Page 42 of Attempted Compromises
Mrs. Bennet sighed heavily, her spoon clanging against her bowl with exaggerated frustration. “I simply cannot understand, Miss Lizzy, why you insisted on you and your sister returning so soon.” She gave her second daughter a baleful glare. “It would have done Jane wonders to remain at Netherfield just a few days longer! How could you be so unfeeling to my poor nerves?”
Jane, ever the peacemaker, spoke before Elizabeth could respond. “Mama, Mr. Bingley was most insistent that we remain until I had fully recovered, but I truly felt well enough to come home. I missed my family, and it would not have been proper to remain in his home once I had recovered sufficiently to travel.”
Mrs. Bennet waved off her words with a dismissive gesture. “Nonsense! A lady’s comfort is secondary when suchopportunities arise! After all, when your father is dead and gone, we will be cast into the hedgerows unless one of you marries well. You have squandered perhaps the only chance you had of catching him.”
“Perhaps,” Mr. Bennet interjected dryly, peering over his newspaper, “we might leave Mr. Bingley’s house to himself and focus instead on preparing for our own imminent guest.”
Mrs. Bennet stilled, her fork halfway to her lips. “Guest?” she repeated, her brow furrowing in confusion.
“Yes,” Mr. Bennet replied with a measured calm that only seemed to heighten his wife’s agitation. “I received a letter several days ago. It seems my esteemed cousin, Mr. Collins, intends to visit. He will arrive this afternoon and stay with us for several days.”
Mrs. Bennet’s reaction was immediate. She set down her utensil with a clatter and stared at her husband in disbelief. “Mr. Collins?” she repeated dumbly. “Your… cousin? The odious man who is to inherit Longbourn?”
“The very same,” Mr. Bennet confirmed, folding his newspaper neatly. “Well, I do believe it is his son, as his letter is much more well-written than his illiterate father’s. Here, Lizzy, see what you think of your distinguished relative.”
He passed over the missive to his favorite daughter, who took it with an arched eyebrow. She scanned the document, then began to read aloud for the table.
Dear Sir,
The disagreement subsisting between yourself and my late honored father always gave me much uneasiness, and since I have had the misfortune to lose him, I have frequently wished to heal the breach; but for some time I was kept back by my own doubts, fearing lest it might seem disrespectful to his memory for me to be on good terms with any one, with whom it had always pleased him to be at variance.
My mind however is now made up on the subject, for having received ordination at Easter, I have been so fortunate as to be distinguished by the patronage of the Right Honorable Lady Catherine de Bourgh, widow of Sir Lewis de Bourgh, whose bounty and beneficence has proffered to me the valuable rectory of this parish, where it shall be my earnest endeavor to demean myself with grateful respect towards her Ladyship, and be ever ready to perform those rites and ceremonies which are instituted by the Church of England.
As a clergyman, moreover, I feel it my duty to promote and establish the blessings of peace in all families within the reach of my influence; and on these grounds I flatter myself that my present overtures of good-will are highly commendable, and that the circumstance of my being next in the entail of Longbourn estate, will be kindly overlooked on your side, and not lead you to reject the offered olive branch. I cannot be otherwise than concerned at being the means of injuring your amiable daughters, and beg leave to apologize for it, as well as to assure you of my readiness to make them every possible amends,—but of this hereafter.
If you should have no objection to receive me into your house, I propose myself the satisfaction of waiting on you and your family, Monday, November 18th, by four o'clock, and shall probably trespass on your hospitality till the Saturday se'night following, which I can do without any inconvenience, as Lady Catherine is far from objecting to my occasional absence on a Sunday, provided that some other clergyman is engaged to do the duty of the day.
I remain, dear sir, with respectful compliments to your lady and daughters, your well-wisher and friend,
William Collins
“He is arriving at four o’clock today, to stay for nearly a fortnight?” Mrs. Bennet rose from her seat, her voice rising with her. “And you are only telling me this now? How can I possibly prepare the house in time? What will he think if everything is not in perfect order?”
“Why should it matter what he thinks, as he is such an odious man?” Mr. Bennet replied.
“Because he is coming here to offer an olive branch! Do you not understand what this means?” Mrs. Bennet’s words were so high-pitched, Elizabeth almost expected the dogs to begin baying in their kennels.
“What do you think it means?” Mr. Bennet’s face was positively gleeful at having so thoroughly provoked his wife.
“He is here to marry one of our daughters!”
At that pronouncement, Mrs. Bennet swept from the room, her shrill instructions for Hill echoing so loudly, Elizabeth began to fear for the glass in the windows.
Elizabeth leaned toward her father, a wry smile on her lips. “How long have you known of this visit, Papa?”
Mr. Bennet’s eyes twinkled with amusement. “Long enough to ensure that your mother has precisely the amount of time necessary to stir the house into a frenzy but not enough to overdo it.”
Elizabeth, who normally would have laughed at her father’s antics, winced instead in commiseration for her mother. “You are incorrigible, Papa,” she told him.
∞∞∞
The morning passed in a flurry of activity. The maids rushed about, dusting and polishing every surface. Mrs. Bennet bustled between rooms, inspecting their progress with wails of ill-use from her husband. The drawing room and guest rooms in particular received special attention, with fresh flowers arranged on each table and the best china set out for tea.
Elizabeth and Jane, seated in the drawing room with their embroidery, watched the commotion with a mixture of amusement and resignation. “I suppose we must be on our best behavior,” Elizabeth murmured, threading her needle with care.“It would not do to frighten off Mr. Collins before Mama has had her say.”
Jane suppressed a smile. “Lizzy, you must not tease so.”
By the time the carriage bringing Mr. Collins pulled into the drive, the Bennet household was as prepared as Mrs. Bennet could manage.
