In Darcy's Place by Gwendolyn Dash

Author:Gwendolyn Dash [Dash, Gwendolyn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pride & Printing Press

Chapter 15

Once, when Elizabeth had been several years younger than Lydia was now, she and Jane had practiced kissing in the Longbourn orchard, until the stable boy, who’d been hiding in the trees, had spied their activities and thrown fruit at them. Jane had blushed for weeks, but Elizabeth had laughed the whole debacle off. After all, she explained to Jane, at least they could be assured that any experience to come must by necessity be better than kissing your sister and then getting bonked in the face with an apple core.

She’d been wrong.

Kissing Mr. Collins was worse by far. His lips were moist upon her own, and there was a squelching, guttural sound behind them that she was certain would haunt her dreams.

She shoved him away, turned, and fled before she had to listen to another syllable of his arguments, excuses or entreaties. She rushed into the house and up the stairs to her room, slammed the door behind her and collapsed, still in her coat and hat, upon the bed.

“Well,” said Lydia from the window seat.

Elizabeth shot up. “Lydia, you startled me! I did not even know you were there.”

“Oh, I am here,” her sister replied archly. “I have been sitting by this window for quite some time.”

The window overlooked the garden. Elizabeth colored deeply.

“And I must say, Lizzy, it’s terribly mean of you. You have spirited me away to Kent, where everything is dull and the only red coat for miles around is Colonel Fitzwilliam, who isn’t nearly as fun as the officers in the militia — all for a few kisses. And yet here you are, kissing anyone you please!”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes at the accusation. “I was not pleased to kiss—to be kissed—by Mr. Collins. He did so most unexpectedly, and I extricated myself as soon as I could. There is a decided difference.”

Lydia shrugged. “Yes, I imagine it would not be very pleasant. Poor Lizzy. You should have done as I did and taken advantage of kissing more handsome men when you had the chance. You will soon be married to our cousin and will have no other option.”

Elizabeth swiped her hand across her mouth. She could still taste Mr. Collins on her lips. “I do not believe I will marry him, Lydia. I do not think I can bear it, for all that it might help the family.”

Lydia gaped at her. “Mama will be furious.”

“Yes, I think she will be.”

“I cannot say I blame you, though. I could not do it in your shoes. Perhaps we should send him Mary. She will listen to him drone for days.” The younger girl laughed, but this was exactly what had concerned Elizabeth from the start. Mr. Collins did not care at all which one of them he married. Perhaps he might have earned the affections of a different sister, had he tried. But instead, he had rushed into a proposal, forcing his attentions on her, regardless of what might’ve made any of them happy. Now, even if Elizabeth did think Mr.

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