Page 35 of His Pride and His Prejudice

“You have invited him here then,” Mrs. Bennet said. “To consider what he may take from us?”

“He has requested a visit,” Mr. Bennet replied. “He says in his letter that he is grieved by the lack of familial relationships between us and seeks to repair any breach. It seems he has the patronage of the Right Honourable Lady Catherine de Bourgh, widow of Sir Lewis de Bourgh, and is now ordained in the clergy. His rectory is within her lands.” Mr. Bennet removed the aforementioned letter from his jacket pocket. “Like or not,” he said. “Mr. Collins has advanced himself into a comfortable position.”

“A clergyman?” Mrs. Bennet said slowly, and she seemed suddenly to be considering something.

“Indeed.”

“And will he bring his husband or his wife on this visit?” she demanded.

Mr. Bennet shook his head. “He does not mention a mate in his letter.” He placed the letter on the table. Mrs. Bennet snatched it up and read it quickly.

“Upon my word,” she said once she had finished. “He thinks a lot of himself. He mentions his parsonage no fewer than three times. And Lady Catherine several. He means to stay here for some days?” she continued. “I do not see how we can refuse!”

Jack took the letter next and then passed it to Elliot who passed it to Marc and so on. Eventually they all read it and gave their thoughts, which ranged from being annoyed at the intrusion, Marc. To not caring much at all, Louis. Elliot was mildly interested in Mr. Collins and his character given they had met so very few of Mr. Bennet’s family, as most had died off long before they were even born. Not that they were short of visitors to Longbourn. As well as Mr. and Mrs. Phillips in Meryton, Mrs. Bennet had a brother and his husband in London. Mr. and Mr. Gardiner visited several times a year, often with their children in tow of which there were several, and the Bennets always enjoyed their visits. Still, new visitors were always interesting, and Elliot was resolved they should make an effort with this one.

“Perhaps we should take this as an opportunity to forge a beneficial relationship for us all,” Elliot said.

Jack nodded and coughed before saying, “Elliot is correct, mama, it will hurt no one for us to be on good terms with papa’s heir.”

“Current heir,” she said before adding. “It seems I do not have a choice.”

Jack made it through most of breakfast, but Elliot insisted his brother take a nap before Mr. Collins arrived so that he was well rested. Marc joined them, bringing along one of the apothecary’s draughts for Jack to take.

“Do you think Mr. Collins will take my pianoforte should he inherit?” Marc asked as they settled around Jack’s bed.

“It would belong to him,” Elliot said. “But perhaps he would be open to us keeping some of our most favoured possessions? Especially, if as his letter suggests, he feels some guilt at the prospect of inheriting Longbourn?”

“Else I will need to mate with someone with enough fortunate to purchase a replacement,” Marc said. “Or make efforts to secure a fortune of my own? I have been considering a legal apprenticeship. I know that it is usually something set aside only for betas, but I wonder if our uncle would make an exception for me?”

What followed was a discussion on their various career options and how they might build fortunes of their own without the need for mates. Before long they were suggesting ridiculous options and they settled on Jack running away to join the navy, Elliot to join the militia, and Marc to become part of the travelling theatre.

“Alas,” Jack said. “Mama would never allow it.”

“Not for you,” Elliot and Marc said together.

“I wonder,” Elliot said after a moment, as he had been planning to find an opportunity to gather Jack’s ideas on matings and marriages as soon as possible, and Marc’s would be very welcome too given his steadiness of thought. “Mama believes the idea of a fated mate is nonsense. That those who believe it are fools, and yet she married below her station, and loves papa intensely.” He shrugged. “I wonder then if she does not believe it, if it can be so?”

“Mama does not believe,” Jack said, “because it makes her feel like she had no choice with papa. She does not like that. In her mind she mated an omega because she wanted to, not because fate made it so.”

“Then do you believe it? Either of you?” Elliot asked.

“I do not know,” Jack said. “I would like it to be true. The idea that there is one person who can ensure an absolute happiness is delightful. That if you find them then all is well and proper.”

“It is also not dangerous?” Elliot asked. “Given that one might feel dissatisfied if they cannot be found?”

“It is both delightful and dangerous,” Marc said. “The writings of the great men and women of our society suggest such a phenomenon exists and has done for hundreds if not thousands of years. It is only recently, in modern society, that there has even been a question of such a thing. Of course,” he added. “It is a rare thing also. Many never find it and so it is perhaps easier to think it does not exist.”

“But how would one know?” Elliot asked.

Jack flushed, and Elliot realised then that his brother thought he was trying to ascertain the nature of his relationship with Bingley, to see if it was headed in that direction. Only, Elliot wasn’t. He was trying instead to understand as much as he could about relationships in general.

Elliot was not like Jack. He had never had someone write poetry about him. He was not like Louis either, who could flirt and tease, and get into all sorts of trouble without any concern or worry. The only time Elliot had come close to a flirtation was with Mr. Smith, a third son of an alpha from the town next to Meryton. Elliot had been very young, just eighteen to Mr. Smith’s twenty-five. They had met at one of the Meryton assemblies, and had laughed, and danced, and talked, and danced some more. Before the night was through Elliot had fancied that he had made a dear friend. It was only when Mr. Smith had tried to kiss him, right there in the darkened corner where they had been conversing, that Elliot realised the other man had imagined something more happening.

“A single kiss will not harm you,” Mr. Smith had said.

“A single kiss could ruin me,” Elliot had replied.

“If you wish to be ruined,” Mr. Smith continued. “There are many more things we can do than a simple kiss.”

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