Page 33 of A Prudent Engagement

The cold feel of the cheeks.

The silk dressing gown, its elaborate patterns snaking over the thin, unmoving arms. The scent—it could be slightly detected even in the drawing room.

They would have to take him off early the next morning, for the funeral procession.

Jane insisted again that she would in fact advertise for a position as a governess, and then while looking directly at Elizabeth, she added, “I shall not let any of us buy our comfort with a loveless marriage.”

Elizabeth shrugged. What could she say to her sister, who was determined to see the matter in that way?

She now understood how poor Charlotte had felt when she announced her marriage to Mr. Collins to the Bennets.

“I will not let it happen,” Jane repeated.

It was an odd sensation to feel judged by Jane. Her eldest sister had always seemed to approve of everything and everyone.

But then Elizabeth had never before meant to accept an offer of marriage from a man whom the previous morning she had asserted to despise.

Yesterday morning?

Was it so recent? Could it be?

Had she truly been so happy then? She had thought her papa was alive and well, reading and laughing.

She longed to return to that grove where she would meet Mr. Darcy and to that time the previous morning when she had been walking about with Colonel Fitzwilliam, laughing about Mr. Darcy’s commanding tendencies without either fear or concern in her head.

The rest of the day went by in a blur. The strongest memory of that time being the scent of decay that slowly became harder and harder to disregard.

The house filled with people coming with offers of condolences, help, and friendship. The Phillipses were present for most of the afternoon, while other friends—the Gouldings, the Golds, the Longs, and Mr. King—all came.

Charlotte arrived, wearing a black ribbon, which Elizabeth found odd for a second, until she remembered that as Mr. Collins’s wife, she had been related by marriage to her papa.

Elizabeth’s friend was suitably contrite and deferential to Mrs. Bennet, and she spent several minutes telling her mother how deeply sad she was about her papa’s death and repeating what she had said to Elizabeth about how they would be in no hurry to make the family leave the estate and how she was ready to do anything that she might to make Mrs. Bennet’s life easier.

To Elizabeth’s surprise, her mother was mollified by this.

Mrs. Bennet embraced Charlotte, thanked her for her kindness, and said, “I shall tell you everything there is to know about the house—all the matters that you will need to understand about Longbourn. The little peculiarities like the way the chimney smokes in the second guest room—do you mean to keep Hill?”

“Likely,” Charlotte replied. “Unless you take her with you. We mean to let the house out.”

“I can scarcely credit that. It is one of the chief houses of the neighbourhood. Are you certain that Mr. Collins will not insist on living here immediately?”

“He is quite tied to his parsonage, and to the society there.”

“Quite unlike Mr. Bennet,” her mother replied. “Since the house must go elsewhere, it would be best if it was held by those we know.”

After she said that, her mama’s eyes started to well with tears.

Mr. Phillips asked Charlotte, “Is it certain that Mr. Collins will come to take possession and see the will executed on Monday?”

“Yes, he only remains in Kent to deliver his sermon on Sunday. It would have been hard to find a worthy substitute on such short notice.”

“When he arrives, we must go through the house and specify everything that belongs to the family,” Mr. Phillips said, “and separate it from what will pass to your husband. Many of the larger items are not named as heirlooms and hence are the property of the Bennets and not the estate.”

Charlotte smiled. “Eliza said you would do as much—do not be concerned! We have no need to quibble over trivialities, and I trust my dear friends not to cheat me.”

That established Elizabeth and her family as the ones who would need to quibble over trivialities when until now they had always been of greater consequence than the Lucases. But it was hard to be annoyed with Charlotte when she was being kind.

Unless she married Mr. Darcy.