“And while you are discussing this with him, be certain to ask him his opinion of Miss Mary as a potential wife.”
“Miss Mary? Her mother already spoke to me of her, but I do not think –“
“I am certain you are not one of those shallow and foolish gentleman who judges a book by its cover, or in this case, a young lady by her looks. Miss Mary is intelligent, docile, obedient and deeply religious. And –“ here Mr. Darcy dropped his voice – “while her face is not much to look at, her figure is excellent. I am certain that you, as a gentleman of discernment, noticed that at once.” Such a statement was extremely ungentlemanly as well as patently untrue, for the girl was far too thin.
“Oh! Well, yes! A gentleman does not speak of such things, of course, but –“
“Indeed, but we have eyes in our heads, do we not, Mr. Collins?” By this time, Mr. Darcy hated himself, but needs must when the devil drives, the devil in this case being Lady Catherine.
By the time the party reached Longbourn, Mr. Collins was shambling along behind all of them, trailing even Kitty and Lydia, his round face screwed up in thought.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Lizzy, there will be soldiers at Lady Lucas’ card party!”
“Maria Lucas told you this, I imagine?” Elizabeth looked up from the ribbon she was sewing onto an old gown.
Kitty nodded, her curls bobbing in her excitement. “Is that not everything splendid!”
“Is it?” Elizabeth felt it her sisterly duty to dampen this eagerness.
“Why, you know it is, Lizzy! Do you not always complain that there are not enough men to dance with? And now our village is filled with men! Truly, I do not understand you.”
Kitty’s argument was sound, and Elizabeth acknowledged it, while adding, “As long as we all remember that they are not potential husbands, Kitty.”
Kitty made a moué of petulance. “There seems to be a good deal of that going around. First, Mr. Darcy is not a potential husband; now the soldiers are not potential husbands.”
Elizabeth almost laughed. “Yes, for Mr. Darcy is too rich and the soldiers are too poor.”
“Where are we to find husbands, then?”
“It is a reasonable question, Kitty, for which I have no answer whatsoever. We all hope that Mr. Bingley will introduce us to his friends, I suppose.”
“Well, if they are all as rich as Mr. Darcy, it will not serve, will it? For they will all be too rich to be potential husbands!” And with that, Kitty flounced off.
Elizabeth returned her attention to her ribbon, but she soon gave it up. She was disturbed, not just by her conversation with Kitty, but by the odd events at Longbourn.
Since her conversation with Mr. Darcy, Mr. Collins had avoided Elizabeth assiduously. She was grateful to be freed from her cousin’s unpleasant and unwanted attentions, but Mama was not at all happy with her. What had Elizabeth done, she demanded? Or said? Had she showed too much décolletage to Mr. Collins? Or too little? In vain Elizabeth had protested that she had done nothing, and certainly she could not confess to her conversation with Mr. Darcy.
In truth, she had hoped that Mr. Darcy had been successful in directing Mr. Collins toward Mary, but thus far there had been no indication of an inclination in that direction on Mr. Collins’ part.
Mr. Collins would attend the card party with the Bennets, of course; perhaps he would dance with Mary.
***
When the Bennet ladies entered Lucas Lodge, it was immediately apparent that Lady Lucas had wasted no time in becoming acquainted with the militia, for she soon introduced Colonel Forster and Mrs. Forster, and the Colonel introduced those of his men who were present.
Kitty and Lydia preened and tossed their hair at each introduction, while Jane, Elizabeth and Mary winced at their forwardness. Even Mr. Collins looked dismayed. He distanced himself from them at once, saying, again and again, that he was but a distant cousin, though heir to the estate, and he did not know his cousins well. It was a long pronouncement to make several times, and the soldiers stared at him, wonderingly.
Finally, the introductions were over, and Elizabeth left her family to sit beside Charlotte. “Your mother has certainly filled the room,” Elizabeth remarked.
“Yes, but to what purpose?” Charlotte asked.
“For we cannot marry soldiers,” they said in unison, and then they both laughed.
“Though evidently a Colonel could support a wife! Look at Mrs. Forster – if she is more than a year older than Kitty, I will eat my new hat,” Elizabeth observed.
“Your hat is safe, as I have it from a good source that she is just seventeen.”
