Page 12 of Pride, Prejudice and Prudence

“Will you have some wine?” Mr Bennet asked his cousin.

It was the second evening after Mr Collins’ arrival, and Elizabeth was surprised by the question; wine was not usually served at dinner in Longbourn, and Elizabeth could not recall when it had last been served.

“I do not take liquor,” Mr Collins replied.

Mr Bennet raised an eyebrow, “but surely during the Eucharist sacrament?” he asked.

“The wine is transformed into the blood of Our Saviour, it is therefore no longer wine,” Mr Collins explained, and Mr Bennet had to own this was so.

Mr Bennet took only a sip or two of the wine, and their mother took but one glass; neither of her parents had a taste for it. This is what made the fact that her father had chosen to serve it all the more curious.

“I must commend you, Thomas,” Mr Collins said, using their father’s given name for the first time, “on the care you take with the safety and reputation of my fair cousins.” Elizabeth looked at him when he said this, as it was not only significant that he had chosen to use her father’s Christian name, after being asked to do so many times. There was also a notable warmth in his voice for the first time.

“How so?” her father asked.

“When I retired last evening, I saw one of your men seated at the passage to the family bed chambers, and when I arose this morning, a different man was in his place,” Mr Collins explained.

“I hope you are not offended?” her father questioned.

“Indeed no,” Mr Collins assured, “although I am cousin to you, I am not known to you, therefore taking care of my young cousins is only right and good,” he said. “I am in earnest in my approval of your actions,” he assured. Mr Bennet gave his head a small bow in acknowledgement of the compliment.

Sometime later that evening, he questioned, “So you never take alcohol?”

Mr Collins looked at him, his face graver than Elizabeth had seen it before, and with a small sigh, he responded.

“I believe you are trying to match me to my father,” he said, and when Mr Bennet remained silent, he nodded. “I am sure my young cousins are unaware, but my father was not a good man,” he said, and then he took a deep breath, “I would even go as far as to say that he was a bad man. The Bible calls on us to honour our parents, but it is the one commandment I find myself unable to keep. My father was cruel and ignorant, and I have no good memories of him. What I do have from him is a desire to be everything he was not.”

Tears came to Elizabeth’s eyes on hearing these words, and she could see she was not the only one affected thusly. Not one of her sisters was completely dry-eyed, and her mother’s hand was up covering her mouth. When Elizabeth looked to her father, she saw him wipe the back of his hand across his eyes.

“William,” Mr Bennet said, with a smile, trying to push the tears away, “I think we can say that you have succeeded admirably, and I am very glad to have finally met you.”

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“He is not what I expected,” Jane said.

“No indeed,” Elizabeth agreed as she plaited her hair for bed. “You heard what he said about his father not being a good man, and Papa was certainly not expecting his son to be so gentle,” Elizabeth said, even though she thought this was not quite the correct description of his character. “And,” she said, “I have never heard such progressive opinions on the education of women from a clergyman.”

“Yes, it is most remarkable, but his devotion to his calling is still unmistakable,” Jane said.

“I look forward to getting to know him better.”

“As do I,” Elizabeth agreed, and with that, she blew out her candle and pulled her blankets up around her. She did not immediately fall asleep; there was a thought nagging at her, half-formed, which would not allow her to rest. She stopped trying to sleep and instead examined it, yes, that was it, how different was Mr Collins’ reaction to seeing the man on guard to that of Mr Darcy, and with that final thought, she drifted off to sleep.

Chapter 21

Elizabeth’s heart missed a beat at the sight of the man with dark, wavy hair. She reached up her hand to make sure her bonnet was straight; it was only then that she realised it was not Mr Darcy on the street talking with Captain Carter, it was a person she had never seen before in her life.

Lydia opened her mouth as if to call out to the Captain, but catching the eye of Miss Farnsworth, she closed it and remained silent. As they drew closer, Captain Carter hailed them, and they paused to acknowledge him and introduce their cousin to him. Having introduced Mr Collins, Carter proceeded to introduce the dark-haired gentleman to the Longbourn party.

“Please allow me to introduce Mr Wickham, soon to be Lieutenant Wickham, as he has now joined the militia and will be quartered here with us in Meryton.”

The ladies curtsied, and Mr Collins and Mr Wickham both bowed in acknowledgement of the introduction.

“We are on our way to our aunt and uncle Philips,” Elizabeth explained when the conversation paused. She was unsure of what she might have said next as the arrival of Mr Darcy and Mr Bingley negated any need to reply.

“Miss Bennet,” Mr Bingley called out and then added the other ladies to his greeting, as he jumped from the back of his horse. Mr Darcy looked as if he too intended to dismount, but at the last minute, a look of distaste suffused his handsome but haughty face, and he rode on without any greetings at all. Jane looked to Elizabeth, having for once noted the unmannerly display, but Elizabeth merely shook her head. Jane then proceeded to again introduce their cousin, this time to Mr Bingley, who bowed and expressed delight in making his acquaintance. Elizabeth thought delight was a sentiment that meeting Mr Collins was unlikely to have invoked, but nevertheless it was a polite response.

The ladies stayed for some minutes talking to Mr Bingley, Captain Carter, and Mr Wickham until a polite cough from Miss Farnsworth drew her attention back to her cousin. It also pulled Jane from her discussions with Mr Bingley, and they all excused themselves to continue on to their aunt and uncle’s home.