***
The week after Christmas was cold and icy. The warmth of Christmas day was gone. The fires were small, as the coal bin was almost empty. It felt to everyone at Longbourn that a hard, cold reality was now upon them.
Shortly after the start of the new year, Mr. Bennet quietly asked his wife, the Gardiners, and Jane to join him in his study. Mr. Bennet had asked Mrs. Hill to bring in more chairs, but it was not a large room and so it was a rather tight squeeze.
“I need not tell you that our plan to capture Mr. Bingley has not born fruit,” Mr. Bennet began. He studiously avoided looking at Jane, who nonetheless blushed and looked down. “I have paid the servants for this quarter, but I think we will have to let Bridget go.”
Bridget was the maid of all work; she made up the fires in the morning, helped with the laundry, dusted, swept and scrubbed floors.
Mrs. Bennet paled. “But who will do her work?” she demanded. “Mrs. Hill is already run off her feet, and we need Sarah to do the mending and the laundry and help with our hair. Do you expect our girls to ruin their hands with Bridget’s tasks?”
Mr. Bennet spread his hands wide. “I do not know what to do,” he said. “Unless there is some sort of miracle, I will not be able to pay all the servants on Lady Day. Is it right to have them continue to work for us, when their wages are not secure? I know we cannot do without Mrs. Hill and Cook, and certainly James cannot be spared.”
Jane said, speaking very quickly, “Papa, I believe Mr. Bingley can be brought to the point. Lizzy and I agreed that he was struggling to choose between us because he had raised her expectations. Now that she has chosen to remove herself, I do think I have a good chance with him.”
Mr. Gardiner said, softly, “If Jane does not succeed with him, then we can bring her back to London. She had a number of offers there that she chose not to accept, as she did not understand the family’s situation. I rather suspect that at least one of them could be persuaded to renew his offer if he learns that Jane has reconsidered his suit. Three thousand pounds is a good deal of money, but I believe that half of that sum might be made available to you from one of those men.”
Mr. Bennet at Jane, who was sitting with her hands folded neatly on her lap and her eyes on the floor. He asked, “Jane? Are you willing to return to London and accept one of those gentlemen?”
Jane swallowed hard and said, “I am.”
Mr. Bennet nodded and said, “Very well. Jane, I give you a fortnight with Mr. Bingley. Then you must go to London. If one of these suitors can part with even one thousand pounds, that would buy me some time to explore other options, such as leasing out the estate. My dear, I am sorry, but we cannot afford to lose more time.”
***
The Gardiners left the next day, promising to send a carriage for Jane the moment it was required.
Chapter Sixty-Eight
He is actually quite good,” Elizabeth whispered to Mary.
“Oh, he really is!” Mary whispered back, her hands clasped at her chest.
They were in the second row of the Hunsford church, listening to Mr. Collins preach his Christmas sermon. The first row was, of course, the property of Lady Catherine, her daughter, and Mrs. Jenkinson.
Mr. Collin’s topic was forgiveness, and he explained that this forgiveness of others must be absolute and complete, and the purpose of this was not to release that other person, but to release oneself. “To hold on to your anger is to leash yourself to that other person; and if that person is as dreadful and horrible as you think, then why would you wish to be leashed to him? No; release the anger, release the hatred, release the resentment, and in so doing, you yourself are released. Begin the coming year with a clean and open heart,” he said.
He then quoted the Bible, saying, “Matthew 6:14-15 says, For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
And he concluded with, “Make a vow within yourself this day, this very day, that you will harbor no ill will towards your neighbour, that you will forgive anyone and everyone who haswronged you, so that you yourself may be forgiven, so that you yourself may be released.”
Mary stood beside her husband as the congregation filed out, Elizabeth a step behind her sister. The congregants shook his hand with a good many “Excellent sermons” and “God bless you, Mr. Collins.” And to each of these, Mr. Collins very proudly introduced his wife and sister-by-marriage.
When everyone had left, they made their way to Rosings Park, as they had been invited to take Christmas luncheon with Lady Catherine.
The pianoforte Lady Catherine had promised to Mary had arrived the day before, and Mary had already polished it three times, and arranged all her music on a small bookcase that she had moved from one of the bedrooms. Mary had brought some Christmas music with her on this day, as she was determined to show her gratitude by providing her ladyship with music at once. She had asked Elizabeth to sing some of the songs while she played.
“She is doubtless accustomed to hearing far superior performers than myself,” Elizabeth had demurred,
But Mary begged her, and so Elizabeth had finally, with considerable reluctance, agreed.
Lady Catherine was at her most agreeable, applauding Mary and Elizabeth heartily when they performed ‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen’, ‘The First Noel’, and ‘I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In’.
When it was time to take their leave, Miss de Bourgh approached Elizabeth and asked, “Would tomorrow be a good day to go out in the phaeton? You would be able to see a good deal more of the park.”
“By all means, Miss de Bourgh,” Elizabeth replied, smiling.
“Very good. Mrs. Jenkinson and I shall come for you at two in the afternoon, if that suits.”
