Assumptions and Arrangements: A Pride and Prejudice Variation: What if Elizabeth was willing to consider Mr. Collins? by Elizabeth Squire & A Lady

Author:Elizabeth Squire & A Lady [Squire, Elizabeth & Lady, A]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-02-13T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 24

When she fled from their room, Elizabeth wanted only to escape the thoughts of Mr. Collins and Mr. Darcy which her sisters insisted on pursuing and which she increasingly could not sort out to their or her satisfaction. This plan was almost immediately thwarted. As soon as she reached the bottom of the stairs, she found herself in the presence of one of these very gentlemen.

“Mr. Darcy.”

“Miss Elizabeth,” he greeted her, injecting a question in the way he said her name. They stood for a moment and though she lifted her eyes to his only briefly, she felt his assessing stare and wondered what impertinent questions she would now be subject to. “I was just on my way to the library to finish a letter that I must send in the morning. Would you care to join me? I know Bingley’s selection is not . . . robust; however, you seem to have a mind that can find amusement or engagement in almost anything and so I have no doubt that there is something there that might entertain or engross you.”

When she hesitated for a moment, he added, without any emphasis or special intonation at all, “Mr. Collins is in the drawing room with Mr. Bingley and his sisters.”

Of course, that decided her.

“I will admit to the truth of your supposition about myself and books,” she said to soften the blow of her choice. “I have no doubt that I could find something either educational or amusing in the sparsest of libraries. However, I will have to postpone that exercise for another time. I will go to Mr. Collins. As he came to Netherfield with the intention of seeing me, I should not like to have him leave without spending some time in his company.”

Without allowing herself another glance at Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth curtsied and made her way to the drawing room. Though she expected to be distracted by thoughts of Mr. Darcy during her visit with Mr. Collins and the Bingleys, she was not. It was, Elizabeth discovered, one benefit of having to work to thwart the near constant attempts of Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst to reveal personal, private and potentially unfavourable intelligence. Mr. Collins, suspecting nothing, was more than willing to answer even their most insolent questions. It took all of Elizabeth’s focus, attention, wit and good humour to deflect the inquiries and connivances with a smile, a vague answer or a question of her own. A tense half an hour after Elizabeth had arrived, Lydia swept into the room to bid the residents of Netherfield farewell. Bingley inquired minutely regarding Jane’s current state of health before he would allow them to depart. He was elated to learn that she continued to improve and hoped to join the party after dinner that evening. Elizabeth elected to walk her sisters and Mr. Collins to their carriage. Miss Bingley indicated it was already awaiting them—she had summoned it when they had returned from their walk, assuming that the Longbourn party would wish to depart imminently.

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