Chapter 33

Chapter Thirty-Three

A s planned, Elizabeth and Darcy left a few days later for Pemberley. By mutual consent, they had not spoken again of Mr. Bennet's death although Elizabeth received another letter from Mary, and Darcy received one from Phillips and another from Collins.

Mary's letter indicated that Mrs. Bennet had done as expected and taken to her room, bemoaning the loss of her husband. She missed him far less than she regretted that his death meant she no longer held the social status she experienced as wife of the largest landholder in the area. While Netherfield was larger, the owner did not live there, giving Mrs. Bennet primacy of place in the local society. With Mr. Collins taking over as the master of Longbourn, and her being banished to what amounted to a cottage, she would no longer have the same standing in the local society.

"William," Elizabeth began as she entered her husband's study on the morning they were to depart, "have you heard from Uncle Phillips or Mr. Collins? Mary says her mother is hysterical over being sent away from Longbourn. No one at Longbourn seems to know that they will not be forced out of the house immediately; surely someone must tell them if they have not already done so about the agreement you made with Mr. Collins."

Darcy searched on his desk for the letters he had just read. "Yes, dearest. In fact, I just had a letter from both of them which I planned to read once we were on the way north. I assumed there was nothing particularly urgent in the letters, and since we intend to stop in Hertfordshire briefly on our way, we could speak to them about when we arrived."

"From what Mary says, Mrs. Bennet is more displeased about the loss of her status as mistress of the estate than the loss of her husband. In truth, she has been a poor mistress, at least according to Mary and Charlotte, and was mainly concerned with hosting and attending parties. She insists that Mary wed Mr. Collins immediately so she does not have to leave her home. Mary likes Mr. Collins but does not wish to marry him."

Struggling not to roll his eyes at the thought, Darcy merely grimaced in what he hoped was a sympathetic manner. Elizabeth did not hold back and did roll her eyes at him. "While I have little sympathy for their situation, we have been helping Mr. Collins refurbish the dower house. It is not large, but it is sufficient for the five of them. However, they will not have to move for several months and will have time to arrange things to their satisfaction. I am concerned that Mrs. Bennet will continue to push Mary toward Mr. Collins. At least, according to Mary, Mrs. Bennet has given up any thought of Jane marrying well, now that she is supposedly 'disfigured' by the scars from smallpox."

"There was little chance of any of them marrying truly well, for neither Mr. nor Mrs. Bennet put any effort into making them marriageable. Mary is more so, now that she has begun to better herself; the time she spent with the Allens and Winters has benefitted her greatly. Jane has not changed at all, and still seems as bland and selfish as she was when we first began to write. However, Mary indicates that she is quieter now although I am not certain why. I have not had a letter from her since the illness first started, and Mary seems to think that it has affected her. The younger girls did not escape without some scarring, though Mary says they are confined to less visible parts of the body which is why Mrs. Bennet has not dwelt upon those.”

"If Mrs. Bennet is decrying Jane's beauty as lost as a result of her scars, then perhaps she will be forced to look at herself more closely. Without her 'beauty' to recommend her, she will need to face the fact that there is more to a person than that. Perhaps this will be a good thing," Darcy replied. This was a conversation they had exchanged several times in the last few weeks ever since Mary first wrote of the epidemic in the area. Elizabeth had struggled to build relationships with any of her sisters other than Mary, for she was the only one interested in knowing her sister as a person and did not ask for gifts or trips to London.

The presence of smallpox in the vicinity nearly prevented the Darcys from stopping briefly in Meryton on their way to Pemberley and led to the couple's most significant spat as a married couple thus far.

"Absolutely not, Elizabeth," Darcy said sternly, pacing back and forth in their shared sitting room when she had brought the idea up. "We will not risk your health nor that of our unborn child by venturing into an area where smallpox has been reported."

Elizabeth, seated calmly by the fireplace, looked up at her husband with a mixture of exasperation and determination. "Fitzwilliam, I understand your concern, but you are overreacting. The epidemic is confined to Longbourn and its tenants, not sweeping through the entirety of Hertfordshire. It is perfectly safe to visit Meryton where no one has been sick."

Darcy stopped pacing and turned to face her, his expression softening but his resolve unchanged. "My love, your safety is paramount. You have never faced this disease before, and I will not take any chances."

Elizabeth's eyes flashed with irritation. "Actually, I have. I was sick with smallpox when I was ten years old, and therefore I am not in danger of catching it again."

Darcy's brow furrowed in confusion and concern. "Why did you never tell me this before?"

"Because it never seemed necessary," Elizabeth replied, her tone softer but still firm. "And it does not change the fact that it is safe for me to visit Meryton. We can avoid Longbourn entirely."

Each had expressed their point of view vehemently, neither willing to yield. The tension in the room was palpable until their housekeeper, Mrs. Whitmore, unusually placed herself in the middle of their disagreement.

"Mr. and Mrs. Darcy, if I may," Mrs. Whitmore began, her voice calm and respectful but with an air of authority that immediately commanded attention. "You both need to consider the other's perspective for a minute."

Darcy and Elizabeth turned to her, slightly taken aback by her intervention.

"Mrs. Darcy is correct," Mrs. Whitmore continued. "Having had the illness before likely means she will not get it again as has been the case with many who have survived smallpox. If the illness is indeed confined to Longbourn, it should be safe for you to visit the village of Meryton."

Elizabeth smiled gratefully at the housekeeper, but Mrs. Whitmore was not finished.

"However," she said, turning to Elizabeth, "since you are carrying a child, you do need to be more careful than usual. Even if you are not at risk, we cannot be certain how any potential exposure might affect the babe."

Elizabeth's smile faded slightly as she considered this .

Darcy stepped forward, taking Elizabeth's hand in his. "My dearest, I want only what is best for you and our child. Can we not find a compromise that ensures both your safety and your peace of mind?"

Elizabeth looked into her husband's eyes and saw the depth of his concern. She sighed, squeezing his hand. "Very well. We will avoid Longbourn and ensure that our visit to Meryton is brief and cautious."

Darcy nodded, relieved. "Thank you, Elizabeth."

Mrs. Whitmore smiled at the couple, pleased that her intervention had helped them find common ground. As the Darcys prepared to continue their journey, the tension between them had eased, replaced by a renewed understanding and respect for each other's perspectives.

Feeling as though they had disappointed a much-loved mother, Darcy and Elizabeth were forced to concede that the other's point of view held merit and soon reached an agreement to visit Meryton on their way to Pemberley.Gardiner also promised his support for his sister’s family, but would not attend the funeral. A decade before, when Bennet set his child from his home, Gardiner had lost all respect for his brother. In truth, had it been only his sister who needed support, he would have refused outright, but felt that his nieces should not suffer because their parents had been neglectful.

Therefore, one day early in June, the Darcys arrived at Mr. Phillips’s office in Meryton just before noon. They left London early in the morning and arranged to meet both Mr. Phillips and Mr. Collins in the former’s office when they arrived.

They were surprised to discover Mary Bennet was present. “Mary, how good it is to see you,” Elizabeth said upon entering the office. “From your letters, I expected you to be too busy at Longbourn to come to Meryton.”

Mary sighed heavily before answering. “Mama is insufferable. Between her fears of the hedgerows—a fate she has been informed multiple times will not be hers—and her insistence that I disregard mourning entirely to marry Mr. Collins immediately, she spends her days in bed, demanding that everyone attend to her. It upsets the house entirely. My father has been dead and buried for nearly a fortnight. We are assured of a home in Longbourn for the entirety of her mourning period, and the dower house is being renovated to accommodate us when it is done. Mr. Collins has promised a measure of support for all of us, provided Mama does not attempt to be too extravagant. I have a feeling he will be hard pressed to restrain her spending, especially when so much of the estate’s funds will be needed to restore the estate to what it ought to be after my father’s indolence in the matter.”

Elizabeth nodded thoughtfully. “When we wed, William gave me control over my dowry. We have discussed the matter and want to offer our assistance to you, Mr. Collins, to restore Longbourn, particularly its stables. It would be an investment—one that would be repaid over the next decade as you are able.” When the man began to speak, Elizabeth held her hand up to stop him. “I know that Longbourn has the potential to be far more profitable than it is at present. We are family, if distant, and I would like to see my family estate returned to what it once was. As I said, it is an investment, one which would be repaid.”

Darcy and Elizabeth had discussed this matter several times over. Through their correspondence, Mary and Elizabeth had grown close, and Elizabeth knew the difficulties the family would face in the next months as Mr. Collins attempted to restore the damage Mr. Bennet had done to the estate through his neglect. It would be a significant undertaking, one that would be made easier if Collins did not have to worry so much about the funds needed to both support the Bennet family and make the needed improvements.

"I … I am … I am uncertain what to say," Mr. Collins stammered. "I feel I cannot refuse, but I would like Mr. Phillips to write up a contract to ensure the terms of the repayment are entirely clear. I will accept an investment, or a loan, as long as it is not an outright gift. There is much work that needs to be done on the estate."

Mr. Phillips agreed. "I will write up the contract. I presume it will not be much different than other investment contracts," he said before asking a few questions about the details. Darcy answered most of those, being familiar with investments, as was Mr. Phillips, and within the hour, the two had a contract written to everyone's satisfaction and signed.

"If I understand correctly, Mrs. Bennet is aware of what Mr. Collins has agreed to about the family remaining in Longbourn for the present?" Elizabeth finally broached the subject that had brought them to Meryton in the first place.

"Yes, she knows although she still believes the only thing that will keep her from the hedgerows is for me to marry Mr. Collins. I will be seventeen in a few months; I do not feel old enough to marry anyone. While I like Mr. Collins very much, we have discussed this, and neither of us wishes to marry the other. I suppose that could change in a few years, but I am not willing to commit myself in marriage to a man towards whom I have only brotherly feelings," Mary stated firmly.

"Your Uncle Gardiner and I are now your guardians. Neither of us will force you into a marriage you do not wish for," Mr. Phillips said to reassure his niece. "Despite what my sister might say, none of you will be forced to marry Mr. Collins. We hope all our nieces, and even you, Mr. Collins, will eventually find someone to marry you can love and respect. Between all of us here and my brother Gardiner, we will support you in whatever decision you make."

Mr. Collins sighed heavily. “I am most concerned about Mrs. Bennet and the youngest girls. Miss Catherine and Miss Lydia need to be separated from their mother’s influence, else they will turn out quite wild. Miss Catherine will soon be sixteen and Miss Lydia will turn fourteen in a few months. Neither is prepared for entering society, not even in Meryton, and Miss Catherine is all too willing to follow her youngest sister’s bad example. Unfortunately, my youngest cousin has been allowed far too much freedom, and she has already begun to complain about wearing black and not being permitted to have visitors or to visit.”

“Would it be unseemly for them to be enrolled in school so soon after our father’s death?” Mary asked.

“Not at all, Miss Mary,” Darcy said. “In fact, I think it would be easily understood. They could not attend until the next term which would not begin until near Michaelmas. While they would still be expected to wear mourning clothes for the full mourning period, they would at least be able to socialise a little more than they might at home. They would not have the same reminders of home which might benefit them both. I would also suggest they attend separate schools if one is easily influenced by the other.”

Everyone nodded their agreement as they considered this. “I will pay for the two youngest girls to attend school,” Darcy said after a moment. “It will be my gift to my sisters. I will also allow them to purchase two new dresses suitable for mourning and another two for half mourning if they have a successful first term. Perhaps that can be an inducement to them to behave and to work hard at school.”

“Since I am one of the girls’ guardians, I would agree. Please write to me and to Mr. Gardiner about whatever arrangements you need me to make on your behalf. I have also wondered if Kitty would not benefit from being separated from Lydia sooner; perhaps she could go to London with the Gardiners. Mary, if you wish to return to the Winters’s home, you may do so at any time. My wife and I will speak to Fanny and make her see reason. With fewer of the girls about, perhaps she will find it easier to do,” Phillips replied.

The group chatted a bit longer about estate matters before the Darcys needed to take their leave so they might arrive at the inn before it grew too late to travel.