . . .” Elizabeth said to deaf ears.

“So you do not like Darcy?”  Wickham said softly and sidled up to her.  “The announcement is a plant?”  He chuckled and leaned down to her ear.  “Well done, I should have done the same, only I would have named his cousin Cathy, or better yet, his cousin Anne.  A sickly, sour wretch.  His aunt Lady Catherine has declared them engaged for years, such an announcement in the paper would have sealed it for him.  Of course he cannot avoid the inevitable, he will marry her eventually.”  Wickham smiled down at her wide eyes.  “I am afraid though that he will be more able to brush off your attempt, just as it seems he has brushed off his desire to know you, from what I have heard tonight.  Did he truly call you not handsome enough to tempt him?”

Elizabeth was trying to assimilate the myriad of information he had spoken.  “Mr. Darcy is engaged to his cousin?”

“According to his aunt they were pledged at birth, ‘formed for each other’, I believe is the phrase.”  Wickham smiled and took her hand in his, raising it to his lips.  “So then, you
are
available for me to pursue.”

“Unhand me, sir!”  Elizabeth hissed. 

“Forgive me, but we were teasing about this only yesterday.”

“I should have slapped your face then, you were so rude, and then how could you go to my father and tell him lies about Mr. Darcy!”

“Ohhh dear.  You carry a flame for him.”  Wickham smiled sadly and tilted his head.  “Darcy would never lower himself to marrying a poor gentleman’s daughter.  What was his goal with you?”

Infuriated, Elizabeth did her best to tame her dislike of Wickham, and felt an increasing need to defend her absent betrothed. “Goal?  More lies; Mr. Wickham?  What do you fear from Mr. Darcy?” 

It was Wickham’s turn to startle.  “Fear?”

Elizabeth read his expression instantly and pressed him.  “You told my father that you could not bear to be in the same town with him, and yet you remain.  Why is that?  Is it because you heard Mr. Bingley state that Mr. Darcy would not return until Friday at the earliest?  You feel safe to remain here, spreading more lies about him?  Tell me, will you run away when his carriage pulls into town?  I suspect there is a great deal more to this claim of lost inheritance and a living than the tale you wove for my father.  What is it Mr. Wickham?  Why would you speak so unkindly of Mr. Darcy?”

Wickham regained his balance and retaliated.  “You are hardly innocent, Miss Elizabeth.  From what I have heard tonight, your tongue has not been still in spreading invectives against him for a slight that any woman of his society would laugh off.  Ah that is it.  You wanted him and his disdain hurt.”  Wickham laughed to see her face colour.  “Poor little girl.  I tell you, Miss Elizabeth, Darcy is well known to never forgive offences against him.  This ploy of your family to force his hand will not be received well.  Come, I only told your father the beginning of his offences against me.”  He leaned down to her ear.  “It seems we are not so different.”

“I am
nothing
like you, sir!”  She turned to find Collins before her. 

“Cousin Elizabeth, I refuse to believe that Mr. Darcy has proposed to you, like your father, I doubt his motives.   I was going to wait until the end of my stay to make my intentions clear, but to relieve you from the embarrassment you are undoubtedly feeling now, I assure you that my desires have not changed. I will still marry you and save your reputation.”

“Mr. Collins, please, I . . .” Turning away from him she found Jane by her side.  “Jane!  What is happening?”

“I do not know, Lizzy . . . look!”  She pointed at her mother. 

“Mr. Bennet!”  Mrs. Bennet accosted him.  “I am amazed that you did not see this yourself!”  She handed him the paper.  “Well?” 

Mr. Bennet read the announcement and looked up to find the assembled guests all watching him with expectant smiles. Glancing at Elizabeth, he saw Wickham beside her, and his brow creasing, slowly he began to speak.  “It seems that the time has arrived to make this unbelievable news official.”  He drew a deep breath and cleared his throat.  “Mrs. Bennet and I are overwhelmed to announce the engagement of our daughter Elizabeth to Mr. Darcy of Pemberley.”  Stunned silence filled the room for four ticks of the clock until Mrs. Bennet screeched.

“Is is it not wonderful!  What jewels, what pin money she will have!  We are saved!”

“Sister.”  Mrs. Philips laughed and patted her arm, “It is very amusing to be sure, but perhaps this joke has begun to wane.”

“Joke?”  Mrs. Bennet stared at her blankly.  “What joke?”

“They think it is a joke, Mama!”  Lydia burst into giggles.  “Oh my!  First Mr. Collins thinks he is pledged to Lizzy, and now nobody believes she is engaged to Mr. Darcy!”  She leaned on Kitty as they stood and shook with their laughter.

Mortified, Elizabeth looked to her father.  “Tell them, Papa!”

“They are engaged.  They have been since last Saturday.”  He sighed and looked at the paper, “And the date of the wedding is correct, in ten days, my Lizzy will be Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy.”    Silence again fell. 

“I do not believe a word of it.”  Mrs. Long cried.  “Where is Mr. Darcy if this is true?  Why is he not here?”

“He went to London to prepare the settlement and purchase a special license!”  Mrs. Bennet crowed. 

“That sounds all too convenient.”  Lady Lucas said thoughtfully.  “I will believe it when he is here before us and says the words himself.”

“Have you no confidence in neighbours you have known so long, my dear?”  Sir William chuckled.  “Or are you jealous?”

“Quiet, Husband.”  Lady Lucas seethed. 

“How did this happen?”  Charlotte asked. 

“We were reading in the library at Netherfield and he just . . . impulsively proposed.”

“Oh Eliza.  I thought that he liked you!”  Hugging her tightly she drew back and smiled at her.  “How did your opinion change?”

“The shock of his admiration awakened my understanding.”  Elizabeth blushed and noticed Lady Lucas watching her closely. 

“Only a fortnight between the proposal and the wedding?  What of your wedding clothes?”

“His schedule demands that he leave the area soon and he said that a modiste will come to us.”  Elizabeth looked down at her hands and finally her head snapped up.  “Say what is on your mind!”

“Well as you just told Charlotte, this proposal came when you were staying at Netherfield looking after your sister.”  She nodded at Jane.  “What really happened in the library, Eliza?  You arrived there disliking him and mere days later, you emerge engaged.”

“Compromised.”  Wickham said in a loud whisper to Denny.  Naturally everyone heard it and gasps travelled the room.

“Mr. Darcy is a gentleman, he did no such thing!  And I am surely known to be a lady.  It insults me that you should presume me capable of such a thing!”  Elizabeth wiped her eyes.  “Mama you were correct to presume the worst of our friends and neighbours and their assumptions, I am no better than they for criticising Mr. Darcy and speaking of my disappointment.  I am sorry Aunt, I have lost my appetite.”

“Lizzy, where are you going?”  Jane grabbed her arm. 

“Home.”  She stopped before her father.  “Thank you for admitting the truth of our engagement; would that you had done it sooner; and for once put my needs before yours.”  Elizabeth quickly went down the steps and was soon walking through the town in the direction of Longbourn.

“Miss Elizabeth!”  She heard and ignored the man’s voice.  “Miss Elizabeth, wait!”  Two men on horseback stopped beside her.  “Miss Elizabeth, are you well?”  She looked up into Bingley’s concerned green eyes  and burst into tears.  Immediately he handed the reins to Hurst and jumped down.  “What is wrong?”  He asked gently and touched her arm.  “Please tell me, should you not be enjoying dinner with your aunt this evening?”

“The announcement of my engagement to Mr. Darcy was in the papers today.”  She said shakily and accepted Bingley’s proffered handkerchief.

“Yes, I saw them.”  He smiled.  “Surely that does not bring on tears, from the interaction I saw, I would say that there is great hope for a marriage of felicity between my friend and you.”  Elizabeth looked up and he nodded as his smile grew.  “I honestly have never seen such expressions of tenderness from my friend towards any woman.”

“Oh.”  She blushed and looked down.  “Thank you.”

“What troubles you?”

“My family and neighbours believe that if the announcements are not a cruel joke planted by my father to embarrass Mr. Darcy, then they are most certainly the result of some terrible compromise that took place at Netherfield.”  She lifted her eyes when she heard Hurst snort.  “It was not the way they imagine at all!”

“No.  That is certain, although I am sure that my wife and sister would undoubtedly gladly join in that particular chorus, Miss Elizabeth, if it would not harm Mr. Darcy.  They were apoplectic when they read the papers today, which is why Bingley and I chose to depart their company.”  Hurst shook his head.  “This is a fine kettle of fish Darcy has created.”

“Darcy?”  Bingley turned to his brother.  “All he did is propose and announce it, what is so terrible about that?”

“He is not here to refute their speculation and nobody believes me because I was so hurt when he insulted me at the Assembly.”  Elizabeth wiped her eyes when Bingley’s brow creased.  “And Mr. Wickham is spreading rumours of Mr. Darcy denying him a living, and . . .”

“Wickham.”  Bingley said slowly.  “I knew I had heard that name before!  No, I sincerely doubt that his claims are true.  I do not know the details of their falling out, but I believe that the man has been imprudent and not in the least respectable, and certainly beneath the notice of good men.  I can vouch for my friend’s good conduct under any circumstances.”  Elizabeth’s face brightened.  “No, Darcy is an honourable man, even to ones he dislikes passionately.”