But then he turned back to her, his expression hardened. “I will not. I think, truly, that Icannot. And I can only beg you not to insist upon it.”
Elizabeth replied, uncomfortably, “Mr. Darcy, I do not care for myself. Lady Catherine can make me unhappy, but she cannot harm me. She can, however, harm my dearest friend, Mrs. Collins. Do you not see the position you place me in?”
“I do, of course, and I will not pretend that my aunt is incapable of taking her revenge upon them. But can we not meet here, in the grounds of the estate?”
She hesitated. Under normal circumstances, she would have been delighted to spend more time with the very handsome and well-spoken Mr. Darcy. But these were not normal circumstances. “We will be seen; it is inevitable. And, in any case, it is not proper for me to arrange to meet with you. I am truly not comfortable with this conversation.”
The Colonel spoke. “May Darcy and I not call on you at the parsonage? It would be the polite thing to do, now that we have been introduced.”
Mr. Darcy added, quickly, “And surely I should call on the sister of my good friend’s wife; good manners demand it of me!”
The Colonel looked puzzled; then his brow cleared. “You told me Bingley had married; his wife is Miss Bennet’s sister? That is astonishing!”
“Yes, my elder sister, Jane, is now Mrs. Bingley.”
“Then it would be entirely proper for Darcy here to call on you, would it not?” the Colonel said.
“I suppose so, but to what end?”
Mr. Darcy answered, “Frankly, Miss Bennet, I enjoy your company. And enjoyable company is in short supply at Rosings Park.”
Elizabeth smiled at him. “I can well believe that, Mr. Darcy. But please take great care not to mention these visits to your aunt!”
“Very well, we are agreed. May we not escort you back to the parsonage?”
“You may indeed,” Elizabeth said, happy that a reason had been found for her to be in Mr. Darcy’s company.
As they walked back to Mr. Collins’ cottage, Mr. Darcy enquired about Mr. and Mrs. Bingley. “They are happy, I imagine?”
“Newlyweds are always happy, I think,” Elizabeth laughed. “But yes, they could not be more so. Their temperaments make them well-suited to one another; both are more inclined to be happy than not, more inclined to be generous than not, more inclined to be pleasant to others than not.”
“It sounds as if Bingley has met his perfect match,” Mr. Darcy mused.
“I believe that he has, Mr. Darcy. And if any woman in this world has the right to be happy, it is Jane. She is lovely, but more importantly, she is the sweetest, gentlest woman in the world. She has never, to my knowledge, uttered an unkind word about anyone.”
“She sounds too good to be true,” the Colonel remarked.
“I am certain that I sound like a fond sister, but if you were ever to meet her, you would agree with me.”
“And Mrs. Collins?” the Colonel asked. “She is a good friend, is she not?”
“We grew up together, Charlotte and I. She was my best friend in all the world, after my sisters.”
“There are more sisters?” Mr. Darcy enquired.
“There are five daughters, but no boys, more’s the pity. My father’s estate is entailed to Mr. Collins, who is a distant cousin.”
“What? The parson? That idiot – I most sincerely beg your pardon, Miss Bennet, that was very ill-done of me!” Mr. Darcy was clearly embarrassed.
“As it happens, I agree with you, as any sensible person must, but there it is. He may kick the lot of us out of the house the moment my father passes away. Now perhaps you understand my concern a little better; there is nothing good to come from upsetting your aunt and, by extension, Mr. Collins.”
“And he married your good friend! How very odd,” the Colonel said.
Elizabeth blushed and turned her head. She would not for the world reveal that Mr. Collins had first proposed to her! But she did not reckon on Mr. Darcy’s keen eye, for her change of colour had told him that the current Mrs. Collins had not perhaps been the man’s first choice.
By now, they had reached the rectory. Elizabeth walked in, saying loudly, “Look who I found walking in the shrubberies, Charlotte!”
Mrs. Collins appeared in the entryway. She looked flustered and uncomfortable upon seeing her guests, but her innate good manners forced her to welcome the two gentlemen into the parlour and offer refreshments. “Mr. Collins is visiting a parishioner, though I expect that he will return soon,” she said. Her words were a warning that they had not much time. “He will be sorry to have missed you.”
