One Thread Pulled: The Dance With Mr. Darcy (68 page)

I look forward to seeing you and your father very soon and to introducing you to my sister on that occasion.

Warmest regards,

Fitzwilliam Darcy

When Elizabeth had finished reading the letter, she read it completely through again. Her shock at Mr. Darcy's revelation about his sister was nothing compared to other things that seemed implied in his letter. She returned the letter to the drawer and determined to join her family downstairs before they came up in search of her. They must never know of this letter.

Chapter Fifty

Return of the Darcys

S
ix o'clock found the Bennet family assembled in the dining room for their evening meal, and Mrs. Bennet was in top form from the moment their repast began. Her discourse began with effusions on Jane's upcoming wedding. She rhapsodized on the gowns and the decorations, the luncheon and the guests.
Mama is determined to squeeze six months of talk into three weeks!
 
Elizabeth mused but remained unnaturally quiet as she attempted to force herself to eat.

Mrs. Bennet eventually mentioned that she had sent an invitation to Mr. Bingley and his sisters to join them at Longbourn for the meal, but that his reply declined her offer, citing urgent family business. She pressed Jane for her intelligence on the matter, but Jane's eyes grew large, as she claimed no knowledge of his personal family affairs. This response was not well received, as Mrs. Bennet insisted that this would not do, and that Jane must begin at once to train Mr. Bingley to counsel with her faithfully in all matters of import. As she said it, Mrs. Bennet directed a meaningful look at her husband, who did not in any way acknowledge the remark—until she had looked away.

Then Mr. Bennet caught Elizabeth's eye and smirked, rolling his eyes at the implication that Mrs. Bennet had somehow achieved this state of confidence from her own husband, in which look Elizabeth found herself discomfited. The realization of her own hopes for a match where open discourse was the rule was the foundation for her unease. The little appetite she had mustered fled, and she resorted to sipping from her cup and stirring her soup in order to appear occupied with the meal.

Fortunately for Jane, Mrs. Bennet's mind had flitted to another topic entirely, settling on Mary. She informed the room of her delight in the discovery that several of their neighbors had noticed that Mr. Timmons had paid some distinct attention to Mary during the service on Sunday, and she had great hopes that this was proof that Mary had caught his eye. This inevitably led to the topic of Mr. Collins.

Mrs. Bennet glared at Elizabeth as she spoke of the great loss it was to their family that Elizabeth had refused Mr. Collins' proposal. When informed that Elizabeth had no recollection of the encounter, Mrs. Bennet was astonished, and wailed about the tragic end to his addresses, no doubt, she complained, at the insistence of Lady Catherine, who had altogether too much influence over the man.

Upon this declaration, Mr. Bennet dabbed at the sides of his mouth with his napkin and inquired after the roast pheasant before adding that he would not have granted consent to Mr. Collins to marry any of his daughters, so it was no great loss that he had desisted in his pursuit.

This fueled Mrs. Bennet into a frenzied tirade. She proclaimed her shock at the discovery of the mercenary nature of Charlotte Lucas, accepting a proposal of marriage from him the very day after he had proposed to her Lizzy. This, she suggested, was due to the example of the same fault in her mother, Lady Lucas, who undoubtedly courted Mr. Collins' favor on Charlotte's behalf the moment Mr. Collins arrived at the doors of Lucas Lodge.

Mr. Bennet frowned at Mrs. Bennet, with one eyebrow raised impatiently at his wife. “Do you begrudge the loss of an ill-suited husband for your second daughter or the loss of Longbourn to someone less deserving?”

“Both!” Mrs. Bennet declared. “And to Charlotte Lucas, of all people. Why she is as plain a girl as was ever born and practically on the shelf! She will do no honor to your ancestral home, Mr. Bennet. Can you imagine what the children of Charlotte Lucas and Mr. Collins will look like? They cannot hope to produce a child half so beautiful as any one of our girls!”

“Mama!” Elizabeth interjected. “I had not desired Mr. Collins' attentions and refused his offer—or so I am told, for I have no recollection of our audience at all. You should not have brought him to Netherfield at all Mama—we are fortunate that I have not suffered the disgrace of being compromised at his hand! I do not know by what means he persuaded Charlotte to accept him, but....”

“Have you not heard?” Lydia, who had been ignoring the conversation, broke free of her daydream and excitedly informed her family, “Mariah Lucas called on us today, this very morning. We had not seen her since yesterday, and I was afraid she should hear the news that some blasted scoundrels had murdered Wickham from someone else before I could tell her!”

“Lydia, watch your tongue!” Elizabeth corrected.

“La! You may watch it as easily as I!” Lydia retorted as she stuck her tongue out at her sister before continuing. “I saw Mariah coming to Longbourn from the window, and Kitty and I met her on the lane—we ran the whole way! There is a fine to do at Lucas Lodge just now—that is what she came to tell us.” Lydia paused and took a deep breath. “Just yesterday, Mr. Collins proposed to Charlotte, but that is old news, no; this news is even more shocking than that! Mr. Collins...,” Lydia looked around the table until all eyes were fixed on her. “Mr. Collins took to bed just hours ago with a fever. Mr. Jones has examined him and is of the opinion that
 
he caught the fever from Lizzy
!”

Elizabeth was mortified. “It is not possible!” She protested, shaking her head. “I held that infant for some length of time, and so I can understand how the sickness passed to me, but how could it have passed from me to Mr. Collins? He came into the room, I know, but Colonel Fitzwilliam informed me that I had refused his offer. I do not understand how this could be.”

“Well, Lizzy,” Lydia assumed an air of superiority born of having information everyone wanted to hear. “Mr. Collins was talking like a drunken man in his delirium, and it led Charlotte to the opinion that something scandalous may have occurred between you and Mr. Collins. He is by no means clear in his meaning, but he kept repeating something about 'My cousin's warm breath upon my hand.' Mariah even heard this for herself! Mr. Jones said that if it is not just the rambling of a fevered mind, but that you did indeed breathe upon his hand, especially if your lips touched it, it could very well be the means whereby Mr. Collins contracted the fever! Was his hand upon your lips, Lizzy?”

“Upon my word!
 
I have no recollection, Lydia—I simply cannot say.” Elizabeth sighed and asked with a miserable countenance. “How ill is he?”

“The onset was as sudden with him, apparently, as it was with you!” Kitty broke in. “The things he was saying in delirium were not proper, and they sent Mariah as far from the room as she could go in the house. Charlotte, as his betrothed was determined to nurse him, but Mr. Jones would only let her cool his brow for a short while before even she was sent away. Mr. Jones is to send someone else to nurse him—I do not understand the reason. Mariah said they are all to drink lemon balm tea and drink elderberry wine, just as we have done. She does not like lemon balm, not at all, and is most put out.”

“It is so strange, Mama; did Mr. Collins not drink the lemon balm as we all did?” Jane inquired. “I have not felt a moment of illness, and I was with Lizzy much longer than Mr. Collins was.”

“No, he did not.” Mary said quietly. “Mr. Collins said that Lady Catherine always recommends hyssop tea instead of lemon balm for the prevention of sickness, and so that is all he would drink. He said Mr. Jones knew nothing next to his patroness' vast knowledge of such things.”

“Mr. Collins should be well in a few days.” Elizabeth said hopefully. “I am not yet fully recovered, but I am much better, and thus far it only took a few days, thanks to Jane's excellent care.”

“Mariah said that Mr. Jones declared Mr. Collins even more ill than you were, Lizzy!” Lydia added. “Mariah said that his eyes have rolled back into his head several times, and he has had more than one moment of seizure in which he nearly landed on the floor! Sir William was forced to sit on him to keep him abed! If the fever does not break, he could die!”

“Do not say such things, child!” Mrs. Bennet scolded, and then with full composure turned to her husband. “If Mr. Collins
were
to die, to whom would the entail fall, Mr. Bennet?”

Now both of Mr. Bennet's eyebrows were raised. “I am sure I do not know, madam, but one should not ask such indelicate questions before a man is in the grave.”

“Mr. Collins has mentioned your eventual death, husband, on numerous occasions. He has asked about the value of the silver and the paintings, and how many servants we could afford. I fail to see why I cannot contemplate what might happen if the reverse were to happen and
 
he
 
was to die! It is of no consequence, however—if you do not know, I will ask my brother, Mr. Phillips.” Mrs. Bennet declared. “We must prepare for the possibility of the worst!”

“We should have done that years ago, Mrs. Bennet, by setting aside some money for the future, but instead it has been frittered away on gowns and ribbons and lace and who knows what other silly whims you have had. However, if it will give you peace of mind, I shall make a discrete inquiry with my solicitor in London, for we have never considered such a possibility. This is a vexing question, indeed.”

“Lydia,” Elizabeth spoke gravely, “have you spoken to Papa about the plans you had made with Mr. Wickham for the spring?”

“Hush, Lizzy, he does not know of them.” Lydia whispered back to her sister. “It is of no consequence now.”

“What is of no consequence? Of what do you speak?” Mr. Bennet looked with some stern demeanor at his youngest daughter over the top rim of his glasses.

“It is nothing, Papa,” Lydia murmured.

“It is
 
not '
nothing,' Papa. Lydia, you must tell him.” Elizabeth prompted between gritted teeth.

“It was a joke, Lizzy; can you not take a joke?” Lydia demurred.

Every feminine head at the table was now turned to Mr. Bennet. “I am fond of a good joke, Lydia, and I insist upon hearing this one.” Mr. Bennet raised his eyebrows impatiently toward his youngest daughter.

“All right, I will tell you!” Lydia spoke resentfully, with an angry look at Elizabeth. “I was full in love with Mr. Wickham, and he with me, and now he is dead. That is all.”

“I have sadly neglected your education if you believe this to be a joke, child.” Mr. Bennet narrowed his eyes at Lydia. “What, may I ask, is the funny part of it?”

“If you must know, the funny part never can happen now, but I will tell you anyway so you can see it truly would have been a great joke—on all of you! My dear Wickham and I were to elope to Scotland in March! You would not have known where to find us, for we were to leave in the night, and be married before any of you could catch up with us! When you next saw me, I would be Mrs. George Wickham, on the arm of the handsomest officer in the regiment! I laugh now just thinking of it!” Lydia giggled as she resumed eating.

“Lydia,” Mr. Bennet said calmly, “At what point
 
exactly
 
did you come to this arrangement with Mr. Wickham?”

Lydia, slightly piqued at what she took as a challenge to her story, declared, “It was the day before the ball. He said he was to go to London to buy a pretty ring for me, with the word 'beloved' inscribed in it, and that I was not to lose patience, for he would return in short order. I was to keep it a secret, he said, but I can see no point in keeping the secret of a dead man. I was engaged even before Jane—I was first in that at least!”

“You have no proof of this,” Elizabeth murmured with a grimace, “promises such as this, when spoken only in private and not declared openly are not really promises at all.”

“Lydia, my dear, do you not recall that I forbade you any contact with that officer?” Mr. Bennet scowled. “And now I discover that immediately after I declared that you not see him at all, you made a secret plan to
 
elope
 
with him? How did you manage to convince me to let you even go to the ball? I surely do not remember, but it is of no matter. I have learned my lesson, and you shall feel the pain of it.”