Chapter 14

Elizabeth looked at the scene in front of her with astonishment. The Rev William Collins demonstrated his profound religious knowledge in the most unbelievable way. On the third day since his first proposal he resurrected it, and this time he was granted a positive answer. Charlotte Lucas, a friend of Jane and Elizabeth Bennet all her life, accepted being tied to that most ridiculous of men. When a happy Sir William and a gloating Lady Lucas finally departed with their oldest daughter, Mrs. Bennet’s fury at her second daughter knew no bounds. If Claire did not know what excoriate meant three days earlier, she got to see and hear it as Mrs. Bennet tore into Elizabeth.

She was eventually able to escape and, still unable to walk any distance, went to the stables with Claire. Mary joined them shortly thereafter and Robert stood tidying halfway down the stable block, giving them some privacy.

“Charlotte Lucas will be the Mistress of Longbourn. Charlotte Collins, I mean.”

Neither Mary nor Claire spoke, letting Elizabeth gather her thoughts.

“Did you hear him, does she have so little self-respect?”

“Lizzie, you know that Charlotte had a very different outlook on marriage. She wanted security, to stop being a burden on her family and to have her own establishment. This engagement lets her achieve all three. If she can deal with Mr. Collins then why should she not?”

“Friendship means nothing then?”

Mary sighed. This was not going to be easy.

“She has put her own family first, both Sir William and Lady Lucas, as well as Mr. Collins and herself. Would it have been better if it was an unknown lady of his congregation that became Mrs. Collins?”

Elizabeth ignored the second sentence and focused on the first. She did not consider herself ever marrying and had clearly not put her own family first.

“Mary, would you have accepted his proposal?”

“Honestly. Yes, I think I would Lizzie. I would pray to the Lord for the strength to deal with Mr. Collins and hope that I could gradually change him for the better. I understand your reasons for not accepting him and I hope that you would understand mine for accepting him.”

Elizabeth pulled Mary into a tight hug. Everyone had their own values and reasons, their own faith in themselves and in God’s plan.

“Do you feel betrayed by Charlotte, in a way that you would not with me?”

“No Mary, not betrayed. Used maybe. Even that is not fair. There is no point in regurgitating the points we talked of three days ago. In the end, I thought Charlotte more sensible than this. She has been seduced by material comfort, chosen it over everything else. She has made her choice and will have to face, and listen to, William Collins every day for the rest of her life.”

With that Elizabeth shuddered and led the return to the house. From that day forth Elizabeth made a concerted effort to avoid Charlotte Lucas wherever possible. The friendship of her youth was gone.

--

Mr. Collins and his proposals had consumed everyone’s attention for more than a week. Well nearly everyone. While the cats were distracted two mice were at play. Kitty and Lydia took advantage of their mother’s distraction to spend several days in a row in Meryton, ‘getting to know’ the officers. They thought little of their flirting, thinking it innocent, unaware of how they were putting themselves in danger. Unbeknownst to them Claire, at Elizabeth’s suggestion, had instructed her husband to keep an eye on them when in Meryton and he returned every evening to sit in the taproom picking up as much gossip as possible. Once relative calm had been restored at Longbourn three of the officers had accompanied Kitty and Lydia home and been invited in for tea by Mrs. Bennet. Mr. Wickham made something of a pest of himself with Elizabeth but eventually took the hint and returned his attentions to Lydia. Once the three men departed Elizabeth, Claire and Robert were once again in the stables, their new place to talk uninterrupted.

“I can tell by your face this is not going to be good news. Be blunt please Robert.”

“There are close to 300 men stationed at the camp. There is a schedule for when different groups of men are allowed into Meryton. The officers are free to go whenever they are off duty. So that is the first thing. There are hundreds of unknown men in the area. All ladies need to be accompanied, for their own protection.

“The second thing is the structure of the army. A battalion has 10 companies, each of 100 men. So this camp is less than one third of the total. The Colonel and Major visit all three camps regularly. The camps are spread out so as not to overwhelm one area or town. At least a third of the time both senior officers are not in Meryton, which is giving the officers more leeway than normal. In truth it is rare for both of them to be here. It is usually the Colonel since his wife is here. With the absence of the two senior officers so often, two of the Lieutenants are fixtures at the Inn. One of them, the well-known Mr. Wickham, has already run up a significant account.”

Robert grimaced.

“This next part is unpleasant. He is also sniffing around the daughters of the tradesmen. He has been warned off several times but he appears to take it as more of a challenge. The women he has been importuning have all been young, 14 to 16 years of age. And somewhat inevitably Miss Lydia has caught his eye. A gaze which has been equally reciprocated. I have heard her refer to him as ‘that dreamy Wickham’. She was talking to her sister and did not realise that I was listening.”

“So he is a letch that likes young women and she is an idiot who is going to unthinkingly ruin herself, and the rest of us.”

“I am sorry to say it but that is an accurate summary Miss Elizabeth.”

“What are we going to do?”

It was rhetorical, Elizabeth had her head in her hands.

Matters became more serious and urgent three days later. Elizabeth was visited the Philips in Meryton now that she was finally able to walk without pain. Neither her aunt or uncle could understand why she turned down Mr. Collins but they still welcomed her company. It was a break from the endless whining of Mrs. Bennet. Her threat to never to speak to Elizabeth again was nothing but a false promise.

“I am glad that you always are accompanied when you visit Lizzie. There was an incident with the daughter of the wheelwright yesterday evening.”

“Is she okay?”

“She is shaken by the ordeal.”

“Has she recounted what happened?”

“Flirting that went too far, at least that is what Mrs. Jessop thinks.”

“How do you mean?”

“Katie will not talk of the incident but she has been seen in the company of several members of the Militia. Her father is trying to keep quiet about the whole thing.”

There was no chance of that working with Mrs. Jessop and her own aunt happy to spread the news. Or rumour. It mattered not.

“I thought the men were mainly confined to their camp?”

“It was not a private soldier but one of the officers.”

As they left to return to Netherfield Elizabeth had only to turn to Robert and without a word he set off to discover any additional information, most pertinently the individual concerned. It was late at night before he returned. Claire went to Elizabeth’s chamber.

“Robert has just returned Miss Elizabeth. It was Wickham. Katie confessed to one of her friends. It did not take long for word to get back to her father.”

“Is he going to do something?”

“He wants to, but if anything happens to Wickham he knows suspicion will fall on him immediately. He will not risk being hanged.”

Elizabeth slept little thinking that her sister could be in the same situation as young Katie Green. Later the next day Robert came with a very unusual request.

“Miss Elizabeth, may I have a bottle of ‘blood brandy’ please. The smallest and cheapest bottle.”

Whatever Elizabeth had been expecting it was not that.

“Of course you may. For what purpose?”

“I would prefer for you not to know.”

After a long pause Elizabeth nodded her head.

“Please be safe.”

That evening Mr. Wickham disappeared while returning to the camp. He was never heard from again. That very day Elizabeth shamelessly started to feed snippets of gossip to her aunt about Wickham’s behaviour. Within days the rumour around Meryton, thanks to Mrs. Philips and Mrs. Jessop, was that Wickham had deserted on account of being stuck as a Lieutenant. His inability to be promoted to Captain was believed and accepted as the reason for his absconding. The truth was very different.

“Mr. Green has a young son, Katie’s brother Stephen, who is 12. He is a big lad though, from helping his father. Mr. Green played his part to perfection. He announced he had won the bottle of ‘blood brandy’ and opened the bottle to all his friends at the Inn. Wickham was there but left in a huff when he was not offered any of the brandy. Mr. Green was there all night along with half a dozen witnesses. Meanwhile Stephen had their cart loaded with two wheels that would normally be sent by carter. Stephen tried to run Wickham down as he approached him, forcing Wickham to jump out of the way. Conveniently close to my cosh. One minute later the two of us were on the road to London with Wickham tied up and gagged, hidden by a tarpaulin under the two wheels and the associated hubs and spare spokes.

“Four hours later we stopped at the back door of the Sailor’s Delight and dropped him off. The madam sent a note to the Impressment Squad, that there was an easy picking passed out in her establishment and an hour later Mr. Wickham woke up as a landsman on one of His Majesty’s Ships. The ship left on the morning tide. We had to wait to deliver the wheels but we were back in Meryton by 2.00.”

Elizabeth smile was full of joy and relief.

“Claire, as I am not allowed you may hug your husband for both of us.”

Elizabeth spent little money herself, she had nothing to spend it on that would not excite immediate comment, so that evening Robert received a bonus equal to six month’s pay. Mr. Wickham had been dealt with, but there had still been significant risk. Mr. Bennet never understood why he got such a good deal from Mr. Green after that.

Mr. Wickham’s departure dealt with one problem, and although risky it was easier than the one that remained in Hertfordshire. Lydia could not be dealt with in the same way. She needed better parenting than constantly being referred to as either ‘one of the silliest girls in the kingdom’ or ‘lively’. Without support and reinforcement from her parents there was nothing Elizabeth could do to improve Lydia, or Kitty. How long would it be before someone similar to Wickham had her in his gaze.

--

Elizabeth’s first Christmas at Longbourn in five years was not a joyous occasion. To an outside observer, all the trappings were the same but there was something missing, the aforementioned joy. If not for Mary then Elizabeth would have been lonely in a house full of people. Lydia and Kitty were bemoaning the disappearance of Wickham. His suspected desertion had the whole camp under tighter discipline and neither young woman had been able to flirt with officers in more than a week. Mrs. Bennet still found time each day to berate Elizabeth while commiserating with her two youngest. Mr. Bennet was a hermit in his own house, seen only at meals and austere and remote from his wife and all his children. Elizabeth was no longer his favourite, he favoured none of his children now. Her mocking of Mr. Collins with the story of Henry II and Thomas Becket had disturbed him more than she realised. To have one of his daughters openly mocking, it could easily be argued she was threatening, a clergyman in his house had been very disconcerting. Mr. Bennet was all witty word play and subtle, often hidden, meanings; Elizabeth had once emulated him, using his methods to gain favour with her father, but now was a verbal broadside in comparison. To add to the tension in the house, Jane had received a letter from Miss Bingley confirming that the Netherfield Park was closed and that the Bingleys would not be returning. As an unmarried woman Jane Bennet could not receive letters from an unmarried gentleman, so Miss Bingley was a needed intermediary. Her words to Jane on paper were significantly different to those of her brother when he spoke to her. Regardless of the content of the letter, which Jane did not share with Elizabeth, Jane blamed Elizabeth for the Bingleys leaving. The passing weeks had diminished the words of Miss Bingley and sharpened Elizabeth’s own retorts. Elizabeth hid in her room much of the day, Claire her companion.

“I know it is not fair Miss Elizabeth but your sister is worried about her future. Her closest friend is getting married at the end of January, to the heir of this estate no less. Miss Bennet can see herself in the same situation as Miss Lucas in five years. Mr. Bingley has an oversized importance to her future, to her very happiness.”

“I know that this is going to sound very whiny, I accept that censure, but my family is extremely selective of the actions and events it remembers. I nursed Jane for three days straight, cooled her brow, changed her clothes when they were soaked in sweat, I hardly slept for three days and it is all but forgotten. Never mind the issue I discovered several days later that it was Mrs. Bennet’s idea for Jane to ride on Buttercup in the first place, all so that she could be trapped overnight at Netherfield Park. Jane went along with the idea, got chilled and again, all conveniently swept under the carpet. But bad Lizzie was rude to her Gorgonic hostess and suddenly it is all her fault.”

Elizabeth went to kick her dressing table in frustration but remembered her recently bruised foot in time to stop herself. She inelegantly slumped down on her chair. She looked at Claire who was clearly struggling to maintain a straight face.

“Oh let it out. I know I was being whiny.”

There was no sound but Claire did smile broadly.

“Has Miss Bennet shared any of the letter with Miss Mary?”

“No, at least I do not think so. Mary has made no mention of the letter.”

Claire looked at Elizabeth. Something needed to be done.

“I think you should write to your uncle. Ask to return to Gracechurch Street, and request that he send his carriage on the 6 th .”

“What if my father refuses?”

“Your uncle still has your guardianship, does he not? It has not been revoked?”

“If I defy my father, even if legally permissible, all it takes is him revoking the guardianship and ordering me home. I would still have five months until my majority.”

It was Claire’s turn to sigh.

“Then do not request the carriage but explain the situation to him.”

Elizabeth stared vacantly out of her window, wondering how her life had managed to get to this point.

“No, I do not think I will write to my uncle. I do not think he would subject himself to close to 50 miles of carriage travel to come and intercede with my parents, but I cannot rule it out.”

Little did either know that events were proceeding as they had planned, but from an unexpected direction.

--

“Come in and sit down please Elizabeth.”

That her father referred to her as ‘Elizabeth’ rather than ‘Lizzie’ was her first sign that this was not going to be a relaxed chat. She had been invited in on two occasions shortly after her return to Longbourn but she and her father had discovered they had little in common anymore. Her reading had been mainly about the real world, the current world of the early 19 th century; her father preferred the world before the Roman Empire split, more than 1500 years earlier. But Elizabeth did not think this invitation was to discuss Homer or Ovid.

“It has been three months since your return to Longbourn and I think we can both agree it has been a turbulent period. You have changed, and I am unsure that it is for the better. Your frustrations with your role in our family have been obvious, and I am saddened and disappointed in some of your actions, both against family members but also a guest in our home. I raised you to be better than the behaviour you are currently exhibiting.”

It required Elizabeth to take extreme measures to sit before her father, calmly displaying no emotion. That she had squeezed a finger nail into her hand so severely as to draw blood was not evident to her father.

“Your mother and I have discussed your current attitude and behaviour and we are in accord. It would be better for both you and those of us who remain at Longbourn for you to return to the care of your Uncle Gardiner.”

Elizabeth recoiled in her seat.

“You would banish me, disown me?”

“No. There will be none of that. You are a Bennet and you will remain one. But surely you can see that the current situation is untenable.”

That last sentence cut to the heart of the matter, and was the only objectively true statement when viewed by both parties. What Elizabeth did recognise was that her father did not waste time demanding a change of behaviour. Her parents would never change but they did not think she could change either. It was an odd moment to be proud.

“I will send a letter to my uncle immediately.”

She stood to leave. Her father had obviously expected more of a reaction.

“That is all you have to say?”

“What else is there to say?”

Within 10 days Elizabeth was ready to leave Longbourn for the last time. Her uncle would send his carriage for her on the 6 th of January and she had but one trunk to pack. What was interesting to watch was how her father dealt, or rather did not deal, with her leaving. Elizabeth had told Mary of her exile, there had many tears shed during that meeting, but no one else. She had approached Jane to tell her as well but Jane had made it clear she had no wish to talk to her sister at present. She walked to Meryton the day before her departure making her Aunt and Uncle Philips aware of the situation.

But during this time Mr. Bennet said nothing to the rest of the family. Elizabeth was not going announce the news for him. She presumed Mrs. Bennet knew but none of her other three sisters acted as if they were aware of her impending departure. Even at breakfast on the 6 th there was still no announcement from her father. It was only the preparations for Mrs. Bennet, Kitty and Lydia going into Meryton that led her to say farewell to them.

“I will have left for London before you return. I wish you well, and will write to father to let him know I have arrived safely.”

“You are returning to Gracechurch Street Lizzie?”

“Yes Kitty I am.”

“How long is your trip for this time?”

“It is undecided as yet. I shall let you go. Goodbye Mama, Kitty, Lydia.”

There was no maternal hug. Kitty did wrap Elizabeth in an embrace and appeared sad that she was going. Lydia merely said ‘bye Lizzie’ and was gone. When Elizabeth turned round Jane was staring at her.

“You are leaving?”

“Yes Jane I am.”

“When will you return?”

“I do not believe that I will be returning to Longbourn.”

“Never?”

Elizabeth shook her head.

“No Jane, I do not think so. Mother and father thought it best that I live with Uncle Gardiner.”

“You are leaving today?”

“Yes I am.”

“You will not be here for Charlotte’s wedding in three weeks.”

Elizabeth was intrigued that this was Jane’s concern.

“No.”

The hug that followed was heart-wrenching for Elizabeth. It was awkward, clear to both parties that they felt they had to hold it for longer than either were comfortable with, and the perfect coda to a sisterly bond that had been strained to the point that it was meaningless.

When the carriage arrived Elizabeth had the coachmen come to the kitchen to warm up. They let the horses rest despite her impatience to be gone. She took the time to spend her last two hours with Mary. But the end was quick. Her trunk, together with the bags of Claire and Robert, were loaded promptly, and Elizabeth stepped into her father’s study.

“The carriage is ready. Goodbye Papa.”

With a kiss to his forehead Elizabeth Bennet left Longbourn. There were no tears but it was a silent journey to London.