7

Mr. Collins’s arrival at Longbourn was indeed an auspicious occasion, or so he informed the Bennets himself. He made haste in endearing himself to the matron of the house by soliloquizing on his laudable intentions of making her daughters every possible amends for the entail; Mrs. Bennet was as delighted as her daughters were mortified by his overtures.

None were so delighted by this visitor as Mr. Bennet and Oliver Lucas, who spent the afternoon of Mr. Collins’ arrival whispering their jests to Elizabeth whenever their loquacious guest exposed his absurdity, which was not infrequently.

Mr. Bennet soon tired of his cousin and retreated to his study, but Olly remained well past the polite length of time for a call, revelling in the hilarity of it all. Elizabeth enjoyed the banter and was inclined to share her friend’s irreverent sentiments on Mr. Collins. Moreover, she was grateful that her mother’s misguided expectations of a match between herself and Olly shielded her from Mr. Collins’s unequivocal intentions.

Olly could not resist the urge to gloat on that score. “Your mother amazes me, Lizzy,” he chided her. “It has been nearly a week, and she still believes it was I who took you careening most recklessly through the village in that shiny new curricle. Mine is not nearly so grand, though perhaps I shall take you for a ride, should your cousin come to the realisation that you are the superior sister of the family.”

Elizabeth swatted at him. “You have already crowed over your intention to unite him with Mary, and so I am not at all afraid of his notice.”

Poor Mary! She seemed the most interested of her sisters in their ridiculous relation, yet Mr. Collins had thus far soundly ignored the younger sisters in favour of lovely Jane. “Your beauty was not exaggerated, I assure you, fair cousin,” the parson said, moving closer to Jane on the settee.

“Had I known of your golden radiance and genteel manners, I flatter myself I should have visited sooner, with every effort of recommending myself. As it happens, I am informed by Lady Catherine that this is the most opportune time for a visit of such a nature, as I am in the happy position to inform you all of my most fortunate and favourable position at Hunsford, where I enjoy the patronage and condescension of the right honourable Lady Catherine de Bourgh.”

Mr. Collins launched into a lengthy monologue about his fortuitous circumstances, praising the great lady and her frequent interference in his home and personal affairs. Olly and Elizabeth shared a look of private mirth. “Poor Jane,” he whispered. “I hope Mr. Bingley will not be cowed by such a rival for her fair hand!”

As if on cue, Mrs. Bennet began to extol on her expectations in that quarter, guiding Mr. Collins’s attention to her younger daughters. “My dear Lydia is a beauty, is she not? And so lively! She is a great favourite amongst all our neighbours – what a pity she cannot remain at Longbourn forever.”

Mr. Collins agreed with an obsequious nod, but hastily resumed his attentions to Jane.

Elizabeth managed to discreetly roll her eyes and Olly chuckled and observed, “If only Will should come to the point with you ere long, I might transfer my feigned affection to Jane and afford her some opportunity to be wooed properly by Mr. Bingley, without any interference from your mother.”

A pang of guilt tore at Elizabeth’s heart. She had indeed been grateful that Olly’s frequent calls and familiar behaviour had diverted her mother from noticing the growing attachment Elizabeth felt for Captain Darcy. While she was increasingly certain that he returned her sentiments, she was not at all sure that his regard could yet withstand the vulgar presumption of her mother. She began to fear for Jane in earnest, for Jane’s attachment bore the brunt of her mother’s effusions and expectations, without seeming as secure as what was blossoming between Elizabeth and her beau.

It had been a week since Captain Darcy had expressed his doubts regarding Mr. Bingley’s intransigence, and Elizabeth had yet to mention it to her sister. She had hoped to be spared the awkward endeavour of interfering. But while she met with Captain Darcy daily, either for walks or more private rides in his curricle than their first audacious display, and he had called twice with the other gentlemen from Netherfield, Jane had been afforded less time with Mr. Bingley.

On the two occasions Mr. Bingley had visited Longbourn, as well as on a returning call the ladies paid at Netherfield, Mr. Bingley had indeed seemed interested in Jane. Unfortunately, Jane’s natural reserve had not yet been overcome, leaving a void which Mrs. Bennet had been invariably determined to fill; if Jane would not exert herself, Mrs. Bennet was resolved to catch Bingley herself for her eldest daughter.

As if reading her thoughts in her expression, Olly leaned toward Elizabeth, nudging her shoulder with his own. “She ought to show more affection even than she feels, if she is to secure him.”

In truth, Elizabeth was not sure of the degree of affection Jane felt for Mr. Bingley. “It is clear that she likes him,” she said feebly, resolving to speak to Jane at last about Captain Darcy’s warning.

“Jane likes everybody and treats all of her acquaintance with the same affability she bestows on Bingley, who is too good-natured himself, and not at all vain enough to presume any further than friendship if she will not help him along. There are very few of us who have heart enough to be really in love without encouragement.”

“But I believe she does help him along, as you say. Surely her regard must be apparent to him; I know that Captain Darcy has noticed it, and I have seen you promoting conversation between them whenever we are all together. She does not endeavour to conceal her feelings, and so as they grow naturally in time, he must be sensible enough to discover them himself.”

“Perhaps, if he sees enough of her. But they are only together in large groups, and it is impossible that every moment of such occasions can be spent in conversing solely between themselves. Jane should make the most of every half hour she can command his attention. When she is secure of him, there will be leisure for falling in love as much as she chooses.”

“Your plan would be a sound one, were there naught but a desire to be well married, but Jane wishes as much as I do to be wed for love, and she has scarcely had time to come to know the gentleman. I should be heartily disappointed in her if she were to abandon such principles, and sadder still to see her hopes all in vain if he should prove inconstant. A fortnight is not enough time to know his character – I have been far more often alone with Captain Darcy and even I am not yet ready to call it love.”

This last declaration tasted of falsehood on Elizabeth’s tongue, but she was determined not to let her heart run away with her, and though she was already rather far gone in her feelings for the dashing captain, she would never confess such a hasty infatuation to her teasing friend.

“Well,” Olly said with a playful shake of his head. “I am too generous to call you a liar, though I have already purchased a fine blue coat for when I stand up with Will at your wedding! As to Jane, I wish her success with all my heart. If she were married to him tomorrow, I should think she had as good a chance at happiness with him as if she were to study his character for a twelvemonth. I am not much more acquainted with Bingley than your family, though we shared a bit of correspondence before he came to Netherfield, and I do think him an amiable fellow who would suit her perfectly. In truth, I believe happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance. If the dispositions of the concerned parties are ever so well known to each other beforehand, it does not advance their felicity in the least. They always continue to alter sufficiently afterward as to have their share of vexation – indeed, I daresay it is better to know as little as possible of the defects of the person with whom you are to pass your life!”

Elizabeth chortled. “An amusing expression, but surely you would never act in such a way yourself!”

“Perhaps I would not, for if I were ever to marry, I should prefer a Bennet sister – ideally one who shares my wicked humour and understands my secrets.”

A shadow passed over Olly’s face as he lowered the tone of his already soft whisper. “As to the rest of it, I have had to be more demonstrative in my particular sentiments. When I began to suspect that John shared similar inclinations to my own, I set about showing my own preferences in such a way that he could have no doubt any overtures of his would be readily received, and I am sure he would never made his regard known to me, if I had not been as forthright as my perilous predilections allowed. It is a dangerous thing for people like me, but I daresay it is scarcely easier for ladies and gentlemen, even without the fear of those reprisals that I face. Rejection alone is enough of a deterrent; if Jane is afraid of it, so too must Bingley be.”

“Oh, dear,” Elizabeth breathed. She rested a hand atop Olly’s and offered him a look of commiseration. Across the room, her mother beamed brightly at the display of affection, assuming it to mean more than tender friendship.

“I beg you would not pity me,” Olly said, forcing a smile. “I have had more than my fair share of delight in what I have found with John – in what we can be to one another. Perhaps that is why I wish to promote a more permanent sort of felicity for those I hold dear. And if Captain Darcy – or Bingley, for that matter – should prove inconstant…. Well, I shall have to take a wife someday.”

Elizabeth was touched by this reminder that her family need not grow desperate – certainly not enough to force any of her sisters upon the preposterous parson who had come to court them. And yet, she was resolved upon two points. The first was that she would only wed for the deepest love and affection, and that Jane must do the same. The second point fixed in her mind was that she would finally summon the courage to share Captain Darcy’s words of warning with Jane as soon as the opportunity presented itself.

Thus, Elizabeth managed to manoeuvre a half hour of solitude with her elder sister as the Bennets all made ready for the party at Lucas Lodge that evening. Jane had been the first to finish dressing, and Elizabeth sent the maid to attend her younger sisters, asking Jane to assist with her hair in private.

Once they were alone and her simple chignon had been pinned in place, Elizabeth sat beside Jane on the bed they shared. “Dearest, there is something I must speak to you about.”

“What is it, Lizzy?”

“I have done my best this past fortnight not to pry, but I must ask if you are as partial to Mr. Bingley as our mother believes.”

Jane furrowed her brow and wrung her hands as she considered. “I think he is handsome and amiable – in truth, he is everything a young man ought to be – sensible, good-natured, lively. I have not met with such happy manners since….”

Elizabeth understood what Jane could not bring herself to acknowledge. She liked Mr. Bingley as much as she had liked the charming Mr. Parker who had jilted her in Sanditon the previous summer.

Jane looked at her beseechingly. “Do you fear it will go the same way? That our family’s situation will… deter him?”

“I do not know if he shall be as dismayed by our lack of fortune, for surely it can be less of a concern to a man so wealthy than it was to a certain second son. No, I believe he is too affable to be put off by Mamma’s enthusiasm and our silly sisters.”

“What is it, then?”

“I confess I am more concerned with his own disposition, than his regard for anyone called Bennet. He is so very eager to please and be pleased….”

“And you think he is just as likely to bestow his affections elsewhere, as he invariably likes everybody he encounters,” Jane said with a sigh.

“Well, yes,” Elizabeth replied simply.

Jane frowned. “Miss Bingley has made comments that lead me to fear he may have formed a prior attachment with Miss Darcy; she has already put me on my guard, Lizzy.”

“An attachment with Miss Darcy?” Elizabeth shook her head in disbelief. “No, I cannot credit that. She is but sixteen! And Captain Darcy might have simply told me that Bingley is intended for his sister, rather than….”

As Elizabeth abruptly broke off, Jane leaned forward with interest. “What did Captain Darcy say to you, Lizzy?”

“He said nothing of his sister – I rather suspect that to be an ambition of Miss Bingley’s, in the hope that one alliance with the Darcys may lead to another.”

“Lizzy, what did Captain Darcy say about Mr. Bingley?”

“Only that in the years of their acquaintance, he has observed his friend’s tendency to form frequent and fleeting attachments.” Elizabeth rested a hand atop her sister’s, wondering how to soften the blow of her communication. “I do not seek to discourage you. If you truly care for him, perhaps that alone will set you apart from the others – perhaps there was little depth in those former attachments.”

These words of assurance seemed lost on Jane, who stared abstractedly at the floor, her eyes brimming with tears. “Miss Bingley has spoken of moving in the first circles in London. Mr. Bingley must have met with many refined beauties and accomplished heiresses….”

“And lost interest when he discovered they were utterly horrid,” Elizabeth cried. “I repeated Captain Darcy’s words to you because I thought you deserved to know, and because Captain Darcy desired that I do so. But I must add to this that I do not think you ought to be dismayed. Mr. Bingley may have fallen in and out of love quickly with other young ladies because they were not you, Jane. You are everything that is good and lovely. Do not give up, if you truly like him.”

“Oh, I do not know what to do,” Jane sighed, slumping forward to rest her chin in her hands.

Elizabeth hesitated for a moment, unsure of what she ought to say. Before she knew if it was wise to do so, she blurted out, “Olly thinks you should be more demonstrative.”

“What?”

Despite the twinge of regret in her chest, Elizabeth pressed on. “Olly said that he does not think Mr. Bingley knows you well enough to understand the difference between your serenity in his company and the cordiality you bestow upon everybody. He said that Mr. Bingley’s feelings may not be engaged if he fears that yours are not. I told him that this is not your way.”

“It is not,” Jane agreed. “Oh, I cannot bear to even face him tonight! I could not bear to put myself forward as Lydia and Kitty do, as Mamma would have me do.”

“I would not ask that of you. But what do you feel for him, Jane? Do you prefer him over any other gentleman? Do you desire his affection and addresses?”

“I do not know! I have scarcely come to know him yet. I had thought to allow things to progress naturally. After… after last summer, I cannot allow such feelings to be formed in haste and then utterly dashed.”

Elizabeth drew her sister into an embrace. “I know, dearest. But it is not the same. Mr. Bingley need not care for the concerns that deterred that other gentleman; in truth, as a gentleman’s daughter you would be an advantageous match for him. You are in possession of all the facts now, and you may proceed as you otherwise would have done, with grace and discernment.”

Jane nodded slowly, her eyes still betraying her alarm. Elizabeth was on the point of offering to come to Jane’s aid should she require it, when the door burst open. Mrs. Bennet fluttered in.

“Make haste, girls! You must come down directly! Oh, how well you look, dear Jane! Your blue gown would have suited you better, but Mr. Bingley will admire you in rose, my lovely girl! You must take every opportunity to put yourself in his path tonight, for I am sure Lady Lucas means to show off her daughter! But none can compare to you, Jane. And Mr. Collins has been very attentive! I shall redirect him to Lydia – what a fine mistress of Longbourn she shall make when your father departs this world! But I think that for tonight I shall not discourage his attentions to you. It will make Mr. Bingley quite mad with envy! Gentlemen cannot resist such things, you know. You will be wed by Christmas, I am sure of it! Jane Bingley, how well that sounds! And what pin money you shall have! Five thousand a year!”

Jane simply paled; Elizabeth grimaced and cried, “Mamma!”

“Yes, well, you look very pretty tonight, too, Lizzy.” Mrs. Bennet returned her attention to her eldest daughter. “Your sister knows what she is about! She may not be the fairest of my daughters, but she is the closest to being married, the clever creature! Did you not observe her, Jane? Holding hands with Olly in the drawing room, whispering in his ear and smiling at his every word. That is how to catch a husband!”

“I should more likely call him brother,” Elizabeth chided her mother. “You could hardly expect Jane to behave toward a man she has known a mere fortnight, as I do with a friend since childhood.”

“Spare me your coy demurrals, child! Save your wit to guide your sister, for Mr. Bingley is a grander catch than your dashing captain, even if he does drive a curricle like the very devil! Now come downstairs at once, we must call for the carriage.”

Elizabeth gaped, stunned at her mother’s discernment. Jane looked as if she wished to retreat into their chamber and hide under the bed, but she linked her arm through Elizabeth’s and did not speak a word until they arrived at Netherfield.

***

Elizabeth spent the party at Lucas Lodge despising herself as she watched Jane flounder. Every attempt of Mr. Bingley’s to engage in conversation was met with only blushes, languid bats of her eyelashes, and brief, quiet answers from Jane. Mr. Collins mistook her reticence with his rival as disinterest and pursued her with incessant prattle about his parsonage and his great patroness. His overpowering style of address only caused Jane to further withdraw, and even seemed to test the limits of Mr. Bingley’s good humour.

Though Elizabeth did her best to enjoy the company of Captain Darcy and his charming mother, she was constantly searching the room for Jane, hoping to see her sister escape their cousin and grow more comfortable with Mr. Bingley. Instead, she watched as Jane scarcely managed to give the appearance of enjoying herself. Guilt prickled Elizabeth.

When Captain Darcy was engaged by Mr. Bennet for a game of chess by the fire, Elizabeth savoured a few minutes of enjoying the friendly banter between the two gentlemen so dear to her, before resolving to rescue her sister. As she moved across the room, Charlotte appeared at her side and linked her arm through Elizabeth’s.

“Are you enjoying the party, Lizzy? Captain Darcy appeared ever so attentive to you, and I cannot think you would be so fickle merely to thwart Olly’s gloating.”

“No – I mean, yes – Captain Darcy is utterly wonderful,” Elizabeth said, her voice dreamy as she gazed in his direction. It warmed her heart to observe him on such friendly terms with her beloved Papa. For a moment her anxiety ebbed away, until she turned back to her friend’s look of concern.

“I confess I have been rather distracted this evening. I fear I may have given my sister some ill advice just before we departed the house,” Elizabeth sighed.

“Surely not,” Charlotte said. “It is not like you to lead anybody astray; do you not pride yourself on your good judgement?”

“Not on this occasion.” Elizabeth relayed the substance of her conversation with Jane to her friend.

“My brother is a nuisance,” Charlotte said. “But I do not disagree with him in this instance.”

“If merely making a good match was all Jane cared for, it would be sage counsel, but I fear that, when paired with my warning, it has done more harm than good,” Elizabeth said softly. “Her heart cannot bear being broken again.”

“Then you have done right in putting her on her guard,” Charlotte said. “But it does not follow that Olly’s advice cannot also be correct. We do not know all of Mr. Bingley’s history – if he has admired other ladies and yet remains unwed, he may have suffered similar disappointments in the past. He may be just as hesitant as Jane to proceed without encouragement.”

“I cannot imagine Mr. Bingley having such a tragic history – he is far too cheerful,” Elizabeth replied. “And if that were the case, surely Captain Darcy would have spoken differently about the matter.”

Charlotte was silent for a minute as she considered. “Then perhaps Jane is correct to hesitate. It appears she has another suitor to consider, for your cousin has certainly made his intentions known.”

“Mr. Collins! He is utterly ridiculous,” Elizabeth hissed. “And such a fool that he will pursue her without any encouragement at all!”

“Perhaps Mr. Bingley will be spurned into pursuit by the emergence of a rival.”

“If he is not driven away by Jane’s withdrawal,” Elizabeth sighed.

Charlotte seemed to sense Elizabeth’s inclination to intervene, to attempt to further some conversation between Jane and Mr. Bingley. She laid a hand on Elizabeth’s arm to stay her. “Lizzy, if you already repent your interference, you had better do nothing else. Jane is capable of managing the situation herself. We are sure to be in company together often enough with the gentlemen that she might have time to think on things as they progress naturally. Do not give yourself any further cause to repine your own role in her romance.”

Elizabeth chafed at her friend’s reproof, though she saw the wisdom in it. “You are right – I am behaving as badly as Mamma, and I am sure I need not tell you her thoughts on the matter.”

“She would have them married on the morrow, I am sure,” Charlotte chortled.

“Better still, it would be a double wedding, with your brother and I standing up beside them.”

Charlotte laughed. “I suppose you are grateful his friendship has allowed you to come to know the dashing Captain Darcy without her machinations.”

“Oh, Charlotte,” Elizabeth breathed. “I like him very much. I never imagined I should meet such a man. He is clever and kind, and how he makes me laugh! He can be reserved at times, but even that I find endearing. I do not think I would do as well as my mother imagines with a man as lively as your brother – we are rather too similar, and would drive each other to distraction. Captain Darcy has a certain stoic steadiness about him; I suspect there is a great depth to him, and I have only begun to scratch the surface.”

Charlotte beamed at her. “I am beyond elated to see you so happy, Lizzy, truly. I will confess I have been disappointed in myself, for I am sure my brother’s schemes for me shall come to naught, but they were never likely to succeed. But if anybody deserves such happiness as he is determined to contrive, it must be you, my dearest friend.”

Elizabeth squeezed Charlotte’s hand in her own. “I am sorry to hear you speak so forlornly of yourself.”

“I am not romantic, Lizzy – I never was. I want only a comfortable home, and if there were any other means than marriage to such an end, I should rather prefer it. Perhaps someday Olly will resign his post and take a house, and I can do as Miss Bingley does and play hostess, meddling in his affairs as I choose.” Charlotte waggled her eyebrows, and the two women glanced at Miss Bingley.

That lady was preening and fawning over Mr. Darcy; it had been her primary occupation all evening. At present, she was attempting to detach her quarry from a conversation with Olly, and appeared to grow frustrated at her want of success.

Olly felt their gaze and looked up, offering them a smile and a bold wink, before his eyes darted to Mr. Darcy. Though his words were lost in the general noise of the lively party, Elizabeth thought she could make out her friend’s name on his lips.

Charlotte seemed to hear it, too. “Oh dear. And now he will send Mr. Darcy in my direction. One particular scheme of his has been such a success already that he will not easily accept the inevitable defeat of another.”

But it was not Marcus Darcy who broke away from the conversation; Caroline Bingley approached them, walking as if her every step must be a source of fascination for the object of her pernicious interest.

She gave them a predatory smile. “Would that my step-brother were as full of praise for me as your brother is for you, Miss Lucas. I wonder what he can mean by it. I have heard him chided as a great schemer, but perhaps matchmaker would be a better word.”

“Your brother does not strike me as being severe upon you,” Charlotte drawled, obliging Elizabeth to stifle a laugh. Miss Bingley was a viper who deserved more reproach than her affable brother could ever muster.

“Though we may perhaps be too severe upon Olly,” Elizabeth observed with just a trace of censure.

“I am sure he has the best of intentions,” Miss Bingley said with a condescending nod. “But perhaps I do mistake him. If he meant to make a match for you, Miss Lucas, I am sure he would have done so many years ago.”

Charlotte ignored the barb that made Elizabeth’s blood boil with indignation. “I should hope that if my brother had any such plans, he would select a more willing gentleman,” Charlotte said with careful nonchalance. “On the evening of the assembly, I overheard Mr. Darcy declare that he has no thoughts of matrimony at present. For some, this may be a disappointment, but I do not believe we would suit, and so I am not at all bothered by the fact. I wish him well in his endeavours at Pemberley; I understand he had taken on a considerable share of responsibility there, hence his indifference to the fairer sex. And of course when he does marry, he shall require a bride of such rank and station as to make a suitable mistress of his grand estate. He should only be disappointed if he was looking for such a woman in Hertfordshire.”

Miss Bingley blanched for a moment, but pasted on a confident smile. “He must require a woman of wealth and education, to be sure. Amongst the locals there could be no such creature, but amongst his circle of intimate acquaintance he may find a worthy woman who might rise to the challenge with aplomb.”

After a fortnight of watching the scheming harpy attempt to thwart Mr. Bingley’s attentions to Jane, Elizabeth could not resist the chance to join her friend in the verbal sparring. “I am certain you are correct, Miss Bingley. The present mistress of Pemberley is the daughter of an earl; Mr. Darcy undoubtedly moves in such circles as may afford him the opportunity to find just such a bride for himself, when he is of a mind to do so.”

Miss Bingley grimaced. “Such speculation must be the prevailing pastime in your circle. Between Captain Lucas’s endeavours and those of your mother, Miss Eliza, I am sure I shall be congratulating one of your sisters ere long. Mr. Collins is a most suitable match for one amongst you. It must be a great relief to you, as I understand he is your father’s heir.”

“My father’s fine health is a much greater relief, and I am fortunate indeed to have so many companions who would speak well of me and mine. But it is kind of you to express such generous sentiments. I do hope I shall wish one of my sisters joy were long, and I am glad to know you shall, too.”

Squaring her shoulders triumphantly, Elizabeth let her gaze rest on Jane, who had at last begun to speak with Mr. Bingley without the overbearing presence of Mr. Collins at her side. Jane offered Mr. Bingley a hopeful smile, and he grinned in return. Internally, Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief.

Miss Bingley looked that way and sneered. “My step-brother is sure to wish your sister and cousin joy, as well. He is so friendly to everybody that he is sure to celebrate their felicity when that blessed event takes place. And indeed, so too shall I.” She bobbed into a curtsey and retreated after delivering her final insult.

Elizabeth’s displeasure at not having the last word prickled, and even the triumph of seeing Jane’s returned equanimity was short-lived. Miss Bingley had her own way in the end, detaching Mr. Bingley from Jane and drawing him into conversation with Mr. Darcy. They spoke with animation of Miss Georgiana Darcy, at such a volume that Elizabeth could hear it and understand Miss Bingley’s intentions, and she was sure that Jane could, too.

Charlotte reminded Elizabeth of her resolution to interfere no further. “Miss Bingley was not wrong about your mother and Olly, and I suppose you know what they say about too many cooks in the kitchen. Go enjoy Captain Darcy’s smiles, and allow Jane to make what she will of her suitors.”

Trusting in Charlotte and Olly, Elizabeth did just that. For the last hour of the party she put Jane’s dilemma from her mind and relished the company and conversation of Captain Darcy. He was not as easy in so much company as he was on their solitary morning interludes, though neither was he as awkward as he had led her to believe he would be. His demeanour was steady and attentive, if quieter than their companions, and he gave her all the reassurance of his regard that Jane had not managed to give or receive with Mr. Bingley.

It was not until they were home and in their bed that evening that Elizabeth allowed her worries for her sister to overtake her pleasanter reflections. Jane would not speak, but wept softly into her pillow until sleep claimed her.