Page 38 of To Love And To Cherish
Elizabeth, stitching quietly, did not look up. “Yes, Mother.”
Mrs. Bennet watched her for a moment. Then she turned to oversee the fabric selections with quiet satisfaction. Everything, at last, seemed to be proceeding sensibly.
That night, Mary slipped quietly into Elizabeth’s room, her steps soft and hesitant. Elizabeth looked up from her book, unsurprised to see her.
“I wondered when you might come,” she said gently, closing the volume and setting it aside.
Mary lingered near the edge of the bed for a moment, then sat down beside her sister. “You were walking with Mr. Darcy and his sister this morning,” she said softly. “And later, Mamma called me down with her head full of plans.”
Elizabeth smiled faintly. “Yes. I thought it might unfold that way.”
Mary folded her hands again, her gaze dropping to her lap. “You spoke to him about Mr. Collins, didn’t you? About me.”
“I did. I gave him the letter and explained your wishes and mamma’s intrigues.”
There was a pause before Mary said, in a quiet but steady voice, “Thank you.”
Elizabeth reached over and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “I know it’s what you’ve wanted. And you’ll do very well in the role.”
Mary gave a small nod, her expression calm but thoughtful. “I think so too. I’ve always imagined a life of purpose, visiting tenants, reading with children, keeping house for a good man.”
Elizabeth studied her sister’s face. “You seem happy. I’m glad. But I want you to promise me something.”
Mary looked up.
“If, after meeting him, you feel the sacrifice is too great, if you come to believe that he is not the man for you, then you must be brave enough to walk away. Do not let Mother pressure you. Jane refused that awful suitor when she was only fifteen. You can be just as strong.”
Mary sat quietly, absorbing the words. Then she gave a small, grateful smile. “I will keep an open mind, I promise. But I’m notromantic, Lizzy. You know that. I’m practical. If Mr. Collins is respectable and kind, if he treats me with decency and gives me the freedom to be useful, I believe we could do well enough. I already respect him. He has studied, worked hard, and secured a good living. That speaks well of his character.”
“And if he’s hideous?” Elizabeth asked, a glimmer of mischief in her eyes.
Mary gave a soft laugh. “I don’t care how he looks, Lizzy, not if he is kind. Of course, I’ll do what I can to improve my appearance. I know men prefer beauty, and I would like to think he might find me pleasing to look at. And I shall not wear my spectacles around him until we are well and truly married, for they might frighten him off.”
Elizabeth chuckled. “A wise strategy.”
Mary chuckled. “I thought so.”
Chapter 19: A Welcome Prospect
The morning was cool and bright when Elizabeth Bennet made her way across Meryton to pay a call on Miss Mary King. Though the distance was short, her thoughts traveled far. The familiar hedgerows and cottages blurred into irrelevance, for her mind was fixed upon a single resolution: she must remove herself from Hertfordshire for two reasons. First, she would not intrude upon Mary’s prospects; and second, her growing regard for Mr. Darcy was unwelcome, unreturned, and undeniably real. She must go. Scotland was the better choice. In London, she would remain within her small family circle, but Scotland would be an adventure and a distraction. She would see more of the world, and perhaps meet someone worthy of her respect, someone who might, in turn, respect her, and possibly, in time, they might even find love.
Miss King received her in the modest parlor of her aunt’s house with visible eagerness. Her countenance, though habitually subdued, lit with warmth at Elizabeth’s approach.
“I am so pleased you’ve come,” she said, motioning to the settee. “Shall we speak now of Scotland?”
“Indeed,” Elizabeth replied, taking her seat. “If your offer remains open, I should be honored to accompany you.”
Miss King reached for her hand and clasped it. “Lizzy, I should count it a true blessing. We are to leave in late April, but Miss Trent, my companion, cannot come down from Cambridge until late July. It is vexing. I shall not become acquainted with my cousin until we are already bound for Scotland. What if she proves positively despicable? How shall I ever bear it?”
Elizabeth smiled sympathetically. “Why the delay? Was she not meant to arrive sooner?”
"She was," Miss King sighed. "My uncle Giles is a professor of philosophy at Cambridge, did I mention that? He has taken on additional pupils, one in particular, a young gentleman failing his program. Miss Trent is assisting with his instruction in Italian.”
“Indeed?” Elizabeth’s brows lifted. “Why Italian?”
“The young man is to travel to Italy as attaché to the British ambassador, but he will not be granted the position unless he passes his course and acquires a working knowledge of the language. The ambassador, being a man of discernment, insists upon both.”
Elizabeth laughed softly. “Well, I am of the ambassador’s opinion. Such an appointment should go to one worthy of it. What a wonderful opportunity, to live abroad, to travel as part of one’s duty!”
