Page 19 of To Go Against Her Heart
“I assume she does not want him to set foot on our property. Do not worry; I intend his visit to be a harmless attempt to introduce himself to us and probably look at the property he would inherit after my death. If I understand the man correctly, he may view this trip as a practice for the future, when he turns up in tears to attend my service. But unlike your mother, I think it would not be so soon.”
Elizabeth turned white when her father mentioned the unlikely event of his death, and he noticed the same.
“My dear, do not be upset; I was merely joking.”
“I cannot derive amusement from it; I beg of you not to speak this way,” she said, unable to imagine a life without her father. Mr. Bennet hugged her, hoping it would be many years before he had to bid goodbye to the world and his beloved daughter.
Elizabeth then sought out Jane to discuss the matter.
“I have not read anything as hideous as his letter, Jane. I lost count of how often he mentioned his patroness, his declarations about his past misfortunes when he upset her, and his future promises to earn her respect. I cannot fathom how many hours he must have spent writing this four-page letter.”
“It was amusing to read; whatever said, the letter made Papa smile. However, Mamma is not ready for his sudden visit; I assume she perceives him as our enemy. I cannot blame her, though; this is all too sudden. Could he have a sinister motive, Lizzy?”
“I wonder what that could be, maybe to give his noble patroness particulars about the exact size of the estate he would inherit,” she said with a laugh.
The day passed quickly, and Mr. Collins was expected to arrive within the week. That night, Mrs. Bennet retired to bed with irritation. She found it intolerable to entertain the man as a guest in the same home he would deprive her of one day.
***
“What do you mean by saying you are to leave in a few days, Darcy?” Mr. Bingley asked in shock as they sat together in his study that night.
“I can see that you are managing quite well with the estate; you do not need my assistance anymore.”
“But I need your company. I thought you were finally warming up to the society here, and now you want to leave?”
“Georgiana is awaiting my return, and I have overstayed my intended visit.”
“I wish you could stay for a few more weeks; at least promise me you will return soon. I shall invite Miss Darcy to stay here too; I know if she is here with you, you would be much more relaxed.”
“It is indeed an enticing prospect. I assure you; I will put thought into it,” Darcy promised.
Mr. Bingley felt dejected to hear about his plans, but Darcy had made the decision after his encounter with Elizabeth at the bookstore.
I must leave; I cannot allow myself to fall for a woman who so intelligently warned me that she would never favor me. Clearly, she cannot see beyond my insult at the assembly and holds me in contempt or is still tormented by the past, just like my sister.
Somehow, it pained him to see her uncomfortable in his company, and he was not intentionally willing to puther through such distress. Darcy believed it best to leave Hertfordshire, entertaining hopes of returning to his past life where Elizabeth no longer occupied histhoughtsthroughout the day.
Chapter 9
It had been a week since Darcy had left Hertfordshire, and he had taken leave from all acquaintances, including the Bennets, at Lucas Lodge. He had hardly said more than a few words to Elizabeth that evening, and as much as it put her at ease, she could not understand why he suddenly chose to avoid her so. Charlotte observed her friend closely and understood that she was quite affected by Darcy’s treatment.
Now, Elizabeth sat in the drawing room with the rest of her family, anticipating Mr. Collins’ visit. Mrs. Bennet tried hard to compose herself and wished something would occur to stop the unpleasant visit, but to her disappointment, Mr. Collins arrived promptly before breakfast, and the entire family found him highly amusing. If anyone found it difficult to converse with him, his habit of speaking out of turn readily offered them relief, as he hardly allowed anyone to say anything; whatever he spoke was a lengthy monologue of unnecessary facts and sentiments the family had no interest in.
“Mrs. Bennet, I hold this moment very close to my heart and wholeheartedly thank you for the warm welcome you gave me this morning. I am glad that I followed the advice of my noble patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and decided to visit your wonderful abode. Though one might consider the visit unorthodox, and it pains me to mention the entailment, my only intention was to get acquainted with my wonderful cousins.”
Mrs. Bennet was quite satisfied with his assurance.
“We are most happy to have you here, sir. Your letter gave us the greatest pleasure,” she said, surprising her family.
“It is a happy occasion indeed. I am ever grateful to my noble patroness for sparing me a few weeks away from my duties. She possesses such a noble and generous heart and has done so much for the parsonage where I reside. Her kindness knows no measure, and she is looking forward to the prospect of extending her wisdom and guidance to my future wife as well. While on the topic, I must mention her insistence that I find a suitable match and settle down soon.”
“Surely, matrimony will increase your charm, Mr. Collins,” Mr. Bennet observed, as Elizabeth fought to restrain her laughter.
“I thank you, kind sir. I am certain that with unmarried daughters, you truly understand the importance of matrimony. I assume my cousins should have their own thoughts on the subject, the eldest at least,” he said, looking at Jane with warmth, much to her alarm.
“Of course they do, and I am delighted to inform you that an honorable gentleman is already favoring my eldest,” Mrs. Bennet declared, and Jane blushed in embarrassment.
“That is wonderful, indeed,” he replied with disappointment and immediately turned to Elizabeth and smiled handsomely. Mrs. Bennet did not need any encouragement on the subject.
