“It is; none of us have ever met him,” Elizabeth said. “There was some disagreement between Mr. Collins’ father and Papa, which resulted in an estrangement. Now that Mr. Collins’ father has passed away, Mr. Collins felt free to write and propose a visit.”
“That speaks well of him,” Mr. Darcy offered, though having read the letter, he had no great hopes of the man.
“Mama anticipates that if he is pleased by his reception, he will be kind to us in the event that we are all still at home when Papa passes away,” Elizabeth said. “And to that end, the best guest room has been aired, dusted, and given the best rug; every menu has been planned in detail. We girls have been instructed to be on our very best behaviour, though we do not know what that looks like for Kitty and Lydia.” She managed to laugh.
“I am certain your cousin will be very much pleased with his reception,” Mr. Bingley said, very politely.
“We hope so, Mr. Bingley, as it is evidently his intention to marry one of us,” Mary replied.
“Marry one of you! Did he write that in his letter?” Mr. Bingley’s voice was incredulous.
“He did, indeed. He is a rector in Kent, and is well able to support a wife. If Mama has her way, whichever of us his eye falls upon will say ‘yes, thank you,’ at once,” Mary said.
Mrs. Bennet entered the room just then and, of necessity, the conversation turned to more general topics.
***
As the two gentlemen walked back to Netherfield, Mr. Bingley was vociferous in his condemnation of cousins presuming to marry ladies they had never met. Finally, Mr. Darcy stopped him. “What bee has taken up residence in your bonnet, Bingley?”
“Why, it is just so very presumptuous –“
“No, that is not it,” Mr. Darcy interrupted. “Try again.”
Mr. Bingley was silent.
“Yes, Bingley?”
He needed no further invitation. “This cousin will, of course, select Miss Bennet – how could he not? She is everythingperfect! The idea of her having to accept a cousin of whom she knows nothing is everything abhorrent to me!”
“Perhaps the cousin will like a different sister instead.”
“Impossible!” Mr. Bingley declared at once.
“The Bennet ladies have no choice, Bingley; you see that, do you not?”
“No, I most certainly do not see that!”
“Why do you not offer for her yourself?”
This stopped Mr. Bingley. “I very much want to,” he said, quietly. “But there is a difficulty.”
“Which is?”
Mr. Bingley then recounted the warning Mr. Bennet had given him at dinner the week before.
“I see,” Mr. Darcy said, somberly. “Then Miss Bennet is better off with her cousin.”
“How can you possibly say that?!”
“If the alternative is a suitor who cannot decide between her perfect self and his termagant sister, then Miss Bennet should go to Kent with the parson and consider herself fortunate.”
“It is not that simple, Darcy.”
Mr. Darcy shrugged. “Itisthat simple. Further, if the cousin is due to arrive tomorrow, you had best make haste before she is forced to promise herself elsewhere. As we both heard, Mrs. Bennet will not allow any of her daughters to decline his suit.”
Mr. Bingley stopped at once. “You are right, Darcy.”
“I generally am,” that gentleman replied, calmly.
