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“I am glad to hear that, sir,” Lord Dunnroy replied after a moment of stupor. “And you are?”
“William Collins, your lordship. The rector of Hunsford, appointed by Lady Catherine’s generosity. And Mr Bennet’s cousin. Longbourn is entailed to me, as the only male relative—”
“I see.”
“Mr Collins, please step aside and allow our illustrious guests to breathe,” Mr Bennet interjected. “I am not sure how things are done in Kent, but here in Hertfordshire, we invite our guests to sit and serve them refreshments before we bother them with long speeches.”
Mr Collins was silenced, so startled by the censure that he stepped aside. Mr Bingley performed the introductions, then the entire party were seated and tea was ordered.
Elizabeth glanced at Mr Darcy, who appeared even more restrained than usual, in complete opposition to the other three guests, who had already begun a conversation.
Nobody noticed that Mr Collins had remained standing by the door until sometime later when he finally joined the others. He could find nowhere to sit near the objects of his awe, and made several attempts — mostly unsuccessful — before he was allowed to participate in the discussion.
Six
Only minutes after their arrival, the Dunnroys were engaged in friendly conversation with the Bennets. No arrogance, no improper pride, no airs of superiority. Questions were asked and answered as they would be between old acquaintances.
Mr Bingley mostly listened, glancing often at Jane with a broad smile on his glowing face, while Mr Darcy chose his usual demeanour — silent and restrained. He did look at Elizabeth several times, and she cast glances at him occasionally. As usual, she assumed he was disapproving of something. Perhaps he held a grudge against her for imposing upon him in the library. Who could blame him? Would she ever find an opportunity to apologise? Should she even dare to attempt it?
“Lady Cecilia, I cannot even begin to express my delight with your visit!” Mrs Bennet said. “I must thank you for your kindness to my daughters Jane and Elizabeth. Indeed, Jane is admired everywhere she goes for her beauty and sweet nature, but your approval is more important than most people’s.”
“Mrs Bennet, my husband and I must thank your daughter Elizabeth. She saved us from an unpleasant situation.”
“Yes, I heard. Lizzy has kept up this habit of taking long walks alone since she was a child, and I do not approve of it. But this time, at least something good came of it!”
“Lady Catherine insists that young women should be careful with such habits, as they might expose them to danger — either to their wellbeing or their reputation,” Mr Collins declared.
“I confess I also enjoy taking long walks, though my mother disapproves of the habit too,” Lady Cecilia replied with a little laugh. “Fortunately, my husband indulges me with his company when I ask him.”
“You see, Mrs Bennet? Lizzy need not give up her pleasure in walking. She is only required to find a husband to accompany her,” Mr Bennet said with a twist to his lips. For some reason, Elizabeth felt more embarrassed than amused, and Mrs Bennet immediately disagreed.
“When one possesses fortune and connections, one can easily find a husband to indulge her. But when one lacks all of this and is not particularly accomplished in any way, one has little chance of such good luck.”
Jane’s face paled in mortification, and Elizabeth knew her own had done the same. Mr Darcy looked away. Mr Collins opened his mouth to comment, but Lord Dunnroy began to laugh.
“My dear Mrs Bennet, you may be surprised to learn that often gentlemen find those habits disapproved of by society’s hypocrisy to be quite charming. For instance, to me, a young woman with wit and good education, the daughter of a gentleman, who enjoys walking alone, proves herself to possess spirit, determination, and confidence. Yes, such a habit might be a little imprudent, and I would not necessarily recommend it, I grant you that, but bravery combined with wit is often more attractive than a good fortune or skill with a needle. The problem is that most men cannot afford to choose what is to their liking when they are in search of a wife. So, sadly, for practical reasons, more often than not they choose someone with less attractiveness and charm and more connections and money. I, for one, was so fortunate as to be able to choose, and I selected someone who possesses all the qualities I desired in a woman.”
He finished his speech with an adoring gaze at his wife, then he took her hand and brought it to his lips.
“I was fortunate to be chosen by you, my dear,” Lady Cecilia answered with visible emotion.
His declaration caused some confusion, and there was no answer from Mrs Bennet, so he addressed his companions directly.
“Would you not agree, gentlemen?”
“I do agree — very much so!” Mr Bingley hastily replied, causing a large smile to spread across both Jane’s and Mrs Bennet’s faces.
“Of course we agree — any honest man would,” Mr Darcy finally answered, and all eyes turned to him. “But, unhappily, no man or woman can disregard practical reasons and responsibilities when choosing a partner. That is the truth. It would be easy but dangerous to simply marry the first person one is enchanted with. That would certainly cause far more dreadful marriages than already exist in the world.”
“True!” Mrs Bennet interjected. “If not for practicality and responsibility, I am sure all women would marry handsome officers!”
“Mama!” Jane cried, red with embarrassment.
“What? It is the truth, if we are to be honest.”
“Many officers are charming and handsome,” Lady Cecilia interjected, with a large smile on her face, “but let us give other gentlemen a fair chance too. There are plenty of men equally engaging and good-looking who do not wear uniforms.”
“Of course there are,” Mrs Bennet replied. “I mean, Lord Dunnroy, Mr Bingley, and Mr Darcy are all handsome, but marrying any of them would not be an imprudent marriage. Quite the opposite.”
