Knowlege is Power, Pride and Prejudice Fanfiction

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Knowlege is Power...Or Not. Stacey Ann

Chapter 1

Posted on Tuesday, 20 November 2001, at 7:15 p.m.

Mrs. Bennet stood frozen in an astonishment so profound that even the curlers in her hair lay still. Her hand was stopped in its reach for the door, her mouth hung slightly open, and her eyes were wide with shock. The words reverberated through her head... "he proposed, I refused him... proposed... refused... refused... refused..."

A loud shriek echoed through the hallway - "HILLLLLLLLL!!"

Chapter 2

Elizabeth pulled absently on the corner of her pillow, watching Jane's face from the corner of her eye after she communicated the news. Jane looked concerned, worried. Elizabeth sighed, and began, "Jane, I hope you do not think too ill of me. If I could now take back those hurtful words and speak with greater kindness, I would not hesitate -"

She was interrupted by the loud shriek coming from the other side of the door - "HILLLLLLLLL!!"

Elizabeth and Jane both sat upright, spun to look towards the door, then turned back to each other, staring. Jane's expression was concerned, worried; Elizabeth's was horrified.

Mrs. Bennet was affected with such tremblings and flutterings that she found she really did need to sit, and quickly. Just in time, Elizabeth's door swung open, and her eldest daughter was there to take her mother's arm and help her to a chair just inside the door. Mrs. Bennet vaguely heard Jane's voice offering a glass of water, asking if she should fetch anything, but Mrs. Bennet was unable to respond because the words "proposed" and "refused" were still clanging around in her head. By the time Mrs. Bennet was able to compose herself enough to speak coherently, a small crowd had gathered in Elizabeth's room. The worthy Hill had taken charge of her mistress, and was endeavoring to get her to take some water. Kitty stood off to one side in her nightdress, he hair half down, looking confused and eager. Mr. Bennet stood just inside the door, in nightclothes and cap, looking bemused and amused. Mary craned her head around the edge of the door, looking slightly disapproving. All waited with interest to hear the news, as it was certain there was news to hear. Only Elizabeth wished never to hear a word.

Mrs. Bennet spoke, "Oh, Hill, oh Mr. Bennet... my poor nerves! You will never guess, never imagine what I have discovered this evening. It is too horrible! Mr. Bennet, this is all your fault for indulging that girl so she no longer knows her duty to her own mother! I, who have worked so hard for all my darling girls, to be sure they are provided for before that odious Mr. Collins turns us all out... oh Mr. Bennet, Mr. Darcy has proposed to Lizzy and she has refused him! She has refused ten thousand a year!"

Kitty gasped, Mary looked disinterested, Jane frowned, and Mr. Bennet turned an amused and rather sympathetic glance at Lizzy, who stood with her eyes closed and wished she were a million miles away from Longbourn. Hill offered Mrs. Bennet some more water.

Chapter 3

Elizabeth Bennet stood at the top of Oakham Mount and watched the sun rise. Unable to sleep, she had finally thrown on some clothes and taken advantage of the warm weather to leave the house undetected. Her thoughts were in turmoil; how on Earth was she to survive her mother's frantic anger? Her father had finally convinced Mrs. Bennet to return to her own room, and Hill led her away, her cries of "You must make her marry him! You must visit Mr. Darcy and explain it all away!" floating back down the hall to where Mr. Bennet and his daughters still stood. Mr. Bennet had sighed, told Kitty to return to her room (Mary had already gone), and turned to look at his second daughter. He gazed at her a moment, then raised a somewhat astonished eyebrow. "Mr. Darcy!" he exclaimed, chuckling softly to himself and shaking his head at Elizabeth. "We will talk in the morning, my dear." He reached out, taking her hand and pressing it, then strode off to his own room, still shaking his head and laughing quietly.

Elizabeth listened to the birds singing as the light grew stronger, and wondered what she would say to her father. How was she to keep her mother from spreading the news? If only she had waited to talk to Jane until they could be away from the house; but who would have suspected her mother would be wandering the halls at that late hour? At least Lydia was away at Brighton. That was now a blessing, despite Elizabeth's initial doubts; her mother might be stopped from communicating the news due to an inability to leave the house because of her nerves, but Lydia would have spread the tale all through Meryton by now.

Elizabeth sank into a reverie in which Fitzwilliam Darcy figured rather prominently. She recalled his expression as he proposed to her, and tried to imagine what she might have said differently. Acceptance had been impossible, of course, but as she had tried to say to Jane the night before, she could now wish she had been less vehement in her refusal. His letter had done that much. She tried to visualize his face without those proud and affronted lines. How would he have reacted had she been kinder? Might they have parted on better terms? His letter now made her feel that they might have been cordial acquaintances. She daydreamed of a conversation with him that didn't involve pride or anger, but hastily stopped that train of thought when, in her mind, Mrs. Bennet came into the room at the Hunsford parsonage in the middle of his proposal, chanting "Ten thousand a year," taking Darcy's arm and smiling into his face. Elizabeth shuddered, then sighed. She was too like her father not to see the humor in this situation, so it wasn't long before she smiled ruefully at her mental picture of her mother patting Mr. Darcy on the head while going over his accounts.

"Elizabeth?"

She turned to see Jane approaching her. Jane was not as great a walker as Elizabeth, so the latter was surprised to see her. Elizabeth smiled and made room for Jane on the rock where she was sitting. Jane sat, took Elizabeth's hand, and looked into her face with concern.

"How are you, Lizzy?"

"Except for being annoyed at my folly, I am quite well."
Jane sighed, looked out over the fields and woods, then said, "I have been with my mother."

Elizabeth watched a bird flying overhead. "And?"

"She is most unhappy, Lizzy. She cannot understand, but does not wish to hear that you may have been right to refuse Mr. Darcy. She is quite indisposed."

"I confess I had expected as much... but can she not see that I am moving up in the world? After all, I have refused a much finer man than Mr. Collins!"

Jane smiled. "Lizzy, you should not jest so!"

Elizabeth changed the subject. "But Jane, how did Mama come to be outside my room?"

Jane sighed again. "From what I can gather, she could not sleep for worrying about me... about Mr. Bingley. She wanted to speak to you about it all, since she had not had much opportunity since your return from Hunsford. I must not have closed the door to your room as completely as I should. Oh Lizzy, I feel all this is my fault!"

Elizabeth squeezed Jane's hand, and shook her head. "No, Jane, it was imprudent of me to discuss these matters where there was any chance of being overheard. I shall have to suffer the consequences, I suppose. And it may not be for long... I anticipate hearing from my Aunt Gardiner very soon about the trip to the lakes."

Jane nodded. "It would be wise to be away," she said. "I'm sure Mama will not be able to keep this secret, though she will wish to do so to spare you further pain."

Elizabeth laughed. "Far more likely that she would wish for pressure from the neighborhood to make me change my mind! I suppose it has not yet occurred to her that Mr. Darcy is not likely to be renewing his addresses!"

Elizabeth stood, followed by Jane, and they began to walk back to Longbourn.

Chapter 4

Posted on Thursday, 22 November 2001, at 10:40 a.m.

The sisters heard Mrs. Bennet crying for Hill before they entered the house. Jane made her way upstairs to see if she could be of help, while Elizabeth headed for the breakfast room. She entered to see Kitty and Mary seated at the table; Kitty looked up with a thousand questions on her face, while Mary gave Elizabeth a polite nod and turned her attention back to her food. Mr. Bennet gave Elizabeth a kind smile; he had finished eating, and rose from the table.

"Have your breakfast, my dear, then come join me in the library."

Elizabeth tried to smile, but failed. Mrs. Bennet's voice was heard from above, "Jane, Jane! Where is Lizzy? I must make her see reason! A man of Mr. Darcy's consequence! Of course she refused Mr. Collins, she was right to do so with Mr. Darcy wanting her, but what is she thinking now? Perhaps you couldn't get Mr. Bingley, though I'm certain if you'd tried harder... but anyway, Mr. Darcy would have been such a comfort once poor Mr. Bennet was gone and those Collinses turned us out! Oh Jane... my poor nerves! She'll be sorry, he'll die of a broken heart and she'll never have that ten thousand a year!"

Mr. Bennet shook his head, patted Elizabeth on the shoulder, and left the room. He closed the door behind him, mercifully shutting out his wife's voice.

*************************************************************************

Elizabeth knocked on the door to the library, entering when she heard her father's invitation. He invited her to sit, then peered at her over the tops of his spectacles.

"Well, Lizzy? It appears you have made a very important conquest. Unless, of course, your mother is indulging an overactive imagination?"

Elizabeth sighed and shook her head. "No, Papa, it is true. I was speaking of it to Jane, and Mama must have overheard us from the hallway. "

"Yes, this business of walking about after dark is dreadful for her nerves. But my dear girl, Mr. Darcy! I thought the man didn't look at you, or at anybody, except to find fault."

"Believe me, Papa, I was as surprised as you. I hadn't the slightest notion that he... well, that he admired me." Elizabeth went on to explain, rather succinctly, the mode in which Mr. Darcy had made his proposal. She did not tell her father about the letter, nor did she mention anything concerning Jane or Mr. Wickham. Except for a bit of eyebrow raising and soft chuckles, Mr. Bennet abstained from comment.

"Well, my dear, what's done is done. Despite your mother's insistence, I have no plans for descending upon Mr. Darcy in his estate and persuading him that you were in error. It would be a useless endeavor in any case; so proud a man as that will not be renewing his proposals to you! I would not wish for you to be trapped in an unhappy marriage in any case, my child."

Although Elizabeth had not thought her father would in any way attempt to force the issue, she was glad he seemed ready to let it go so easily. But his next words caused a bit of a shock.

"You must brace yourself, though, Lizzy - I have received a letter from Mr. Collins, and it appears the he and his most excellent wife are to descend upon us in two days. They are coming to visit her mother, you see... and he feels it of paramount importance to extend his good wishes to us all and to reassure you as to the continued good health of Lady Catherine de Bourgh."

Elizabeth was sure she heard the sound of the second shoe falling.

Chapter 5

The anticipated day of the Collins' arrival was at hand, and Elizabeth was trying very hard not to panic. Mr. Collins! If he were to find out, Lady Catherine would find out, and then... Mr. Darcy! Would he think she herself was spreading the story of his humiliation? She and Jane had discussed several plans for preventing her mother and Mr. Collins from coming into contact. All plans had been dismissed because they were either impractical (locking Mrs. Bennet in her room), unlikely (telling Lady Lucas that Mrs. Bennet had scarlet fever, thus preempting the visit), or would result in family ruin along with certain prison sentence (Elizabeth, in her frustration, told Jane she would just have to kill Mr. Collins, her mother, or possibly both). Jane had not taken this last seriously, and simply advised Elizabeth to tell all to Charlotte, who might possibly be able to prevent any conversation between the two.

Unfortunately for Elizabeth, Mrs. Bennet was making plans of her own. She had not been entirely idle. Upon learning that Mr. Collins was expected, she hatched a plan to use his influence with Lady Catherine de Bourgh and subsequently hers on her nephew, to have him renew his addresses. She felt sure that a loving aunt would not be able bear seeing her nephew in distress at a refusal, and would probably try to influence Elizabeth herself! After all, if the happiness of her nephew were at stake! Mrs. Bennet had also written to Lydia, complaining of her ill treatment at Lizzy's hands, and had written the Gardiners, knowing that Lizzy respected their opinions, hoping for their interference.

Thus it happened that when the carriage conveying Mr. and Mrs. Collins arrived at Longbourn, Mrs. Bennet astonished her entire family by appearing in the drawing room, dressed and fairly composed. She glared at Elizabeth as she entered the room, then seated herself and, turning her eyes on her wayward daughter, gave her a smug smile as the Collinses were announced. That smile struck fear into Elizabeth's heart; she exchanged worried glances with Jane, fearing that there would be no opportunity of speaking with Charlotte and averting disaster.

The Collinses entered the room, and Mrs. Bennet set a record for restraint. Their guests were actually seated before Mrs. Bennet exclaimed "Oh, Mr. Collins!" Elizabeth closed her eyes, resigning herself to a force of nature that none could control.

"My dear Madam," began Mr. Collins, intent on performing his speech in which he hoped all were well, thanked them for their concern for his own welfare and that of his dear Charlotte, remarked eight times on the condescension of his esteemed patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, compared the room favorably with a small closet found in Rosings, and remarked on Mr. Bennet's continued good health (a shame, that). He didn't get beyond "My dear Madam," though, for Mrs. Bennet burst forth,

"Oh Mrs. Collins, you must speak to Lizzy, and you must make her understand! You understand, I am sure, for you accepted Mr. Collins though he did ask Lizzy first! You know the importance of being settled! Mr. Collins, I know you would not hesitate to speak to Lizzy yourself, in your office as a clergyman, and make her see her error! I have not been able to sleep at night, due to my poor nerves, you know... it's such a shame, it really is, for I have tried so hard, and it has all come to nothing. Jane, at least, did try, I must give her that. But Lizzy! Such a ungrateful girl! I'm sure I shall not be troubled with supporting her once my dear husband is gone, and this house... well, we shall not speak of it. I never do, you know. But Mr. Collins! I am sure Lady Catherine would not approve!"

Elizabeth was immobile through this speech, darting glances at Charlotte and Jane. Jane looked unhappy, Charlotte very confused. Mrs. Collins's eyes were fixed on Mrs. Bennet except for occasional questioning glances darted at Elizabeth. Mr. Collins was alternately bowing and nodding, smiling with his gaze humbly directed at the floor. He really wasn't following Mrs. Bennet's speech very closely, for at the beginning of it his thoughts were unpleasantly directed towards Elizabeth's refusal of himself. He heard the word "clergyman" and bowed. But then he heard "Lady Catherine would not approve" and that send shockwaves through him. He looked up, alarm oozing from every pore.

"My dear Mrs. Bennet! I can assure you that Lady Catherine's approval... that her distinction, her taste, in short... " Here he paused, for he realized he hadn't the slightest idea what it was that was lacking in approval from Lady Catherine de Bourgh. His wife saved him.

"But Mrs. Bennet, what has Lizzy done to trouble you?" asked Charlotte.

"She has refused him! Can you believe it? Refused him!"

Mr. Collins became even more confused. He was fairly certain that Mrs. Bennet was aware that he had married the former Charlotte Lucas. They had been married for quite a few months. He puzzled over this... did Lady Catherine know that Miss Elizabeth Bennet had been so ungrateful as to refuse him and thereby indirectly refuse Lady Catherine herself? He contemplated that idea.

Charlotte, in the meantime, tried to get to the bottom of this.

"Mrs. Bennet, I'm so sorry, but whom has Lizzy refused?"

"Why, Mr. Darcy, of course! We are all in such an uproar, I tell you! I didn't think I would make it through the night when I discovered it. The poor man! But Mr. Collins! Do you think Lady Catherine would speak with Mr. Darcy, and make him to propose to Lizzy again? I'm sure we can make her accept him! Mrs. Collins, you can explain it all to her, I'm sure."

Mr. Collins, on hearing of his cousin's conquest, gave a creditable impression of a fish. Unable to speak, he gasped repeatedly, sweated profusely, and tried to wrap his mind around the magnitude of this affair. That Lady Catherine would NOT be pleased, he had no doubt. The very idea of the cousin who had refused his own hand possibly rising to such a station! He could not bear it.

Mrs. Bennet, meanwhile, was working herself into hysterics again. Jane made excuses to their guests, and she and Kitty helped their mother out of her chair and back up to her room. This left the Collinses, Elizabeth, and Mr. Bennet in the drawing room. The latter had been enjoying the scene tremendously. He felt for his daughter, but he was of the opinion that she was strong enough to handle the gossip, and was secure in the idea that she would gain just as much amusement from the affair as he did.

In which Mr. Bennet has some fun with Mr. Collins!

Chapter 6

Mr. Bennet eyed Mr. Collins. Mrs. Collins eyed Elizabeth. Elizabeth eyed the floor. And Mr. Collins, in his mind's eye, saw Lady Catherine de Bourgh in all her righteous indignation.

Mr. Bennet could stand it no longer. "Well, Mr. Collins! What do you think of this sad business? What advice do you have for our poor misguided Elizabeth?"

Mr. Collins bowed to Mr. Bennet, bowed more shallowly to Elizabeth, glanced at his wife, and attempted a coherent response.

"My dear sir, I must admit to a degree of astonishment. Mr. Darcy, as you may already be aware, is the nephew of Lady Catherine de Bourgh!"

Silence followed this statement. Mr. Bennet raised an eyebrow at Mr. Collins and refused to make this easy on him. Elizabeth, meanwhile, ceased her study of the floor and looked imploringly at Charlotte. Her friend understood, and before Mr. Collins could continue, she asked Elizabeth if they could take some air, as she would like to reacquaint herself with the grounds she had missed in the past months. Elizabeth glanced at her father, who nodded genially; his attention was fixed on his cousin. The two women made their escape.

**************************************************************

"Well, Lizzy!" said Charlotte, as they walked out of the house, "I must say I thought Mr. Darcy admired you, but I didn't expect this! But you refused him?"

"Charlotte... you know me too well to think I would marry without love. And I do not love him! If you had heard the manner of his proposal, you would not blame me. He was arrogant, he expected my consent, he insulted me and my family!"

"Lizzy, I cannot blame you for being upset if this is truly what happened. But do you not think that his situation in life gives him some right of pride? And is not such wealth and security enough to be comfortable, even without love?"

"Charlotte, I know to many my decision may seem foolish. Once word of this reaches Meryton, I am sure to be censured. But I could not live with a man who does not respect me!"

"But Lizzy, if a man of his fortune and station proposes to a woman who can bring little to the union besides herself, does not that indicate a great deal of respect? You know of Lady Catherine's expectations for him; yet he is willing to disregard all of this for you. Does that not speak of tremendous regard?"

Elizabeth was silent for a moment. "I suppose it might... I confess I had not thought of his proposal in those terms. I could only think of his words, not any underlying meaning. But, Charlotte, it would still have been impossible to do anything other than refuse. I thought, too, at the time, that I had other reasons to think ill of him."

Charlotte looked at her friend thoughtfully. She saw that Elizabeth was tired and upset by all this; not wanting to push her too hard, she chose her words carefully. "I cannot blame you for following your inclinations, as I followed mine. But Lizzy, if he truly cares for you as much as his proposal, however ill-phrased, would seem to indicate, I would advise you to act with more compassion should you meet with him again. If he is constant, you might find him more agreeable than you have reason to think at present." Charlotte had observed many interactions between Mr. Darcy and her friend, and was strongly inclined to see more respect for and interest in Elizabeth for who she was than many would ever suspect. She was not romantic herself, but she recognized romance when she saw it, and she felt her younger friend may have met her match in spirit and sensibility.

*********************************************************************************

Meanwhile, Mr. Collins endeavored to counsel Mr. Bennet to proceed with caution. It would have been much easier to do so by letter; with his cousin in the room, watching him intently, Mr. Collins found it much too difficult to express his disapprobation in the manner he would have preferred.

"My dear sir," he tried again, "I feel it incumbent upon me to relate to you the likely feelings of my esteemed patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. I fear she would not look on this match with a kindly eye. Her own daughter, the incomparable Lady Anne, has been engaged to Mr. Darcy from infancy."

Mr. Bennet raised both eyebrows. "Really! I must wonder at a man who would propose to one female while already spoken for by another. It appears that I must question the morals of such a man... and, by association, his family!"

Mr. Collins' eyes widened. That association, that family, would include his esteemed patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh! This was terrible - that Lady Catherine's morals could be called into question!

"Mr. Bennet, I assure you that Lady Catherine would never allow... that Mr. Darcy must... hmmm... there must be some misunderstanding!" said the poor, desperate man.

"Mr. Collins, I fear that a very trying and difficult situation lies before you," said Mr. Bennet, seating himself near the fire and looking at his cousin intently.

"Sir?"

"Yes, Mr. Collins, as a member of the clergy, it is your duty to stamp out sin, is it not? Mr. Darcy, the nephew of Lady Catherine de Bourgh, has proposed to a gentlewoman while promised to another. Can our society stand the strain? Think, Mr. Collins! You must address this issue with Lady Catherine, and make her see the shame reflected back on the inhabitants of Rosings!"

Mr. Collins attempted to speak. The only result of his efforts was a short, high pitched squeak.

"Ah, yes, I see the difficulty," continued Mr. Bennet. "Mr. Collins, an unhappy choice lies before you. To address Lady Catherine de Bourgh would surely make life unpleasant for one in your position. You have a responsibility, to be sure, but must you jeopardize your own standing with your patroness?"

Mr. Collins produced a weak smile.

"No!" said Mr. Bennet, who was really beginning to enjoy himself. "We cannot have that. There is really no choice - you must hasten to Mr. Darcy, to the estate of Pemberley itself, and defend the honor of your fair cousin Elizabeth! You must also remind him of all he owes to Anne de Bourgh."

Mr. Collins began to relax. The idea of confronting Mr. Darcy, in defense of the daughter of his noble patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, had a great deal of merit, especially since he would have the support of the patroness herself. He stood a little straighter.

Mr. Bennet, however, had not finished with his cousin.

"And yet," he said, "and yet it does seem there is risk in this venture. Is not Mr. Darcy one of the most illustrious persons in the land? Is not Pemberley a richer estate even than Rosings? Mr. Collins, do not be hasty. You must not burn your bridges, you know. Mr. Darcy may one day be able to do great things for you. I may live many years yet, and Mr. Darcy may have at his disposal a fine living indeed."

Mr. Collins stood a little less straight. He was at a loss. He knew not what to think, what to do. The responsibility overwhelmed him.

Mr. Bennet was quite happy. Not only had he managed to have some fun with his very amusing cousin, he hoped he had impressed upon him the need to keep quiet about the whole affair. Mr. Collins' assertion of a previous engagement did not trouble him. He had seen enough of Mr. Darcy to believe him proud but honorable, and had little doubt of this supposed engagement being a misunderstanding or wishful thinking on the part of his weak-minded cousin.

By the time Elizabeth and Charlotte returned to the house, Mr. Collins was taking his leave from Mr. Bennet. He did no more than nod to his cousin Elizabeth, who noted that Mr. Collins appeared rather more pale than usual. He hustled his wife into the carriage, and they set off for Lucas Lodge.

Mrs. Bennet, watching the departure from her bedroom window, exclaimed with a wail "Oh, Mr. Collins!"

Chapter 7

Posted on Saturday, 24 November 2001, at 6:06 a.m.

A letter from Lydia Bennet to Mrs. Bennet

Dear Mama,

Brighton is perfectly splendid! You MUST get Papa to bring you all here. I'm sure we can get Colonel Forster to hold a ball in your honor. The officers are simply the most wonderful men in world! Mrs. Forster and I spend much of our time watching them ordering men about; when we aren't admiring their red coats, we are finding the most adorable bonnets and slippers and scarves in the shops! I bought a new bonnet yesterday, and have redone it quite to my liking. Captain Kensworth admired it very much, and said it complemented my eyes beautifully!
Mr. Wickham sends his complements to you, Mama! He has been most attentive... but you would be quite pleased to know he is not the only one of my admirers! What with Wickham and Captain Kensworth and dear Denny, I am quite happy here! Your news about Lizzy is just too funny! We all had a good laugh thinking of Mr. Darcy being turned down, Wickham was most amused! I am writing to Lizzy to invite her to come here, as Mrs. Forster says we can fit her in most easily, and there will be plenty of fine gentlemen here for her!

Love,

Lydia

*****************************************************************

A letter from Lydia Bennet to Elizabeth Bennet

Dear Lizzy,

You must come here, Lizzy! Mrs. Forster says she won't take no for an answer! And Colonel Forster was most pleasant when we said we could fix up one of the maids' rooms for you, since they can easily share a room. We all had a good laugh when we got the news from Mama! I suppose you must think you are very fine, having now had two proposals, but since you have refused them both, I suppose it doesn't much signify. Lizzy, you should have seen Mr. Wickham's face when we shared the news! He turned quite red and almost couldn't breathe from laughing so hard. He says you are now one of his most favorite people, aside from me, of course! He proposed a toast to you in front of all the officers, and then another to Mr. Darcy! I can't remember quite what he said at the time, but it was very funny! Colonel Forster was a bit put out, though I can't think why. But Lizzy, do come visit us! Mr. Wickham says if you will come he will reserve the first two dances with you at the next ball. There are so many fine officers here, Lizzy, I'm sure you will find one to propose to you!

Your affectionate Sister,

Lydia

*****************************************************************

A letter from Mrs. Gardiner to Elizabeth Bennet

My Dearest Lizzy,

I hope this letter finds you as well as can be expected. I can imagine, my dear, how difficult your current situation may be at home. Your mother has communicated the news of Mr. Darcy's proposal to us. I'm sure this is not a surprise to you, though I'm quite convinced this communication was made without your knowledge or your consent. I know you too well, Lizzy, to think that you would undertake to circulate information of such a private matter into the world at large. I also hope I know you too well to think that you have refused such a man for idle reasons; I'm sure your behavior can be explained satisfactorily to those of thoughtful mien. I would ask you to deliver the particulars as soon as possible (by express, even!) but you may as well not trouble yourself to write, for we will not be more than a two or three days following your receipt of this letter. I think you will be quite happy to be at some distance from your mother and your Meryton neighbors; charitable as they may be, human nature is, after all, human nature! We shall attempt to distract you with fine dining and views.

But Lizzy, I must tell you that our trip to the lakes cannot be. Your uncle cannot be spared from his business as long as would be required to truly spend time there. For that reason, together with my desire to revisit my former haunts (and a old friend who has fallen ill), we propose to bring you with us to Derbyshire. There is a very nice inn at Lambton, where I grew up, that can serve as home for the several weeks we can afford to be away. You may be aware that Lambton is quite near Pemberley, the Darcy estate. Do not fear. We will certainly not plan on seeing that house. I have made some discreet enquiries of my friends in the area, and they have informed me that neither Mr. Darcy nor his sister are expected from town for another month entire. So you need not fear appearing in the neighborhood; I do not expect any in Lambton to know of Mr. Darcy's private affairs. After our return to town, you are welcome to stay with us as long as you like; perhaps your mother's distress will be calmed with time.

With Love,

Your Aunt Gardiner

*************************************************************************

A letter from Mr. Collins to Lady Catherine de Bourgh...

...was attempted by the former, but given up at last. Mr. Collins could not find a way to phrase the letter that would definitively absolve him of any guilt in the matter. Indeed, Charlotte had advised him in the strongest possible terms that his best advantage would be to pretend ignorance in the matter. If Lady Catherine were to discover the truth from another source, then Mr. Collins could plead ignorance and act as comforter and advisor. Lady Catherine, Charlotte reminded him, would not take kindly to the messenger delivering news of such evils, nor was she likely to forget that Miss Bennet was cousin to Mr. Collins. She pointed out that Elizabeth had actually helped Lady Catherine's cause, for now that she had refused Mr. Darcy, wouldn't he be more likely to turn to his cousin for comfort? (She even managed to say that with a straight face.) Mr. Collins did not write the letter; nor did he sleep well at night.

Chapter 8

Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner arrived at Longbourn mid-morning of the second day after Elizabeth received her aunt's letter. The timing was purposeful; such an early arrival allowed for a speedy departure. Elizabeth was glad to get away and had done her packing early just in case her relatives did arrive. The Gardiners, having been warned by Mrs. Bennet's letter, had no desire to stay at Longbourn longer than necessary. Their leave-taking was not overly difficult; Mrs. Bennet by this time had turned rather sullen and accepted their departure with a lack of grace but an absence of hysteria. Her inability to conspire with Mr. and Mrs. Collins had sapped some of her nervous energy. Mr. Bennet was sorry to see his daughter leave, but recognized her need to escape her mother's anger. Elizabeth was, of course, sorry to leave Jane, but that could not be helped.

As the carriage pulled away from Longbourn, Elizabeth leaned back and closed her eyes. Her thoughts and emotions were in turmoil, but already she felt some relief. The letter she had received from Lydia had upset her greatly. Understanding Mr. Wickham's nature as she now did, she was truly agitated that he knew of Mr. Darcy's disappointment. She expected that Mr. Wickham would find some way of making Mr. Darcy aware of his information, and Elizabeth was truly sorry to be in any way responsible for such an event.

Her relatives looked at her with sympathy, but gave her time to herself. They had already agreed to wait until they stopped for the night to speak to their niece. Neither had any designs of interfering or trying to put Elizabeth in Mr. Darcy's path; indeed, they had considered suggesting she stay home rather than accompany them into his neighborhood, but decided that compared with her remaining at home with her mother, the chance of any contact between the two was the lesser of two evils.

*******************************************************************

After dinner that evening, in a well-maintained and sparsely populated inn, the Gardiners and Elizabeth retired to a private sitting room, where they could discuss the entire affair. Elizabeth was glad to be able to communicate openly; she valued her relatives' judgment and advice, and felt sure she would be happier after talking it over. She had not had much opportunity to continue her discussion with Jane, as her sister had been much occupied in caring for their mother.

She began at the beginning, starting with the ball where she had first seen Mr. Darcy, up to the proposal at Hunsford and then detailing his letter. She left very little out; she knew the Gardiners could be trusted not to speak to Jane of the details concerning her. Of Wickham she could not be entirely open, for she did not feel she had the right to speak of Miss Darcy's concerns. But she was able to convince her aunt and uncle that Darcy's information had left her in no doubt of Wickham's' lack of honesty in the matter of Darcy's actions and reputation.

She spoke for a long time, without interruption. She ended with her mother's discovery of the propos...

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