Page 19 of Leave Her Wild
“Sir William asked if we all might come to supper tomorrow evening,” Mrs. Bennet told the others when they arrived back home after services.
“That was kind,” Jane said.
“They have ignored us for months,” Elizabeth corrected.
“What did you say?” Mr. Bennet demanded of his wife.
Mrs. Bennet shifted her weight from foot to foot. “I have missed my regular chats with Lady Lucas and the others in the community.”
Elizabeth said in irritation, “The Lucases hope to claim a connection to Mr. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam. They have learned something of the gentlemen’s connection to the Earl of Matlock and to Lady Catherine de Bourgh. There have been noinvitations for more than eight months. My vote would be to refuse.”
Mrs. Bennet dug the toe of her shoes further into the rug. “I have accepted the invitation.”
“Without asking the rest of us?” Mr. Bennet demanded. “Without speaking to Mr. Darcy or the colonel to know their preferences?”
“Surely Mr. Darcy will choose to attend if Jane does,” Mrs. Bennet argued.
“The rest of you may decide as you choose, but I shall not honor the Lucases with my presence,” Elizabeth declared stubbornly.
“You may make my excuses also,” her father ordered.
“And mine,” Mary remarked.
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When Darcy had approached the local vicar, Mr. Williamson spoke his regrets, for he was to be away from the vicarage on Monday, and so they would meet on Tuesday instead. In many ways, he had known disappointment: In other ways, he knew relief. It was very important that his marriage to Miss Bennet occur soon, if he was to bring her to child; yet, the realization that Miss Elizabeth was the very same girl he had treated so poorly upon his return to society said he should leave the Bennets as they were before his introduction to Miss Jane Bennet.
“But the Bennet family requires your intervention,” he told himself as he dressed for the evening meal. “You will be assisting all of Miss Bennet’s sisters, even if one particular young lady does not wish for your presence in her life.”
A light tap at the door preceded the colonel’s entrance. “Were you aware that Mr. Bennet, Miss Elizabeth, and Miss Mary have refused to attend this evening’s supper party?”
Darcy knew he frowned. He had specifically dressed to impress Miss Elizabeth Bennet. For once, he wanted her approval, even if it were for nothing more than the cut of his coat. He had not reasoned why he had gone to such extremes, but he had done so, nevertheless.
“I was not aware,” he admitted, “but Miss Bennet said Sir William and Lady Lucas were long-time friends of the family. Sir William was knighted by the King for service to Meryton as its mayor.”
“Miss Kitty said Miss Elizabeth objects to this invitation because the Lucases and others have shunned the family for multiple months and this sudden invitation comes only due to our presence in the Bennet household.”
“Shunned?” Darcy asked. “Assuredly, the Bennets are not first tier gentry, but they are still gentry. Do you know why the family would not be the center of society in this part of Hertfordshire?”
“I do not,” the colonel admitted, “but perhaps it has something to do with our Aunt Catherine. Her clergyman is . . .”
“Mr. Bennet’s heir,” Darcy supplied. “A distant cousin.”
“The cleric is married to Sir William’s eldest daughter,” the colonel explained. “The twit supposedly proposed to Miss Elizabeth, but she refused. From what my father said of the man I am surprised anyone accepted him. According to the earl, Mr. Collins, quite literally, bows and scrapes before our aunt. Yet, I suppose as Miss Lucas, again according to Miss Kitty, who was seven and twenty at the time, was prepared to accept any offer of marriage.”
“Mr. Collins sounds as if he ‘toadies’ to our aunt. Any wife of his would have a hard time with Lady Catherine. Assuredly, if Miss Elizabeth had been desperate enough to agree to the proposal, the young lady and our aunt would be constantlybutting heads. Miss Elizabeth does not tolerate fools and neither does our aunt, unless they are bowing at her feet.”
“Oh, I forgot to mention, after Miss Elizabeth’s refusal, for which I would have loved to have been present, for Miss Kitty says it was hilarious, Mr. Collins suppered with the Lucases and proposed and was accepted by Miss Lucas on the very same evening as Miss Elizabeth denied him,” his cousin shared.
“So, our aunt ordered the cleric to return with a bride?” Darcy suggested.
“It sounds as such,” his cousin confirmed. “Could that be the cause of the ‘uneasiness’ between the families?”
“I suppose we will soon discover the truth of it. Obviously, the idea that the former Miss Lucas will replace Mrs. Bennet as mistress of Longbourn could easily be a sore spot,” Darcy reasoned.
However, the colonel frowned, “It would seem to me such would be a ‘good’ reason for the Bennets to avoid the Lucases, not the other way around.”
Darcy’s well-practiced manners were barely enough to cover his continued frustrations with how his proposal to Miss Jane Bennet was progressing. First, his betrothed was more stand-offish than he would like, especially as he required an heir in a short period of time. Secondly, his lady’s dowry was minimal at best, which could be problematic if he had to bargain to purchase his own Pemberley land from Bertram Darcy. Now, there was some mystery regarding the Bennets’ relationship with a local family, who was theoretically connected to both the Fitzwilliam family and the earldom, as well as to Darcy.
